Light-work

Into the Desert

We are headed to the deserts of Southern Cal for a little respite with family. We will not be far from the home of Bill Keyes, one of the few "successful" homesteaders to have lived in what is now Joshua Tree National Monument. On a previous trip, I took a tour of Bill's place and it was stunning to see the remarkable evidence of a hard-scrabble existence he carved out for himself, his wife, and his children in this inhospitable place. Talk about living "off the grid." If you ever have a chance to take the tour, it will inspire you with all that one man accomplished without what we consider the "necessities" of life.

Unlike Bill who made do without electricity, we plan to turn the lights back on at Light-work in two weeks - see you then.

Everybody Share!

 

SA has requested that we add a feature to L-W that facilitates sharing. Done! At the bottom of each post you will find a little animated icon and tab titled [share this]. Click on the tab and it will open a pop-up menu (a sample is pictured above) that allows you to forward the relevant post to friends and family (enemies, too, for that matter). Anytime you read something you think could help someone else, feel free to share!

Out, Out, Brief Candle!

If you check the "Where's LightWork" clustrmaps thumbnail in the right hand column, you'll notice that somebody has extinguished all our lovely little red points of light. Alas, clustrmaps housekeeping has decided that we can't have a world awash in red ink. (I say let's elect clustrmap housekeeping to Congress!) You can still find last year's map by clicking on the thumbnail and then clicking on the tab titled  [maps archive]. Otherwise, expect to see our fresh new world which began on April 27.

Back in The Saddle Again!

I am back from my writer's retreat and ready to turn the lights back on at Light-Work. Where do we begin? So much has transpired and the velocity of new developments doesn't seem to be abating.

You may have noticed our new look! Light-Work was long overdue for a face lift. We have picked a style that makes L-W more readable. Tell me how the font looks on your screen.

We have also replaced the ailing Blogbar search widget with a better version from Lijit. Look for it in the far right column just above the "Where's Light-Work" map. When you want to quickly put your finger on something from the Light-Work archives, type a key word or phrase in the search box, hit enter, and let the magic begin. There are also a few additional features to this widget - click around to check 'em out.

Okay, what shall we talk about first? Find out tomorrow!

L-W Hibernates At An Undisclosed Location

Lightwork will go into winter hibernation for the next few weeks while I complete the manuscript for a book titled, The Eight Graces of Marriage. I have been working on this project off and on for years, but have come to a not-so-startling conclusion - I'll never finish with just the paltry scraps of discretionary time in my normal schedule. It's going to take a secluded hideaway, a schedule without distractions, and uninterrupted effort. Someone has graciously provided a vacation home that should fill the bill and the church has freed up my schedule. So now all that remains is the matter of uninterrupted effort. I am clearing the decks to FOCUS ON ONE THING between now and March 13 and that means no new posts at L-W for the next six weeks!

I know it will be difficult for you to process the flotsam and jetsam of daily life without L-W. I suspect that there will be a lot of the stuff gumming up the works in the weeks ahead - but I have confidence in your ability to wade through it all if you will help each other. So I will leave the comment thread on this post open so you can share your ruminations with other L-W readers while I am away. I will not have Internet access where I am hibernating, so please don't post inane drivel. Thoughtful and well-expressed comments will be appreciated. See you when I come out of hibernation!

Are home-schoolers all that smart?

Okay, here's one more results box for those of you who took the ISI civic literacy exam. But this box is not for everyone. In a previous post, I raised some doubts about the capacity of the state to teach students about itself. So, let's see if my theory holds any water. I would like anyone who was home-school educated for a minimum of four years AND has completed the 9th grade to enter his/her score. I also want anyone who taught home school for four or more years to enter his/her score. I realize that this is not a proper sampling technique, but it will give us some insight into the civic literacy of those who have been less civically educated by the state. If you know students or teachers who meet our criteria, send them to this link to take the test, and then encourage them to enter their scores in the box below. What will it show? Does home-schooling make things better or worse?

Online Surveys & Market Research

Do L-W Readers Make the Grade?

Okay, in the previous post, I challenged you to take the ISI civic literacy test. How did you do? Would you please use the box below to enter your score? This will be anonymous, so don't worry about the civic literacy police tracking you down. If your scores are better than the ISI sample group, it may provide a convenient way for us to determine if reading L-W is good for your civic literacy. (Or perhaps it will suggest that the more civically literate among us come to L-W.) If your scores are below the average, I plan on redoubling my efforts to combat civic illiteracy.

