The Journey - Summer 2013

The Journey

The Journey

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The Journey

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The Journey

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The Journey

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The Journey

Main Street Marketing is growing and expanding and we feel blessed!

We moved from our small office on Howard Street to a spacious office that houses all of our employees. Our new location is 215 Boone Heights Drive, Suite 202, right behind our neighbors Stick Boy Kitchen!

Meet our crew...

Ben Cox Owner Publisher/Editor Charles Bateman Project Manager

Becky Zaragoza Graphic Designer Sarah Lynn Mills Office Manager

Mark Burwinkel Sales Aaron Simpson Sales Logan Hall Intern Graphic Designer Kelly Goodman Freelance Writer Josh Anderson Freelance Writer

The Journey

The Journey Welcome to The Journey

p. 9

Born to Coach

p. 10

The Roller Coaster Ride of a Coach's Wife

p. 12

God's Game Plan for a Coach

p. 14

Thank You

p. 16-21

The Process

p. 22

Chickenpox, Slippers and Me

p. 26

A Lesson in Faith

p. 28

Work as a Spiritual Practice

p.30

All Appalachian State University and Coach Moore photos used with permission of Appalachian State.

The Journey Magazine c Copyright 2013 O

828.263.0095 mainstreetmktg@gmail.com Any type of reproduction of this magazine is prohibited without permission from Main Street Marketing.

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The Journey

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Welcome to The Journey From the time I bought Main Street Marketing six years ago, this particular magazine has really evolved. It’s gone from a newsprint publication that was distributed primarily in Ashe County, to an attractive glossy print magazine that’s distributed twice a year in Ashe, Watauga and Avery Counties. Judging from the responses we get, and from the fact that we have very little surplus from the 40,000 magazines that are distributed, it’s clearly become a popular read to High Country residents and visitors alike.

To help you understand where we’re coming from with this publication, let me share a bit of my journey which led to The Journey. First of all, after 19 years of full time pastoral ministry in Boone, I never would have thought I’d come to own a marketing company, but I do. We provide all kinds of print (visitor maps, dining cards, coupon books, place-mats,etc) and digital advertising options (High Country 365) to businesses across the High Country, and The Journey is just a part of what we do.

This magazine is intended to present people’s stories about their personal relationships with God. Though we endeavor to have a diversity of view-points represented in our stories, sometimes we don’t achieve that. However, we always endeavor to let people tell their stories, uncut, as is. Because of this, it stands to reason that we are not always able to personally endorse all that is said, nor can we be held responsible for the total veracity of every story. The common denominator is that the people who share have experienced God’s love in real ways. The encouragement that we want for you is that you, too, can experience His love in whatever challenges you face.

In this particular edition, we are allocating a large portion of the magazine to pay tribute to Jerry and Margaret Moore. As a long time Boone resident who follows Appalachian State University football, I have known about Jerry and Margaret Moore since he was hired to be the coach here. Five years ago, I got to know them personally when they were interviewed for this magazine. The thing that deeply impressed me about them was their authenticity and their humility.

This past year, like many of us in the High Country, I was shocked at how this successful coach and honorable man was dismissed from his head coaching job. What’s happened can’t be undone, and I, for one, intend to be fully supportive of Appalachian State football and the new coaching staff. In fact, the Moores themselves, and other sources, have confirmed to me that the new coach, Scott Satterfield, as well as his wife Beth, deserve the same high level of respect and support from the general public that the Moores have enjoyed. But for now, before too much time passes, I want to use this magazine as a platform to honor Jerry and Margaret Moore.

There’s a scripture that says, “Give honor to whom honor is due,” and that’s one thing we want to accomplish in this edition. Ultimately, the honor goes to God, because both Jerry and Margaret are the first to admit that if there’s anything good in them at all, it’s only by God’s grace. They would be uncomfortable being called a “great man or woman of God,” and much more comfortable being called a “great man or woman of a great God.” So, with that in mind, we’re going to take a stroll down memory lane by re-running their stories from 5 years ago, and we have another report of where they are now and where they see themselves in the future. Besides that, we have reached out to former players and current friends to give them an opportunity to pay tribute to the Moores. As usual, according to the precedent we’ve established, we are going to print what was sent to us exactly as it was presented.

In addition to the Moore’s tributes, we have other unrelated, but equally inspiring stories that we hope will be a blessing to you. Happy reading!

Ben Cox, Owner of Main Street Marketing & High Country 365

2013 9Summer Summer 20139

BORN TO COACH I was fortunate to grow up in a loving home with parents who were strong disciplinarians. We went to church regularly and they instilled good values in me, including a strong work ethic. I guess you could say I grew up good.

Because I went to church, I knew about Jesus and God and I even got baptized. But, as I think back on it now, I wasn’t really saved. I knew about being good, but I really didn’t know God in a personal way. Now that I know Jesus as my Lord and Savior, I’ve come to realize that there’s just enough difference between being good and being saved, to spend eternity in Hell. That realization is one of the things that motivates me to use my influence to share with others, the difference a real relationship with God can make in a person’s life.

As I have thought about my life and upbringing, one thing I’ve come to appreciate is the impact that other men have made upon my life. There have been key people along the way who didn’t just teach me about football, but taught me about life and set a good example for me to follow. Because of that, I want to

10 Summer 2013

be the same way for those young men who God brings into my life. In other words, I don’t just want to coach a winning football team, I want to have a positive impact on the souls of the young men who play for ASU. You don’t just accidentally win championships, and I think that a key ingredient to our success has been our concern for our players as people and not just their athletic ability.

The first man, besides my dad, who made a strong impression on me was my high school football coach in Bonham, Texas. His name was M.B. Nelson and he became my coach after my freshman year when my team went 0 and 10. We were so bad, about the only thing we had to be excited about was winning the coin toss. Even though I started my freshman year, I didn’t know one thing about discipline, hard work and technique until Coach Nelson came along. He was more than a coach, he was like a father to all of us on that team. He was so good at what he did, he molded us into a team that was undefeated my Junior and Senior years. High School football in Texas is huge, so that was no small accomplishment. From the time Coach Nelson came

into my life, it solidified in me the desire to be a head coach some day. As I think back on my years in football, I honestly think he was the best I’ve ever seen at teaching the fundamentals and instilling the type of values in us as young men that it takes to win. He was more than a coach, he was like a father to all of us on the team. Besides this, he set a great example for us in the way he lived his life. He was my Sunday School teacher and a leader in our community. He didn’t just change the team, he changed the school and the town.

