Friday Five: Southern Genies, Tim Keller, Front Pocket Wallet, Brexit, J.D. Greear

Every Friday, I share five things I’ve stumbled across or become familiar with that I genuinely enjoy or find worthwhile. The format includes 1) Something funny, 2) Something edifying, 3) Something practical 4) Something newsworthy 5) Something contemplative.

1. If Genies Were Southern. Bethany (my wife) told me about this video, and the Tennessee football mention at the end (watch all the way to the end) made me want to watch it. For those of you who know me well, I love Tennessee sports. Go Big Orange! (obligatory). It’s a pretty funny video regardless of whether you like the University of Tennessee sports program or not.

2. Keller: Your Main Problem Isn’t Other People. This is such a great article by Tim Keller. He wrote it last spring, but I recently saw it pop back up on the Gospel Coalition website. There’s so much truth in it. The most frustrating thing as a chaplain I’ve experienced is working with Soldiers who cannot grasp this principle. They believe their unhappiness and problems are mostly inflicted by others. Yes, people do affect our happiness. But the main problem is rarely other people. It’s me. It’s you. It’s because we’re sinful, selfish people.

3. Front Pocket Wallet by Rogue Industries – Ballistic Nylon Material with RFID Block. I really like this wallet for a variety reasons. As someone who has traveled extensively, I like that it is very effective against pick pocketers. Second, it fits very comfortably in my side pockets. According to Men’s Health, sitting on your wallet causes back pain. Third, it’s designed to hold the essentials, but I’ve still been able to get quite a bit of stuff in it. It holds up to 6 Credit Cards in 3 slots, has an ID window with easy to remove thumb panel and a separate bill pocket. Lastly, it protects your identity through the RFID blocking material which shields cards and ID. You can purchase it on Amazon for $35.

4. How Nigel Farage Won Brexit. As an undergraduate, I majored in political science and history. The Brexit campaign, aftermath, and eventual execution of Great Britain leaving the EU fascinated me. Last year, I remembering discussing this issue with my British Soldier friends who were serving alongside us on our NATO enhanced Forward Presence (eFP) mission to Poland. I really enjoyed hearing the back story from Nigel Farage, the man who began leading the Brexit movement over twenty years ago. You can watch the interview below or listen to the Verdict with Ted Cruz podcast–the number one podcast in America.

5. J.D. Greear on Following Jesus. “It’s not if you’re called but where and how. Obedience to Jesus is going to cost you, and at that moment the only thing that will compel ou forward is the conviction in your soul that Jesus is worth it.” Greear delivered these remarks to Liberty University students in March.