Books and eBooks by the Director
35th Anniversary of Darkness to Light
July 2026 marks the 35th anniversary of my Darkness to Light ministry. Since the fifteenth anniversary, for each five-year milestone, I have been writing an article covering the previous five years (see the “Anniversary” articles at Information About Darkness to Light and its Director). These updates include details about the ministry, my other websites, and my personal life.
However, since I covered those updates in my autobiography The Lord Stood By Me and Gave Me Strength just a year ago, when it was published in July 2025, this 35th anniversary article covers only the past year. See the autobiography for the previous four years.
July 2025 – July 2026 Update: Part 1
Darkness to Light Updates
Website Stats:
In my autobiography, I mention about traffic to my websites dropping dramatically but then rebounding. But I did not include the actual numbers in the previous update, so let me provide them now. I began with my current web host (Network Solutions) back in September 2007, making 2008 the first full year with them. Below are the website stats I got from them for each of the years since then. This year (2026) is only half a year, with these stats though June 22, 2026. But the last line shows the estimated full-year totals by doubling those numbers. I wanted to have the numbers be through June 30, but once again, the stats are not updating, as discussed in my bio. If the stats had updated through June 30, the estimated number of visitors for all of 2026 would likely be over 300,000 and the visits over 450,000.
Year Visitors Number of Visits Pages Viewed
2008 416,674 519,977 1,023,448
2009 404,175 493,688 892,065
2010 402,244 480,677 817,870
2011 402,590 498,237 755,204
2012 251,756 334,363 603,003
2013 166,088 232,198 493,616
2014 204,448 281,464 584,528
2015 209,380 287,412 588,093
2016 175,003 228,782 513,805
2017 157,282 216,861 476,915
2018 139,432 216,964 685,200
2019 66,106 111,572 397,995
2020 88,733 135,922 376,907
2021 45,581 61,239 285,679
2022 40,602 55,340 280,366
2023 34,135 48,372 262,614
2024 52,844 88,232 361,172
2025 176,202 289,033 628,829
2026 147,796 224,345 331,353 (to 6/22)
2026 295,592 448,698 662,706 (est.)
The numbers show a steep decline from the early 2010s through 2023, followed by a strong rebound in 2025 continuing into 2026. I discuss my thoughts on this trend in my bio. Sales of my books have basically followed this trend.
Newsletters and Website Updates:
I have continued with publishing the Darkness to Light newsletter and FitTips for One and All newsletter, each every other month. Those back issues and their main articles are posted on the respective websites (see Back Issues of Darkness to Light Christian Newsletter and Back Issues of FitTips for One and All Newsletter). I have also been posting my workout logs on the latter. Beyond these regular newsletters and training logs, however, I have posted little new content.
Meanwhile, I have almost completely stopped posting new material on my Biblical and Constitutional Politics and Covid Fearmongering and Lies websites. The reason for not updating the latter is there really is nothing new to say about Covid, now that the pandemic phase of Covid is long over.
As for the former, I just got tired of all of the bickering and constantly having to expose the nonstop lies and misrepresentations by the media and Dems about Trump. But most of all, I decided I need to focus most of my limited time and energy on the next project to be discussed.
ALT Project:
My plan to update and publish new editions of all volumes of the Analytical-Literal Translation of the Bible (ALT) has proven far more complicated than I anticipated, largely due to the use of Artificial Intelligence. AI has allowed me to do more with the update and essentially fulfill my original vision for the translation.
From the beginning, my thought for the ALT was as much as possible to translate the same Greek word with the same English equivalent, to translate different Greek words with different English equivalents, and to translate cognate Greek words with cognate English words, and to translate a particular Greek part of speech with the same English part of speech.
However, this is not always achievable because a given Greek word can have multiple meanings, and there are not always sufficient distinct English words to match all synonymous Greek terms.
Additionally, the ALT is based on the Greek Bible, specifically, the Old Testament (OT) Septuagint (LXX), New Testament (NT) Majority Text, and Apocrypha. The Greek Bible contains approximately 12,000 different Greek words out of roughly 590,000 Greek words in total. As such, it was not possible to fully fulfill this goal, and it still is not.
However, I am now giving special attention to significant sets of synonymous words to ensure they follow this consistency pattern. That has necessitated developing a complex lexical chart of “Translation of Synonymous Words.” I started out with synonymous “Law” Words but then progressed to a logical pattern of synonymous words that cover every aspect of salvation from the nature of God to “Love/ Fellowship/ Communication” Words.
