MSI Press Blog

  Today's book excerpt comes from  An Afternoon's Dictation  by  Steven Greenebaum . This book has been in the Amazon top 100 among interfaith and ecumenical books on many occasions. PART TWO: DEALING WITH DEATH AND DYING CHAPTER SIX   For me, while the thought of a soul being with God forever was indeed warmly comforting, the idea of a soul dwelling in, or confined to, a gated heaven was not. I’d grown up and indeed lived most of my life surrounded by people who talked about heaven’s “pearly gates.” Heaven as a gated community? The image was perfect—perfectly horrible. Only the “anointed” need apply. And who was the guardian of the gates, checking off who would be admitted and who would be turned away? Peter, a white male Christian saint. No, thanks. I’ve never liked gated communities on Earth. I certainly wasn’t interested in one for our souls. So, what to do with, “You cannot live forever, but you can be with Me forever.”? If religion is but a language for sp...

  Peek into the future...and wait just a bit. Coming up some time this year is the publication of Stealing Doah , a new book by Elizabeth Mahlou.  The first time. Doah, a CHARGE Syndrome baby, at six months, was losing weight daily while in the hospital, where the staff was insisting in the kind of care that the mother and pediatrician and already determined would result in failure to thrive. Then, the hospital proposed surgery as the best approach, and the pediatrician, with a little research, learned that the suggested surgery had 25% chance of success and a pretty high risk of death. (Years later, research would show that most surgeries had a 35% chance of resulting in long-term dependence on a life machine and a poor prognosis.) The hospital decided to seek custody from the courts (without informing the parents). Elizabeth found out because she read -- and understood -- all Doah's medical records, and the doctors had left a trail. Propelled by gut instinct, Elizabeth stole...