As I have done for several years now, I’m going share my favorites in a variety of categories for the first half of 2022. The COVID-19 pandemic has influenced this list once again, as we have not been to a conference and have seen very few movies. All items listed were released in 2022, with the exception of books, which reflect books that I read in 2022, regardless of publication date. I hope you enjoy this list!
As I have for several years, I’m sharing some of my personal favorites in a variety of categories for the year of 2021. As with 2020, this list will look a little different from previous years due to the COVID-19 pandemic, as we have been to only one concert and one conference, and we saw very few films this year.
Except for books, these are all items that were released in 2021. For books, I include my favorite books that I’ve read this year, regardless of when the book was originally published.
Enjoy, and please let me know what you think of my list, as well as what would be on your list.
Movies
Top Pick: No Time to Die. Read my review here.
The remainder of my top 5 films were:
American Underdog
S. Lewis: The Reluctant Convert
West Side Story
In the Heights
Click on ‘Continue reading’ for:
More favorite Music, Books, Blogs, Podcasts, Apps, Television, Conferences and Concerts.
As I have for several years, I’m sharing some of my favorites in a variety of categories for the first half of 2021. As with 2020, this list will look a little different from previous years due to the COVID-19 pandemic, as we have not been to any concerts or conferences, and we have seen very few films thus far this year.
Except for books, these are all items that were released in 2021. For books, I include my favorite books that I’ve read this year, regardless of when the book was originally published.
Enjoy, and please let me know what you think of my list, as well as what would be on your list. Continue reading →
As has been my practice for several years, I want to share with you my favorites for 2020 in a variety of categories. (Here is my list from 2019). Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, this year’s list will look very different from past years, as concerts and conferences have been cancelled and movie theatres have been closed.
Except for books, and the film A Hidden Life (a 2019 film that wasn’t available for me to see until 2020), these are all items that were released in 2020. For books, I include my favorite books that I read during 2020, regardless of when the book was published.
Enjoy, and please let me know what you think of my list, as well as what would be on your list.
As I’ve done for a number of years now, I want to share with you my favorites for the first half of 2020 in a variety of categories. As we have been dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic the past few months, this list will look different from years past. Concerts and conferences have been cancelled, and movie theatres have been closed.
Except for books, and the film A Hidden Life (which wasn’t available for me to see until 2020), these are all items that were released in 2020. For books, I include my favorite books that I’ve read during 2020, regardless of when the book was published.
Enjoy, and please let me know what you think of my list, as well as what would be on your list. Continue reading →
As I’ve done for a number of years now, I want to share with you my favorites from 2019 in a variety of categories. Except for books, these are all items that were released, or took place in 2019. For books, I include my favorite books of the 60 that I read during 2019, regardless of when the book was published.
Enjoy! Please let me know what you think of my list, and also share some of your favorites.
Movies ~ Top Choice: Avengers: Endgame
Other films that I’ve enjoyed, in order are:
2. Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker
3. Little Women
4. Knives Out
5. The Upside
6. Yesterday
7. Toy Story 4
8. The Biggest Little Farm
9. Ford v. Ferrari
10. Spider-Man: Far from Home
Other movies that I enjoyed this year, in no particular order, were:
American Gospel: Christ Alone
Amazing Grace
Apollo 11
Free Solo
They Shall Not Grow Old
Tolkien
Stan and Ollie
Dark Waters
A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood
Harriet
Richard Jewell
The Peanut Butter Falcon
Click on ‘Continue Reading’ to see my 2019 favorite albums, songs, books, blogs, podcasts, conferences, television shows, concerts and new resources. Continue reading →
I love music in a number of different genres, including contemporary Christian music, Christian hip-hop/rap, worship and classic rock. Here are 8 new and upcoming albums that I’m excited about.
A Great Adventure – Steven Curtis Chapman
The latest project from Steven Curtis Chapman, arriving less than two months after his Deeper Roots: Where the Bluegrass Grows album, comes in both a DVD and audio recording format, filmed and recorded at the Gaither Studios in Alexandria, Indiana. The album chronicles Chapman’s life in song through live solo acoustic performances of some of his most popular songs, but no between song comments. Chapman has toured extensively performing solo concerts the past few years, and is very comfortable performing his songs backed only with his acoustic guitar. Listening to these songs, originally released between 1987 and 2018, reminds the listener of the blessing his music has been for more than thirty years now. Continue reading →
As I’ve done for a number of years, I wanted to share with you my favorites from 2018 in a variety of categories: movies, music, books, etc. Except for books, these are all items that were released or took place in 2018. For books, I include my favorite books that I read during 2018, regardless of when the book was published. Enjoy! Please let me know what you think of my list, and also share some of your favorites. Continue reading →
Below are a few new and upcoming albums that I’m looking forward to:
Forever On Your Side Niles City Sound Sessions – NEEDTOBREATHE
This four-song EP will be released on July 13. The band has already released three of the songs – “Bridges Burn”, “Darling” and “Bullets”.
Noble Ape – Jim Gaffigan
This album will be released on July 13. The film will be available on that date in select cities. I’m looking forward to this release as I saw a concert on this tour that this album was recorded on.
From the artist’s website: “In his all new Noble Ape stand up special, Jim Gaffigan gets personal as he discusses the medical crisis that befell his wife and family this year, which almost led to his retirement”.
My New Moon – Amos Lee
This album will be released August 31. It is Lee’s follow-up to 2016’s Spirit.
