Up and Ready

CHRISTmas is coming and the task list gets longer every year. Many people wait til the day after Thanksgiving to put up their decorations and  of course to shop on Black Friday. As I sit here awake at 5am with too much on my mind to sleep, I realize that rushing through the tasks ahead of me still doesn't give me peace of mind.

I had not recovered from the shopping, cooking, and clean up of Thanksgiving when I was off to start the next checklist item. Of course, I did take time to enjoy my lively family before I took off for a 2 hour drive to plan for and delve into the Black Friday adventure. Now sitting here with all the presents carefully selected for those I love wrapped and checked off the list, I feel a sense of accomplishment.

So, why am I awake. My mind is back on my students and teaching. So little time between Thanksgiving and Christmas break to help their little minds learn to read, write and decipher. There never seems to be enough time to teach them all they need to learn. The paperwork of my job gets done and the meetings are attended but helping my students who struggle to move forward  with their learning weighs on my mind. Wish I could know that the strategies I use to teach them are the very best I can provide. It is an enormous responsibility I am entrusted with.

Work, family, holidays keep us all busy especially at this time of year. Being busy is a good thing as long as we don't let it overwhelm us. I know that taking time to blog, reach out to teens and friends, and doing my Bible studies are as important as any other task on my checklist. It is so easy for me to lose focus on what gets me through life and then life gets overwhelming.

So I am glad I am up at 5am to blog and spend some quiet time with my God. As tasks are put on my checklist and marked off, I pray I take the time I need to keep Him and those around me at the top of my checklist. Call me for coffee and conversation and I promise to say yes. We can all use a break from the tasks that fill our days.

In Him,
Joyful
11-29-2010