The words “Welcome Back” will and have been used quite a bit these past weeks by teachers, administrators, choral directors and the like.  Every year, I anticipate this new beginning with great joy!
Many people go away for the summer, so it is nice to see their faces once again.  It is nice to have some order back in my life after a hopefully relaxed and slower- paced summer.  I look forward to welcoming new people into the community and new parishioners.  Many of these new families have children, so that is hopeful for the expansion of our church. 
As a choir director, I look for fresh ideas to incorporate into rehearsals.  There is some anxiety too, as I look at the upcoming calendar and carefully plan and calculate the time needed to complete the many tasks at hand.  Indeed with all of this planning and preparation, I rely on the Holy Spirit to give me counsel. I rely on the Holy Spirit to show me the way, for sometimes, “what is within our grasp we find with difficulty” (Wisdom 9:16).
Sometimes the best made plans do not come to fruition.  Unanticipated events, situations and circumstances can take me on a detour in completing the task.  Taking the detour is what it means to be a disciple.  My father has often taught me that challenges create opportunities for development. Monitoring and adjusting to the situation is something I learned as a teacher and in most circumstances is the ingredient needed to complete the goal. 
And so, I challenge you to approach this upcoming season with a positive attitude, to “see the glass half full rather than half empty” and be willing to face all that lies ahead, confident that the Holy Spirit will lead and guide us as we truly become disciples of the Lord.