Today on Kresta - December 13, 2010

Talking about the "things that matter most" on Dec. 13

4:00 – Federal Health Care Bill Struck Down As Unconstitutional: Headed for Supreme Court?
The Obama administration’s requirement that most citizens maintain minimum health coverage as part of a broad overhaul of the industry is unconstitutional a federal judge ruled, striking down the linchpin of the plan. U.S. District Judge Henry Hudson in Richmond, Virginia, today rule that the requirement in President Barack Obama’s health-care legislation goes beyond Congress’s powers to regulate interstate commerce. While severing the coverage mandate, which was to become effective in 2014, Hudson didn’t address other provisions such as expanding Medicaid. We talk about this case with Rob Muise of the Thomas More Law Center and Timothy Tracey at Ave Maria Law School

4:20 – Little Star
A king is about to be born! The stars in the heavens are competing to shine the brightest to celebrate his birth. But when they see the poor family, the donkey, the shabby stable, the stars all think, That can’t possibly be a king. We’ve been fooled. All except one. The smallest, loneliest star in the sky, Little Star, is the only one to understand what the king was about to bring to the world. But what can Little Star do for him? Certain to become a Christmas classic, this delightful tale from Anthony DeSteffano connects the star atop our Christmas trees to the true meaning of Christmas, the birth of Jesus, in the hearts and minds of young children.

4:40 – Thrift Store Saints
Thrift Store Saints is a collection of true stories based on Jane Knuth’s experiences serving the poor at a St. Vincent de Paul thrift store in the inner city of Kalamazoo, Michigan. At the outset, Knuth is a reluctant new volunteer at the store, sharing that her middle-class, suburban, church-going background has not prepared her well for this kind of work. By the end, Knuth has undergone a transformation of sorts, and neither she nor we can ever view the poor in the same way again. Knuth s transformation is rooted in the prevailing message of Thrift Store Saints: When we serve the poor, they end up helping us as much as we help them. Throughout the book we are introduced to new saints, as Knuth thoughtfully, at times humorously, describes how her encounters with the poorest people led her to the greatest riches of God s grace.

5:00 – Finding Freedom From Substance Abuse
The Life Process Model© is a nationally accredited, 8-week residential drug treatment program that offers an alternative to 12-step drug rehab and alcoholism treatment programs. Unlike traditional alcohol and drug addiction recovery programs, you now have a choice for permanent recovery from drug or and alcohol abuse without a lifetime of AA/NA meetings and relapse! It’s offered at the St. Gregory Retreat Center in Des Moines, IA and Co-Founder and CEO Mike Vasquez is here to tell us about it.