Mín Englisc Blog

The past two days have gone rather well, especially as I've rejoiced in being here and not in the hospital or in a graveyard. I'm hoping tomorrow to start work on my Odes paper. Thinking of the Odes...

ODE IX.
1. Open your ears, and I shall speak to you.
2. Give me yourself, so that I may also give you myself.
3. The word of the Lord and His desires, the holy thought which He has thought concerning His Messiah.
4. For in the will of the Lord is your life, and His purpose is eternal life, and your perfection is incorruptible.
5. Be enriched in God the Father; and receive the purpose of the Most High. Be strong and redeemed by His grace.
6. For I announce peace to you, His holy ones, so that none of those who hear shall fall in the war.
7. And also that those who have known Him may not perish, and so that those who received Him may not be ashamed.
8. An everlasting crown is Truth; blessed are they who set it on their head.
9. It is a precious stone, for the wars were on account of the crown.
10. But Righteousness has taken it, and has given it to you.
11. Put on the crown in the true covenant of the Lord, and all those who have conquered will be inscribed in His book.
12. For their book is the reward of victory which is for you, and she sees you before her and wills that you shall be saved.
Hallelujah.

ODE X.
1. The Lord has directed my mouth by His Word, and has opened my heart by His Light.
2. And He has caused to dwell in me His immortal life, and permitted me to proclaim the fruit of His peace.
3. To convert the lives of those who desire to come to Him, and to lead those who are captive into freedom.
4. I took courage and became strong and captured the world, and the captivity became mine for the glory of the Most High, and of God my Father.
5. And the Gentiles who had been dispersed were gathered together, but I was not defiled by my love for them, because they had praised me in high places.
6. And the traces of light were set upon their heart, and they walked according to my life and were saved, and they became my people for ever and ever.
Hallelujah.

A psalm of thankoffering, for one who has recovered from serious illness:

I love the LORD, because He heard my pleading.
He's heeded me; through life I'll call on Him.
The cords of death and Sheol's terrors bound me;
In deep distress I grief and trouble found.
Then on the LORD's name in prayer I called:
"You I implore, O LORD, deliver my soul!"
The LORD our God is merciful and righteous;
Gracious, the LORD the simple ones preserves.
When I was low, to me He gave salvation.
Turn back again, my soul, unto your rest,
Because the LORD has dealt well with you,
Because my helpless soul You rescued from death.
You saved my eyes from tears, my feet from stumbling.
Before the LORD I'll walk in lands of life.
I have believed and said, "I am afflicted."
I in despair confessed, "All men are false!"
What shall I render now to the LORD
For all His benefits upon me bestowed?
Salvation's cup I'll lift up in the LORD's name,
Vows to the LORD before His people pay.
Observed by Him and precious in the LORD's sight
Appears the death of all His saints each one.
O LORD, I am Your servant, Your slave.
I am Your handmaid's son, for You set me free.
To You I'll bring my off'ring of thanksgiving;
With sacrifice I'll call upon the LORD.
I'll pay the vows I made unto Jehovah
Before His people all, O may it be!
Within His courts, the house of the LORD,
In midst of you, Jerusalem! Praise the LORD!

One year ago today was I lifeflighted.

You may have heard of Loving County, Texas as being the least-populated county in the country, since it has just 52 people in it. I was aware of this fact, but I'd never considered its population density. Consider this: with a population of 52 people and an area of 1,753 km², it has about 0.03 people per square kilometre. Compare with my home county: a population of 46,005 and an area of 1,209 km², thus a population density of 38 people per square kilometre: in 69% of the area, we have (approximately!) 88,471% of the population. What's more, when you think of Loving County compared with worldwide countries: the most sparsely populated country in the world, Mongolia, has 2,646,487 people in 1,564,116 km², or 1.7 people per square kilometre — still 57 times more densely populated! In fact, the only autonomous part of the world with a lower population density is Greenland, with 0.026 people per square kilometre. Think: despite ice caps over nearly all of the island, it still has almost as many people per square kilometre as this county in Texas where a person could access virtually any place and theoretically could live about anywhere!

