[Arius]

Some parts of your post are dead on.

Faith, however, is something that can give us strength in times of need (and even times of peace). I complete submit to the will of Things (or God), and follow the Serenity Prayer often.

God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can't, and the wisdom to know the difference.

I often find it is the wisdom part I fail the most. I have been known to beat my proverbial knuckles on a brick wall until they bleed before knowing the bricks just aren't going to give. Then I grab a sledgehammer and realize that the wall I tearing down is a bearing wall...the rest is nothing but dead weight coming down all around me.

Regardless, since I do not understand in any way the process of afterlife, I will just continue on a journey that works for me and hope for the best. I just can't be that fish who thinks he can fly because some man wrote a book telling him he could (great analogy by the way, hope you don't mind if I use it from time to time).

I wish more people would meditate. I does clear up a lot of stuff (prayer once was meditation until it became the repetitive blather we hear today). I never have felt peace, strength and clarity like I do in meditation, and the focus is awesome.