After high school, I went to Baylor University where I played wide receiver for the football team. This was another positive experience for me in terms of determining my future in football, but the very best thing about Baylor was meeting a beautiful girl named Margaret Starnes. She used to sit beside my roommate in chapel and when I began to show interest in her, she let me know real quick that if I was going to date her, we were going to go to church. When I went home with her to meet her family, their commitment to Christ really made a positive impression on me.

It wasn’t long before I realized that this was the girl I wanted to marry and we did so in the springtime of my Junior year at Baylor.

After Baylor, I tried out for the Dallas Cowboys where I was cut by coach Tom Landry. It was then that I got a call from my high school position coach who wanted me to be his assistant at Corsciana High School in Corsciana, Texas. I went from there to assistant coaching at Southern Meth. University in Dallas and from there to the University of Nebraska where I was privileged to be with another very positive influence in my life, Coach Tom Osborne. In my seven years there, I learned a lot about football, but I was also impressed by Tom’s example and by his demeanor with the players. I had originally met Tom at a Fellowship Christian Athletes meeting that I went to when I was at SMU. He was the first coach who I had seen offer devotions for the players who wanted it. In fact, it was at that FCA conference, where I met Coach Osborne, that I experienced something profound in my relationship with Christ. The effect of being around so many men who loved God and were openly devoted to Him challenged me. I remember coming home from that conference, getting on my knees in my bedroom and asking God to take complete control of my life. When I got off my knees I knew something had happened deep in my heart and ever since that time I’ve tried to be as much of a servant as I could.

wasn’t like Coach Nelson anymore.

Margaret saw how miserable I was and she encouraged me to try to get back in coaching. I called Coach Osborne and some other football folks to get my name circulated again. That’s when Coach Hatfield of Arkansas called to ask me to be a volunteer coach for him. Being a volunteer coach means you don’t make any money, so you can imagine how apprehensive I was about that. But Margaret, who is a great school teacher, said, “I can teach and we can make it.” So, with her encouragement I took the job, got paid nothing, but had the thrill of being a part of winning the South West Conference Championship with Arkansas that year. Because of that, Coach Hatfield was going to offer me a paid position, but that’s when ASU called.

The athletic director at ASU back then was Jim Garner. He knew me from our days in the same staff at Texas Tech. Though I’d never heard of ASU and didn’t know where Boone was I jumped at the chance to be a head coach again. I honestly felt as if this was my last chance in coaching. Little did I know how things would turn out here in Boone. I look back and it’s interesting to see how God put all the pieces of the puzzle together to allow us to do what we’ve done here.

I could talk about beating Michigan or about winning 3 national championships, but I can honestly say that my greatest thrill in coaching is seeing young men develop and grow and change for the better. To have some kind of role in being a godly example and influence to those players and others is an honor and a privilege for which I’m extremely grateful.

Jerry Moore Former ASU Football Coach

My first head coach opportunity came when I was offered the job at North Texas, this in turn opened the door from me to become the coach at Texas Tech where they were struggling to rebuild their football program. I was there from 1981 to 1985 and was pleased when the progress we were making. We were just a few bad breaks away from having a winning season and we played very well against some tough teams. Because of this, I was excited about our potential for next year and felt we were on the verge of a break-through. But, the athletic director obviously didn’t feel the same way, because he called me into his office before our last game to inform me that I wouldn’t be coming back for the next season. This was a devastating blow to me, my coaching staff and our families. Though I immediately got offers to coach at other places, I turned them down because Margaret and I didn’t want to move our daughter from her school.

For 18 months, I was completely out of football. I got a job in real estate development where my responsibility was to travel all over the U.S. to find contractors to build developments. As part of courting these potential builders, we would treat them to golf at some of the finest clubs around. Here I was making more money than I‘d ever made in coaching, playing golf at some of the best courses you could imagine and I was miserable. There were times that I would literally cry myself to sleep thinking how I

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The Journey

Being married to a football coach is a lot like riding a roller coaster. It has its ups and downs, twists and turns and just when you think it might be slowing down, off it goes at breakneck speed.

I was reared in a Christian home in Mineola, Texas. Mother was the organist at the Baptist church and Daddy was a Methodist. All I ever knew was church life. When I was six years old, my pastor called me into his office and walked me through the plan of salvation. Although I was so young, it really took with me. The next Sunday, my Methodist father walked me down the aisle and we were baptized together. I was discipled in my church by loving Sunday school teachers and youth pastors. My Christian walk was consistent and I escaped the baggage of teenage rebellion.

Mother had always prayed that God would send me the right husband. I met Jerry at Baylor University and fell in love with him on our first date. Mother’s prayers were answered. We dated three years and after graduation we were married. A Christ centered home was my fervent goal, not as a duty but out of a sincere desire to honor God. I loved Jesus and I loved Jerry. Texas Tech offered Jerry his first major head coaching job and off we went to Lubbock, Texas. In retrospect, Jerry says it was the only job he didn’t pray about. They called, dangled the carrot in front of him and he accepted the offer. We were there five years. I got a teaching job; we bought a beautiful house on a golf course. We went to church, but never really got involved for lack of time. The move was hard on our teenage children. They missed their friends and schools.

Jerry was gone constantly. The entire football program had to be rebuilt from the ground up. It required long hours. At one point, our daughter thought her parents were separated because she never saw her daddy. I became bitter. I felt the whole responsibility for family weighing on my shoulders. By this time my father had died and my mother had Alzheimer’s disease so we had moved her to be near us.

In my bitterness, I deliberately walked away from my relationship with my Lord. I decided to do my own thing and I felt God folded His arms and said, “I’m here when you decide to come back.”

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I literally went through adolescent rebellion in my forties.

Though I felt guilty and miserable, I was also desperately lonely. I filled my life with parties and anything else society had to offer. I was never unfaithful to Jerry, but I stopped being the loving, supportive wife he needed. I no longer honored God in my life, my home, my marriage or in being a Godly mother. I couldn’t see that it wasn’t Jerry’s fault that our family was suffering. He was trapped.

Bum Phillips once remarked, “There are two kinds of coaches.

Those who have been fired and those who are going to be fired!” The school hired a new Athletic Director and Jerry was fired for not having a winning season. He felt he had not only let our family down but also the families of his assistant coaches. When the head coach gets fired, his assistant coaches usually lose their jobs, too.

Jerry went to work for a company in Dallas making more money than he ever thought possible, but he was miserable. I stayed in Lubbock for a year so our daughter, Elizabeth, could finish high school. God was no longer the center of our lives.

We were out of His will. He was allowing us to run our own lives. We moved to Mt. Vernon, Texas, about an hour from Dallas and I got a teaching job.

