Each week (give or take one or two here and there) I share three things I like – It could be a book, a movie, a podcast, an album, a photo, an article, a restaurant, a food item, a beverage, or anything else I simply enjoy and think you might too. You can find a whole pile of things, especially books, I like and recommend HERE.
1. The Expulsive Power of a New Affection by Thomas Chalmers
As I read this little, beautifully designed book (well-done, Crossway Books, as usual) I kept thinking “Man, this is good. . . and it sounds familiar.” I realized it sounded familiar because Chalmers was a theological influence on my dad. I was reading source material for the rich theology I had been given as a child. If all that sounds a bit arcane, stuffy, and academic I assure you this little book is not (despite its somewhat cumbersome title). It is more sermon than theological treatise. It is well-reasoned but not overly complex. And it is rationale for both deeper holiness and deeper joy, because those two go hand in hand. It is the kind of book you could revel in as a devotional or study alongside other Christians for mutual benefit. It is wonderful.
2. The Old Man and the Pool
Mike Birbiglia has been killing it in stand up comedy for a long time but without the hype of the other stars. In part, that is because his style is very un-hype. He is understated, soft spoken, and smart. He is a story teller more than a joke teller and within his stories he weaves in wordplay and observational bits and self-deprecation. He often slips past a hilarious line with such subtlety you nearly miss it, which then makes you wonder what other parts of his bit you have missed. He doesn’t have the advantage of being numbered among the “clean comics” by the more scrupulous moms among us, but he avoids blue humor, curses very little, and doesn’t depend on raunch to elicit a chuckle. “The Old Man and the Pool” is his latest special, and while some comics run out material the more specials they release I think Birbiglia keeps getting better. This one, on Netflix, is fantastic.
3. Greg Maddux’s 2-Seam Fastballs
‘Tis the season for baseball nerdery and revelry, so I present you one of the most beautiful pitches ever thrown: the Greg Maddux 2-seamer (or sinker if you are old school. It was a subtle, savage fool-making weapon and it was delightful.
