Ok so here is an update.  I made a template that requires a workflow rule that will always fire on a case.  I created two custom fields that are usd as toggle switches.  The workflow rule will always update one of the fields to be true.  The other field will be turned on/off depending on whether it is an insert or update. At the end of the trigger both fields are reset.  I'm sure there are better ways of doing it but I am not going to debate that, this is a specific problem I had and a specific solution was necesary.  The @future annotation didn't meet my needs.  I am a newbie to programming on the force platform so please don't flame me lol.   Here is the template I created:

trigger <TRIGGER NAME> on <OBJECT> (before insert, before update){

    //Original Code Author: Robert Strunk
    //                      robert.strunk@coastalcloud.us

    // Scenario for using this trigger:	If you have logic that needs to happen once and ONLY once when an <OBJECT> record is 
    //                                  inserted(before) or updated(before) AND you have multiple assignment rules and/or workflow
    //                                  rules(with field updates) on the same object.
    //                                  Because of the order of execution, any logic done on insert or update will fire twice if 
	//                                  there is
    //                                  an assignment rule or workflow rule(with field update) on the same object.

    //DEPENDENCIES: 1.  Create two custom fields on the <OBJECT> object.  One named field_1__c and one named field_2__c 
    //                  both fields should be a checkbox type with a default value of false.
    //              2.  Create a workflow rule that will fire a field update every time an <OBJECT> record is inserted or updated.
    //                  The field that will always be updated will be field_2__c
  
    if(trigger.isInsert && trigger.isbefore){

        //BEFORE workflow rules, so no alerting should be in this block
        for(Integer i = 0; i < trigger.new.size(); i++){

            //Sets this field to true so the actual insert logic can happen in the second iteration of before update
            trigger.new[i].field_1__c = true; 
            continue;
        }
    }

    if(trigger.isUpdate && trigger.isbefore){
        for(Integer i = 0; i < trigger.new.size(); i++){

            //BEFORE workflow rules, so no logic should be in this block
            if(trigger.new[i].field_1__c == false && trigger.new[i].field_2__c == false){
                //Since this happens before workflow rules, nothing is needed.
                continue;
            }

            //AFTER workflow rules
            //For logic that needs to happen when an <OBJECT> record is UPDATED.
            else if(trigger.new[i].field_1__c == false && trigger.new[i].field_2__c == true){

                /*

                            ADD YOUR LOGIC FOR UPDATE

                */

                //Resets field_2__c to false
                trigger.new[i].field_2__c = false;
                continue;
            }

            //AFTER workflow rules
            //FOR logic that needs to happen when an <OBJECT> record is inserted.
            else if(trigger.new[i].field_1__c == true && trigger.new[i].field_2__c == true){

                /*

                            ADD YOUR LOGIC FOR INSERT

                */

                //Resets custom fields for next time this record is updated. 
                trigger.new[i].field_1__c = false;
                trigger.new[i].field_2__c = false;
                continue;
            }
        }
    }
}