The list has gotten so extensive it will require publishing a Companion Volume Number Two to the ALT (CV2). This will be a brand new and completely different volume from the original Companion Volume to the ALT (CV). Additional material will also be included, but the chapter containing these lexical charts will be the bulk of the volume.” Following are excerpts from the Introduction:
This chapter presents these vital sets of synonymous words. Each word is shown in its Greek lexical (dictionary) form both in Greek script and transliteration. Following the Greek word is its English translation(s) throughout all volumes of the ALT, the part of speech (noun, verb, adjective, or adverb), brief definitions to clarify the meaning and highlight nuances, the number of times the word occurs in the Greek Bible and for the NT separately. Example verse references are given….
Words are ordered within each synonymous word set from most to least frequent in the Bible, except that cognate words—those sharing the same root but usually differing in grammatical form—are grouped together. The order of cognate groups is determined by the frequency of the most common word within the group (marked with an asterisk), and within each group, words are ordered by frequency, e.g., “command” (verb) and “commandment” (noun) form a cognate group.
These word sets are presented in a logical sequence that reflects biblical understanding. This logical order is reflected in the introductory sentences for each word set.
(Note: Although the ALT also includes the Apostolic Fathers, they are not included in this study)….
Since the ALT: NT is based on the Majority Text, the total word counts were corrected to being based on it. When a textual variant affects the verse count in the NT, the count difference between texts is given {MT = Majority Text, TR = Textus Receptus, CT = Critical Text, x = times}. If there are no textual variants affecting the word, the word count for the NT for all texts is given.
Below is a sample from the “Sin” Words section.
“Sin” Words:
We inevitably miss the mark and fail to uphold all of God’s ordinances—an offense called sin, which embodies lawlessness, evil, and wickedness. That sin hurts us, as the commandments were given for our benefit, so not obeying them is detrimental to our individual lives and our society. Transgressing them also leaves us condemned before God.
Sin is, “Any act, attitude, or disposition which fails to completely fulfill or measure up to the standards of God’s righteousness. It may involve an actual transgression of God’s law or failure to live up to His norms” (Erickson, Concise Dictionary, p.152).
1. *ἁμαρτία (hamartia) – sin (701 times; MT: 174x, TR: 174x, CT: 173x; Gen 15:16; Josh 22:20; Ps 10:15; Isa 1:4,14,18; Tobit 3:3,5,14; Sir 2:11; Matt 1:21; 9:2,5,6; Rom 3:9,20) – The primary noun for sin; literally “missing the mark.” Any act or attitude that does not fully hit the “mark” of God’s standards. Any failure to conform to God’s moral law in act, attitude, or nature. Sin as a power or condition.
2. ἁμαρτάνω (hamartanō) – to sin (302 times; NT: 43x; Gen 4:7; Josh 7:11,20; Ezek 3:21(2x); 1Esd 1:22; Tob 3:3; Matt 18:15; Rom 2:12(2x)) – The verb form of hamartia. To commit an act of sin, to err, to miss the mark.
3. ἁμαρτωλός (hamartōlos) – sinful (226 times; MT: 48x, TR: 47x, CT: 47x; Gen 13:13; 1Ki 1:21; Ps 1:1; isa 1:4,28,31; Tob 13:8(2x); Mark 8:38; Rom 9:7) – Adjective form of hamartia. Characterized by or devoted to sin. Frequently used as a substantive, “sinful [person/people]” (Numb 16:38; Matt 9:10,11,13)
4. ἁμάρτημα (amartēma) – fault (40 times; NT: 4x; Gen 31:36; Josh 22:17; Deut 19:15; Isa 40:10; Jdt 7:28; Mark 3:28,29{CT only}; Mark 4:12{MT/TR only}; Rom 3:25; 1Cor 6:18). Derived from the same root as hamartia, but more specifically refers to a fault, offense, or trespass. It is more about the actual act of sinning or the specific misstep, fault, or error.
5. ἐξαμαρτάνω (examarthanō) – to sin greatly, to cause to sin greatly (34 times; NT: 0x). Verb. An intensive compound form of ἁμαρτάνω, with the ἐξ- prefix adding the sense of “out of” or “exceedingly.” Literally, to completely miss the mark (Judg 20:16). Figuratively, to sin to an extreme degree; a complete failure to meet God’s standard (Neh 9:33; Hab 2:10; Zeph 1:17; PsS 5:16). Often used for egregious, national rebellion caused by the king, meaning the king led the nation to greatly sin (1Ki 15:26,30,34).
