The Journey - Summer 2021

Journey The

Summer 2021

The Owner of Chetola on Life, Lessons, and the Lord

ALSO IN THIS ISSUE: BOB ROTEN LAURA MAINS NATE ROTEN PATRICIA FOX

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Inspirational Stories by People You Know

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Journey The

Ben Cox Editor Camryn Whaley Zachary Hoffman | | Contributing Writers Ben Cox Bob Roten Camryn Whaley | Kent Tarbutton Laura Mains | Nate Roten | Patricia Fox Social Media & Marketing Director Cameron Reynolds Distribution Manager Connie Cox | Accounts Manager Heather Cotten Owner & Publisher

| Art & Design Director

© 2021 High Country 365

Online flip-through version, distribution locations, and other inspirational content available at: JOURNEYNC.COM 828.263.0095 | info@journeync.com 324 HWY 105 Ext. Suite 14 • Boone, NC 28607

To our High country Community, thank you for 17 wonderful years of business and now we’re excited to welcome you back to our newly renovated restaurant.

We look forward to a day soon when we can serve you in our restaurant and our beautiful, new patio.

Until then, we hope you enjoy the new, multi lane, drive through with canopies and curbside service.

Here’s to many more years serving the High Country.

Terese Fogleman, Owner/Operator and the Chick-fil-A of Boone Senior Leadership Team

Located at 2082 Blowing Rock Rd, Boone, NC 28607 | (828) 264-4660 | Mon-Sat 6:30 A.M. - 10:00 P.M. | Closed on Sundays

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THE JOURNEY | Summer 2021

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RECONSTRUCTED

How God is establishing one man’s true identity in Christ

By Nate Roten

THE LORD’S RIPPLES

One woman discovers the power of prayer through the tragedy of a car crash

By Camryn Whaley with Laura Mains

GOD’S WAY

How the owner of Chetola Resort came to Christ and found his “Haven of Rest”

By Kent Tarbutton with Ben Cox & Camryn Whaley

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BEYOND THESE WALLS

How one woman found a family & a passion for service in, through, and from the Church

By Patricia Fox

JOURNEY OF HEALING

How Bob Roten learned to trust the Lord’s plan in the process of being healed

By Bob Roten

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This magazine is intended to present people’s stories about their personal relationships with God from their point of view. We endeavor to have a diversity of perspectives in the testimonies we share from people who identify themselves as followers of Christ.

Furthermore, we carefully and prayerfully consider the content of the stories we tell, as well as the character of those who tell them.

People who share their testimonies with us have experienced God’s love in real ways, and our encouragement for you, is that you also can experience His love wherever your journey takes you.

Cover Photo: All things through Christ: Kent Tarbutton, who you may know as the owner of Chetola Resort in Blowing Rock, shares the story of how God kept him on the right path throughout the years. (photo courtesy of We Are The Hoffmans)

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FROM THE

W

elcome to our Summer 2021 edition of The Journey, in which you will find 5 fascinating stories from people who have entered into a personal relationship with our Lord, the Creator of the Universe, through faith in Jesus Christ.

The story for all followers of Christ begins with humbling ourselves and acknowledging our need for God who is always reaching for humanity to come to know Him and His higher ways. The problem is many of us never hear His invitation because we’re distracted by many other things. It’s sad but true, many times something very dramatic has to happen before we turn our attention to Him.

By Ben Cox In 1977 Ben and Connie Cox moved to Boone as newlyweds, with a clear sense of God’s direction to come here.

Now, 44 years, 6 children, and 9 grandchildren later, they rejoice in the relationships the Lord has allowed them to build here. The Journey magazine and website is one fruit of their purpose in coming here.

In the Book of Acts we are told of a time when Jesus got the attention of thousands of people in Jerusalem at one time. He did this 50 days after His resurrection from the dead and 10 days after His ascension into heaven, by pouring out His Holy Spirit on 120 of His disciples in a dramatic way.

When Peter explained to this crowd what was happening, thousands of them reached the point where they realized how much they needed Jesus! They were wondering what they needed to do and here’s what Peter said in Acts 2:3839: “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. The promise (of the Holy Spirit) is for you and your children and for all who are far off—for all whom the Lord our God will call.”

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So we need to repent which means to turn from our ways to embrace God’s ways.

We need to be water baptized which signifies the burial of our old, selfish, self-centered ways and our rising from this grave to walk in the resurrection power of Christ.

And we need to receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

But, that’s not all we need to do, and Peter, like His rabbi Jesus had taught him, warned them to avoid deception and deceivers. Acts 2:42-43:

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“With many other words he warned them; and he pleaded with them, ‘Save yourselves from this corrupt generation.’ Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day.”

What came next is something that is very important for us to understand today if we are going to save ourselves from this corrupt generation. Acts 2:42: “They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching (the Word of God) and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.”

In the early days of Jesus’ earthly ministry He warned His future followers about deception and deceivers, as evidenced by these words found in Matt. 7:15 “Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves.” He went on to say in vv.21-23: “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’”

In Matt. 24 we see Jesus issuing similar warnings towards the end of His earthly ministry, when His disciples asked Him in v.3 “what will be the sign of Your coming and the end of the age?”

He gave a long answer to that question which contained all kinds of warnings about deception in the last days ending in vv.24-25 “For false messiahs

and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. See, I have told you ahead of time.”

I believe the dramatic events of this past year are meant to get our attention to turn to the Lord, His Word and His people with an attitude of humility and repentance.

But, the cold, hard reality is that many people, including those who claim to know the Lord, are hardening their hearts towards the Lord and others because they are being deceived like Jesus and the early church leaders warned us about many times.

In 1 Timothy 4:1 we see yet another example of the types of warnings we must heed for the times in which we live! “The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons.”

Please understand, I am not saying these things from a high place of thinking I am impervious to deception myself. Instead, I am coming from a low place of brokenness and humility as one who realizes my own need to return to my first love and to the purpose for which He called me.

As you read these words and consider your own journey in life, may the Lord open the windows of heaven and pour out His Grace and His Holy Spirit on you, enabling you to get to and remain in a place of humility and repentance before Him and in Christ for the days ahead whatever they may hold!

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By Nate Roten

T

oday, I get the opportunity to tell you a brief story about an amazing thing God has done in my life. This one unfolding truth has completely changed the direction of my career, family life, and pursuit of what is meaningful. This story, like any good story, comes with elements of tragedy, triumph, and an essential moral thread that remains long after the story is finished.

