Bring on spiritual emphasis week

As the Christmas decorations came down in all of the classrooms around our campus, the students and teachers at New Life Christian High School, after recovering from their Christmas turkey comas, prepared for one of our most anticipated events of the New Year: what we call spiritual emphasis week.

During "SEW," we all embark on a five-day journey to better ourselves in the word and to set spiritual goals. Our school has participated in this event for years and it is still going strong. Can something be considered a "fad" if it never gets old?

Normally, we have three spiritual emphasis weeks every school year, and each one gets us amped up a little bit more than the last. We've had speakers come from as far as Redding and Stockton to speak to us, and we even have great speakers right here on campus: our awesome staff.

One of the major things that sets us apart from other schools is that not only are the teachers here our teachers, but they're also our counselors, our mentors and really good friends with us students. They speak to us one on one, and in front of us all in our chapel services.

On the first day of our second spiritual emphasis week of the school year, and the first chapel of 2011, Sandi Waters, our English and speech teacher and chapel coordinator, and Araceli Hernandez, our Spanish teacher, spoke about appreciating our precious time here — on Earth as well as school — and how we spend it. They were followed by students sharing what they wanted to gain from this week .

Amanda Juetten, the drama teacher, said, "It's a very special thing; the teachers are blessed to work in this kind of amazing atmosphere, and the students are very blessed to have the chance of learning in such a great environment."

Later in the week, we were blessed to have Joe Antekeier, a youth pastor from Roseville, talk to us about having a "passion for heaven in 2011." Jason Smotherman, a youth pastor from Vacaville, spoke to us about "the fourth round" of our daily spiritual fight. Chico youth pastor Tony Mazon prepared a word for the seniors, as well as underclassmen, about "being a clutch player or riding the pine." The week concluded with a great sermon from pastor Joan Smith and members of her Yuba City Teen Challenge Crisis Center.

It seems that no matter how many times we partake in spiritual emphasis week, it just never gets old. There is never any need to change the way we do things during those five days; we love it for the way it is, and we pray that it will never change. I, for one, am sad that I and my fellow seniors get to attend only one more spiritual emphasis week during our time here at NLCHS.

General Beisley is a senior at New Life Christian High School. His column appears every six weeks in Education.