Mín Englisc Blog

Happy New Year's Eve!
Sorry for no posts since Monday — have I ever been so delinquent? Any other time that I didn't post much was when I was gone, but I have been home on at least part of every day this week.
This week, I visited parts of the presbytery youth Winter Conference. Although I was only there for a few hours on Tuesday and for about a full day between Thursday and Friday, I had a wonderful time there. While I loved seeing several of you blog readers, one of the best parts came after we left. In every past year, the leaving part has been the worst time, because leaving cuts me off from friends for the next several months. Granted, I'm not likely to see any of you before Covfamikoi, and I am not happy about that. However, for the first time, my leaving Winter Conference is not leaving all of my friends, as I have friends at school. I finally am leaving to go back to friends!

Because we've not yet gotten broadband Internet as hoped, I can't post any pictures. They should come next week, once I'm back on campus.

Enjoy the Winter Conference! I wish I could attend (I'm young enough that I could probably be a conferee), but I'm in college now. Must wait for the college version in January...
Please pray for the Rev. Ray Joseph, former pastor at Southfield. He has cancer that, in Mrs. Joseph's words, appears to be "taking off." With Mrs. Joseph's permission, I plan soon to post an email that she sent out with notes on his condition. Pray for physical comfort for him and God's peace and presence for both of them!

Sorry for no post yesterday. Some effects of that illness that I had on Friday were still lingering over to yesterday, and I was quite tired by the time that we got home at about 7:00 last night. Therefore, I didn't get on the computer.
Dad preached today from the last three chapters of I Kings, where Ahab defeats the Arameans, contends with Naboth etc., and is killed. Although we had three visiting families, with a total of nine people, there were only thirty-five people overall. Twenty-two regular attenders, a total of five families and three other people, were unable to attend. While most were out of town, some were absent for other reasons, such as one lady (an EMT) who was called out on an ambulance run a little bit before she would have left for church.
Something struck me today about the Naboth incident that I've never heard addressed. According to Leviticus 25:29, "If a man sells a house in a walled city, he retains the right of redemption a full year after its sale. During that time he may redeem it." Furthermore, according to I Kings 21:23, "And also concerning Jezebel the LORD says: 'Dogs will devour Jezebel by the wall of Jezreel.'" Now, if Jezreel had a wall, it would certainly count as a city, so Naboth lawfully could have sold his house permanently to Ahab. Could he lawfully sell a vineyard? I would argue yes, because the point of the family-property law was to keep any family from being disinherited, and a family would similarly be disinherited if they lost their property in a town, whether that property were a house or a vineyard. Therefore, I am inclined to believe that Naboth was trying to use the law improperly to avoid losing his land.
Of course, none of this is to defend Jezebel's method of getting the property!

BLOGS
1. : 2 posts, on 2 days.
2. : 2 posts, on 2 days.
3. : 3 posts, on 3 days.
4. : 2 posts, on 2 days.
5. : 3 posts, on 2 days.
6. : 2 posts, on 2 days.
7. Rebekah: 4 posts, on 1 day. Three of these consist of one picture plus a small caption.
8. : 1 post, on 1 day.
9. : 1 post, on 1 day.
10. : 1 post, on 1 day.
11. : 0 posts, on 0 days. Last post 30 November.

Right now, I'm at my uncle and aunt's house. Today, I've done rather little, with reading and computer occupying most of my time. Besides playing a game on the computer for a while, I spent much of the morning putting good music (public domain — one of the benefits of classical music!) on my computer from my aunt's CD collection. I want to get a CD copy of Aleksandr Borodin's opera Prince Igor, which contains the famous "Polotsvian Dances" scene.

While I stayed here, reading Jane Austen's Sense and Sensibility and going grocery shopping with my aunt, everyone else went to Hocking Hills State Park, where my Scout troop has an annual hiking trip. As I knew they would, they had a great time, but I also knew that they would have tons of ice — not something I wanted to have on the edges of twenty-foot drops and fifty-foot-long rock stairways!
Tomorrow is our family Christmas celebration. My dad's youngest brother and his family are bringing Grandmother from Cincinnati, and my dad's sister and her family (minus my cousin Kevin in New Jersey) are coming from north of here.
Happy Christmas to All!