I was asked to give my testimony… a testament to what God has done in my life. As I write this, I am nearly 39 years old. I accepted Jesus as Lord when I was 18 years old, so there is a lot to tell, but if I’m honest, I was struggling to figure out what was important and beneficial enough to be worthy of your time and space on these pages. I couldn’t figure out how to condense 21 years of spiritual trial and error into one impactful story of God’s grace. Until after some thought and prayer, I realized that there is one consistent theme that runs through all of those years like a thread that has been woven throughout an entire stretch of fabric.

Scripture tells us that once we accept Jesus, we are a new creation. The old has passed and the new has come. However, scripture also reveals how we are to be engaged in the lifelong pursuit of sanctification, meaning that

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we are not yet conformed perfectly into the image of Christ. We strive to throw off the old self with its imperfections and shortcomings, but we won’t fully step out of the old self this side of heaven. Like a lump of clay on the potter ’s wheel, we are being molded and shaped by the loving hands of the Father, but our entire time on earth is spent on that wheel being bent, pressed down, and crafted.

In a very small nutshell, I grew up in a Christian home with Christian influences all around me, yet I didn’t accept Christ until my freshman year in college.

Throughout high school, I was a yearround athlete. By the time I was twenty-five, I had won dozens of medals as a powerlifter, including many consecutive years as a world champion with the AAU. I enjoyed being defined by my athleticism and accomplishments.

I graduated from college with a degree in construction technology and became the owner of my own company as a General Contractor. I enjoyed the labels of being a self-made business owner and a knowledgeable builder.

I had constructed an identity for myself that I loved, but little did I know, God would soon humble me by tearing that down.

All Smiles: Nate Roten with his wife Kelly and three children, Liza (left), Anna Gray (middle), and Sam (right).

Beginning in 2008, my world started falling apart. The economic crash hit my company hard. We limped along for another year and a half, but eventually, we had to close our doors.

That led to destructive emotional eating habits which led to thirty-plus pounds in weight gain.

I was stressed about money because I was out of work, so we were living on my wife’s teacher salary, and we had just welcomed our first child into the world. Stress. Lots of stress.

Soon, I lost all the identities I once knew and enjoyed. I was no longer an athlete and lost my physique. I lost my business which meant I ceased to be an entrepreneur and Building Contractor. And worst of all, I was no longer the breadwinner of my growing family. Everything I thought made me ME, was gone.

As you could imagine, it wasn’t a thrilling time in my life and it produced some rather ugly traits. In wake of all this strife, I became very

THE JOURNEY | Summer 2021

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self-conscious and timid. I no longer trusted my decisions and lost any semblance of selfworth and I carried those struggles with me for years afterward. Honestly, many of those doubts still linger to a certain degree. It felt absolutely horrible. In many ways, I felt naked and vulnerable, lost in an endless fog of doubt and confusion of who I really was. I know that sounds dramatic, but it’s accurate. Just ask my wife.

Losing the things that made up my identity was one of the hardest and yet most fruitful times in my life. This is one of those divine miracles where God took a deformed clump of clay and crafted something new. By His grace, God helped me see my previous identity for what it really was: a prideful, self-centered version of who I thought I wanted to be.

But it wasn’t who God wanted me to be, or – to be more biblically accurate — what He had already declared to be true about me.

Once I finally accepted that truth, God began doing the work of reconstruction.

He has done a great miracle in my life by stripping me of those old identities and revealing the new ones that have been purchased for me on the cross. I proved myself to be one of the world’s worst potters, but now, God is back at the wheel forming something new. Over the past several years, His skillful hands have formed me into who I am today, and He is far from finished.

At times the process can be painful because being molded means allowing God to bend me in ways I wouldn’t have thought of or wanted to go, but ultimately, He has the vision of what the end result will be and what it will take to get me there.

Incredibly, as I started to pull out of the tailspin, God began to establish my steps. In 2011, I started working at Samaritan’s Purse.

Shortly after, I discerned a call to ministry so I enrolled in Seminary, graduating with a Masters in Discipleship. At the same time, I went through the two-year process of becoming an ordained minister with the Christian & Missionary Alliance. I am also now an Elder at my Church. If you had told me ten years ago that this is what my life was going to look like, I would have laughed in your face (and then probably cried on your shoulder) because I was sure that what I had done with my life wasn’t salvageable.

The truth is that I never regained my original identities. I am still strong, but I am no longer an athlete. I have the skills of building, but I am no longer a Contractor. I have a great job, but I don’t work for myself anymore. Those were earthly identities that can be taken away. They were temporal.

But, what God established in me is better… and eternal.

He showed me

Finding strength in God: Nate Roten in his days as a world champion powerlifter, attempting a personal record at the AAU World Powerlifting Championship.

that my life was not only salvageable, but also valuable.

First, I have value and meaning as a redeemed image-bearer of God. This dark time in my story produced a poor self-image and timidity because I had made a mess of my life. Therefore, I couldn’t see myself as valuable. I felt like a failure with no future. Slowly, God began to show me that I am made in His image and therefore am designed to reflect His glory to the people around me. Tragically, man’s image was marred by sin in Eden, but this is where the good news of Christ prevails. God reminded me that because Jesus stepped down into human history and literally purchased my redemption with his own blood, I am now just as valuable to Him as that cost he paid. When that reality finally settled in my heart, it was life-altering. I have tremendous worth, not because of anything in me, but because of what Jesus has done. That is a beautiful and weighty truth. And, because it is given by God, it can never be taken away.

Secondly, I have a glorious purpose in life. I’ve come to find that I am driven by purpose. The builder part of me needs a project to accomplish, and God has certainly given me that. I think that is true of all of us. There is a reason books like The Purpose Driven Life impacted millions, because we all long to be a part of something bigger than ourselves. The purpose we have been given is to go into all the world to proclaim and teach others about Christ. That’s the marching order and it comes with an

HE SHOWED ME THAT MY LIFE WAS NOT ONLY SALVAGEABLE, BUT ALSO VALUABLE.

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identity by way of a specific job description.

That means I have a realistic set of expectations that I can act on. I love that because I can do something with that. The job description I have learned about so far comes in three parts, which I call a “Representative on mission.”

A Representative on mission is first and foremost an Ambassador. I am a son of the King and therefore a representative of his Kingdom, charged to embody the value system of this Kingdom and act with his authority. We see that in our world today as Ambassadors of other countries interact with our government to make important decisions. That makes sense to me.

