My Choice

Sometimes things just do not go the way I think they should.  For instance, cars break down, people get sick, trips have to be canceled, plans changed, etc.  You get my drift…  It happens to everyone.  Why then, do I get so bent out of shape when it does happen?  Sometimes I find myself grumping around the house in a bad mood because things just didn’t go my way.  Thankfully, that is the exception rather than the rule, but when I do catch myself grousing about my “miserable circumstances,” I am generally ashamed of myself.
In many ways, your life is what you make of it.  If you dwell on the bad things, you will be unhappy.  If you think on those things which are pure, honest, lovely, of good report, etc, you will be happy. 
Too much of our time is clogged with feeling sorry for ourselves and wishing things were different.  It has been my goal to see the positive side of things as often as possible.  Sometimes that is very hard.  I do not consider myself to be an optimist – I am much too skeptical.  I consider myself to be more of a realist who accepts things as they come and tries to deal with them in a positive attitude.  So, when I saw this sign at Hobby Lobby, I knew I had to have it.  It totally encapsulates my philosophy.  I want my children to make it their philosophy as well, so I want to keep it highly visible in our home.  Hopefully, it will cut down on the whining.  I’m not holding my breath, though. :)

What a wonderful thought – we cannot control our circumstances, but we can control our outlook.  I want happiness – the joy of the Lord – to be my choice!