Thank you!

Today—my last day of work this week before some vacation days and time spent with family celebrating Thanksgiving—I'd actually like to stop for a moment and think about some of the things I'm thankful for. So I'm making a list for you all to read. (Please stop rolling your eyes!) Here we go!

• My family, particularly my new nephew, Eli. In all seriousness, I have wonderful parents who love God and serve Jesus. They brought me up with a beautiful heritage of faith, and I love and respect them. My brother is one of my best friends, and his wife makes me smile. You may not understand this now (I didn't when I was in high school), but I hope that there will come a day when you are simply grateful that God gave you the parents He did. That you thank Him for the people He chose to be your siblings.

• Jesus. Yes, it's the Sunday School answer, and I hate those as much as you do, but it's true. It struck me yesterday in church how thankful I am for what Jesus did. He made a way for salvation. My salvation! Jesus laid His life down so that we could live! What greater love than that? I am thankful for parents who lived out their faith and taught me what it meant to be a Christian, but I am eternally thankful for Jesus' life, death, and resurrection. I am thankful for the power of Christ in me. And I hope that I never get over the wonder and overwhelming love I feel when I think about His sacrifice.

• The TV show "Chuck." I can't explain why I like it; I just do. Chuck Bartowski is adorkable.

• My friends. God has blessed me with wonderful friends who are like my family in Nashville.

• My church. I love being part of a church that is really seeking God's leading. I love serving alongside these people, singing in the choir, and simply reading God's Word together. I love the sweet spirit that has come over the church and the expectation that God is calling us to something big. I am thankful for all of that. And the fact that I get to be a part of it.

• Cherry Coke Zero. The St. Louis Cardinals. My dog. (OK, those are silly, but I am seriously thankful for every last one of them!)

So what are you thankful for? List your thankful things in the comments. We'd love to know what's going through your heads.