VINEMONT, Ala. – Vinemont High School’s Maggie Payne is preparing to start her senior year in August, and in this interview, she discusses how much her faith means to her, starting with a couple of her favorite bible verses.
“It’s hard to put into words how much God truly means to me. I try to make Him a part of every daily decision I have to make. I’m thankful for every day I’m given, and prayers helps me through all my tough times,” Payne said. “Two of my favorite Bible verses are Luke 1:37: ‘For with God nothing shall be impossible’, and Psalms 46:5: ‘God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved’. These verses mean so much to me, because they remind me daily of how much I’m truly capable of and that God is by my side every step of the way through situations that may even feel impossible.”
Maggie wants to help people of all ages find God. She just recently got her parents and her sister to attend church with her, and that has brought them even closer together as a family.
“My preacher talk about this quite often and how important it is to lead others to Christ. Church has always been very important to me, and I’ve recently got my mom, my dad, and my sister to start attending with me. As we have all worked to improve our relationship with God, it has brought us closer as a family. It sparks a new and better topic of conversation, such as what the message was that day and what it personally meant to us as an individual. It has always been a dream of mine to get my family to go to church together, so I can confidently say it has done nothing but the absolute best for us.”
Being a role model for a lot of younger kids, including her sister, is at the top of Maggie’s list, and she talked about some Godly role models in her own life that have helped her become the person that she is today.
“It is extremely important to me, because I believe that is what we are called to do. My sister is younger than me, and I strive to be the best and most Christ-like role model I can be for her,” Payne said. “Even though my parents didn’t attend church, they have always made it a point to teach me how important God is and how we center our lives around Him. I was raised in a Christian household where my parents taught me about the importance of prayer and raised me on Christian values. Vinemont High School also makes God a priority. The teachers, staff, and coaches all lead through high morals and Christian values. When away from home at cheer camp, our cheer coach always does devotion every night, and we have devotion with the football players before games.”
Switching schools was tough for Maggie at first, but God was there for her every step of the way during that time. She gave some advice to those people who are either struggling or new when it comes to having a relationship with God.
“Moving schools brought out many changes in myself personally. I joined a school sport for the first time and found a group of like-minded friends that I feel so comfortable with. They all share the same values as me. My parents ultimately gave me the decision about whether to move schools. I prayed every day that God would help guide me in the right direction, which brought me closer to Him,” she said. “I would say to them to not give up on it. God is always there. Through the negative and positive, He is always standing by your side. He listens to everything you have said, whispered, or thought. Not one moment passes by where God isn’t guiding you. I recently had a tough mental block with my tumbling. I lost skills I have had for years. I prayed so many times, and I was filled with anger at times. I was mad at myself and the situation. I prayed not only for my skills, but for God to help me with anxiety and frustrations with it. It’s slowly starting to come back almost three years later. He doesn’t ever give up on you. No problem is too big, and you are never too far gone. Keep trying, and I promise, one day, you will be amazed. I always like to remember that I am living answered prayers that I once dreamed of, and equally as important as any advice I could give, I will always pray for their relationship with God.”
She shared some Godly rituals that she does with her cheerleading squad before competitions, after practice, and outside of sports. She loves being a role model for the younger kids in and outside of cheer.
“Before every competition, my team and I say a prayer with our coach. We pray after every practice we have and for anyone who may need it. If someone is going through a difficult time, we hold a prayer in our gym at school for anyone who wants to attend. During any anxiety I may feel over school or cheer, I pray that He relieves it and walks me through the situation,” Payne said. “Being a role model for younger girls/kids who dream to perform like my team and I do one day holds a special place in my heart. I absolutely love kids and getting to interact with them at games or competitions makes my day. I strive to be the best I can for them, so hopefully, they can grow up and fulfill their dreams. Hopefully, they will grow up to be even better than I am for the ones who will look up to them.”
Maggie has learned so much during her Godly journey so far.
“I’ve learned that I will always have God to lead me through my worst and even best times in life. Whether it has to do with cheer or life in general, nothing is ever too much for Him to handle.”
Copyright 2025 Humble Roots, LLC. All Rights Reserved.
