HAVING had a courtship “on fast forward” Paul and Libby Blom spent their second wedding anniversary late last month in the stillness of prayer and reflection.
The Albany Creek couple met in 2007 through Brisbane archdiocese’s Youth and Children’s Ministry (then) initiative of “Y-Dinner” – Libby admitting neither of them were “interested in having a relationship” at the time as they were “too busy loving” their jobs.
She was working full-time in the archdiocese’s Communications Office and Paul was youth ministry coordinator at St Columban’s College, Caboolture, both caught up in the whirlwind of World Youth Day 2008 preparations in particular.
Recalling their initial meeting with fondness the couple shared a sense of God’s persistent hand in the ensuing months.
“Each month we would catch up at Y-Dinner and Paul would give me a lift home,” Libby said.
“One night he asked if I wanted to stop for a coffee and I naively said, ‘No, I don’t drink coffee at night’.
“He invited me to his fortieth birthday celebration in late October … (but) I didn’t make it.
“We eventually arranged to catch up … (and) I had two of my girlfriends with me.
“Paul was such a gentleman and so charming he got two thumbs-up from the girls.”
It was during these early stages of courtship where straight-thinking Libby shared with her future husband, in no uncertain terms, the importance of practising her faith in any relationship.
Thinking she may “never see him again” as a consequence, God continued to be persistent.
“Other men would have fled but Paul was impressed by my faith, strong values and convictions,” Libby said.
“He says it was the night he first realised he loved me.”
Paul admitted Libby’s faith sparked the attraction.
“Libby said to me she isn’t going to waste time in a relationship with someone that might not end in marriage,” he said.
“I was of the same feeling and so we got very deep, very quickly.
“We were very open and this is what I wanted … someone who is open about faith in a ‘if you don’t like it there’s the door’ kind of way.”
All of this led to a knowing “God had brought us together for a reason”, Libby said.
Focused on faith and each other the pair were engaged at Easter 2008 and married in Paul’s home parish of Stanley River, north of Brisbane, on the Feast of Sts Peter and Paul, June 29, of the same year.
Living initially with Libby’s teenage son Zach and her mother, it wasn’t long before the lively household welcomed three World Youth Day pilgrims from France.
Soon after, the fast-forward button was still in overdrive as Paul and Libby travelled to Sydney to be part of the Catholic youth event.
There they agreed “the Holy Spirit came upon” them through the “gift” of their daughter whom they jovially tag “a World Youth Day baby”.
“World Youth Day was really important to us in terms of strengthening our communal faith,” Paul said.
“The Holy Spirit came into our lives in a very concrete way.”
And so, only a year after their engagement the Bloms celebrated the birth of Anastasia Mary during Holy Week in 2009.
Entering fatherhood for the first time Paul admitted his emotions were also in “overdrive”.
“As soon as I heard Annie’s cry I cried … I lost it,” he said of the birth.
“I remember being in post-op with Annie and the whole time I was whispering to her, ‘You are so loved and so wanted’.
“I thought I wouldn’t know what to do (with a baby) but instinct took over.”
The hands-on dad said their little girl has developed a “very friendly and outgoing personality”.
Among all this activity the Bloms have moved house four times, Paul’s had three job changes and he’s completing a masters degree in ecclesiology.
With the calendar turning over to their second wedding anniversary, Paul and Libby well understood the value of taking some “time out” for their anniversary – but didn’t choose to do so at the beach or countryside.
Instead they chose the Santa Teresa Spirituality Centre, Ormiston, and inspired time with Jesuit Father Chris Gleeson.
“We wanted to share our hopes, dreams and concerns – to admit our failures and struggles, confess our sins, repent and ask forgiveness before God and each other,” Libby said.
Paul enjoyed the fact there was “no washing up to be done and no load of washing to put on” during that weekend of June 26 and 27.
“We got to be together without any distractions,” he said.
“We shared what’s playing on our hearts and how we’d like to face the future.
“We see ourselves as very different – and we are happy with that diversity – but the time-out cemented that essentially the same things are important to us.”
Within their fast-tracked courtship Libby said they “have not had years of experience and knowledge of each other to always get it right”.
“This created disagreements and separates us at times,” she said.
“Through prayer we learnt a lot about us together and individually (and) this knowledge we can then use to support and encourage each other.
“We want our prayer time to be a safe environment where we can openly share things that are difficult to say.
“As prayer is our time with God we know we are talking to the perfect symbol of love and forgiveness – and our intention in our life and marriage is to be more Christ-like and faith-filled and as such to offer each other love and forgiveness.”
Nowadays Libby works part-time in the Communications Office and Paul is employed as APRE (assistant to the principal for religious education) at St Augustine’s College, Springfield.
Together, they delight in being active members of their parish and the wider diocese, Paul presenting a workshop at this week’s Pray 2010.
“Our lives now are still in ‘full throttle’ but that’s what we’ve chosen,” an honest Paul said.
“Libby has inspired me to believe I can do anything – and together we can do anything.”
In the future the couple see their family expanding and continuing to build on the foundation of faith already laid – but with a change of pace at some stage.
“Maybe less use of the fast-forward button?” I ask.
“Yes, the normal pace of ‘Play’ is bound to happen eventually,” Paul said.
