Book Review: Beginning SQL Server 2005 Administration

I am realizing that I'm really strange that I read these tech books all the way through. There is really no point to do that, other than getting an information blitz. This has some nice info about how SQL Server 2005 works behind the scenes. I also got some great info about emailing messages from a SQL script. Otherwise, it was more for a full-time administrator. I am technically more of an ETL programmer at this point.


These book covers are horrible. I think the middle guy's beard is photoshopped, otherwise it is impressively full.

Restaurant Review: La Fiesta

For the sake of how I always do this on my blog, I thought i'd mention that we went to a restaurant named La Fiesta in Manhattan. It was an average Mexican restaurant

Book Review: The House that Love Built, by Bettie B. Youngs

The founders of Habitat for Humanity, Millard and Linda Fuller, sent me this book after reading my previous blog post about a previous book that Millard wrote. Here is my original post Linda got into contact with Courtney through some links on my site, and they sent me a personal letter and a free book by surprise!

Their personal letter stated "you may not be aware" that they are no longer part of Habitat for Humanity. Indeed I wasn't. They said that the book explained how that happened.

As I began reading the book, I was happy that it included a bio of Millard and Linda's early life. Millard was a total entrepreneur, and he and a business partner thought of many great ideas. Before the age of 30, they were millionaires. Meanwhile, Millard and Linda's marriage was suffering. They made a faith decision to give away all of their money and assets and to see what God had for them.

The book then goes into detail about how Habitat for Humanity started, and I don't really want to go into all of that on the blog. Habitat for Humanity grew exponentially as a ministry from the 80s into the turn of the century.



In the early 90s, there started to be some power struggles within the Habitat corporate office. Habitat attracted a lot of corporate minds, who started to take offense at Millard's spiritual approach. They wanted higher executive salaries, offices in Atlanta, and to try to manage the growth instead of continuing to expand quickly. They may have had good points, but instead of discussing the issues at hand in a mature way, they tried to bring down Millard by accusing him of things. And then in 2004, the Fullers were eventually fired in a very disgraceful manner from the organization they lovingly started and grew. Habitat changed all of the locks immediately, and put guards at the door, as if the founders were criminals. The Habitat affiliates around the world had no idea what happened. This book was to get the record out. It also made me angry and upset - although that is not the intention of the book, it is probably a natural response to it. Since I got so emotional about this, it made me wonder if I should be involved in some sort of housing ministry.

The Fullers went on to form the Fuller Center for Housing, which raises money for housing projects (including Habitat) and they have some of their own building projects. I would be more inclined to support Fuller Center than Habitat after learning more about the situation. The Habitat International Board did in fact hire a new CEO with a lot of corporate experience and not much apparent ministry experience.

Manhattan Trip Top Ten

10. Ice Cream at Call Hall
9. Seeing the Union Station Parking Garage under construction.
8. Time with the family at Mark and Susie's for Grandma's birthday
7. Watching K-State womens volleyball team slam Texas Tech with Mark and Susie. I almost wished they'd struggled so that we could be there longer than an hour!
6. Nav Night - open mic for students about their experiences at the Main Event conference
5. Disc golf at Tuttle Creek with excellent weather.
4. Piano Concert with an unobstructed view of the pianist's hands about 6 feet away - A K-State prof played Chopin, Rachmaninoff, Debussy, and Prokiev. All memorized. Incredible. G&G also loved it, and said it would be a good memory for them.



3. Visit with the Satzlers at their acreage. Catching up with them. Going down to the creek. Randomly meeting Doug Peterson -friend of the Satzlers. Come to find out he went to Shawnee Mission Northwest in 1982, then come to find out he grew up in Colony Woods, then come to find out he lived on Rosehill 2 houses down from the pool. Imagine that!
2. Hang out at the Deavers
1. Randomly running into people we didn't expect to see (Gavin and Janice, Chris Morton (3 times) + girlfriend, Becky Szcezny, Rachel Thornburg + boyfriend, Courtney Jensen.


Worst part of the trip Top Three?

3. Trying to play disc golf on a tree course. The trees weren't labeled and we couldn't figure out the map. We couldn't get through even 2 holes!
2. The sound of springs at slightest movement in bed
1. Oyster stew concentrated, mixed with soy milk.

...For more pictures see Courtney's Facebook!...

Voting Thoughts

For local elections, my main question is "what is this job anyway?". I don't even know the roles and responsibilities of a county commissioner, or an education board person, or a sheriff.

That will be my ambition before the next election- to find out what these things are anyway.

The second question I have is, does Republican and Democrat have anything to do with this person's job? Instead of being partisan, can I find out who is more qualified? Does it matter if someone is pro-life on the county commission board?

Third, there isn't much non-partisan information out there. Finding out more information is a chore.

Manhattan Trip 2008

We just returned from a wonderful visit to Manhattan KS... I can't write about it right now, because I am de-packing while listening to baseball.