6. *πίπτω (píptō) – to fall (513 times; NT: 90x). A verb meaning literally “to fall to the ground” (Gen 17:3; Josh 5:14; Judg 5:27(3x); Tob 12:16; Ezek 1:28; Matt 2:11; 1Cor 10:12). Figuratively, it often describes falling into sin or moral failure, as in Romans 11:11 where it relates to stumbling spiritually. Also Isa 2:17; Jer 6:15.
7. παραπίπτω (parapiptō) — to fall away, to transgress, to commit a trespass (9 times; NT: 1x; Est 6:10; Ezek 14:13; 15:8; 18:24; 20:27; 22:4; Wis 6:9; 12:2; Heb 6:6). Verb form of παράπτωμα. Literally, “to fall beside/beyond” (a prescribed limit). Used in Ezekiel for deliberate apostasy or defiance of God’s covenant. This word group emphasizes the active, deliberate nature of stepping outside God’s law. It fits well alongside ἀνομία and ἀδίκημα but with a focus on the act of crossing a boundary.
These entries continue to 77 “Sin” Words.
This is clearly complicated and time-consuming. However, once I get this lexical chart done, it will make the rest of the updating of the ALT much easier. As I am working on it, I am adding “Technical Notes” to select Bible verses for the study Version (SV) of the ALT explaining the reasons for the translations based on the information in this chart.
Then I will still have to complete my original plan of adding study notes to the ALT, summarized from information in my other books, along with adding the other study aids for the SV.
My best estimate is it will take me the rest of this year to finish this lexical chart and CV2. That means, it will be 2027 before I begin to publish anything. It will then take probably a year or so for each volume of the ALT. That means, this will be a multi-year project, possibly taking the rest of my life to complete.
All of this work would be challenging enough on its own, but it has been compounded by ongoing health struggles and never-ending home difficulties, which I will cover next.
July 2025 – July 2026 Update: Part 2
Personal Updates
A Year of Trials
The past year has been one of the most difficult of my life. While I continue to work on the ALT project and maintain my ministry, a series of overlapping health problems, home repairs, and external pressures have tested my endurance like few things before.
Construction Around My Home:
Beginning March 30, 2026, four separate construction projects began near my home, all upwind of my house. The diesel fumes and chemical smells drift directly toward and into my home. The biggest and still ongoing is a new sewer line being installed roughly 100 feet from my road, with construction trucks running up and down the hill in front of my house.
Before that, a neighbor redid his driveway and garage, adding more truck traffic and fumes to the alley perpendicular to my property. A storm then split a tree on the side of my house, forcing me to spend an hour outside cutting it up while that construction was ongoing 50 feet upwind. That set off an allergic reaction that lasted 24 hours.
I have rarely left my home for over 20 years due to my chemical sensitivities. I set up a home gym because commercial gyms caused me problems. As mentioned, I use a whole-house overhead fan to clear smells from my home, but when the construction fumes are outside, running the fan pulls them inside. I gave up on walks years ago because passing diesel trucks would leave me in an allergenic state for the rest of the day. And with this current construction, walks would be out of the question.
Due to the issues caused by these projects, I was forced to stop working out, as in lifting weights, with my last workout being on June 11. As of this writing (late June), I have been unable to resume lifting. My plan is to not attempt working out again until all construction is finished, but I have no idea when that will be.
New Health Problems:
In addition to the health issues I mention in my autobiography, two new ones emerged this year.
Lactose Intolerance:
I discovered the hard way that I have developed lactose intolerance. I had been using grass-fed, hormone-free whey isolate from Muscle Feast, but it became too expensive. I switched to Nutricost whey concentrate, which is much cheaper but has higher carbohydrate content (2 grams versus 0.5 grams). This appears to have been the source of ongoing bloating and weight gain.
Then the intolerance really flared up when I ran out of my prepared protein powders and drank milk instead for a day. That led to three days of digestive issues. That is when I knew I was now lactose intolerant. But at least it gave me an answer as to the source of the previous weeks of bloating.
This is a serious blow. I have very few pleasures in life. My Christian commitment, health issues, and financial constraints have left me isolated. I have not drunk alcohol in 40 years. No gambling, no smoking, no illicit drugs. I find most modern TV and movies to be a sinful cesspool.
No romantic female companionship for this entire century. Few real-world friends. It is hard to make friends or to date when I rarely leave my home. I’ve never gone on a vacation in my entire adult life (unless you count staying at a hotel by myself for a powerlifting contest).
