Renew International's Faith Sharing Initiative

Renew International seeks for Catholics to share their faith as members in small Christian communities. It is an important spiritual component of the Christian faith from which many Christian communities have fallen away. You see giant churches, some with thousands or even tens of thousands on their books. They often have varied activities for people, but too often the spirituality is lost in the socialization.

I think I have always had a greater respect for the Roman Catholic Church than my father, as I have seen firsthand how the wealth of the Catholic Church has been utilized to care for the poor. In many respects, however, my father would relate well to what Renew International seeks to accomplish. Smaller communities and friendships tend to personalize relationships and allow us to help others in small ways. Helping people in small ways is essentially what Christianity is about. It is about loving your neighbor, meaning not just the person next door, but everyone you meet.

As a pastor of a small congregation in Hollywood, Minnesota my father is seeking to do essentially the same thing as Renew International. He is nurturing the spiritual life of a small community of believers.

Power Properties: the Place to Live in Dallas

I've been doing some research for a novel I am in the midst of writing and came across Power Properties Dallas. The character I was writing about actually comes from Fort Worth, which anyone who has lived in Texas knows neighbors Dallas. Personally, I prefer Austin to Dallas, but perhaps that's because I never lived in one of the fancy Power properties Dallas has to offer.

Actually, the novel doesn't even involve Dallas, but I wanted to revisit Texas, as two of my other novels begin there. I can't actually picture either of the main characters living in one of Power Properties Dallas luxury apartments, though not because they don't look nice... but rather because they look way too nice! They look like somewhere I'd want to live in Dallas... that is, if I ever lived there.

K-Designers: a Builder from the Heartland

I wish we had a company like K-Designers here in South Africa. It would make it a lot easier to do renovations. As it stands, you don't know whether you are getting a cowboy who will cut corners or a reputable builder. Now, we know a reputable builder, my wife's cousin, but he is fairly pricey and besides, he's booked up until at least next year.

But perhaps K-Designers doesn't need to come to Cape Town. Perhaps we can go to them. Housing prices in California, one of the many states in which they are based, have fallen through the floor and hit the basement, so perhaps even we could afford a small domicile there. My wife wouldn't mind living a bit north of Sacramento, though she prefers coastal areas, and is quite fond of Mendicino and Humboldt Counties.

Of course, I know by now that K-Designers originated in Wyoming, which neighbors my home state, Nebraska, where my sister and youngest brother still live. So yes, I have an affinity towards this company that began on the Western plains.

YMT Vacations: Now Taking You to Europe

I am going to tell my father-in-law about the new tour offered by YMT vacations. It starts in New York City, an hour away from where he lives in Warwick. It includes a transatlantic cruise to England, where he could spend a few days frollicking with his grandchildren, William and Tabby. My mother-in-law, meanwhile, has been talking about buying a barge in Paris on which could live during South Africa's winters. She could spend time in a steamy Parisian summer before returning to Cape Town before it got to cool up north. She hates the cold... even the relatively mild cold of Cape Town's winters. The two of them could even meet up and rekindle their relationship from decades ago. I think they have both got over that whole divorce debacle and are on amicable terms.

Yes, it certainly seems as if YMT Vacations is branching out into international holidays, and it is still a good value for seniors. YMT vacations is also offering a 25 day European cruise and land tour that begans in Italy then takes travelers on to Spain, Morrocco, Barbados, and finally Antigua.