We who have lived in concentration camps can remember the men who walked through the huts comforting others, giving away their last piece of bread. They may have been few in number, but they offer sufficient proof that everything can be taken from man but one thing: the last of human freedoms - to choose one's attitude in any given set of circumstances - to choose one's own way. Viktor Frankl

To often, we believe that happiness comes from external factors: The weather, the economy, the quality of our health or in things going our way. While it is true that these things can provide temporary happiness, lasting contentment does not depend on our circumstances, rather, it depends on our attitude to those circumstances.

It is sad to see a child throw a tantrum because he did not get his way, or a teenager crushed for weeks on end because the "love of their life" has left them. Sadder still is when we see adults wither from the disappointments of life and then go moping through their days because their lot in life is not what they had planned. The fact is that we will have disappointments from time to time, and some of them will bring us to our knees - but this must not be allowed to continue for extended periods. We can choose to be content!

I believe the reason that so many people suffer from extended depression is that they fail to take the time to count their blessings. Of course there will be times of mourning - the Scriptures promise us that this is so. But, bad news must not be permitted to dominate our existence, for we are children of the King! We are going to Heaven, should we choose to live for God in His way, and we will be with our loved ones there, should they choose to do the same.

So, the next time we feel like wallowing in our own self-pity, why not instead offer a humble prayer of thanksgiving for the things that are so very good in our lives? Why not choose an attitude of joy and thankfullness in the Savior who gives us strength? We can, you know, if we choose to.

I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all things through Him who gives me strength. Philippians 4:12-13, NIV