jeff noel.org

Cloudy Feelings?

After re-reading yesterday’s post, I’m having second thoughts about whether to continue down this path.

Why?

Because it feels like it goes against being humble, and it feels very awkward.

What is driving me, compelling me, to want to share this, is so that you see that I have no special privilege or talent.

I just work really hard.  Hard work is the only antidote to life’s challenges.

And even then, it’s not 100% guaranteed.

But one thing is guaranteed. If you don’t try, you will never know.

“To teach is to learn twice”.   — unknown

Make it a great day.  It’s up to you.

Discover a way to teach someone how you give thanks.  Teach someone why you give thanks.

Maybe this will help them to be more thankful.

And guess what?  You’ll learn more about why and how you do it than you ever imagined.  And this will only make you stronger and wiser.

And then you can’t wait for your alarm clock to go off, so you can do it all over again.  How cool is that?

jeff noel, blogger, average guy, Father, Husband, teacher, is blessed and stressed after yesterday.

Blessed because I am all those things.

Stressed because I am not all those things.

Yes, my wife and I conducted an excellent Children’s Liturgy of the Word yesterday. Yet stressed, because at the afternoon birthday party, I realized there is a long way to go with helping our son work through his competitive nature.

He actually has a gift.  We all do, don’t we?

Some us simply need help unwrapping it.  Now, where did I put those scissors.

It felt good to be back in the classroom last night.  You could sense, and feel, and see God’s Holy Spirit in the classroom.

This is our son’s third year in Catechism.  This is my second year having the privilege to be a classroom helper.  However, I missed all four September classes due to my business travel schedule.

A colleague commented at the end of the business day,  “I don’t know how you do it”.

I asked her, “You know I write five blogs, everyday, then run five miles, and volunteer for things our son is involved in”?

And she already knows how hard I work as a professional speaker – she is, after all, a colleague, and a parent, and Catholic, etc.

What I have learned is that being incredibly busy is part of life.  Or not. Figure out what you want to contribute and then go from there.  Carpe diem.

Catechism.  Missed the first one last night.

Life is insanely busy for many people.  Organizational structure can help alleviate (not eliminate) common, everyday hassles.

To that end, every day my wife takes our son to school (no bus service available).  I pick him up. When there are exceptions to this process, the alternate plan is simple and crystal clear.

Everything changes.  Like when I travel.  Like yesterday.  So I missed the first day of Catechism.

Not a big deal.  Usually.  Except for one thing.  I volunteer as a “junior assistant” third-grade Catechist teacher.

The full time teacher is a pro and can clearly handle my absence.  But it’s not her I’m worried about.