Washington, DC – Thursday, 4/2/15

Our final day began with a trip to the White House. What an honor to take pictures in front of the home to our nation’s presidents. We all learned more about how our Executive Branch has evolved throughout the years. From the White House we traveled to the National Cathedral. A guide explained the intricacies in the woodwork and stained-glass windows and how the Cathedral took over eighty years to complete. The Cathedral is an amazing building. Next, we traveled to Georgetown where we enjoyed lunch and shopping. Godiva, Starbucks, Georgetown Cupcakes were three of our favorite stops. Throughout the week we made some awesome memories as we visited the humbling sites in our nation’s Capitol. Though the trip had to end, we gained valuable insight that we will remember forever.

Angie Brock

Proverbs 31:31 – Thursday, 4/2/15

Revealing Our Inner Beauty

For our last day together we went to Lake Acworth to do our devotion. The devotion this morning was different than what we did the previous days. We each got a pink balloon and we wrote our strongholds on it. This was a way for us to see it, share it, and let them go. Even though these strong holds we each have will not completely just go away, rather it’s a way for us recognize that these are there and hopefully let go soon. It was a beautiful and sentimental time that we all spent together for the last time.

We then went to the mall and got our nails and makeup done. This was a really nice treat that we all looked forward to. All week long we had pushed past our limit and we were able to see that we could do anything we set our mind to. So today was a nice day to relax and reflect on the week we had. Mrs. Cochran and Coach Sanders split us up into 2 groups. The 1^st group went to get their make-up done while the 2^nd group went to get their nails done.

After we got all made up and looking pretty, we got lunch and headed back to the school to finish preparing for our photo shoot. We got dressed and headed to the photo-shoot, which was absolutely beautiful and amazing. Each girl got with their photographer which was one to the Photography Spring Term team photographers. The photo-shoot was a way for all the girls to show how beautiful we really are to people, but most importantly to ourselves. This was a great way to end a physically and mentally challenging week!

Morgan Cochran

Appalachia – Thursday, 4/2/15

Today we woke up bright and early for a delicious Red Bird breakfast and packed up our lunches to head off to the job site.

We were able to accomplish so much today!

(THE STOOP) and also at the same house Coach Parker and his right hand plumber Will McKenzie were able to fix the toilet!
Group #2

The huge set of stairs is coming along very well with the hard teamwork of the second group led by Coach King and Mrs. Staud!

When we got back to Red Bird everyone had a lovely pasta dinner and we had some free time to try out our balling skills (top picture is Bigshot Sam). Then we got the sweetest cards from our 2nd Grade friends in Mrs. Rheinscheld’s class.

New Orleans – Thursday, 4/2/15

Today was such a great day of learning and even more fun! We started off the morning by going to the famous World War II museum. It is the top visit in all of New Orleans, the # 4 museum in the US, and #11 in the entire world. Dr. Hedges told us that the reason the trip happened is because she wanted to go to the museum! It was an eye opening experience for all of us, and we were truly able to see the sacrifice that was required of so many to save us in that war. Many of us left with tears in our eyes reflecting on what it must have been like.

After we grabbed a quick lunch, we walked over to the New Orleans aquarium. It was cool to see all the different fish they have there, especially the ones that are specific to the Mississippi. We also got to watch a 4D film about sharks and why they shouldn’t be anything we are afraid of.

Next, we headed back to the hotel to change and get ready for dinner. While we originally thought we would have around an hour in the room, we ended up running behind schedule and we were racing (literally) to get back to the hotel and change in fifteen minutes. It was frustrating in the moment, but we all laughed about it afterwards!

Dinner was on a riverboat cruise that took us up and down the river while eating dinner and enjoying some good jazz music. We were in the first group of people to eat a really good meal of pot roast and pork! After we ate we went up the top deck where we were just in time to catch the beautiful sunset over the skyline. By the time we had gotten some pictures and enjoyed the sights, a jazz band started playing. While most people were just sitting around, our group decided to start dancing and really get into the music! It set the tone for the rest of the night and eventually more and more people decided to join in and dance. The boat really was a ton of fun and a great way to spend our last night, and as Sam put it “it was 10 times better than I thought it would be!”

Lastly, we took a walk back to the hotel. Some people decided to ride a bicycle taxi to be quicker. When we got back we all met together for one final time to discuss the week and enjoy some letters from Mrs. Allen’s 3rd grade class. We went to bed really tired but really satisfied!

Austin Geter, 10th grade

College Tour – Thursday, 4/2/15

We toured two university campuses on our final day of our College Tour- University of West Georgia and Georgia State University.