Secondly, I am also a Minister of reconciliation.

Because I have been reconciled to God, I have direct knowledge of what that is like. I have experienced it first-hand, and therefore am uniquely qualified to tell others about it. I like the simplicity of that statement; it feels more natural and relational to tell someone about Jesus when it is put in that context.

Lastly, the third duty of the job description is that of a Royal Priesthood. If you take a look at scripture (1 Peter 2:9), this Priesthood is an inclusion of a select people who are set apart to declare God’s excellency. In the Old Testament, Priests were assigned to serve at the temple and to be an intermediary advocate between God and the people. Similarly, God has taught me that we still have that role today as believers, but instead of performing the sacrifices, we point others to the one who became the only perfect sacrifice.

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Representative on Mission: Nate has embraced his biblical identity in Christ as being a Representative on mission, an ordained minister in the CMA, and serving as an Elder in his home church.

Now, these are things I knew in my head. I had read them many times before, but I never knew them in my heart as a literal function of my daily life. It took time for it to sink in. It didn’t happen overnight or even in the course of a few years, but this is the identity we are expected to walk in, so I am taking it seriously and learning how to apply this to my daily life.

So finding my true identity– learning to let go of inferior identities and start walking in biblical, God-given ones — is the main thread that has been woven into the fabric of my life’s story.

I have a feeling many can relate to this. We all want to see ourselves a certain way. We allow our abilities, careers, or positions to define us, but that is not what God wants us to be known for. There is no shame in being proud of these things, but they are things that we DO, not who we ARE. That is an important distinction.

As followers of Christ, scripture gives us new identities. Ones that are powerful, holy, and eternal… filled with meaning and purpose.

Our life-long pursuit is to grow into these new identities, to mature in our faith, to grow in Christ-likeness, and to proclaim the glory of Christ to the world around us.

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This is true for us as individuals, and corporately as the Body of Believers. We live in a world of mistaken identity. Our culture wants to remove any and all labels so that we can be ‘free’ to be whatever we want to be. This has led to confusion about a whole host of issues like gender identity, sexual orientation, the sanctity of marriage, and the definition of life in the womb.

As redeemed image-bearers of God (individually and corporately) who reflect His glory, character, and morality as Representatives on mission, we can bring clarity, hope, and objective truth to those who desperately need to hear the good news of Christ, and that is my encouragement today. May we strive for unity in these truths and as Paul said, “to live worthy of the calling you have received, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, making every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit ​— ​just as you were called to one hope at your calling ​ — ​ one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above all and through all and in all.”

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In the blink of an eye: Laura Mains was only 17 years old when a devastating car accident changed her life.

By Camryn Whaley with Laura Mains

L

aura Mains is a firm believer in the power of prayer. When you hear her story, it’s clear why.

Almost seventeen years ago, Laura Mains woke up to a woman in a white lab coat asking her questions.

“Who is the president of the United States?” she asked. “Do you know what country, state, and city you are in?”

Laura quickly answered these questions, thinking they seemed almost foolishly easy. But

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she was completely unprepared for the question and answer that came next.

“What is today’s date?”

“It is May 9th, 2004,” Laura replied confidently.

The neurologist’s concerned look as she jotted down notes told Laura that her answer was wrong.

“It’s June 15th of 2004,” she corrected.

The news that came next would change Laura’s life in ways she couldn’t imagine. The neurologist went on to tell her that she had been seriously injured in a severe car accident, and that she had been in a coma for the past five weeks. Most people would panic upon learning this news. However, despite having no memory of the previous five weeks or how she got there, Laura recalls being strangely unalarmed. This is how it happened.

A seventeen year old Laura Mains was just about to finish high school in Charlotte, North Carolina. Tumultuous times within her family meant that if she wanted to be able to graduate from the same high school, she had to move in with her aunt’s family. She explains that this became an opportunity for the devil to infiltrate her life and interfere with the Lord’s plans for her.

“Negative feelings began to fester and eat away at my soul little by little,” Laura said.

“Jealously, envy, bitterness, loneliness, and depression crept in as unwanted guests.”

Trying to cope with these feelings, she began skipping school and spending time with the

A difficult recovery: Laura Mains spent more than two months in the hospital after her accident, and faced years of physical therapy.

wrong crowd, headed straight down a path of destruction. Little did Laura know that the Lord was about to stage a huge intervention in her life. The last thing that she remembers from May 8th, 2004 is arriving at her part-time shift at a local fast food restaurant.

“I cannot recall working, leaving, driving with my friend, or the accident,” Laura said.

After her shift, a friend of Laura’s picked her up in her car. The driver and Laura were distracted, talking and having fun when they rolled right through an intersection with a stop sign. It was at that exact moment when a drunk driver plowed full speed into the passenger side of their car, the side that Laura was on.

The wreck was severe—the car that Laura and her friend were driving was destroyed. A witness to the accident rushed over from the car behind them, looking for signs that any passengers had survived. The witness, Mr. Shaw, saw that the two drivers were injured

but stable. However, he was also met with a grim sight—Laura’s body hanging half in and half out of the vehicle wreckage. He ignored her fixed and dilated pupils and immediately checked her for a pulse but found none.

By that time, neighbors who had heard the accident and passengers from other cars were rushing over and trying to help as well. Seeing Laura’s body entangled in the car, they told Mr. Shaw that they should leave her and attend to the other injured passengers instead because she was clearly dead.

even remain in a coma for a much longer period of time.

Upon hearing this news, Laura’s family spread the word of her accident and condition, and soon began an amazing wave of prayer that reached halfway across the world. Her mother, who worked with the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association at the time, asked for prayers and quickly received them, from family, friends, and even strangers. Soon there was an army of prayer warriors praying tirelessly for her quick recovery and salvation.

“MYI OWE LIFE

TO THAT PRAYER AND THE LORD’S HEALING.

“I owe my life to that prayer and the Lord’s healing,” Laura said.

In the midst of the chaos, paramedics arrived to take her to the hospital, which would become her temporary home for nearly two months.

