Hello ,

Reports of injuries to distracted walkers treated at hospital emergency rooms have more than quadrupled in the past seven years. About 1,152 people were treated in hospital emergency rooms in the U.S. last year for injuries suffered while walking and using a cellphone or some other electronic device. But that's likely an underestimate because patients may not mention they were using a cellphone or other device at the time at the time they were injured.

Some of the cases include ...

• a 24-year-old woman who walked into a telephone pole while texting;
• a 28-year-old man who was walking along a road when he fell into a ditch while talking on a cellphone;
• a 12-year-old boy who was looking at a video game when he was clipped by a pickup truck as he crossed the street;
• a bicyclist who was talking on his cellphone and ran into a 67-year-old pedestrian;
• a California man who was texting his boss and nearly strolled into the path of a 400-pound black bear. The distracted texter was only a few feet away when he looked up, saw the bear, and ran.

Being distracted can be potentially dangerous to our physical health.  Being constantly distracted in the spiritual realm has potential pitfalls too!  Life can get so busy that we often don't realize just how distracted we are with all that we have to do.  When our relationship with God is crowded out, challenging ourselves to re-examine why we're here, and what is important can be a great first step in making spiritual headway.

How about you today?  Are you busy?  Do you have more on your plate than you can possibly accomplish?  God knows all about it and wants to help you shoulder the load today.

Have a great day and God bless!

Pastor Mike / The Open Word