I have been in the process of creating a new blog for my faith based content to live on and using this one for my family focused stuff.  It isn’t because I don’t think it’s important to share my faith with my family, but rather I think that most of the people out there that would be interested in what I will be doing with the other blog don’t really care to see the new pictures of Rachael or Isaiah, and at the same time, I want this site to be more accesible to my friends and family without them having to sift through all of the other content to get to updates on my family.

Anyway, you can expect change in the future, and it won’t be in the form of bailouts or crazy social programs.

I came across this news story that I wanted to pass on, because we need to be reminded that the things that we love in life, when not given the proper attention, can be gone in a second.  I am asking you, and commiting myself, to slow down and not miss the life that God has planned for us by being so focused on the distractions around us and to spend more of our energy focused on those that we love.  After all, most of us are all just one distraction away from making a mistake that we will forever regret.  Slow down and pay more attention, to the road yes, but more so to the lives of those that you love.

http://www.grandforks.com/mld/grandforks/14926060.htm

Apparently, Peter Jennings was a smoker for most of his life. And, although he quit in the 80’s, the damage that the cigarettes did to his body could not be completely reversed. During an announcement, in April, Peter Jennings revealed to the world that he had lung cancer, but seemed very hopeful that the medical community could cure him as it has with some before. No doubt with his stature and wealth he had the best doctors and treatments available trying to make that hope of beating the cancer a reality. But, no matter how advanced our medical technology gets, it cannot be sure to counteract the damage that we do to our bodies.

The obvious point here is that no matter who you are, if you are a smoker, there is no technology that can be counted on to free you of the consequences of your decision to smoke. And yes, it is a decision. It may be addicting, but it is a decision that a person makes to continue to give in to their addiction. I would implore you, along with Peter Jennings, whose final years were spent trying to encourage people to quit smoking, to put them down and get help, no matter who you are. It is a vise that can and will kill you; we only hope that the people that we love will not have to die the same painful way as did Peter Jennings.

Dustin