On Being Objective

A subjective ramble
In my travels around the blogosphere this morning, I ran into a comment by "bob" about objective thinking. He states that "it is absolutely imperative that today’s children be exposed to as many different ideas as possible so they can again- learn how to be objective members of society," among other things.

"bob" is not alone in this thinking.

And, honestly, who of us would say, "Oh, please, may my children be subjective in their thinking so as to avoid all objective thought!"?

I see that hand.

Ignoring the person waving their hand in the third row, none of us want our thoughts to be purely subjective. We want to be based in reality, in truth, in how things really are. But can we get to pure objective thought merely by bombarding ourselves with every idea that is out there? Is mere exposure going to get us anywhere?

Nope.

I once talked with a guy who said he was very interested in religion now that he had taken a religious studies course at his college.

"Oh?" I asked. "What'd you like about it?"

"It was amazing to see how all religions are exactly the same," he replied. "Every religion teaches basically the same thing and there aren't any real differences between them. Isn't that incredible?"

Incredible may have been exactly the word to use. I tried to get more out of him, but he had been exposed to an "objective" position from a professor who had been exposed to the sun too long, or had spent so much time exposed to all the religious ideas in the world he could only look at them at a primitive surface level.


Just like we must not cling to the Bible as the only source of information in the world, we must not throw ourselves into the universe and scream: Teach me!

I don't think we can ever be free from our prejudices/presuppositions. But if we admit our bias to ourselves and then consider the other side, I think we have the highest chance of arriving at an understanding of reality.

Which brings me back to two quotes my dad shared with me back in the day:

The problem with an open mind is that all your brains fall out.

The purpose of an open mind is to close it again on something solid.

 ~Luke Holzmann
Filmmaker, Writer, Expectant Father

Name Dropping

This post isn't really about name dropping as much as it is about "title dropping"--which isn't an official term.

Hence the title.

Just like it's lame to say, "Well, I was talking to Luke Holzmann the other day and he said..." to try to impress your friends that you've been to a blog as famous as this one <cough> ... so is it uncool to drop titles: "These people are nuts. They also homeschool."

But such is the way of the media. Just give this little article a read.


boremetotears

It's right up there with: Homeschooled child dies at home! Homeschooled child is awkward! Homeschoolers are terrorists! Homeschooled child raised by wolves only to meet attractive girl from city, abandons family in favor of others of his kind!

<sigh>

It's annoying.

Of course, the media do a lot of name dropping as well. So this isn't very surprising. In fact, just last week, I was talking with Chuck Norris about this very subject...

 ~Luke Holzmann
Filmmaker, Writer, Expectant Father

P.S. If you feel up to it: Help boremetotears win an iPod Touch. I agree: It would be funny. And the video he links to is quite well done. I was impressed.

That Quiet Place

One of the film books I own--which, while funny, doesn't exactly set you up to be a good filmmaker--suggests that you hide your camera's user manual in the bathroom. That way, if you ever get stuck and can't figure out how to do something, excuse yourself to the potty and figure it out.

I just visited el baño because I couldn't think of anything to write about.

I'm back now.

And I'm writing.

To borrow a quote from Eugene Meltsner, "I do some of my best work there." And that's proven to be the case for me. Though, when I was younger, I did most of my thinking on our trampoline. I highly recommend them. Highly. Probably because there was never too much blood involved. But that's the trampoline, not the bathroom.

The restroom is a great place because it is typically just you--doing your thing. You can, for the most part, shut out everything else and regroup. Much like a frantic filmmaker trying to figure out how to set the f-stop on his camera.

Granted, I've read enough posts from mothers who can't even escape from their children to take care of personal business, and so perhaps I'm just naive and don't know what it's really like to have kids. In any case, where do you go to get your thinking done and gather yourself?

 ~Luke Holzmann
Filmmaker, Writer, Expectant Father

The Power of Stories

Sonlight's curriculum is based around stories. Fantastic literature. Wonderful books. Incredible tales.

