Benores In Texas

Happy New Year

Sun, 04 Jan 2009 23:55:52 -0700

Happy New Year! As many of you know I have finally finished my MBA. My degree was conferred on December 23rd. In case you were wondering I am taking a break from school for awhile. So ... no doctorate for the foreseeable future. We returned from an awesome vacation time in Florida. We saw family, the FSU game, and Disney! We even stopped over in New Orleans for a New Year Eve celebration! Over the next few weeks we will solidify our plans for 2009. But we do know that we will be going to Iowa sometime this summer. We hope to take some mini-vacations within driving distance of Fort Worth. Shantell and I married in 2001. We have now been married 7 years and a few months. In that time Shantell received her education master's degree. I got my bachelor's and two master's within the same period. We also moved to Texas in 2003. So we have been Texans for almost 6 years. We've bought a house, got a dog, and have been working ever since. I hope to be launching a new blog site / design within the next few months. So ... stay tuned!

The Countdown Begins ...

Thu, 16 Oct 2008 21:29:46 -0700

It is the beginning of the end. I have started the last class of my MBA. It is the hardest class because it involves the combined knowledge of all my previous classes applied to a group based simulation. So it is theory meets practical application. In about 8 weeks this class will be finished and my degree will be complete. Technically speaking this will be my 4th post-secondary degree. I have earned an associates degree, a bachelor's degree, and this will mark my second master's degree. Someday, I will put all of this education to good use. For now, I will be continuing my work in the private sector. With the economy in a slump, now is not the time for churches to hire new associates. We have also moved back to our house. After a year away, it was the right time to move back. This will free up some time but not much. School will be intense through December. Plus I teach at church every other week. We will be coming to Orlando this year for Christmas. Unless flight prices come down dramatically - the whole family will be driving. Me, Shantell, and our dog Hoss. We decided to bring the dog to save money, plus Mom has graciously agreed to allow the big pup to stay at her house. Yes, we will officially become one of those people who travel with their dog. So the countdown begins ... first for school to end, then for our trip to Orlando for Christmas. 2008 will end soon, but it will have been an awesome ride! P.S. I have also joined Facebook. (Facebook Explained)

Fall Classes, Last Semester ... and more!!!

Mon, 18 Aug 2008 21:37:27 -0700

Well folks, this is it. These are the last classes I will take for this degree. And then I think I am going to take a break from school for awhile. I have taken small breaks here and there, but for the most part I have been in school since I was 5. Which means at 32 years old, I have been in school about 27 years. I've spent 13 years in primary and secondary schools. I started my college career at FSU but finished at UCF while visiting 3 other colleges along the way. After 8 short years (yikes!), I got my B.A. in Political Science/Pre-Law. I then set my course to Fort Worth for a stint at seminary. I've spent 4 years at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary and earned my Master of Arts in Christian Education. Now I've spent the past 1.5 year getting my MBA at Liberty University. This semester I will be taking Non-Profit Management and Leading Organizational Change in session B, then I will take the capstone course in session D called Policy and Strategy in Global Competition. Then I am done. But wait, there's more! If school was not enough, Shantell and I are still very active in our Apartment Life gig. We typically host 4-5 community events per month for a total of 70+ hours combined. I will also be starting a new Sunday morning Bible Study class where I will co-teach every other week. Also I will teach a class on prayer on Wednesday nights. And we will be "maintaining" two residences. Since the house did not sell, we are moving some stuff back in the house. Our house insurance company was going to drop us if we continued to have it vacant. We may come home to Orlando for Christmas. As it stands now, we will probably have to drive to save money - but that is still uncertain. So ... if you thought we were busy before ... good grief ... you ain't seen nothin' yet. (Yes I sound like I have college degrees).

Off the Market

Fri, 08 Aug 2008 17:05:27 -0700

After six months of letting our house sit on market, we have decided to pull it off and keep it. A number of factors led us to this decision. Cheif among these reasons is the very slow real estate market. Also when we are done with Apartment Life we will need somewhere to live. With mortgages being somewhat more difficult to get these days, we figured sticking with what we have is a good idea. So someday we will move back in.

Weight Loss Update

Wed, 25 Jun 2008 20:18:48 -0700

I also have another update. I have been dieting since Monday, April 21, 2008. Its about 2+ months later and I am down 33 lbs. I have lost an average of about 0.5 lb a day or 3.5 lbs per week. I hope to lose another 67 lbs. I'll give another update in August!

Summer Update

Mon, 23 Jun 2008 02:11:00 -0700

It has been a long, long time since I have updated the old blog. So it is time to dust off the keyboard and give you guys a peer into the current happenings of the Benore household. First, I am starting my last summer class tomorrow. I have registered for my last semester at Liberty University. So ... the countdown begins. So far I have been able to maintain a solid 3.5 GPA. And let me tell you: finance, accounting, economics, are not among my favorite classes. Truth be told I really enjoy classes like Organizational Behavior, Executive Leadership and Management, and Servant Leadership. I even had a technology class - but for some in technology - it was nothing new. The Apartment gig is going terrifically. Can't blog about details, but still love it. Our house is still for sale. The market is kind of slow, but it is among the strongest in the nation. So we have high hopes for a summer sale. This fall we are starting a new class at church. Our old Sunday school class is "planting" a new class geared toward the younger couples without kiddos. I taught once a month in the old class, but will teach every other week in the new class. Shantell has accepted a job at a small private Christian school called ACI. More details as they come later. Our budget right now is extremely tight, with the economy in a slump, us paying for a house we do not live in, and Shantell's lack of income for the past few months. We are getting the bills paid, but I am not sure we will be doing any traveling home this year. I have 3 days of vacation to use, but I can't imagine gas prices or airline tickets will be cheap enough to fly out. If we do make it home it will be for a very short period - but don't hold your breath. That's the latest for now. Must get up for work tomorrow. Goodnight!

Pronto from Roma!

Sun, 02 Mar 2008 19:04:39 -0700

(That's "Hello from Rome") News and stories from our Roman trip will come later, but for now ... go to our Picasa Photo page to see all the pictures we have taken through Saturday. And since it is 1:07 am Monday here in Rome, it is way past my bedtime. Chow! Edit: I forgot to include a link to the Picasa page ... http://picasaweb.google.com/kevinbenore.

Our Photo Gallery

Sat, 19 Jan 2008 18:35:53 -0700

I have added a new link to our blog called "Our Photo Gallery". This will take you to our Picasa Web Photo Album. I am not posting the link here, because the link is on the blog menu. For those who do not know, Picasa is a software program that allows you to manage digital photos, organize them, touch them up, and even upload them to the web. Picasa is free and is owned by Google. I use it because it is very easy to use and put pictures up fast. We have lots of pictures up there, so enjoy them all. If you do not have an easy way to manage your photos or if you want to put your photos out on the web to share with others ... try Picasa.

Happy New Year - 2008!

Tue, 01 Jan 2008 02:00:00 -0700

It has been awhile since I posted anything, but wanted to say Happy New Year! 2007 was a whirlwind, with Kevin graduating and starting a second master's degree and both Kevin and Shantell taking positions as event planners at a downtown apartment through Apartment Life. Kevin has finished 18 out of 45 hours of his MBA. That means he is 40% done! He did get one "B", so his GPA is only a mere 3.83 (probably the best career GPA he has ever had). We have had some requests for pictures of the new digs ... so as soon as we clean up the place, will post a few. That's it for now. Happy New Year!

