Volunteer Identities

Churches I have worked with in the past have an undocumented policy of not granting volunteers and interns (who work with church data) personalized network accounts and church email addresses. Rather, each ministry is assigned a generic volunteer account and email. If there are multiple volunteers, they must share. From the SysAdmin viewpoint, I agree with this solely on the premise that volunteer turnover is generally higher than an employee and the administration of adding and deleting accounts is greater. But, what about liability and accountability? Even though the church does background checks and matches giftedness to available opportunities, why don't we assigned personalized email addresses? This might even be a business administration or legal question.

Lately, I've experienced that church employees who recruit the volunteers expect them to be granted a 'firstname.lastname@somechurch.org' email address and seem to take offense when I suggest the generic method. The volunteer, on the other hand, could really care less and is just happy to serve. But, just saying, "...because it's our policy..." is wearing pretty thin and trite. I'd like to have a ready and logical answer the next time I'm challenged on the subject. Any volunteers?

Uncorking the Blog Pipe

Man, what happened to me? I haven't posted a thing in over 4 days! Yup, vacation's over, my almost 500 emails since returning have been processed and the wave of life is calming down. Time to kick it into a higher gear :)

The Lord, He is God

Something I thought about while traveling and has really captured my heart as if for the very first time...

Whether I am blessed with riches from Heaven,
or stripped of all I own;
Whether I enjoy a long and healthy life,
or suffer agony from painful disease;
Whether my friends lift me higher,
or my enemies plot against me;
Whether my legacy be blessed,
or my name be cursed;
The Master's purpose is to draw me closer to Him,
And through me, make His love and glory known to others.

To Know Him and Make Him Known - That is my purpose. Amen.

Passing Through Round Rock, Texas

Next to Microsoft, Dell is a Church Tech's best friend (unless anyone knows of something better). We decided to take a more scenic way home, which means a later E.T.A. at the homestead.

Vacation Wrap Up

After 3 days away from home and 39 well-spent hours at Westin's La Cantera (our favorite Hill Country Hangout), we're packing up and heading home. I've learned some things on this vacation: here's a list of 10 of them in no particular order.

1. Coppertone Sport continuous Spray SPF30 does not work. Unless is comes out of a squeeze bottle like mayonnaise, don't trust it.
   
2. The Hospitality Industry can be a good model for churches in how they connect with people.
3. Souvenir shops sell the same junk since I was a kid and yet we still buy them. The junk, not the shops.
   
4. Whatever you plan on spending on vacation, it's not enough.
5. San Antonio seriously lacks a visible, from the highway Starbucks presence. Come on guys, where are you hiding them?
6. No matter how good the vacation is, it's always good to be back home.
7. Car DVD Player With Two 7" LCD Screens at Wal-Mart- enough said.
8. An omelet covered in hot sauce is a good thing.
   
9. God's majesty, grace and love surrounds us - Always.
10. Good intentions aside, I probably will never use a hotel's health club while on vacation.

25 years later...

If you've ever traveled on I-35 anywhere near Texas, then you have almost certainly seen the signs for the Natural Bridge Caverns (200, 300 or 400 miles to go). Well after seeing these signs myself for almost 25 years, I finally went. It's hard not to think about God's great handiwork when you look upon the (super)natural formations.

That's our second son, Trevor, striking the casual pose.

Shamu Show - 10 Thumbs Way Up!

Despite the earlier rain, The Shamu Adventure got the whole family in awesome spirits!

Road Trip!!

Less than 24 hours ago, we called an Emergency Family Meeting and told the kids we were going to Sea World. Had a nice drive to Austin last night, stayed over at a Holiday Inn and now, we're back on I-35 to San Antonio. Mom is at the helm and plugged into the iPod; Kids are plugged into a DVD; Dad is blogging at 75 mph. "Ooh, look Kids, another water tower!"

IT: Defined

Jim Walton raised an interesting discussion among the voices in my head when he recently posted about his wife, Mary, asking the question "What is IT?" The initial response was that "IT" is a very vague and generalized field involving the "T" - Technology. But what about the "I" - Information? What does Information Technology really mean??