We were able to see the UWG football stadium (which is not usually part of an official tour). It pays to ask! Did you know that UWG’s football stadium is the largest Division 2 football stadium in the nation? It’s very impressive!

After lunch we visited Georgia State University for our last campus visit. You could just feel a different type of energy of the campus being located in the city. The buildings are spacious for a very compact campus.

So thankful for God’s protection over our trip. We were blessed to have the best charter bus driver ever, Mr. Steve!

A few reminders of God’s promise as you search for God’s plan for your life.

Psa 32:8 I will guide you along the best pathway for your life. I will advise you and watch over you.

Prov 15:22  Plans fail for lack of counsel, but with many advisers they succeed.

Karen Bollinger

MS Home Team – Thursday, 4/2/15

The Middle School Home Team had a quick change of plans this morning due to the weather forecast and headed North to the Tennessee Aquarium.  We explored the Ocean side first and really enjoyed seeing the penguins, butterflies and then the sharks for sure.  We took a break for lunch and walked over to Cheeburger – Cheeburger where students had fun dining on Fried Pickles, Cheeseburgers, Fries, Onion Rings and Milkshakes.  It was then back to the aquarium for a tour of the River Journey side and the otters were a definite hit along with a cool Seahorse exhibit and many other animals.  I heard lots of laughs and saw them pose for several pictures as the students moved through both buildings.

Afterwards, we all walked over to the IMAX Theatre and watched a film titled, “Jerusalem”.  It was a great show that gave students a first hand look at the land, buildings and markets inside modern day Jerusalem.  It also discussed the archaeological efforts being done today and even showed us how Palm Sunday and Easter are celebrated there.  The film was very interesting and I heard many positive comments as we headed out of the theatre.  We then made a quick stop at Ben & Jerry’s for a snack before boarding the bus and heading back to NCCS to close out what has been an absolutely fantastic week together!

Jeff Jackson

Snowbird – Thursday, 4/2/15

Hello to all! The blog of the day is brought to you by your super senior bloggers, Nic Englert and Joseph Loo! We are happy to be here and guide you through the journey of Day 4, so sit back and enjoy the ride as we attempt to impress our Lit teacher!

The troops are weary from the previous day’s activities and their morale was low. Lack of sleep was evident at breakfast, but the rush of soda in the morning soon turned that around. After a delicious meal consisting of pizza and cereal, we trekked towards the Worship Center for a breakout session entitled: “How to Study Your Bible.” Our speaker Rob thoroughly explained the fundamentals of getting in the Word and it’s significance in order to truly grow closer to God. One note of interest: for anyone looking for somewhere to start, try starting in Matthew and work your way through the New Testament.  This was encouragement for the students to apply into their day as they began their extra-curricular activities.

Filing out of the Worship Center, the students took this time to take care of any needs they had. This ranged from showers, to catching up on some sleep, or even taking it to the volleyball and basketball courts to settle some Snowbird feuds. The games were intense; many feelings were hurt, along with the pride of our defeated enemies. We celebrated with a trip to the dining hall where we were greeted with a delicious array of food that satisfied the soul. This prepared us for the incredible adventures that were in store for us after lunch.

Now it was time for bloodshed. Bruised and battered, the students limped off the battlefield, where the guys were eager to see who had the worst war-wound. Meaning, we played paintball. We soon left the Field of Glory to try our at hand at different activities. Many of us tried out the Goliath Swing, The Zip line, 3-Man Swing, and the Gun Range. This was exciting for many of us as most had never shot a gun before. Joseph, the man whose work you are also reading, shot his first gun today. His gun of choice, the 20-gauge shotgun, went 8/8 while skeet shooting. Many others shot for the first time as well and had a great time. But I wish we could have kept the earpieces from the gun range to drown out Mr. Ritchey’s scream from the 3-man swing. This place really keeps you on your toes. One example was the wonderful message given by Brody at tonight’s service.

Before the amazing service, there was a skit led by two staff members, Cam and Gens. They demonstrated how we have all of this pent up sin that we hold on to and they used red paint on a window to symbolize the mess it makes. Then Jesus comes and cleans it, making it clear once again; an image that truly represents what Christ does for us everyday. Brody then talked about God “clearing sin” from our lives. He used an illustration of an iPhone, where there are open apps that can build up until they overcome the phone and drains the battery. Brody’s assistant, as God does, double clicks the Home Button and swipes all of those unwanted and wasteful apps from his phone. In the same way God opens those up, and just swipes them away, forgetting our sin, giving us new life. An Illustration most every teenager can relate to nowadays.

