Wednesday, March 5, 2008

Mark'd

a Biblical thought...
Jesus bent down and wrote with his finger in the dirt. They kept at him, badgering him. He straightened up and said, "The sinless one among you, go first: Throw the stone." Bending down again, he wrote some more in the dirt. (John 8:6-8)

a Book thought...
Do you want to know how to get holy? Rip the head off our natural inclination to act selfishly. And let the Holy Spirit take over. (p115 Court)
a Dave thought...
Yesterday I got the opportunity to meet the 6 students from our latest gap year program run by Richard Parker - DY, Eastern Victoria Division. Mark’d Foundations is a gap year for Salvationists wanting to explore a future in Youth Ministry. Learn foundational leadership skills from others who have gone before, just as the writer of Mark learned of Jesus from Peter. During this time your life will be set apart and marked by God.

I believe in gap years as I was one at age 17 that went and studied trombone full time not because I wanted to be a professional musician but because I had not worked out what I wanted to do with my life. The amount of Uni students who change courses or pull out altogether in their first year of study is increasingly high. It seems that many of the choices about uni are made when you are 18 yo and sometimes you just choose it because your mate is doing it or it is the cool course to do. Obviously the career pathway you choose at age 18 is very rarely followed through as we all seem to change so much from 18-21 as our worlds open up and we become independent people.

Gap year programs are an excellent opportunity to experience something different for a year, to reflect, dream & work out where you feel God is wanting to take you on life's journey. To work out your faith more fully is something worth taking a year off for as it will set you up for life.

Just a thought.

1 comment:

Amy said...

Haha, great photo.. thanks Captain Dave!

Was great to meet you too. I started reading INSANE this morning, so far only read first chapter and a half but it is great! Learnt so much about William and Catherine Booth that I wouldnt normally have bothered to learn!

I am actually one of those students that dropped out after one year at Uni. But this is where God has led me. I am much happier now doing Mark*d, and being where God wants me now, than I ever was studying Chemistry! God is Wonderfully suprising!

Thanks for the Book Captain! God Bless you!

Amy