My mind is like a Louisiana swamp—full of bad ideas with several really good ones buried among the alligator droppings, cypress roots and rusting carcasses of F-150s. So, I need something to help organize my thoughts as I work through ideas, plan for the future and keep my team running without getting in the way.

I recently discovered XMind, a free mind mapping software that lets me type my thoughts in a stream-of-consciousness flow of ideas, punch the “tab” and “enter” keys and construct organic flowcharts of interrelated ideas. This could just as easily be done on a whiteboard, but I’m pretty sloppy, so typing works better.

Check it out. It will help you think better and work smarter.

Regardless of whether you agree with it or not, this ad from Westminster Seminary is good marketing. It’s assertive, provocative and simple–in spite of the fact that it’s totally old school in its presuppositions about what seminary is for (training pastors) and how it should be matriculated (on campus).

I was fortunate enough to attend seminary in class, and only had one electronic interchange with a professor: He wanted me to e-mail him the font I used in a research paper on whether Mary contributed an egg in the conception of Jesus. (Yes, this was my idea. No, he wasn’t sold on the conclusions of my paper. And, no, I don’t recommend you ask me my conclusions either.) However, my professor did like the typeface, and there’s a good chance he’s using my paper as an example of bad theology tastefully packaged.

I digress. Recently, friends of mine who are pursuing graduate studies through distance programs have told me that the experience is in many ways superior to their experiences in class. They have more interaction with other students and professors, the assignments are tougher and they feel more engaged with the educational process. I’m not sure what I think of this, because when it comes to education, I’m an old-school traditionalist.

Anyhow, I’m interested in hearing whether what other people think of this. For your next degree (I’m talking about education, not your ascendance in the ranks of Freemasonry) would you pursue distance or in-class education?

I’ve never given up anything for Lent, although I know people who’ve given up coffee and chocolate and such. I guess I could have done that, but it wouldn’t have improved my life that much. What I did give up had nothing to do with my diet, but it cleared my mind and heart in a way I didn’t expect. I gave up recreational Web surfing, Twitter, Facebook, etc. for the 40 days leading up to Resurrection Day.

At first it was strange, as I resisted the instinctive urge to check my RSS feeds or Tweet something funny Maddie or Nathan were doing. Then, I got into the groove of being “disconnected” and started to enjoy myself.  Here’s a “stream of consciousness” flow of a few items from my life during Lent:

Read Psalms (highly recommended), Ken Gire’s Moments With the Savior (highly recommended and moving), Dinesh D’Souza’s What’s So Great About Christianity? (also very good) and Greg Mortenson’s Three Cups of Tea (pretty good, but kind of discouraging)… got back into QRP Amateur Radio with the help of my friend, Kelly McClelland … learned how to mind map, which has helped me with some major projects at work … have achieved “email supremacy” with a “zeroed-out” inbox before I go home from work … and have started playing more guitar/piano to help me relax.

So, the goal now is that overused word of the last few years: sustainability, through self-imposed time limits and such. Anyhow, fasting the Web isn’t just for Lent. I’d highly recommend it anytime, if you want to clear your mind to focus more attention on your God, your family and your work.