Merriam-Webster Online defines Information as the communication or reception of knowledge or intelligence. Technology is derived from the Greek word technologia, meaning the systematic (or logical) treatment of an art or skill. From this, I interpret Information Technology as systematically transmitting and receiving knowledge or intelligence. Looking at the IT chain from the inside out chain, you can see that Network Engineers, Systems Engineers, Database Administrators, Application Developers, Desktop Support, and the Help Desk are all involved in Information Technology.

Most of the time, I get so caught up in the minutiae of my work that I fail to see the Information that I am "systematically treating". For each company, their information can be the purpose behind their existence - a mission statement or corporate creed. For those of us in Church IT, our information is that God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. Now that's IT.

Not the Cable Guy

Some "one man" IT guys can do it all, but when it comes to pulling cable, I'm out! It just is not my skill. I like to solve problems, figure out how software works and research new ways that technology can make our lives better. I even like building computers with my bare hands. But those folks that get up in the ceiling tiles day after day, traipsing through buildings trying to locate cables and punching down the silly things - GOD LOVE ALL OF YOU! I'm in desperate need of your time and skills, because as I have proven to myself time after time after time, I am not a cable guy.

The Way I See It ...

... I might need professional help. Although these weren't all mine, two of them were and I hit the ground running this morning. I'm actually "on vacation" from my day job, but my personal to-do list is off the charts. Oh, and don't think for a second that "daddy time" is being sacrificed. Yesterday, we drove north to Oklahoma and spend the afternoon swimming at Turner Falls and this evening, after supper, we tried to find a park to play at, but ended up getting lost in Cedar Hill. What fun!

I love vacations. Even though you there's not much physical rest, you get the stuff done that really matters.

Sunset, brought to you by God

I just had to pull off the freeway to snap this spectacular shot in Arlington, TX. My home is in the next town north - Euless. Our God is an awesome God!

Give Gary a Pat on the Back

... or maybe a hit on his blog. I came across Gary's blog through Terry's site and I really dig his writing style. It's easy to read and very amusing. Almost as if I'm chatting with the Mad Babbler face-to-face. Anyway, my purpose for introducing you to Gary is to get you to visit him, say "Hi" and generate some hit count statistics.

You see, Gary and some of his mates from the office are trying to out-do each other in the blog ratings and Mr. Storch is their measure of blogging greatness. That's why I'm here to add fuel to a very friendly fire :)

Go Gary, Go Gary, Go-Go Go Gary!!

Excellent Podcasting Primer

Todd Cochrane of the Geek News Central Podcast and author of the book Podcasting recently gave a 45-minute talk at a Brown Bag Lunch on how to start your own podcast. It's a very good primer and covers how to produce a podcast on budget while effectively keeping your home life healthy. Todd goes over audio equipment, software, computer hardware, blog hosts, web hosting services and RSS. It's an end-to-end introduction to the exploding world of "take it with you" media.

Todd lives in Hawaii with his wife and four children. You can download the audio in MP3 here.

Laptop Shopping

In a later blog post that will explain why, I will find myself, at the end of the week, without my trusty Tablet PC - forever :( And so begins the agony of shopping for a new one. I say agony because for me, striking the right balance between price, power, options, battery life, and weight is very time consuming and reading reviews (often conflicting) gives me a headache.

I didn't use my Toshiba Portege 3505 as a tablet very much, but when I did it was VERY handy and now Toshiba has a multitude of tablets that are just as much in price as a regular laptop. Also, the brand was really reliable (or was I just lucky?). But wait, I'm talking myself into a purchase without considering the cool new technology that's come out since I was last in the market (that's what reading Engadget and Gizmodo will do for you).

Blog Diving Treasures: Mark Rodriguez

When I came across Mark's blog, I instantly saw his passion for music and worship. Then as I delved deeper into his posts, I noticed that he draws every topic and thought back to the central truths of the Bible. Oh he doesn't only blog on spiritual or church matters, no, he shares about movies, music, marriage, etc., and brings each post back around to the Kingdom of Heaven. Also, down the margin of his site, Mark references (with artwork) books he's reading, his favorite albums, show's that he TiVos and so on. If Relevant Magazine were to build a blog, this is how I would imagine it. Fantastic stuff, Mark.

Wi-Fi: Do Unto Others?