Spring 2008 Courses

Thu, 18 Oct 2007 22:36:06 -0700

Here are the course names, dates, and a short description of the courses I will take this spring.

BUSI 520 - Strategic Marketing Management
Jan 14, 2008 - Mar 09, 2008
This course is designed to provide the M.B.A. student with a working knowledge of the steps involved in the analytical and decision-making processes involved in formulating, implementing and controlling a strategic marketing program for a product market entry. In addition, this course covers topics such as: 1) relationships among corporate, business level and tactical strategies; 2) relationships between marketing strategy and the internal/external operating environments of an organization; and 3) relationships between marketing and other functional areas of the organization. This course also explores the influence of technology on business-to-business (B to B) and consumer-to-business (C to B) markets.

BUSI 620 - Global Economic Environment
Jan 14, 2008 - Mar 09, 2008
This course covers the tools of microeconomics useful in the analysis of producer and consumer behavior. The economics of demand, production and cost, and pricing and output decisions in a market system form the core of an approach adapted to the challenges faced by managers in the private, public, and nonprofit sectors of the economy. The coverage is from the domestic, as well as global perspectives.

BUSI 502 - Servant Leadership
Mar 17, 2008 - May 09, 2008
The MBA leadership track follows a holistic approach that deals with the heart, the head, and the hands. Servant leadership aims at the heart. This course blends the academic leadership theory of servant leadership with applied biblical integration. The Liberty University School of Business embraces the biblically-based Servant Leadership as the normative approach to leadership. As a theory, servant leadership is supported by a growing body of academic literature. Students learn practical lessons, applying the principles they are learning in the course while shepherding their teams through required tasks.

BUSI 561 - Legal Issues in Business
Mar 17, 2008 - May 09, 2008
This course provides the student with a foundational knowledge of the legal issues that both start-up and established business enterprises face. Armed with this wisdom, the student will more correctly assess an organization's need for competent legal advice from an experienced professional in matters of contracts, corporations, employment, insurance, intellectual property, international trade, leases, limited liability organizations, partnerships, and homeland security concerns.

Fall School Update

Thu, 18 Oct 2007 22:30:07 -0700

As many of you know, I am taking 4 classes this fall. 2 for the first mini-semester, 2 for the second. Well the first set of classes has completed. I have finished BUSI 501 - Executive Leadership & Management and BUSI 512 - Managerial Information Technology. The good news is, I got "A"s in both. So this means I have a solid 4.0 in my Liberty career. Who knows if I will finish with a 4.0, but it certainly is a good start.

Moving Downtown

Fri, 28 Sep 2007 21:28:49 -0700

It is official. We are moving from our spacious two-story house, to a wonderful apartment on the Trinity River (550 mile long river that flows entirely within the state of Texas). The apartment complex is a four story building built around a four story parking garage. You get a particular unit through an interior hallway (and elevators). It reminds me of a hotel type layout.

We are about 5 blocks from the historic court house, on the northern most part of downtown (northeast), but everything is soooo close.

And why are we moving? It is an opportunity to become a CARES team for Apartment Life. CARES is a resident retention program that assists management in building community and serves residents.

So ... here is some more information for you to browse!

Lincoln Trinity Bluff (our new apartment)
Downtown (a map with our apartment)

Now this is just cool information:
Uptown Fort Worth (our future neighborhood)
Trinity Bluff (our specfic neighborhood)

Google Map!

View Larger Map

Never Forget

Tue, 11 Sep 2007 09:46:30 -0700

It is easy to let some things fade from our memory. This should never be one of those things. 6 years and we still have battles to fight. But we should never, ever forget. This entry went live on my site at precisely 7:46:30 AM Central Time (or 8:46:30 AM Eastern), the exact time the first tower was hit.

Fire at Work

Fri, 24 Aug 2007 20:41:08 -0700

There was a fire at work today. I was home sick, so I don't know much - but here is a news article about it.

Summer and Fall Courses

Sat, 09 Jun 2007 22:06:53 -0700

I thought some of you would like to know the type of courses I am and will be taking this semester and next. I will include the course names, dates, and a short description.

Summer 2007

BUSI 500 - Organizational Behavior
Apr 30, 2007 - Jun 24, 2007
In Progress - Week 7
This course develops managerial competence in understanding the human output of organizations from the viewpoints of individual, group, and organizational systems levels. Emphasis is given to assessing one's personality and values and to applying course material to one's work environment.

BUSI 550 - Effective Executive Communication
Jun 18, 2007 - Aug 13, 2007
Executives in professional organizations are expected to solve problems and make decisions, but ultimately, they must not only make excellent decisions but also communicate them effectively to a variety of stakeholders. This course is designed to integrate knowledge of the pervasive impact of computer and other information technologies with time-honored communications principles to enable students to maximize their effectiveness in diverse and technologically dynamic business environments.

Fall 2007

BUSI 501 - Executive Leadership & Management
Aug 20, 2007 - Oct 14, 2007
This study is integral to preparing students for "tomorrow's business world," their world. Hence, there is a strong component of applied management built upon traditional theories of leadership and management. While focusing on all management responsibilities, this course emphasizes the problems and opportunities managers face in people management and how they can be effectively met.

BUSI 512 - Managerial Information Technology
Aug 20, 2007 - Oct 14, 2007
This course is designed to provide the essential tools needed for the effective management of information technology. The objective is to build a basic understanding of the value and uses of information systems for business operation, management decision-making, and strategic advantage. Includes topics that develop skills as managers and users of information systems technology, rather than as producers of information systems technology.

BUSI 601 - Accounting for Decision Making
Oct 22, 2007 - Dec 14, 2007
This is a graduate level course in cost management with a strategic cost emphasis. The course presents an in-depth study of contemporary management techniques used by managers in a contemporary business environment. The balanced scorecard, critical success factors, and strategic analysis are emphasized and integrated with other decision making techniques in this accounting course.

BUSI 604 - International Business
Oct 22, 2007 - Dec 14, 2007
The major purpose of the course is to prepare managers to compete successfully in the global economy. The rapidly changing economic, political, technological and cultural environments will be studied as a foundation for understanding how to compete in differing environments, utilizing the resources available to the enterprise in managing the various functional areas of business.

Master of Arts

Tue, 22 May 2007 19:31:35 -0700

Well it has been a few weeks since I graduated from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary with a Master of Arts in Christian Education. I am so very thankful that A) it is finally over and B) that I made it all the way through unscathed! I am now in my 4th week at Liberty and so far so good. I really enjoy the course work and believe I am gaining much insight. I am shooting for a December 2008 completion, so everyone ... pray!

Mr. MBA

Tue, 17 Apr 2007 21:57:30 -0700

On the heels of graduating this May, I will be starting yet another Master's program. I have applied and have been accepted into Liberty University's Master of Business Administration. Although I will be graduating May 11th with my Master of Arts in Christian Education from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, I will start the MBA program April 30th. Can we say busy?

Shantell's New Ride

Sun, 04 Feb 2007 15:05:00 -0700

The 2007 Honda Civic Hybrid with satellite navigation.

Nifty huh? This is my first non-American car, but the appeal of higher fuel standards lessens our dependence on foreign oil. So, I have no problem buying Japanese to lessen our tie to the Middle East/Venezuela. For more info on this car click here.

Who am I?

Sat, 27 Jan 2007 00:28:00 -0700

There has been some posts in the developer blogosphere about the persona of the typical ColdFusion developer. So I have join the discussion of what a developer profile look likes.

