Valley Vision
March 2017
God With Us
I have always been fascinated by
etymology – the study of the origin
of words. I’ve discovered learning the origin and/or meaning of
a word often deeply enriches the
context in which it is used; and I
have found this to be true both in
my day-to-day life, as well as in the
study of scripture.
The word I’d like to explore
today is enthusiasm. Enthusiasm
is derived from the Greek word
enthousiasmos, which essentially
means “divine inspiration” (“en-”
means inside or within, and “-thus“comes from the Greek word theos
meaning god). According to the
Online Etymology Dictionary, the
word enthusiasm, “…originally
came from the word… which meant
‘be inspired or possessed by a god,
be rapt, be in ecstasy…”
Therefore, enthusiasm means
God in us! When we show excitement or enthusiasm for something
or someone, we are touching something sacred within us. Enthusiasm
enables us to overcome disappointment and setbacks. Enthusiasm is
the fuel that empowers the Christian and gives us the love for the
unique calling each of us has been
given. Further, enthusiasm drives
the natural desire to do our best for
God’s glory.
Every day, every interaction and
every challenge we face, we have
the opportunity to engage with enthusiasm. We have the opportunity
to draw upon God within us to live
our lives full of enthusiasm. Amen
– may it be so!
— Kyle DeWees
Valley students hold signs and banners at the March for Life rally in Washington, D.C.
VLHS Students March for Life
Representatives from Valley Lutheran
joined hundreds of thousands of abortion opponents on Friday, Jan. 27,
gathering in Washington, D.C., for the
44th Annual March for Life.
The group of 42 students, three
faculty members, and five chaperones
departed Saginaw by bus on Wednesday, Jan. 25, driving through the night
to arrive the next morning.
On Thursday, the group visited the
Holocaust Museum and took part in the
March for Life Youth Rally and Expo.
They ended the day with dinner and a
night bus tour of the WWII Memorial,
Lincoln Memorial, Vietnam Memorial,
Korean War Memorial, Jefferson Monument, MLK Memorial, and the Iwo Jima
Memorial.
On Friday, the group participated in
an LCMS/Lutherans for Life worship
service in Arlington, Va., before heading to the pre-march rally.
After worship, the group made its
way to the Washington Monument for
the start of the rally, which wound 1.4
miles through the mall, ending on the
steps of the Supreme Court.
After the march, the group got a tour
of Congress. The students visited the
offices of Michigan State Representatives John Moolenaar and Bill Huizenga, Republicans who are part of the
pro-life movement, and had the opportunity to speak with their staff before
getting on a bus to return home.
“Without knowing specific numbers,
we marched alongside about 600,000
people or more,” junior Ruby Yantz
said. “Standing among thousands of
people that are all fighting for this
cause can’t be put into words. The
Holy Spirit was making his rounds
all around the world on that day. I
wouldn’t trade that feeling of pure
amazement for anything!”
Valley Lutheran High School | 3560 McCarty Road | Saginaw, MI 48603
(989) 790-1676 | Fax (989) 790-1680 | www.vlhs.com
www.facebook.com/ValleyLutheranSaginaw
Lenten Tour
Concert
GLBR Lutheran Educators Conference
Featuring 93 musicians
in Valley Lutheran’s
Golden Voice Choir
and Symphonic Band
Sunday, March 19, at 3pm
Immanuel, Frankentrost
8220 East Holland Road, Saginaw
Break-out sectionals at the conference included Creation Apologetics, Coding 101,
Google Classroom, Rethinking Grading, and Autism 101.
This is the last performance in a five-day, six concert tour
through Indiana, Wisconsin, Illinois, and Michigan.
On Monday, January 16, 257 Lutheran educators from around the
Great Lakes Bay Region gathered for
the Sixth Annual Lutheran Educators
Conference.
Educators from 22 Lutheran schools
and early childhood centers met to
learn, worship, encourage each other,
and celebrate their ministry.
Pastor Steve Essenberg, missionary-at-large in Detroit, led the opening
worship and Aaron Rohde (VL’89)
served as music leader.
Grandparents and Special Friends’ Day
Executive
Director Dr.
John Brandt
talks with
grandparents
of students
during their
visit to Valley.
Each Thursday, through
the month
of February,
grandparents
were invited to
participate in a
tour of Valley,
sit in on chapel
and join their
grandchildren
for lunch.
In addition to group events, participants led and attended a variety
of break-out sectionals. Of the over
50 sectionals offered, nine presenters
were current Valley Lutheran teachers
while another nine were alumni of Valley Lutheran.
“It is inspiring to experience a building full of Lutheran teachers looking for ideas that will help them best
educate their students,” said Dr. John
Brandt, Executive Director of Valley
Lutheran High School.
Next Open House
The next VLHS Open House
will be Thursday, March 2, from
5-6pm.
• Meet the faculty
• Tour the building
• See all that Valley has to offer!
Then stay for the junior varsity
and varsity boys basketball games
against Swan Valley.
The remaining 2017 Open
House dates are Sunday, April 9,
from 2-3pm, and Sunday, May 21,
from 2-3pm.
No reservations are needed. Call
(989) 790-1676 to RSVP or for
more information.
Want to receive Valley Vision via e-mail? Contact Jeff Rauschert at [email protected].