My Star Wars Confession

So call me strange, out of touch, sheltered or whatever you want, but up until about three weeks ago, I had never seen a single episode of Star Wars!  The primary reason I never watched a single episode of Star Wars was that I had no clue what it was about and from my perspective,  it looked weird and made absolutely not sense.  So when my fourteen year old son recently watched all of the episodes with his cousin, he borrowed his cousins DVD's and asked if I wanted to watch with him.  I did what every great father does and told him, "absolutely-NOT!"   After several days of his persistent pleading, I finally gave in and told him I would watch ONE of the movies.

Honestly, I only agreed just to let him know that I loved him enough to sit down with him to watch something I had no interest in at all. ( I figured it couldn't be worse than watching Titanic with my wife!)  He tried to explain the idea of how the episode was everything that happened at the end of all of the episodes, or something to that effect.  I was more confused at that point and almost told him to forget it!

To make a long story short, I started watching with him and lo and behold, it actually made a little bit of sense.  Of course after watching, I had to find out what happened in the next movie and of course the next as well!  Over the course of a few weeks, we ended up watching maybe five movies.  Sure enough, my complete and utter confusion had been transformed into a mild case of confusion!

Once we finished all of the episodes and Darth Vader met his demise, a thought hit me that became the main point of this blog.  As I mentioned before, the reason I never watched was because I didn't understand the point of Star Wars.  It made me think about how we have a tendency to avoid people or things that we do not understand.  We don't hang out with people of other races because we don't understand them.  We shout down those who vote differently instead of trying to understand why it is that they think and vote differently.  We refuse to worship with others because how they worship looks or seems foreign to us.  We don't try new foods because it looks weird compared to what we are used to.  On and on the vicious cycle of ignorance goes.  How many experiences have we missed out on because it is easier to avoid something than it is to embrace it and draw a conclusion following the experience?  How much more enriched would our life be if we took a little time to view things or individuals from another perspective?

The first episode of Star Wars came out in 1977.  I was six years old.  Almost 40 years later I finally have a better understanding of something I never had any desire to understand.  I let my guard down and tried something new and I find myself in a position where I am kind of anxious for the 2017 release of Episode VIII.  Make no mistake, I'm still a little confused, and I won't be waiting outside the theater in a Darth Vader suit for days before the premier, but I look forward to sitting down with my son again and watching the next episode-once it comes out at Redbox of course!

I hope you enjoyed reading!  Here another post I wrote in the past if you want a little bit more! Where is Your Happiest Place On Earth?

Life Lessons From a Football Practice

This past weekend we attended a scrimmage for the Fresno State Football team.  Following the practice,  the fans were allowed onto the field to meet the players and coaches.  My son wanted to wait and meet the quarterback of the team, Chason Virgil.  The field quickly cleared out, but Chason was still running sprints with another player from the team.  After about  thirty minutes,  it finally looked like they were finished any my son would get his picture.

Chason slowly made his way across the field, but he wasn't walking.  He and his teammate were on the ground rolling towards us from the far north end zone.  It took about ten more minutes, but eventually they made it across the field and finished about ten yards past the south end zone.  For those who aren't familiar with football, the field is 100 yards long, so they rolled approximately 115 yards!  It was barely audible, but as they came closer you could hear one say, "I throw interceptions" and the other, "I turn the ball over" each time they rolled over. It became very apparent they were paying the price for their mistakes during the practice.

By the time they finished there was only about five people left in the stadium as everyone else had escaped the brutal heat of a typical Fresno summer.  I told Chason that I felt bad asking after what he had just endured, but my son wanted to take a picture with him.  He responded politely, "no problem!"  After giving him a few minutes to gulp a sports drink and rest, we got our pictures and headed on our way.

 There were several things I took away from this experience.

1.  It makes no difference if we are the quarterback of the team or an employee in the office, even the best of us make mistakes-and our mistakes always have consequences.

2.  Too often we only see athletes and musicians at their best, but we don't see the hours of preparation that is required.  Most Bulldog fans will see Chason tossing touchdown passes or scrambling for long runs under the bright lights on Saturday nights, but hardly anyone witnessed what we saw that day.  The games will look easy because of all the hard work done behind the scenes.

3.  Sometimes we will face pain and punishment all alone. Sometimes others are suffering and we leave them alone.   The rest of the team had already left for the cold showers while their teammates were rolling across the field in the heat.  We should be there for the ups and the downs.

