Today 12-22-2025

1 Thessalonians 5:18 NASB "in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus."It didn't go as planned! Today we read that we are to give thanks in everything! I had spent a few days building a backyard ice rink for my grandchildren. Each night, I went out and sprayed water, fixed some divots, and checked the thickness of the ice. Everything was going well and I was looking forward to skating with them at our Christmas celebration. Then the weather turned warm, rain began to fall and the ice rink slowly melted away. I could have gotten depressed but as I think back to all those days of getting the rink ready, I thought of my dad - who had spent many nights doing the same for myself and my brothers and sister. I thought of the hours of fun my older brother and I had playing backyard hockey. Those memories gave me reason to be thankful. As we prepare to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ, things may not go as planned, but we can be thankful for it all - the good, bad, and the melted! peace, tom