From the Amazon description: “Singer/songwriter Amos Lee says his seventh studio album My New Moon is “a dedication…it’s an offering – an altar of sorts to those who have shared their sorrows with me.” It is a product of profound human experiences; loss, grief, hope, healing, love, sorrow, and rejuvenation. Each track on My New Moon takes a journey through these intense and personal experiences. Opening track “No More Darkness, No More Light” was rewritten entirely after the school shooting in Parkland, Florida, and speaks to the hope for change that lies in amongst tragic situations and challenges. “Little Light,” written for a young girl who beat cancer, is a positive message of spreading light for the world to see, even if you’re facing hardship. “Hang On, Hang On” reflects the helplessness that comes after the loss of a loved one, “Crooked” brings to light the difficult and confusing times we’ve faced throughout history in America, and “I Get Weak” is a beautifully dark love song to something that might kill you, but you need it to go on living. The album as a whole reflects the darkness and the light that we all both experience and bring into the world, and how through these personal experiences and hard times, we grow more connected to one another.” Continue reading →
It’s hard to believe that we are at mid-year already. As I have in the past, I wanted to share with you my favorites from the first half of 2018 in a variety of categories. Except for books, these are all items that were released or took place in 2018. For books, I include my favorite books that I’ve read thus far during 2018. Enjoy! Please let me know what you think of my list, and also share some of your favorites.
Movies
Best: Tie ~ Black Panther and Paddington 2
Other movies I’ve enjoyed, in no particular order, were:
Won’t You Be My Neighbor?
Incredibles 2
Peter Rabbit
Calvinist
The Post
I Can Only Imagine
Avengers: Infinity War
Isle of Dogs
Ready Player One
Ant-Man and The Wasp
Worst: Below are the worst, or at least the most disappointing, films I’ve seen, in no particular order:
Hostiles
Phantom Thread
The 15:17 to Paris
God’s Not Dead: A Light in Darkness
First Reformed
Music
Best: Resurrection Letters: Prologue/Resurrection Letters Vol. 1 – Andrew Peterson
Other music I’ve enjoyed, in no particular order, were:
You’re Driving Me Crazy – Van Morrison and Joey DeFrancesco
Let the Trap Say Amen – Lecrae and Zaytoven
Surrounded – Michael W. Smith
Into the Night – Social Club Misfits
One More Song – Ashley Cleveland
Top Songs
Best: Is He Worthy? – Andrew Peterson
Other songs I’ve enjoyed, in no particular order, have been:
Take Me to the Water/Cool Down by the Banks of Jordan – Ashley Cleveland
I Can’t Lose – Lecrae and Zaytoven
Everyday I Have the Blues – Van Morrison and Joey DeFrancesco
The Holy Grail – John Fogerty
Bridges Burn by NEEDTOBREATHE
Better Than I Used to Be by Mat Kearney
Don’t Know by Paul McCartney
Books
Best: The Sun Does Shine: How I Found Life and Freedom on Death Row – Anthony Ray Hinton
Other books I’ve enjoyed, in no particular order, were:
Developing the Leader Within You 2.0 – John Maxwell
Servant Leadership in Action – Edited by Ken Blanchard
The Gospel According to God – John MacArthur
The Gospel Comes with a House Key – Rosaria Butterfield
How to be a Perfect Christian – Babylon Bee
How to Get Unstuck – Matt Perman
Take Heart: Christian Courage in the Age of Unbelief – Matt Chandler
Immanuel Labor: God’s Presence in Our Profession: A Biblical, Theological, and Practical Approach to the Doctrine of Work – Russell E. Gehrlein
The Gospel at Work: How the Gospel Gives New Purpose and Meaning to Our Jobs(Updated and Expanded Edition) – Greg Gilbert and Sebastian Traeger
Paul Simon: The Life – Robert Hilburn
Why Should the Devil Have All the Good Music? Larry Norman and the Perils of Christian Rock – Gregory Alan Thornbury
Wooden on Leadership: How to Create a Winning Organization – John Wooden and Steve Jamison
Blogs
Best: Tim Challies’ Ala Carte. This is required reading for me each Monday through Saturday. Challies includes helpful Kindle deals, links to a good variety of helpful articles and a quote. Check out Tim’s website here.
Podcasts
Best: The Briefing – Albert Mohler. Each weekend morning, Albert Mohler hosts a podcast providing worldview analysis about the leading news headlines and cultural conversations. This is required listening for me. Check out Dr. Mohler’s website here.
Honorable mention goes to the third season of Malcolm Gladwell’s excellent podcast Revisionist History. On each episode, Gladwell goes back and reinterprets something from the past: an event, a person, an idea. Something overlooked. Something misunderstood.
Television
Best: Victoria
The Resident
This is Us
The Profit
The Blacklist
The Crown
Concerts
Best: U2 – Experience and Innocence Tour in St. Louis
Honorable Mention: John Hiatt and the Goners, featuring Sonny Landreth. Slow Turning 30th Anniversary Reunion Tour in Bloomington, Illinois
New Resources
Best: Messages from the 2018 Ligonier National Conference which had the theme “Awakening”.
These are my mid-year favorites in a variety of categories. How about you? What were some of your favorites?
Movies 
As has been my practice for several years, I want to share with you my favorites for 2020 in a variety of categories. (Here is my list from 
Movies
I love music in a number of different genres, including contemporary Christian music, Christian hip-hop/rap, worship and classic rock. Here are 8 new and upcoming albums that I’m excited about.
A Great Adventure – Steven Curtis Chapman 
Noble Ape – Jim Gaffigan
My New Moon – Amos Lee 
It’s hard to believe that we are at mid-year already. As I have in the past, I wanted to share with you my favorites from the first half of 2018 in a variety of categories. Except for books, these are all items that were released or took place in 2018. For books, I include my favorite books that I’ve read thus far during 2018. Enjoy! Please let me know what you think of my list, and also share some of your favorites.
Books 
Blogs 
Television
Concerts
New Resources