Musings on my world. . .
I’m planning on attending the 2007 Conference in Nashville, TX
These events have been fantastic in the past? Do want to go? Do you want to be a part of something greater?
Check it out!
http://www.promisekeepers.org/conferences/nashville-tn
Update! I couldn’t confirm my dates off to make the drive to Nashville! Ugh. . . But I’m going to San Antonio! whew hoo, Also I may not have to pay anything but hotel. If you want to go and find out how, just leave a comment with your email below!
Usually the mail is mostly bills, credit card offers, and sale circulars. I found myself pleasantly surprised Saturday a week ago. A package arrived for me from my friend Dawn’s husband. He sent an advance copy of Building 429’s new CD Iris to Iris. Jesse is in the band. I felt very special to receive the band’s latest work of art direct from the him. My husband and I immediately popped the CD into the computer to have a listen. Since then I have probably listened to it 4-6 times. WOW! It’s good. Can I say it enough. It is good.
Let me define good. It is sound musically. Creative lyrically. Honest dealing with the Christian life. I could ramble for an hour (and did with Hubby). Anyway, if Building 429 is new to you or an old favorite check out the new CD.
Let me know what your favorite track is. Mine is track 7, Waiting to Shine. The keyboard intro is beautiful! Something about the song soothes my heart and stirs a desire to know Him more.
Welcome to my wife’s new blog. I sort of cajoled her into starting this, so I wouldn’t be surprised if it has a slow start!
However, I can assure you what she has to say can and will be at times enlightening, inspiring and challenging. She so often can penetrate the chaff and fluff of a situation, relationship and recipe that I can assure you things could certainly be interesting.
Please feel free to comment to encourage her to post and let those thoughts be known. And I can also most assuredly attest to the fact that Misty definitely Cooks!
Well today is the day, one year ago my son was born. It was breathtaking, exciting and scary all in one. The year has been full of exciting new experiences, falls, tumbles and lots of growth learning and smiles.
What a year! Chase is one! Happy Happy birthday son!
(A Personal and Business Decision)
(PART I) (Why I Recommend Joomla for my Client’s Main Sites and My Own
I’ve been reading quite a bit about blogging and client site creation lately. In the midst of this I’ve seen quite a few sites promoting Word Press to replace static html or Frontpage or even Dreamweaver sites. They promote it for a multitude of reasons and I can see for the first time site owner, a WordPress site makes a lot of sense.
So as I evaluated this information and content, which by no means is shallow or ill advised. I had to think about why was it that every client I have, I’m recommending they go with Joomla not WordPress, including my own Church and if my friends in Austin agree to use my services, I’ll recommend Joomla to them as well.
The first reason I’m recommending Joomla is. . .
1. It’s a great Content Management System.
Joomla easily manages user logins and registrations along with the ability to give my end users the control to upload and edit information on their own sites without me having to continuously be the bottleneck to providing up to the minute information to their clients.
2. The overall look and feel of Joomla can be easily changed
using many multitudes of professionally and privately created themes. These themes provide a wholesale modification to the site’s look and feel that can be had in minutes. In addition the headers and information can then be further customized to give the user just the right feeling about their site and online presence.
3. Joomla has a multitude of easy to use plugins, components and modules
that are generally a breeze to install, maintain and publish. They let me do things such as Photo Galleries, Public Calendar’s, Mini-Calendars, Easy to Create Forms, Shopping Carts and a whole lot more that I haven’t explored yet. The installations are a snap, read the directions match the Component or Module to the proper installation routine and choose the uncompressed zip file. Joomla takes care of uploading and installing the component / module all based on the routines contained in the installation routine. That is very very nice.
4. Joomla has a quick and default application settings that lend it to a Small Business, Corporate or Organization’s structure
and inner workings. These configurations are easily modifiable from changing whether the “Blog” option is available to modifying Content and Category options, to providing a multitude of links and information from the main site. The inline photos are great and online streaming works without a hitch from what I’ve seen personally. In addition to this the front-page can easily be set to provide “Teasers” or short subsets of information so users, readers and consumers can quickly digest what they need and continue on if they need to. The site also has an easy to Navigate Backend that provides full access to the online menus both on the top side and bottom of the website. This flexibility allows a seamless look and modification that just isn’t as easy to perform under WP.
