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heaven. The letter to the He-brews tells us that Jesus “for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” Heb. 12:2 That same joy of the Lord, as the apostle Paul would write, is what also kept him going. For that joy of the Lord over Paul and over every sinner brought to repentance has always been the strength of the believers—to know their Lord’s joy! It is the strength for people of God, to know that God’s face still shines on them. And that is your strength for serving the Lord today and every day. The Joy of the Lord even strengthens us against tempta-tion. What is there that can tempt us when we already have more than the world can offer as a reward for any treachery or sin. Christians are already rich in the Lord’s joy. And that also makes us strong for service, too. What can a Christian not do when he is happy in his God? By his God he leaps over a wall, or breaks through a troop. You and I can do things, all things, through a God who loves us and has taught us to trust by faith. You and I will be happy if… “The joy of the Lord is our strength.”

Nehemiah 8: 10-12 Nehemi-ah said, "Go and enjoy choice food and sweet drinks, and send some to those who have nothing prepared. This day is sacred to our Lord. Do not grieve, for the joy of the LORD is your strength." 11 The Levites calmed all the people, saying, "Be still, for this is a sacred day. Do not grieve." 12 Then all the peo-ple went away to eat and drink, to send portions of food and to celebrate with great joy, because they now under-stood the words that had been made known to them… Do you ever think to yourself, “ I would be happy if ____________”? -- How would you fill in the blank? Some people say they would be happy if they could find a good boyfriend or girlfriend, or a good family with no problems. Ask some friends, “What would it take to make you happy?” The answers might vary greatly, but after accepting the answer, press further, “would you really be happy then” ? Most people say, NO! Their happiness would only last a short while at best. It seems like our heart’s de-sires are never satisfied. But Godliness with content-ment—that’s a lesson few people ever learn! Happiness, real contentment, is not just more toys, more money, or smiling faces. There few hap-

py homes? Few happy indi-viduals? As again, I would be happy if… First we need to remember that true joy comes from God. God is the object of our joy. The “joy of the Lord” is what Nehemiah called it. Yet, ever since the Garden of Eden, people have often looked for their joy from the same place where the serpent found his. Remember how God said, “You will crawl on your belly and you will eat dust all the days of your life.” That was the Serpent’s curse, and yet man has tried to soothe his own belly by eating the things of the dust of the earth. Things that rust and decay, things that will in the end be destroyed. Can you truly be happy in search of such things when you know that your soul will outlast them? Of course not. But there is an eternal joy that comes from God. How sweet is it to think of all the Lord has done; how He has re-vealed himself of old, and especially how he has dis-played his glory in the prom-ises of grace, and in the per-son of the Lord Jesus Christ. How warming is the thought that he has revealed himself to you personally, and made you to see in him your Father, your friend, your helper, your God. And then remember that God loved you so much that he would take his greatest joy from your being with him in

True Joy

I N S I D E

T H I S I S S U E :

Devotion 1

Sports

Update 2-3

WBC 4

Concussions 5

Designing

Bug 6

Winter Play

Preview 7

L U T H E R H I G H

S C H O O L LUTHER LEADER

F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 2 W I N T E R I S S U E

P A S T O R P A M P E R I N

F I R S T L U T H E R A N , L A C R O S S E

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P A G E 2

Boys Basketball Parent’s night for the boys is Saturday,

February 11th versus Kohler at 2:00pm. The fol-

lowing boys’ home game is Monday, February

20th versus Hillsboro. The cheer section has tre-

mendously helped the players to stay on top of

their game. Come be a part of it while having a

great time!

This winter’s sports season is off to a great

start! Mr. Schaper is using his years of experience to

lead the varsity boys’ basketball team. He is enjoying

watching the team grow. Varsity’s record so far is 9-6,

and they are well on their way to the state tournament.

Schaper says, “I am really proud of how hard my team

is playing. They are working very hard and trying to

improve with each practice and each game. We have

gotten very good senior leadership from our three sen-

iors (Ryan Svendsen, Cody Beach, and Eric Hansen).

Each player has a hunger and a passion to do as well

as they possibly can this season. They truly are work-

ing hard!”

Girls Basketball Mr. Babinec has been coaching the varsity La-

dy Knights’ basketball team for over a decade. He

says, “While this year’s team has been on somewhat

of a roller coaster ride, they have demonstrated a

“never-give-in” attitude. We strive to get better each

practice – each game.” The Lady Knights varsity rec-

ord is 4-11. The six seniors (Angie Wierzbicki, Mag-

gie Schultz, Katlynn Hamilton, Rachel Keller, Katlin

Zillmer, and Shelly Raabe) are leading the team. They

are helping the girls in younger grades rise up to the

occasion. “Get M.A.D!” is the girls’ inspiration for the

season. It stands for Make A Difference. They want to

show everyone what they’re made of!