Movie Review: Patton

This Best Picture Winner of 1970 was kind of a monologue - not too many other people had lines than Patton! Patton prayed on his knees and cussed like a sailor, and believed in reincarnation. And he was really full of himself. That makes for a really interesting character study.

The pre-computer age of special effects were impressive. Dozens of tanks were blown up, so it seems. The movie was not graphic in terms of blood like Saving Private Ryan.

This was not really my favorite movie, but I think it is a good war movie. Best picture winners continue to provide for some of our historical education.

An interesting thing is that Patton was reprimanded for slapping a soldier, and almost kept out of the European Front because of it. I wasn't aware that political correctness went back to 1970. Not that I condone what he did. I love the line from the German official, "Don't believe their newspapers - they would never keep their best general out of the war just for slapping a soldier." And eventually Patton got back into it, because they needed an aggressive general to press into Germany.

Book Review: Presence-Centered Youth Ministry, by Mike King

This book is the only book I've read that is written by a friend of mine. Mike King is the President of YouthFront, who is the employer of Courtney. But YouthFront is much more than my wife's employer, because it is an integral part of our spiritual lives. When Courtney no longer works for them, we will continue to be involved with YouthFront.

Mike is an easy-going guy, always bringing a smile to my face. Also, he is very deep and smart, and I admit I can't understand everything he says. However, this book, Presence-Centered Youth Ministry doesn't use too many big words.


Mike leading a time of prayer when Courtney went to Israel


The concepts put forth in this book are not entirely new to me, because I have been around YouthFront, but to many people they would probably be shocking. The book decries how our youth workers, instead of being spiritual guides, have become event coordinators, comedians, superstars, and the like. (I know that when I was the Youth Intern at CCC in 2002, it saddened me that we did not talk much about spiritual things. But that is usually the nature of summer youth ministry.) We did not provide youth the space to experience God for themselves. We just told them what we thought we should say, or told them to be quiet while we were talking, or entertained them.

Mike's desire is to connect kids with spiritual practices that are centuries old - time of silence and solitude, imaginitive Scripture reading, various postures, ancient prayers of the saints. And Mike doesn't encourage suddenly introducting these to youth. He encourages adults to practice these for themselves and slowly integrate them into the youth group. I know that when I was a youth I would have loved this format, and would have invited my friends to youth group. I think it's a great way to go.




This book has impacted me, because I have started to pray at least once daily now. I have been practicing silence and solitude. When I wake up I find a comfortable place to sit. I softly sing a worship song. I think of a topic and spend time in prayer, praying for myself, others, and/or needy people around the globe. I would like to add a liturgical prayer to end my time, but I don't know any. I would like to do this 2-3 times per day. It was easy for me to understand the process, because I have experienced this at the Altar and other events with YouthFront. I have already been blessed by doing this, by having my thoughts of the day beginning with God. I connect with the Lord, and with the needs of others.


I have been burned out by thinking spiritual disciplines had to look a certain way. Mike's suggestions have brought a renewal to my spiritual life. I find that I never read books more than once, but I might peek back at this one for more inspiration.

Weekend of Rebekah's wedding

The weekend was surreal, overwhelming, and satisfying. I disposed of my rocks with Dad, Martyn and Lindon. Had many family gatherings. Attended a beautiful wedding ceremony. Had ice cream with Courtney and went to the office complex where music plays with a fountain. Had church in Theater in the Park with the entire congregation. We had our first Sunday with Pastor Johan as our official Senior Pastor. Watched Courtney sign to "How Great is Our God". And had lunch with the church family. Worked out at the gym and watched baseball. Then I pretty much slept the rest of the weekend.

Book Review: Football for Dummies

I enjoy watching football, but do not really talk about it Even this weekend, people were rattling off their opinions about various college football matchups. I didn't even know who K-State was playing until Friday afternoon. I can K-State's coach and the quarterback and one receiver, but that is all. So I pretty much have a surface level interest in football. I like to know who won or lost, and how badly.

I thought maybe if I knew more details about football, I would be more interested. Football for Dummies is written by Howie Long, who played on defense in the NFL. So this book is pretty good at describing defensive schemes and players. I really got a lot out of the defense section.

It is good to know more about it, and I truly have enjoyed watching it a bit more, now that I have read more about it. But I don't think I be able to discuss much more when people are chatting about it, because I am still not passionate about the sport.

Restaurant Review: Grandstand Burgers

They serve pretty much the greasiest food available, as evidenced by the menu http://www.grandstandburgers.com. The building is the smallest I've ever seen for a restaurant. There is not any room to eat or stand in line. If you don't want to wait, call ahead. I went with some coworkers and we ate in the park.

But it was pretty much the best bun-less burger I've had in a long time.

Political doom

I have been following politics closely for only about 4 years, and I have become more patriotic and knowledgeable during this time. Talk radio has been a useful tool, not for indoctrination, as some may think, but for a source of well thought out knowledge and opinion.

Anyway, for the first time in that time frame, I feel a sense of doom for my side. McCain, after getting a boost from the Republican convention, has made many missteps, and has frankly made a fool of himself. The ultimate foolishness was threatening to cancel the debate, and then suspending his campaign until the fiscal crisis was solved, and then changing his mind on both things. And then he has had pretty much no visible impact on the financial crisis.