Jerry was unexpectedly transferred to Atlanta, Georgia. I finished the semester at school and then joined him. We both realized we needed to re-examine our lives. We were out of God’s will and we desperately needed Him back in control.

On his knees, Jerry called out to God. “If you really want me to coach, put me where I can be a spiritual force in the life of my players.” This is where we began to feel God leading.

Jerry called Ken Hatfield at Arkansas and put out the word he wanted to get back into coaching.

“Would you be interested in doing some volunteer coaching here in Arkansas? We can’t pay you but we sure could use you.” With three kids in college, we accepted and once again I got a teaching job. I will forever love that coaching staff and their families. They were all believers. They took us in and loved us back to life. God restored our Christian lifestyle and reminded us how sovereign He is. This was indeed His plan for us.

We were only there a year when a position opened at ASU. Jim Garner, the Athletic Director, called to ask if Jerry would be interested. We prayed and with our faith rebuilt, we stepped out in faith. We didn’t hear God say yes or no. The afternoon before Jerry was to be introduced as the new coach at ASU, Ken called and offered him the position of Offensive Coordinator at Arkansas. It would have meant total security and was hard to pass up. Once again, Jerry was on his knees.

The Lord gave us the option. We could stay or launch out.

We came to Boone in 1989.

Since our time in Arkansas until now, God is indeed the center of our lives. We have learned our lesson well. Never again will we neglect our quiet time with the Lord, prayer for His direction or His written word. More necessary than our daily food, they provide the strength and confidence that keep our lives on track.

Margaret Moore

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God’s Game Plan for a Coach

Jerry and Margaret Moore reminisce on 24 years of faith and football in the High Country An unassuming stone walk sweeps left through the yard, waiting for the perfect moment to cut up field towards pay dirt—a charming home in the Blue Ridge Mountains. Lining up as the single-set back in this front yard formation is a statuesque football player made of clay, with feet to match.

decision, one that seemed like a huge leap of faith at the time.

Every yard of this battle between landscape and land is fought over in front of an adoring porch proudly displaying a sign that proclaims, “National Champions, 2005, 2006, 2007.”

“God surrounded us with the right people,” Jerry points out.

This is home to one of the most respected and revered head coaches in the High Country, if not throughout all of college football. It also reflects the gentle hospitality of a wife who has loyally supported her husband every step of the way. Jerry and Margaret Moore have lived like this for the past 24 years, humbly serving God and the High Country.

It would only make sense that Coach Moore, as he is still lovingly referred to, had lost track of time when we arrived for our interview. Not because he’s absentminded, but because he was busy working to untangle a lure from his fishing net.

Jerry has a lot more time for his favorite hobby since leaving Appalachian State University in 2012. During his tenure, he was too busy piling up more than 200 wins, three NCAA Division 1-AA national championships, and earning a victory against the Michigan Wolverines in 2007 that is considered by many to be the biggest upset in college football history.

The departure from ASU was not easy for Jerry, his players, or the community. But that hasn’t tackled him for a loss. He believes strongly that God led him to accept the head-coaching job back in 1989. He and Margaret moved from Fayetteville, Arkansas, to Boone, North Carolina, and he’s never looked back.

“We prayed about it and had no hesitations,” Jerry says.

His wife Margaret went on to elaborate about the eventual outcome of their

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“Looking back on it, we have no regrets,” she says. “This journey has been an adventure, and one that we’ve been able to share with our friends here in this amazing community.”

There is No “I” in Team When Jerry and Margaret first moved to Boone, they didn’t know where God was taking them.

They had just spent the past year in Arkansas, where Jerry served as a volunteer coach on Ken Hatfield’s staff. He enjoyed being part of a respected Division 1-A football program like the Razorbacks, and the thrill of winning the Southwest Conference Championship that year.

Margaret had gladly gotten back into teaching to help out financially. She loved being in the classroom again, and she also knew how important it was for her husband to be coaching again. Being in Arkansas was not only professionally gratifying, but it also was spiritually enriching.

“I will forever love that coaching staff and their families,” Margaret says. “They were all believers. They took us in and loved us back to life.”

But Jerry wanted to be a college head coach again, something he had been able to do in his home state of Texas, both at North Texas and Texas Tech. That’s when Appalachian State called. And like the wide receiver he used to be at Baylor University, Coach Moore grabbed the opportunity with both hands and ran with it.

“I honestly felt as if this was my last chance in coaching,” Jerry says. “Little did I know how things would turn out here.’”

It was then the Moores knew they needed to faithfully trust the Lord, His plans, and His timing in particular. Jerry and Margaret also realized they needed to rely on one another if this move was going to work.

“God restored our Christian lifestyle and reminded us how sovereign He is,” Margaret says. “This was indeed His plan for us.”

Jerry was introduced as Appalachian State’s head football coach in 1989, and Margaret returned to the classroom, this time as a fifth grade teacher in Blowing Rock. Jerry is quick to point out that his wife is a great teacher and has always been an important part of his coaching staff.

“Whenever I say “I,” it’s really “we.” It was “we” from day one,” Jerry says. “She has always had great relationships with all the coaches, the players, and families.”

One of the ways Margaret fostered these relationships was through fellowship. And what better way than with food? Several years ago, she and the other coaches’ wives hosted a barbecue the first four home games of the season, at the Moores’ house, inviting the families of players by class level. Eventually she scaled back to one cookout a year for all players and coaches—with more than 100 turning the Moore’s home into a fellowship hall.

“They were always my boys,” Margaret says fondly.

“We Just Lived It” For Jerry, success at Appalachian State was measured by the results of the players who came through his program, not by the accolades amassed over nearly two-and-a-half decades with him as head coach.

“There are all the awards, trophies, and newspaper clippings from what we did on the field,” he says. “But the real reward was seeing how the players turned out as men.”

Jerry goes on to talk about how before the 2012 season, one of the most highly recruited players of his tenure, Rod Chisholm, asked him if they could pray after every practice.

“I told him that this was their team,” Jerry says, “and whatever they wanted to do, I would support them.”

“So eventually other kids, whether they were starters or not, would start praying.

My throat would hurt listening to them stumble through their sincere and thoughtful prayers, and my eyes would

start to sweat.”

Though Jerry admits that faith was not usually something he expressed in words, he tried to show his love for God through example instead.

“We had a God-living, God-fearing team,” Jerry says. “We didn’t preach it, we just lived it.”

The Next Play Both Jerry and Margaret are uncertain of what the future holds for them.