Today was both good and bad. I'm beginning to get a little nervous about my schedule: since my advisor's been on leave for a few weeks, it's getting close to schedulling time without my having a chance to discuss a schedule yet. I guess I just need to calm down, resting in the LORD and waiting patiently for him to do what's right. I don't think I can make my advisor come back sooner by fretting :-)



ODE VIII.
1. Open, open your hearts to the exultation of the Lord, and let your love abound from the heart to the lips.
2. In order to bring forth fruits to the Lord, a holy life; and to talk with watchfulness in His light.
3. Rise up and stand erect, you who sometimes were brought low.
4. You who were in silence, speak, for your mouth has been opened.
5. You who were despised, from henceforth be lifted up, for your Righteousness has been lifted up;
6. For the right hand of the Lord is with you, and He will be your Helper.
7. And peace was prepared for you, before what may be your war.
8. Hear the word of truth, and receive the knowledge of the Most High.
9. Your flesh may not understand that which I am about to say to you; nor your garment that which I am about to show you.
10. Keep my mystery, you who are kept by it; keep my faith, you who are kept by it.
11. And understand my knowledge, you who know me in truth; love me with affection, you who love;
12. For I turn not my face from my own, because I know them.
13. And before they had existed, I recognized them; and imprinted a seal on their faces.
14. I fashioned their members, and my own breasts I prepared for them, that they might drink my holy milk and live by it.
15. I am pleased by them, and am not ashamed by them.
16. For my workmanship are they, and the strength of my thoughts.
17. Therefore who can stand against my work? Or who is not subject to them?
18. I willed and fashioned mind and heart, and they are my own. And upon my right hand I have set my elect ones.
19. And my righteousness goes before them, and they shall not be deprived of my name; for it is with them.
20. Pray and increase, and abide in the love of the Lord;
21. And you who were loved in the Beloved, and you who are kept in Him who lives, and you who are saved in Him who was saved.
22. And you shall be found incorrupt in all ages, on account of the name of your Father.
Hallelujah.

Well, I never got my nap, but I'm about to go to bed — significantly earlier than I normally go to bed on Monday nights. I figure that, if I go to breakfast late (shortly before it closes at 10:00), I shouldn't have any trouble getting a good night's sleep indeed, and read all my class stuff beforehand as well.



Ode VII.
1. As is the course of anger over wickedness, so is the course of joy over the Beloved; and brings in of its fruits unhindered.
2. My joy is the Lord and my course is towards Him, this path of mine is beautiful.
3. For there is a Helper for me, the Lord. He has generously shown Himself to me in His simplicity, because His kindness has diminished His dreadfulness.
4. He became like me, that I might receive Him. In form He was considered like me, that I might put Him on.
5. And I trembled not when I saw Him, because He was gracious to me.
6. Like my nature He became, that I might understand Him. And like my form, that I might not turn away from Him.
7. The Father of knowledge is the Word of knowledge.
8. He who created wisdom is wiser than His works.
9. And He who created me when yet I was not knew what I would do when I came into being.
10. On account of this He was gracious to me in His abundant grace, and allowed me to ask from Him and to benefit from His sacrifice.
11. For He it is who is incorrupt, the perfection of the worlds and their Father.
12. He has allowed Him to appear to them that are His own; in order that they may recognize Him that made them, and not suppose that they came of themselves.
13. For towards knowledge He has set His way, he has widened it and lengthened it and brought it to complete perfection.
14. And has set over it the traces of His light, and it proceeded from the beginning until the end.
15. For by Him He was served, and He was pleased by the Son.
16. And because of his salvation He will possess everything. And the Most High will be known by His holy ones:
17. To announce to those who have songs of the coming of the Lord, that they may go forth to meet Him and may sing to Him, with joy and with the harp of many tones.
18. The Seers shall go before Him, and they shall be seen before Him.
19. And they shall praise the Lord in His love, because He is near and does see.
20. And hatred shall be removed from the earth, and with jealousy it shall be drowned.
21. For ignorance was destroyed upon it, because the knowledge of the Lord arrived upon it.
22. Let the singers sing the grace of the Lord Most High, and let them bring their songs.
23. And let their heart be like the day, and their gentle voices like the majestic beauty of the Lord.
24. And let there not be anyone who breathes that is without knowledge or voice.
25. For He gave a mouth to His creation: to open the voice of the mouth towards Him, and to praise Him.
26. Confess His power and declare His grace.
Hallelujah.