Online Surveys & Market Research

Light-Work Announces Use of Improved Electrons

Talk about a major pain! For the last several weeks, the local utility (MLGW) has been "improving our electrical service" - see "improvement in action" pictured at left. It's been an odd way to make things better. Every weekday (with a few exceptions) they cut the power between 9 and 10 AM and turn it on sometime in the afternoon. When I call the MLGW hotline (I now have it on speed-dial.), I don't get much information other than the day's projected time to restore power. So I tracked down the utility crew to get a first hand report. They informed me that yesterday was their last day on the project. Really? Wow!

So, today, I am using my new and improved electricity - doesn't it look better? Hopefully, we can meet our L-W word quotas now that a steady stream of more robust electrons is headed our way.

A Better Blend

Light-work HQ has been hit with a string of power outs in the last week. For several days, MLGW has cut the juice, all in the name of "improving your utility service." I sure hope they finish soon. Much more of this "improvement" and production at Light-work will grind to a halt.

Then again, maybe that's the point! Maybe they're not really making improvements but trying to keep me from making my daily word quotas. Maybe it's all a plot! Who would want to do this? Okay, let's do an inventory of possible nemeses (plural of nemesis - I am using more powerful words to fight back). Let's see, there's the China connection. Maybe the fact that L-W has broken through the bamboo curtain has got the Chi-com's roiled. I definitely don't want to get on their bad side. Then again, maybe the problem is right under my nose. Maybe the Harley crowd is riled up that some royal pretender thinks he can run with the big dogs.

I can't say for sure where the shadow conspiracy may lie, but I know what a man's got to do - blend in better! So, here is how I BLEND! I think I'm really getting the hang of it. It's all about attitude and body language. You probably can't pick me out - what with me blendin' and all - but that's yours truly on the rig that's front and center. I don't see anybody who's a problem, do you? Hey, MLGW, give the boy some power.

All Over The Map

Light-work is a low budget operation. We take advantage of all the freebies we can find. One of those free services is accessed using the clustrmap widget in the far right column. This handy tool is like a "Where's Waldo" spotters guide for L-W visitors. Last week, Light-work was chosen as a "user of the month" and given a free upgrade for the next two years to clustrmap "plus" service (translation - the kind of service you have to pay for).

Here's what it means for you. When you open the full size map of the world to see where L-W is being accessed, you now have additional options and ad free viewing. Click on any continent to see a more detailed map - see sample above. From this detail of a continent, you can go to the navigation line (immediately above the map) and click on [map with smaller clusters] to get an even more detailed view.

This will probably not change your life in any dramatic way - but it is interesting. And it helps me appreciate God all the more - every one of those dots represents a person, sometimes more than one. Father knows and loves each one. He knows whether their arrival at L-W is part of a larger quest for truth, for answers, for Him. He also knows who came simply because they googled "worklight." Want to have some fun? Pick a dot and pray for that person. You might not know them, but Father does. And He understands exactly what they most need. Maybe God will answer your prayer for someone to come to Christ. Wouldn't it be great to meet each other in heaven? Mere dot indeed!

Lost and Found Words

I have added a couple of new features to Light-work. You might have noticed in the column to the right the list of Popular Pages. This is a list of the top ten most read posts at L-W in the last 24 hours. It shows what other visitors to L-W are reading, kind of like a fish-finder to see what folks are nibbling on.

The second feature is VERY COOL. It's called a "Blogbar Search Widget" (the name could use a little work, kind of reminds me of something a civilized elephant would love). Light-work has only been around for about a year - but it already contains almost 200 separate posts and over 500 comments. So, trying to find a specific article or comment from the archives can be tedious and frustrating. Yes, the category listing helps. But only so much. The Blogbar Search Widget is located in the far right column on ALL content pages - the one at left is a "non-working sample" like the merchandise at Wal-Mart at the electronics counter. When Blogbar searches the entire L-W database, it can show you a list with excerpts containing EVERY appearance of your search term found on any page at Light-work.