Best of September 2008

We only watched one new movie this month, but I managed to finish 5 books.

Best Movie That I Saw for the First Time: Midnight Cowboy

Best New-To-Me Restaurant: Maui Express

Best Life Happening: The Altar 2008

Best Book I Read: Doctor Zhivago

Honorable Mention Book: Messages
Best online video I watched for the First time: Derek Paravacini - The Musical Genius




Picture(s) of the Month by Courtney. Actually mom took this, but it was our camera! Taken on 9/1/08 at Family Labor Day.

The Altar 2008

Courtney and I attended a contemplative retreat at YouthFront Camp South called The Altar. You may have heard about this before, because I have attended 4 times now. The weekend has gotten long for me in the past, so this time I drove down on Saturday morning, and stayed until Sunday.

The theme of the weekend was modern day slavery and fair trade, and how being Christians means that we should think about these things. We had regular times of solitude and prayer, and the Scripture read in that time was from Isaiah. It told from God's point of view that he doesn't appreciate as much as we do our religiosity and worship, and the real kind of worship he would like is to see us freeing those in chains, feeding those with hunger, etc. This was convicting. But I still struggle with what exactly I can/should do about this.

We had a speaker that told us that God only expects us to offer up our limited resources. The boy with the fish and loaves offered them up, and God was able to use it. So I would like to inventory what skills exactly I would have to offer.

For more details check out Mike King's blog inthe links on the right.

New Pastor of Community Covenant

99.2% of the congregation voted Yes to call Johan Tredoux to be our Senior Pastor. I was among those who have voted yes. He is wise, mature and is a good leader. And he is also reaching out to others, and we interact with him on Facebook. Also, we will be one of the only churches in town with a native of South Africa as our pastor.

Any redeeming thing about this?

My wife came across this publication.

I have many questions about this

• Could this be used to instruct someone how to get to heaven, and facilitate their salvation decision moment? If yes, is it worth the damage that could be done by this publication?
• Is this publication inappropriate?

This is probably the most inappropriate page to me, showing the kids suffering in hell.

Smoking represents sin here. What would you have chosen? I think it's funny that the cigarette is pointing the wrong way, and the cigarette box is bigger than his abdomen. Well I suppose the cigarette is facing the right way if he is offering it to the kids.




My overall opinion about this is that even though most of the message is true, it is provoking and not culturally appropriate. Plus it uses fear to pressure people to make a shallow decision to believe in Christ. A convert will believe just enough to escape the flames of hell, but not undergo any significant heart change. My theology of hell is not completely clear . I am not sure that there will be huge flames and kids. That is where I question the truth of the material.

Book Review: Auto Upkeep: Basic Car Care, Maintenance and Repair

I wanted to learn more about some car parts. I am primarily a book learner, and I don't really learn much elsewhere. So I thought I'd check out a book
I am not sure who exactly the intended audience is - a high school class? It repeatedly has an introduction, then the meat, and then conclusion, just like all of those textbooks from high school.

It has a section on purchasing a car, on fueling a car, as if the reader dropped from a different planet. It has a small section describing floor mats, with a picture. It has a picture of a chammy and one of a gas cap.

But it did have some descriptions of car parts, as I was looking for. I am not sure if I will remember all of it, but it did help.

Restaurant Review: Mr. Gyro's

For the first time, I went to that restaurant I've seen so often on the corner of 83rd and Metcalf. We went with some friends, and would have otherwise never gone. They don't have anything in terms of gluten free food, but I ate the contents of a KC Strip Steak gyro. Courtney ordered something that took about 20 minutes to make, but they said 10 minutes. So that was kind of disappointing. The food was average. Price was pretty good.

Afterwards we went to Foo's Fantastic Frozen Custard around 95th and Mission. We shared chocolate with chocolate fudge and chocolate chips. It was excellent. I would go again.

Book Review: Ministry Momentum: How to Get It, Keep It, and Use It in Your Church, by Wayne Schmidt

We read this book as part of our Community Covenant round table discussions. It also accompanies Pastor Johan's sermons on the book of Joshua.

The book wasn't really interesting to me. It was not targeted toward a specific type of church, so it tried to cover every angle. The author had a lot of wisdom though. It just wasn't really impactful. Is my life going to be different, or am I going to think differently about things now? Not really. This book may be more for pastors or the power leaders of churches.

Character-less sports moves

I think it is wrong to fire a successful manager with 12 games left, just because a team might get close to the playoffs for once, but actually not make the playoffs. The Milwaukee Brewers did this recently. http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=3589405. He is now robbed of any chance to see the fruit of his labors.

Plus, it's not cause and effect anyway. As if a manager being fired will suddenly cause a team to win.

This also happened with Nebraska football when Frank Solich was fired during a successful season. It was just less successful than Nebraska tradition. His replacement was much worse, and has now been fired. http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/news/story?id=1674143