W I N T E R I S S U E

There are only a few home games left!

Come and support your team on Tuesday, January

31st to watch your Lady Knights take on La Cres-

cent. Mark your calendars for Tuesday, February

7th for a home game against De Soto. Those

games should be very exciting, so pack the stands!

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P A G E 3 W I N T E R I S S U E

“The wrestlers have worked really hard this season.

Nobody works harder than wrestlers.” said head coach, Jon

Benrud. Mental focus and toughness along with heart drive

the wrestlers to work their hardest every day. They work all

practice, perfecting their technique. “Wrestling is a fun and

competitive sport. I would like to encourage students to try

out. They may be surprised at how much they enjoy it!” –

Benrud. There are several wrestlers that have a possibility to

win conference champions for their weight class, Marcus

Larson and Max Wetzel. There’s only one home match left,

and it’s on the 6th of February! Let’s fill the stands and root

on our Knights as they battle our neighbors, Onalaska.

Jon Benrud also coaches Junior Knights wrestling,

which has 22 members. Mr. Benrud would like to give a

Wrestling shout-out to those who gave donations that al-

lowed Luther to purchase new mats. All the

wrestlers greatly appreciate the help of assistant

coaches: Mr. Rieck, Mr. Poppe (a former state

champ for Luther), Mr. Rupprecht, who also

wrestled for Luther, and Mr. Schmoker.

-Rylie Wetzel

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Winter Buff Club P A G E 4 W I N T E R I S S U E

may include legs, abs, chest and

arms, and back and shoulders. Its

videos also include plyometrics,

yoga, and cardio workouts.

Also included in the

groups’ activities are ultimate

Frisbee, ‘garbage ball’, and dodge

ball games. These are adapted ver-

sions of sports that usually entail

teams working together and reach-

ing a common goal, such as scor-

ing points or keeping the other

team from scoring. Teamwork is

often vital for success, and these

games help show young students

the importance of working as one.

On any given day, there

may be up to twenty-five people

working out together. Not only

does this provide a way to stay in

shape, it also helps build Christian

fellowship among the students.

Getting students involved and

building relationships with

each other is important to-

ward keeping their faith

strong. Each day, these

kids continue to develop

into the future leaders of

our churches and congregations,

and the Winter Buff Club is yet

another training tool used to keep

them pushing forward in body

and mind to spread the word of

God and of Christ’s redemption to

all nations.

-Ryan Kastenschmidt

During the cold winter

months, opportunities are limited

for students who want to exercise.

Many athletes who are not cur-

rently participating in full-time

sports such, as basketball or wres-

tling, must find new and creative

ways to stay in shape. A number

of kids utilize the school’s weight

room; however, this type of

workout may not quite suit every-

one. In an effort to keep students

involved, the idea for an after

school organized workout group

soon grew roots. Before long, the

Winter Buff Club was

formed.The Winter Buff Club

(nicknamed The WBC) is an after

school workout group that meets

every Monday, Wednesday, and

Friday from November through

February from approximately 3 to

4:30 pm. Its participants include

teachers as well as both guys and

girls from any grade. Its activities

mostly consist of partaking in the

critically-acclaimed workout vid-

eo set P90x, which is an hour

long exercise that works multiple

muscle groups of the body. These

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Concussions P A G E 5 W I N T E R I S S U E

which is a computer based pro-gram that athletes in contact and collision sports take prior to par-ticipation, which gives a “baseline” of normal cognitive function of an athlete’s brain. This “baseline” score gives a quantitative analysis that can later be compared to subsequent tests after an athlete is suspected of suffering a concussion in sports. This test then allows healthcare providers, such as physicians and athletic trainers, to return an ath-lete to competition after sustain-ing a concussion and reduce the risk of “second impact” syn-drome, which is head trauma to an athlete that has not recovered from previous concussion. Se-cond impact syndrome can be devastating and in some cases, fatal. Luther High School requires that athletes take the ImPact test before participating in a sport. This test will give them a series of exercises that will test their memory and reaction skills. If an athlete is thought to have a con-cussion, they will retake the im-pact test to prove whether or not they are concussed. A person who may have a concussion should see a doctor. Anyone who has a concussion must immediately stop any kind of activity or sport until cleared

by a doctor. Repeated concus-sions or severe concussions may require surgery later on, but most cases are very minor. Here are some tips to help recover from a concussion: -Get plenty of sleep at night, take it easy during the day -Avoid mentally or physically demanding activities (sports, heavy exercise, using the comput-er..etc.) -Use an ice or cold pack on any swelling for 10 to 20 minutes at a time, make sure to put a thin cloth between ice and skin -Use pain medicine as directed -Angie Wierzbicki