Thanks to the gang at This Week in Tech for their podcast discussion about wi-fi liabilities. Although nothing was resolved in the discussion, it definitely lays a good foundation for numerous blog conversations. Ready? Here we go.

THE WIND-UP: I have a nice strong Buffalo router at the north end of my home and the same brand access point acting as a repeater at the south end, thus nicely blanketing my home in an 'Excellent' wi-fi signal.

THE PITCH: It is also unprotected. That's right - no WEP/WPA encryption and broadcasting its presence to anyone who wants to get on my information super-fly-way. Now, after you've pick yourself up off the floor, I must tell you that I live pretty deep in an established neighborhood and I believe the probability of Internet hackers breaking in to the network is greater than some mega-geek sitting in his/her car right outside my home lifting my Quicken data. Besides, all of my PC's are firewalled and protected, so I have no reservations.

THE "WHY": The reason for my seemingly naive benevolence is exactly that - benevolent. If any one of my neighbors is in need of Internet, or folks just moving in waiting on their DSL or (heaven forbid) Cable Internet to be installed, they can just grab a cup o' Net on me. Sure, if it comes to the point where it noticeably affects my bandwidth, then yeah, I'll consider locking it down.

THE PUNCH: but, what if one of my neighbors uses my connection for illegal purposes, am I liable? Worse yet, could the questionable activities of one of my wireless beneficiaries be publicly traced to my Internet account, thus potentially damaging my Christian witness and causing another brother to stumble?

The discussion floor is open, my network is now closed... and I'm listening.

Blog Diving Treasures: Jud Stone

One of the blogs I've found in my travels is Humble Reflection by Jud Stone. His writing just puts me in the right mood and the reflections of God's blessings in his life causes me to "humbly reflect" on the Lord's goodness throughout my own pilgrimage. As I was reading through his posts, I saw that we share another bond - we are both fathers to boys and we desire for God's character to flow through us and be permanently grafted in them. Jud, I'm glad to make your acquaintance, Sir.

iPod has become wePod

It's true. Now that I've ripped all of our CDs into iTunes (including the Kids' CDs) and subsequently onto the iPod, I find that my wife uses it almost as much as me. In the morning, she's blasting music from it onto the kitchen radio. If she's going somewhere by herself, "Babe, where's the iPod?". In the family van on the weekends, she's spinning the clickwheel like a veteran DJ flippin' the wax. Don't get me wrong, I am not bitter in the least. Rather, I am totally jazzed that she "gets it". Now, I'm saving my pennies to buy her a "shePod".

By the way, I don't think my darling would be using the iPod nearly as much if it weren't for the Griffin iTrip (er, weTrip?). It's a definite must-have accessory.

Blog Diving

The past few days, I've been tied up in Blog Diving! Don't worry, you're not missing out on the latest craze. It's just a name I made up for "diving" into the comments on blogs I have subscribed to and finding many other bloggers who share my interests and subscribing to them. I am building quite a healthy subscription list of folks, especially in Church IT, that I never knew existed. This week, I'll be dedicating one post per day to the new blogs I've found.

Pray for London!

LondonPrayer.net -

There are 6 confirmed blasts at tube stations and one on a bus. The situation is still confused so ask God to lead you in your prayers and watch for media updates.

Pray for:

• those injured
• the emergency services
• those making decisions

Blog Redesign in Progress...

Being not completely satisfied with the templates that Blogger offers (although, they are really good), I'm tinkering around with the code to create my own "brand". Although it might not stick to your brain like the Slinky commercial of old, the most I hope to gain from the effort is a better understanding of Cascading Style Sheets. I've made minor changes for the past week, but the latest change in background color was drastic enough to let you know that I'm still here.

This One's for You, djchuang!

I received a comment last night from DJ Chuang, on my post regarding the Starbucks in Bedford,TX. In response DJ, I am now planted comfortably in one of the big chairs facing the Baristas, lifting a white paper cup (grande latte) in your honor, and blogging!! Although, they don't have the T-Mobile hotspot installed here yet, I am able to post this across the Cingular airwaves.

