Jordan's March Bible Devotional

     This month’s Bible devotional I’d like to share is on the verse Proverbs 10:1.  It talks about what a wise and a foolish son (or daughter) is to his/her parents.  It states,”…A wise son maketh a glad father: but a foolish son is the heaviness of his mother.”  This verse talks about us, the children of our parents, and how making certain decisions can affect our parents.
     You can read the full devotional in the Bible Devotionals page.

"Nerves, No Problem" By Jessi Sherman

     Nerves get the best of all of us sometimes. Whether we’re nervous about our first play, or first speech, or meeting someone for the first time, nerves and doubts can’t help but override our minds and feelings. Coming to Ocean Breeze, meeting a bunch of new people, going to a new place, and leaving the comfort of my home, I was extremely nervous. I had no idea what the school was like, or what the kids were like. I was scared and a little sick. Part of me wanted to hide.

     When I got home from my first day of school, I breathed a huge sigh of relief. Ocean Breeze is the school I’ve been looking for. I love it here. I am accepted for who I am, I’m not afraid to be myself, and I don’t have to feel pressured to conform to the way everyone else acts or thinks. I can be myself, and be proud of it. I can’t wait to build memories and make friends that will hopefully last a lifetime. I love it at OBBS, I really, really do!

Happy Saint Patrick's Day!

Today is St. Paddy’s Day! If you’re not wearing green today, you are in danger of being pinched! The original reason for celebrating St. Paddy was the Christianization of Ireland, St. Patrick’s death, and St. Patrick’s feast day. Originally, St. Patrick was not associated with the color green, but rather the color blue. Over time, green became more popular. Saint Patrick did not teach that the shamrock signified luck, but rather the Trinity, three persons in one God.

--Garrett Burr--

A note from the editor

     Hello, everyone! I don't know about you, but to me, February has been pretty great so far. To name a few things, a new student named Jessi Sherman started attending OBBS early this month, we had lots of fun at the Valentine's Day party, and the Ping Pong Tournament has been exciting, as it started just a week ago.
     I must say sorry that the Patriot's Pen newsletter has not gotten out monthly this year, but hopefully we'll get back on track soon.
     The end is near! We are now over half-way through the school year! Keep working hard in your PACEs, and don't slow down.
     Have a great rest of the month!
     (Don't forget to check out the interviews on the Interviews page to the right.)



     --Garrett Burr--

Depressed? by Amanda Coulter

     Depression: many people have trouble with it, whether they are actually diagnosed or just have a tendency of feeling that way. I did a survey to see why people feel depressed. The choices were: for a little reason, a big reason, or you don't even really know why. I had 7 say a big reason, 8 say they didn't really know why, a couple said it varies, and 2 said many little reasons. From this survey you can see people get depressed for many different reasons. I believe no matter what reason, there is usually a pretty good way to cure it.
     Now of course, a very few may actually have depression, a very real disorder. Most people, though, are merely focusing on things they shouldn't be. They are focusing on their weight, clothes, popularity, or other minuscule things in life. I must admit I can be one of these people at time. When people begin to feel down over one of these things they try to make it go away. They may go to their favorite song, TV show, movie, or book. Some may even go to more drastic measures. I want to ask these people: "How much have those things ever really helped you?"
     I think the only way to really fight off those feelings is to go to God. Go to His word, and then pray and ask God to help you fight it. The Psalms can be a good book of the Bible to go to when down, or maybe you favorite verse or passage. Now, these things won't work if you haven't been faithful to God. You must confess and repent your sins. You have to talk to God and read His Word daily. If you do these things and really look for encouragement from God, I guarantee you will rarely feel depressed.

Bible Devotional by Jordan Neahring

      Do you ever have that feeling that you want to give up and not finish? The excuse may be that you’re too tired or too weak, but with God, there are no excuses. A verse I’d like to use for this topic is Philippians 4:13. It quotes: “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.”

     God is there to be our power source of our lives.

     Read the full devotional in the Bible Devotionals page.

2011 Christian School Invitational by Amanda Coulter

On November 30-December 2, most of the Upper Level went to the Northwest Christian School Invitational, a two day extravaganza with athletic, musical, artistic, and academic competitions. We had many students enter a variety of categories, and a good amount even placed! We didn't have one type of category there we didn't have a say in!
   Our basketball team entered the basketball tournament, and though they didn't win any games, we were all very proud of them.
   We also made new friends at the Invitational. Making good Christian friends is one of the greatest blessings of the Invitational and other activities like it. I know altogether, everyone had  a wonderful time and I hope it's just as great next year!