I will soon have been unemployed for 6 months. Today is my birthday. What a mixed bag of blessings. My wife and I have grown decidedly closer during these last six months and that has been a huge joy. I have had the time to enjoy my kids, which, again, is a brilliant joy. Unfortunately, our savings dwindle almost daily and I am no closer to finding a job. Today I have applied to a few Universities, in the hope that I can proclaim the Gospel in their various locales.
The funny thing about all of this is that I find myself often at peace about how this has all played out. In my quiet moments, I am sure that God has been guiding as us we continue to seek and to do His will. Today, the Solemnity of Immaculate Conception, is also my birthday, and something about making it this far in life is very comforting realizing that I share a wonderful feast with the Blessed Mother of God. Turning another year older makes one reconsider the moments of one’s life when faith was most important, and when it wasn’t as important as it should have been. All in all, I am left in gratitude knowing that God is Our Father. He knows what we need when we need it and that He alone holds the future in His hand. I used to have a poster, that I left at St. Jude’s Youth Center in Lakewood, that had a picture of Jesus holding the world in his hand, and it said, ” I don’t know what the future holds, but I know who holds the future.”
In the near future I will be going to Canada to see my wife’s parents. I am extremely grateful to them for having their daughter. After Canada, I am hoping to go to Rome to see if I can find a moderator for my Doctoral Dissertation. In the midst of all of this, I have recently been gifted with a new laptop. This means, dear reader, that I am back in business on this blog. While I was giving up hope to ever return to this blog, God found a way of providing what I needed for this blog. I hope that you will hear from me soon and more frequently. May you have had a glorious feast of the Immaculate Conception, because, at the end of the day, before Our Lady was conceieved the world was at its darkest, and that is when He who is the Light of the World came into it. May His light be reflected in the words and thoughts which follow this post.
A Josephologist's Blog 
March 13, 2012 at 9:08 am
Tomas,
How funny I ran into this blog today. You taught me in 2008 and I know you just have to remember me! 😀 I know you posted this quite some time ago but for some reason I read over your post about teaching and trusting in God that this was all his plan. I KNOW it was God’s plan. When I first decided that I wanted to join Saint Jude’s I was quite nervous. And then I met Mr. Tomas, king of teaching, king of humor, king of understanding. I finished on Easter of 2008 because I had a teacher that truly believed in what he was saying and taught me how to incorporate the Church and God into my everyday life. You were put where you are for a reason and I am so excited to know you teach again at Notre Dame.
I didn’t just join the church to get through the wedding ceremony, I found God right in front of my eyes and it changed my entire life. Thank you Tomas for answering all of my ridiculous questions during RCIA. And making me laugh when I didn’t know if I should. And being my spiritual teacher that brought me to the church when I couldn’t find my way there alone.
March 14, 2012 at 10:21 am
Thank you. In a job where little thanks are expected or sought, it is so wonderful to know that you are out spreading the seeds of faith that will bear fruit and which we will be able to rejoice over again, when we, Lord willing, get to hangout in heaven! or… you could come visit me at Notre Dame…. 😉