Delaying the Real World

One of the options that I have for my future is finishing college. I am seriously considering it. If I do decide to do it, I don't want to be unprepared when fall comes around, so the past few days I have been playing on the internet getting ready. I have been readmitted to ETSU. I am in the process of getting my FAFSA filled out. I have been searching for scholarships and such things ('cause college is expensive and as of May, I don't have a job).

I found a crazy interesting fellowship opportunity on Fastweb.com. It is called the "Delaying the Real World Fellowship." I thought it sounded worth looking into, so I checked out the website (http://www.delayingtherealworld.com/fellowship06/index.html). This organization will award $3000 to one person to persue their dream of adventure. The way to apply is to write an essay about what you would do with the money if you win.

It has been a while since I have dreamed. What would I do with $3000? Would I just do something for fun? Would I do something in the US or in another country or both? Would I use it to "give back to my community" or just live it up? This merits pondering. What would you do?

Experiencing Life

Most of you know by now that I will be moving back to the States in May. To be more precise, I will move to my parents' house in Greeneville, Tennessee on May 8th. I don't actually know how long I will stay there, hopefully this summer, and hopefully no longer. So, some may ask, what's next. Honestly, I really don't know. I will go to the USA Impact Ministries Conference, which is May 18th through the 22nd. After that, I am going to crash at a campus house in De Kalb, IL for two weeks while praying in Chicago about what God is doing there. If He shows me that He wants me there, then I will look into going there more permanently.

What will I do there? I don't really know. I am not actually trained in any sort of professional trade. I have a high school diploma, but no higher certification. In my past I have had some pretty crazy jobs. I have been a factory worker, operating a machine that molded CDs from plastic then set the print. I have worked in a craft shop where I got paid to make stained glass wall/window hangings and take basket-weaving classes. My first job was tutoring mathematics to high schoolers. And let us not for get my most recent vocational experience of teaching conversational English to Japanese people. Other previous employers include fast food restaurants, sit-down restaurants, a summer program, and a campus ministry in Nebraska (though that was technically an unpaid internship).

I have heard a statistic about Americans, that they, on average, change careers seven times in their lives. I am yet to actually pick my FIRST career, though I have experience in many, many fields. I think this is just part of my personality though, and honestly, it doesn't bother me to have no clue about what I will be doing in a few months. Its pretty exciting honestly. I mean, my life is like a movie most of the time anyway. I know that God will take care of me, so as long as I stay close to Him, I will be okay. Who would have ever guessed that He would bring me to Japan and let me teach? I wouldn't have. I still can't believe that it is true (and this is MY life that I am talking about). If I couldn't predict my life up to this point, what would make me believe that I could predict the next part. I guess I am just along for the ride. For now, I will just finish out my time in Japan, milking it all it's worth.