Give it a test run. For example, enter [Jer. 29:11] as your search phrase, select [this site] and [google] and click [ok]. You will see a list of every post at L-W where Jer. 29:11 is mentioned. Nice! Try another. Let's say you have made comments at L-W and you want to find one. Suppose your comments have all been submitted under the name [MJC]. So make that your search phrase, click [ok] and you will see a list of all references to and comments posted by MJC! Gratifying!

So, next time you're thinking "what was the name of that post where Jim said something totally amazing that I can't remember," ask blogbar! (It must not have been THAT amazing if it's so forgettable. By the way, I did a search for "totally amazing" and only one article came up. Not much totally amazing material here to chose from, I guess. But, I digress...) Just enter a word or phrase as your query and let the Blogbar Search Widget do a quick reading of all 150,000 words for you. Voila - instant illumination! Definitely a tool any civilized elephant could love, especially those who occasionally forget!

China Sighting!

I was intrigued to see something pop up today - apparently someone in China has visited Light-Work. This is a screen-shot of the clustrmap from Saturday, Sept 27, and it shows a little red dot (which represents 1-9 visits) in the vicinity of Hong Kong. (You can click on the thumb-nail in the column on the far right to access the live version.) This cluster map is updated once a day and uses web addresses as a basis to locate visitors to Light-Work. No one in China had stoppped by, until now. I had wondered if the communist authorities made sure Light-Work is blocked out - but I guess some can access it. Hopefully, more will.

Lazy Crazy Days - Not!

Summer is upon us. I will be concentrating some effort on a major writing project while scaling back on the number of posts at Light-work during June, July, and August. Yes, I know there is some unfinished business  to be addressed. For example, there are several installments we have yet to make on The Next Big Thing. In the short term, look for an occasional post every week or two. Come September, I intend to gin the word-mill up to our usual pace.

Moody Achievement

We are headed to Chicago this week for our youngest's graduation from Moody Bible Institute. Arian has worked hard and is finishing strong - and will be very ready for some summer recharge time. Austin and Alex will be joining us as we travel by minivan to the Windy City. There won't be any new posts at L-W this week, but I expect to be back next week on May 19. See you then!

Where in the World is Light-work?

Over the weekend, we added a new feature that you might find interesting, maybe a little scary. It's a world map that shows the location of visitors to Light-work. How does it know?  I'm not sure, really, but it's a mildly upsetting notion that somebody, somewhere, is tracking who stops by for a visit. Wanna have some fun? Let's turn the tables on that nosy guy and see what he has been keeping to himself. Doesn't it feel great to start off your Monday with some bold "take back your life" kind of action. I'm already feeling good and talking tough to Monday: "Bring it on!"

Here's how it works - look for the Clustrmaps thumbnail in the far right column. Just click on it and it will show you a full screen map of where light-work is going. Since I just activated this feature, it won't show you the location of previous Light-work visitors. (Almost 20,00!) But once each day it will update going forward. Who's listening (and participating) in our conversations about God's truth? Now we know where you are!

Give Me A Nugget!

Welcome back!  The new year has begun and it's a good time to think about where we have been and where we're going at light-work. I started blogging on Sept. 20, 2007, let a few friends know about it, and asked for their feedback. I wasn't sure if I had something worth saying (translation: "worth your time to read") and doubted my ability to keep fresh material coming. But one month later (October 21), the response from friends was encouraging. (Friends are good about this sort of thing.) I also discovered in this first month that I was challenged, not by the absence of material, but by having too much!

While studying this whole blogging business, it seemed to me that sites like light-work are somewhat rare. There are lots of blogs, many hosted by Christians. But it was hard to find a site for people who want help conforming their thoughts, words, and deeds to the truth. It seemed to me that light-work could serve a valuable need.

But, it remained to be seen whether others (who weren't visiting light-work out of their kindness as friends) would affirm my perception. We are coming up on a significant light-work milestone - "10,000 page views." (We will probably cross this threshold later next week.) "Page views" are requests to view either one of the main LW pages or a particular post and its related comments. (There are currently 67 posts and over 200 comments at light-work.) If you think of a page view as a truth nugget, it means that we have given out almost 10,000 nuggets in the last three months. So I am convinced that light-work is worth doing, not simply because I perceive a need but because you are saying by your page views, "Give me another nugget!"