On the days he’s not knee-deep in waders, Jerry busies himself with a variety of speaking engagements, something he has more time for throughout the year now. He’s also served as a consultant for several college coaches around the country, assessing practices and sharing his insights about football. But Xs and Os are still in his blood, and he hopes to be a coach again soon.

Margaret, on the other hand, has retired from teaching. She’s now a full-time grandmother and involves herself in a variety of activities and events around the community. And of course, she fully supports her husband’s aspirations of returning to the profession he dearly loves.

Still, this time away from coaching has reaffirmed the Moores’ love for God, the community, and each other.

“I believe in three things: the Bible, Mom and Dad, and ‘Coach Said,’” Jerry says.

“But I’ve also come to believe that this community is truly special. Wherever you go, someone cares.”

Margaret is the first to agree. “Our time here has been such a blessing,” she says.

“It’s strengthened our faith, and it’s helped us trust in the Lord. This is our home, and will remain our home. It’s a special place where people help people.”

The Moores believe God is drawing up a game plan for their future, and though the next play hasn’t been called yet, Jerry and Margaret feel confident they know what to do when it is: Do whatever Coach says.

Written by Josh Anderson Summer 2013 15

THANK YOU COACH & MARGARET!!

I first met Coach Jerry Moore in 1996. He invited me to a Wednesday night Bible study that met at his house. Coach Moore has always been a mentor and an inspiration to me, and the one thing I can say about him is that he always has a positive attitude. With Jerry, as a football player, you learn a lot about playing football, but you learn more about life. You know, behind every good man is a great woman - and that is his wife, Margaret. My daughter, Nicole, went to Blowing Rock Elementary, where Margaret was a teacher, so I felt like I never had to worry about anything there. Margaret was always there to look after her.

Buzz Peterson UNC Wilmington Head Basketball Coach Former Appalachian State Head Basketball Coach ____________________________________________________________________ _ We are writing this message with great love and compassion for Coach and Mrs. Margaret. In my 34 years of coaching and teaching, I have not found a coach and wife team with as much tenderness and concern for players and their families.

Coach has his heart in the right place, with Jesus. Coach, may God continue blessing the next phase of His will for your life. Mrs. Margaret has been a great magnet for the Holy Spirit, representing the Lord and holding up the banner for the Moore legacy. Truly it will live on through the lives and hearts that have been touched by this power couple. They are our role models. We love you, Coach and Mrs. Margaret. May God bless and keep you. In His Grip, RV and Frances Brown Spiritual Leader Phil. 4:6-7 ____________________________________________________________________ Jerry and Margaret, What wonderful years you have brought to us. You have been more than just a coach, you have been an inspiration for living. You are always welcome on our sideline of life.

Dr. Dick and Mrs. Harriet Furman ________________________________________________________________________________ Behind every great man is a great woman. Not only is Jerry Moore one of the great college football coaches of our generation, but behind him is a great wife, Margaret. Their Christian marriage and testimony have been a witness to our entire community, and we are grateful for their leadership these many years.

Franklin and Jane Graham Samaritan’s Purse & Billy Graham Evangelistic Association ________________________________________________________________________________ For Coach Moore, coaching football was more than simply the game, it was about ministering to his players and their families. Coach and Margaret have shown love and care for countless numbers of young men over the past 24 years. We want to thank them for the selfless service they have given to this community in so many ways. We are thankful and blessed to call them our friends!

Winston and Karen Petrey Local Business Owner

16 Summer 2013

More Thank Yous on page 18

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THANK YOU

Coach Moore is the second most influential man in my life, next to my Dad. He taught me how to be a bold witness for Christ in a profession that is not always known for Christian values. The world of college football has often become a win at all costs profession. Coach Moore kept his deep belief that football was a way to develop men who would become good football players first, but more importantly, would become great husbands, fathers, and men who make a difference in other people’s lives. That will be his ultimate claim to fame of a legendary career. I am thankful to the Lord for putting Jerry and Margaret Moore in my family’s life. I was blessed to have the best mentor and friend that a young man could ever have. I wish them all the best in the next phase of their life. He Always Did More Than Was Expected!

Mark Speir WCU Head Football Coach ________________________________________________________________________________ Our family has been blessed and enriched by witnessing the impact Jerry and Margaret have on the lives of so many; extending well beyond their App State teams and community. Thank you, Coach and Margaret, for your unwavering commitment to Christ and His principles in every circumstance! Natalie, Elliott, Kelsey, Casey, and I thank you for touching deeply our lives with your love, care, and your valued friendship. You have impacted our lives and made them increasingly rich!

Bryan & Natalie Willis Director Of Events, Samaritan’s Purse ________________________________________________________________________________ Thanks Coach and Margaret for the many ways you have impacted lives throughout your years in the High Country. Most everyone knows about the accomplishments you have achieved on the ball field but only the LORD can rightly record all that you have each done to help shape, direct, encourage, love, teach, motivate and inspire so many. Thanks for standing for Christ in places and in times when it wasn’t appreciated and valued. My family loves you, and we stand among many others in our Mount Vernon Church family who will always give thanks to the LORD in every remembrance of you.

Friends in Christ, Bud Russell Minister of Education & Administration - Mount Vernon Baptist Church

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COACH & MARGARET!!

Coach Moore has always demonstrated what a real head coach should be. From the moment we met, he always treated me with fairness and honesty. He is, and always will be, a walking giant among men, in his character, and also in his faith. There are not many head coaches of major universities who can act upon integrity, humility, and respectfulness of the young men around them. To most head coaches, the world revolves around them, and their success on the field. Coach Moore always made it about us, and our success.

In the end of your experience being coached by Jerry Moore, you evidently came away with how to win on the field, but most importantly, how to win in life when you walk out of the locker room doors for that last time. Every facet of his diamond shined with winning and success on and off of the gridiron. From the 10 Southern Conference championships, to the threepeat national championships, and the jaw-dropping day in Ann Arbor that truly put Appalachian State on the map, to the time he spent making sure walk-ons got to class on time, he has embodied true success in every way. It has saddened me, along with many others, that his 24 year coaching experience has been terminated during the most successful times in University history. I am embarrassed to see a giant be told to walk.

Corey Lynch Former Appalachian State Football Player __________________________________________________ We cannot even begin to express the enormous impact that Coach and Margaret have had on our lives. They have mentored us and have been a rock solid influence by consistently demonstrating the value of staying grounded in a profession that is an endless roller coaster. Coach and Margaret’s legacy will extend far beyond wins and losses. It will even reach beyond the countless number of lives they have directly impacted and forever changed. We are honored to be a part of that legacy and we are proud of the impression they have left on our lives!!

