✝️Spiritual Life✝️

NSA has shown me more than I ever anticipated. It has developed me in ways I never expected.  NorthStar Academy's classes are taught through a biblical worldview. I am not sure what I expected that term to mean– probably something like “Here’s a Bible verse to go with your assignment.” I was not expecting to be challenged and confronted. 

NorthStar Academy has seven ESOs or Expected Student Outcomes. The sixth of these ESOs is Biblically Literate. According to Mrs. Peterman, “ESOs are the overarching goals of NorthStar Academy. With our ESOs in mind, we make decisions about curriculum and instruction that help us shape students into graduates who have these crucial skills. The ESOs help us keep the end goal in mind.” 

In many churches, Lent is a period of fasting, prayer, and meditation, a time for Christians to prepare themselves for Resurrection Sunday (Lucey). For nearly six weeks, believers give up something they enjoy as a practice of submission to God. 

Here at NSA, Christian values are respected, upheld, and taught through ESOs or expected student outcomes. These help students become globally minded and university and life ready. They train and prepare students for the real world. One of NSA’s ESOs is Servant Leadership; which NSA defines servant leadership as “a discerning role model who is courageous and compassionate, serving others” (“ESOs”).

I have been blessed to meet so many amazing people in my life. Some of them are friends I talk to on a daily basis and others are contacts I keep in my phone who receive a “happy birthday” text once a year.

Christmas is an ancient holiday with both religious and secular roots that stretch back centuries. In modern times, though, it is often seen as synonymous with presents and Santa Claus. Modern consumerist trends have caused society to view it as a holiday more about receiving than giving.

Uncertainty, excitement, maybe even grief–these are all emotions that can come with big changes in life. For some of us, we may be about to face college; others may be starting online school for the first time. Whatever your case may be, transition can be a very difficult thing, and new seasons can feel daunting.

We often hear, “God has a plan for your life, just trust Him!” All of this is true; the Lord does have a plan for your life, and we should trust Him. However, those same people forget to explain that it takes patience to know what God's will is for our lives! You may be going through a season of uncertainty. How can you understand God's will when it feels like you are wandering aimlessly?

This semester, students of NorthStar Academy continue to dive deeper into the roots of the Bible by taking one of NSA’s best beginner theological courses, Old Testament Survey. Taught by one Jason Harvel, this course invites the students to see the Old Testament not as a collection of stories and tales, but as one unified story about a God who keeps his promises.

Speaking as a senior, I see many direct ways that a topic like NorthStar’s ESOs (Expected Student Outcomes) are relevant. Surprisingly, the more I learned, the more I realized this subject is applicable to all grade levels. In an interview with Mrs. Peterman, a staff member of NSA’s Instructional Development Department, I got the opportunity to dive into the topic of being globally minded.

Starting a new school year is challenging for many students. There are new friendships to form, new teachers to meet, and new courses to adjust to. This often leads to anxiety and stress about what the future holds. Both new and existing students face these challenges, but God has an answer to these seemingly insurmountable stressors.

Last year, two days before Easter, I learned that someone I knew was very ill. He was one of the assistant cross-country coaches at my high school, and I had spent two seasons under him. During the latter season, I had discovered that he was struggling with cancer.

Global Missions Week took place from March 3rd to March 7th. Students had the chance to hear from speakers all around the world, to learn about cultures outside of their own, and to discuss how to serve with those spreading the gospel to non-believers.

It is no surprise that NorthStar Academy has excellent course options. However, I have found the Bible classes to be the most beneficial classes in my High School career so far. As a sophomore in high school, I took the Theology in Real Life course. Now, as a junior, I am taking Foundations for The Christian Worldview.

Back in 2020, two YouTubers I often watched released a video where they talked about their spiritual deconstruction journey. These two men were former missionaries in eastern Europe and had been leaders in their church. I was only twelve years old when they released this video, so I did not want to watch it. Thinking my faith was not strong enough at the time to handle hearing a critique of Christianity, I completely stopped watching their YouTube channel.

