Faith & Flexibility

Thank you to Laura Pollard, Elyse Cyr & Lori Konopasek, missions team leaders, for writing today's blog.

You may have heard the chants in the hallway:  “SB MIE 2015!  SB MIE 2015!”

This Spring Break, eight students and four staff will be embarking on the first ever Shepherds College Spring Break Mission Immersion Experience – specifically christened SB MIE 2015! 

At the crack of dawn on March 31^st, eight brave students and their fully caffeinated instructors will leave from O’Hare Airport and travel to St. Mary’s, Jamaica for an eight day missions experience.  We will be partnering with Kenneth and Eileen Terroade of Uphill Ministries and experiencing life on the mission field in another country.  Students will be leading Vacation Bible School, participating in service projects, and sharing the Good News of the Gospel of Jesus Christ!  

As students and staff prepare for this trip, two words continually come up in our meetings and conversations:  faith and flexibility!  Faith has been woven into this trip from the beginning.   During the genesis of this trip,  Elyse, Lori and I continually looked at one another and exclaimed, “Are we really doing this?!  Are we crazy?! Is God going to provide?!?!”  The answers to all of these questions we tossed around were a big “YES”!!!!  Yes, we feel that God has given us a burden and a desire to expose our students to mission experiences, yes, God has proven over and over again that HE is Jehovah Jireh, the God who provides, and yes we probably are crazy, but as we’ve said from the beginning,  “Go big or go home!”  

 

When we asked what these two words mean to our students, these were our students’ responses: 

Crystal Nystrand said: “Flexibility means to go with the flow and do whatever needs to be done.  Faith is to believe that God will provide and let Him take over you.”

Olya Porth said: “To me, faith means that I have to trust in God in everything I am doing to get ready to go to Jamaica.  Flexibility is to do something that you don’t want to do, but you do it anyway.”

Willetta McVicker described faith and flexibility as:  “Faith means to trust and believe without seeing and to know that God will make a way in His will.  Flexibility means to do or go where you are told without arguing and to get out of your comfort zone.” 

When asked about faith and flexibility, Wade Phillips said, “Faith means to have a relationship with the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords.  Flexibility means to go with the flow to wherever the journey to Jamaica takes us!”

Micah Muma defined faith and flexibility as:  “Faith means that I don’t need to worry- I just need to have faith that God has it all under control.  Flexibility means that I just need to go with the flow with changes or anything on a trip or in life.” 

Jonathan Ingram said: “Having faith is trusting God that He will provide for you.  When you realize that you can’t do anything on your own.  Flexibility means to go with the flow- you may be set on something to happen, but then God throws you somewhere else.”

Andrew Gummow said that “Faith is believing in God and flexibility means to do whatever is asked with joy!”

Nikki Monroe described faith and flexibility as: “Faith means how much you believe in God.  Flexibility means being able to switch gears quickly without getting mad or anxious.”

We could not be more grateful for this opportunity that God has provided and this team that He put together!

Hmmm…Faith and flexibility may not only apply to a Spring Break missions trip to Jamaica…

 



Shepherds College - Guiding Your Transition to Appropriate Independence. Please visit us at www.shepherdscollege.edu.

Teacher Tuesday: On & 4 Purpose

Thank you to Lori Konopasek, Dean of Students, for writing today's blog.

This is Mrs. Konopasek's artwork - a giraffe.

I am not much of an artist; basically, only my mother appreciates my art.  I am not even sure if my handiwork made it on the refrigerator for display for very long when I was a child.  Even though I am lacking in artistic skill, I still enjoy art and design.  I love visiting independent art stores, and decorating my first home is a great memory. 

A bigger scope of design that we can appreciate is in our relationship to God.  God designed us on purpose and for a purpose.  This is the very first principle of Appropriate Independence, the guiding philosophy of Shepherds.  It is also the title of a first-year class at Shepherds College.  We are God’s masterpiece; we are His artistic work and design.  In the class, my co-teacher Mrs. Cyr and I want to help students gain an understanding of God’s design for their lives.  The fact that God has a plan for them and designed each student with a disability is a powerful and empowering concept.

I asked students about what being designed on and for a purpose means to them.  Here are some student answers:

“I was made on purpose by God.  He created me for a reason and for a special purpose in mind.”

“He made me just the way he wanted me.”

“I am to help other people.”

“God made me to do a job for him.”

“I was made by God because God loves me.”

“I have a place in life, and God made me to talk about him.”

“I was made for a reason.”

Here are some staff responses:

“I will always be loved by God and can be used by Him.”

“I am not a mistake.  He guides me to complete that purpose and gives me wisdom, strength, and grace to fulfill that purpose.  He delights in using me to accomplish it.”

“I have value.”

“God made each of us the way He wanted and gave us each a special job to do.”

“I am reminded of God’s sovereignty, unique design, and desire to use me for His glory.”

“God orchestrates my life.  I don’t have to worry because His love is a masterpiece.”

When I consider these responses, I see the recognition of God and His plans.  God’s intentional design gives confidence and focus.  This is not about us, but instead about being used by Him to fulfill His plan.  This is design and art that I can certainly value and appreciate!   It is more than refrigerator worthy!

