thehereandafter

Thought provoking, no matter what your stance is. The following was written by Ben Stein and recited by him on CBS Sunday Morning   Commentary. My confession: I am a Jew, and every single one of my ancestors was Jewish.  And it does not bother me even a little bit when people call those beautiful lit up, bejeweled trees, Christmas trees...  I don't feel threatened..  I don't feel discriminated against.. That's what they are, Christmas trees. It doesn't bother me a bit when people say, ' Merry Christmas ' to me.  I don't think they are slighting me or getting ready to put me in a ghetto. In fact, I kind of like it.  It shows that we are all brothers and sisters celebrating this happy time of year. It doesn't bother me at all that there is a manger scene on display at a key intersection near my beach house in Malibu ..  If people want a crèche, it's just as fine with me as is the Menorah a few hundred yards away. I don't like getti...

We all like a certain amount of control in our lives. Some of us like more control than others. That control or the appearance of having control also helps us give to others the appearance that everything in our lives is under control. Many of you have probably seen the movie "Monster In-Law" with Jane Fonda and Jennifer Lopez. This movie, to me, is so funny I laugh through the whole thing even though I have seen it half a dozen times or so. Even thinking about it makes me laugh. In short, Jane Fonda is a wealthy, famous mother of a grown son. Her son is her everything and he is a good son to her. But, she is a very controlling mother and doesn't want to let go of him. He has fallen in love with Jennifer Lopez, a very sweet, innocent, beautiful young lady, who, of course, is not good enough for Jane Fonda's son. The son brings Jennifer home to met his mother and while they are there having tea asks Jennifer to marry him. This sends Jane Fonda into a tail-spin and you ...

One of the television shows I look forward to watching is the "Amazing Race" that comes on Sunday nights. It is exciting to following the contestants as they travel around the world to foreign places while competing in challenges. Every week the teams have trial and tribulations that they are faced with. They are pushed, pulled, and tested. For some of the teams the challenges bring out the best in them, in other teams it brings out the worst in them. This series is a lot like real life but condensed. LIFE in itself is an amazing race that we all are participates of. My amazing race, so far, has been one full of blessings and opportunities sprinkled with trials but then even the trials are covered in blessings. God breathes life into us and we are brought into this world. Whatever our circumstances, at some point in our lives, WE become responsible for making the decision each and every day on how we meet the challenges of life...how I run this "amazing race". ...

At the end of January 2011, we will be 3 years post accident. What a overwhelming thought, at times, when we FEEL still so off our game. We have literally come from the grave back to life, and God performed so many miracles that even last week our main trauma doctor was again giving God the glory and calling Amanda a walking miracle. Some much has been accomplished but yet there are still life issues to deal with...physical, emotional, and finanical. While my daughter was still in the hospital my husband was laid off his job. Not knowing what her medical condition was going to be we had no choice but to pay an outrageous monthly premium for health insurance. We were already drowning in medical bills, not to mention the daily cost of me living at the hospital. Then there are all the small expenses...I remember when she was moved to rehab and she needed clothes. Nothing she had fit because now she had an open-book pelvic fracture and a catherur that made moving difficult. She ...