5. Joomla’s Community is Vibrant and Full of many Brick and Mortar as well as Online Companies.
This feeling of community that had dug in and provided a growing and dynamic portfolio that is both useful to new online businesses and to the small business entrepreneur that makes me stick with Joomla for such a recommendation. In addition to this plugins such as Community Builder leave the promise of a multi-tiered Web 2.0 community to a soon fruition with customized Profiles, Online Questionnaires and Community Building.
I’ve go to say I really do love Word Press and I’ll be continuing this article soon with those reasons I choose Word Press to blog with. So please feel free to comment or leave your feedback, I don’t mind at all. And since I’ve only used Joomla for just a little less than a year and Word Press for 2 years, I’m likely to have missed some things so feel free to point them out. But don’t forget to read on for Part II
C
So I had something happen that I’ve never had happen before this weekend.
It was very nice to say the least although it wasn’t actually sent to me.
My wife’s friend Dawn and her husband live in Nashville now.
So long story short, Jessie plays in a band now called Building 429, they got a Dove award in 2005 and performed “Glory Defined” and anyway they have a new album out.
Iris to Iris. . . is their latest Album and it is in stores May 1st. But my wife got a preview copy so being the husband and all, I get to listen too.
Check it out at Building 429
Very nicely done. . .
I definitely thought it was great!
Oh and if you want to pre-order, click here.
SMU Hosts a Darwin or Design Workshop!
The Baptist Press covers the article here.
Lee Strobel is quoted as “The universe is fine-tuned on a razor’s edge in a way that defies chance. It is better explained by the existence of a Creator,” Strobel said. “It seems logical and rational that, if there is a God, that He would leave evidence behind for us to find Him.”
An counter argument criticizing the workshop argued:
An editorial in the daily campus newspaper also lambasted the proponents of Intelligent Design for “preaching a religious message masked in a capsule of pseudoscience.”
The overall questions raised by the seminar are both instructive and instrumental to fully thinking through one’s faith.
So trackback comment and say it, where do you stand, Darwin or Design?
C
Google recently announced a Free Information Service available via phone
1 (800) FREE 411 which for those of you who have trouble translating Phone stuff is
1 (800) 373-3411
Thanks to
for the 411 . . .
Well I have to admit it . . . I think I’m a Google fanboy. . . not in the annoying plug Google at every opportunity on every site I can find fanboy but a fanboy none the less. . .
And I have to say the newest feature that I found I love is the Personalized Home page. . . I know I know, been there, done that got the T-Shirt. . . yeah yeah that’s what I thought too, when I stumbled over to the site again today.
For those of you that don’t have a personalized home page then you can get one by simply going to google.com and click the link at the top that says ‘Personalize this Page’
Well that’s all well and good now to the part where you probably don’t have the T-Shirt.
1st Google has added themes to the home page. . . I’ve got to say I’m only mildly impressed, it is nice to have choice but you know Santa Clause and Blue Nights and Pink things just ain’t doing it for me. . . Give me Classic. . .
2nd they added are Really nice feature “Add Tab” Hmm. . . what’s that I thought as I looked at the page, then a pop up dialog appeared asking me to name my tab. . . Well I thought okay, I’ve got a couple tech sites, favorite quote a limited sports thing and a quick view of my gmail here already so why don’t I add eh. . Sports. Okay I see the “I’m Feeling Lucky” Check box is already selected. . . I’ll give it a whirl. . .hey woah Nellie, that wasn’t half bad!
I got a whole page of customized content and in just a few seconds! How many tabs can I add. . . ahh. . . only 6 I was slightly disappointed. . . I have to say. . . I could think of at least 3 more tabs I wanted to add. . . What how can someone have 6 tabs. . . This is how. . .
Home, Sports, Entertainment, US News, Technology and Religion. There ya go. . . 6 tabs. . .now I thought okay . . . what does it give me. . .wow. . . Religious quotes, readings, daily bible verses and a Read through the bible in a year! Very very nice. . . I have to say I was very impressed. . . .
Check it Out when you get a chance. . .
hmm. . . too many things have happened since I wrote a post about my family . . .
wow. . . Baby Chase’s first Christmas, travels travails and friends Christmas. . .
Camcorders and Video’s and pictures galore. . . photos’ with Santa fun with family and gifts overflowing. . .
We are definitely blessed . . .
C