30 years old
Married for 5 years
I drive a 2004 4-door Ford F-150 Lariat
We bought a new brick two-story house late 2005. 5 bedrooms, 2 people? Room to grow!
Avid PC user. Tried the Mac in the pre-Intel days but figured Microsoft would steal all the good stuff eventually.
Have only seen 4 of the current Oscar nominees.
I love pretty much all TV.
Hobbies? Who has time?
Music - everything from Frank Sinatra to Toby Keith.
Have been developing for about 8 years.
I have both a bachelor and master degree.

Happy New Year!

Mon, 01 Jan 2007 15:29:00 -0700

This is a short post to wish everyone a happy new year. 2006 was great, but 2007 should be awesome!

New York Photos

Sat, 09 Dec 2006 14:56:00 -0700

Here are the pictures we took of our New York trip. Enjoy! Click on the picture below to see the entire gallery.

Thanksgiving in New York - 2006

The Last Bite at the Apple

Sun, 26 Nov 2006 01:34:00 -0700

Well tonight is our last night in NYC. But first let me back up and tell you about yesterday. Yesterday we spent hours walking throughout the city. First we a breakfast at Pigalle (pronounced Pig-all-lee). It was a fabulous French bistro whose breakfasts were divine. Then we began our walk. We did far more walking that I am used to, but it was a great way to see the city. We ventured into a few stores, but mostly we just enjoyed Rockefeller Center, 5th Avenue, and Central Park. Our lunch was a quaint little roadside diner in Central Park where we had gourmet pretzels and hot dogs. OK, so it was a hot dog cart. After lunch and the miles of walking we went back to our room to prepare for dinner. We ate at an authentic Cuban restaurant called Havana Central. Then we saw one of the best musicals ever to hit Broadway, Les Mis?rables. That leads us to today. Two musicals (a double header). We saw both Tarzan and Wicked tonight. And in between all that, we ate surf and turf (lobster and steak) at Bobby Van's. Fantastic! Some theater snobs (aka 'the critics') don't like the Disney/corporate sponsorship of Broadway, but I am in favor of whatever brings Broadway to the masses. Then again, I am just a big fan of all things Broadway. Tomorrow marks our departure from this great city. Hopefully we will not have to wait another five years before we see her again.

Turkey in the Big Apple

Fri, 24 Nov 2006 02:59:00 -0700

Today was the coolest day ever. Shantell and I are spending the Thanksgiving holiday in New York City. This city is very special to us. In February of 2001, I brought Shantell to NYC and asked her to marry me! 5 years later we return as an anniversary trip celebration. (Our 5th anniversary was November 17). We flew in late last night and after settling in our hotel, we ventured out into Time Square. We are currently staying at the Mayfair Hotel, in the heart of the Theater District. The hotel is between Broadway and 8th Avenue on 49th Street. Needless to say, the location is fantastic. Although the weather is rainy and cold (40s), who cares?! We've walked and walked and walked ... all over the place. Somehow we are keeping warm and dry. This morning we watched (with a few thousand others) the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. Finding not else much to do on an afternoon, we grabbed lunch and headed back to the hotel. Watched some football, took a nap. Next we headed to the site of the World Trade Center. We went by subway and when we got off the site was ground level with us. We ventured above ground but it was not as impressive as being on the subway level. It stirred those same emotions we all felt on 9/11. After that we went to dinner at Salmon River. Yes, they had turkey at that seafood restaurant. It was fabulous. Finally we made it to the Radio City Music Hall's Christmas Spectacular ... and spectacular it was. The Rockettes were both beautiful and talented. The live nativity scene at the end, reminded all of the true meaning of Christmas. Now, I write to you from the hotel room of today's adventures. When we get back, perhaps some pictures will added. But for now, it time for bed. Tomorrow should be another adventure.

Adobe / CFEclipse

Sat, 04 Nov 2006 03:27:00 -0700

One of my favorite development tools is CFEclipse. It is a plugin to Eclipse, a cross-platform IDE. Adobe also uses Eclipse for it's flex development software. Now I know Adobe developers use CFEclipse (I am sure they still use Dreamweaver too - as do I). I also know Adobe supports Eclipse. I just wonder why Adobe does not do more to support CFEclipse and its sole developer Mark Drew. This is a guy who spends his free time helping make ColdFusion development better through CFEclipse. Why should Adobe care? Because geeky developers like me yearn for an IDE that is code centric and not WYSIWYG centric. So Adobe, please go throw some cash at CFEclipse. Or perhaps even pay for Mr. Drew's travel cost to an Adobe conference here in the states. Hey you could even be like Google and pay developers to develop open source software. For more on this discussion visit Mark Drew's Site.

And Now For Something Completely Different ...

Mon, 09 Oct 2006 23:43:00 -0700

School is still in full swing. This semester's workload is just as heavy as last semesters, but I can't complain about last semester's results. Currently I am taking Systematic Theology I, Principles of Teaching, and Relationships in Ministry. Next semester I need to take Systematic Theology II and Old Testament II. After that I graduate! I will receive my Master of Arts in Christian Education. I am still debating what to do post-graduation. I will either continue on with school or look toward ministry opportunities. If I continue on, I will either pursue a Master of Business Administration or a PhD. Please pray that God will give me the guidance on where to go next.

World Trade Center

Sun, 13 Aug 2006 18:57:00 -0700

Last night Shantell and I saw the movie World Trade Center. It has to be one of the best movies of the year. An incredible story of two Port Authority Police Officers who were trapped in Tower One of the WTC. The movie stirred within me every emotion I ever felt on September 11th. Fear, rage, and hope. If you have an opportunity to see this movie - it is a must see. Oliver Stone simply directed a masterpiece. Certain to get some golden statues at the Academy Awards.

Democracy Is The Lesser Evil

Thu, 03 Aug 2006 00:59:00 -0700

Ran across this quote from Winston Churchill which I thought was pretty profound. Having a political science degree and going to school now to get my Master's at seminary, I have always see the United States as the greatest country in the world. There is always a tension between government and religion, but Churchill makes it clear that all forms of government made by man fall short of perfection.

Many forms of Government have been tried, and will be tried in this world of sin and woe. No one pretends that democracy is perfect or all-wise. Indeed, it has been said that democracy is the worst form of government except all those other forms that have been tried from time to time.

In War There Are Winners and Losers

Sun, 16 Jul 2006 12:08:00 -0700

As Israel has been ramping up its self-defense war machine, I am a bit dismayed by all of the foreign heads of state saying that Israel's response has been disproportionate. So it's okay for terrorists to nip at the heals of Israel for years, but when they finally provoke a big response ... that's not okay? And disproportionate? Is that not the definition of war? A war can not be won if there is not a disproportionate victory of one side over the other. Otherwise, an even sided war would go on forever.

Email Down

Wed, 12 Jul 2006 22:36:00 -0700

Well it seems that my email service is currently down. The hosting provider upgraded their mail server last week and that somehow effected my mail this week. They should have it restore lately, but who knows. Sometimes I wish I had my own servers, but who wants to pay for that?

Semester Ending

Wed, 26 Apr 2006 00:50:21 -0700

Well the semester is coming to an end. All my projects and papers are complete. Everything seems to be on track for good grades. It has been a challenging semester academically. I have had lots of reading and writing to do but it has been a great experience. My classes this semester are Philosophy & History of Christian Education, Teaching & Administration in the Church, and Curriculum Design for Christianity Ministry. The Philosophy and Curriculum design classes were among my favorite classes. Now I wait to see what my grades are.