4.  We don't always look like what we have been through.   After enduring all the extra work he had to put in, Chason put a big smile on his face and took a great picture with my kids.  The picture shows a young man who appears to have no worries and certainly doesn't indicate the extreme discomfort he was undoubtedly feeling.

I hope Chason Virgil has an incredible career at Fresno State and beyond.  Regardless of what the future holds for him, I know he has at least three life long fans-me and my sons.  I know they will never forget seeing him roll across the ground and then gladly take a picture with them.  Someone did a good job raising him and I can only pray that my kids are as considerate and gracious as this young man showed himself to be.

Thanks for reading!

Just Take One Small Step!

My recent decision to try and get a little healthier and more physically fit prompted this thought.  It took me a few years to get into the shape I am in now.  Bad eating habits, no exercise habit and other faulty choices got me to where I am today.  There are no health issues that prompted this change, just a desire to change the course I was on, a course that would undoubtedly lead to health issues sometime in the near future.

One of the pitfalls of making a major change is the desire to undo years of neglect within a matter of a few weeks or months.  In fact, sometimes we don't even try to make changes in our habits or lifestyle because the mountain that our issue has become seems too high to overcome.  We stay overweight because we believe that we can never lose all the table muscle we have accumulated over the years.  We stay in the sea of debt because our bills have ballooned into a seemingly insurmountable balance.  We stay in a job we hate because our mindset is so polluted with negativity that we think we can't do anything about it.  Our marriages suffer because the problems seem much too big to keep us out of divorce court.

The reality is however, that if you can make up in your mind that you want change, you can definitely change. It is as simple as taking one small step away from where you are, into the direction you want to go and then repeating the process.  Drink one less soda, or take a five minute walk to kick start your weight loss program.  Have one less Starbucks per week, or pack a lunch for work one day a week and put that money towards your debt.  Fix up your resume or start investigating how to start that small business you keep dreaming about.  Avoid another argument by overlooking something that seems significant (but in reality is not a big deal) that your spouse does.

All of these steps seem insignificant, but if you take just that one step, you will be one step further away from the drama and mess that you are in, and one step closer to where it is you want or need to be.  It is really that easy, and honestly that hard.  Lao Tzu said that "The journey of a thousand miles begins with ONE step."  The choice is yours, stay where you are and wonder how everyone else got to where they are in life, or just take one small step towards your new future!

Thanks for reading!  Here is an inspiring story about a kid who now lives in Fresno, but walked 1600 to get to a better future!  http://abc30.com/news/edison-high-student-tell-incredible-story-of-1600-mile-trek-to-america/1319687/

A Dog Gone Lesson

Those that know me best or that follow me on social media know that I have a knack for finding a message or lesson in everyday occurrences.  Today is no different as we celebrate the return of our dog Joey after he somehow escaped yesterday and disappeared for approximately eighteen hours.

Last night the house was full of emotion as we gave up our search and grappled with all of the worse case scenario thoughts that kept passing through our minds.  We know that most dogs are intelligent and that there was a pretty good chance Joey was out just looking for some female companionship and would return.  Understandably, the thoughts of him never returning, being hit by a car or some other tragic end kept creeping into our heads as bedtime neared.  By the time the kids got into bed everyone was crying and they finally fell asleep, exhausted from the trauma of losing their friend.

I could not let a bad time go to waste however, and before the kids fell asleep I made sure to use this scenario as a teaching moment.  I made sure they knew that if they ever thought about running away, not coming home, or not advising us of their whereabouts, they would put us in a position to experience the very same emotions they were feeling with Joey being gone.  The stress of not knowing if they were safe, if we would ever see them again or if they were in danger are very real fears that they were now feeling for themselves.

I felt a strong sense of relief as the sun rose today and Joey emerged from around the corner of the house.  There was a sense of joy and excitement at 6:30 a.m. as the kids woke up and realized their puppy was back.  At the same time, there was a sense of sadness I felt as I thought about this whole story.  Our dog ran away and our emotions went crazy wondering where he was and if he was OK.  I realized that sometimes our actions cause others a great deal of stress and anxiety.  I realized that we need to think before we take action.  Our actions have a way of negatively impacting and disrupting the lives of our family members, our friends, our coworkers and everyone else that we interact with on a personal or professional level.  The opposite is true as well.  Our actions can also encourage, empower or positively impact the lives of those around us.  The question is, are we selfless enough to think before we act?  It is a good Dog Gone Lesson to learn.

Thanks for reading!

