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\u201cThe Air Force sparked in me a great desire to know people, regardless of who they were and where they were from,\u201d Joseph said. \u201cBonds formed in the military were often tighter than family.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
His 26 years in the Tennessee Army National Guard also allowed him to network with various people in different capacities and units. His camaraderie with Lt. Col. Tommie Stevens later led him to advance through the ranks as first sergeant at the 117th RTI, and other enlisted men, such as Rob Tittle, opened doors for him
at the training institute in Smyrna, where he was able to teach future artillerymen and officer candidates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThis sense of belonging, relationships, and resourcing has benefited me in my private life, counseling environment, and my faith family,\u201d Joseph said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
While serving in the military, Joseph also spent years with the Fayetteville Water & Sewer System, ensuring that clean water flowed to every home.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI\u2019m a true introvert and servant at heart,\u201d Joseph said. \u201cI can find solace in just doing what I can to serve people.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He became an ordained pastor at Molino Baptist Church in Fayetteville. He also provides counseling. However, Joseph said his accomplishments are a secondary blessing compared to the privilege of serving others, which he believes is his calling.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cHonestly, we all want to be recognized for what we do, but doing what you\u2019re called to do is the greatest recognition,\u201d Joseph said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n After completing seminary in pastoral counseling, Joseph said he \u201cfelt something was missing.\u201d Encouraged by a friend, Rachel McCauley, he pursued professional counseling and discovered what he had been missing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWe say that Christianity isn\u2019t a religion but a relationship, and I was never truly taught that principle,\u201d Joseph said. \u201cBeing informed about the relational experience and seeing the truth in God\u2019s word helped me connect the dots of the true gospel.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Joseph said that we all have our own brokenness, but relational counseling and faith are key to moving past it in a healthy way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n “If we can work through the circumstantial dilemma we face, and get on a path of healing, the brokenness gets mended,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This mentality led Joseph to specialize in grief counseling.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI realized I couldn\u2019t have experienced loss without the love given by God,\u201d Joseph said. \u201cI hope people can grasp that even in the pain of grief, they have experienced love that will never go away.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Joseph said his wife, Keran, has been integral in all of his accomplishments over the years. Throughout their 48 years of marriage, Keran raised their son, Jason, and daughter, Jessica, who are now parents to eight grandchildren. She managed the household, often alone, during Joseph\u2019s military deployments or long shifts at the water company.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThere were plenty of financially lean times, and she managed and often sacrificed for the family,\u201d Joseph said. Keran is generous to those around her as well. \u201cThat\u2019s just the wife God gave me. She\u2019s right there beside me with the same heart to serve God through serving others.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Joseph said he has learned a tremendous amount from his wife\u2019s empathetic character and replicated it in his counseling practice and pastoral ministry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Another impactful person, Tommy Hopson, once gathered a group of men to pray for him to return to the Lord during a low point in his faith. Those who supported and helped Joseph at different points in his life provided further evidence that relationships matter, which drives him to make sure others also feel that support.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cBeing able to sit with people and help them feel accepted, loved, and hopeful is more than I can ask,\u201d Joseph said. \u201cAccept people as no different than yourself: broken and searching for change. It\u2019s not our job to rescue people, but hopefully give them the path to healing.\u201d GN<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" ONE FREEZING winter\u2019s night, several water pipes burst across the city of Fayetteville. Joseph Self, from Fayetteville Water & Sewer System, worked with his crew through the cold weather, racing from emergency to emergency as quickly as possible. Self called his wife to tell her he wouldn\u2019t make it home for dinner, but it was […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":38,"featured_media":24878,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-24876","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-stories"],"yoast_head":"\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/goodnewsmags.com\/fayetteville\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2025\/12\/4-1-1024x683.jpg\")
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