Reformissionary

Music-o-Poetry

I've been out-of-pocket for a couple of days, so here's a post with just a little bit of Music Monday, Lots-o-Links, and National Poetry Month.

MUSIC MONDAY

A new video from Hot Chip.  Pretty cool...

One Pure Thought

In case you didn't know, here's the reason wearing red jock straps over your pants is SO popular now...

LOTS-o-LINKS

Driscoll loves the ESV Study Bible. 

John Piper: Preaching as Concept Creation, Not Just Contextualization

Founders gets a facelift.

I love this clip.  If you ever need to work on your business card envy, here's how.  (WARNING: A little colorful language.  This clip is for Mommies and Daddies only.)

NPM '08

Love this stuff from Borders Open Door Poetry.

Check out The Poetry Center of Chicago.

Acts 29 Boot Camp: Chicago

Next week I'll be attending the Acts 29 Boot Camp in Chicago.  It's been a few years since my wife and I first attended a boot camp in Dallas.  Now that they are coming to town I'm very excited to go and see some of my Acts 29 friends and continue to grow as a pastor.  Drop me an email if you are going to be at the boot camp and want to connect.

Metro Joe

There's now a pretty cool way to test your knowledge of the Chicagoland area (six counties) called Metro Joe.

(HT: Gapers Block).

City-Bound

Our family is taking the train into Chicago on Monday.  It's supposed to be a gorgeous day, clear and 83 degrees.  We plan on going to the Field Museum first and then spend some time in Millennium Park, which is a favorite hangout for our family when in the city.  The only pictures I have of Millennium Park were taken before I got my Nikon d50, so it should be a good photography trip too. 

Very excited because I love to spend long days off with the family.  Not too long ago we spent a day in Lincoln Park.  You can see those pictures here.

Chicago Sun-Times on Rob Bell

The Chicago Sun-Times has an interesting article on Rob Bell this morning: The next Billy Graham?

Wi-Chi

Beautimous.  Chicago is looking to provide city-wide wi-fi, either cheaply or for free. 

Exurbs Expanding

Census: Americans are Fleeing Big Cities...

Americans are leaving the nation's big cities in search of cheaper homes and open spaces farther out.

Nearly every large metropolitan area had more people move out than move in from 2000 to 2004, with a few exceptions in the South and Southwest, according to a report being released Thursday by the Census Bureau.

Northeasterners are moving South and West. West Coast residents are moving inland. Midwesterners are chasing better job markets. And just about everywhere, people are escaping to the outer suburbs, also known as exurbs.

Here in Woodstock, IL we have layers in our suburban/exurban community.  We are our own city where older local residents used to know all the families of Woodstock and where they lived.  Many of them are in their 70's and 80's and the city is changing shape. 

We are growing rapidly with city dwellers leaving to find affordable housing.  Right now we have people in our church who were born here and will die here in the next few years as well as people who have just moved in to get a more "country" feel.  Others are moving in and occupying large houses in large, new housing developments and have plenty of money.  Most newcomers want less crime, better schools, better marriages, a better retirement, more time for recreation and to generally be left alone.

These are challenging times.

Planned Tallest Building in the U.S.

The nations new tallest building will be in Chicago.  This isn't new news, but the details are coming out and changes are being made.  Here's a great Tribune article on the residential twisting tower being planned by Zurich-based architect and engineer Santiago Calatrava.  The plan has been approved by the Chicago Plan Commission and it should be built by around 2010.  I believe the pic at the right is the pre-approved version and it will be slightly different, but not too much.

The design for the $550 million tower, which was breathtaking but hardly flawless when it was introduced last July, has taken some important steps forward, both in the sky and along the ground. Now here's the trend part of the story: If this tower and Jeanne Gang's sensuous Aqua high-rise both get built, Chicago will be running a clinic in the new aesthetic possibilities offered by skyscrapers that are places to live rather than work.