Our Hearts Are Restless Until They Rest in You Oh Lord!

This was published on October 14, 2007

It has now been two months since the big move to Denver. Life around here is quickly starting to feel normal. I'm starting to find my nitch and fall into a routine. Well sort of. It seems like there isn't much of a regular routine to my life. Everyday, every week, brings a new suprise. Yes of course there are struggles, but every suprise seems to be continued confirmation that this is my new home.
I am being challenged to grow in ways I never thought of. I am being challeneged to stretch my mind. I am being challeneged to manage my time wisely. I am being challenged to work with difficult people. I am being challenged to learn to love more in spite of parish politics. I am being challenged to learn to love middle school students. I am being challenged to pray more. I am being challenged into deeper holiness and greater abandonment to God.
Last we week we had to read The Confessions by St. Augustine for my History class. It was quite challenging to read the whole thing in a week, but it really convicted me of a lot of things. First of all how much more I am in need of conversion in my own life. There are so many things that make sense in my head and I fully want to believe and live them out, yet in my own fallen human nature I am still chained to sin that keeps me from fully living those things out. My intellect may be conformed to God in so many ways but my will is still very much lacking. I need to continue to strive and seek God more than I already have. I am in need of greater freedom from my sins and attachment to this world.
The other thing that really convicted me was the story of St. Monica, St. Augustine's mother. I was so amazed by how much she prayed for her son's conversion. She was so concerned for his soul, that praying for his conversion consumed her life. It made me realize how little I am concerned with the converions of some of my family and friends . I do not pray nearly as fervently for their conversions as she did for St. Augustine's. If we are talking about people's eternal souls, maybe myself and all of us need to be more concerned with praying for conversion in people's lives, especially in the lives of our family members.
I am constantly amazed by the formation I am recieving at the Augustine Institute. God is seriously whooping my butt into shape. I still have a long way to go, but I am so excited by what is happening.
My community is starting to solidify itself too. I have had some great conversations with my roommates over the last couple weeks. We have had some great people over for meals and awesome conversations. I went to a party last night and had an absolute blast. I had some incredible conversations with people and then the night ended with a hilarious dance party. My roommates and I along with a few other guys are going to be starting to have a Bible study on Thursday evenings. This is such a blessing. God just really knew what he was doing when he brought me out here!
The dating situation is looking up as well. I am not dating anyone yet, but I just really feel good about some things. I have definetally come to a point where I am done being shy. There are entirely too many amazing, Holy, Catholic women out here and it amazes me that noone is dating them. So I've come to the point where I'm going to ask one of them out. If they say no, big deal move on! Too many of the guys sit around here waiting for a neon sign from God telling them who they should date. It's not gonna happen. I have gotten to know a few ladies recently and I am going to just take the plunge and ask one out this week.
So that's life after two months in Denver. Pray for me, I have several papers to write and several more books to read before all this is over, but I know God will give me the grace to get through it!