First, I need to thank God, the Father, for everything that He has done throughout my life and for the grace, favor, and peace to get this book done. The opportunity to write this book came about at a time in my life that was not very convenient. I was looking at moving cross country and a job change to help take care of my ailing mother. In spite of this, the many challenges we faced to complete this book were never overwhelming and in the end, were overcome.
Secondly, I need to thank my wife, Angela, and family for their continual support throughout the entire process. Even as deadlines were missed and evenings were spent writing instead of playing with the kids, my wife was understanding and supportive in seeing this done.
I also need to give special thanks to the staff at Packt Publishing for their patience and understanding with me through all of the issues and delays we faced.
I’d like to dedicate this book to my mother, who passed away during the writing of this book. We will miss you Mom.