Here are my favorites from 2014 in a variety of categories along with some input from friends and family. I’d be interested in what you think, and what some of your favorites were. Enjoy!
Television Programs
#1 – St. Louis Cardinal Baseball on Fox Sports Midwest (of course)
#2 – The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon
#3 – Duck Dynasty
#4 – Blacklist
#5 – Downton Abbey
#6 – Castle
#7 – The Profit
Radio Station
Hot 95.9 (Orlando, Florida) You can listen online!
Books These are my favorite books I read this year, some of which were published prior to 2014.
1. Everyone’s a Theologian – R.C. Sproul
2. What’s Best Next – Matt Perman
3. The Trinitarian Devotion of John Owen – Sinclair Ferguson
4. John: The Gospel of Wisdom – Michael Card
5. Taking God at His Word – Kevin DeYoung
6. Ordinary – Michael Horton
7. Romans for You Chapters 1-7 – Tim Keller
8. 41: A Portrait of My Father – George W. Bush
9. The Gospel at Work – Sebastian Traeger and Greg Gilbert
10. Visions of Vocation – Steven Garber
Other books I enjoyed this year:
Don’t Give Up, Don’t Give In – Louis Zamperini
God Took Me by the Hand – Jerry Bridges
Killing Patton – Bill O’Reilly and Martin Dugard
Not By Sight – Jon Bloom
The Evangelistic Zeal of George Whitefield – Steven Lawson
Good Leaders Ask Great Questions – John Maxwell
You and Me Forever: Marriage in Light of Eternity – Francis Chan and Lisa Chan
Quiet – Susan Cain
How then Should We Work? – Hugh Whelchel
The Five Love Languages – Gary Chapman
A Godward Heart – John Piper
Michael Jordan: The Life – Roland Lazenby
The Kid: The Immortal Life of Ted Williams – Ben Bradlee Jr.
Wooden: A Coach’s Life – Seth Davis
God at Work – Gene Veith
The Noticer – Andy Andrews
God and the Gay Christian? A Response to Matthew Vines. – Edited by R. Albert Mohler Jr.
Luckiest Man: The Life and Death of Lou Gehrig – Jonathan Eig
Good Call – Jase Robertson
Recovering Redemption – Matt Chandler
One Nation – Ben Carson
Joy, Inc.: How We Built a Workplace People Love by Richard Sheridan
Miracles – Eric Metaxas
Movies
We usually see at least one movie a week. Here are my top ten and then a few others in no particular order:
Best:
1. The Good Lie
2. Unbroken
3. The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies
4. Whiplash
5. Edge of Tomorrow: Live, Die, Repeat
6. St. Vincent
7. Chef
8. Into the Woods
9. Guardians of the Galaxy
10. The Judge
Other movies I enjoyed were (in no particular order):
Big Hero 6
Ernest and Celestine
The Hundred Foot Journey
The Railway Man
The Amazing Spider Man
Nightcrawler
Worst:
Birdman
Calvary
Mom’s Night Out
Magic in the Moonlight
And So It Goes
Ride Along
Music
Artist of the Year: Lecrae – Anomaly and Owner of Reach Records (KB, Andy Mineo, Trip Lee and Tedasi Releases)
Albums
Many of my favorite artists released albums this year. Here are my top ten and then a several others I enjoyed in no particular order:
#1 – Songs of Innocence Deluxe Edition – U2
#2 – Anomaly – Lecrae
#3 – Goliath – Steve Taylor and the Perfect Foil
#4 – Rise – Trip Lee
#5 – Love Ran Red – Chris Tomlin
#6 – Neon Steeple – Crowder
#7 – Fading West/The Edge of the Earth – Switchfoot
#8 – Rivers in the Wasteland – NEEDTOBREATHE
#9 – John: The Misunderstood Gospel – Michael Card
#10 – The Spirit of Christmas – Michael W. Smith and Friends
Other music I enjoyed (in no particular order):
20 – Jars of Clay
The Greengrass Sessions – Keith and Kristyn Getty (EP)
High Hopes – Bruce Springsteen
Peter Furler Christmas featuring David Ian
Terms of My Surrender – John Hiatt
All the People Said Amen – Matt Maher
Sovereign – Michael W. Smith
Hymns – Michael W. Smith
Never Land – Andy Mineo (EP)
Sun and Shield – Peter Furler Band
Crimson Cord – Propadanda
Below Paradise – Tedashii
Obsession – Jim Gaffigan
Songs
#1 – At the Cross (Love Ran Red) – Chris Tomlin
Other songs that I enjoyed this year:
Shweet – Trip Lee
A Life Preserved – Steve Taylor and the Perfect Foil