Our Little Setback

Wed, 29 Mar 2006 01:23:45 -0700

Today we received some sad news. We have lost the baby. Although we are a bit discouraged, we will push through and try for another one soon. Continue to pray for us during this period in our lives.

Benore.com

Fri, 10 Mar 2006 23:08:23 -0700

The current benore.com site has evolved over the years. I usually get bored with the look and feel every year. Now you can see the past 5 designs.

Year 2002

Year 2003

Year 2004

Year 2005

AT&T

Wed, 08 Mar 2006 23:43:21 -0700

I used to work for a baby bell, BellSouth Mobility from 1997-1999. A few years later in 2001, SBC Wireless and BellSouth Mobility decided to merge their wireless units to compete in the marketplace ... that company became Cingular. Cingular the #2 carrier in 2004 buys the AT&T Wireless the #3 carrier in order to boost themselves to the #1 wireless phone company. Meanwhile SBC (60% partner in Cingular) buys the rest of AT&T's operations late in 2005 and decides to takes their name. Kinda funny, it would be like Rome take control of England and changing their empire name to the English Empire. Now AT&T, the company formerly known as SBC, is buying BellSouth (40% partner in Cingular who bought AT&T wireless). In case your confused, that's probably how they like it. So SBC and BellSouth will now be AT&T and Cingular will most likely be called AT&T Wireless. Ma Bell (AT&T) was forced to break up in 1984. 22 years later, they are getting closer to their old power base.

New Site Design

Mon, 20 Feb 2006 23:45:00 -0700

In honor of all the new stuff going on, I thought I'd redesign the website. Simple, clean design. You like, no?

And baby makes three!

Sat, 18 Feb 2006 20:16:16 -0700

Try as we may to tell everyone we know about our little news, we may have forgot a few people. So for you who are without knowledge ... we are having a baby! We have been back and forth about whether now would be a perfect time for a kiddo or not and God has answered that with YES! This past year as been a year of new stuff. In September we moved into our new house. In November I started a new job. In December we got a new dog. In January, Shantell started working her Mary Kay business full time, which you can help support by going to her Mary Kay website (shameless plug). And February rolls around and we find ourselves with child. We are sooooo blessed.

Our due date is sometime in late October, if all the calculations were correct. So get ready! Its baby time.

Our New Dog

Mon, 19 Dec 2005 22:10:06 -0700

http://benoredog.blogspot.com/

First Week

Fri, 18 Nov 2005 23:48:41 -0700

So far, I absolutely love my new job. The team is solid. The type of programming is right up my alley! And all seem to be a joy to work with.

New Job

Wed, 16 Nov 2005 20:45:13 -0700

An update to my new job post. I have joined Diamond H Recognition as an Application Developer. I started on November 14, 2005. I will still do some freelance, but my main attention will be focused at Diamond H and school.

We Moved!!!

Fri, 09 Sep 2005 20:35:44 -0700

Well, we finally moved into our beautiful new abode! I sure you would all love to see new pictures, but we haven't taken any yet! What are we waiting for you ask? To start, a refrigerator, washer/dryer, and our DISH! All of those things should be up and running by tomorrow. Oh and for all you gadget geeks out there, we have a new 60" HDTV with a dual tuner HD DVR! Sweet! Can't wait until I get to see it. Oh and we have fixed wireless Internet service. Its nice and fast.

Congratulations Mrs. Benore!

Tue, 02 Aug 2005 18:28:43 -0700

Shantell was offered and has accepted a third grade position at Lake Country Christian School (web). LCCS is a private, fully accredited K-12 Christian school which functions as a ministry of Lake Country Church (web). The church is affiliated with the Southern Baptist Convention. You can drop Shantell a comment on this blog or send her an email.

Construction Pictures

Sun, 03 Jul 2005 16:41:12 -0700

Now you can see our construction pictures updated at least once a week, sometimes more! Click here, http://benore.blogspot.com.

School Ending

Sun, 22 May 2005 22:11:50 -0700

Well, another year come and gone. I have learned one thing this year: urban, inner city is not where I need to be. I have a passion for young children. I want to teach prek or kindergarten or do something related to this age group. I have always wante to be an assistant director or director of a preschool. We'll see if the Lord opens a door to do something like that one day. I'll keep everyone posted!

New House

Wed, 16 Mar 2005 20:59:00 -0700

So we just bought a new house. Yep, this will be our first house. It's a bit more that 3400 square feet, with 5 bedrooms and 3 baths. It will be up in North Fort Worth. Here is a mapquest map of the area. If you want to see the floor plan, click here.

Tivo Upgrade

Sun, 13 Mar 2005 21:07:00 -0700

Well, I did it. I upgraded the 'ole Tivo box. My unit came with a standard 40GB hard drive, now its 250GB. You can do it too! Check out http://tivo.upgrade-instructions.com/. They recommend Maxtor QuickView drives, but I just used a plain old Western Digital. It is sweet.

In Memory of Roth

Sun, 06 Feb 2005 22:15:00 -0700

Today I lost my friend. Lance Roth Cavagner was a groomsman in my wedding. We met when I was working for Bellsouth Mobility (now Cingular) back in 1998. We became friends because of the love of Tech and Sci-Fi. We remained friends despite our nerdy hobbies. One year, Roth went with us guys to a Promise Keepers event. It changed his life. I do not have a lot of words right now, but I can say this ... my life will never be the same because I knew Roth. Roth is survived by his wonderful wife Emily and precious daughter Sydney. Goodbye Roth, we will miss you.

Slashdotted

Fri, 28 Jan 2005 23:21:55 -0700

Today I joined the ranks of uber geeks who get their news from Slashdot. No, I having been reading Slashdot for awhile but now two articles I have written have been slashdotted. Both are about everyone's favorite villain ... Microsoft. The first article is about Verizon and Microsoft are partnering to deliver TV content via high speed fiber lines. The second article talks about Microsoft's anti-trust woes and its upcoming Longhorn product. I submitted 4 articles, 2 made the cut. 1 was rejected because someone beat me to the punch. The last one, who knows?

3 Friends, 3 Hospitals

Fri, 07 Jan 2005 00:16:55 -0700

As I write this entry, I have 3 friends in 3 hospitals. One is giving birth to new life, one is in a fight for his life, and the third has a mystry illness that has effected his life. Each one of them deserves our prayers. Please pray for Jen, Roth, and Dallas.

The Truth About Texas

Tue, 14 Dec 2004 22:15:46 -0700

I have been doing a little research about my new home state after a few people gave me some disturbing "facts" about Texas. I was told two things:

Texas, has in it's state constitution, the right to succeed.
Texas is the only state whose flag code allows its state flag to fly at the same height as the U.S. flag.

Both of the assertions have now been proven to be nothing more than myth.

As to the first point, Texas never asserts the right to succeed. The Constitution of Texas declares that it is a "free and independent state" but yields ultimate authority to the U.S. Constitution. Here is Article I Section 1.

FREEDOM AND SOVEREIGNTY OF STATE. Texas is a free and independent State, subject only to the Constitution of the United States, and the maintenance of our free institutions and the perpetuity of the Union depend upon the preservation of the right of local self-government, unimpaired to all the States.

Second, all states have the right to fly their state flags at the same height as the United States flag. Height does not determine the flags position of honor, yet position does. The UNITED STATES CODE TITLE 36 CHAPTER 10 SS175.(c) states that "No other flag or pennant should be placed above or, if on the same level, to the right of the flag of the United States of America." So all types of flags can be at the same level or below the U.S. flag as long as it is to the left of the U.S. flag.