I definitely need to take a nap today...it's been several nights since I last slept for seven hours.

Church today was interesting: as Micah Ramsey was preaching, eight other Geneva students came to hear him! I greatly appreciated seeing them: when your closest friends go to other churches, it's always great to have some of them at your church for once :-) Tony and Bekah had been to Eastvale before, but I think none of the others had visited. Moreover, there were a visiting family with whom some of our members are friends; between them, the other Geneva students, and the Gideons speaker (a deacon at College Hill RPC!), we probably had nearly fifty people!
This afternoon, Dave Abt invited several of us to go up to the G, a large concrete letter "G" on the hill above Eastvale — it's college property and permissible for students to visit. Well, we were supposed to leave at 4:00, which would give us time for getting to Eastvale, up the hill, somewhat at the G, come down the hill, and back to campus before dinner finished at 6:00. However, due to confusion with not following the streets to the bridge to Eastvale, we were delayed significantly. Moreover, when Dave and I decided to go separately (with the others' permission), we weren't entirely sure of where to go, so it was perhaps about 5:40 when we finally got there, just after the others had — and we'd left because we thought it was taking too much time to wait for them! I left by myself shortly after 6:00 and made it to church in plenty of time. I ended up making up dinner between snacks, a small supper that Dr and Mrs Carson invited me to take with them, and a little bit of pizza from someone else.




Ode VI.
1. As the wind glides through the harp and the strings speak,
2. So the Spirit of the Lord speaks through my members, and I speak through His love.
3. For He destroys whatever is alien, and everything is of the Lord.
4. For thus it was from the beginning, and will be until the end.
5. So that nothing shall be contrary, and nothing shall rise up against Him.
6. The Lord has multiplied his knowledge, and He was zealous that those things should be known which through His grace have been given to us.
7. And His praise He gave us on account of His name, our spirits praise His Holy Spirit.
8. For there went forth a stream, and it became a river great and broad; indeed it carried away everything, and it shattered and brought it to the Temple.
9. And the barriers which were built by men were not able to restrain it, nor even the arts of them who habitually restrain water.
10. For it spread over the surface of all the earth, and it filled everything.
11. Then all the thirsty upon the earth drank, and thirst was relieved and quenched;
12. For from the Most High the drink was given.
13. Blessed, therefore, are the ministers of that drink, who have been entrusted with His water.
14. They have refreshed the parched lips, and have aroused the paralyzed will.
15. Even living persons who were about to expire, they have held back from death.
16. And limbs which have collapsed, they have restored and set up.
17. They gave strength for their coming, and light for their eyes.
18. Because everyone recognized them as the Lord's, and lived by the living water of eternity.
Hallelujah.

Today has been less active; I've gotten very little done, but only because I felt like relaxing for once. I hope to be more active at getting homework done once the school week resumes :-)
Tonight, I attended the spring concert of the Genevans. What a great night! I had to make some quick phone calls during the intermission, so I missed the first few parts of the second half, but everything else was wonderful.



