Consistently blogging is difficult, especially in these new circumstances.

The strange thing about having co-workers who become personal friends is that I lose the need to output any more updates or information about my life, because I’m already so constantly surrounded by people who immediately listen or respond. Blogging used to be a thing that was easy to keep up because it was a way to passively keep others updated. Now though I’m so inundated with making sure everyone’s “on the same page” (in multiple ways) at school that there’s little energy left to keep others updated via the Internet.

But you didn’t come to hear about that, did you =P?

A proper update then: Jack and I are back at the same school, which is a first for us, working at the same school for the next consecutive year. We’ve moved into a new apartment slightly closer to the school and a month of classes has already passed, as has the Golden Week national holiday.

From here on we’re facing the long haul: nearly four months of solid classes with nary a holiday in between (I suppose there are two long weekend holidays for Christmas and Western New Year, but that’s it!) Getting past these four months will stretch everyone’s perseverance and endurance, but if it’s anything like last year, time will be gone before we know it, so I’m not bothering to count down. I still recall a conversation I had at the Warren, where one of the cleaning ladies admonished me for counting down. “Why wish away your days?” That moment changed my outlook on a lot of things, including the necessity of appreciating time.

Of course, things are going to be nothing like last year. We’ve faced a staff turnover of over 50% and, with a new principal and two staff in newly created administrative positions, the school atmosphere already feels pretty different. I’m rather enjoying work though, and am very grateful to be at my job. The job, of course, isn’t just a job. I’ve had the recent revelation that where I am in life is exactly where God has placed me, and because of that I now see my work as being the work that God has seen fit to give me to do as well. My job is as much a part of my life’s calling as is what I do outside of work.

Personally, I feel that I’ve changed quite a bit from who I was last year as well. I’ve “known” for a long time that real improvement requires actual change, but I haven’t really known, in the sense that I haven’t put my knowledge into action. In the past few months though, I have made several changes to safeguard myself against my personal weaknesses. One recent change includes simply plugging my phone into a socket further away than I can reach, so that I don’t stay on my phone late into the night when I’m supposed to be sleeping. Not only does this help me in my physical health, but my spiritual health too, since I am more prone to stray onto less savoury sites when I stay up late online.

From reading a few leadership books in the past months, I’ve also really embraced the belief that I have a lot more choice in my actions than I choose to admit. Of course, I believe that Christ is in charge of my life, but in my day-to-day I can still make a lot of choices that demonstrate His grace in my life. Not claiming my choices is an act of irresponsibility, and I am learning to be more humble and admit that I have a choice in all my reactions and interactions. Why is this humbling? Claiming the choice means that I am responsible not just for the kind things I do, but for all the times where I react in anger or irritation to someone or something. By agreeing that I have a choice, I admit responsibility for a lot more screw-ups than I previously would have liked to admit.

With all the life that’s going on, I’m sure I’ll have time to keep this up — it is a choice, after all. Stay posted =)