Laura faced a gruesome diagnosis at the hospital—she had a fractured C1 vertebrae, a fractured pelvic bone, a lacerated spleen, and several other injuries. Damage to the C1 and C2 vertebrae are considered the worst possible spinal injuries, because this is where the brainstem extends. Her chances of survival were very low, and doctors explained to her mother that even if she did survive, she would likely suffer side effects such as paralysis, amnesia, persistent vegetative state, or could

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“

Mr. Shaw, however, being a man of faith and a firm believer in the power of prayer, refused to leave her side. He was moved by the Spirit to pray for her, to ask God to keep her alive if it was His will. After a few moments of intense prayer, Laura took a gasping, shallow breath, her lungs filling back up with life.

Even as far away as South America, Laura had prayers being sent up for her. Days after the accident, her uncle’s sister who lives in Argentina went to church as always. While sitting in a pew, eyes closed and hands clasped in prayer, she heard a man’s voice close by tell her, “Pray for Laura.” Her eyes flew open and she looked around to see who had spoken, but there were only women and children around her. She then understood that it was none other than the voice of the Lord Almighty who had instructed her to pray for Laura, someone she had never even met before.

The next day, Laura’s uncle shared the news of her accident with his sister, and she knew why the Lord called her to prayer.

Countless people prayed for Laura’s recovery, but perhaps no one prayed harder than Laura’s own mother. Over the next five weeks in the hospital, her mother refused to leave her side.

She nearly constantly prayed for, sang hymns to, and simply talked to her.

“Spiritually, I could hear everything,” Laura said.

For more than a month, Laura’s mother spent hours each day by her daughter ’s bedside, looking at all the machinery and tubing and wires keeping her alive. She would often sit and pray to the Lord at a brook in front of the hospital, wondering why this tragedy had happened to her child. One day as she prayed by that brook, the Holy Spirit spoke to her.

He told her not to worry, that Laura would be 100% healed. Knowing the seriousness of her daughter ’s condition, she could hardly believe it. The Holy Spirit then led her to toss a pebble into the brook, which she did.

Never giving up: For the entire month of May of 2004 and more, Laura’s mother, Julie Speas, spent hours each day by her daughter’s bedside at Carolina Medical Center in Charlotte, seeking God and praying for her daughter’s recovery.

“See how the stone creates many ripples?”

The Lord said to her. “Laura is that stone. She will affect many peoples’ lives through this accident.”

Laura’s mother took these words to heart and let them be a source of hope for her in the following days. She continued to pray over Laura, reading her daily Psalms and praying for Laura to receive the gifts of the Holy Spirit. Miraculously, just days later Laura’s eyes fluttered open and she had regained consciousness. Two challenging weeks after she woke up, she began communicating with others again, and in another two weeks she was finally discharged from the hospital.

Restored through Christ: Laura Mains with her mom Julie Speas (left) and grandmother Maria Towkan (right) at her wedding in October 2019.

Laura has made a miraculous full recovery after her accident. Today, she is married, living in Boone, and leading a full life motivated by God.

Laura’s recovery process was long and grueling, taking about two and a half years in total.

She had to undergo both physical and speech therapy, which can be incredibly challenging physically, mentally, and emotionally. The consequences of her brain injury meant problems with cognition like forgetting certain words and being unable to connect thoughts.

Laura recalls asking someone to “shut that thing over there,” having forgotten the word “door.” She also spent nearly two months in a wheelchair because of muscle atrophy during the weeks while she was unconscious.

“At first, it was very, very difficult,” Laura said.

A high school senior about to graduate at the time of her accident, Laura watched as her friends and peers went off to college and work as

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she had to relearn basic things like walking and speaking. She often found herself comparing herself with others and becoming disheartened to see them do things that she quite literally could not. Frustrated and discouraged, she frequently wanted to give up on the difficult process toward full recovery.

Her mother had to remind her constantly to do her physical therapy exercises to keep the recovery process moving forward. One day, as Laura did the exercises alone in her room, she stopped and thought to herself, “I don’t know if I can do this.”

But she heard the voice of the Lord pushing back, firmly telling her, “No child of mine gives up.”

When she heard this, Laura knew she had to keep moving forward, not looking back or staying stagnant. She worked incredibly hard to get back on her feet, literally and figuratively, with the support of her family, community, and the Lord.

Laura began to take small steps to grow in and strengthen her faith each day. She read passages from her Bible daily and got connected with her local church community, knowing instinctively how essential these things were to her spiritual growth.

For several years after the accident and her recovery, Laura made incredible strides in her life despite her setbacks. She started attending college and got a job, eager to experience these parts of life. But despite this incredible progress made possible through God’s will, something deep down in Laura had resisted surrendering everything to the Lord. Laura’s family had always had a background in faith, but as many do, she took on different priorities in college and left that part of her life behind.

“You want to learn more about Christ,” she said. “It’s about that whole other outlook and saying, oh, it’s not all about me, actually.”

In 2009, Laura was a transfer student at Appalachian State University. After spring semester Laura was able to find a summer internship in Charlotte where her family lived at the time. Living at home with her family, she had the opportunity to see her mother living a life truly motivated by Christ, serving others and being a vessel for God’s glory.

“She didn’t have to say much, spiritually, but when I looked at her as the example and what she was doing and the life she was living, I said wow, I want to live for Christ like that,” Laura said.

During that summer of 2009, the two of them would often read scripture together, taking time to discuss the true meanings of the verses and reflect on them. One day, as her mother read passages to her from Romans, the Holy Spirit moved Laura to accept Jesus into her heart.

“It’s amazing how the Lord works, you know, changing your life around in something so unexpectedly,” Laura said.

After that summer and after her return to Boone,

On campus in 2011, Laura met recruiters from Summer Shine Ministries, a ministry whose mission is to travel between KOA campgrounds to spread the word of God and to provide various acts of service around the campsites.

For her mission, Laura was sent to Connecticut for several months. Over the course of these months as she guided people to the Lord, Laura discovered the power that her testimony held and how important it was for her to share it with people. Sharing her testimony has been a major way that Laura has grown in her faith and had her life transformed by the Lord. She encourages everyone in the faith to open up and share their own testimonies, no matter what their story is.

“Every testimony is special,” Laura said.

Laura Mains is living proof that prayer works.

Against all odds, she survived because the Lord had plans for her life and purpose. Just as the Lord told her mother all of those years ago, Laura and her story have touched and changed the lives of many people. The Lord can turn even the deepest suffering into the most powerful joys, if only we open our hearts and minds to Him. Romans 8:28 “And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.”

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By Kent Tarbutton with Ben Cox & Camryn Whaley

O

ver the last year, everyone has faced unique hardships because of the COVID-19 pandemic. In these times, it’s easy to question the Lord’s plan for us and feel uneasy about the future. But throughout my life, God has shown me many times that His way is the way I have to follow if I want real peace.