On the flip side, I've seen several instances where people are calling us to return to the Bible--and the Bible only. One example would be the Boundless commenter who said:

why do you bother giving away books that keep poeple from concentrating on the only book that they need to read to answer every single problem they have: the Bible? [errors in original]

Jason

I think the Ted Slater does a good job of responding to this particular accusation. And while that individual went overboard, others are beating a similar drum.

On Friday, I read a post by Daniel Abbey about hip pastors who miss the point in their message: Scripture. He's not alone in his complaint. I know families who now refuse to attend church because they can't find a pastor who preaches "enough" from the Bible. And my dad just blogged about a particularly pathetic message we endured this Sunday. And I remember some illustrations but have forgotten the point as well. So, in that sense, Dan's right.

On the other hand, Dan goes on to ask: Why not just preach the Word of God?

Why try to spice up Sunday mornings with fleshly gimmicks and theatrical eye candy? [We don't need] clever devices or secular technique in reaching the lost and edifying believers. ...I can’t tell you how much I loathe the idea that we need some sort of program or technique to grab people’s attention.

My answer: The Bible shows us why we use these "gimmicks."

Jesus constantly uses stories deeply rooted in the culture and surrounding in which He was speaking. His messages were directly tied to parties going on, the locale, and the other events that had just happened. While, yes, we must not get so caught up in looking trendy and cool, there is nothing wrong with engaging our culture with the culture. In fact, Paul is very famous for using Athenian lore to preach the Gospel.

As we consider our options for teaching our children and raising them to be ambassadors for Christ in this world, I think great literature of all kinds--including the Bible--provide the best foundation.

But I think it is unwise, and counter to what we see in Scripture, to push for a new kind of sola scriptura that restricts our teaching aids to the Bible and a handful of "approved" Christian authors.

 ~Luke Holzmann
Filmmaker, Writer, Expectant Father

New Stuff!

I shared earlier this week that two changes were coming to the Sonlight website. And they are now live!

The first is that I've dramatically improved our IG Links page. Granted, I haven't had a chance to update all the links for this year's IGs yet, but the interface is way faster and cleaner.

And that's exciting.

The second change is that you can now do your returns online! In the past, you had to fill out forms and print them off and include them with your box when you sent it back to us.

No more!

The returns are now integrated with your account so you can do all the "paperwork" online and then simply send the items that aren't perfect for your family back.

There's one more super exciting change that I've been working on this week that I'll be sure to tell you about the moment it's up. Here's a little hint to let you mull over for the weekend: Mrs. C mentioned it ...I think <smile>.

 ~Luke Holzmann
Filmmaker, Writer, Expectant Father

Quo Vadis?

Certainly a fun flick. The book has many more graphic depictions of debauchery, and is probably not suitable for children.

But the story is good.

Quo vadis? It's an important question: "Where are you going?"

I have the opportunity to sit in on sessions where "the powers that be" discuss the future of Sonlight. And it's fascinating. First, it becomes very clear that vision casting is hard to do. Second, it's exciting to consider the possibilities. And, third, it is humbling to be reminded just how much everyone here cares about you, the one who is actually homeschooling your children.

Please know that we pray for you as we meet to discuss our next steps. We are all deeply committed to blessing you and helping you teach your children the way you wish you'd been taught <smile>.

I know I appreciate your prayers for us as well. We need wisdom and guidance as we consider the options and the suggestions of how we can serve you better.

Thank you for being a part of the Sonlight family; or, at the very least, for your encouragement and friendship.

 ~Luke Holzmann
Filmmaker, Writer, Expectant Father

Convention Shoes

It's that time of year. Convention fever has hit, and being the incredibly contagious bug that it is, it is spreading. So what are your plans for visiting a homeschool convention this year?

I bought new convention shoes this year. Good footwear is vital to a pleasant convention experience and I just couldn't resist these when I saw them. I'm sure there are a number of other things that make for a good convention experience. So sure in fact, that some of my friends and I put together a short podcast on how to get the most out of your convention experience. I hope you find it helpful!

Over on the Sonlight Conventions forum folks are busily making plans for visiting their favorite conventions. Others are holding a very interesting conversation about high pressure sales tactics on the convention floor.

