RENEW International: Renewing Faith Among the Youth

My father would respect what RENEW International is doing in sharing the Christian faith. I think he would be especially impressed with what they are doing in their young adult ministry. Father John Cusick, a consulting presenter for RENEW International and the director of the young adult ministry for the Chicago Archdiocese, acknowledges that many young Catholics have turned away from organized religion because it has lost its meaning to many Catholics. A number of young adults now see themselves as spiritual rather than religious.

Father Cusick actively encourages a direct personal approach to engaging young adults to participate in activities in the Catholic Church. This use of what he refers to the "Jesus method" shows the strong foundation RENEW International has in the roots of the Christian faith. Jesus engaged with people. He asked questions of them and respected others' humanity. One of the most important parts of this ministry goes beyond religion. The importance of this goes beyond the Catholic Church. It presents a belief system that focuses on who we all are: people of God.

A Trip for My Father

YMT Vacations looks to be offering a tour that would suit my father well. One of their featured vacation destinations is the Oberammergau Tour. Now, his family comes from the Munich area, the first destination on the tour. Our ancestors used to farm near Munich and several also brewed beer, and both my father and I share a love for brewed beverages.

As a pastor for a small congregation in Hollywood Township, Minnesota, I am certain that he would like the main draw for this tour. This YMT Vacations tour includes a passion play that takes place every ten years in Oberammerau, Germany. In 1634, the citizens of Oberammerau vowed to put on a passion play every ten years if God would spare them from the bubonic plague that affected the surrounding area. Since that time, every ten years Oberammerau residents put on this passion play.

If YMT Vacations keeps offering such a wide variety of interesting tours, I may have something to look forward to in my old age.

K-Designers: Saving Energy One House at a Time

Many people do not understand how important professionally installed siding, windows, and doors are in regards to energy savings. K-Designers, who specializes in these areas of remodeling, understands this.

K-Designers offers "quality, energy-efficient, and cost saving home improvement products", which can help keep heating costs down in winter and costs of cooling a home lower during the summer months. Now, no siding really offers much insulation against cold in and of itself, but vinyl siding helps keep out moisture, which protects the interior walls of houses where the insulation is. Even more important are well-sealed windows and doors. Well-installed windows and doors are really important during the winter in the Midwestern states, something which I know from personal experience. Even a slight crack can allow the chill of winter to slip into a house, and this chill can make your heating system work overtime. The extra costs in the current economic climate take away precious resources that could be better used elsewhere.

Energy efficiency is one of the items muted by the new Obama administration as something vital not only to consumers' pocketbooks, but also to the environment. If K-Designers continues to innovate in its offerings for energy efficient products, I foresee a bright future for them.

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.