It kind of feels like when you grow up in America, you are surrounded by the idea that being rich is the ultimate goal of everyone who is anyone. It's like, in order to prove yourself important, you have to have an assistant that carries your wads of cash. And I won't lie, I've felt this pressure come in many ways, whether from media, school, or even my family. At the beginning of high school, I started looking at engineering schools or places where I could learn about computer science, not because I was super good at that or interested in those subjects, but because my family wanted me to get a "good job" (which, in their minds, meant making lots of money).

I'm sorry to say this, but I don't want to make a lot of money. At least, that's not my main goal. If I end up becoming rich, I won't complain, but I don't intend for my life to head that way. When I think about the perfect life for me, I think about a sweet little home in the country, surrounded by a bunch of family that just enjoys spending time together. I think about having Sundays off of work so that I can enjoy the Sabbath and invite people over for dinner, and maybe even having Saturdays off too so that I can enjoy my kids' sports games. I think about sometimes having to rely on my neighbors for a favor because I won't always have enough money right away to buy something I need, but also knowing that I'd be there for them whenever they need help as well. I really just crave a simple life. This world has become too busy for the wrong reasons, and I have fallen into that trap before. There is a point where being busy becomes too much, and I don't want to waste my life chasing after things that can't come with me when I die. Instead of being busy to make money and barely having time for anyone else, I want to be busy making people feel loved.

"Then Jesus said to his disciples, 'Truly I tell you, it is hard for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of heaven. Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.'" -Matthew 19:23-24

As my life goes on, the passage above becomes clearer and clearer to me. It's not a sin to be rich, but it certainly is harder to focus on God when you have a lot of money. There's just so much you can do with it, so many places to go, so many people to see, and so much to waste it on. I don't want to subject myself to the temptation of working hard just to make money while ignoring relationships, and my most important relationship- my relationship with God. I already realize how easy this is, because sometimes I choose to take on a bunch of overtime that gets me stressed out and distracted from God, all for a few extra bucks. I know what temptations go along with going rich. I also recognize the emptiness that can correlate with it. So making money is not my goal in life. And I'm grateful to the people who accept that and are proud of me regardless of the amount of figures I make in the future. I'm much happier when I work hard for what I need and still have time to set my eyes on things above, because I am just a visitor on this Earth, and my home is in Heaven.