Coram Deo ~

Looking at contemporary culture from a Christian worldview

Tag Archives: music


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My 2023 Favorites

As I have done for several years now, I am going share my favorites in a variety of categories for 2023. All items listed were released or took place in 2023, except for books, which reflect books that I read in 2023, regardless of publication date. I hope you enjoy this list!

Movies

Top Pick: Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning Part One (read my review here).

Other movies I enjoyed, in order, were:

  • The Essential Church
  • Wonka
  • Sound of Freedom
  • Air
  • Jesus Revolution
  • Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3
  • Surprised by Oxford

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My 2023 Mid-Year Favorites

As I have done for several years now, I am going share my favorites in a variety of categories for 2022. All items listed were released or took place in 2022, except for books, which reflect books that I read in 2022, regardless of publication date. I hope you enjoy this list!

Movies

Top Pick: Air (read my review here).

Other movies I enjoyed, in order, were:

  • Jesus Revolution
  • Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3

Books

Top Pick: Timothy Keller: His Spiritual and Intellectual Formation by Collin Hansen
(read my review here).

 Other books I enjoyed, in order, were:

  • Providence – John Piper
  • Forgive: Why Should I and How Can I? by Tim Keller
  • Worthy: Living in Light of the Gospel – Sinclair Ferguson
  • Galatians: An Expositional Commentary – R.C. Sproul
  • The 16 Undeniable Laws of Communication: Apply Them and Make the Most          of Your Message by John Maxwell
  • The Sacred Meaning of Everyday Work by Robert Tribken

MUSIC:

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My 2022 Favorites


As I have done for several years now, I am going share my favorites in a variety of categories for 2022. All items listed were released or took place in 2022, except for books, which reflect books that I read in 2022, regardless of publication date. I hope you enjoy this list!

Movies

Top Pick: Top Gun: Maverick. Here’s my review.

The rest of my top ten films, in order, were:

  • Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris
  • Belfast
  • CODA
  • King Richard
  • The Fabelmans
  • Where the Crawdads Sing
  • Elvis
  • Jurassic World: Dominion
  • Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore

Click on ‘Continue reading’ for my favorite books, music, TV, blog, podcast, app, conference and resource… Continue reading →


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My 2022 Mid-Year Favorites


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!

Movies

Top Pick: Top Gun: Maverick. Here’s my review.

Other films that I have enjoyed, in order, were:

  • Belfast
  • King Richard
  • CODA
  • Jurassic World: Dominion
  • Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore

Books

Top Pick: Strange New World: How Thinkers and Activists Redefined Identity and Sparked the Sexual Revolution by Carl Trueman. Here’s my review.

Other books I have enjoyed, in order, have been:

Click on ‘Continue reading’ for:
More Favorite Books, Music, Television, Blogs, Podcasts, Apps, Concerts, Conferences and Recommended Resources

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2021 Favorites


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:

  1. American Underdog
  2. S. Lewis: The Reluctant Convert
  3. West Side Story
  4. In the Heights

Click on ‘Continue reading’ for:

  • More favorite Music, Books, Blogs, Podcasts, Apps, Television, Conferences and Concerts.

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2021 Mid-Year Favorites


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 →


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My 2020 Favorites

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.

Movies

Top Pick: A Hidden Life (read my review here).

Other films I enjoyed, in no particular order, were:

      • Hamilton
      • Just Mercy
      • 1917

Music: Albums

Top Pick: Patient Kingdom – Sandra McCracken (read my review here)

Here are the rest of my Top 10 albums of 2020:

  1. The Life of Christ Quintology – Keith and Kristyn Getty (and friends)
  2. Rough and Rowdy Ways – Bob Dylan
  3. McCartney III – Paul McCartney
  4. Restoration – Lecrae
  5. Out of Body – NEEDTOBREATHE
  6. Chris Tomlin and Friends – Chris Tomlin
  7. Live from the Forum MMXVIII – Eagles
  8. Blues with Friends – Dion
  9. Let There Be Wonder – Matt Redman

Other albums I enjoyed, in no particular order, were:

  • American Standard – James Taylor
  • Christ Be All EP – Grace Worship
  • The Lost Demos EP – TobyMac
  • Evensong – Hymns and Lullabies at The Close of Day – Keith and Kristyn Getty
  • Letter to You – Bruce Springsteen
  • A Drummer Boy Christmas – for King & Country
  • Vintage – Shane and Shane

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My 2020 Mid-Year Favorites


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 →


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MY 2019 FAVORITES


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 →


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New and Upcoming Albums I’m Excited About

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 →