Scott and Beth Satterfield ASU Head Football Coach

More Thank Yous on page 20

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The Journey

THANK YOU

Coach Moore was so much more than a coach to me. He was a friend but most of all a mentor.

He was a model example to me in so many areas: work ethic, authenticity, integrity, and faith.

Coach and Mrs. Moore were always compassionate, caring, and committed. It meant the world to me when they both showed up at my wedding. Thanks for everything that you have done for me and my family.

Love, The Chasteens (Jon, Leigh, Ava, Emet, and Owen) Jon Chasteen - Pastor of Missions and Dscipleship Redemption Hill Church _____________________________________________________________________________ Win a national championship on a Saturday night…beat Michigan on a Saturday afternoon – Margaret and Jerry Moore are in church and Bible study just hours later on Sunday morning – sometimes coming directly to church from the bus. Margaret has hosted a ladies’ Bible study in her home for years. Jerry often shares insights into scripture during our Bible study time, or points out a passage after class.

Demonstrating character, integrity, caring, and the list goes on - Jerry and Margaret have had incredible influence on hundreds of the ASU family and leave an example for all who know them. And in a very special way – daily Christian living!

They have invested their lives enabling others to make Christ evident in their attitudes and actions. I’ve told them that some day in heaven there will be a big black helmet with hundreds of players, coaches, fans, and friends who will run onto the streets of gold and say “Thank you for giving to the Lord, I am life that’s been changed” by Jesus Christ!

Dan Meyer Mt. Vernon Baptist Church - Berean Bible Study Class

20 Summer 2013

COACH & MARGARET!!

The Journey

When Coach Moore came to Boone in 1989, I was 15 years old. I asked him in church one day what it took to play at ASU. He gave me a card the next Sunday that said “The willingness to win is not as important as the willingness to prepare to win.” From that point on, I knew it would take a lot of work, but I was up for the challenge. When I graduated Watauga High School in 1992, he said “Come walk on, and I will give you a chance.” That was all I needed. I put the work in and gained 50 pounds, and became faster. After 4 years of ups and downs, a lot of bruises and some success, it all came to a point when he approached me in August of my senior year at ASU. Coach said, “Today you are the starting DE, getting a full ride, and your teammates just voted you Captain of the team.” That day, Coach lived up to his end, and God showed me blessing beyond what I could have ever imagined. What a blessing my relationship has continued to be with Coach and Margaret for 25 years. They have been there through my marriage to the love of my life, Emily, and four kids, as well as supporting me in all aspects of my life to be the man God desires for me to be. Thank you, Coach and Margaret, and I love you.

PS - Currently I am living in Boone, and serving as a deacon in Coach’s home church. I am blessed with a beatiful, Godly wife, four beautiful kids, and great friends. I work in the family business of making sure the USA has enough cabbage to eat. We still enjoy going with my family to every ASU game, like I have done for 39 years. God has blessed me through my relationship with Coach, and I will always be grateful.

Jeff Greene Hollar & Greene Produce Co. __________________________________________________________________________

To Coach: I’m grateful that I had the privilege to play for and learn life from a man like you. I’d still line up beside you and with you in any endeavor. Thanks for making a difference. I will always remember you as a man who gave all that he had. I love you.

To Mrs. Margaret: What a light you are. Your smile and presence bring great joy to a room. It was easy to see that you were just as committed to the team as Coach was. The way you stand by Coach is refreshing. Thank you for your support and love. I love you.

Blake Elder Former Appalachian State Football Player

Thank You Coach & Margaret!!

Summer 2013 21

The Process

In many ways, our “journey” is just another way of describing our “process.” Throughout the scriptures, God guarantees our outcomes, but we struggle through the process. If you ever get a glimpse of the excellent product, you do not mind the process. The challenges, setbacks and victories are all a part of the process.

As I reflect over my 18 years in the High Country, there are so many things that God has used to shape me in the process. While attending Appalachian State University, I was committed to serving the community. I have enjoyed working with Parachurch ministries, camps, clubs, community organizations and churches.

Just after graduating from ASU, I interned with the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association in preparation for the Franklin Graham Festival in 2000.

Among meeting many outstanding people, I met Coach Jerry Moore. I was pleasantly surprised when he invited me to come a football practice. I welcomed the invitation because of my history as a high school athlete and long standing family love of sports. I started spending a lot of time with the team and players.

I began to serve as the “2nd string” Chaplain. While it’s nothing to

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call home about, I enjoyed working with the team and coaches.

After a few seasons, Coach Moore asked me to take the lead on the pre-game talks. My first pre-game was against Wyoming, which was not the best game by any means! I thought to myself, “Coach Moore is not going to keep me at all.” In 2004, we finished the season at 6-5. It was a challenging year. We all regrouped and returned the next year to win the first of three championships. Our theme for that year, “guard the bean patch,” spawned out of a pre-game talk in the opening game against Kentucky.

With a degree in Public Relations and Sociology, I expressed an interest in doing some leadership development for ASU. A few years later I accepted a job at ASU as the Director of Player Development.

As the Director of Player Development, I began to coordinate community services and help with skills in transition for players.

This spring I coordinated over 130 hours of community service for our student athletes. I enjoy working with our coaches and student athletes. We cover a variety of topics and skills throughout the year, such as self awareness, life skills, social

responsibility and interaction with the opposite sex. It is my goal to try and make a difference in the players’ lives, both on and off the field. As I reflect, I am amazed at how my previous experiences serving in the community, school and my family background prepared me for these moments.

I have enjoyed developing a relationship with Coach Moore. Early in the relationship, I enjoyed serving and supporting in any way that I could. Outside of my tenure serving with the team I have pastored two churches, married my wife, and we now have three sons together. Coach Moore helped me with all of the transitions by encouraging me and sharing wisdom through several life stages.

Hearing about Coach Moore’s journey gave me a better understanding of my “process.”

What I appreciate most about Coach Moore is his consistency, his passion and his stability. He’s always been a really passionate person about his family, his team and about people.

I have traveled with Coach Moore and the team on a few speaking engagements outside of football. I have been amazed by observation of his humility and sincerity. While he is an incredible fundraiser, he is also an extravagant giver, supporting many agencies, camps, and people.

Over the 13 years that I have worked with Coach Moore, we have grown to be friends. Ours is a friendship that I have always valued and never exploited for personal gain. After every game or event I would always turn to Coach and say, “Thank you for the opportunity,” and he would say, “Thank you for the privilege.” That was our relationship, win, lose or draw. That’s how we would end every conversation.

As an alumnus of ASU, I am thankful for Coach Moore’s contributions over the years to university and to the football program.

“Thanks for the opportunity.”