Shepherds College - Guiding Your Transition to Appropriate Independence. Please visit us at www.shepherdscollege.edu.

The Office: A New Sheriff (or 2) in Town!

Thank you to Cathy Harvey, Administrative Assistant to Shepherds College, for writing today's blog.

Mrs. Harvey and Miss Houk

The purpose of my share of the blogs is to write of Shepherds College life from the office perspective.  This perspective does give me a chance to see some of the “behind-the-scenes” details of what it takes to run a college as unique as ours.  For the last four years I have been working closely with Angela Houk, the Dean of the College. “Dean of the College”—a strong, noble title, like a bold broad stroke of paint across the top of a canvas, colorful and reaching from one side of the landscape to the other.  It has been a role filled with just about every imaginable task involved in a school.  

Angela was hired in September 2008, two months into the first year the college began.  She had no defined office, no desk, no file cabinet except a yellow crate on wheels, and initially held space in the Findley Center while teaching in the Wood Center.  By the time I was hired in July 2009, she had just moved to the Wood Center and received a desk, a real desk with a hutch for her teaching resources and with file drawers, and a keyboard tray.  Her “filing cabinet” was spread out all over the conference room table.  On my first day, the 2^nd annual Opening Weekend was only two weeks away.  I had no idea what to do, but I knew there was much to do, so I told Angie she did not have to explain the whys and wherefores, just point me in a direction and give me instructions—she could explain the why and the history later.  She set me to filing, so we could clear the table to work on orientation projects.

I learned quickly that Angela was a passionate, gifted, focused, fun, godly workhorse of integrity.  Her passion was the students’ highest level of independence and well-being, and she was gifted in R.E.A.L.* teaching and curriculum writing, specifically, Bible curriculum, which was the topic of her masters thesis.  With swift strategic skills, she handled emergencies and “drama” with poise and professionalism.  She also directed all the daytime academic challenges, oversaw all the instructors and advisors, was an instructor/advisor herself, passed meds when needed, coordinated all field trips and after school and weekend activities, while continually training new hires in all their roles.  She helped do overnight sleep-in roles for the ladies, and it was not uncommon for staff to receive emails from her written between 11 p.m. and 1 a.m. 

The first year, without a desk, office, or place to hang her hat, was a challenge to manage even with only six students.  However, the six grew to twelve, then twenty-four, then thirty-three, forty-seven, and this year fifty-nine.  

   

Tracy dubbed her “Dean of Everything” in a recent faculty meeting.  She wore many hats in the past, beginning the day as early as 6:30 a.m. and often burning the midnight oil. Clearly, by God’s grace we were growing and it became necessary to have two deans.  Everything here is about learning life skills, whether it is in the classroom during the day or in the dorm or on the gym floor in the evening.  It was time to divide and conquer.  

Mrs. Konopasek

Just before our sixth Opening Weekend, Tracy announced with confidence that we would now have two Deans: one to specialize in our educational goals and one to oversee the advising and residential life programs.  We all rejoiced to learn that Angela was to become our full-time Dean of Education while working in tandem with Lori Konopasek, formerly the Lead Academic Advisor, who would now take on the role of full-time Dean of Students. 

We are excited God has placed them together to further enhance the Shepherds College leadership!  So, you could say there is a new sheriff (or 2) in town, and I feel privileged to continue to work for Angela as her assistant in this role of educator, as well as assist Lori as she transitions in to many of the responsibilities Angela juggled in the past.  Congratulations and God’s strength, wisdom, and blessing to both of the Shepherds College Deans!

Shepherds College - Guiding Your Transition to Appropriate Independence. Please visit us at www.shepherdscollege.edu.

A Shepherds College Christmas

The Christmas season at Shepherds College is just plain fun.

Volunteers arrive on campus to decorate the lobbies in the main buildings,

extra packages from home get delivered to the mail room, 

choirs sing during Chapel, 

Residential Life staff help the students decorate their living areas,

the Horticulture students create beautiful floral arrangements in greens, reds, silvers and golds, 

and the Culinary Arts students bake up a storm and pass out the goodies to staff. 

The students design Christmas cards, 

donate to charities, 

take part in special church services, 

enjoy Christmas concerts, 

attend tree lighting ceremonies, 

and serve food at the staff Christmas party. Wow!

And if that isn’t enough, there are the parties for the students …

Lori Konopasek just hosted a White Elephant party at her home for the second year students in her advising group. They watched a movie, ate pizza, drank hot chocolate, enjoyed ice cream sundaes, and then participated in a crazy gift exchange.

Mrs. Konopasek and Miss Houk purchased all the gifts and attached a bag of candy to each one. 

Dallas opened a visor, pink slippers and perfume.

Katy “stole” fashion sunglasses from Miranda.

Lindsay “stole” flamingo and Christmas socks from Christian.

In the end, all the students exchanged with each other so everyone received something they wanted to keep.

While we have a great time celebrating on campus during the Christmas season, we make sure the students do not forget the reason behind the festivities – we are preparing our hearts and our homes to celebrate the birth of our King, the only begotten Son of the Father, a baby who one day would become the Savior to all who place their faith in Him.

  
Shepherds College - Guiding Your Transition to Appropriate Independence. Please visit us at www.shepherdscollege.edu.