Fred Miller, a Modesto Realtor, is one lucky man, having survived several near-death experiences. In October, Fred and his wife, Leanne, visited the Cinque Terra area of Italy. In a Gilligan's Island-like tale, the Millers left their hotel room in Vernazza one day for a morning hike and didn't return for eight days.

Religion Digest: Dixie Melody Boys in Ceres, Liberty Quartet in Ripon; Marriage, grief, financial classes; CrystalClear Awards.

Mary Cudd of Waterford died several years ago, but left a memorable imprint on her neighbor Eunice Kline.

Jim and Laurie Leone of Copperopolis were leaving a party in early November. With Jim in the driver's seat and Laurie and a friend in the truck, "suddenly, I heard my husband grunt and I turned to see his head thrust backward and his body go limp," Laurie said.

Carolyn Meyer of Modesto was pregnant with twins in December 1988 when she went into premature labor at 26 weeks. She was transported to Sutter Memorial in Sacramento because of its neonatal unit.

Guyla Burhans of Modesto was driving with her oldest son to Oregon to check on her mother's house.

Guyla Burhans of Modesto was driving with her oldest son to Oregon to check on her mother's house. She was on a highway through the mountains, with a steep hill on her left and a deep canyon with a river at the bottom on her right.

Call the Volunteer Center of the United Way at (209) 524-1307 or e-mail volunteer@uwaystan.org.

Because today is Christmas, several churches that usually have two or more Sunday services are cutting back to one service. See the list below.

'Tis the season to be jolly with friends who are dear to us gathered near to us sharing figgy pudding and a cup of good cheer, spreading joy to the world and God bless us everyone, thank you very much.

When Diane McFarlin was pregnant with her fourth child, she and her husband, Scott, got some unhappy news: Their child had polycystic kidney disease. An ultrasound in June 2000 revealed many cysts in the baby's kidneys, and the McFarlins were told he would not live long after birth.

Ten years ago, Anthony De La Garza was 27 and experiencing severe headaches. One night, he had a massive stroke in his brain stem, which left him paralyzed from the neck down.

In the summer of 2002, Debbie Greco of Modesto was diagnosed with pelvic cancer. "I had surgery in August, but in November, tests showed the cancer had spread to my bladder, small intestine and a spot on my liver," she said.

Joseph and Mary Chhun of Modesto were born in Cambodia and fled to refugee camps in Thailand in 1979 to escape the violence of Pol Pot and the Khmer Rouge.

Pam Galley of Turlock said she hesitated to respond to the "looking for miracles" invitation, but added that "realizing that miracles come in a variety of packages is one of the biggest lessons in life."