RENEW International--Breathing New Life into Old Traditions

I'm not a Catholic, although I am a Christian. And I know the church in general has had a long and sometimes colorful history, certain things everyone wishes we could all just erase. But still, I think there is something about the long history of the Catholic church that intrigues me. Something has made it last this long, after all. :)

But traditions for their own sake, no matter what they are, can grow stale. Whenever you do something just for the sake of doing it, it goes dead after awhile. That's where organizations like RENEW International come in.

The whole idea behind RENEW International, which began over 30 years ago, is to come alongside the Catholic church worldwide to help revitalize and renew the spiritual life of its members--to breathe new life, as it were. It does so by providing a wide range of programs and learning materials--programs geared toward youth, young adults, small groups, and much more--all designed to rekindle the heart behind the traditions.

RENEW International estimates that in its history it has impacted the lives of over 25 million people in 23 nations, helping foster renewal in over 150 Catholic dioceses around the globe.

Sakwinder Narwal and Hobbies I Don't Have

I'm not a fisherman. I tried it one time as a kid and found it incredibly boring. Since then, it's always been my idea of nothing to do. I have patience for a lot of things, but trying to get a fish to bite a hook is not one of those things I have patience for. So at the least, I'm intrigued by people who get such a kick out of fishing.

Of course, it's possible the reason I'm not into fishing is I was not taught properly--I was never shown what the big deal is about fishing by someone who loves the sport. Maybe if I'd been taught by someone like Sakwinder Narwal, I'd have a different opinion.

Sakwinder Narwal has a passion for fishing that is intriguing, to say the least. He knows the sport in and out--he knows the eating habits of more species of fish than I probably know exist, what baits to use, and the proper technique. He's fished in the deep sea, and in the marshes of Louisiana, and many other places in between. It takes a real enthusiast to do that.

The more knowledge you have about how to do something, I guess the better you are at doing it. But it takes more than that--because honestly, you won't invest yourself into that kind of knowledge unless you are passionate about it. Sakwinder Narwal has a passion for fishing that I don't understand. But I do understand that kind of passion in general, and that to be truly good at something you need to be passionate about it. I guess it's just another challenge that we shouldn't be driven by our passions, but we should be guided by them. The best way to be good at what we do is to do what we love.

Gina Penzarella, Transplanted New Yorker

We make choices based on our priorities. In our culture, the choice of where we live or what we do for a living often is based on how much money we can make--the whole "American dream" thing. But sometimes the choice that seems most obvious isn't the one that will make us happiest.

Take Gina Penzarella, for instance. She's a native New Yorker, a businesswoman, a bridal shop owner. A knack for business and a working knowledge of formal fashion sounds like the perfect combination for a native New Yorker to open up shop right there in New York City; that's where the clients are, that's where the "money" is. Right?

But that's not what Gina Penzarella did. Her bridal shop, Footlights Boutique & Co., Inc., is located in the Lehigh Valley area of Pennsylvania, and is one of the most popular stores of its kind in the region.

So why not New York City? Why Pennsylvania? Because for some reason, Gina Penzarella was drawn to the beauty and lifestyle of the Lehigh Valley. She's a businesswoman, so naturally making money is part of what she does. But perhaps she wanted something more than just money; so she transplanted herself and her expertise, to a place that made her happy. And she does good business there, apparently because she's good at what she does.

I heard of someone else just today whose family chides her because she'd rather make music than get a "real job". She's highly educated and could make a lot of money with her other acquired skills. But she'd rather do what she loves.

I guess there's more to life than just the American dream. Some choices won't get you more money, but they will make you more happy.

Frank Hanna III and the Role of Faith in Business

In our culture, it seems we like to compartmentalize things--keep them separate from each other. We keep our personal life separate from our professional life (which in some cases is good); we keep our faith in a corner for Sunday mornings (or whenever we happen to worship); we appropriate "times" for things and focus on only one thing at once--family "time", work "time", etc. The world doesn't always work that way, though; lots of things bleed over into one another, and they should. Over-compartmentalizing can cause us to fragment our character as well as our time. This is why a person of faith can do something that is selfish or unethical, or causes harm or loss to someone else, and justify it by saying, "It's just business."

