In the past three months I have had many challenges as a
catechist. I have struggled to keep the students’ attention and had difficulty
finding balance in my life between getting exercise, working full-time and
planning lessons. I realize that an hour and a half may not seem long to many
people, but for holding a 9-year-old’s attention I’ve found it to be hard. In
taking a look back in what other things were going on at my job, I realize I
did try to plan out the lessons as best I could and I need to focus on the fact
that Adam and I have taken the time to volunteer and try to inspire and lead
these children to grow in their faith and their relationship with God.
I know that you can only perform at your best ability for a
certain length of time, so I have enjoyed the past month to recoup and enjoy my
time with family and friends. I also think it was beneficial for the students.
On Saturday we had our first class back from Christmas break and we discussed
keeping the Lord’s Day holy (the third commandment). The students seemed very
engaged and attentive, like they were really interested in being there and
wanted to be involved. We played a holiday Pictionary game and also had some
students do some acting which they really enjoy! It was refreshing to see them
so enthusiastic about learning again!
I also realized that I needed to make some changes as far as
my time management. This has always been a “work in progress” thing for me, as
I’m sure it will continue to be. To help manage my time, which always seems so
limited, I have decided to start doing morning workouts. Those who know me best
know I am definitely NOT a morning person, so this has been quite the
adjustment for the girl who loves the weekends where she can sleep in! However,
this past week, Adam and I got up before work to get in our exercise (he works
out on the elliptical machine while I do a workout video) and were able to do
so 4 out of the 5 week days, and I also squeezed in a workout on Saturday
morning before our class! The first few days were rough, but even with the lack
of sleep I feel it was worth it because I had energy throughout the day! I
think winter is probably the hardest time of year because it’s so dark outside but
I’m looking forward to the spring when I can go running in the mornings and
enjoy the sunrise! This has really helped me manage my time better and feel
more productive! It’s nice to say that as of 7 a.m. you have already completed
your workout for the day!
Another resolution I have is to have more appreciation for
all the blessings God has given us. I found an idea through Pinterest in
starting a “gratitude jar”. The idea is that as positive things happen in your
life throughout the year, you write them down on pieces of paper and put them
in the jar. On New Year’s Eve, you open the jar and read all the wonderful
blessings you had over the past year. We got our jar from Target and it already
has a few pieces of paper in it – 2013 is off to a great start!
I am really looking forward to what 2013 brings. We are
expecting our first nephew or niece in April and are excited to celebrate my
brother’s wedding in August. Adam and I really do feel blessed to have the
family, friends, jobs and opportunities we do. I continue to pray for everyone
to be happy, healthy and find peace.