An isolated life with no one to talk to except my dad. Someone once seriously suggested I join a monastery. If it were not for my dad, I might have done so.
Now, on top of an already long list of foods I must avoid due to my sensitivities, lactose intolerance takes away the few special treats I had left: hot chocolate, cookies and milk, graham crackers with peanut butter and milk, and ice cream. Non-dairy ice cream is out because every brand I have checked contains coconut oil, to which I am definitely allergic.
Skin and Allergy Problems:
Over the past several winters, my hands have become very dry with multiple cracks on the fingertips, palms, and backs of my hands. Lubriderm Advanced Therapy lotion helps some.
In autumn 2024, I noticed a bump on my inner right thigh near the groin that looked like a pimple. It has not gone away but has not changed. Shortly after, I found a spot further down on the same thigh and two bumps on the back of my neck. They also have not changed.
In early March 2026, a bump appeared near my right armpit with itching. That cleared after about a month and may have been related to taking lutein, which my optometrist recommended. When I stopped the lutein, it cleared. In early June 2026, a small bump appeared on my left middle finger, and I have a tender spot on my ring finger from tearing the skin when pulling off a bandage over a year ago.
After a dentist appointment on May 12, 2026, rashes and itching appeared on the back of my right hand and on my neck. They progressed to both wrists, both forearms, and all around my neck. The itching is not excessive but persistent. I also have occasional itching on my chest and back. My dad says he can see a rash on my back where I cannot. The rashes flare up especially after showering at bedtime. I changed soap and shampoo and installed a showerhead filter with no improvement. I also eliminated new supplements and foods, again with no effect. Wearing a necklace now causes itching, so I stopped that.
The dermatologist I saw by video visit on June 18 confirmed that the rashes are most likely related to the construction fumes. She said I am probably sensitive to those fumes, which became obvious when the tree-cutting incident caused a major flare-up.
Even she was taken aback by the rash on my neck, saying it looked like someone had tried to choke me. She prescribed a stronger steroid cream (my PCP had prescribed a cream that helped with itching but not the rash itself) and recommended lukewarm showers instead of warm ones. She agreed my current soap and shampoo are best.
The interesting and validating aspect of these rashes is that they provide visible, undeniable evidence of something I have been saying for two decades that many have disbelieved: I am sensitive to all kinds of smells. My other symptoms of pain, stiffness, fatigue, and insomnia are invisible.
Cancelled Contest Plans:
I had been training for a powerlifting contest scheduled for June 20. However, two weeks before, I found out that the contest was part of a larger multi-sport event with food trucks, vendors, a strongman competition, and a Hyrox style competition. If I had known this, I would never have entered, as my health sensitivities would make that environment a guaranteed health crisis. I had previously declined a USPA contest the month before for the exact same reason. I requested a refund and cancellation of my registration.
I was deeply disappointed, as there were other meets I could have entered and would have chosen if I’d had full information. Over the preceding nine weeks I also had been managing all of my health issues. I had been trying to hold my training together for this meet, but given these new circumstances, continuing to prepare was pointless.
An Internet friend who did compete confirmed it was very busy, with four times as many strongman competitors as powerlifters. There were 40 powerlifters, so that would be about 160 strongman competitors, plus the Hyrox competitors, for well over 200 competitors overall. Add in the audience and officials, and that would be many hundreds of people in the building, plus food trucks and vendors, making for an atmosphere that would have surely triggered my sensitivities, confirming my decision was wise.
But I am still bummed I missed out on the chance to break a couple of more all-time and several more federation records, now that I am in the 65-69 age category. With the ongoing health and construction issues, I am not sure if or when I will start lifting again. The longer I wait, the harder it will be to get back to where I was before all of this began on March 30. Competing may not be worth the hassle and expense anymore.
Facebook Updates:
I mention in my autobiography about getting inundated with romance scammers on Facebook. That continues to this day. Consequently, I automatically delete any and all friend requests from women. I’m sure I deleted a few real women along the way, so if you are a woman reading this who was one of those deletions, my apologies. But it was too difficult to try to discern which were real and which were scammers.
I have also been unfriending any females who post pictures of themselves dressed in an immoral manner (cleavage, bikini, lingerie), as I don’t need the temptation to lust (Job 31:1; Matt 5:28; see Modesty in Dress for the Christian). I am also deleting any friends who post messages using foul language.
