Things I Love

St. Augustine of Hippo once wrote to Laurentius, a young Roman Christian, "For when there is a question as to whether a man is good, one does not ask what he believes, or what he hopes, but what he loves."

In this spirit, and at the prompting of Gideon Strauss, I have made a list of fifty things I love. Some are grand, and some are insignificant. This list is nowhere near exhaustive, and, after the first, is in no particular order.


1. Christ, my Lord.
2. Ethiopia Harrar coffee.
3. Walking a golf course in the cool of the morning.
4. Steve, my father.
5. Singing.
6. The Confessions of Saint Augustine.
7. Taking, and admiring, beautiful pictures.
8. Capitol Hill Baptist Church.
9. Bach’s Cello Suites.
10. OSU vs. Michigan.
11. Cris, my mother.
12. Poetry.
13. Washington, D.C.
14. Shakespeare’s plays.
15. Flying.
16. Emily, Abby, and Stephanie, my sisters.
17. The Dutch and Flemish gallery at the National Gallery of Art.
18. A good pipe.
19. A roaring fire.
20. E-mail.
21. Buying old books.
22. Snow.
23. Well-designed web sites.
24. The Religious Affections, by Jonathan Edwards.
25. Looking good.
26. Playing the piano.
27. Vergil’s Aeneid.
28. Good food and good conversation, especially when combined.
29. Justice.
30. Hiking the Blue Ridge Mountains.
31. Professors of enormous intellect who deign to educate undergrads, with humility.
32. Orthodoxy.
33. La Boheme, by Puccini.
34. Blogging.
35. Wool sweaters.
36. The San Francisco Bay.
37. Calvin’s Institutes.
38. Altoids.
39. Autumn leaves.
40. Riverby Books.
41. Rembrandt’s paintings.
42. Dancing.
43. Johnny Cash’s music.
44. Too much sleep.
45. A well-seasoned, medium-rare ribeye steak.
46. “Woman Holding a Balance,” by Vermeer.
47. General Tso’s Chicken, especially from Lucky China.
48. Singing the Psalms.
49. A cold Coke.
50. Romans 8.