As we bring this tale to an end, we reflect on this week. Tomorrow is the day we leave and it is somewhat upsetting. This is our last spring term, a four-year journey coming to an end. This trip was something else and it is sad to leave it all. We are grateful for the amazing teachers on this trip who are so willing to lead and guide us. AKA we need a good grade this last quarter. Thanks for following us on tonight’s journey; we really appreciate you guys thinking we’re interesting people.

Signing off,

Nic and Joseph…Nic and Joseph…writing a blog with Nic and Joseph

Star Wars – Thursday, 4/2/15

It’s a blast to watch Star Wars with budding theologians and fun people. Thanks to your students, I’m seeing Star Wars in a way I’ve never seen before. As we watch the movies with Proverbs 28:26 in mind (“He who trusts in his own heart is a fool, but he who walks wisely will be delivered” NASB), your students see points and make connections to the Bible I had not.

For instance, Isaiah Walker pointed out that the time between the two trilogies is much like the time between the Old and New Testaments. Though it seemed the Holy Spirit (or in the films, the Force) was quiet, he was indeed at work for the good of his people. Mr. Walker also pointed out that just as the first Skywalker (Anakin) goofed up his mandate and caused great evil for the rest of the galaxy, so the first Adam fell and brought the curse on his all. Likewise, the second Skywalker (Luke) made things right, and so also does the second Adam, Jesus, make all things right. Devin Sanders pointed out that when a barroom brawler starts a fight with Luke for no good reasons, it parallels 2 Timothy 3:12 and John 15:18. All who desire to live a godly life will face persecution (2 Timothy 3:12), just like Luke did. And just like Jesus promised that the world would hate us because we belong to him, so the bad guys dislike Luke just because he’s a good guy.

The parallels didn’t cease with situations, though. Mr. Sanders also pointed out that when Ben Kenobi tells Luke not to trust his eyes because they can deceive him, so we also should put our ultimate trust not in our senses, but in the Word of God. Josh Papevies pointed that when Yoda says that the Dark Side is the quick and easy path, it reminded him of Jesus’ warning that the gate to life is narrow and small, while the path to destruction is wide and many find it (Matthew 6:13-14)

We should give a special shout-out to David Scheidt and Robert Mathis for creating a terrific Kahoot Empire Strikes Back trivia game for us to play online. Congratulations to Rishi “Skypandya” for winning the game!

Zack Shaffer

Zack Shaffer

Need for Speed – Thursday, 4/2/15

If this blog post sounds a little dull, it’s because we’re all exhausted!  Today was our service project day, and we successfully helped 10 of our NCCS ladies with their cars.  We started our day off bright and early with two dozen doughnuts (the only proper way to start a work day).  We then turned our attention to auto service and worked hard from 8:00am to 3:00pm, changing oil, checking fluids, washing, and vacuuming.  Every member of our team chipped in with servant hearts and did a great job.  We even had members of our team (Grant and Kathleen) willing to get oil in their hair for the sake of our cause!  Admittedly, some cars were washed better than others (sorry Ms Thaxton), but every car was given loving attention under the watchful eye of Coach Speck.  We are proud to report we had no injuries, no damages, and only a teeny tiny little bitty spot of oil on the pavement.  We hope that our work today has been a little blessing to those we served, and we hope that the skills we have learned this week will be used by God for many years to come!

Josh Speck

6th Grade Sojourn Adventure – Wednesday, 4/1/15

04.01.15
The morning started early with a 6:45 AM arrival at NCCS. After getting a bit of a late start, the sixth graders arrived at Sojourn Adventures around 9:00. We had the opportunity to participate in low ropes throughout the morning. The low ropes activities encouraged team cooperation and perseverance through failure.

Around noon, we took a break to have our Subway lunches and to hydrate. Sojourn had a Gaga Ball pit located conveniently by the pavilion where we ate, so many students competed in intense games of Gaga Ball when they were finished eating. Ironically, many of the students deemed this their favorite part of the day!

After lunch we faced the high ropes elements, including the zipline, the “lil” swing (that’s not so little), and climbing apparatuses. Each of these were daunting feats, but the students impressed us all by challenging themselves to go beyond their comfort zones.

We had a really enjoyable day, and all came back exhausted in the best way!

04.02.15

Today we spent the day with the 5^th graders. The first half of the day was spent serving NCCS in various ways. Some of the tasks were spreading pine straw, picking up trash around campus, raking mulch, sorting books, organizing the art room, cleaning teachers’ classrooms, and more. We were thrilled to have the opportunity to give back to our school!

After lunch, students were given different fun options and were allowed to choose two. They could watch a movie, play sports, play board games, play educational games on chromebooks, or do an art project.

It was a great way to end the week before heading off to Spring Break!

Emily Wright