Given my powerlifting and posting of my workout logs, most of my FB friends are now powerlifters. But if I stopped competing and especially if I never resume lifting, then I would be out of sync with that community, losing some of the little fellowship I have. In fact, missing my planned contest this spring eliminated one of the few times I get to fellowship with others, and I was looking forward to meeting a few lifters I only knew by way of FB.
Broken Appliances, Home Repairs, and a Ballgame:
My aging house (over 60 years old) has compounded my difficulties. The refrigerator stopped working. It was over ten years old, so replacement was the only option. That required three men to deliver the new one and to take the old one away. I normally hide in my office when repairmen visit and let my dad handle them, but this time I had to be present, as they refused to disconnect the old fridge or to connect the new one, so my dad and I had to do both.
Next, the tub faucet handles broke, first the hot water, then the cold water. My dad and I fixed those ourselves, but it was quite a job.
Then the 15-year-old dryer broke. We bought a new one immediately, but it took three days to arrive. The day after it was delivered, my dad and I had tickets for a Pirates Thursday afternoon game. That left me wiped out for the entire weekend. That meant I could not catch up on laundry until the next week, by which time I had run out of clothes and had multiple loads of laundry to do over the next few days. It was too much to do that and work out, so that forced me to push back further my plans to resume lifting.
The vendor we purchased the hats from asked if we were brothers and wanted to know which of us was older. I don’t know if that was a compliment to my dad or an insult to me. As for the game, the Pirates won 5-1, so that was good.
However, with us being so short, a railing blocked our view, making it difficult to watch the game. Our section was filled, so we couldn’t move to different seats. With the crowds, the lines at the concessions were overly long, so we stopped at a restaurant on the way home to eat.
It was a good memory to share with my dad. But with the problems and as awful as I felt afterwards, I doubt we’ll go to another game. Meanwhile, during this time period, I skipped a couple of family gatherings and a local community event. With all that is going on, attending would have been too much.
I say all of this to demonstrate that every time I start to feel a little bit better and begin to think I can get back into my regular schedule, something else goes wrong, and I get knocked down again. But still, I hope and pray things calm down enough that I can restart lifting sometime in early July. When I resume training, my weekly workout logs and videos will be posted at Powerlifting Workout Posts and Videos: July to September (Q3) 2026.
Final Thoughts
I figure I have another 10 years. I just need to outlive my now 90-year-old dad. Despite being 25 years older than me, in some ways he is healthier than I am, but I still need to watch out for him. I hope to finish all aspects of the ALT project, which will take several years. Perhaps I will enter a powerlifting contest now and then; perhaps not. But once my dad passes, the ALT project is finished, and I am no longer able to work out, let alone compete, then I will be more than ready for the Lord to take me home. There will be nothing left here for me. “having the desire to depart and to be with Christ, [which is] far better” (Phil 1:23b; ALT3c).
Again, see my autobiography The Lord Stood By Me and Gave Me Strength for details on the previous four years and much more about me, my powerlifting, Darkness to Light, and my other websites and books.
35th Anniversary of Darkness to Light. Copyright © 2026 by Gary F. Zeolla of Darkness to Light ministry (www.zeolla.org/christian).
The Lord Stood By Me and Gave Me Strength
The Life and Legacy of Gary F.
Zeolla;
Author, Bible Translator, Champion Powerlifter
From powerlifting world records to forty books and a pioneering Bible translation, from battling chronic illnesses to weathering financial storms and singleness struggles, my life has been an unlikely testament to God’s sustaining grace. In this raw, revelatory autobiography, I pull back the curtain on:
✓ The Making of a Bible Translator – How I created the Analytical-Literal Translation despite health and financial obstacles
✓ Strength Through Struggle – My journey to 15 powerlifting all-time world records amid debilitating conditions
✓ Faith Under Fire – Spiritual practices that sustained me through singleness, dating disasters, and isolation
✓ Body as Temple – An overview of my diet and training regimen that keeps me productive against all odds
✓ Politics & Principles – Why I published controversial writings on fitness, politics, and Covid
More than a memoir, this is a survival manual proving Paul’s words: “for whenever I am weak, then I am strong” (2Cor 12:10). Whether you’re wrestling with health limitations, vocational calling, or relational loneliness, my story shouts: God’s power thrives in broken vessels.
I have only accomplished so much in my life despite the struggles because, “the Lord stood by me and gave me strength” (2Tim 4:17a). To Him be all the glory!
Available from Amazon in multiple formats for as little as $3.50.
The above article first appeared in
Darkness to Light newsletter.
It was posted on this site July 1, 2026.
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