I was a happy kid until the age of 12, when the self-doubt and low self-esteem attached to growing up began to creep in and plant uncertainty in my life. I think we would all probably agree as Christians that God leaves a hole in your heart on purpose—for Him to fill it. But I didn’t realize that’s what it was, so I went searching for it in all sorts of other ways.

I would tell you that the most powerful memories of my life are when I doubt God, when I question His existence. When I question that He cares. When I question that He’s paying attention to everything around us. Then, He’ll humble me by reminding me of all the miracles in life.

At age fourteen I had a personal encounter with God. There, at an empty pier late one evening in Ocean View, VA, a young Navy Sailor shared his personal relationship with Jesus and led me to kneel down and open up my own heart to God. Then I started attending a Saturday night teaching in an old barn in Virginia Beach. It was a ministry called “Broken Needles” (a fitting name since the guy who was teaching there was an ex-heroin addict.) There I witnessed the powerful moving presence of God. It was so evident and formidable that it scared me how real God was, and instead of embracing that for my life, I ran away from it and chose my own path. Therefore, things became more and more turbulent for me.

I grew up in Norfolk, Virginia. A Navy town since my father was a Navy man. And like so many others, I was raised in a Christian home.

Growing up, I always knew about God and I attended church. So, I knew a lot about Him and was raised in a good home. But as anyone who grew up like this knows, that doesn’t always equate to a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.

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A familiar face: Kent Tarbutton has owned and operated Chetola Resort, a High Country favorite, for 23 years now.

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Brotherly love: A young Kent with his older brother, Greg, in Norfolk, Virginia where they grew up. All these years later, Kent and Greg continue to work and play alongside one another, as running Chetola Resort is truly a family endeavor.

During that confusing time in my life from age 12 to 14, I spent a lot of time with my mom who’s a real heart-giving, loving mom. But things were a little different with my dad. My dad was one of the three original founders of EconoLodge, one of the first budget motel chains in the country. He was focused on working hard and giving his kids a good life where we could get to college (like he had wanted to do) and thrive.

But that focus meant he worked day in and day out, and I missed out on crucial quality time with him. So, feeling lost and alone at the age of 14, I decided to run away from home.

My father was president of the International Franchise Association at that point, and they were doing a retreat out in Hawaii. He was given an extra ticket, which was supposed to be for my mom, but she got sick right before the trip and couldn’t go. So, my dad asked me if I’d like to join him instead.

I wasn’t getting along with my dad at the time, but Hawaii was a different story. I thought

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that sounded pretty neat, even at 14. So, we were together in Hawaii, but there was no healing of our relationship. As president of the organization, he was in meetings or business seminars for the entire trip. I hardly saw him at all. By the end of the trip, things hadn’t changed between me and my father.

At the time I had a friend, Robert, who moved in with his grandparents after his parents had gotten a divorce. Before he left, he told me, “Now if you ever need some place to live, you come and live with us.” These words stuck with me. I had saved up a little money from odd jobs like my paper route and cutting grass, and I took the stash with me to Hawaii. So, when we arrived at the airport to go back to Virginia, I told my dad I had to use the bathroom. Instead, I high-tailed it to the gate and hopped on a plane headed toward Paris, Texas.

When I got off the plane, I started hitchhiking toward Oklahoma. When I finally got there, Robert’s grandmother took one look at me and

my long hair and said, “He’s not staying here.”

Fortunately, I had enough money saved up to get me two weeks at a local B&B, where I started looking for jobs.

CAME TO “ I REALIZE

THAT ONLY JESUS’ BLOOD COULD CLEANSE AND HEAL MY HEART IN THE DEEP WAY I NEEDED.

I traveled a bit as I made my way back toward Virginia, making stops in Nashville and other areas and staying in halfway houses here and there.

When I returned home, I got sent to a program called Elan in Maine, which was a therapeutic community. They did peer motivated groups to help you change and mold you. Plus, it was kind of like a boot camp. They make you do things you can’t believe you can do in order to build your self-esteem. This made such an impact on me, I decided I wanted a degree in psychology and a job in that field.

Along the way I came to realize that I was running away from myself. I asked Jesus to heal the wounds inside of me. Somehow, gradually, I came to realize that only Jesus’ blood could cleanse and heal my heart in the deep way I needed.

Having grown up familiar with the hospitality industry, I took it upon myself to make suggestions to the management. One day, my boss’s boss came in to speak with me, saying that I was making too many suggestions. “Oh, I can stop,” I said. “I need this job. I’ll stop talking.” And he said, “No, no, no. We want you to be a troubleshooter.” The company was responsible for going out and building several properties across the country. “Help us work from expectations and go and do inspections.”

This opportunity was a blessing, and I did that job for many years.

“

After days of fruitless searching, as I was clearly still a young kid, a kind man gave me the opportunity to work cutting the path for a pipeline. It was there that I first learned the meaning of hard work, waking up at 4 in the morning and swinging machetes all day long. My boss let me squeak by with a few lies, including my social security number coming back wrong. But the third time it happened, he told me he couldn’t risk his job to keep me around, and so I hit the road once again with the savings I had.

Having dropped out before 11th grade, I was able to get my GED and start classes at a community college, all the while working as a cook at an EconoLodge property my parents owned, even getting married at the age of 19.

After two years, I transferred to Old Dominion University where I eventually finished my psychology degree and began working in the field.

After working the midnight– 8am shift at the psychiatric hospital for two years, I was burned out and in need of something new. So, I began working the evening shift at an EconoLodge instead.

I was running 17 EconoLodges, Comfort Inns, and budget properties up and down the east coast from Bedford, Pennsylvania to Savannah, Georgia. But it took a toll on my family.

Unfortunately, my wife and I got a divorce, and I had my 13 year old daughter, Morgan.

The divorce was one of the most crushing things our family ever had to endure. All your plans and dreams and thoughts, it all kind of goes up in smoke. Your direction is lost. When that happened, I knew I had to get off of the

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Chetola Statement of Faith Chetola - the old Cherokee name means “Haven of Rest,” and after years of seeing miracles and wonders, we have come to recognize God in this place. We acknowledge that the peace, beauty, and rejuvenation so many have found here are all gifts from Him, and so we seek to honor Jesus by fulfilling His command to love God and love each other.

