I'm not the man. In fact I'm not going to tell you that you have to improve your life in this week's self-improvement article. I've been feeling too hypocritical lately. I started thinking, "Who am I to tell thousands of people how to live their lives?" So I decided to go interview the guy who I think "walks the talk" more than anyone I now. Enjoy, this is good stuff.

Meet Ron Kenney. He is a deacon candidate, and he is the Youth Minister and Director of Religious education for grades 7 -- 12 at a local parish, St. John Catholic Church in Fenton, MI. With over 3,000 families Ron has a big job keeping his kids "walking the talk". In the 96 parishes of the Diocese of Lansing Ron is known as one of the best in the business. He is also very busy raising 4 children and being a devoted husband to his wife Lisa.

Here we go.

Rod Hetherton (for ParishWebmaster): I told you why I choose you for this interview; I think you exemplify Christ in your everyday life. My first question than is how do you balance your ministry, your family, and your faith, all while being so genuine to people around you?

Ron: At the end of every one of our youth group meetings we end with a chant. That chant is something I have come to try to live my best by. It is: "Today I'm going to put God first". And this chant these kids come to look forward to each time, and if I happen to forget it they remind me.

Anyway, it is just that whole thought: Put God first in all you do, in every thought you have, in every person you come in contact with, with every word that comes out of your mouth, with every action that you do. Be it work, be it play, be it family, if it is always putting God first I think that is how you will reach the point where you're trying to live as Christ wants us to live. It is not easy; believe me.

ParishWebmaster: That would be my next question. Isn't that difficult?

Ron: Putting God first, yeah it's difficult because the human side sometimes takes over and we fall. The other half of the coin with putting God first is also knowing that God is merciful. You can't always say "okay it's all right I can screw up now" because you know God is merciful. I do truly believe, and my faith does tell me, that if I do -- if I do fall -- my God is going to be there to embrace me and say, "Hey, you screwed up. It's all right. I want you to continue now, but don't do it again, or at least try -- try hard."

You know all the stories of the Old Testament; there are a lot of stories about humans failing God. God keeps coming back to them and giving them that chance, that kind of helps. When I do fall away, when I do fail to be the best that I can be in God's eyes, it hurts. And I know that is when it hurts God, when it hurts me. That is something that I think helps keep me on the right track.

ParishWebmaster: You have this strong faith, a Catholic faith. What has drawn you to your faith and why is it so rock solid?

Ron: You know one of the challenges of my job is to try to turn kids towards Christ. There is always the question of how do you do that - How do you do that?? Because your faith has to be rock solid in order to do that. One of the biggest directions that I try to go with them or one of the biggest themes is to try to point out to them that with God you can overcome anything. I always give kids a guarantee, I always give people a guarantee, if God is a part of your life, your life is going to be okay.

It is still not going to be without the troubles, the struggles, but you will be able to overcome them. I think that is probably my approach, it has helped me in my life. With every hurdle, even with every smooth path I go down if I have God there with me I know I am going to make it. May faith is strong because of that. A lot of it has to do because I have had great examples in my life, too.

Number one -- my parents. My parents have been an awesome example for me. As a kid growing up, where did they always turn in tough times, but to prayer, to God. I don't know how many times I heard my mom and dad say, "With God we are going to make, it is our faith that is going to do it". So I watched that and that is what I continue with in my life. That is really what gives me that faith, that rock solid faith. You got to plant your feet somewhere; I guess planting them with God is what helps me.

ParishWebmaster: Let me jump ahead then, to the question I had about prayer. I wrote that prayer is about as intimate as most of us get with our Creator, and yet probably in this society right now it seems like so many people have slipped away or don't have "enough" time. How important is prayer to you and how do you incorporate that with your family?

Ron: Prayer is essential. I think, like you just alluded to in your question, to have a relationship you have to communicate. With anybody, you have to talk, and prayer is that communication. Prayer is within Mass, it's within Liturgy; prayer is outside of Mass and Liturgy. Prayer is wherever you are at, but it has to be done. If you want to have a relationship you have to have prayer, you have to have communication, and you have to talk.

My family, with such young kids, I think the most important prayer I try to have with them right now is family time prayer. Be it at meals, be it at bedtime, be it as a family when we need to pray we will take moments and say, "Let's take a moment and pray". Before we leave on a trip, before we pass an accident scene or something like that, I'm just trying to teach the kids, right now, the importance of praying at all times.

It doesn't have to be just when you are in church. And it is just talking, I don't have a lot of formal rote prayer that I do. I have to admit that the rosary is a beautiful prayer, but it is not a prayer that I do often. Just taking some time to talk is what is important, I think.

***Look for Part's II & III where Ron will be discussing family, God's existence, evangelization, and keeping the faith. As Ron would say, BE PEACE!

Life Applications:

Where does God fit into your life?

How solid is your faith life?

What is prayer like for you and your family?

Copyright 2002 by Rod Hetherton   
This article has been provided by ParishWebmaster.com