“Thanks for the privilege.”

I have learned from watching his marriage. I remember traveling to Georgia Southern for a football game. We suffered a pretty bad loss and we were all sick about it. As we loaded the bus, Coach Moore took his seat beside Mrs. Moore. I wondered how he would react after the big loss. Coach got on the bus, hugged his wife and they talked openly. You would have never known that he just lost the game.

After winning the first national championship, everyone was directed to ride the bus back to the hotel. Everyone was so excited that we had won the game that they walked back to the hotel. I waited to make sure that Coach Moore was all right. The only people on the bus were Coach Moore, Mrs. Moore, Richie Williams, the Sports Information Director and myself. Coach Moore got on the bus greeting his wife and enjoying another bus ride. He is always consistent with his wife.

As a man, sometimes it’s hard to transition from work to home.

This was a lesson that I learned, in the “process,” always value your family.

Together Coach and Mrs. Moore have invested in families. Mrs. Moore is a wonderful wife and an inspiring woman as well. Over the years I have observed how Mrs. Moore has supported the

wives of the coaches and players. She has consistently led and cared for the wives, fiancées and children of the players and coaches. She was always good about remembering stuff like baby showers and gifts for my wife and kids. She heads up small groups, and as a tenured “coach’s wife” is a great resource to the coaches’ wives.

Her support for Coach Moore is also amazing. I’ve always been in awe of how she sits in the stands with the hecklers cheering on ASU.

As a young man I have been blessed with the opportunity to be around a few sports greats. Among them are Big House Gaines (Winston-Salem State University) and Coach Jerry Moore.

Watching their game plan in sports is inspirational. Watching them behind the scenes is humbling.

In the process of life, everyone needs someone who will believe in them, believe with them and sometimes believe for them. Coach Moore has been that type of friend to me. I enjoy his company and respect him immensely.

When Coach Moore’s career at ASU came to a close, I spent some time with him. We talked, laughed, shared stories, prayed, and encouraged one another. When it was time to go home, I said, “Thanks for the opportunity,” and he said, “Thanks for the privilege.” I took it up a notch with Coach and said, “Well, I rejoice in the privilege of calling you ‘friend.’”

Sometimes God’s purpose begins with seemingly small opportunities. My personal journey has not been absent of challenges, setbacks and disappointment. At times I get discouraged at the possible outcomes. All in the same, I’m thankful for the people who have encouraged me and developed me along the way. Men like Coach Jerry Moore are among the few great men who have given me an opportunity.

Thanks for the opportunity, Coach!

Reggie Hunt Pastor of Cornerstone Summit

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The Journey

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The Journey

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The Journey I always compare myself to the parable of the lost sheep in the book of Luke. The Lord knew I was lost, so He went into the wilderness and drew me back in. I surrendered my life to Him. In June of 1979, I went out on the Parkway, and looking up toward Heaven, I cried out, “Not my way but YOUR way, Lord.” I gave my life to Jesus Christ.

Joedy and I were attending a small church, Middle Fork Baptist Church, which is nestled right behind Tweetsie Railroad in Blowing Rock, NC. That church took us in!

Joedy and I were being nurtured and shown the love of Jesus. I once was lost, but now I’m found. I started to have a real desire for God’s word. I used to think that I could never understand the Bible, so many “Thees,” and “Thous,” and hundreds of rules, but all of the sudden the Lord was just drawing me in and I had a constant craving for it. I was so thankful for the Bible studies that we were in, and the people who could just open up God’s word and show me how I could apply it to my life.

Joedy and I have three amazing sons. Joshua is our first son, he’s 33, Daniel is our second son, he’s 31, and Michael is our third son, he’s 28. After our children were born, I made a commitment, and so did Joedy, that our boys would be raised under the Word of God. Though we were not perfect parents, we loved our boys with an unconditional love, and we brought them up in the praise and admiration of the Lord.

I was born in Detroit, Michigan, to Margaret and Joseph Beegle in May of 1954. Both of my parents were 41 years old. I have a brother that’s 22 years older than I am, Bob, and I have a brother that’s 11 years older than me, Joe. I was what my parents always said was, “The shock of their life.”

My parents stayed married through all three children.

Unfortunately though, my dad was an alcoholic, and that created a lot of tension in our family. My mom was very adamant about me being raised in the church. Eventually, my salvation was a result of her prayers and a lot of others. My dad wasn’t around very much when I was a child.

In my freshman year at Michigan State, my parents divorced. That was a really heartbreaking experience for my mother, because she had only loved one man in her life. She set a great example of an unconditional love for my dad. She would always say, “Peggy, things happen between two people that nobody else knows about, and I love your dad, and I will always love your dad.” Her faithfulness to the Lord and her display of commitment to her husband, home, and family was remarkable.

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After my parents’ divorce, my mom moved to Florida, and I moved to North Carolina. I transferred from Michigan State to Appalachian State in 1975. I earned my degree at Appalachian, in education, and I worked locally in an orthodontic office for two years. During that time, I had a great friend that I worked with, Vanessa Minton. Vanessa would call me every Sunday morning and invite me to church. I would always tell Vanessa that I appreciated the offer, but I would always say, “No, thank you.”

I wasn’t really a “bad person,” but I wasn’t living for the Lord. Growing up, I learned about Jesus, but I never learned about a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. In 1978, I came to work at the university and I met Joedy, who is now my husband. We started dating in 1979. That year was a year full of turmoil, there was the death of Joedy’s father, and a whirlwind of other things that happened in our lives. Looking back, I realize that the Lord’s hands were in every situation.

As I became a parent, I started to reflect on the way my parents brought me up. My mom and I had a lot of discussions about being saved and coming to know Jesus Christ. Of course, my mom was thrilled to hear that I surrendered my life to Him! Sadly, my mom’s life ended in 1987. She suffered from Emphysema.

Before mom’s death, in 1985, I was pregnant with Michael. We had gone to Disney World and to Sea World. We were visiting my mom in Florida, and when we came home, Joedy got the chickenpox. He had never had the chickenpox. During one of my prenatal visits, my doctor asked me if I had ever had the chickenpox, and I told him that I was unsure. My doctor told me that it was imperative to find out because if I hadn’t ever had the chickenpox, it could cause serious birth defects for my baby. They said if I had them in the past it was okay, because there was a vaccine that I could receive by flying to Boston. The vaccine would cut the chances of my baby being born with any diseases.

I knew I must call mom right away to see if I had the chickenpox as a child, but mom was in poor health and she couldn’t remember. Mom told me to ask my brothers, but they couldn’t remember either. My oldest brother suggested that I call my dad. By this time I hadn’t spoken to my dad in 14 years. After my parents’ divorce, my father and I were totally separated. I had no communication with him.