Ten Things I'm Doing To "Lose Weight" This Year

The new year is almost a full day old and the resolutions and goals are being worked on as we speak.  I need to lose a few pounds and am making a few changes to accomplish my personal goals.  The weight I have already started to lose goes beyond the pounds measured on a scale.  Below you will find a list of what I am doing to shed some extra weight I am carrying around.  Feel free to join me on this weight loss program or develop a list of your own!

1.  I am letting go of the mistakes I made last year and will not carry the weight of guilt into 2016.

2.  I am letting go of dead relationships that are weighing me down and investing in healthy relationships.

3.  I am refusing to carry the weight of worry about things that are completely out of my control.

4.  I am continuing on the path of getting rid of debt that is weighing down my financial future.

5.  I am getting rid of excess clutter that is just sitting around taking up space.

6.  I am going to do better at saying "no" to things that don't matter so I can say "yes" to the important things.

7.   I am trying to stop carrying the weight of worry other peoples opinion about me or my decisions.

8.   I won't let fear of the unknown prevent me from taking risks and will put my faith in God instead.

9.   I am going to take responsibility for my future and allow God to carry the weight of what I can't handle.

10. I am going to eat a little bit better, exercise a little more and replace a few sodas with water.

Happy New Year!

Remember Who Stayed In The Rain!

Last week a friend offered me a couple of tickets to the Fresno State Football game against UNLV.  Fresno State Football has hit a rough patch, and I suspect there may have been as many free tickets available as there were empty seats at the stadium.  Lose a couple of games, lose a few key players to injury, run into a few issues and the casual fan tends to give up and stay away.

This game seemed to be going the way of the previous three games that all resulted in losses.  Although the game was tied at halftime, many fans made their way to the exits, easily leaving more empty than occupied seats in the stadium.  UNLV had built a substantial lead by the end of the third quarter, so just about everyone else headed out, leaving a crowd the size of a high school rivalry game in the 41,031 seat stadium.  The fans that remained came to life as the Bulldogs rallied and eventually took a three point lead with little time left in the game!

To make a long story short, UNLV brought the ball down the field and was within field goal range, when suddenly the heavens opened up and an absolute downpour fell on the stadium.  Like cockroaches scattering in the light, more people scurried to the exits and left the team to try and hold on in front of the couple of hundred people who stuck around in the pouring rain.  A strong defensive stand and the pouring rain proved to be too much for UNLV, as the Bulldogs hung on for a well deserved and much needed win.

This game reminded me of how life can sometimes be.  You suffer a few losses and fall into a little trouble and people stop showing up and find every reason possible to stay away.  Even the individuals who still come will likely walk away when things start falling apart and it looks like you are a lost cause.  Let a serious storm hit your life and most of the people who are still there will soon vanish, leaving you with almost no support.  While it is easy to focus on everyone who left you, I want to encourage someone to focus on the few who stayed with you in the rain.  Thank the individuals who weathered the storm with you and were present during your toughest battles.  Forget the ones that left you and celebrate, appreciate and always remember the ones who stayed with you in the rain!

Thanks for reading!

See You At The Top!

A few days ago we were at a local amusement park for an afternoon of fun with the kids.  My daughter told us that she wanted to climb the rock wall that is pictured above.  After insisting that she was too light, too short, to young and basically any other excuse I could muster, we relented and let her try.  She was tired from a long day at school and had never climbed before, so I figured she would struggle to pull herself off of the ground and would soon give up.  As you can see from the picture, she nearly made it to the top of the 32 foot wall!  A few days later she made another series of attempts and was able to ring the buzzer at the top of the wall!  I learned a few lessons that I thought I would share.

The first lesson is that we need to avoid making assumptions.  How often do we discourage our kids from even trying something we think they can't accomplish?  How many dreams have our assumptions killed?  I assumed my daughter didn't have the physical strength to make it to the top and almost prevented her from reaching a milestone in her young life.

The next lesson is that persistence pays off.  How many adventures have we missed out on by giving up too soon?  My daughter would have never reached the top had she given up and not repeatedly begged to try.  She would have never experienced the thrill of scaling a wall that is about ten times her size!

The third and final lesson is that we need to have faith in ourselves and in our God given abilities; even when nobody else believes.  How many times have we given up for lack of belief in ourselves?  In spite of my lack of faith in her, my daughter believed that she could climb that wall.  She stared the challenge in the face, ignored the obvious difficulty of the task and proved that she could do what only she believed she could do.

So, don't be a dream killer, keep pressing forward in spite of the naysayers, believe in yourself and we will see you at the top!