I particularly enjoyed one thread discussing the merits of attending homeschool conventions. The following seem to be common reasons for making the time and effort to attend:

• I felt very refreshed after hearing the speakers. I'd come home excited about starting school again in the fall.
• I love going and looking at the curriculum. Also the seminars are very helpful.
• Worth every minute of driving and every penny of gas!
• ... it was life changing for my husband. He had always supported me in homeschooling but never participated. After the convention he had opinions on curriculum, and he now teaches a class ....
• It always refreshes/encourages/inspires me right when I need a shot in the arm.
• Normally this life is so isolating - I love seeing all those hsers in one place.
• The convention was what I needed - encouragement to stay the course. It's encouraging to me to see all the other moms in the same sessions as I, realizing that we all have the same struggles.

They had lots more to say ... but perhaps you'll find just the "boost" you need to make it to a homeschooling convention this year. And hey ... let me know about your favorite convention shoes!

Maybe I'll see you there!!
~Judy

Spreading Good News

I know I've seen Godspell, but I don't remember it. I do recall a moment where the Jesus character appears in a fountain and then vanishes... I think.

Not exactly vivid memories.

Gospel.

Good News.

Don't we have good news to share with others? You can homeschool your children and find joy in it! There is more to this life than the here and now! There are a ton of great books just waiting for you to read! It's possible to have children in the comfort of your own home! Sonlight is the best homeschool curriculum in the world! <cough>

All cool stuff.

I got thinking about this because of what looks to be a great series that Robin has started on her blog. She mentions the analogy of telling people that their house is on fire, and that there is a similar urgency in our message as well.

And that's true.

But, as I thought about it, the fire analogy doesn't work for people who don't agree with us (no matter what the subject matter). Spreading this kind of good news is like trying to convince your neighbor that he needs to stop using his microwave because it is killing him and his family.

"But I like my microwave," your neighbor replies. "And I'm happy with it. And everyone else is using their microwaves just fine. I think you're a kook and just trying to disrupt my good life. Besides, there are plenty of medical studies that show your view to be wrong."

Similar responses arise when you try to share the good news of Christianity, homeschooling, home birthing, eating organic foods, going "off-grid", exercising, etc. It's good news--often, very good news with significant ramifications--but if people think you're a nut, your urgency just makes you look all the more batty.

So what do we do? One option would be to make a '70s movie with people vanishing from fountains--or some other more culturally applicable work.

But other than that, I think the best promotion is a life that has been positively changed by whatever it is. Sharing your story--your testimony--of how wonderful home birthing, homeschooling, eating healthy, Christianity, or whatever other bit of good news you have is the most powerful tool I can think of.

And that's one of the many reasons I absolutely love the Sonlight Moments forum. And that's one of the many reasons I pushed to make it so everyone can read it.

If you haven't glanced at the Sonlight Moments widget on the right there or visited the forum lately, I highly recommend it.

 ~Luke Holzmann
Filmmaker, Writer, Expectant Father

Sharing Suspense

There are two really cool changes to Sonlight.com that are in review right now and will go live shortly. I spent a considerable amount of time on one of them today.

But I can't show you because it's not on the site yet.

Do you ever experience something like that? Your student has been working really hard on something and it's almost done... but not quite enough to show the world. Your son/daughter has been running/swimming faster than ever before... but there hasn't been a meet to get an official time yet. You're getting toward the end of your favorite book... but there's still a couple chapters to go.

In some ways, having to wait makes it even more exciting than if I could just blurt it out. And that was much of the fun surrounding the catalog release.

Sometimes I feel like I need to keep you in suspense because I have to wait to share.

I had never realized that I feel an equal amount of excitement waiting to reveal something that others haven't seen yet. And I think I'm getting a glimpse into my wife's strong desire to tell me what she bought me for my birthday or Christmas.

Never understood that before today.

 ~Luke Holzmann
Filmmaker, Writer, Expectant Father

The Cliff and the Tightrope

I still struggle with "media" as a plural, at least when it comes to saying things like "media are bad." <shudder> Almost like nails on a chalkboard...

