As the year comes to a close, the blogosphere will be humming with plenty of reflective posts, posts that take a look back at the past 12 months, chronicling the significant events that gave shape to 2008. These posts will be full of thoughtful ruminations and poignant observations, reflections that will both inspire the soul and illumine the human condition.

This post, however, will not be one of them.

Instead, this is a pretty light-hearted look at the year that was and the tastes yours truly acquired over the course of the past 12 months. Maybe there will be one of those reflective posts here by year’s end, but for now, I give you a few things I simply fell in love with in 2008.

• Coffee – I’ve never been much of a coffee drinker until this year. At a conference in October, I grabbed a cup to help me stay awake during an afternoon session and since then I’ve been hooked. Consider it just another step toward acting like a “real adult”, I guess. I prefer my own combo brew at home (equal parts Folgers Classic Roast and Starbucks Medium House Blend) but honestly, I’ll take it any way I can find it.

• The Avett Brothers – I first came across the Avetts in 2007. Their stellar Emotionalism album made my “Best Of” list last year, but it has since moved up to become one of my favorite discs of all-time. The musical highlight of the year for me was catching their show in Nashville with Sunny in September. I can’t wait for their next release, an American Recordings production with uber-producer Rick Rubin rumored to be at the helm.

• 30 Rock – I’m always a little late to the party when it comes to new TV shows. I missed the first seasons of LOST, 24, and Heroes, waiting to see if they “caught on” before investing myself completely. Same thing happened with 30 Rock. I’d always heard it was a good show, but it wasn’t until the cultural zeitgeist of Tina Fey’s spot-on Sarah Palin impersonation this fall that I decided to give her “other show” a chance. I’m glad I did; 30 Rock is the funniest show since Arrested Development. Let’s only hope 30 Rock has a longer run on the air.

• eMusic – I’ve extolled the greatness of eMusic for the past several months on here. With songs for as little as 30 cents a piece and selections from thousands of artists, eMusic has become an essential source of new music for an enthusiast like me. Seven of my Top Twelve albums for the year were eMusic purchases and I’m continuing to find new artists that I like. If you’re looking for some new artists to spice up your boring old playlists, look no farther than eMusic.

• The ESV Study Bible – I’ve been using the ESV as my primary reading Bible for the past couple of years. So you can imagine my excitement when Crossway recently released the ESV Study Bible. Although the print volume is a beast (checking in at a robust 2750 pages!), purchasing it also gives you online access to the ESV text, study notes, articles, & maps. I’ve only had it a few weeks and it has already become a necessary tool for my Biblical study.

• Facebook – I joined Facebook a couple of years ago, mainly as a way to keep in touch with the teens in my youth group. But it wasn’t until this year that I really immersed myself in the world of social-networking. It’s easy to see why this is the time killer of choice for millions.

• Retailmenot.com – It’s amazing how much online shopping we do these days. As such, retailmenot.com – an online coupon code emporium – has become a staple for us. Check it out before you make those last minute Christmas gift purchases.

What have been some of your acquired tastes in 2008?