I got my dad’s number and called him. I reached his answering machine, so I left a message and explained what was going on with Joedy and asked him if I had ever had the chickenpox, then I hung up the phone. The next day the phone rang, and I’ll never forget the indescribable feeling of hearing my dad’s voice. I hadn’t heard that voice in 14 years. He said, “Peggy this is Dad, and yes, you had the chickenpox, it was 1958 and I was working in Twinsburg, Ohio. I promised you that if you didn’t scratch, I would bring you back a pair of glass slippers.” I was a little choked up as I thanked my dad and he simply said, “Okay.” And then the phone clicked off.

That was a very emotional experience for me, hearing the sound of Dad’s voice, and then the affirmation that my baby would be all right. About a year after my healthy Michael was born, the conversation that I had with Dad

The Journey still chimed in my heart, so I decided to sit down and write Dad a letter...”Dad, you and I have never been close but I would like to introduce you to my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

He is the Lord of forgiveness and though we didn’t have time with each other, nothing would make me happier than for you to know my Lord. I guess it’s kind of unusual for a daughter to write to her father, it should probably be the other way around and the responsibility of the father to introduce the Lord to their children, but since that never happened, I just wanted to share the love of Jesus with you...” I wanted Dad to know that after all the years of turmoil, he was forgiven and that I loved him.

I sent the letter to my dad, and never heard anything. Almost a year after my mom passed away in 1987, my brothers called me from Ocala, Florida, and said that my dad had lung cancer and it had moved to his brain, and they weren’t giving him long to live. My brothers told me to come see Dad while I still had the opportunity. It’s funny though, because even though my heart was tender towards him, I told myself that I wasn’t going. He had never had any part in my life, so why would I go see him at this point? I had a family of my own, a 2 year old that I couldn’t leave, and financially, I didn’t have the money to go. Despite all the closed avenues in my life, Joedy looked at me and said, “You’re going.”

Joedy and I were taking a discipleship training course called Master Life, through Mount Vernon Baptist Church, and the lesson was about forgiveness and reconciliation. I went and talked to pastors, Bud Russell and Don Foster, and they, like Joedy, affirmed that I needed to go.

I got the last seat on the plane. I had to fly to Orlando and rent a car, and drive to Ocala. When I got there, I pulled into the parking lot of the hospital, and there was my oldest brother standing out in the parking lot. I automatically thought that Dad didn’t make it, he must be gone. I got out of the car and asked my brother if Dad was gone, and my brother replied, “Oh, no! When he heard that you were coming, even though he had suffered three strokes in the last week, he made us shave him and clean him up because he knew you were coming.”

My heart was pounding like crazy. I walked into the room. I remember seeing the hospital bed and my dad lying there. I have Dad’s blue eyes and they were shockingly familiar as I stared back at them. I walked toward my dad and wrapped my arms around him and told him that I loved him. He said that he loved me as well. At that moment, 33 years of hating this man melted away. The hate was just gone.

I was only supposed to stay one day, and I wound up staying a full week. I cared for my dad, washing him, helping him eat, and talking to him for hours. I’ll never forget one night when he took my hand and said, “Peggy, I want you to know that I know your Lord.” I gasped as tears of joy uncontrollably rolled down my face. He told me that ever since he received my letter, the Lord had been working on him. He told me that two weeks prior to my visit, he had been watching Dr. Charles Stanly. He said, “All these years I felt like I had been so bad that Jesus would never forgive a man like me, but He did.” He then turned to me with his stark blue, teary eyes and said, “I know that I haven’t been much of an earthly father, but I’ll be there when you get to Heaven.” Words can’t describe the love that I felt for Dad in that moment. Dad died two weeks later.

Hearts, like glass slippers, can be broken, chickenpox can be scary, and cancer can take our breath away. But it is certain that God’s love for us can’t be broken, His perfect love casts away all fear, and when we believe in Him, His gift of forgiveness breathes eternal life into us. Forgiveness is a wonderful thing.

Peggy Eller Director at ASU Child Development Center

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The Journey

A Lesson in Faith

In 2011, it seemed as if every corner my husband Jimmy and I would turn, there would be a lesson in faith. Almost every sermon or story that we heard dealt with faith. Little did we know that God was preparing us for the biggest test in faith that we would experience in 22 years of marriage.

It was an ordinary day on the farm. Our eight year old, Seth, had just finished his mac & cheese and his chocolate Easter bunny. Seth is all boy and loves to mow. Seth begged to mow our neighbor’s yard. I was hesitant at first, but Seth had mowed several times before, so I gave in and told him that I would be out there after I finished up the dishes.

I heard the mower start, and then minutes later, there was a knock at my door. Our neighbor’s nephew had been working on a roof and saw Seth wreck on the lawn mower. The yard was flat, and he never had any trouble mowing it before. Seth mowed around a rope swing like we’d done a million times before, and the swing swung around and knocked the lawn mower into high gear, thus thrusting Seth and the lawnmower over a creek embankment. There was nothing Seth could have done to stop this from happening.

Our neighbor’s nephew rushed to the scene to find our eight year old pinned underneath the heavy lawn mower. Seth was under water, and he didn’t know if Seth was dead or alive. He attempted three times to lift the massive lawn mower off of our son, and on the third try, a super-human adrenaline rushed through him and he was able to lift the lawn mower off of Seth’s body. The man describes Seth, “somehow just floating out from underneath the mower.” He carried Seth to my back door. I panicked when I saw that Seth’s right hand was cut all the way from between his middle and ring fingers down to his wrist! I started screaming and crying. Seth was amazingly calm, and told me to relax because I was “freaking him out.” I made the 911 call, and in my emotional state, all I could manage to get out was that my child had cut his hand on the lawnmower. When the dispatcher asked me if Seth’s hand was bleeding badly, I said no, because miraculously, his hand had already started clotting and wasn’t bleeding that much.

I waited for the first responders to come, but after at least 15 minutes had passed, no one came. I decided to take Seth to the

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hospital myself, so I called 911 back, and it was then that they realized the urgency in my voice. They told me that they would have an ambulance meet me at the Valley Grocery Store. When I arrived at the store, I realized that Seth’s injuries were much more serious than we first thought. In addition to his severed hand, Seth sustained two huge concussions on his head, and there was a large contusion across his stomach, which posed the threat of internal injuries.