So to the assertion Texas has too much pride because of these two items ... all I can say is perhaps they have pride but not because of those reasons.

President George W Bush Wins Again

Wed, 03 Nov 2004 23:27:52 -0700

As you all know, I am a evangelical Christian. I am also a big Republican supporter. My undergraduate degree was in Political Science ... so last night was my Super Bowl. I stayed up till 2:00am Central Time. At that point it was almost certain the President had been re-elected. As of now the Senate and House are both up 4 Republicans each. If Iowa is declared a Bush win, he will have 286 electoral votes. This is the first time since 1936 that a President has won re-election and had gains in both houses of Congress. A good time to be a Republican.

Extreme makeover - Blog edition

Fri, 29 Oct 2004 00:36:41 -0700

Well, ladies and gentlemen, it is here (finally) ! We have an all new Benore website, thanks to Ruben for the great design, and the overtime working Kevin for programming it to come alive. We figured the honeymoon stage was over for at least having a family website, and it needed a more stylin', high profilin' look! The comments section will be turned back on soon, so feel free to respond to any blogs you wish to! Have a great weekend!

My Golden Birthday!

Fri, 29 Oct 2004 00:26:37 -0700

Well, I have waited 29 years for a golden birthday, and it has arrived. My dear, sweet mother kept telling me how much fun I would have turning 29 on the 29th, and I know she would celebrate with me if she were still with us. The Lord Jesus gets to celebrate with her instead!

All of my close Seminary friends are helping me celebrate Saturday night by going bowling at this smoke free entertainment complex called Main Event. Our sweet friend, Jen Deibel is pregnant, so her husband, Seth mentioned that it is a smoke free environment. That's a good daddy.....looking out for his little girl (Hannah). Watching Jen bowl could be the entertainment in itself! Lookout - pregnant woman on the alley! The famous granny style bowl will be Jen's specialty Saturday night.

Well, I must retire......teaching third graders sucks all the energy and then some out of me each day!

DC Trip

Fri, 01 Oct 2004 23:41:25 -0700

As some of you know, we have taken a small trip to Washington DC this weekend. I have never been to our nation's capitol and Shantell really wanted us to come experience a weekend in the world's most powerful city. The only major glitch is that we picked the same weekend that the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund are meeting. The DC authorities are on high alert. Needless to say a lot of the major roads through the heart of DC are blocked off. Getting around was ... interesting. Tomorrow we tour the White House and the Captiol, so I must get to sleep.

I'm a Ford Truck man!

Thu, 16 Sep 2004 00:55:24 -0700

Well this week, Shantell and I decided it was time for a new truck. Her plastic Saturn was giving her problems and I have been wanting a truck or SUV for some time. So we went to Hillard Ford and bought a 2004 Ford F-150 Lariat. More information to come!

Labor Day Weekend

Sun, 05 Sep 2004 01:10:42 -0700

Well as the Hurricane is beginning to ravage our home state, not to mention our families' homes, we are spending the weekend in beautiful San Antonio. You know, "Remember the Alamo!" We decided to get out of Dodge for the extended weekend, not to mention both Shantell and I needed a mental break. With me working and going to school both full-time and Shantell in a new job ... San Antonio brings us much needed rest and relaxation.

Today, we spent part of our day at Natural Bridge Caverns and Natural Bridge Wildlife Ranch. The ranch had as its main attraction is a drive-thru safari in which you are able to feed various animals from the comfort of your car. I was a bit timid at first, but the animals behaved themselves for the most part. Although one of the zebras did bite Shantell on the finger! And yes, she said it hurt. But she ended up being fine and getting a zebra colored band aid from first aid.

We then ate dinner at a great authentic Mexican resturant called Mi Tierra Resturant and Bakery. Even had a mariachi band sing at our table!

That's it for now!

Benore Speaks II: Return of the Blogger

Sun, 08 Aug 2004 15:36:26 -0700

Ladies and Gentlemen,

After a long summer hiatus, the Benore Speaks blog is speaking to you again and boy to we have a lot to say. For those of you that have been waiting patiently in anticipation of this moment, you will now be rewarded for your due diligence. So much has happened since the last time we chatted, so it is hard to find where to begin. So follow the headlines below and I will try to muster together what has happened to and for us this past summer.

Jobs, Jobs, Jobs - part I
Well first the big news for all of those who don't know, I started working back in May for an advertising and web development company on a contract basis. As of July, the contract status has changed to full-time employment status. I am doing work in a field in which I have been working for a number of years as a web application programmer. For those of you not in the know, a programmer does not design web sites. I do not make things look pretty. I make them work and other people make them look pretty. I had been doing this sort of work from home for the past for 4 or 5 years, now I work in a nice office building in Downtown Fort Worth. Since I work the 8 am - 5 pm time frame, I will now go to school at night. Yes I will still be full-time. My schedule for school is Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday from 6:15 pm - 9:00 pm. So needless to say I will be a busy boy.

I did have to give up a few things. I will no longer participate in synchronized swimming and beach volleyball ... but then again I never did either of those anyway. But seriously, I have stepped down as president of Southwestern's Student Theological Society. Of course I was the second president this year and now they are on their fourth. Perhaps we are just trying to build our Wall of Presidents to lend credibility to the organization.

Of course in its place I along with fellow blogger from Your Daily Slice of Madie Pie, will be teaching a class at Travis on how to "Lead like Jesus." It is a great series but an even better opportunity for me to gain some ministry experience.

Remembering Nina
July also brought us sad news from home. My sister-in-law, that would be my step-brother's wife, went home to be with Jesus. Nina Hauser was survived by her sons, Christian and David, her stepson Michael (aka Little Michael) and her husband Michael (aka Big Mike). Born 38 years ago in Venezuela, she was mother, wife, sister, daughter, and friend. Her laughter and kindness will be remembered and missed.

Mary Kay Senior Consultant
Uh not me, that would be Shantell. Shantell has decided to kick her Mary Kay business into full gear and has brought two of our closest friends with her. These two women are both seminary wives and they and their husbands have been our friends since we met in the Fall of 2003. Susan Millsap (aka blog: The Matt and Susan Chronicles or the millsaps on my menu) joined around the beginning of July and Paula Sinclair (aka our upstairs neighbors) joined soon after. Mary Kay is a great Christ and family centered business and I am happy my wife has found something she loves doing. Need any makeup or perhaps the entire skin care line? Email Shantell by clicking here!

Jobs, Jobs, Jobs - part II
More good news on the job front. Just a week or two ago, Shantell got a new job teaching in the Fort Worth Independent School District. After working for a year in Dallas ISD and driving 1.5 hours (90 miles) per day, just is very happy to be teaching at a school that is only 10 minutes away. Now in her 7th year of teaching, she will teach third grade. She has taught third before and is looking forward to teaching it again.

That's all folks
Well that is how Shantell and I spend our summer vacation. It was bitter/sweet but we are looking forward, greatly anticipating what God has in store over the next year.

Goodbye News Feeds!

Sat, 07 Aug 2004 15:34:01 -0700

I have decided to retire the W 2004 newsfeed. The thing is ugly. No other reason than ascetics.

W 2004

Thu, 24 Jun 2004 22:19:43 -0700

Well, I have decided to retire the Baptist News feed until the end of this political season. In its place is news from the George W Bush for President web site. Enjoy!