Only worse.

"The media are evil." That's fine. But just saying "media are" without a definite article is painful. Almost like watching some "reporting" that's going on out there...

Only worse.

Again and again and again today, I kept seeing posts about how the media are skewing reality in favor of their own agenda. The most interesting--though highly biased in the other direction--video was this one which makes some pretty powerful claims. It's well worth the eight and a half minutes. I'll be here when you get back...


...here's the problem: Sure, some Leftist reporter did a shoddy job and should probably be fired or go back to school and learn how to report again, but isn't the other side in danger of falling off the tightrope the other way--at the very least?

"No," the reply will come. "No, see, we're not on a tightrope; we're next to a cliff, and they went over the cliff. We're on solid ground, even if we move farther Right."


Tightrope or Cliff?

...hmm...

I'm guessing the guys who made this eight and half minute video would say something rather similar.


It's at least something to consider.

 ~Luke Holzmann
Filmmaker, Writer, Expectant Father



Foment: agitate; try to stir up public opinion

Brought to you by Elisheva Hannah Levin

Get Smart(er)

I read a great response today to the question: What do I do when my kids know more than me?

I agree with Lee's thoughts. And I love the way that homeschooling encourages everyone to learn more. Love it!

But there's another part of the homeschool mentality that comes out of this: Life long learning, not just for kids but also for us adults. Homeschooling can rekindle a wonder about the world and a desire to understand it more. So there's much more than just a "I'll look that up and get back to you" attitude. We can be excited about learning, and so dive into a subject, not just find the answer and get out.

My dad blogged about Sonlight's Life Long Learners forum today as well. I haven't really spent any time there, but it looks like they get into some pretty tough subjects.

And we shouldn't shy away from them.

Granted, we need to pick our battles and choose what we will expend our efforts pursuing--and sometimes there are more important things to tend to than ethical debates, apologetics, or the latest scientific philosophy; naturally, we can't do everything.

But I love being a part of a community that is dedicated to seeking the truth and getting smarter.

 ~Luke Holzmann
Filmmaker, Writer, Expectant Father

P.S. If you want to read what others have been thinking about/experiencing, be sure to check out the Other Posts of Note.

Recapitulate and Respond

I love words, and every once in a while one will pop into my head and I'll have to look it up again. For example: Recapitulate.

Fitting, seeing as how I want to continue (finish?) the discussion (rant?) I started yesterday.

I left off suggesting that we can't just "live and let live" because others would die (physically, metaphorically, spiritually, etc). But since people hold strongly to opposing views, what's to be done? Both sides often feel like the other is "The Enemy" and that truth resides on this side of the line. But as rational, intelligent, educated, and truly caring people, I think there are two things we can/should/must do:

1. Find the real enemy. While filming MathTacular, we said hunger is the enemy. The problem is not that Luke suggested we move a light. He's not trying to sabotage the shoot. No, we're just hungry and it's time to take a break.

As Christians we should have an even greater insight. And, no, it's not that Obama is the Antichrist. Rather, we know who the Enemy is. We know what he does, how he works, and know how to put him down.

Or, we should.

The problem--for me, at least--is that I often operate as a functional atheist. No wonder we have trouble recognizing the Enemy.

...that reminds me, for some reason, of one of my all-time favorite blog posts. If you haven't read it yet: Do so.


2. Consider your epistemology. How do you determine what is true/right/accurate? And the variance between these answers is what allows us to be ideologically 180° from each other.

If we could openly and accurately acknowledge our epistemological views, I think things would start to become much clearer. The step after that, the next impossible step, is to hash out where we are intellectually inconsistent. That would, I think, bring much more consensus in the world.


The difficulty of both of these steps often leaves me to throw up my hands. I can't do it. We can't get there.

And that, I propose, is why we find we can't do anything.

~Luke Holzmann
Filmmaker, Writer, Expectant Father

P.S. Of course, when I'm not functioning as an atheist, I realize that I can at least pray.

