City Girl

Where in the world has Emily been?

No, I did not fall off the face of the earth, but things have been a little chaotic since I arrived back in the States. Within a week of coming back to the U.S., I'd come down with a nasty cold, moved into a new apartment in Chicago, begun my fall classes and started working again. So needless to say, it was a little bit like crash landing back into an "old" new routine. I'm finally feeling a little more like myself, and it's been almost four weeks!

However, the world did not stop for me, amazingly enough, and so I've been enjoying the pace in the big city. I love being back in Chicago; it's official--Emily is a city girl. We have been having wonderful autumn weather, too, which has helped with the transition. It has been wonderful to see so many friends from school again and to be back in the classroom.

I did move into a new apartment, and that has been a real blessing for me. I now have three roommates instead of two, but one of those roommates is the same as last year. The other two new roommates were friends of mine last year, and I'm enjoying getting to know them better now that we are living together. Our apartment is not too far away from school, so I can still walk there without any issues. Now let's see if I'll still be able to say that in February.

The members of my graduate school just took a weekend retreat with each other, students and faculty included. It was a great time to get to know people better, relax and have fun with each other, while also being challenged spiritually on the topic of unity and brotherly love. It was a wonderful time, especially since we were blessing with gorgeous weather and a great location on Lake Geneva.

As the season begins to change, and as I continue to process all the new and challenging things I experienced this summer, it brings me great comfort to know that my God never changes. He is my constant source of hope and the One who is trustworthy. It is only through His power and for His glory that I am able to complete the tasks of my day. The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; His mercies never come to an end, they are new every morning--great is Your faithfulness, my Lord.