We leave this morning for Kingston, OH, where my Uncle Charles and Aunt Debbie live. We're to be staying with them through Saturday, mostly because the family Christmas celebration is to be there on Friday.

Sorry for no post yesterday. I really had rather little to do, but I spent much of the day doing almost nothing. In hindsight, I should have posted last night during a two-hour-long IM conversation.
Yesterday was Grandmother's 78th birthday, so we all went down to Cincinnati to see her. It was good to see how well she is doing, needing only a cane to walk properly, and not even that for short distances. When we were going from her apartment to my grandfather's nursing home, which both are in the same sprawling building, she instead used a vehicle somewhat like the motorized shopping carts that you see in supermarkets. She even was somewhat reckless on it, going rather too fast for safety — probably nearly ten miles per hour in the hallway :-)

Today, Dad took a planned vacation from preaching for a day, so the preacher was our ruling elder, Mr. Bump. His sermons were on the beginnings of II Peter and of Daniel, morning and evening respectively. It was nice hearing someone whom I'd not heard in a long while, but it would have been nice to have heard Dad preaching — someone I've not heard preaching in a long while!
Thanks to you who have chatted with me on IM over the last three days. As I was about to post that long post on Friday, Jenny and Julia got online and chatted with me, and I've had several good chats with people since then. Thanks to all! Praise the LORD for instant messenger!

BLOGS
1. : 3 posts in 3 days.
2. : 4 posts in 3 days.
3. : 3 posts in 3 days.
4. : 3 posts in 3 days.
5. : 3 posts in 2 days.
6. : 1 post in 1 day.
7. : 2 posts in 2 days.
8. : 1 post in 1 day.
9. Rebekah: 0 posts in 0 days. Last post 6 December.
10. : 0 posts in 0 days. Last post 30 November.
11. : 0 posts in 0 days. Last post 24 November.

Please pray that I might not be too lazy over this break!

Where is everyone? Overall, Christmas break is becoming rather like Thanksgiving break minus the term paper that I wrote then. Almost noöne has been online today, and Friday is the day on which I'm normally online the most. Furthermore, my laptop computer won't realize that it's connected to the Internet over the LAN, even though AIM is working on it. Meanwhile, my parents and Isaac have been using the main computer a lot!
PLEASE don't take me as being angry. Well do I understand that others also need the computer, and I know that it's a big change for me to need to share a computer after not being home for two months. Nor am I angry or at all unhappy with you who are normally on AIM but haven't been today. This is one of the effects of dialup: that I can't be on all the time, and therefore I miss you when you're online. And I'm sure some of you are already preparing for Christmas celebrations. My problem, I believe, is mostly that of discontentedness. Please pray about this for me!
Today, I had my hair cut. Not much more to say about that. As well, I cut some patches off my long-sleeved uniform shirt and took it over to Mrs. Bump for new patches to be sewn. For the first time, I will wear the patches of an adult leader — or at least one patch. Any others beside "Assistant Scoutmaster" will take a while to earn. What a difference it will be: I must removed rank and patrol patches and my treasured Senior Patrol Leader patch, none of which really will be replaced. Never again will I wear a rank patch, for which I worked so hard. Only if I take Wood Badge, an adult training session, will I again wear a patrol patch. Senior Patrol Leader, the office which I performed for fifteen of my twenty-four Scouting months and which I held officially for five months, I will never regain. However, it is the only patch that is certainly being replaced with anything: the aforementioned Assistant Scoutmaster patch. I look forward to being a Scouting leader, but I will always look back at my days of being a Boy Scout. Would that I had been a five-year Cub Scout and a seven-year Boy Scout, not just a two-year Boy Scout!

One of my professors, for my English class, wants us to turn in our final papers at 3:00 today. Not late (which makes sense), but not early either. Why can't I turn it in early? I could have been home in time for dinner yesterday if not for that requirement. As it is, Dad took me to Mom's parents one county north of here last night. This morning, we drove around and I looked at four different cemeteries trying to find relatives. Not the most successful, but I am glad that I went. I wasn't helped by all of the snow and ice (we've had a bit of freezing rain here) on the ground, which made walking difficult and reading old tombstones even harder.