Ode V
1. I praise You, O Lord, because I love You.
2. O Most High, forsake me not, for You are my hope.
3. Freely did I receive Your grace, may I live by it.
4. My persecutors will come but let them not see me.
5. Let a cloud of darkness fall upon their eyes; and let an air of thick darkness obscure them.
6. And let them have no light to see, so that they cannot seize me.
7. Let their designs become hardened, so that whatever they have conspired shall return upon their own heads.
8. For they have devised a plan, but it was not for them.
9. They prepared themselves maliciously, but they were found to be impotent.
10. Indeed my confidence is upon the Lord, and I will not fear.
11. And because the Lord is my salvation, I will not fear.
12. And He is as a woven crown upon my head, and I shall not be shaken.
13. Even if everything should be shaken, I shall stand firm.
14. And though all things visible should perish, I shall not die;
15. Because the Lord is with me, and I with Him.
Hallelujah.

Wow, it's late. I've been up for the last two hours talking with my RA — don't worry, I've not been doing anything wrong! — on all different matters. Last year, Wilson (my RA) was almost on a pedestal in my mind, almost like the RD, even though he didn't do anything to put himself on a pedestal. I enjoyed having him as my RA, and I enjoyed seeing him and interacting with him, but he was never really a good friend. I'm so thankful that my RA is really my friend with whom I can talk about anything and everything.
I should note that I've felt better today. Perhaps part of it is having sleep last night; perhaps part is having better weather (I walked downtown for a medicine refill in the nice, warm weather!); perhaps part is having talked more with family, although I still had little human interaction today. I wonder if I were more just homesick yesterday, as I've really wanted to be at home lately. This is the first time I've really felt that way. I'm glad that it's passing!

I love the LORD because he heard my supplicating plea; I while I live will call on him who bowed his ear to me.

I was not in deep despair yesterday, but I was feeling quite low. I wholeheartedly cried out with the words of Psalm 130, words sad and hard indeed. I am not out of the pit and miry clay, but God has gotten me to that rock and is in process of putting me on it.

Ode IV
1. No man can pervert Your holy place, O my God; nor can he change it, and put it in another place.
2. Because he has no power over it; for Your sanctuary You designed before You made special places.
3. The ancient one shall not be perverted by those which are inferior to it. You have given Your heart, O Lord, to Your believers.
4. Never will You be idle, nor will You be without fruits;
5. For one hour of Your faith is more excellent than all days and years.
6. For who shall put on Your grace and be rejected?
7. Because Your seal is known; and Your creatures are known to it.
8. And Your hosts possess it, and the elect archangels are clothed with it.
9. You have given to us Your fellowship, not that You were in need of us, but that we are always in need of You.
10. Shower upon us Your gentle rain, and open Your bountiful springs which abundantly supply us with milk and honey.
11. For there is no regret with You; that You should regret anything which You have promised;
12. Since the result was manifest to You.
13. For that which You gave, You gave freely, so that no longer will You draw back and take them again.
14. For all was manifest to You as God, and was set in order from the beginning before You.
15. And You, O Lord, have made all.
Hallelujah.

Today has been one of those days when I don't know what to think. I've not been confused or had a hard time functioning: schoolwork went well, as I found the last needed source for my paper and as my major psalms midterm went well. I'm quite healthy. In fact, yesterday I got some really encouraging news. Still, I just feel odd: I guess it's more of the thoughts of "Koheleth", the speaker of Ecclesiastes. I've just felt as if everything I've done today is boring and pointless. Why? Again, I don't know. Perhaps it's because I've been tired lately. Perhaps it's because I've been really busy, and my friends likewise, so that I've seen less of them than normal. Perhaps it's because I've been thinking lately how I still don't know what I want to do for a living, and I'm now just weeks away from being halfway through my undergraduate career. All I know is that I'm sad and somehow dissatisfied, and that I shouldn't be. I pray to God, knowing my sinful lack of trust in his gifts. Please pray along with me, that I might be more faithful in my service to God! I know of no overt sin that I've been committing, but I also know that I should be confident in God through the salvation of Christ.