We appreciate that you have every right to believe there is a God or there is not. We too share that right and express it in how we live and with what we are entrusted. Our actions are not meant to force our beliefs on others, and all faiths are welcome here. We simply want to encourage the recognition of the many glorious gifts which surround us here and for some to acknowledge the great Creator.

Our goal is to serve our guests with love and excellence regardless of their beliefs.

You are welcome to join us.

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road and raise my daughter. You can have many careers, but you only get one time with the kids.

asked him to send me the numbers and I played with it and worked with him for a long time.

My dad was getting older, and the time came to start selling off some of his properties, so my options were limited there. I have an uncle down in Charlotte named Clarence who was in the hospitality industry all his life and had semi-retired down there. So, I came to see him and we looked at Charlotte and Hickory and some other places to build a property, and I was planning to live there with my daughter.

My mom had always told me if I ever wanted to invest in something and I needed some help getting started, she’d be happy to do it with me. When this came up, she said, “I would love to do this with you. We can do this together.

As long as I don’t have to work.” That was the deal. She’d had a huge real estate career, my mom. Built houses and spun them off. Having finished a night school degree in financial planning, I advised my mother that it would involve too much risk for her to invest so much in. After talking with my stepfather Stan, they called and told me they believed in me and wanted to buy the resort.

My two cousins, Adam and Jason, were at Appalachian State at the time and Clarence asked if we would like to join them for lunch in Boone. I gladly accepted. As I drove into Boone for the first time, my uncle said, “Hey, I have to drop off a contract. We’re just getting ready to sell a property and I need to drop off the listing agreement, you got a minute?” I had time. We pulled in this gate at Chetola Resort and I went, “Oh my gosh, what is this? Wow! This is stunning.” It’s a beautiful place. My curiosity was piqued, and I started asking my uncle about the property.

“This is not what you know,” he said. “A resort like this is much different. Condos that you build and sell and manage, plus the hotel and all the activities and events.” And I had no experience in any of that. But the idea of this property stayed on my heart and mind. So, I

Now, after many years here, I can safely say that this has been a marvelous learning and growing experience, and this place has been so rejuvenating and powerful. It’s really evident that God is everywhere in this place, and we make sure to give that glory back to Him. Once, I was a Christian who was half-heartedly following God’s path for me when it fit my own. But through the challenges I’ve faced here running this business and the miracles He has blessed me with at critical times, I now want to give back in any ways He leads me to.

For example, we have an area just off the lobby where guests can gather and drink coffee. And

(above) Kent Tarbutton and his family, from left to right: daughters Morgan Tarbutton & Chelsea Mathis, son Lennon Redford, and wife Shelley. (bottom left) Kent with his daughter, Morgan. One factor which led Kent to purchase Chetola was to find a more stable environment to raise his daughter following his crushing divorce. (bottom center) Kent with his mom, Rachael Renar. Kent and his mom purchased Chetola together 23 years ago.

I put a bowl there with a little sign that says we pray each day, and we’d love to have your prayers. Since then, we have had thousands of prayer requests shared with us at Chetola, and they have been unbelievably powerful.

My family and I sit down and pray over every single request that we receive. Once we finished praying over these, we would pass them on to a church that used to meet here before COVID hit called Antioch Community Church who would pray for these requests as well.

Unfortunately, when COVID hit, we were forced to close Chetola for about three months, and we dearly missed being able to pray over others. We kept our hearts open during this time, listening for what God would have us do.

The Lord made it apparent that we needed to put a statement of faith on our website. Now, when you visit the Chetola website, there’s an area with a statement of faith where you can fill out a form with a prayer request and submit it, and we read and pray over every request we receive in our virtual prayer bowl. And Scott and Becky Lycan, the leaders of the church that once met here, are on-staff chaplains who still

take our prayer requests to their church to be prayed over. Now, they are on call for any of our guests or staff who would like personal, confidential prayer or ministry as well.

When I think back on my life, I see all the things that God did to put me on the path He laid out for me, even if I couldn’t see at the time. Now I joke and tell people when they marvel at Chetola that God doesn’t let you see the future, because you might not go through with it. Because had I seen the formidable challenge ahead, I would have been frightened to go down that road. Yet when I got to those huge holes in the road, God stepped in and filled each one.

I’ve learned slowly that God’s plans are always better than mine, but it rarely lines up with my timing. I make time to pause and look for Him in each day. And when I do, I find Him waiting there in the incredible complexity and wonder of his creation that surrounds us each day. And when I lift my hands in praise, He lifts up and bolsters my heart for another day. And that is the faith that encourages me.

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Love endures long and is patient and kind; love never is envious nor boils over with jealousy, is not boastful or vainglorious, does not display Itself haughtily. It is not conceited (arrogant and inflated with pride); It is not rude (unmannerly) and does not act unbecomingly.

Love (God’s Love in us) does not insist on its own rights or its own way, for it is not self-seeking; it is not touchy or fretful or resentful; it takes no account of the evil done to it [it pays no attention to a suffered wrong]. It does not rejoice at injustice and unrighteousness, but rejoices when right and truth prevail. Love bears up under anything and everything that comes, is ever ready to believe the best of every person, its hopes are fade-less under all circumstances, and it endures everything [without weakening]. Love never fails [never fade out or becomes obsolete or comes to an end]. As for prophecy (the gift of interpreting the divine will and purpose), it will be fulfilled and pass away; as for tongues, they will be destroyed and cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away [it will lose its value and be superseded by truth].

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By Patricia Fox

Patricia and Family: Patricia Fox, joined by her family, from left to right: Meghan Johnson Fox (daughter-in-law), Tripp Fox (grandson), Charles Fox Jr. (son), Charlie Fox (husband) holding Asher Fox (grandson), Patricia Fox, Emma McGraw (granddaughter), Jessica Fox McGraw (daughter) and Patrick McGraw (grandson).

I

grew up in a home where I was introduced to Jesus at a young age. My dad and I attended church, Sunday school, vacation bible school, Easter sunrise services, Christmas Eve services and many other events when the doors were open. As a normal progression of my faith, I was baptized at 12. My life took a sudden turn when my parents divorced when I was 13.

After the divorce, my connection with church changed. My dad was no longer able to take me to church on a regular basis. The rest of my teen years was sporadic attendance at different churches most often with my grandparents and friends. It was a painful and confusing time. I knew Jesus but my knowledge of him did not translate into day-to-day life.

