As some of you may have noticed, SOS has experienced some technical difficulties as of late. I recently updated to the newest WordPress Version (4.0.1). At the same time, I updated five plugins. My site then crashed. Early this week, only the homepage and blog front page were visible. All individual posts and a few other main blog pages displayed an HTTP error. Robert, a regular commentator, alerted me to the problems the next day. I was aware of a few of the problems moments after I updated, but didn’t realize the extent of the damage until I begin digging into my files.

I have spent hours this week on the phone with my server provider (Bluehost) and support forums for WordPress and my child theme, Thesis. After a lot of frustration, I was able to get the main content of the site back up, but without comments. It seems some of the files were incompatible with the latest update, which addresses security issues and bugs from WordPress. Originally, the technicians with my server host provider thought it must have been my plugins, but I have disabled and deleted (and reinstalled) them with no avail. We were able to get the main site pages and individual posts pages working again, but still without comments. Even with the plugin files completely removed, my comment section is broken. It seems everyone is at a loss, including me. My one option I have been presented with so far is to reset my blog to a date and time before I updated. Bluehost can do this, but I would still be without the latest security updates and other bug fix issues, which would have to be addressed at some point in the future anyway, so I’d like to just get everything fixed the way it is supposed to be.

I am pretty savvy with WordPress and running a blog, but the issue has stumped me. Without a day off from work and a cup of coffee with no external distractions, I haven’t been able to dig into the problem with the gusto I would normally be able to. I plan to do this over Christmas break when I will finally get some much-needed free time. I apologize to all the SOS members who comment regularly. Even though only about 3-4% of my regular readers actually comment, their comments are very valuable and add much-needed thought and a critique of the articles presented on the blog. They give the blog a sort of momentum which I realize has been unique and often original. Not to mention they make the SOS community feel like a true spiritual community. With all of the comments no longer appearing, it must seem the site is a little bare. With that being said, I will certainly spend some more time trying to resolve this issue after Christmas when my travelling schedule calms down and I will have a few days with little going on to properly address the issue and decide what to do.

In the meantime, I have decided to go ahead and publish Mike Doss’s latest article, entitled, Fragmentation and Ascension, even without comments simply because it has been in the queue for a while. I wanted to formally acknowledge it since I can’t do it in the comment section, and Mike won’t be getting any public feedback until that section is fixed. I thought the article had much original thought, especially with his combination of computer code related to the fragmentation process of consciousness. Thank you for that wonderful contribution which added material to this blog in an area that has never been addressed before, Mike!

The Future of the blog

Earlier in 2014, I had promised that I would be getting back to writing full-time. Again, I apologize for the delay. My life has taken a few turns this year that have made that difficult. I decided to lay down writing for a little while so I could focus on other important areas of my life. Having a full-time job and family with kids who are requiring more attention have sucked up my time, not to mention a reconnection with my wife that has been so wonderful. Furthermore, my son has shown such an aptitude for learning and spirituality. He is only in second grade, but having a seventh grade reading level he has begun (on his own) to get into my library by the nightlight and read some of my spiritual books. Of course his understanding is limited, but his curiosity is unparalleled. I had no idea that he was developed enough to ingest even a small portion of the books on my library shelf! He came at me with some questions that I didn’t even know a second grader could ask! My daughter has required different input, but it was much needed. I have also had to put more time into my job as I have changed to a different grade level with more demands.

I wanted to let all of you know that I do miss writing and delving into consciousness and Biblical thought the way I was regularly before. I have been planning to get back to writing actively on the site instead of bi-monthly. I have many ideas and thoughts to get down on paper, and Christmas break will be a time to revisit and contribute to the blog. I hope to be able to continue this effort at least bi-weekly thereafter, but I know better now than to make any promisesJ. Frankly, I’ve come to realize that life often throws too many curve balls to be too definite. And this is what makes it so interesting!

Thank you for all the contributors that have filled in the gap since 2013!

As a side note, I have had many readers express that the blog has had a different feel and interpretation lately. Some have even stated that they miss the older articles. At the same time, I have had many readers write and tell me how much they appreciate the new writing and perspectives. This is understandable as everyone has different interests and learning styles. I hope that the writers who have been continuing to contribute decide to do so in the future alongside me, but regardless, I look forward to contributing more articles in 2015 than in 2014.

If you have any special thoughts or subjects you’d like specifically addressed, the contact form on SOS is still working. Feel free to drop any lines. I’d like to address more future post to any questions you might have about specific scriptures or articles that I have already posted.

Blessings!