Just got back into Houston and I have come to the resounding conclusion that Chicago is the greatest city in the world. Now I know what you’re thinking: “Hey, you haven’t been to every city in the world!” Well frankly it doesn’t matter. Chicago takes the cake, pizza, calzone, rib-tip, and sub. Man I love that city!
It was a very relaxing weekend. I got the chance to hang out with my Uncle and break my p90x diet by gorging out on Giordano’s Pizza (THE BEST!!) for about three days straight. My dad also came down from Michigan for the first two days and spending time with him is always a plus. Tons of laughs, food, and good times (lactose intolerance aside…). God definitely answered prayers for nice weather and diverted the thunderstorms everywhere but Chicago for the weekend. In fact, as I was walking down the street, he literally stopped the rain and brought out the sun (THANKS!! ).
It was a very relaxing weekend. I got the chance to hang out with my Uncle and break my p90x diet by gorging out on Giordano’s Pizza (THE BEST!!) for about three days straight. My dad also came down from Michigan for the first two days and spending time with him is always a plus. Tons of laughs, food, and good times (lactose intolerance aside…). God definitely answered prayers for nice weather and diverted the thunderstorms everywhere but Chicago for the weekend. In fact, as I was walking down the street, he literally stopped the rain and brought out the sun (THANKS!! ). The last day I was able to head into the city and spend some time with Corbin, a good friend of mine and current student at Moody. 
When we weren’t embarrassing ourselves on Lake Michigan (I definitely need to hang up the soccer cleats), we were having some seriously high-quality conversations about missions, theology, South Africa, and the sovereignty of God. Calvinism was another topic we touched on for a moment as we debated the “free-will” of man versus the absolute sovereignty of God (we’re nerds and proud of it!).
Getting on the airplane, I re-realized how hard it is to be apart from the people I love (tear) but yet, how necessary it is for the salvation of souls. Honestly, it made me yearn for Heaven (insert May 21th rapture joke here). I desperately wish for a time when people won’t get older, families won’t splinter apart, and economic hardship won’t restrict family interactions. One of my best friends in Houston is leaving in a few weeks to get married, my best friend since ever just went back to Germany, and my baby sister is heading off to Atlanta… As happy as I am for them and the plan that God has for their lives, I know that I’ll miss out on moments and, perhaps most importantly, miss them. That = sadness. But as always our comfort can’t be in this world, it has to be in the Cross where Christ gave believers the ability to enjoy eternal community with Him, the Father, and other believers in a place that won’t perish, slip away, or fade into the background of distant memory.
When we weren’t embarrassing ourselves on Lake Michigan (I definitely need to hang up the soccer cleats), we were having some seriously high-quality conversations about missions, theology, South Africa, and the sovereignty of God. Calvinism was another topic we touched on for a moment as we debated the “free-will” of man versus the absolute sovereignty of God (we’re nerds and proud of it!).Getting on the airplane, I re-realized how hard it is to be apart from the people I love (tear) but yet, how necessary it is for the salvation of souls. Honestly, it made me yearn for Heaven (insert May 21th rapture joke here). I desperately wish for a time when people won’t get older, families won’t splinter apart, and economic hardship won’t restrict family interactions. One of my best friends in Houston is leaving in a few weeks to get married, my best friend since ever just went back to Germany, and my baby sister is heading off to Atlanta… As happy as I am for them and the plan that God has for their lives, I know that I’ll miss out on moments and, perhaps most importantly, miss them. That = sadness. But as always our comfort can’t be in this world, it has to be in the Cross where Christ gave believers the ability to enjoy eternal community with Him, the Father, and other believers in a place that won’t perish, slip away, or fade into the background of distant memory.
But then again, I think that's a good thing. In some weird and ironic way, I think that God allows things to "end" here and relationships to "fade" in order to remind us that this planet isn't our home. And, as great as Chicago is (did I mention it's the greatest city in the world...?) and as complicated as life can get, we were made for something greater.
Well I'm back to the working world... as always:
Grace and peace
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