The Sky is NOT the Limit

Recently I was texting a friend who is just as politically interested as I am, he lives in California. We were joking back and forth about when we are the governors of our respective states and the changes we'd make. And of course we went on to dream about being the President, Vice President, etc. It was good, innocent fun. All of a sudden this thought hit me, "Seriously, I'm so excited about the future and so glad God placed me in this country...the sky is literally the limit. And even then, there is always space exploration. It's awesome."

This country was based on a principle very similar to that. Our own Declaration of Independence declares, "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuite of Happiness." Those words are some of the most famous in the United States, yet many don't truly believe them. Some have been conned into thinking that their station in life, their job, their current circumstances are all that they are ever going to have. They think that they can't do better. And in some countries that is true.

Not in America.

Here we are given the opportunity to become whatever we dream, no matter what our background is, how wealthy our family was, or how young or old we are. I may be young, but I have the ability to become a Congresswoman or Senator, Governor, Secretary of Defense, Ambassador, and yes, eventually even the President of the United States. If politics wasn't my forte, I could become a brain surgeon, geologist, pilot, small business owner...whatever I wanted. America is truly the land of opportunity. There is no such thing as being too ambitious here.

Life here isn't perfect. It has it's ups and downs. There are people who will try to discourage you from achieving and reaching for your dreams. But don't give up. As long as we are a free country, America will continue to be a beacon to the world of freedom and opportunity. Remember, the sky is literally the limit, and if you want to go further, try space exploration.

A Dream

I do not specifically feel that God has called me into long-term overseas missions. I am not opposed to it, but I simply do not feel that is where He is leading me now (although that is subject to change at any moment). However, I do feel a calling to work with people, using my teaching degree as a key to get into places that I may not have be able to get into without it. One of my dreams is to go overseas to teach for either a summer or a year. I would love the opportunity to travel abroad, teach others how to speak my language, hopefully learn some of theirs, and most of all, witness to others.

Earlier this year I was randomly looking for places to teach overseas. I came across Teachoversees.org. I signed up for information out of pure curiosity and boredom. I have emailed back and forth with one of their PR people, and finally was able to talk to him tonight. They have opportunities to go into many unique countries for summer teaching as well as for year long teaching. To teach in the summer you simply need to be out of high school, but to teach for a year, a degree is needed. I had originally thought about just doing a summer program, then as I was thinking about it I realized it would be even better to go for an entire year! I don't know what country I would go to, God will lead me in that, but I do know that I would love to go the year after I graduate (next year).

The down side to this is that it would cost approximately $12,000 for the whole year. This would include my plane fare and room and board which ends up not being a very bad price (however, I would have to save up money and raise money for this). The upside is that I would have a wonderful year experiencing different cultures, learning a new language, meeting new people, and winning souls for Christ. I would appreciate it very much if you would pray that God leads in this.