Divinely, a Wings helicopter was only twelve minutes out. When the helicopter landed, the wonderful Wings nurse, Kim, said that Seth, “needed his mama,” and that I was going to ride with Seth to Johnson City. I was happy to hear that I was going to fly with my son. Seth and I had talked about wanting to take a helicopter ride sometime, but we had no earthly idea that it would be under these circumstances.

I didn’t realize it at the time, but God was orchestrating our traumatic ordeal and watching over Seth every step of the way. We learned that there was an excellent trauma surgeon on call, and that he would be operating on Seth’s hand. The doctor asked Seth what his favorite hobbies were, and when Seth revealed that he loved baseball and playing the piano...the pressure was on for Dr. Horton.

The surgery was a success, and Seth presently has full use of his right hand. Had it not been for God’s timing during every minute after Seth’s accident, Seth would have lost his hand. It wasn’t until months later that it hit me how miraculous Seth’s rescue was.

The Journey

Though I didn’t realize it at the time, the first responders not showing up right away was divine. We have a wonderful team of first responders in our community, and normally the first responders in our area would arrive in 10 minutes or less. It just so happened that the man and woman who would have normally shown up were out of town. It was a real blessing in disguise, because had this couple shown up and taken Seth to our local hospital, Seth would not have had the opportunity to have a trauma specialist available to fix his hand. Seth likely would have lost his hand.

Another revelation that made me realize that Seth’s rescue was divine was during a conversation that Seth and I shared while driving down the road one day. Seth said that the gentleman had pulled him out from underneath the mower. I corrected him and told him that he couldn’t have pulled him out from underneath the lawn mower, because it took both of his hands to hold the lawn mower off of him. Seth told me that he clearly felt two hands pull him out of the water. He said that they were not warm hands like mine, but that he indeed felt two hands around his wrists. I was astonished and left speechless. Jimmy and I knew that God had to have pulled Seth out of the water. There was simply no other explanation.

Seth’s ordeal increased our faith beyond measure. God had his arms around all of us the entire time. The outpouring of love and support that we received from everywhere was astonishing. People from all over Watauga and the surrounding counties wrote cards and letters to Seth, helped with medical expenses, and most importantly, sent up lots of prayers on our behalf.

God had a reason to save Seth. God wasn’t ready for Seth to go home yet. We feel so blessed that God saved Seth on that April day, yet we feel saddened for the parents who have lost their children in freak accidents. No one understands the Master’s plans and why bad things happen sometimes, but we know that God has a plan and a reason for everything. We may never understand it on this side of Heaven, but one glorious day, all things will make perfect sense.

Jimmy and I thank God for Seth, and can’t wait to see what the Lord has in store for his life. Our son recently played the piano at the Shooting Stars event held at Watauga High School. Supportive friends and family members shed tears of joy to see and hear Seth perform so beautifully.

God is so good, and continues to bless us every day.

Sheila Greene Owner of North Fork Farms

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The Journey

Work as a Spiritual Practice My journey viewing work as a spiritual practice began 30 years ago, sitting on the banks of the Jordan River, in a kibbutz in Israel.

As a follower of Jesus, I worship God in Christ, who I believe was incarnated in the person of Jesus, about 2000 years ago. So, I have experienced and will express my experience of work as a spiritual practice from a Christian perspective. Nonetheless, whatever the reader’s world view is, I believe work can be, and should be, a great context for spiritual practice for all of us. So, I hope my account is helpful to you, as well.

That day, sitting by the Jordan River, I struggled inwardly with God regarding His call on my life. I had just read the New Testament account of Martha and Mary. Martha was busy, serving Jesus, while Mary was, it seemed, ‘sitting on her duff’ at the foot of Jesus. They were hosting Jesus in their home. Martha became frustrated with her sister and sought for Jesus to rebuff her laziness and irresponsibility.

Instead Jesus told Martha that Mary had chosen the better part, that she, Martha was too distracted by a lot of busyness. At the time in my life, I felt like “a Martha” but longed to be “a Mary”. I wanted the “better part”, to be done with the busyness, and to sit at the foot of the Master.

I came to Israel burned out by the busyness of a pre-med curriculum.

As a teenager, I had several intense experiences of the presence of God, which inspired me to leave drugs. Yet, prior to going to Israel, all the busyness seemed to be crowding God out of my life. As a teenager, I spent hours just being still before God, kind of like Mary in this account of Martha and Mary. At times, the sense of His presence would become so intense that I could not speak, or even take another step from where I was standing. It was indescribable. I longed to go back to those days.

So I asked, “Why would you be calling me to the busyness of medicine? Did Mary not choose the better part?” The answer came to me from within. “Martha’s mistake was not her busyness, it was her distractedness”. This shift in my perspective changed the whole trajectory of my life. I knew almost immediately, His call on my life was a busy one. It was a call to medicine. He had not called me to an easy life to just “bask in His presence”, but to learn to practice the presence

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of God in the busyness of daily life. Yet he did not call me to distraction, either. Paul, speaking to slaves, the laborers of his day, encouraged them to do everything heartily as unto the Lord, and not unto men. God’s word to me was, “I have not called you to distraction.

I have called you to devotion. Whatever you do, do it heartily as unto me, and not unto men”. The implications in medicine went even deeper. The Words of Jesus in the New Testament was, “For as much as you have done it unto one of these, you have done it unto me. For as much as you have failed to do it, you have neglected to do it for me”. These words have had a huge impact on my career in medicine.

At the time, I was cotton farming in Israel. For me, it was just a great job for a 21 year old taking a year out of college. For the Israelis, it was their livelihoods, the kibbutz’s best source of income. After this word, knowing what the kibbutz desired of me as a worker was not just a means to keep a great job. After getting this insight, being a kibbutz volunteer became a means of doing my work, as unto the Lord. It became worship. It became a spiritual practice. I was to do it heartily and with excellence, as unto the Master himself. This is a Christian version of right diligence. After this, I finished a year on the kibbutz, returned to the US, and began medical school.

That was 34 years ago. I believe more decisively than ever that all our roles are meant to be the candlestick upon which His light shines, the relationship challenges in which we learn to walk by the spirit (responding in grace) rather than the flesh (react). Work is only one of these roles, but one in which most of us spend a great part of our lives.

I hope to write further on this subject, but first I would love to hear from the readers what your experience has been. In what manner has kibbutz work become a spiritual practice for you in your life? What have been the challenges? Do you have any stories about when God has “shown up” in a work situation (which is actually when we have shown up for God)? Please send your replies to my email address: cskardamd@triseasons.com

Dr. Clay Skarda TriSeasons Medical Care, Linville

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Specializing in: Beavers, Raccoons, Groundhogs, Squirrels, Opossums, Snapping Turtles, Skunks, etc.

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