It has been awhile since I have written. It was intentional. I wrote on August 4 about how I've become tired and that life has become dull. I was discouraged about life and was becoming easily discouraged about more and more things in life. I was burned out and in need of some major reconstruction in my life. So I made some drastic and some not so drastic changes to my life and am seeing great results.
I've refocused my life on God. It isn't that I lost my focus. It has always been there. But I've decided to lean closer to Him. I've decided to cling tighter to Him. I've decided to get to know Him even more. The struggles are still there. I still worry that I bore my students to death while teaching them the Faith. I still fear that I am not bearing much fruit in the things I am doing.I still wonder if what I'm attempting to do is making a difference. But the difference now, is that I am experiencing great joy in obeying God by teaching and living the way He is calling me to do these things. I am experiencing great joy in being faithful to Him. The difference is that I am placing my trust in Him and relaxing a little; not putting so much pressure on myself to do everything perfectly.
I think it is affecting my teaching. I've been much more playful and "funny" with my students. Some of them appear to actually enjoy my classes now and then. All of them are learning. I hope and pray that they are growing in faith and growing in their love for God. I cannot control this other than hoping, praying, and doing my best to be faithful to God in presenting the material as best as I can.
My basketball team has been doing so well. This year's team lost all their games last year. They have worked very hard to improve, and they are 2-1 now. Their attitudes and their hard work have impressed me. I am very encouraged. I am having a blast coaching them.
Tonight I got to go out for dinner with a former student who is now in college. What a great kid. He is considering the priesthood and is in seminary. We had one of the most exciting, edifying, deep conversations I've had in quite some time. What a joy it is to have a deep conversation with one of my former students! To top it all off, I had ribs for dinner!!
I've had some really interesting, and inspiring ideas running through my head the past few months. I think I'll blog them. Maybe they only inspire me but maybe others will find them inspiring too.
Needless to say, I'm back. I feel like myself again. I am enjoying everything in life, even things that are not enjoyable.
God, thanks so much for the life you've given me! Thanks for restoring the joy! Thanks for my students! Thanks for my former students! Thanks for my mom! Thanks for my friends! Thanks for ribs! Thanks for you!