Throughout the winter sports seasons there are many in-juries from which athletes suffer. One of the most common injuries is a concussion. A concussion is a major or minor injury to the brain, which is caused by a blow to the head or body, a fall, or any other injury that might shake the brain inside the skull. This injury is very common within basketball players especially. Very often players fall and hit their heads or get bumped on the basketball court, which could easily cause concussions. Football players even more commonly experience them. According to concussion-treatment.com, football accounts for more than 60% of concus-sions. “Concussions are one of the most difficult sports injuries to treat in such that the signs and symptoms of concussions are not always outwardly evident.” says Bill Ward, athletic trainer. One misconception of a concussion is that if someone has one, they will become unconscious. That is one obvious symptom of a concus-sion. Other symptoms may in-clude forgetfulness, dizziness, headache, change of emotion, or feeling sleepy. To easier diagnose con-cussions, Gundersen Lutheran Sports Medicine utilizes ImPact,

6

P A G E 6 W I N T E R I S S U E

Under the radar at school, yet creat-

ing things that recognize her throughout southwest

Wisconsin, Nikki Johnson fashioned the 2012

Freeze Fest button. Freeze Fest is hosted by the

Tomah Parks and Rec, and Tomah Rotary Club.

The fun filled festival’s goal is to provide a blissful

weekend of winter activities for families. The but-

ton is created by a competition between mail in

entries every year. Nikki has won the 14-17 year

old category two years in a row at Freeze Fest, and

this year was rewarded with the overall win as

well. Last year 80 people had entered in the com-

petition to design the button. This year, however,

there were over 200 entries, making the competi-

tion far more difficult. By winning the competi-

tion, she was awarded a plaque marking her ac-

complishment and also a T-shirt with the Freeze

Fest design on it. The bank has also put up a large

poster advertising Freeze Fest, once the festivities

are over, they will be giving it to Nikki to com-

memorate her win.

Freeze Fest isn’t the only contest in

which Nikki has participated. When she was in

fourth grade, Nikki entered in a state wide T-shirt

design challenge. She was awarded second place.

Through that competition, Nikki found the confi-

dence in her talent that she could pursue outside of

school. With her unique and creative designs, we

hope to see her succeed in more design challenges.

-Karis Zarling

Designing Bug

7

P A G E 7 W I N T E R I S S U E

West” has remained a timeless

classic among musicals.

“Even though the story

happens in 1862- the scene still

plays out today. Anna was an

English Second Language teacher

in a foreign country. Her Western

influence on the King and those

around her bore fruit. Anna was a

Christian in a Buddhist country.

Although she did not openly teach

Christianity, she lived her beliefs

and principles. The King read the

Bible and asked her opinions

about it. I believe that if the king

had lived long enough, he might

have embraced Christianity over

Buddhism.

We still do the same type

of mission work. We have teach-

ers who go to foreign countries to

teach English as a second lan-

guage. Through their contact and

influence, many are won for

Christ. Even in America we have

opportunities. Never take lightly

your influence on others,” said

Connie Bader, the director.

The play features a cast of

45, including students from our

area Lutheran grade schools.

Some themes of the play include

slavery vs. freedom, and equality

of men and women. It also in-

cludes cultural diversity of races.

It will be a great show, so don’t

miss it!

-Angie Wierzbicki

This winter Luther High

School will present, “The King

and I”. The play is based on the

true story of Anna Leonowens, an

English widow, who comes to

Siam in the 1860s to tutor the

many wives and children of the

country's progressive King. The

King (played by David Korthals)

is a man who is secure in his

power, never knowing anything

but absolute authority. Anna

(played by Allison Grokowski) is

a “modern” woman, confident in

her role as teacher and mother.

The culture clash between Anna

and the King is but one aspect of

their multilayered relationship.

Through Anna, the King learns

the refineries and responsibilities

of "modern" western civilization;

Anna meanwhile comes to realize

how important it is for an Oriental

ruler to maintain his pride and to

uphold the customs of his people.

Over time, Anna and the King

develop a mutual respect and

fondness for each other, despite

their cultural differences. This

endearing tale of “East meets

The King and I

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Winter Fun!