O God, according to Thy grace Be merciful to me;
In Thine abounding love blot out All my iniquity.
O wash me wholly from my guilt And make me clean within;
For my transgression I confess; I ever see my sin.
Against Thee only have I sinned, Done evil in Thy sight;
So in Thy judgment Thou art just, And in Thy sentence right.
Behold, in evil I was formed, Conceived and born in sin;
But Thou wilt make me wise in heart; Thou seekest truth within.
Do Thou with hyssop sprinkle me; I shall be clean, and, lo,
When Thou hast washed me, then I shall Be whiter than the snow.
Of gladness and of joyfulness Make me to hear the voice,
That so these very bones which Thou Hast broken may rejoice.

The John A. Roebling Suspension Bridge at Cincinnati

Odes of Solomon: Ode 3

Remember that Ode 2 and the first part of Ode 3 are lost.

1. ...I am putting on the love of the Lord.
2. And His members are with Him, and I am dependent on them; and He loves me.
3. For I should not have known how to love the Lord, if He had not continuously loved me.
4. Who is able to distinguish love, except him who is loved?
5. I love the Beloved and I myself love Him, and where His rest is, there also am I.
6. And I shall be no stranger, because there is no jealousy with the Lord Most High and Merciful.
7. I have been united to Him, because the lover has found the Beloved, because I love Him that is the Son, I shall become a son.
8. Indeed he who is joined to Him who is immortal, truly shall be immortal.
9. And he who delights in the Life will become living.
10. This is the Spirit of the Lord, which is not false, which teaches the sons of men to know His ways.
11. Be wise and understanding and awakened.
Hallelujah.

Knut, a three-month-old polar bear at the Berlin zoo.


While talking today with Dr Carson about my Odes project, it struck me that these odes are really of their own nature interesting and useful. They're not inspired scripture, but they are good to read, and the sentiments expressed in them (with few exceptions) are quite similar to what you might read in the Bible. Therefore, I'm going to try to post one Ode per day from now on, until I'm done with the set.

Due to the damaged nature of the primary text for the Odes, it is likely that the end of Ode 1 and the beginning of Ode 3 are lost, and it is certain that Ode 2 is lost. Here, however, is what we have of Ode 1:

(1) The Lord is on my head like a crown, and I shall never be without Him.
(2) Plaited for me is the crown of truth, and it caused Your branches to blossom in me.
(3) For it is not like a parched crown that blossoms not;
(4) For You live upon my head, and have blossomed upon me.
(5) Your fruits are full and complete; they are full of Your salvation...

Time for bed...I'm glad I was able to take two hours of nap this evening!
I'm relieved to have gotten several more sources for my paper today. An idea used several times in the Odes also appears in I Corinthians, so I'm going to try to explore that angle. Moreover, since the Odes were likely composed and/or used in Syria, I want to check the history of the church in Syria. Since there's not too much here about the church there, I'm looking to go downtown sometime this week to speak to the priest at St. John the Evangelist Church, the local Syrian Orthodox parish. I figure that there would be as good as anywhere else for a simple history of the Church in Syria :-)

Done! Only twenty minutes late...if I can sleep until 10:30, as I hope, then I'll still end up with seven hours of sleep.

130 chapters done, 18 to go. I should be done soon!

Done with chapter 100. Time for toothbrushing.

Seventy-four chapters down, seventy-four to go. I've been somewhat slower in this section because of the many passages that it quotes, which I seek to read carefully and from other sources, such as the Gospel of Matthew or a translation of the Odes.

Fifty chapters down, ninety-eight to go. Time for Pepsi!

It's odd...for my Psalms class, I'm tonight going to be reading a long third-century Gnostic text, the Pistis Sophia. Why? Well, my Odes of Solomon have so few relevent sources that I have to use what I can get, and several of the Odes are quoted in this text. I hope to be done by 3:00 with all 148 chapters, but I'm not certain. I'm glad that I don't have any class until 11:00!

This afternoon, I've really begun work in earnest at finding sources for my paper on the Odes of Solomon. I'm beginning to realise that this paper may well be very hard indeed: I did not realise that sources for this topic would be so hard to find. I will be finished with this project by the end of April, about six weeks from now. I know that God will bring me through!

