The Olympics are always fascinating to watch. Just when you think you know who will get the gold, something unexpected happens, and the favored athlete settles for a lesser medal, or no medal at all. What the commentators say is that the athletes train with a purpose and a discipline that most of us can't imagine, and that it is enough for the athletes to simply be in the game.

I contend that if the average person treated life more like an event to train for, our day-to-day lives would become more purposeful. Discipline and self control are vital to living out a life of faith. If we discipline our lives to include reading scripture, meditating, and praying, we will find the strength we need to handle the problems that life throws our way.

We cannot avoid conflict, but how we handle it says more about our relationships than anything else. If we do not work on being disciplined in faith on a daily basis, it is easy to become vulnerable to bad attitudes. This only leads to more problems.

Be deliberate in your attitudes. Happiness and contentedness do not just happen. Finding them takes discipline, training, and self control. God created us to have life, and to live that life in abundance. However, it does not just happen. What will you chose to do that will enhance your attitudes so that you can have that abundant life?