Because He Lives – Matt Maher
Detroit Made – Bob Seger
Coulda Been Me – Trip Lee
Say I Won’t – Lecrae featuring Andy Mineo
Invisible – U2
Every Breaking Wave (Acoustic Sessions version) – U2
Almost There – Michael W. Smith and Amy Grant
All is Well – Michael W. Smith and Carrie Underwood
The Heart – NEEDTOBREATHE
Multiply – NEEDTOBREATHE
Something in the Water – Carrie Underwood
100 – KB
Daywalkers – Propaganda with Lecrae
I Am – Crowder
Come as You Are – Crowder
All I’ve Ever Done – Michael Card (vocal by Ginny Owens)
The One that Really Matters – Michael W. Smith and Kari Jobe
Christ Be All Around Me – Michael W. Smith
Terms of My Surrender – John Hiatt
If You Love Her – Jars of Clay
Concerts
We saw more concerts this year than we have for several years. Here are my top two and then the others are not in any particular order:
1. Paul McCartney at the United Center in Chicago
2. James Taylor at the Ravinia Festival in Highland Park
Fernando Ortega at First Baptist Church in Pekin
Chris Tomlin and Brandon Heath at US Cellular Coliseum in Bloomington
Michael Card at East White Oak Church in Carlock
Ringo Starr and his All-Starr Band at the Fox Theatre in St. Louis
Toby Mac and Matt Maher at Braden Auditorium at Illinois State University
Keith and Kristyn Getty at Grace Presbyterian Church in Peoria
Podcasts
#1 – The Briefing (Albert Mohler) – essential listening every morning.
#2 – The Andy Stanley Leadership podcast
Blog
Informing the Reforming (Tim Challies) – essential reading every morning.
Teaching Series
1. Lessons from the Upper Room – Sinclair Ferguson
2. The Pilgrim’s Progress: A Guided Tour – Derek Thomas
3. A New Identity: The Gospel of Matthew – Michael Card
Conference
#1 – 2014 Ligonier Ministries National Conference in Orlando
#2 – Mathew: The Gospel of Identity (Biblical Imagination Conference) at Christ Church in Normal, Illinois
And Just for Fun…
Pizza
• Home Run Inn – Chicago
• Tobin’s – Bloomington, Illinois
• Agatucci’s – Peoria
• Imo’s – St. Louis
• Giordano’s – multiple locations, favorite being just outside Downtown Disney in Orlando
Ice Cream
• Ted Drewe’s – St. Louis
• Wilson’s – Ephraim, Wisconsin (Door County)
• Kilwin’s – multiple locations, favorite being Celebration, Florida
Fast Food
• Chick Fil-A
• Five Guys Burgers and Fries
Breakfast
• Original Pancake House – multiple locations, favorite being Chesterfield, Missouri
Place to Visit
• Orlando
• St. Louis
Date Night
• Dinner and a good movie
2014 Favorites of Family and Friends
MOVIES:
Tammy Pence (my bride and founding member of the Friday Night Movie Club)
Best:
The Good Lie
Edge of Tomorrow
Chef
Worst:
Calvary
Birdman
Mom’s Night Out
Mike Pence (Brother)
Best:
Magic in the Moonlight
The Judge
Big Hero 6
Transformers
That Awkward Moment
Julie Pence (Sister in Law)
Best:
1. Guardians of the Galaxy
2. The Judge
3. Gone Girl
4. Chef
5. Begin Again
Al Williams (brother in law)
Movies He’s Glad He Saw:
A Most Wanted Man
Begin Again
The Hundred Foot Journey
Teri Williams (Sister in Law)
Liked:
Begin Again
The Equalizer
Jason Halm (long-time work colleague and a huge movie fan)
Best:
1. Snowpiercer (favorite script and execution of the script this year)
2. Grand Budapest Hotel (Ralph Fiennes was my favorite performance of the year)
3. Whiplash
4. Guardians of the Galaxy
5. Birdman
6. Interstellar (favorite special effects)
7. Boyhood
8. The Theory of Everything
9. X-men: Days of Future Past
10. Life Itself
Honorable Mention: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. – this is a great tie-in to Marvel movies. Look for Netflix TV shows that will supplement the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Worst TV show and Movie:
1. The Following: Season 2. I watched the whole thing after feeling lukewarm about Season 1. I’ll not be watching Season 3.
2. The Other Woman (simply horrible – worst movie that I’ve seen all year)
Jeff Haab (friend)
Best Comedy Record:
Mandatory Fun by Weird Al Yankovic
