With Christmas just a day away and the New Year almost here, we need to take stock of all that we have to be thankful for.

There is little doubt that many have been challenged in these tough and tumble times. You may even know a person or family that has suffered a job loss or more. With money scarce for many, and everyone running around like Chicken Little crying, “The sky is falling!” please keep it all in perspective.

Very few economic gurus even saw any of this coming, and most of us thought that the party was to going to go on forever….

The present situation reminds me a little bit of the story of Job, in which the Devil challenges God to determine the real force of Job’s faith. Though diabolically tested by the Devil, Job passed every test and God restored all to him all that he had lost and more.

The question that nags at the souls of good men and women is how they will react when tested likewise. So keep this economic stuff in perspective.

Even so, I’ve always enjoyed Christmas, and this season, when the weather is getting colder and there may be a hint of a white Christmas.

But this year, as the cold brings the challenges of higher utility bills, keep in mind that there really is much to be thankful for. We live relatively free lives in a land of plenty, with the freedoms and comforts that few in this world ever know.

Also, as we move into the New Year and look upon the challenges yet to come, remember that the Lord never places trials in our path’s that are to great too overcome.

In this Christmas season of many challenges, I pray that we all keep perspective and faith. I pray that with hard work, diligence, and a good dose of Christmas spirit celebrating the birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ all through the year, it will get better.

I also bid all of my neighbors, friends and fellow Suffolkians a very Merry Christmas and a happy and prosperous New Year.