Through trouble though my pathway be,
Thou wilt revive and comfort me.
Thine outstretched hand Thou wilt oppose
Against the wrath of all my foes.

Psalm 138:7

Recently, I was looking for resources for school when I came across a book about the Harry Potter series, attacking it as the devil's work. More than anything else that stood out of the little bit that I read was its praise of Snape and Rita Skeeter for being the only ones to stand up to Harry and speak about his rulebreaking — completely failing to mention, of course, that this is because of hatred for Harry (and support for Slytherins) on Snape's part, and Skeeter's characteristic love to exploit anything, do anything untoward to get a story, often mangling stuff completely. Some people need to calm down and get a life...

In that day you will say:

I will praise you, O LORD.
Although you were angry with me,
your anger has turned away
and you have comforted me.
Surely God is my salvation;
I will trust and not be afraid.
The LORD, the LORD, is my strength and my song;
he has become my salvation.
With joy you will draw water
from the wells of salvation.

In that day you will say:

Give thanks to the LORD, call on his name,
make known among the nations what he has done,
and proclaim that his name is exalted.
Sing to the LORD, for he has done glorious things;
let this be known to all the world.
Shout along and sing for joy, people of Zion,
for great is the Holy One of Israel among you.

Isaiah 12

Today has involved a lot of work on my Psalms class. Among other things, I found at the library a translation of and commentary on the Odes of Solomon, my major paper text — I'm glad that I read it over break, because I don't feel like reading it again now.
Tomorrow will be my first time to see the Robsons for over a month: the last two weeks I was at home, the week before that I was at North Hills, and the week before that (the last time that I was at Eastvale, now nearly a month ago) they were elsewhere! I'm really looking forward to it :-)

To think that less than 40 hours ago, I was walking around campus at night with just a tshirt and pants, while now it's snowing hard (I can barely see Eastvale at all!) and there are a couple of inches of snow on the ground...I can hardly wait for sustained springtime weather!

Several miscellaneous matters:
• It looks like I'll be rooming with Luke Dinkledine next schoolyear. I'm relieved to have a roommate, since there really wasn't much of anyone on campus whom I knew was available for being a roommate and whom I knew well enough with whom to be comfortable rooming.
• Reading the list of available classes for next semester, I've discovered that there's a humanities book discussion on Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. I don't know what all is included in such a class (it's only one credit), but it sounds interesting :-)
• This afternoon, I'm to take some sort of assessment at Career Development. Hopefully it's helpful :-)
• Tomorrow evening, we're to get another production of The Price is Right on campus. Like last year, Pastor Hoffman of Tusca Area RPC will be Bob Barker. I can't think of anyone at Geneva who would be a better person for the job!

Without a doubt, I'm learning a ton in my psalms class. Today, besides discussing Babylonian enthronement festivals, we considered Ugaritic religion (and found, by the way, that Dr. Curtis had had to learn the Ugaritic language, which died out two centuries before King David!) in relation to Psalm 93. Apparently, in the central end-of-chaos myth of Ugarit (an ancient Semitic city in Asia Minor that I already knew about), the goddess of the ocean and the god of the tidewater rivers conspire to destroy the agricultural value of the coastal plain. When the remaining gods are meeting to decide what to do, they receive an offer from Ba‘al to lead them, and by therefore doing, they are victorious. At any rate, the word for the overwhelming waters is the same word as used in Psalms 29 and 93, speaking of the massive floods over which God reigns supreme. Of course, this is only a possibility, but this usage may still be a demonstration that יְהוָה is supreme over all creation, NOT the pagan Ba‘al.
I can see why some might find Dr. Curtis boring, when he talks about such remote topics as the religion and language of Ugarit, but I pity them for their lack of interest. Dr. Curtis' abilities are amazing, and he really engages us in class and enables us to learn so much!

