Dena Ross: December 2007 Archives

In what’s starting to become a holiday favorite on Beliefnet, “Caroling with the Stars” features songs from the year’s best Christmas albums by today’s top artists. You can listen to the Brian Setzer Orchestra’s big band version of “Jingle Bells,” Yolanda Adams’ jazzy, bluesy version of “My Favorite Things,” or Johnny Cash’s country classic, “Blue Christmas,” among other wonderfully diverse wintertime hits. We even have a heavy metal rendition of “White Christmas”—so cool!

To check out all the songs, click here.

In her book, "Mosaic: Pieces of My Life So Far," Christian music star Amy Grant talks about her battle with depression over the years. She mentions the winter months are a particularly rough time for her. "Maybe subconsciously that is part of the reason I've made so much Christmas music," she writes, "to focus on hope and joy and store up a lot of good thoughts for he dark months ahead."

When I interviewed Amy a couple of months ago, she spoke to me about the healing power of music:

George Mitchell's report on steroid use among Major League Baseball was released today, linking a number of popular players to performance-enhancing drugs. Among them, Roger Clemens, Gary Sheffield, Barry Bonds, Paul Lo Duca, and many more.

Although some viewed Mitchell's investigation as a witch hunt from the get-go, in a press conference today he suggested that action should only be taken against the worst offenders. "The commissioner should give the players and everyone else the chance to make a fresh start," Mitchell said.

Some baseball fans—like me—are not surprised in the least that so many players may have used steroids. As I have written before, professional wrestling organizations like the WWE turn a blind eye to players' steroid use and only address the issue when someone dies or goes on a killing rampage. Why would it be different in the MLB or the NFL or any other sports organization or team that pays its players millions of dollars? If these players don't perform well, these organizations stand to lose millions, if not billions of dollars.

So what's to come of all of this now? Definitely some angry fans.

Now's the time of year where many of us reflect upon the people who have made an impact in our lives throughout the past 12 months. Whether it's a high profile celebrity who has brought a cause you believe in to the public light, or an ordinary person—perhaps even a friend or family member—who has done something extraordinary—now's the time to recognizing the inspiring heroes in our lives.

As you may have seen on Beliefnet—we are in the middle of our Most Inspiring Person of the Year Award. There are 10 nominees—ranging from Liviu Librescu, a Virginia Tech professor who died saving his students from a gunman, to Majora Carter, an environmental activist who works to greenify poor urban areas, to actor Don Cheadle, who works to bring the plight of the people of Darfur to the public light.

Click here to learn about the nominees and the voting process and to vote for your favorite. The winner will be announced on Wednesday, December 12.

In addition, CNN is also running a tribute to heroes—focusing on ordinary people making an impact around the world. Readers and viewers nominated more than 7,000 heroes from 93 countries and CNN judges have selected 18 finalists. There are six categories—"championing children," "community crusader," "defending the plant," "fighting for justice," "medical marvel," and "young wonder." A winner will be announced in each category.

The event will be televised live on Thursday, December 6 at 9 p.m. ET, and hosted by CNN's Anderson Cooper and Christiane Amanpour, with appearances by Mary J. Blige, Wyclef Jean, Norah Jones, and Sheryl Crow.

We want to hear your thoughts about the heroes in your life. Click here to talk about the people who have inspired you in 2007.