TheWRITEaddiction.com

For those who don’t know, my husband and I founded a 501(c)(3) non-profit teen mentoring program (The Exodus Project) in Mississippi in 2007. Since then, we’ve had the privilege of mentoring teens and exposing them to new experiences. Some of those new experiences include traveling and taking college tours. A couple years ago, I had the bright idea to take them to Los Angeles. I had no idea how it would happen but I decided to chase the dream. I called a cousin who lives there and pastors a church and asked him if he would be interested in helping us get to L.A. He assured me he would do whatever he could to make it happen. So I continued chasing the dream and we flew 15 students to L.A. in 2013 to see colleges, museums, and other places of interest. Shortly after that trip, someone mentioned to me that we should take the group to New York. I did a little digging around, but it just didn’t work out. I decided it wasn’t meant to be and just about gave up. About a year later, the dream was still on my mind so I decided to try again. I made a few calls and got some sponsors on board to assist with a portion of our trip. The dream was once again alive! Fast forward one year, and next week, my husband and I will take 16 students to tour New York City—colleges, museums, the Empire State Building, Statue of Liberty, Times Square, the Today Show, Harlem and Brooklyn.

I believe all dreams come from God. They are a special gift meant for us to pursue. They can only die if we allow them to. Yes, there will be obstacles. Yes, there will be hard work involved, but anything worth having is worth working for. What dreams have you let die? What dreams have slipped away? What dreams are you chasing? Go after it! Watch your work plus God’s favor produce something miraculous!

“Hold fast to dreams

For if dreams die

Life is a broken-winged bird

That cannot fly.

Hold fast to dreams

For when dreams go

Life is a barren field

Frozen with snow.” -Langston Hughes

~Coletta Jones Patterson

*For more information about The Exodus Project, visit www.exodusprojectms.com or like our facebook page.