I had a close friend in high school who shared this passage from Romans 8 that reassured me in those painful, lonely years“In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God. And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters.”

During those years, a sense of belonging was missing from my life. These verses in Romans reminded me that God knew me – my heartbreak, my sorrow, my uncertainties, my rebellion.

After high school, I received a small music scholarship to attend Appalachian State University. Vocal performance was my “instrument” and so I became involved in the

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Young Love: Patricia Fox and husband Charlie Fox a week before they were married. Patricia began attending First Baptist Church of Boone with Charlie and was baptized just before their wedding in 1982.

choral group University Singers where I met my future husband Charlie Fox. Charlie and I began dating and soon he invited me to sing in his church choir at First Baptist Church of Boone (FBC). I enjoyed the connection with this friendly, special group of people. I was also welcomed around the Sunday lunch table with Charlie’s family. It was astonishing to see a real family enjoy time together. There was a sense of belonging and history.

Charlie and I married in the spring of 1982.

During pre-marital counseling our pastor asked me if I would like to become a member of the

church. On April 4, 1982, the Sunday before our wedding, I was baptized at FBC. Up until the moment I walked into the baptismal pool, I thought of this as a means to an end (church membership). However, when I stepped into the water and looked out at the congregation of people who had welcomed me and loved me unconditionally, there was a profound moment of understanding that I belonged to God, my soon to be husband, his family, and this church family. It was a moment when I understood that my sins were forgivable and it marked a new beginning for me. All the searching for belonging was realized – I belonged to the family of God through his son Jesus.

Though I’m grateful for my 12 year old church experience, this was the moment that I would call my “born again” experience.

For all of our married life, Charlie and I have been involved in church.

Our Sunday school class became our friends and social group. Church picnics and Wednesday night prayer meetings gave us rich times of fellowship over a shared meal.

We learned by biblical teaching and the example of others about the importance of a committed relationship to the Lord and to each other. Our children were right there with us – learning and growing.

We watched them develop in their faith and eventually make their own decisions to accept and love Jesus.

A big part of life at FBC has always been the call to move beyond our own church walls. Charlie traveled on his first mission trip to Togo West Africa in 1985. It was a huge commitment and step of faith for us as a young family to lose a month of Charlie’s income. However, with Togo and the many other opportunities for

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~

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ministry both Charlie and I have shared over the years, we have seen the Lord bless the commitment every single time.

Working at Samaritan’s Purse has allowed me to have a small part in helping this materialize for millions of people around the globe.

My daughter and I shared our first international mission trip together in 1997 to Ukraine.

Charlie and I served together with our church family and others at the Pentagon the day after 9/11/2001. We have responded together with our church family to floods, hurricanes and tornadoes. We have served in our local community through Operation InAsMuch and FBC church-led outreach. We have gained lifelong friendships with people from other churches – nothing bonds people faster than the urgency of helping hurting people in Jesus’ name.

I have traveled to numerous countries and seen firsthand what the Lord has accomplished in and through Samaritans’ Purse. Beyond the walls of the church indeed! However, the ministry of Samaritan’s Purse does not replace the importance of the local church. Samaritans’ Purse could not endure without committed staff who are mature in their faith nurtured through the local church. In addition, in the countries where we serve, supporting the local church is the key to ensuring ongoing ministry long after Samaritan’s Purse has departed.

After working in local government for 10 years, I joined Samaritan’s Purse and have served there for the past 23 years. FBC rooted in me a love for reaching people with the gospel.

Go and make disciples: Patricia Fox rides a camel during a 2015 trip to Egypt.

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What I share here is not to boast but to tell how the Lord took a young girl and gave her a sense of belonging that started with a handsome young man who invited her to church and a church who loved and welcomed her as family.

My story is only one of thousands that could be shared about First Baptist Church. I celebrate what the Lord has done through First Baptist Church over the past 150 years. The theme verse for our 150th celebration is “For the Lord is good; his steadfast love endures forever, and his faithfulness to all generations. Psalm 100:5” May this truth be shared for the next 150 years and beyond at the corner of King and College Street.

First Baptist Church of Boone (FBC) is celebrating 150 years of ministry. 150 years of proclaiming the good news of Jesus Christ both in this community and around the world. The celebration is an opportunity to reflect on the impact FBC has had on the community and individuals across the years.

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Giving glory: Bob Roten lifts his arms in praise. Bob faced a terrifying diagnosis of cancer, but was fully healed when he surrendered to God’s will.

By Bob Roten

I

appreciate this opportunity to share and reflect on the times when God’s healing touch came in ways that it was Him and only Him that restored. Yes, I am the recipient of Divine Healing. And my commitment to God is to testify…to share the journey…to bring God glory.

Please know that my delay in writing this is due to location.

The inspiration to write came as I returned “home” to the High Country. These mountains are God’s special revelation that revive and restore.

My years of growing up were in the Rich Hill Community of Ashe County. The nurturing of my Christian faith came from Grandma Laura and my Mom, Irene. Their strong faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior came forth daily in their words and deeds. My faith in Jesus as Healer came from them.

In thinking back over my years, I am blessed

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to have lived through many “highs” and “lows”. The “highs” are the times when life is great and the thanksgivings to God flow easily. The “lows” come with the disappointments that bring the “Why me?” question to God. In my journey, the lowest “Why me?” came in 2008 with the diagnosis of prostate cancer. I now focus on that journey with this testimony.

A week before the surgery, I met the surgeon.

I still remember the look on his face when he shared the results of the biopsy. He said, “You have one of the worst, if not the most cancerous prostate I have seen.” With further explanation, he felt that the cancer ’s severity had spread beyond the prostate to my bones and other parts

of my body. Thankfully, the prescribed CT and bone scans that followed took that fear away.

The cancer was contained within the prostate.

I must share this about my journey, before the cancer diagnosis, God called me away from working as a corporate executive in Charlotte to preach and preside over a church near Lake Wylie.

While bringing forth a service of healing to the congregation, a small voice inside said, “Bob, imagine how much more powerful this would be if you could share a testimony of your healing.” The diagnosis of cancer came two months later!

ministries. The results were the same as followup PSA tests revealed the return to a favorable, noncancerous level. But in the fourth year, these protective disciplines no longer worked.

In exploring the recommendations from doctors, I was told that if medical science was to help, I needed to immediately accept a Lupron injection followed by thirty- eight radiation treatments. Janis, my wife, sat with me as everything was explained.

