Ben's Friends

Information is power if it's stored properly.

In recent days I have discovered that I have developed (or been given) a love for information. It all started when I began doing web design when I was 14. In those early days I was more concerned with the presentation of my page than with the informaton it contained. During my first web design project I found the advantages of keeping my content and design seperate. That seperation is now fundamental in how I think about building web sites.

I found out later that the concept I had grown to love was called "Seperation of Concerns." There are actually three "concerns" when building interfaces: logic, content, and design. The goal is to keep each of them as seperate as possible.

In my early efforts I had tried linking the concerns together in the least obtrusive way I could think of. This was a start, but far off from what it needed to be.

Then I found Cocoon. The Cocoon project added a "management" piece to the SoC paradigm. This allowed the storage of the relationships between the concerns to be built outside of themselves.

There is still more work to be done in this field, but it has potential to change the way we think about information and its presentation.

Abe Stratton (a friend of mine from the BritTeam this summer) asked me a few questions about the mission team we went on together this summer. I thought that some of you may be considering going on a team this summer and would like to see how the Lord can use it in your life. I hope my answers to his questions may help you in your decision making.

1. What was the greatest lesson that you learned on your mission trip?
• Responsibility; my place as a "cog" in the machine of the team (primarily what happens when I fail).
2. Why should a college student go on a mission trip? What is the need?


• Mission teams are an opportunity to break out of your comfort zone, to live for others, and to find your weaknesses and strengths.


• The needs are great both in the world and in our own lives. A mission trip gives one an opportunity to be a part of improving both.
3. What is the greatest benefit that you see any college student will have from a mission trip?


• Sanctification. Being on "the field" seems to help focus ones attention on the state of their heart and mind in relation to Christ's claim on our lives.
4. Are the results worth the cost?


• Monetarily, there is no comparison. The benefits are eternal and far exceed any amount of cash that could be paid.
5. What is the greatest benefit to a missionary on the field to have a visiting student(s)?


• New exuberance, new life, new hopes, and new dreams. Students can bring increased excitement about the work, and the missionaries often become inspired by seeing again the enthusiasm they may have lost over the years of continual service.
6. How does a mission trip benefit a student who is not sure of God's will for his life? OR How would it benefit a student who is planning to do something outside of missions? (business, law enforcement, etc.)


• We can all be sure of God's will for our life, in that He has written 66 books about what He expects from us. As far as what we are to do with our majors and future planning, the mission team can help any one in any major focus their talents, gifts, interests, and abilities on how Christ can use them for the Church.

The number of BensFriends.com authors doubled this weekend with the addition of two new blogs: Morris and Ubertati.

The Morris blog is the property of the Dave and Cathy Morris family. Dave is a seminarian at BJ and Cathy is an editor for BJU Press. I look forward to seeing what wonderful things will come from the Morris blog. 8o)

The Ubertati blog is the home of the web writings of Stephanie Geter. Stephanie is a Junior at BJ and will be on the BJU Ministry team next semester. She is a writer by trade and has already proven her "bloggin" ability with her first post. 8o)

For those of you who would be interested in joining our little "club" of "bloggers" please e-mail me and let me know: [email protected].

Cheers!