Frank Hanna III doesn't quite see things that way, especially when it comes to faith and business. A merchant banker and successful businessman, he speaks often about the role of faith in business, especially when it comes to philanthropy. Frank Hanna has recently written a book called What Your Money Means. He's also an advocate for education and religious liberty, and has helped form three Catholic schools.

Apparently, Frank Hanna doesn't see business, freedom, education and faith as separate compartments to be dealt with separately. They all inform one another.

Paul Offit and Questions of Science

Science is basically the investigation of the natural world, to see and know how it works. It's a pursuit of truth. We determine things scientifically by questioning, experimenting, notating results, and drawing conclusions from those results. True science, though, is apolitical and objective--meaning it doesn't have a foregone conclusion when it begins testing. Unfortunately, more and more we see politics and agendas invading science, until it becomes unclear when a scientist says something whether he/she has spun the data according to what he/she wants it to say.

One unfortunate thing about media is that when something is said loud enough and long enough, people begin to believe it, regardless of whether it is true. Agendas in science tend to come out in the media so that certain things are presented as scientifically accurate, even if the data doesn't support it.

Just ask Dr. Paul Offit, Chief of the Division of Infectious Diseases at Children's Hospital of Philadephia, and co-inventor of the rotavirus vaccine. He's written a book called Autism's False Prophets, in which he says that there is no scientific basis to the growing speculation that vaccinations cause autism.

Paul Offit's background in vaccinations is extensive. Moved by a passion to prevent the spread of infectious diseases, he's spent the past 30 years as a pediatrician and researcher. His work on the rotavirus vaccine earned him the Jonas Salk Medal from the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology, among other accolades.

So is Paul Offit's book agenda-free? Who knows? But if we are going to be true to the science behind this issue, we will suspend opinion and look for an honest assessment of the facts before drawing a conclusion.

NES Employment Solutions--Making the Connection

In tough economic times, jobs can be more difficult to find--but they are out there. It just takes a bit of creative thinking--and networking. Especially networking.

Enter NES Employment Solutions. They aren't a typical employment agency; in fact, they don't have local branches. Rather, they are a network of employers, staffing agencies and recruiters, providing a large base of jobs in ten major metropolitan areas throughout the United States in a variety of fields. Most of the connection work is done via the Internet, until a hiring manager in your area calls you. Because of this networking aspect, there is a much wider pool of opportunities than if you work with one agency alone.

Job seekers don't pay a fee at NES Employment Solutions, although there are premium services available if you want them. The company revenue comes from contracts with the hiring entities, so you don't have to pay to find a job. Basically all that's needed from you is the typical pre-employment information, including a resume, which is placed on file and forwarded to the folks handling the hiring in your area.

Simply put, NES Employment Solutions is about connecting employers with employees. Networking is almost always essential these days to finding a good career, and that's what seems to be the greatest advantage to working with NES.

State Flowers and Ashley Stevanovich

For centuries, flowers have communicated something to us. In earlier times, when a man sent a woman flowers, he would choose specific blossoms to represent specific messages. When a state selects a certain flower as its official flower, it sends a message, too. Flowers can change symbolism and meaning for us--but they do mean something. When Colorado chose the Rocky Mountain columbine as its state flower, it meant something. Same with Louisiana's choice of the magnolia, or the sunflower of Kansas. Perhaps this sense of meaning is why Ashley Stevanovich takes an interest in flowers--state flowers in particular.

In fact, state flowers are for some reason of particular interest to Ashley Stevanovich, for reasons perhaps only she knows. Of all flowers--why state flowers in particular? But that isn't really the point; the point is that flowers say something to us. State flowers say something to the states who chose them. And state flowers obviously say something to Ashley.

So next time you're traveling in some state and come across the state trivia, and find out that the state flower of Wyoming is the Indian Paintbrush--don't just pass it off. Take a minute to think about what it might mean. Or just ask Ashley Stevanovich.

Ashley resides in south Florida, which means her state flower is the Orange Blossom.