About to leave. Christmas Break is upon me!

POL final is done. Now for the HIS final at 1:00. Dad hopes to be here in time for the end of the HIS final.

Time to begin studying for the POL final. Once it is done, I'll begin studying for the HIS final, which is nowhere near as problematic.

Off to a study session for the POL final — talk to you all later!

POL 151 Final Exam, 0800-0950 Wednesday, 14 December 2005.
HIS 220 Final Exam, 1300-1450 Wednesday, 14 December 2005.

Please pray for me as I study for these exams!

When will it stop snowing? It snowed Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and yesterday, and it's snowing now...

BLOGS At least Charity and perhaps Katie as well want me to comment about the various blogs. However, I do not plan so to do, for the following reasons. (1) When I first did blog ratings, I commented on the blogs that I rated. Although this was interesting, it was quite time-consuming to remark about all of them. (2) While it is easy to remark upon the enjoyable and interesting aspects of a blog, and while bloggers like to see positive comments, I found it to be very unpopular also to criticize. Since it's a bad idea to include negative remarks, and since I want to be balanced in my remarks, I will not include positive comments either.

1. : 7 posts in 6 days. This includes two pictures.
2. : 22 posts in 3 days. This includes eighteen posts each of just a picture and a short caption.
3. : 2 posts in 2 days.
4. : 2 posts in 2 days.
5. : 2 posts in 2 days.
6. : 2 posts in 2 days.
7. : 1 post in 1 day.
8. : 1 post in 1 day.
9. Rebekah: 1 post in 1 day.
10. : 0 posts in 0 days. Last post 30 November.
11. : 0 posts in 0 days. Last post 24 November.

Today was the first day of real study for finals next week. Besides that, I spent a bit of time in the library, reading through old Minutes of Synod.

Today, as I remarked earlier, was the last day of classes. Quite enjoyable! As well, last night I finished work on my last political science essay, and tonight I finished revising my English final paper. Unless something unexpected should come up, all I have left are my two final exams. Not that they'll be easy; I'll appreciate your prayers!
Last night, I decided to join a late-night snowball fight. After forty-five minutes of throwing, being hit, tackling, and being tackled, I came in at about midnight. I would have taken pictures, but I really didn't want my nice camera to be involved in a snowball fight. After all, twice all of the snaps on my coat (the zipper doesn't work) were undone by opponents seeking to throw snow inside my coat!
Those pictures last night were of the Christmas concert and of the broomball game. You can see what it was like with both, I believe :-)

Today is the last day of classes. After this, it's just finals.

I'm finished with HUM 103!

I'm finished with BIB 151!

I got a 91.5% on my Political Science 151 midterm :-) and a B on my third English paper.

AAAAAGH sorry for no decent post!

Tonight featured an unusual open hours for Clarke (freshman girls' dorm) for a decorating contest. Each floor was decorated for Christmas on a different theme, and all of us who are not from Clarke voted for our favorite. I went with third floor: a vote which disappointed Esther Carleton and Avery, although they soon admitted that they would have voted for third if they didn't live on second :-)
I'm tired. I'll post more tomorrow. I'll leave you with the text of the Christmas carol that was used as the processional on Saturday night. Oh! Before I forget: thanks to Michael for driving me to the concert!

1. On this day earth shall ring
With the song children sing
To the Lord, Christ our King,
Born on earth to save us;
Him the Father gave us.
Id-e-o-o-o, id-e-o-o-o, id-e-o,
Gloria in excelsis Deo!

2. His the doom, ours the mirth;
When he came down to earth,
Bethlehem saw his birth;
Ox and ass beside him
From the cold would hide him.
Id-e-o-o-o, id-e-o-o-o, id-e-o,
Gloria in excelsis Deo!

3. God's bright star, o'er his head,
Wise Men three to him led;
Kneel they low by his bed,
Lay their gifts before him,
Praise him and adore him.
Id-e-o-o-o, id-e-o-o-o, id-e-o,
Gloria in excelsis Deo!

4. On this day angels sing;
With their song earth shall ring,
Praising Christ, heaven's King,
Born on earth to save us;
Peace and love he gave us.
Id-e-o-o-o, id-e-o-o-o, id-e-o,
Gloria in excelsis Deo!

