City living is truly so much fun! We love our little apartment in the sky. It is very open and has a great view of the city. It has been wonderful being able to have the space to host people in our home, and have a little safe haven among the busyness of the city. One thing we have had to get used to is the vertical commute. It is definitely a new experience to add in travel time down the elevator and pulling the car out of the building garage. Not something we are used to in the burbs! I will say, we are very thankful for that garage. It saved us a lot of time and trouble on snowy days :-)
Michael is loving his job at Park Community Church. He has a great team that works with him and he is so happy to be in a position where he can use both his accounting background and his seminary education for the Lord. Recently, he has been teaching a theology class on Sunday mornings at our campus in Lincoln Park. It has been such an encouragement to see so many come out and want to learn more about their faith and how to defend it. We have also had the joy of starting a small group that meets on Thursday nights at our apartment. God has blessed us with such an incredible group of 6 couples to grow together in Him and serve our community together. They are all truly a blessing and we can clearly see God's hand in bringing us all together at this time.
So, how am I spending my time you might ask? Those that know me well, know my love for baking and will smile with me when I say my kitchen is fabulous :-) It has given me the space and opportunity to bake until my heart is content :-) I have had several opportunities where people have hired me to bake things for various events and I have loved every minute of it. So, I have started my own little in home bakery called Sweet T's: Homemade Southern Desserts. Stay tuned for more updates as I am currently looking into possibly attending the French Pastry School to get further training on cake decorating. Chicago has so many culinary opportunities....when is Rome right?! :-)
We have had so many fun adventures while we have lived here. The food in Chicago is amazing. I can honestly say we haven't had a bad meal since we have been here. It is also so fun to be able to just walk down the block and grab dinner when we need/want to. Chicago is a very walkable city and has so many parks, not to mention the Magnificent Mile, river tours, the Lincoln Park Zoo, the theaters, the lakefront and The Art Institute (which has a whole gallery of impressionist paintings...be still my heart :-)) There are still many more adventures ahead of us. Wrigley field is only 2 miles away so I think a Cubs game is on our radar soon.
I can honestly say that with all of its greatness and all of its faults, we have truly fallen in love with this city. Not just because of all the exciting things there are to do but because of the rich field there is to do ministry. Our country, even our world, is quickly becoming more and more urbanized. People are moving to the city in droves and we as believers need to be there to shine the light of Christ in the dark places. People here in Chicago are hungry to know Christ. It is a kind of hunger I haven't ever seen before. It has grown me and challenged me in my own faith and reminded just how blessed I was to grow up in Bible Belt America. God swung the door wide open for Michael and I to do ministry in this great city. Many people thought we were...or are...nuts for coming here, but isn't the Christian faith about counting the cost for Christ and not counting the cost to our comfort. Aren't we called to be the image bearers for Christ in every part of this world? I'm not saying that living here hasn't had its ups and downs, but our home is not this planet, our home is in Heaven. We are simply passing through and have a job as believers to accomplish. I have no idea how long the Lord will have us here in Chicago, but while we are here, we will be all here. We are excited to partner with our church to "Know God and Make Him Known," both to Chicago and the world! Please pray with us as we do ministry in this city....and of course, we would love for you to come visit!
I leave you with a passage I have been studying this week that has resonated with me as I have pondered our almost 5 months here in Chicago. I Peter 1:3-7 says, "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who by God's power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ."
Much love from the Windy City!
Michael is loving his job at Park Community Church. He has a great team that works with him and he is so happy to be in a position where he can use both his accounting background and his seminary education for the Lord. Recently, he has been teaching a theology class on Sunday mornings at our campus in Lincoln Park. It has been such an encouragement to see so many come out and want to learn more about their faith and how to defend it. We have also had the joy of starting a small group that meets on Thursday nights at our apartment. God has blessed us with such an incredible group of 6 couples to grow together in Him and serve our community together. They are all truly a blessing and we can clearly see God's hand in bringing us all together at this time.
So, how am I spending my time you might ask? Those that know me well, know my love for baking and will smile with me when I say my kitchen is fabulous :-) It has given me the space and opportunity to bake until my heart is content :-) I have had several opportunities where people have hired me to bake things for various events and I have loved every minute of it. So, I have started my own little in home bakery called Sweet T's: Homemade Southern Desserts. Stay tuned for more updates as I am currently looking into possibly attending the French Pastry School to get further training on cake decorating. Chicago has so many culinary opportunities....when is Rome right?! :-)
We have had so many fun adventures while we have lived here. The food in Chicago is amazing. I can honestly say we haven't had a bad meal since we have been here. It is also so fun to be able to just walk down the block and grab dinner when we need/want to. Chicago is a very walkable city and has so many parks, not to mention the Magnificent Mile, river tours, the Lincoln Park Zoo, the theaters, the lakefront and The Art Institute (which has a whole gallery of impressionist paintings...be still my heart :-)) There are still many more adventures ahead of us. Wrigley field is only 2 miles away so I think a Cubs game is on our radar soon.
I can honestly say that with all of its greatness and all of its faults, we have truly fallen in love with this city. Not just because of all the exciting things there are to do but because of the rich field there is to do ministry. Our country, even our world, is quickly becoming more and more urbanized. People are moving to the city in droves and we as believers need to be there to shine the light of Christ in the dark places. People here in Chicago are hungry to know Christ. It is a kind of hunger I haven't ever seen before. It has grown me and challenged me in my own faith and reminded just how blessed I was to grow up in Bible Belt America. God swung the door wide open for Michael and I to do ministry in this great city. Many people thought we were...or are...nuts for coming here, but isn't the Christian faith about counting the cost for Christ and not counting the cost to our comfort. Aren't we called to be the image bearers for Christ in every part of this world? I'm not saying that living here hasn't had its ups and downs, but our home is not this planet, our home is in Heaven. We are simply passing through and have a job as believers to accomplish. I have no idea how long the Lord will have us here in Chicago, but while we are here, we will be all here. We are excited to partner with our church to "Know God and Make Him Known," both to Chicago and the world! Please pray with us as we do ministry in this city....and of course, we would love for you to come visit!
I leave you with a passage I have been studying this week that has resonated with me as I have pondered our almost 5 months here in Chicago. I Peter 1:3-7 says, "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who by God's power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ."
Much love from the Windy City!