The Enemy

Labeling someone else--or a group of "someone elses"--as "The Enemy" is a very powerful tactic. It makes things black and white, cut and dried, and a point of fact.

And as a matter of fact, others are very, very wrong at times.

But they see themselves as absolutely right, and you as very, very wrong. And we know this is true. For example, the best villains always have a very compelling reason for doing what they are doing. They, while we recognize their error, firmly believe they doing the right thing.

So how do two people (or groups) who are ideologically 180° from each other get anywhere? This is, I think, the fundamental question that--until answered--leaves us with things like opposing political parties and varying religious views (or lackthereof). This reality is one of the primary reasons we can't just "live and let live"... because, in many cases, doing so would be detrimental to others whom we care about. For instance: Pro-choicers believe that letting Pro-lifers have their way will end up killing women and has little to do with babies. Pro-lifers, on the other hand, believe that letting Pro-choicers have their way kills babies and has little to do with women. That's radically different and there is very little room for "common ground" here.

Another example of "The Enemy" mindset that I saw again and again today was The Department of Homeland Security's latest "report" that labels "those that [reject] federal authority in favor of state or local authority" as, at the very least, potential terrorists (bottom of Page 2 of 9).

Katie
Karen

I couldn't find a link to the .pdf from the Department of Homeland Security's site, but I did find this note. So, perhaps those "rightwing extremists" are over-reacting a tad to what is not much more than a very poor choice of words... perhaps.

This "Enemy" mentality has been brewing in various areas of the homeschool movement as well.

So what should we--as rational, intelligent, educated, truly caring people--do in these kinds of situations? Broadly labeling everyone of the other side as "The Enemy"--as the DHS appears to have inadvertently done--is not the way to go.

But what is? Because, as rational, intelligent, educated, and truly caring people, we can't do nothing.

Can we?

 ~Luke Holzmann
Filmmaker, Writer, Expectant Father

Feeling Overwhelmed?

I was.

And then I read this post this morning.

Ah, yes. A few deep breaths later and I was ready to take on my day. No longer was I the overburdened pack mule of all broken things in this world. No! I can take a minute, refocus, and continue on with proper perspective and direction.


Pack Mule

If you are feeling like you can't do it all, find freedom in knowing that you don't have to.

And for those of you who can do it all ...well... umm... keep it up.

 ~Luke Holzmann
Filmmaker, Writer, Expectant Father

The '70s

My wife and I have one tradition for Easter thus far:

We listen to this song on the way to church:


Easter Song: 2nd Chapter of Acts

...which, if you listen to more of the album, reminds you of Bohemian Rhapsody ...because it was recorded in the same era: The mid '70s. Which is big for me because I grew up listening to Larry Norman and not much else musically. In fact, it was Free at Last that finally moved me on.

Needless to say, I wasn't exactly "cool" when it came to my musical choices.

I'm still not. (sweetest tune evah; though the video isn't exactly tasteful)

If I had been in public school, would my musical taste be more refined/mature/informed? Perhaps, though I caught on pretty quickly in high school. And since graduating from college, I've noticed that the radio loops the same songs every couple of hours, so, "I don't dig the radio / I hate what the charts pick..."


1970's music is a minor example of how being at home allowed my dad to influence me. Would I ever have been interested in Harry Chapin or Cat Stevens if I hadn't been home?

Probably not.


The music I like--even old music--is a small reminder of the tremendous opportunities that homeschooling gives us as parents to be involved in the lives of our children.

 ~Luke Holzmann
Filmmaker, Writer, Expectant Father

Good Friday

Well, friends, I've had a pretty good Friday thus far. I hope you have as well.

We just launched a new Widgets, Banners and Badges page on our site. You can go there to get things that show your support of Sonlight... which is cool.

There isn't much there yet, but I hope to start putting more up there soon.


And that's that.

May your Easter service be wonderful ...even if it is one of two times you attend church a year. And if you don't celebrate Easter at all, have a great time on Sunday anyway <smile>.

 ~Luke Holzmann
Filmmaker, Writer, Expectant Father

Keep Those Kids Home!

