posted by Michele Olson michele@thinkmarriage.org
On Sept. 12,1962, President John F. Kennedy spoke before 40,000 people at a stadium in Houston and here's an excerpt of what he said:
"We choose to go to the moon. We choose to go to the moon in this decade and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard, because that goal will serve to organize and measure the best of our energies and skills, because that challenge is one that we are willing to accept, one we are unwilling to postpone, and one which we intend to win."
If you remember your history lesson, we did it. We went to the moon. Shortly before that time, in 1957, our divorce rate was at 25%. Now, in 2007, we are at a 50% divorce rate.
In the 50's, many people thought we could never accomplish a moon mission. A manned moon landing posed daunting and technical challenges. Most people derived their understanding of this undertaking from Walt Disney's program on TV which showed in scale models what a rocket to the moon would entail. They would believe it was true only when they saw it with their own eyes.
Meanwhile, other people didn't just sit around and wait for it to happen. Monies were appropriated, strategies were designed, and people in the space program began to work in earnest, step by step, even after many setbacks, to make this fantasy - a reality.
So, here we sit on the doorstep of a grassroots marriage movement in Wisconsin. Some people are sitting around wondering if there is anything we can really do about the breakdown of the family and the domino effect that follows. They'll believe it when they see it with their own eyes.
But we're hoping, you dream bigger, that you are a visionary too. Soon, we'll be revamping our website and rolling out a new idea: 
thinkmarriage is an easier way to remind you to think about marriage...and to spread the word. We're still Foundation for a Great Marriage as our "parent" entity, but thinkmarriage is what you're going to see and hear more about in the future, the "brand" name we are going forth with.
If you're single: Prepare for a possible marriage someday. Read the resources on our website telling you what you can be doing now so you don't have to be a statistic, or just "hope" you have a happy marriage. Check out our calendar for the classes that will be ongoing like How Not to Marry a Jerk or Jerkette.
If you're married already: Protect your marriage. 10 Great Dates is a class we have going on right now...you and your spouse head out on 10 great dates. Read about it at our website. http://www.thinkmarriage.org/ You'll also find a wealth of resources that will give you many things to do to enrich and protect your marriage.
If you've been married for a while think about Pass On, passing on the heritage of a great marriage to your family and circle of influence.
Talk about marriage.
Bring it up with your friends.
Think about marriage.
Tell people about us and what we're doing and tell us about what you're thinking about.
Email us, connect with us...let us hear from you. We've made our blog address easier too!
Investigate our website and see where we can work together to make things happen.
This isn't rocket science. It's a down-to-earth idea whose time has come. The majority of all our social ills fall on the doorstep of the breakdown of the family. Our site is full of statistics that tell the sad story. So as we roll out thinkmarriage, we need you.
thinkmarriage, just like President Kennedy's speech indicated about space travel will "serve to organize and measure the best of our energies and skills, because that challenge is one that we are willing to accept, one we are unwilling to postpone, and one which we intend to win."
... and with your help, we do intend to win.
The cost of losing is far too high.
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