More Blogs Coming This Fall

Thu, 24 Jun 2004 22:15:29 -0700

Blogging has taken a back seat to my summer break, which ironically is turned into getting a full-time job. So the blogs will be irregular, perhaps they need fiber.

Saying Goodbye to the Gipper

Sat, 05 Jun 2004 19:27:00 -0700

There are not many people in politics that I consider a hero. But today I, like many around this great nation, have lost one of my personal heros. Ronald Wilson Reagan, 40th president of the United States, died today at his home after suffering for 10 years with Alzheimer's disease. In 1980, Reagan won the election against then President Jimmy Carter in a landslide. For those of you counting (Reagan had 489 electoral votes while Carters just had 49). In fact Reagan won 44 of the 50 states. Not bad, especially considering those revisionist historians who have since attempted to demonize or discount Reagan's accomplishments. He was re-elected by an even bigger margin - winning all but 1 state (Modale's home state).

Goodnight and Goodbye Mr President. You will be remembered and missed.

More info at FoxNews.com.

Alopecoid ....

Thu, 03 Jun 2004 15:05:45 -0700

A 13-year-old Colorado boy fainted on stage during the National Spelling Bee. Akshay Buddiga got up a few seconds later and much to the amazement of all immediately started spelling his word: "alopecoid."
More at Yahoo: AP News @ Yahoo

Movin' On Up ...

Wed, 26 May 2004 15:11:49 -0700

Well, it is official ... as of Saturday, May 22nd we have moved to on campus housing at the seminary. It is a bit smaller in the square footage realm, but it is nearly half what we paid at the old apartment! Plus, we are living right below some good friends of ours. We are hoping to go see a musical this weekend called Miss Saigon. It is my favorite Broadway musical. I have seen it twice, but my lovely bride has never seen it. Hopefully it works out to where we can go. That's it for now, email us if we haven't sent you our new address and phone number.

Officially certified

Fri, 14 May 2004 23:17:03 -0700

I got the results.....I passed the TeXes (no, not the Texas, the TeXes) exam that all teachers must take in the state of Texas to be a teacher. Yeah!!! I took the first part last summer, not realizing that there was a second part. When I called to find out why I had not received my certificate, I was informed of the Pedagogy and Professional Responsibilities part of the certificate requirements that I had not taken. Oops!! So, I took it April 17th and passed with strong results. Now....to get that job and start that doctorate.....until next time......

Get A Job ...

Thu, 13 May 2004 22:14:54 -0700

I have been working out of my house as a web developer for about 6 years, but recently found that work was starting to dry up. Well since I have a wife and I have seminary to pay for, it became apparent that I would need to get a job. The funny thing is God began to move before I even knew I needed to find work. Back in January or February I was approached by a man in my church to sit down and talk with about employment opportunities at this advertising/web development company. I thought it won't hurt to talk even though I am not looking for anything. After talking with them and a few months of indecision on my part (not to mention much patience on their part) I decided it was best to start working there. For the summer I will be working full-time and then go part-time when school starts in the fall.

Today marked my fourth day at this new job and all I can say is I love it.

What up G?

Sat, 08 May 2004 11:24:40 -0700

So have you heard of this new email service on the horizon called GMail offered by Google? Well some Blogger users can "test drive" the Beta launch of Gmail. Although it is still in its Beta stage, I like what I see so far. As for storage comparisons MSN Hotmail has 2MB, Yahoo Mail has 6MB, but Google Gmail has 1,000MB. They must have some huge hard drives. They will soon be available to the public.

No More Bravenet.com Counter

Fri, 07 May 2004 20:13:12 -0700

Some of you may notice I have removed the Bravenet.com page counter on the right side of the page. Bravenet and other free counter services track users IP addresses as well as collect other private information about you the user. Now my webhost is able to tell if you use Windows or Mac or use Mozilla or Internet Explorer but they do not track your IP address. Neither do I. My new counter is programmed by me in called ColdFusion. It tracks nothing about you, it just counts when a page hits the page. Your privacy is now protected.

Congrats Grads!

Fri, 07 May 2004 20:05:32 -0700

Well this semester is over and we must say goodbye to the recent Southwestern grads. Ben Cole, of The Pen and The Sword fame, is graduating and heading for Baylor University where he will be pursuing PhD work. And my good friend Buddy Goodgame is also a recent grad who now has time to look for a job. Boy that sounds like fun. Ben, Buddy, and all the recent grads ... may the Lord bless you and keep you.

Blog Break

Wed, 21 Apr 2004 23:59:12 -0700

I am taking a Blog Break. Many of you are thinking ... "Break? You've been on break! No more break!" The current school year is coming to a close but finals are kicking in to high gear ... so I must study. Try back after May 5th. I may sneak one in before then, but it is doubtful.

The Future Is Open

Tue, 13 Apr 2004 22:45:22 -0700

Open Source software is a rapidly growing phenomenon whose future is bright. What is Open Source? Well FindLaw.com succinctly defines it as "any program whose source code is made publicly and freely available for use and/or modification." In other words free software than can be modified by the user. As a seminary student, the word "free" is good.

Some may wonder is "free" software, good software? Well there is plenty of junk out there but there are many solid company's who are now offering Open Source software. Even mega software giant Microsoft seems to be coming around, but they are ready to make Windows, Office, SQL Server, and other big money software open source. But there are programs that are Open Source that can replace all of them. There is a multitude of open source operating systems but I willing to pay for Windows. Yet I have migrated all my other Microsoft products to open source. There is a free app called OpenOffice.org (aka OOo) which has Word Processing, Spreadsheet, and Presentation capabilities. They replace Microsoft's Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. More than that OOo opens and can save to those Microsoft files, plus it can make PDF files. Some programs are worth the money, some alternate open source programs are a better value.

Perhaps religious publishers could embrace the idea of open source. As it is now, Bible Software is so expensive partly because modern language publishers demand royalties. Now I have no problem with those who want to feed their families but should God's word be free and accessible to all - especially in electronic format which is very cheap to produce. If they still want to sell hard copy and leather bound Bibles, then that is fine. I will continue to buy them. But electronic versions should be freely distributed, especially when companies like Zondervan allows free access to their NIV Bible online. Perhaps that will one day catch on. Perhaps too schools will suggest getting free software like OpenOffice instead of buying software like MS Office.

I have an updated list of free software, click here.

Movin' On Up

Tue, 13 Apr 2004 19:08:39 -0700

It's nice to finally move up in the listings of search engines. Not sure what has brought me this fame without the fortune. It seems only like a few weeks ago, I found my name on Google where it was buried on the 5th or 6th page. But now I type 'Benore' and I am #1! Here is a rundown of the search engines and my rise to the top.

Google - #1 (out of 1,800 pages)
Yahoo! - #2 (out of 1,530 pages)
Altavista - #2 (out of 600 pages)

Politically Right

Mon, 12 Apr 2004 00:20:54 -0700

I am politically right. Not right in the correct/incorrect sense (although I believe I am correct) but in the left/right sense. I see things clearly in absolutes. Right and wrong. I am a big believer in the conservative movement, whether it be in politics or religion. I am not sure I like the word agenda. It always brings up pictures of under-handed behavior. I think conservatives should clearly define and promote their agenda, not hide behind. With all politics, sometimes we loose sight of our principles when we make principles out of preferences. We will hurt individuals or groups because we think our principles are correct. We should stand for our principles. We should fight and die for our principles. We should never confuse the preferences of man with the principles of God. Everything is absolute, but we don't know everything. If you are wondering if I am rambling or generally speaking about something specific, then to both I say yes. Confused? Well, I am too! But I know this, I am politically right.