Dr. Robson preached today from the first five verses of Genesis 1 and from the first eighteen verses of John 1. What a blessing it should be to us to have the same preacher for two months! Besides agreeing to preach through the until the middle of January, Dr. Robson may be willing to preach every week for us for a longer time after that. Please pray for us to have a pastor soon!
Recently, I've attended two events: both impressive, but on very different levels. On Wednesday night, I played in a game of broomball, and last night I went to a Christmas concert. Broomball is a Minnesota game played like hockey, except no skates are used (we're on the ice with normal shoes) and the object of play is an inflatable ball, not a puck. The concert was put on by the college choir, the Genevans, in the First Presbyterian Church downtown. This is a grand Gothic church with an impressive organ. During the service, a professional organist performed as an impressive Christmas carol was sung as a processional. I hope to post more about both events, including pictures.


BLOGS
1. : 5 posts, on 5 days.
2. : 4 posts, on 4 days.
3. : 3 posts, on 3 days.
4. : 3 posts, on 2 days.
5. : 2 posts, on 2 days.
6. : 3 posts, on 3 days.
7. : 1 post, on 1 day.
8. : 1 post, on 1 day.
9. : 1 post, on 1 day.
10. : 0 posts, on 0 days. Last post 24 November.
11. Rebekah: 0 posts, on 0 days. Last post 12 November.

Through tempests the sunrays of freedom have cheered us,
Along the new path where great Lenin did lead.
Be true to the people, thus Stalin has reared us,
Inspire us to labor and valorous deed!

In conformity with the interests of the working people, and in order to strengthen the socialist system, the citizens of the U.S.S.R. are guaranteed by law:
a. freedom of speech;
b. freedom of the press;
c. freedom of assembly, including the holding of mass meetings;
d. freedom of street processions and demonstrations.
These civil rights are ensured by placing at the disposal of the working people and their organizations printing presses, stocks of paper, public buildings, the streets, communications facilities and other material requisites for the exercise of these rights.

In conformity with the interests of the working people, and in order to develop the organizational initiative and political activity of the masses of the people, citizens of the U.S.S.R. are ensured the right to unite in public organizations--trade unions, cooperative associations, youth organizations,' sport and defense organizations, cultural, technical and scientific societies; and the most active and politically most conscious citizens in the ranks of the working class and other sections of the working people unite in the Communist Party of the Soviet Union (Bolsheviks), which is the vanguard of the working people in their struggle to strengthen and develop the socialist system and is the leading core of all organizations of the working people, both public and state.

Thus reads stanza 3 of the Soviet national anthem and articles 125 and 126 of the Soviet "Stalin" constitution. What a land of freedoms! What a wonderful man was the Great Uncle whose name is popularly applied to that constitution!
Not so says Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn. His monumental book, Архипелаг ГУЛаг or Gulag Archipelago, demonstrates the completeness of the lying of the Soviet system. I recommend that all of you read it.
Tonight, I finished reading this book, which I began to read two years ago. As a Jew by heritage, it is difficult to say this, but I believe that forty-five years of German rule after World War II would have been better than the forty-five years of Soviet rule that the world saw. But didn't Hitler kill the Jews whom Stalin let live? Yes, but Stalin destroyed many smaller nations and killed far more people overall. Let me quote Solzhenitsyn to make my point about genocide:

This was the nub of the plan: the peasant's seed must perish together with the adults. Since Herod was no more, only the Vanguard Doctrine [see the highlighted text in article 126 of the Constitution above] has shown us how to destroy utterly—down to the very babes. Hitler was a mere disciple, bu he had all the luck: his murder camps have made him famous, whereas no one has any interest in ours at all.

We must never forget Hitler. Never again must anyone be allowed to repeat what was done to my people. However, noöne must forget the destructions of Stalin either. Please read this book!

Sorry for such dinky posts; I have forgotten to post until very late at night. I'll hope to get something more substantial up tomorrow.
Today, I finished my final reflection paper for Bible. Tomorrow (I guess it's really later today), I'll print it and the humanities paper that I finished yesterday.

Humanities Final Paper is Done!