For those of you who have Facebook, you may understand the addiction. I check my wall nearly every day to see who has something to say. One thing I read on a friend’s post from Lovely Quotes of Love was, “We are not given a good life or a bad life. We are given a life. It is up to us to make it good or bad.”

At first, I thought, “How true.” Then I remembered those at the Soup Kitchen who struggle from one day to the next. They weren’t dealt the same hand we were. Or were they? We all have the freedom of choice. What we choose now will determine future options. It may be easy for us to brush others off by saying, “They made bad choices.” But we do not know their story or why they are in difficult circumstances.

Still, I believe the quote is true. We were given life. We do not have to settle for what we are dealt. We can improve our life by what we remember. “Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.” (Philippians 4:8 NIV) We can make each day good or bad by what we fix our minds on.

I’d like to take one more step by adding a few words at the end, “It is up to us to make it good or bad for other people.” We can actually increase the joy in our lives by helping those who can use assistance. It can be by giving them food or clothing, or by giving them what every person needs; respect and encouragement.

Life is about decisions. What choices are you making today that will improve someone’s life?