I came across a blog post today about why preschools are not a good idea. Seems that putting children in an environment devoid of their parents--or at least a relative or dedicated care giver--for many hours a day negatively impacts their socialization and classroom skills.

That's right. The the original article says that "the more time kids spent in non-maternal care during the first 4.5 years of life, the more behavioral problems they developed." (emphasis in original text)

The next logical question--to me, at least--is: If this is true for those under the age of 5, why is it magically different at age 6 or 16?

This post and the original article present extremely powerful reasons to at least consider homeschooling. It presents several very good reasons why homeschooling allows for a better growth environment.

What blows my mind is that this article was written in 2006.

And, really, my own parents can attest to behavioral issues caused by "peer socialization." My older sister had a dramatic improvement when she came home after several years at a private Christian school. And a family at our church pulled their son out of school because he was getting far too disruptive and it doing much better now.

Homeschooling: It's better for your children.

 ~Luke Holzmann
Filmmaker, Writer, Expectant Father

Questionable Content

A couple weeks ago, I was challenged by Jennifer to look into the negative stereotypes of Native Americans presented in some of Sonlight's titles. I promised to back to her and hope to continue the conversation here. But this post applies to many other aspects of questionable content, so please keep reading.

Sonlight's IGs
Part of what makes Sonlight's curriculum so amazing are the Instructor's Guides (or IGs). Every IG is full of notes and questions to help round out the texts; primarily because every author is writing from a particular bias or viewpoint, and those could easily be wrong or hurt someone. Sonlight, thus, includes a lot of background information so students (and their parents) can get a clearer picture of what is really going on.

And while I couldn't find a particular article on stereotypes of Native Americans in my brief search of one of the IGs, I saw many notes about what was happening at that point in history that shows false negative stereotypes as errant.

One customer said just yesterday:

Sonlight carries a lot of books that cover sensitive topics. They have been especially careful to alert parents anytime their children will come into contact with such material. This gives parents a chance to proactively have a conversation with their children about the issue presented to make sure the child understands the topic and looks at it through the lens of a Biblical worldview. (full post here)

So Sonlight tries to balance out negative/incorrect ideas in our IGs. If you are not using the IG with your books, you're not getting the full Sonlight experience.

On the other hand, we know there is always room for improvement. If you come across a section of a book that you think should be dealt with more fully, please let us know. We are always welcome your input and insights. Jennifer, I would be very interested in your thoughts especially.


Consider Your Perspective
Another post I came across today warned people that Sonlight's science program "is extremely creationist/young earth based." I find that moderately amusing because there are many others who feel that Sonlight promotes Evolution and Old Earth thinking far too much.

Who's right?

In many ways, it all depends on your perspective.

I think, objectively--especially when you consider the titles we carry along with the notes in our IGs--it's fairly clear that Sonlight does promote a creationist/Young Earth view... with some notes about the other topics to round things out.

Granted, we can all get so myopically focused that we don't see where we have gone wrong. That's why it's so great to be surrounded by a large community that can help set us right. And that's why your feedback is so valuable to us. We never want to hurt people, but when we do please help us set it right.

 ~Luke Holzmann
Filmmaker, Writer, Expectant Father

New Badges Coming!

One of the many things that changed as of April 1 is the Sonlight logo. I like the new rendition, but now we have to go through and update everything that has the old image on it.

Everything.

And that's going to take some time.

I wanted to link to something I've been working on today, but it has yet to be approved... so maybe tomorrow.


I did, however, across a Word of the Day:


Screed: a long discourse or harangue

Brought to you by Summer

That's all I've got. Sorry.

Your website feedback has been great, but I've only been able to address a few of the issues thus far. We're working on it, and greatly appreciate your insights.

 ~Luke Holzmann
Filmmaker, Writer, Expectant Father

Imaginary Numbers

Quick: What is an imaginary number?


Oh, sure, you could cheat and use Wikipedia, or--even better--Simple Wikipedia. But do you recall the definition of an imaginary number from your Algebra class (or, at least, Calvin and Hobbes)?