Thanks for reading!  Click this link to catch up on an old post that may encourage you if you think you are  insignificant:  http://jonathanpantages.blogspot.com/2014/12/the-drum-line.html

Do You Have A Bird Brain?

Today I went to the neighborhood park to continue my recently revived exercise routine.  Real exercise enthusiasts would consider my activity a leisurely stroll, but to me it was a serious workout!  As I ran-(ok walked) on the cement trail, I came across the scene depicted in the picture you see in this post.  Most of you know that I tend to find messages in unique scenarios that I come across in life.  Today was no different.

I noticed that the ducks, or possibly geese were huddled up together just outside the fence to the ponding basin that borders the park.  They were all obviously birds, but as you can see in the picture, there were a couple of brown or gray birds, a black bird and one that was white.  It was interesting to me that they didn't seem to mind that they were all different colors.  They were perfectly content, at least from my perspective, to hang out together in spite of their obvious outward differences.  Beneath all of their feathers were creatures simply known as birds.

It struck me that perhaps having a bird brain was not so bad after all.  Apparently a bird's brain is wise enough to see beyond the differences of other birds and realize that they were all birds.  They realized that it was better to be together with birds that were different, than to be alone.  They realized that separating each other by feather color or bird type was not necessary.  Apparently the brain of a bird is smart enough not to worry about what other birds may have said about birds of another color or other species of birds. 

I could go on, but I think you get the point.  Us humans are supposed to be wiser than birds, but from the way we treat people of different political parties, different religious beliefs, different races or anyone who is just different, having a bird brain appears to be a better option.  Obviously I'm being a bit sarcastic to make a point, but do you have a bird brain, or do you simply have a human brain that is incapable of seeing beneath the surface of our uniqueness and simply see that in spite of our differences, we are all human?

Thanks for reading!

Your Prayer Is More Powerful Than Your Opinion

So the Fresno Police Department is facing another scandal involving an officer; this time a high ranking officer in the department.  Of course the social media sites are full of people who are sharing their opinions on the matter.  Some of the comments are vicious and really reveal the ignorance and hatred towards police in general, but now at Chief Jerry Dyer.

The reality is, while he is the chief, he cannot possibly babysit the 1000 or so employees that are members of the department any more than the manager of your place of employment can!  Sure he is responsible as the leader of the group, but some of the criticisms are completely unrealistic, unfair and are nothing more than personal attacks on him.  None of us know all of the facts, so it is humorous to see all of the arm chair law enforcement officers spouting off about what is happening in a case that the chief did not even know about, until after the arrest was made.

While we fully expect that people will have their opinions about things, what is troubling is how people will personally attack an individual.  What is even more troubling is when so called "Christians" begin throwing stones of personal attack too.  1 Timothy 2: 1-3 says:  "The first thing I want you to do is pray. Pray every way you know how, for everyone you know. Pray especially for rulers and their governments to rule well so we can be quietly about our business of living simply, in humble contemplation. This is the way our Savior God wants us to live."

We are certainly entitled to our beliefs and opinions, but our PRAYERS are much more powerful than our opinions.  So, if you support Chief Dyer and think he is doing a good job, then pray for him.  If you think he is not doing a good job and you are not a fan, pray for him.  Pray for him and the majority of the good men and women who put on the badge, strap on the gun and go out to protect us every day.  If prayer isn't for you, or you still feel that you could do a better job, I encourage you to go to the Police Academy.  If you survive the academy, then go get a job as a cop and show us all how you can do it better.  I promise you I will pray for you.

Sometime's You Have To Speak Up!

In today's world, a good argument could be made for staying quiet when you see something take place that is not right.  Getting involved could mean taking a bullet, being stabbed or otherwise injured.  Too often we stand by and just let things happen, for fear of retaliation.

The other day I was sitting in line behind a Chevy Tahoe while waiting to get gas at Costco.  I could not see around the vehicle, so I never saw the car in front of the Tahoe drive off.  I was next in line and there were a few cars behind me.  All of a sudden a car raced all the way up, passed everyone in line and pulled up to the pump in front of the Tahoe.  Soon the Tahoe left and I pulled up behind the driver.  I kept thinking to myself, "shut up", but even though I knew it probably wouldn't change anything, I decided to speak up.