Bloggers Beware

Sun, 11 Apr 2004 23:55:27 -0700

We have all heard the quote "With great power comes great responsibility." The wisdom comes from the most unlikely source, Stan Lee, the 20th-century American comic book pioneer who created Spiderman. Yes it is the words Uncle Ben gave to his nephew Peter Parker AKA Spiderman. Many people regurgitate that quote without knowing the source. That brings me to my point.

Although a BLOG is just personal journal of opinion and rantings it is also much, much more. We have empowered others to read our thoughts, at least the written thoughts we generally love to opine. Sometimes it gives our words power and creditability. We must remember that people trust what they read is true. Look at all those dumb email forwards in your inbox. Most of them are rumors and urban legends. Yet they get forwarded to you because the person trusted the sender. We can no more blindly write an ill informed blog than we should forward those empty headed emails. If you are mad about an issue, or want to celebrate a victory ... then first make sure you have dotted all the "I"s and crossed all the "T"s. Nothing is more embarrassing then getting it wrong. You loose credibility and trust. Now, none of us are perfect. If you make a mistake and correct it, than all should be forgiven. But remember sometimes actions have consequences.

So bloggers beware. Keep blogging and keep blogging passionately but do as Theodore Roosevelt said, "Speak Softly and Carry a Big Stick." By the way, this post was inspired by a fellow blogger. You can read his comments on blogging here.

Dr. Benore

Sun, 04 Apr 2004 22:14:49 -0700

Well, I am officially applying to University of North Texas to enter the doctoral program, in hot pursuit of an EdD in early childhood. "Shantell, why more school?" you may ask. Well,1) it makes me really marketable in a whole range of areas,2) I don't have kids now, so why not, and 3)my husband is encouraging me to (I secretly think he wants a PhD one of these days and me having mine already will just give hime the fuel to think "if she can do it, so can I!" - but we won't tell him that.....:-)). I will probably start this summer (provided that I get accepted) and take it one semester at a time as far as my pace. I bull dozed through my masters while I taught and started out married life. I highly recommend people not put that combination together. We packed our house for a big move to Texas for Kevin to attend seminary in my last semester. I graduated from school on May 2 and we left for Texas on the 6th! STREEEESSS! Ok, I'm fine now......

Pray for me as I embark on this new adventure of school life again. An hour each way. UGH! Ah, well, the price we pray for prestige and knowledge.

Basketball Fans: Do You Remember Abar?

Sat, 03 Apr 2004 00:47:25 -0700

Many of you may remember the basketball controversy that hit Baylor University last year. The former head coach Dave Bliss tried to save his job by instructing everyone around him to lie about blatant NCAA violations, in the wake of the death of player Patrick Dennehy. Apparently the investigation into Dennehy's death uncovered a lifestyle that Dennehy could not afford. It seems that Bliss had paid Dennehy's tuition. But Coach Bliss instructed players to inform investigators that young Dennehy was a drug dealer and paid his tuition from the profits.

Enter Abar Rouse, himself a Baylor alum and assistant coach. Coach Bliss tried to get Rouse to lie as well. Abar Rouse, having a conscience and ethics, decided to record his conversations with Bliss. Rouse's actions saved the reputation of the deceased Patrick Dennehy. More importantly Rouse's actions got rid of a corrupt coach at a university with a long religious tradition. Sure Abar should have came forward sooner or perhaps quit rather work for Bliss, but sometimes it is not that simple. One thing is for sure, when the heat was on - Rouse didn't lie to protect a corrupt system, he told the truth. In the season of the Final Four, I want everyone to remember Abar.

Fort Worth Transit System

Sat, 03 Apr 2004 00:38:23 -0700

The Metroplex has a decent mass transit system. My wife and I have used the Dallas Area Rapid Transit (D.A.R.T.) trains to get in and out of downtown Dallas events a few times, they even have their own police. My thought is this, Fort Worth should model their name after Dallas'. Something like Fort Worth Area Rapid Transit or Fw.A.R.T. for short. Okay, maybe not.

Audrey, Audrey, Audrey

Fri, 02 Apr 2004 18:22:55 -0700

Well if you don't know the story of Audrey Seiler, you have to turn on the news every once in awhile. Apparently this girl "disappeared" for a few days, only to be discovered in a murky marsh supposably held against her will by a guy with a knife or gun. The manhunt was overwhelming. The dogs were sniffing. No man was found. No evidence of her disappearance. Now police say that Audrey's kidnap story is a HOAX (Fox News).

If Audrey's story turns out to be a hoax, she may be in BIG trouble. Not only would she have lied to police but she would have cost them big bucks. Now I have heard of college pranks, hey I pulled a few, but this is ridiculous. This girl got attention but made people think the worst. If I did that to my parents even at that age, I would be hot water. She deserves whatever fine or punishment she gets, if indeed she is guilty. Stupidity deserves no mercy ... at least not from the courts.

Packing......AGAIN

Wed, 31 Mar 2004 00:26:02 -0700

As if a move to Texas ten months ago wasn't enough, we have decided to add a little excitement to our lives by packing up again and moving to Seminary housing. You know, since Kevin is in school and doing web development and I am teaching and keeping up the house and having my busy involvement with Metochai, we kind of felt bored and needed some spice put in our lives (yeah right!). So, we decided to put an end to our boredom and move! If only that were true (the boredom part). Trying to pay off debt and live in a luxury apartment while putting Kevin through Seminary is just not the easiest combination in the world, so we decided to put our lives financially at ease by moving to student housing. We will be living below our friends David and Paula Sinclair. We enjoy hanging out with them, but I think we have all agreed that boundaries will definitely have to be drawn so that we don't spend so much time together that we get sick of each other and drive everyone postal!

On the employment side of things, I have put applications into Fort Worth ISD, Crowley ISD, and am almost finished with the application for a private school called Fort Worth Country Day School, which is a very affluent private school down the road from our current apartment. Now, I just sit back, pray and let God do His work.

Our Metochai meeting last night was a blessing to many, and was even more blessed by Susan Millsap's angelic voice! Her gift amazes me time and time over, and I just know that God is going to use that powerful instrument in ways she cannot even comprehend. Thank you Susan, for being an inspiration to me to be a godly example to others.

Well, since I have a 40 minute commute ahead of me tomorrow, I should wrap up and get some zzzzz's.

"This does not set a precedent"

Tue, 30 Mar 2004 20:37:54 -0700

Before I get into the stupidity of all involved in the flip-flop of allowing Dr. Condoleezza Rice to testify before the 9/11 commission, let's examine the situation. First, President Bush says he won't allow Rice to testify publicly. Rice is the National Security Adviser. She gives counsel to the President. Due to her unique position, the President has every right not allowing her to testify. It's called separation of powers. The press, the Democrats, and all the members of the 9/11 commission have been out for blood because she won't testify. Well, it turns out the President has now changed his mind. Better put he caved.

I recognize that the 9/11 commission has some importance. However, it can not change what happened on September 11th. The assertions by some guy, who coincidently comes forward at the same time his new book hits the shelf, are that the Bush Administration knew about the Al Qaeda threat and failed to do anything. In other words, Bush did nothing to stop an impending attack - September 11th.

