So it looks like I've finally succumbed to blogging. I honestly don't know how faithful I'll be to it, but I'll try to keep up with it and post at least once a week. So for those of you who will keep up with me through this, I'm at Impact 360 right now. This is a gap-year program, between high school and college. It is a nine month, living and learning program in Pine Mountain, GA focused on Biblical worldview and leadership training. We get 15 hours of college credit through Union University in Tennessee. Impact 360 is sponsored by Chick-fil-A out of Atlanta, GA. We go to the corporate headquarters in Atlanta every three weeks for leadership training as well as an exposure to the business world. We have class from Monday-Wednesday, 8:15am-noon. Then on Thursday mornings we have what we like to call "wrap-up." It's a casual setting where we discuss and somewhat debate the issues we have learned about in class. We read an average of a book a week, somewhere between 200-400 pages, and then write a 4 page, 1000 word paper on that book. We have guest professors come in every week to lecture on that book, and we also get to interact with them outside of class. As well as classroom learning we also have service opportunities (SO) where we volunteer 4 hours a week. My SO is at Roosevelt Warm Springs Institute for Rehabilitation in Warm Springs, GA. I am using my Certified Nursing Assistant to help those in this hospital. As well as these individual SO, also have group serving times where the team of us 21 students do a community activity together, such as a blood drive, trash pick up or volunteering at an MS bike race. On Tuesday night we have Bible study, led by our Student Life Coordinators Brian and Bethany. We are currently studying the book of Galatians. And then on Sunday nights, we have worship and prayer. So that is just a basic overview. I encourage you all to check out the website (www.impact360.net) and for those of you between the ages of 18-20, seriously pray about being a part of this program. It is absolutely amazing and a complete joy to be a part of!
Before I get into to much of what has been going on in my life, I would like to give you a list of books that we have read thus far...
God at Work by Gene Edward Veith, Jr.
Kingdom Triangle by J.P. Moreland
god is Not Great by Christopher Hitchens (yes, we even read opposing viewpoint books)
Engaging God's World by Cornelius Plantinga (you gotta love that name)
Naming the Elephant by James W. Sire
Revolution by George Barna
Mission in the Old Testament by Walter C. Kaiser, Jr. (this is the book we're reading this week)
All these books have been a thrill to read in their own way. I have found myself being more self-disciplined to get the work done here than I ever was in high school. Most likely it’s because this is actually stuff that I want to learn about. Since everything we’re talking about here is of tremendous interest to me, I want to do the work and really love doing it as well. It's nice to get back into the groove of reading and writing papers. School has always been enjoyable to me, and being here has definitely intensified my desire for education.
As I mentioned above, there are 21 students here at Impact this year (we are the biggest class thus far and are only the third year). Within the first week, this group already started to feel like a family. I really do feel that since leaving Wisconsin, even though I miss it terribly, this campus is finally home to me. I love everyone here so much. The other students are great, and the staff is so loving and caring for us as individuals. The more I am here (it's been almost 7 weeks), the more I am convinced that this is exactly where God wants me this year.
Before I sign off on this entry, I want to speak for a minute on what God has been doing in my life. I am currently going through the book of Matthew in my daily quiet time, as well as reading a Proverb a day. God has been speaking to me on a variety of things that He wants me to be working on, as well as encouraging me about His love and unconditional acceptance. Every morning I pray for a verse to stick out to me that I can carry through the rest of the day. It's been amazing to see what verse the Lord gives me, and it always seems so relevant to what I'm dealing with and going through.
Proverbs 19:21
"Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the LORD that will stand."
Before I get into to much of what has been going on in my life, I would like to give you a list of books that we have read thus far...
God at Work by Gene Edward Veith, Jr.
Kingdom Triangle by J.P. Moreland
god is Not Great by Christopher Hitchens (yes, we even read opposing viewpoint books)
Engaging God's World by Cornelius Plantinga (you gotta love that name)
Naming the Elephant by James W. Sire
Revolution by George Barna
Mission in the Old Testament by Walter C. Kaiser, Jr. (this is the book we're reading this week)
All these books have been a thrill to read in their own way. I have found myself being more self-disciplined to get the work done here than I ever was in high school. Most likely it’s because this is actually stuff that I want to learn about. Since everything we’re talking about here is of tremendous interest to me, I want to do the work and really love doing it as well. It's nice to get back into the groove of reading and writing papers. School has always been enjoyable to me, and being here has definitely intensified my desire for education.
As I mentioned above, there are 21 students here at Impact this year (we are the biggest class thus far and are only the third year). Within the first week, this group already started to feel like a family. I really do feel that since leaving Wisconsin, even though I miss it terribly, this campus is finally home to me. I love everyone here so much. The other students are great, and the staff is so loving and caring for us as individuals. The more I am here (it's been almost 7 weeks), the more I am convinced that this is exactly where God wants me this year.
Before I sign off on this entry, I want to speak for a minute on what God has been doing in my life. I am currently going through the book of Matthew in my daily quiet time, as well as reading a Proverb a day. God has been speaking to me on a variety of things that He wants me to be working on, as well as encouraging me about His love and unconditional acceptance. Every morning I pray for a verse to stick out to me that I can carry through the rest of the day. It's been amazing to see what verse the Lord gives me, and it always seems so relevant to what I'm dealing with and going through.
Proverbs 19:21
"Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the LORD that will stand."
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