I believe that this young boy embodies the true meaning of service. As defined by inspirational speaker Mr. Brian Parsley, service is “the act of
giving value to someone with their best interest in mind - not your own.” The young boy gave value back to the starfish that day simply by taking a little extra time to throw them back into the water. Through small actions such as this young boy’s, we can see that our strength in service is how we dedicate our daily lives to serve others. My daily service can be split into three distinct categories: Family, Community, and Self. Family is an important part of many people’s lives, and I am no exception. Growing up in a household with two parents and five sisters, I learned early in life the importance of helping one another. Being one of the oldest, it always seemed like I was the one elected to help with homework, baby-sit, and once I turned 16, be the chauffeur for my sisters to their activities. In the beginning, I thought of these actions as tiresome chores. As I got older though I realized the life lesson that my parents were trying to teach me: serving others is not about what you can get from your actions rather what you can give. My parents showed me that no matter how small or insignificant these actions seemed to me, my time and energy were valuable to someone.The American Angus Association is also a type of family that I personally hold dear to my heart. When the association was formed in 1883, the main purpose was to act as a breed registry for the growing number of Aberdeen-Angus cattle. Now, 128 years later, the Association is the world’s largest single beef breed organization because of their dedicated service to not only the cattle but also the people of the Angus breed. Our association provides an unprecedented amount of services and programs including conferences, scholarships, and my personal favorite, Angus shows. Just as important, the people of our association form a family who can depend on one another.

Service also encompasses helping those in our community. For the past 20 years, my family has owned and operated livestock market operations in our community and region. We believe our strength in these businesses is the quality of service we provide our customers. From the beginning, our motto has always been “Working Hard for You” and this is exactly what we strive to do each day. In 2010, my family and I began a new marketing venture. With the formation of Mid-Atlantic Cattle Sales, we held our first livestock video auction. Since that day we have held 23 video auctions and for every one of these sales I have created and edited all of our videos and catalogs. This has given me the
opportunity to work side by side with over 50 customers developing relationships and growing friendships. By dedicating my time and strengths
to our customers, I am able to give greater value to their cattle and to the cattlemen and women of our community.

The Certified Angus Beef brand has also been focused on serving communities around the world since 1978. Due to many people’s passionate service to the CAB Brand, communities in over 45 countries now have the opportunity to experience superior-tasting Certified Angus Beef.

The final component of my daily service is self. In today’s competitive world we are often tempted to measure our own success by the purple banners we win or the plaques we mount on our walls. As a junior Angus breeder and showman, I too am often tempted to determine my success by what I may or may not win in the show ring. However, my personal growth has shown me that success should truly be measured
by our dedication to service and the impacts we have on others. I am proud to say that myself and all four of my younger sisters were privileged
to receive gold “Angus Star” badges at the 2011 National Junior Angus Show. We received this honor not because of our success in the show
ring, but because we were seen helping others throughout the week.

Serving others though is not only about how we serve, but that our actions show us our strengths and make us stronger as individuals. This past year, I myself discovered a new personal strength. At the beginning of the year I started helping Justin, a young junior member in our association who was originally a little shy around the rest of us, but wanted to get more involved. Justin is now our new North Carolina Junior
Angus Central Director. While I was able to assist Justin in discovering a passion for Angus cattle, through the process I found that I had a personal strength in leading our junior members to be the best that they can be.

Just like the young boy at the beach, we have opportunities every day to serve others. A simple smile might heal a hurting heart, and a helping
hand may be the encouragement that a person needs to continue their day. We do not always know the results of our actions, but I do know that serving others is a strength we all can use to impact our family, community, and self. Through our service we can also continue to build and strengthen our commitment to the largest breed in the world - Angus. My challenge to you today is to think about how you can use your strengths in your daily service. So be like the young boy, and take some time to throw a starfish back in the sea and, as William James said, “Act as if what you do makes a difference. It does.”

“Our ongoing partnership with Pfizer Animal Health onthis scholarship program has provided much needed financial support for our veterinary students,” says M. Gatz Riddell Jr., DVM, executive vice president, AABP. “The cost of collegecan be a significant hurdle for the success of veterinary students, and we want to offer students the opportunity to focus on their studies and future careers, not the cost of tuition.”

This year, the AABP Foundation and Pfizer Animal Health presented 23 students from across the nation with a $5,000 scholarship at the AABP Annual Conference held Sept. 21 to 24 in St. Louis, Mo. Travel and lodging costs also were provided to the scholarship recipients to attend
the AABP Annual Conference. In the last three years, the AABP Foundation – Pfizer Animal Health Veterinary Student Scholarship Fund has awarded $315,000 in scholarships to 63 veterinary students.

The 2011 scholarship recipients are:Elisha Adkins, Oregon State University; Nicholas Barbu,Michigan State University; Curtis Beidel, University of Pennsylvania; Joshua Boyden, Cornell University; Matt Brewer, Iowa State University; Maranda Gonzalez, The Ohio State University; Nika Grigsby, University of Florida;Scott Hamilton, University of California, Davis; Amber Hazel, University of Minnesota; Elizabeth Homerosky, The Ohio State University; Brandy Lengacher, The Ohio State University; Claire McPhee, North Carolina State University; Ward Mills, University of Georgia; Timothy Perano, University of California, Davis; Cassandra Peterson, University of Illinois; Andy Pike, Auburn University; Haley Resler, Purdue University; Molly Riddell, Auburn University; Chase Stahl, Iowa State University; Brandon Treichler, University of Minnesota; Ben Werkhoven, Washington StateUniversity; Mary Stuart Womack, Texas A&M University; Jeremi Wurtz, Iowa State University. Making a difference for large-animal veterinariansSally Adams received an AABP Foundation – Pfizer Animal Health Veterinary Student Scholarship in 2010. As a 2011 graduate of The Ohio State University, she currently works at a mixed-animal practice focusing on dairy veterinary
medicine in Maria Stein, Ohio. According to Adams, both the scholarship and the support of Pfizer Animal Health andAABP have helped advance her career.