She was told to return to her employer and ask for family leave to be with me during the last five weeks of the treatment. By then, I was to be too weak and tired to do much on my own.

OUT “TOI CRIED GOD ASKING

FOR MORE TIME. I DID NOT WANT TO DIE. I ASKED FOR HIS WILL TO BE DONE. I ASKED FOR HEALING.

“Dear Heavenly Father let this not be selfish in your sight. I ask that you give me more time on this earth to serve you. When healed and given opportunities to testify of your healing power, I will testify and not turn away. And during this time, give me the strength to smile and endure.

Help me to not burden others. I ask and pray this in the name of Jesus Christ, my Lord and Savior. AMEN” Three years passed following the surgery with blood samples taken as prescribed by my urologist. At times, the PSA test indicated a possible reoccurrence of cancer. Then, with the scary news, I would send out prayer requests and attend services of healing at nearby churches. Also, Christian Healing Ministries in Jacksonville, FL was recommended as a place to go for healing and instruction in prayer-team

“

The night before the surgery, I cried out to God asking for more time. I did not want to die. I asked for His will to be done. I asked for healing. Then, while talking to God, I prayed:

My plea to the radiation oncologist did not work as I asked for a follow-up PSA upon returning from Christian Healing Ministries. I was enrolled to go there the next week. In short, the Lupron injection had to be administered the next day, and the first radiation treatment was to begin a week later.

To delay the injection until after returning from Jacksonville would eliminate the opportunity for treatment in Boone at the Seby-Jones Cancer Center. I knew of a pending church relocation but did not know where. And radiation treatments cannot begin in one location and finish in another. Later that day Janis drove back to Charlotte where she worked, and I came home to return and serve as pastor for the Bethelview and Valle Crucis United Methodist Churches. That night I prayed and asked God for His will to be revealed and done: “Dear God, You know about today and everything about me. You know of my faith in your Divine Healing touch and power. You have brought me thus far through this journey

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of cancer. You have healed and strengthened me time after time. Now, with this sudden rise in the PSA level, what am I to do? Am I to go forward with the Lupron and radiation, or am I to remain steadfast in your Divine Healing touch? Father, I am not giving up on you and I will not turn from you. Please, Lord, give me your answer and peace. In Jesus’ name I pray.

AMEN” The next morning, I returned to the Seby-Jones Cancer Center for the Lupron injection. I went with the peace of God’s answer. I was to proceed with the help from specialists and medical science. In doing so, I would be like other men who have gone through and will go through the rigors of prostate cancer treatments. I would have lived through their experiences and be better prepared to minister to their “low” moments. After the Lupron injection, I drove to Jacksonville, FL to Christian Healing Ministries for a week-long period of meditation, prayer, and instruction. The thirty-eight radiation treatments began when I returned to the High Country.

Following the first radiation treatment, I came home and went directly to bed. The intense abdominal pain brought me to a fetal position.

I prayed to God in saying, “Dear Almighty God, this pain inside me is more than I expected. If these radiation treatments are to be this way, I fear they will be more than I can bare. Father God, I ask now for your strength in getting me through this. I ask that I remain strong in body, mind, and spirit through these treatments.

May I be your beacon of light as others know what I am going through. Use me

Together in Christ: Bob Roten and wife Janis, who supported him through his ordeal with cancer.

as your means of showing others that you are a living God that loves and gives the strength to endure. God, use me to bring You glory! In Jesus’ name I pray this. AMEN” God answered the prayer. The remaining thirtyseven radiation treatments went well with minimal pain. And throughout those weeks, I continued preaching to the two congregations, visiting the sick, and leading Bible studies.

Janis did not have to leave her work to be with me. I was able to continue caring for myself. Following the last radiation treatment, the radiation oncologist looked at me and said, “Bob, you have handled these radiation treatments very well.” Then, I responded, “It isn’t me; it is God.” After that last treatment, my urologist prescribed PSA blood tests every six months for five years. During these last five years, the PSA test has been annual. Every test has brought the same result, “0.0”… no cancer. Whether the healing came from the return to Christian Healing Ministries or from the Lupron and radiation treatments, I do not know. What I undoubtedly know and believe is that God loves and answers the unselfish prayers for healing from His faithful children who yearn to live for Him in bringing Glory to His name.

35 | Alliance Insurance Group

10 | Dacchille Construction Company

10 | McDonald’s - Boone

06 | Appalachian Legacy Funeral Services

09 | Dan’l Boone Inn

05 | Melanie’s Food Fantasy

51 | App Health Care

10 | Dom Bakeries - Wilkesboro

35 | Morris Hatton Ministries

06 | Appalachian Furniture

09 | Dougnet

17 | Mount Vernon Baptist Church

35 | Arete Engineers

41 | First Baptist Church of Boone

18 | Mountain Advantage Tree & Landscape

05 | Austin & Barnes Funeral Home

18 | Flooring Outlet

49 | Mountain Town Dental

18 | Bare’s Tire and Auto Repair

36 | Frosty’s Choose & Cut

16 | New River Building Supply

36 | Beverly Guy Accounting

18 | Goodman & Boston, CPAs, PA

02 | Parker Tie Co.

41 | Blue Ridge Insurance Service

49 | Greene Construction Inc.

05 | Peak Insurance

36 | Bojangles

05 | Hampton Body Shop

10 | Precision Cabinets

35 | Boone Drug

25 | Hardee’s - Boone & Ashe

18 | RN Massage Therapy

25 | Boone Rent-All

26 | High Country 365

01 | Samaritan’s Purse

26 | Budget Blinds

44 | High Country Insurance Services

25 | Scott Brothers

44 | Carroll Leather Goods

36 | High Mountain Creekside Cabins

06 | Skyline/Skybest

10 | Castle Auto Repair

48 | The Hope Center

36 | Smoky Mountain Barbecue

08 | Chandler Concrete

26 | Jeff’s Plumbing

44 | Stick Boy Bread Company

49 | Cheap Joe’s Art Stuff

09 | Legacy Pre-Finishing

44 | Top Notch Hearing

50 | Chetola Resort

17 | Lifestore

44 | Town Of Boone Public Works

03 | Chick-Fil-A Boone

17 | Linville Caverns

44 | Wall to Wall Construction

06 | Church of Jesus Christ

05 | Los Arcoiris Mexican Restaurant

26 | Watsonatta Western World

18 | Margate Health & Rehab

Journey The

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