An imaginary number is the square root of a negative number (which, since a negative number times a negative number is always positive, is impossible). But imaginary numbers are very helpful when you're solving for an equation and you find you need to get the square root of both sides of an equation and one of them happens to be negative:

Solve for x:
x² = -72

If you're still reading, I guess you either find math fascinating--as I do--or you trust me to get to some kind of point worth suffering through the horror of math. Or, you've been skimming and not really paying attention.

If you're no longer reading, I'm glad you at least stopped by. <smile>


I must admit that I still get a little woozy and sick to my stomach when someone asks me how many purple beads are in the pile if 3/4 of them are red, 25% of the rest are black, 14 are white, and x orange beads were given to Bobby last Saturday when Susie took 1/18 of the total for a lemonade stand where she sells a glass of juice from concentrate for $4.13, and ice is another 7% if you want it on Thursdays.

Cherish has a very interesting post on our aversion to math which is often linked to school teachers.
[Edit: Sorry, I forgot to add my "mild profanity" disclaimer.]

I'm not sure if my dad helped give me an interest in math by insisting that he show why 34-17=17; I certainly didn't appreciate it at the time because I just wanted the answer. But his patient--and infuriating--demonstrations of how math really makes sense have helped me.

I hope I can do the same for my children with a few less tears.

Hmm... I guess today was a Math Monday.

 ~Luke Holzmann
Filmmaker, Writer, Expectant Father

Long Week Ending

It's been a long week, and there is still much to be done, but I'm calling it quits for today.

We are very thankful that GoLive went so smoothly and will continue to iron out the few remaining issues next week. As always, if you have any suggestions or ideas on how we can improve your experience on the website, please let us know.

Until Monday, be blessed, friends!

...er... wait... I want you to be blessed after that too...

Have a weekend full of blessings, friends, and I will see you all on Monday!

Much better.

 ~Luke Holzmann
Filmmaker, Writer, Expectant Father

Internet Friends

First, a couple funny images:

I read blogs via Google Reader, and use hotkeys to get through the posts faster. But sometimes my fingers hit the wrong keys and I start typing instead. This is what I looked up to see this morning:


NOM link here

And, for as smooth as everything went yesterday, there were a few minutes where Sonlight's homepage looked like this:


10am MST April 1, 2009


Now that we've had our giggles, time to move on to the second--and real--point of this post:

I read yesterday that online communities must be small because "[t]rue community only thrives when the members deeply care for one another." There are many other fascinating points, and so I suggest you read the whole thing.

It got me thinking, though. Granted, I'm not close to all the bloggers I read, but I'd like to think that I have already established very close connection to at least a couple of my "bloggy friends." And considering I attended the wedding of a friend I met via World of Warcraft, and more and more people are meeting their soulmate online, I think this online community has brought us to a very real dimension of connection... even if it isn't IRL.

The Sonlight Forums are a prime example of a rather large online community. And maybe this community thrives on the deep care each member has for homeschooling rather than each other. And so like many other clubs and gatherings, an online community is built around focus, purpose, or interest.

Churches come to mind.

As much as I should deeply care about all of my brothers and sisters in Christ, there's no way I could. But I still gather with them every week in church. And we have community. I have a much closer community with my small groups and friends, but there is community with the other members of my church.

Or, perhaps, I'm just a child of this digital age, and so can't remember the "good old days" when people really did have communities.

So, what do you think, friends?

 ~Luke Holzmann
Filmmaker, Writer, Expectant Father

Transformation

Well, just as a reminder, this blog looked like this yesterday:


Old Blog Template

I think it's better now--even if the yellow is a tad intense <smile> ...okay, be honest: is it too much in your opinion?


Speaking of "too much," Google announced CADIE today. And if you haven't checked out her blog yet, you really should. I'm one of her thousands of friends!


CADIE's Friend


You still can't order anything from Sonlight yet--as of 3:19pm MST--but we're working hard on getting the system up and running again. Last I heard, we're still on target for 5pm MST.

As for me, I need to head home and start preparing for a party.

Happy GoLive, April 1, 2009!

 ~Luke Holzmann
Filmmaker, Writer, Expectant Father