“Receiving the scholarship helped financially support my dream of becoming a large-animal veterinarian,” Adams says. “Pfizer Animal Health is investing in me, in my future and in animal agriculture to make our country’s food supply the best it can be.”

Pfizer Animal Health is committed to supporting the future of large-animal veterinarians and that support starts long before a veterinarian is in practice, according to Doug Braun, DVM, veterinary segment manager, Strategic Initiatives Marketing, Pfizer Animal Health. “The financial support we provide to veterinary students today translates into a more robust and sustainable veterinary community tomorrow,” Braun says.

Funding for the scholarships is provided by the Pfizer Animal Health FFA and AABP Foundation Support Program, a unique partnership with veterinarians, animal health suppliers and dealers. The program offered a 1 percent rebate on Pfizer Animal Health cattle products from Jan. 1 through March 31, 2011. Participating partners were able to direct funds to any local FFA chapter(s) or the AABP Foundation – Pfizer Animal Health Veterinary Student Scholarship Fund. The AABP Foundation – Pfizer Animal Health Veterinary Student Scholarship Fund is a component of Pfizer Animal Health’s Commitment to Veterinarians™ platform—which offers support through training and education, research
and development, investing in the future of the veterinary profession, and philanthropy.

I think of a boat captain who has lost his ship in the storm and finds
himself all alone in a dingy, out in the middle of the vast raging sea. For years
he has navigated these waters and has faced and overcome many storms
and challenges, but this time, the storm was so severe, so large and so
overwhelming, he now faces what he has never faced before. His ship, his men,
his ability to navigate, and all that is familiar to him is now gone. He used all his
skills, experience and education and did all he knew to do. He fought the storm
to the point of exhaustion, but despite his efforts the ship went down along
with all that was in it. Now, without divine intervention and guidance, he will
be overcome by the challenges, the fear and the uncertainty he now faces.
Without his ship, what will he do? Behind the wheel of the ship, he knew
where he was and what he had to do, but now that the ship is gone, he finds
himself unable to help himself or anyone else and he is totally dependent on
God for deliverance and hope for a future.

This illustration reminds me of the story of Jehoshaphat, King of Judah,
as recorded in 2 Chronicles 20. If you remember, Judah was about to be
attacked by a huge, consuming army comprised of the Moabites, Ammonites
and Meunites. When King Jehoshaphat heard that the fierce armies were
just outside the city and would soon be attacking and destroying his nation,
he called all the people together to fast and pray. After thanking God for His
faithfulness throughout Israel’s history, Jehoshaphat cried out to God: “We
have no power to face this vast army that is attacking us. We do not know
what to do, but our eyes are on you.”

What a powerful prayer and testimony. Jehoshaphat was facing an enemy
like none he had ever faced. He knew that the situation was hopeless if God
did not work a miracle, but instead of running away or just surrendering to the
enemy, Jehoshaphat called out to the miracle working God who had always
met their needs in the past and Who he knew could be trusted even now.
In answer to his prayer, God told a man named Jahaziel to tell King
Jehoshaphat and all the people of Judah these words: “Do not be afraid or
discouraged because of this vast army. For the battle is not yours, but God’s.
Tomorrow, march down against them. … You will not have to fight this battle.
Take up your positions; stand firm and see the deliverance the Lord will give
you. O Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Go out
and face them tomorrow, and the Lord will be with you.” When Jehoshaphat
and the people heard the word of God, they fell on their faces and worshiped
Him.

The next day, Jehoshaphat and his men put on their armor and got dressed
for battle. The Bible says that as they worshiped and marched to take their
positions to face their enemies in battle, the Lord himself set up ambushes
against the enemy and destroyed them. Those he did not destroy, he caused
to turn on one another until they completely annihilated one another. When
Jehoshaphat and his men reached the battlefield, they found only dead
bodies—no one had escaped. The plunder of the enemy was so great, that it
took Jehoshaphat and his men three days to collect it!

The battle was the Lord’s, but Jehoshaphat and his men still had to
trust the Lord. They remembered His faithfulness in the past and they
trusted Him to be faithful even now when they faced their greatest enemy
yet, and this faith led them to worship Him. They still had to put on their
armor and they still had to have the courage to march out and to face the
enemy, but it was God who delivered them, who defeated their enemies,
and gave them the plunder.

Facing an enemy greater than they had never faced before, they could
have just run away, but their homeland and way of life would have been
conquered and they would have eventually been overrun and destroyed.
They could have just surrendered, and would have faced the same fate
plus slavery. Or, they could have tried to face the enemy in their own
strength and in their own wisdom, which would have resulted in a very
short battle where all of Judah would have been destroyed and all of
history would have been changed.

Thankfully, King Jehoshaphat saw his own limitations, remembered
God’s faithfulness and promises, and chose to put all his faith and trust in
Him even now as he led his people out to face their greatest enemy ever.
When we face enemies, circumstances or fears that are greater than
our ability to handle, when we don’t know what to do, we need only to
remember that there is a God who loves us, who has gone before us, and
who will deliver us if we put our faith in and follow Him. We still have to
put on our spiritual armor and we still have to go out and face the enemy,
but the battle is Lord’s and He is faithful. Stand