Your response declares that more people would benefit from light-work, if they knew about it.  So let 'em know! You can use the "Pastor In Your Pocket" plan to send truth nuggets to others. Word of mouth is always good.  And have you considered the power of "inbound links?" You create one of these when you put a link to light-work on your web-site, blog-site, or face-book page. By clicking on these links, people come to light-work and (we hope) say, "Wow! This is great - now I can get some truth nuggets, too!" The existence of lots of quality inbound links is a critical factor in determining whether search engines (like Google) direct people to light-work.

We have some improvements coming in 2008. Our meat-and-potatoes of fresh weekday posts will stay the same. But over the next twelve months, we will be implementing a major expansion of our "pretty good downloads" (PGD) section to include some audio resources. Also look for "PGD compilations" in which we take a popular series of posts and edit them into a complete article that you can download as a PDF file. My hope is to make more resources available through an expanded PGD menu structure so you don't have to spend your time scrolling for nuggets. These are some of my ideas, but I am open to yours.  What do you wish you could find at light-work in 08?

The Light is On!

Praise God for His goodness in sending His Son to bring light to the doomed planet! We would all be stumbling in total darkness without Him. May your remembrance of Jesus' first advent include a time of thanking God that we can walk in the light because Jesus was willing to  walk to the cross.

Our three children live in Chicago, Atlanta, and Knoxville, but they will be home for Christmas.  We praise God for His goodness in giving us two sons and a daughter who love Jesus, who are devoted to His Word, and who are seeking to live for Him. And, we are looking forward to spending Christmas week together. Don't look for any new posts until Thursday, Jan. 3. There wouldn't be any light-work without the Light-Giver!  Because of Him, we WILL keep the light on for you - see you next year!

Pastor in Your Pocket

Have you ever wished you had a pastor in your pocket? Whenever someone stumps you with a Bible question or asks for some godly counsel, you just pop out your pocket-pastor and point him in the right direction. It's not exactly a pastor in your pocket, but at light-work we have principles in your pc!  (Making things all start with the same letter is something real preachers do. I wanted to show you I'm a real preacher, so I just flashed my credentials. So now you must be thinking, "Wow, this guy's a real preacher." Yep! I think the picture is a real credibility booster, too!)

There was a bug messing with our permalinks, but he's gone now! Isn't this amazingly good news! We are all so happy! When you read a light-work post that you think would be really helpful to someone you know, you can now pass it along. Here's how. At the bottom of the post you're excited about, click on [permalink]. The complete address for this post will now appear in your web browser's address bar. (This is the permanent link to this post in the light-work archives, so it is not susceptible to "link rot." "Link rot" sounds very bad, like "roof fungus," so I am glad our permalinks know how to fight the stuff!) Just copy this URL from your address bar and paste it into an email you send to your friend in need. When he (or she) clicks on the link, it will take them directly to the page you have selected for them. It's as if I become your light-work genie, springing from your email to grant wishes for truth!  Plus - I'll take all the heat for saying the hard stuff.  You can even send someone an email that says something like this to get a truth pellet in the back door - "Can you believe this guy? Do you think he even has a clue about your situation?"  If they express any doubts, tell 'em how I can make points that all begin with the same letter.  That'll show 'em!

A Little Light-Work Housekeeping

I have added a menu on the side bar that I thought you might find useful.  Some recent posts have generated a LOT of conversation that spans several weeks.  Between them, "Narnia for Atheists," the Jer. 29:11 series, and "Stop Trying to Please Me" have received 57 comments.  It could be a little daunting to keep up.  So I put a "recent comments" menu in the column to the right, just below the menu for "recent posts."  Now you can quickly check to see if a comment has been posted to a conversation you are following.  Your comments are REALLY GOOD!  So I thought this would give everyone a handy way to not miss any of this good stuff. 

Pretty Good Downloads

Are you struggling to remember where you put things?  Me too!  I have been including links to some helpful light-work resources in various posts.  But, to get to them, you have to go rooting through the pile of posts.  I say "Bah!" to snuffling through the clutter.  Check out our new resource center.  (Yes, the list of offerings is pretty humble right now - but it will grow.)  Just below the disclaimer to the far right is a link to a new page of "Pretty Good Downloads."  Think of it as your personal portfolio of "one-click-away" biblical wisdom and kiss clutter goodbye.