I told the older "gentleman" that I was next in line and not in a big hurry, so it didn't bother me, but that his actions were a bit unfair to the other three occupants of the cars he crowded in front of.  I pointed out that perhaps they were in a hurry and he had just rudely crowded in front of everyone.  He responded with something to the effect of "well you all should have been paying attention."  I explained that the small car was hidden by the Tahoe and that we never saw it leave, but he responded with "well that is all your problem!"   I said to him,  "and we wonder why today's kids think it is OK to go around bullying people!"  He yelled something back, got in his car and drove off.  I didn't realize how many people had seen what he had done and their reactions made my actions seem somewhat heroic.  An older couple that he had crowded had pulled around to another pump right next to mine and thanked me for saying speaking up.

The whole scenario made me think a bit.  Why did that man have no fear to do what he did, but I initially feared speaking up?  Why is it that we will sit silently and watch people take advantage of others?    This was just a simple gas station situation, but how can we expect anyone to speak up for the real injustices in life if we ourselves are not willing to speak up for the little things.  While I don't suggest we go around causing fights by rudely challenging everyone who does something wrong in our eyes, but I simply think we need to think twice next time we decide to clam upon witnessing a case of injustice.  I'm no hero, just someone who hopes someone else will speak up if I ever find myself at the losing end of a situation that is not right.  Ultimately it is our choice, speak up and possibly provoke change, or stand quietly and let injustice rule.

The Drum Line

Just watched a video of my son performing in his school drum line.  He plays the bass drum.  It seems like a very insignificant part of the line compared to the higher profile snare drums and others that are more prominent.  However, if you take the low boom of the bass drum out of the line, the void is very noticeable and it doesn't sound the same.
In life, God created each and everyone of us to play our own unique part.  Some of us have roles that place us in the spotlight and others of our in the background, but we both matter and are significant in the whole picture.  No matter how insignificant you feel today, the role you play in this life is important, so don't give up, things will not sound the same without you....

Trusting God When You Don't Feel Good

It is easy to say we trust God when things are all good, but what about when they are not?  Can we trust God during financial crisis, marital issues, or health issues?  It is easy to blog about trust, or put cute postings and sayings on Facebook and Twitter, but what happens when the doctor comes back with a report with news that is not good?

I have not felt well physically for about 3 years, but I attributed most of my feeling tired and worn down to my busy schedule.  The demands of being a husband and dad, employee, small business owner, minister, friend etc. can wear you down a bit, but the tired never seemed to go away.  I finally saw a doctor and was told that I have Hypothyroidism, which basically means my thyroid is not functioning properly.  I won’t bore you with all the details, but the list of symptoms that I have are right in line with all the side effects of this disease/disorder.  It is a very common condition that in most cases is treatable and fairly easy to deal with.  I started a thirty day prescription of steroids that will hopefully control things and make me feel "normal" again.  If that is not effective, then we will cross that bridge when we get there.

So why blog about this?  I want to make it clear that this is not written to garner sympathy.  First off, I believe in the power of prayer, so it is a request for prayer.  I don't particularly want to take medication for the rest of my life, so it is going to take a healing to avoid that.  Secondly it is a request for anyone who is dealing with this for help.  Any suggestions, tips or other information you can offer me is welcome.  Your ability to deal with this could be an encouragement to me when I’m having trouble trusting.  Finally, it is a reminder that there are some things we can control with our health, but there are other things we cannot.  We should go to the doctor when we don't feel good, and try to eat better and exercise.  It is with the things that we cannot control that we have the choice, to trust God or to not trust.

I've said it before and I will repeat it now, "God is good when I'm healthy and He is equally good when I'm not!”  Now it is time to put my faith in action and keep on trusting Him. I trusted Him when I felt good, so now it's time to keep trusting Him even though I don't feel good.

Thanks for reading, go see your doctor and keep on trusting...

Lessons From Watching Wrestling!

Saturday my son wrestled in the district championships for his school district. He has only wrestled for two seasons, but he finished fourth in his weight class, so I'm obviously proud of him!  As I watched, I noticed four basic outcomes that repeated themselves thru out the day.  It occurred to me that they resembled scenarios we often face in life.

The first example is when one wrestler thoroughly dominated the other and pins his or her (yes there were plenty of girls participating) opponent.  It reminded me that in life, there are certain tasks or positive habits that we have mastered and we are easily able to maneuver ourselves through those areas in life.  Some people work out without fail and don't have to think twice about whether to exercise or not.  It has become such a habit that they feel incomplete if they do not work out. 