DJ is a Christian Blogger and I am definitely subscribed. Go check him out at www.djchuang.com. I'm not sure if DJ lives in the Mid-Cities area, but I would love to hear from other Christian and/or Tech bloggers in and around Bedford. Maybe, if anyone's inclined, we could make this Starbucks an occasional meeting place to share ideas face to face. As a Pastor friend of mine says, "Just a thought". :)

Good to hear from you DJ!

Life Imitating Tech

You know that chordal sound when you turn on a Mac? Tonight I found thatsound in the everyday flow of life. The kids has just nodded off for the night and I was busy recovering data from a laptop when I stepped in to the room that we'll just call the Study (aka, 'room where the family computer is'). I opened the door and first heard the knock of wood against wood followed by the "Apple Sound" quickly dissipating into silence.

My boys had been playing with my old acoustic guitar earlier in the day and left it lying on the floor. Intrigued, I picked up the ax and a nearby pick (also on the floor) and gave it a meaty strum YEOW! Horribly out of tune is a gross understatement. However, if I tapped the headstock, neck or body of the instrument just enough to cause the strings to vibrate, the sound takes me back to my old G3 Blue and White slot-loading iMac.

Weird huh? Yeah - I know - it's late.

First Visit to Fellowship Church

We had decided a couple of weeks ago to skip church on July 4th Weekend and spend time celebrating my brother's birthday and just enjoying the long weekend. So when we found ourselves in Grapevine at 10:30 am and just finishing a birthday breakfast at the Boulangerie, we decided, after all, to visit Fellowship Church.

The whole experience was very friendly and the flow of getting everybody in their place was super efficient. The kids loved their classes and I noticed our youngest son's teacher' name was Rachel Coppedge - relative of Anthony Coppedge?? Ed Young was out (that's OK), but Mike Breaux of Willow Creek gave a tremendous message called Making Ripples, that really spoke to my wife and I. Have I mentioned the music, yet? Simply fantastic!

All in all it was a great church-going experience.

Godspeed, Brian Bailey!

Brian Bailey of Leave It Behind announced that he is taking a hiatus from maintaining his blog. I'd like to say that he's taking a well deserved vacation to a swanky resort in the Caribbean with his family, but I don't know that for a fact. Seriously, Brian's posts were very insightful and in my opinion, he has become a phenomenal "journalist" and ambassador for not only Fellowship Church, but for the Lord Jesus.

I'm not too sentimental about geeky things, but Brian's absence is starting to make me feel a bit sad. Go over to Brian's site and wish him well and as you do, take notice of the title of his last post. The circle is complete and it goes on. Thank You, Brian, for inspiring me and others to start blogging and to strive for continuous improvement. As I commented on your site , I look forward to your return.

RSS Conversion

Bloglines doesn't seem to be catching Blogger's ATOM feed for my site so I've put a Feedburner link on the right margin which links to the RSS feed. That's it, the little orange doodad that as of this post reads a whoping zero readers :) anyway, it seems to work very well - thanks FB! Please pass the word to other bloggers to change this site in Bloglines to http://feeds.feedburner.com/castingmynet

Thanks Y'all!

One Week Celebration Giveaway!

One week ago today, I finally decided to throw myself into the blogging scene and I must say, it's been a total blast! Thanks to everyone who has directly contacted me through my posts and to those whom I have never met, but gave me inspiration.

To celebrate, I want to give away GMail invitations to the first 40 people who email me expressing an interest in having an account with the best free email service on the planet. No contest, just be the one of the first. I know this has been done before and probably everyone in the world has one, but, just in case you don't or you know someone who could benefit from one, send me an email!

Breakfast of Champions

Good morning, Blogosphere! I'm up and out before the chickens this morning, so there's no rustling up breakfast at home today - too noisy for the precious sleepy heads. So what do I like for "the most important meal of the day"? On mornings like these, it's a trip to one of 3 Starbucks that I pass for a triple venti latte and a cream cheese danish (should that be capitalized?) At home, I like Post Honey Nut Shredded Wheat (yum). On the weekends, we may treat ourselves to either home-made waffles and bacon, Uncle Herschel's breakfast at Cracker barrel or the bomb-diggitiest of pancakes at the Original Pancake House in Dallas.

What about you? Where's the best place to get breakfast where you are?