Everyone has a favorite season, and, for me, fall and spring are at the top of my list. I love camping in the fall and cooking chili or a cobbler in the dutch oven over an open fire. I love watching the leaves change colors and begin to cover the ground. It also means sweater weather has arrived! My favorite season is probably spring, though, because it represents new life and I love all of the green and everything beginning to bloom. My husband and I love to go hiking in the spring in the Sipsey Wilderness. It is known as the “land of 100 waterfalls” and they flow so well after the spring rains.

Disclaimer: This article contains spoilers for DragonFire by Donita K. Paul, the fourth installment in the five-book DragonKeeper Chronicles.  

...Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. (NIV Bible, 1 Kings 19.11-19.12)

 “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it." (New International Version, John 1:1-5).

“The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog."

I do not know if you had previously heard the news about the fox and the dog, but this is a sentence I learned as a young child. Now I have heard and read lots of sentences in my lifetime, of course, but there is a reason that I have remembered this one when so many others have, as poet laureate Billy Collins once put it, "retired to that little fishing village in my brain" to be remembered no more.

Education is a big topic of debate. Whether it’s going to school full-time, part-time, or being fully homeschooled, you have probably heard your family discuss the topic of school. It is a major part of children's lives. It is essential that a person's education is solid. A biblical education is also important, but how did Christian schools come to be? How did the Reformation play a part in that?

At NorthStar Academy, students have the choice to join a wide variety of clubs - nine to be exact. One club, the Bible Club, is rather popular among NSA Students. This club discusses everything Bible-related and has caused many NSA Students to experience growth of some sort. This article will provide background information and current data about the Bible Club as well as information regarding the content within the club, the growth of the club leaders, and the plans for the club’s future. 

The Protestant Reformation began on October 31, 1517, in Wittenberg, Germany (“The Protestant Reformation”).  Martin Luther was a monk, who became a Christian after a terrible storm. He survived the storm and devoted his life to Christ.

What is worship? This may seem like a simple question, but it really is not.  When asking NorthStar students what they think worship is, I received a wide variety of responses. Most students described it as “the act of praising God.” But is that all it is? What many people fail to realize is that it is more than that.

Waves cascaded over the small cracked wooden boat, which keeled under the weight of the breakers. Salt water filled the men’s nostrils, and heavy rain splattered onto their already soaked tunics. “Turn the boat!” screamed a man with brown curly hair and flashing eyes. Although he had screamed with all his strength, his voice was picked up by the wind and carried far away, tossed on the waves and drowned in the sound of cracking thunder. A huge lightning bolt raced across the sky, followed by a split of thunder that seemed to come from the heavens themselves.

The holidays are an amazing time to give. Whether it is giving time, money, or even food, giving is something Christians are called to do. That is why the Blessing Project is an important event for NorthStar. If you don’t know what the Blessing Project is, then this article is just right for you

While we’re called to spread the Good News, we can’t change someone’s heart - only God can do that! But, we can gather some tools to put in our “Good News Toolkit!” The following are a few arguments for God that prove how rational it is to believe in Him!

 Hello, detective! We’ve gotten a message from NorthStar headquarters with the theme for this year’s Fall Spiritual Emphasis Event - Mission: Possible! Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to take a peek into the lives of our staff, faculty, and teachers at NorthStar, seeing how God has worked in their lives.

Have you ever dreamed of making a difference in the world? Well, that's what Cora and her family do. They live in Mexico and work with an organization that helps orphans and orphanages and have lived there since Cora was six years old. At the orphanages, her family sponsors children and works with the organization to better the environment for the children.

For the last couple of months, I have been focusing on Psalm 16, specifically verses 2 and 11. I want to share what God has been impressing upon my heart. I love that when God wants to teach us something, He often does so in multiple ways. Does it excite you when God connects ideas, people, and themes in your life? Jesus seems to be weaving a theme of “abundant joy” in my life. True and unexplainable joy comes from a relationship with Jesus.