The next example is when you are on the losing end of the domination.  You get tossed all over the mat and eventually lose by a large point disadvantage, or you get pinned by the opponent.  It reminded me that there are bad habits or other situation; some created by our own actions, that seem to just hover over our lives and won’t go away.  It seems there is no use in fighting because the opposition is so strong.  It is here where we can do the easy thing and quit, or we can try to figure out why we feel so powerless, identify our weaknesses that are preventing us from overcoming, focus on strengthening our weak points and look to God to handle what we can’t.  Take the easy way out and we will constantly find ourselves battling and losing to the same opponent every time.

The last two examples involve the back and forth battles between two equal opponents.  They wrestle back and forth, each of them scoring points as they try to out maneuver each other.  While both are comparable athletes, it is either a mistake by one wrestler, or a successful move by the other that often determines the outcome.  This reminded me that in life, we win some and we lose some.  We do the right thing and our efforts are rewarded.  Sometimes we make mistakes and suffer the consequences as a result.  We struggle against old bad habits and sometimes we succumb to temptation.  The upside is that we are struggling now and are sometimes victorious, whereas before we were dominated by the habit or temptation and didn't even bother fighting it.  We have grown to the point where we realize that when we win, we must stay humble, because we are human and a setback may be around the corner.  Perhaps more importantly, we realize that our setbacks do not need to be permanent, so we rise again knowing we have a chance to redeem ourselves next time.

I suspect there are areas in our lives that fit each of the examples I listed.  Take some time and do a little self analysis. Be conscience of what allowed you to achieve victory so you can keep dominating those areas of life.  Strengthen your weak points so you can reach a level where you can fight back against your struggles.  Finally, whatever you do, don't give up when you stumble or fail!  Keep getting back up after every defeat, because in the game of life, just getting back up can be a victory in itself!


Thanks for reading!  If you want something else to read, click here for my last post!  Go Fix It

Go Fix It!

If we step away from the hustle and bustle of our busy lives and look around, we will see that there things all around us that are in need of fixing.  From the graffiti on the wall, to the kid at your children's school who has no jacket in the middle of the winter, to the elderly lady next door whose fence is in disrepair, the opportunities to love our neighbors and to let God's love shine in the world are endless.

Have ever see a situation and wondered, "Why doesn't someone do something about it?"? We wait for government to find a solution, but our government representatives seem to be more concerned about their own pet projects, or their future political aspirations.  We look to churches to assist, but many church organizations are too busy trying to increase membership to focus on truly ministering to the needs of our communities.  But who is the government?  Who are the members of the church?  I thought it was "we the people" and in the church, I thought that "we are the body of Christ"!

I would like to issue the challenge to anyone who took the time to read this.  Next time you see a need, don't wait for government to come up with a new program, YOU be the program that provides a solution.  Next time there is a person who needs a helping hand, BE Jesus’ representative and minister to their need yourself.  We can cry and complain that "someone ought to do something", or worse yet, see a need and act like we didn't notice, or we can call a few friends, roll up our sleeves and go fix it.

To fix it or not to fix it, the choice is yours! 

Because You Just Never Know!

Two extremely high profile traffic accidents took place in the Fresno area within the last few days.  Saturday night, a mom and her four children were headed to celebrate one of the kids birthday when they were killed after another driver apparently ran through a stop sign and struck their vehicle.  Her husband and the father of the children was in another vehicle behind them and desperately tried to save them from their vehicle that had exploded into flames.  Now this man is left to carry on without his wife and children.  Monday morning two California Patrol Officers were killed when they crashed while responding to an accident.  The victims in both collisions left behind friends and family and the officers also left behind their brothers and sisters in the law enforcement and first responder community.

I could not help but think about a few things as a result of these tragedies.  I'm sure the man who lost his family never thought he was seeing his family alive for the last time when they got into their vehicles to go celebrate.  The nature of law enforcement work makes the possibility of severe injury or death more likely, but I imagine the families of those officers fully expected them to return home following their shift.  I am guilty of taking life for granted.  I am guilty of taking my family and friends for granted.  Every time our family members walk out of the door to go to work, to go shopping or simply to walk down the street to get the mail, there is the potential that it could be the last time we see them alive.  Certainly we would do things differently if we knew that we would no longer see them again, but we live under the constant assumption that they will return every time.

So today, I dedicate this post to the memory of the victims of these tragic accidents and encourage you to join me and learn something from these horrific accidents.  Think about it next time you are about to leave the house angry at your spouse or a family member.  Think about it when you have an argument with a friend and walk away in anger.  Think about it as you pack your kids up for school in the morning and are too busy to hug and kiss them goodbye.  Think about it seriously, because you just never know when that goodbye will be the final goodbye.