FRIENDS AND NEIGHBORS
A father and daughter follow and lead
BY SUZANNE LOUDAMY Staff writer

“To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under heaven.” Ecclesiastes 3:1.

This scripture is just too true to the times in the Jackson household. Ever ything just seems to be falling in place for Jim Jackson as the youth minister at the First Baptist Church of Whitehouse.

And the timing is perfect to have this time to nurture his middle daughter Jordan as she completes her final year of high school. This father and daughter have a great deal in common.

Jim’s 24 years of youth ministry have taken he and college sweetheart Jolene to many cities and churches. After almost 20 years of service, Jim took a sabbatical from the ministry and focused on his photography. This work took Jim to the sidelines of many soccer games and other events with his three daughters.

Even though his attention was sometimes split between the lens of the camera and what his daughters were doing, Jim says he wouldn’t trade for all the time he got to spend with his girls. Jennifer, who is 20 and Joelle, 13, along with 17-year-old Jordan are lights of his life.

Jordan has been the daughter who picked up on dad’s work. She developed her interest in photography by default. She just grew up with it and became dad’s tag along.

“She was always with me, so I put her to work,” Jim said. “It wasn’t long before she began to assist me at weddings and photo shoots. I discovered she really had a talent for it (photography).”

“When I went to high school, Dad told Ms. Miller that I was a good photographer. That got me started in the journalism classes,” Jordan said. She is now the photo editor for the yearbook and also takes photos for the student newspaper, the Paw Prints.

During the playoff game in Frisco, Jordan “took one” for the team. A sideline tackle ended with a bloody nose for Jordan. She says the players gave her a hard time about that.

“After that I really keep one eye on the action and one eye on Jordan,” Jim said.

Jim knows he won’t always be at Jordan’s side to protect her. As a WHS senior, Jordan is making plans to attend The University of Mary Hardin Baylor.

Along with her journalism skills she will take her love of soccer. Jordan is a four-year varsity Lady Cat soccer player.

Her academic plans include a major in Christian studies with an emphasis in youth ministry. Sounds familiar doesn’t it.

Again, “the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.” Jordan has that same longing to lead youth into a life with Christ just as Jim does.

“It’s a hard field for her to go in to. It’s not all ski trips and Six Flags,” Jim said. But she has seen that. She has seen both sides, as a student and as a daughter. That has given her an advantage.

Jordan says her dad has taught her to always keep her head up, be aggressive and stay in the game. Sounds like soccer advice, and maybe it is, but she said it’s also a great lesson for life in general. Jim says he sees some great

qualities in Jordan that will be a huge benefit to her as she pursues the field of youth ministry. “She is very honest. She can point out things you might not see happening. Jordan also has a real heart for people. She’s a real natural with people no matter their situation.”

With all that is going on in the Whitehouse community and in First Baptist Church, the experiences have been exciting for both Jordan and Jim.

Father and daughter both agree that following a championship football team, being a part of a growing, exciting church and a community of people who support each other has been a great inspiration.

They agree, it’s all about the timing. It’s just so wonderful that everything seems to be coming together at this time in this way.

“It’s been great watching people get together and do things. Like the tailgate party for the playoff game and hosting Feed the Cats,” Jim said. “It’s wonder ful to see the church and the community come together to make those kinds of things happen.”

It seems that the time and season have come just at the right time for this father and daughter pair.