How Do You Achieve Excellence In Your Walk With Christ?

Every night my mom sits with me as we go to bed and asks me lots of questions about my day and the good things that happen to me. I am reminded of the many blessings God has given to me when I think about how my day went. I try hard to listen to what Jesus says to me and when he calls me to do certain things. Jesus asks me to be a role model for little kids like my brother and sister to teach them right from wrong and to lead by example. When I listen and learn from my teachers at St. Mary’s as well as my priests like Fr. Clyde and Fr. Bruce, it helps me to make good choices. One of my favorite things to do with my family is to read the different mysteries at my Mamaw’s monthly Rosary and lead the Rosary for our big rosary group. I have been participating in our monthly Rosary since I was two years old, and I look forward to it each month.


Growing up in a Catholic family helped shape my relationship with Christ. Participating in Mass every Sunday, becoming a member of my community Rosary Club, and serving at my local church played a massive factor for me as a child. My parents decided to enroll me in a Catholic school when I was going into the sixth grade. I feel as though attending a Catholic school and being able to talk about my faith with my fellow peers has made a world of difference in my walk with Christ. Being able to pray before every game with my teammates, before every class starts with my classmates, and participating in Mass with my best friends every week showed me how much Jesus Christ loves his sons and daughters. Knowing Christ has a love for me daily encourages me to ensure I am making the most beneficial choices to deepen my faith in Him! Now, at the start of my senior year, I am a proud member of the campus ministry team. Becoming a team member, I had in mind to grow in my walk with Christ and help my younger peers grow in their faith. Knowing I am doing something good for others while spreading the Word of God truly makes my heart happy!

I can easily share tips on the best, most efficient ways to grow in holiness. However, I could not say that my relationship with Christ is near “excellent.” Growing in a relationship with Christ is easier said than done as a teacher and young mother of a 3 year-old and a 3-month-old. In college, it was easy to practice my faith daily. I had a great community of Catholic friends, a relaxed schedule, and a Catholic church and adoration chapel just a walk away. I can say that daily Mass is the most effective way to grow in holiness, as well as a rosary and adoration. Entering into the busyness of motherhood and work life has crowded my time and my mind. Now I try to find more simple ways to encounter God. For me, listening to a podcast in my car, specifically the Abiding Together podcast, is one of my favorite ways to learn and grow. Also, in and through the daily service to my family, I can see and serve Christ.

While our seasons of life and the way we pray often change, God is never changing. If anything, these seasons are a way to deepen our love of God. For when we pray when we do not desire it, or when we make our life a prayer, we are entering into loving God for who He is, not for how He makes us feel. So how do we achieve excellence? I think it is specifically when we are not feeling excellent. It is often through the hard and the mundane that we grow. Specifically, when we don’t feel like praying or when we pray through desolation, that is when we enter into a different type of love. This is something that I must continuously remind myself of.

Satan gives us distractions or makes us feel like we aren’t doing enough. A relationship with God can be simply one of gratitude and trust. I express gratitude to God for these two beautiful children. In them, I see glimpses of our Creator. Loving them and receiving their unconditional love is a precious prayer. I also rest in trust, trusting that God will take care of us. If continually practiced, this can become a state of heart and mind. Gratitude and trust grow the love of Christ in our hearts.