President Bush and members of the 9/11 commission came to some agreement to allow Rice to testify. Former Republican governor and commission chairman Thomas Kean said of Rice's testimony, "We recognize the fact that this is an extraordinary event. There are all sorts of reasons why this is different. This does not set a precedent." Ummmm, okay. Just because President Bush got the commission to promise that this would not be a precedent doesn't mean they can even fulfill that promise. Do they even know what a precedent means? Well I do! According to Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary a precedent "is an action, situation or decision which has already happened and which can be used as a reason why a similar action or decision should be performed or taken." By definition Rice will set a precedent as soon as she testifies.

Personally, I believe Rice need not testify in public to defend against erroneous testimony by Clarke. What is the difference if she testifies privately or publicly? Bush, Clinton, Cheney and Gore are all speaking to the commission privately. It doesn't seem that will hamper the commission's work. This decision will sends chills to future Presidents and presidential advisers. Now President's can expect safe, guarded advice. Although, if last week is any indication of the commissions work, all I can say is "yawn."

On a lighter note ...

Sun, 28 Mar 2004 00:22:30 -0700

We had a great time just hanging with our friends David and Paula Sinclair. Pizza and music filled the evening. Have started a workout routine (or not so routine yet) with Dave. While we are talking about the Sinclairs ... it looks like we will be moving to on campus housing May 22nd. In fact, we will live right below the Sinclairs. It is kinda cool, but who wouldn't feel a little bad for Dave and Paula? I'll try to keep the radio down.

Looking forward to tomorrow. After church we will have our "supper club." The Millsaps, The Sinclairs, The Raglands, and us. And the menu? I am making Dad's spaghetti. I am going to have to roll them out the door when it time to leave. Hmmmmm ... spaghetti.

Blood Suckers

Sun, 28 Mar 2004 00:14:07 -0700

Well gave my blood today, well actually I gave platelets and plasma today. Only took two hours. Was prompted to do so because one of my groomsmen has cancer. Those at the hospital know him by his first name, Lance. I know him by his middle name Roth. I gave to see if I would be a match to his bone marrow needs. They say it's about a one and a million chance of a match, but he is my friend so it's worth trying.

A Word About "The Passion"

Sat, 27 Mar 2004 11:53:41 -0700

This weekend "The Passion of the Christ" is on target to make a domestic total of $310 million. I figured before it came out this movie would push past the $300 million mark. Now those movie analyst say that this little project by Mel Gibson "could end up bringing in anything from 400 million to one billion dollars at the box office, putting it well within range of becoming one of the most successful movies in history." (Yahoo News). I wonder if these are the same guys who predicted the end of Mel's career because he made this film? Probably, but only about 1/3 of those whom in a poll said they would see the movie have seen it.

The Passion is a very disturbing movie. And not because of the trumped up criticisms the main stream press have put forth. First the movie is not anti-Semitic. It is anti-everyone who had a role in putting an innocent man to death, whether it be Jewish or Roman leaders. But the real disturbing thing about this movie is how real and true the death of Jesus is portrayed. This will stir the Passions of the believer and some non-believer will be driven to know more about God. Some will see this as just a movie. But you think of influence and no one has impacted the world more than Jesus. He was more than just a man who died on a cross. For those who miss that ... we can only pray.

I say kudos to Mel for waking up another sleeping giant called the Church. Refocusing the church on what their mission really is. There will always be politics and disagreement between Christians and denominations but the most important work should never be called into question. Jesus died. For what? He died for every person's sinful lives. We are all inherently bad people, we do stupid things. We all need God. Those who deny their is a God let alone they need Him are delusional. Likewise delusional are those who think that all of the world's religions worship the same God. But that is a soap box for another time.

My only fear is that the awaking of the sleeping giant will be short lived. Today our culture has become so enamored with looking out for their own self interest it will be hard to embrace and celebrate something that teaches to put other's needs first. After our country's worst attack on native soil, September 11th, there were many who made life changing decisions. Many more made efforts to go back to church. Yet this "seeking God" mentality seems to only happen in times of tragedy, so when the right amount of time passed - they put God pack on their shelf. There must be more than a surface feeling than brings people closer to God. And we must do more than sit our fannies to reach people.

Thank you Mel for the nudge, I pray that the nudge is big enough to make a difference.

Happy Birthday To Me!

Wed, 03 Mar 2004 00:08:44 -0700

Well it certainly was a Happy Birthday. My wife surprised me when we went to dinner at Red Hot and Blue. When we arrived at the restaurant for our dinner of two, I walked in to find friends from our new church. She also had one of our friends, Susan, bake my favorite cake - a family recipe called the Grandma Benore cake. It was an excellent! When I got home she had presents for me to open. Yeah!

On a completely different note, school is going well. I am now president of a student organization on campus called the Student Theological Society. Well I became the prez early this year; I was vice-prez and got moved up when the former president resigned.

I have also take on a non-paid Ministry Assistant position at my church working in the Business Administration department. I currently help out with a email subscription system. It utilizes my web savvy skills. Well that is it for now.

And the busyness never ends!

Sat, 21 Feb 2004 00:09:17 -0700

Well, the snow has melted away, and the sun is coming out. I had my little taste winter that I have missed so much. Of course, my cousin Roxanne up in Iowa, gave me the whole violin strings WAAHHHH since they have like 12 inches of snow up in Iowa. So much for sympathy......

I am in hot persuit of employment for the 2004-2005 school year. Apparently, our school has been given 13 allocations for ESL/Bilingual certified teachers. There are only 12 this year, and since a new position cannot be created for that to happen, someone has to go. It boiled down to seniority, and although I've taught for 5 years, I've only been in TEXAS for 1 year, so "na na na-na, na na na-na, hey hey hey, gooood-byyye"! That's totally ok, because God has moved my heart for quite sometime now to be closer to Southwestern. There are so many things to be involved in, and a 40 minute commute doesn't make that possible all the time. I would really like to be back in private education anyway, so my goal is to hit the FWISD, area ISD's and area private schools. Thankfully, Olivia Eudaly and Barbara Ragland have some names to send me to. It's all about connections........

Our Valentine's banquet is coming up on Monday, February 23rd and I am excited! Metochai has worked hard, and I think it will be a blessed success! I have been diligently working to get the Metochai scrapbook all up to date and the officer's board revamped and up to date with all officer's beautiful, smiling faces on our lovely, newly decorated board.

Until next time.....

I'm Dreaming of a White St. Valentine's?

Mon, 16 Feb 2004 23:00:54 -0700

Well according to the weather people in the know, the snow that occurred on St. Valentine's day was the biggest snow here since 1985. Hey but what do I know about big snow, I'm from Orlando ... home of the 11 months of summer and palm trees. The snow did make for a more romantic V-Day! Alas the snow left just a quickly as it came, by the evening of February 15th it had all melted. The eve up St. Valentine's was pretty cool too. The Milliorn's (part of our Sunday School leadership) hosted a dinner at their place for our Seminary Sunday School class. It was nice for all the couples to spend an evening socializing and eating great food. We have made some great friends in our class. Well enough talk ... on to the pictures! Click here.

2004 Spring Semester at SWBTS

Sat, 07 Feb 2004 14:00:45 -0700

Classes are going well, here is a lineup of my current course load.

* Spiritual Life of the Minister II (2)
* Old Testament I (3)
* The Christian Ministry (3)
* Leadership for the Christian Ministry (3)
* Philippians (3)

New Seminary Friends

Thu, 29 Jan 2004 22:00:24 -0700

We've been making some new friends at seminary. One couple actually has their own blog (which led to the blog now on this my site). Introducing Matt & Susan Millsap. By the way, I think I owe him $50 for being my friend. Click here for their site.