A Bit Burnt Out

           I had high hopes for this summer and big plans.  Most of them did not come to fruition and the past two months have not been what I expected, but it was still summer.  I have always enjoyed summer break and when I realized the other day that ours is practically over now, I was sadly shocked to realize the time had gone by so quickly.  

We will be starting our 9^th year of home schooling in less than two weeks!   And I hate to admit it but I am feeling a tad bit burnt out.  I had hoped that summer would be refreshing and relaxing and that fall would find me renewed and excited for a new year.  But…. the struggle to keep up with all the different grades and different learning styles and different personalities of my beautiful children while attempting to educate them each properly and patiently is just not always easy.  And after 8 years, home schooling just doesn’t excite me like it used to.  

I still love the family friendliness of it and the flexibility and the wonderful blessing of being able to be together every day.  I still appreciate the opportunity to give my children a truly Catholic education in the loving environment of our home.  But, the thought of the actual work of lesson planning and teaching and grading and record keeping and just plain juggling exhausts me a bit.  

I still feel called to home schooling.  Without a doubt, I know this is still where God wants our family to be.  So, I realize, as I did in our early years, that I must trust that if He calls us to it, He will see us through it.  The more I feel burnt out, the more it is an opportunity to turn it all over to Him and to rely even more on His strength.  Right?!?!?

As a family, we have been praying a nine week novena to St. Martha perpetually for nearly a year now.  We started it last September and at the end of each nine weeks, we start it anew for another intention.  St. Martha has been awesome in interceding for our every intention so far.  So when we realized last night that our next nine weeks was just beginning, we decided to offer this novena up for a successful home school year- for motivation and positive attitudes to make this year a great one.  

I’m still feeling a little unprepared for another year of home schooling but it is nice to know, it doesn’t all rest on my shoulders.  Through St. Martha’s intercession, I know God will see me through.  And maybe this will be our best year yet?!?!?!?!?!?!

St. Martha, pray for us.