Tonight, I finished reading The Brothers Karamazov by the nineteenth-century Russian author Fyodor Mikhailovich Dostoevsky. It's a huge book, and it took far longer than I expected to finish (I'd expected to finish it over break), but I'm glad I continued. It definitely explores the question: if there is no god, what basis is there for any ideas of right and wrong? And if there are neither a god nor a moral basis, what is the point of living? I'm glad I'm not Smerdyakov! As the psalm says,

While I live I'll praise Jehovah,
Praise my God through all my days.
Put no confidence in princes,
Nor for help on man depend;
He shall die, to dust returning,
And his purposes shall end.
Happy is the man that chooses
Jacob's God to be his aid;
He is blessed whose hope of blessing
On the LORD his God is stayed.

What a blessing to have such a wonderful Chief End for our lives!

In my psalms class this afternoon, we were discussing Babylonian religion, since some scholars have held it to have influenced the psalms. Included in this is the idea of an enthronement festival, where the king would lead a statue of the god to a ziggurat. Here, he added a joke that took a minute. See if you get it:

The ziggurat will not be on fire, for smoking ziggurats are hazardous for your health!

It's hard to believe that I'm now closer to being exactly 20 years old than to being exactly 19 years old.
Classes today went well. I've been reading and working on non-school stuff a bit; if I weren't so sleepy, I'd have a rather more substantial post :-)

He drew a deep breath. 'Well, I'm back,' he said.

About to leave!

Without a doubt, I've had a great break, even though I spent it at home instead of going to places with good weather. In fact, in large part it was because I was at home, with my family and those whom I know from my family's church — although that is one thing that strikes me, that I feel more like a visitor who knows everyone than someone from the congregation. Had you asked me this question late on Saturday afternoon, before the Bussells arrived, I would have said that it had gone fine. Of course, a wonderful weekend contributes to the overall :-)
Today has been more relaxing, not much of preparation, but only because frankly I didn't unpack anywhere near all of my things. Nearly all of my books never left their box, and many clothes are still in the duffle bag. Mom reminded me today, however, that I will need to pack shorts — otherwise my thermal energy would likely become rather excessive :-) Since I've worn tshirts as undershirts all winter, I'll not need to bother with those.
We are to leave at 0800 tomorrow. Praise God for his bountiful blessings!

What a weekend we've had! Early Saturday was rather slow and quiet, as Isaac and Dad got up at 5:30 for the last weekend of the annual Merit Badge Trail Drive in Springfield, after which they were busy on the first weekend of the Scouting for Food drive. While they were gone, I spent a bunch of time on stamp work and improving pictures that I recently added to Wikipedia. After they returned, I was beginning work on a new set of countries and talking with Isaac and Mom when I looked out the window — and all thoughts vanished from my mind. Katie and Mr and Mrs Bussell were walking across the lawn! It took a few seconds for my mind to believe that I was actually seeing them — after all, I had no reason to expect them here, and it's not exactly like they're just down the street! It turns out that they and the rest of my family had been planning this for nearly three weeks.
After their arrival, we went to Bellefontaine for dinner, after which we returned to our house, sitting around and talking. While the others went to bed shortly after 11PM Standard Time, Katie and Isaac and I continued talking for another two hours :-) And today, they were able to stay until the end of our dinner at church.
I still find everything amazing, that all this happened. I'd not seen Mr and Mrs Bussell since May, and Katie not since January, but the very surprise of all this was amazing! Apparently, there were tons of times when the secret nearly was revealed, or when if I'd paid attention I might have become suspicious, but such never happened, so I had absolutely no idea of anything. Yes, the event is past, but for once I had a great time that seemed to last rather long. It's great to visit friends and experience a little of their lives, as I've done a few times, but it's perhaps even better to have the friends experience my life. From a somewhat selfish point of view, I inevitably have the sense of leaving something behind when I leave friends, but I don't at all feel depressed now. If nothing else, it's not like I'd been looking forward to it for months only to have it pass quickly!
I am so thankful for friends in Christ at a distance: although it's not nice that I cannot see all my friends commonly, it makes it easier to go from place to place (specifically college and home), since I have no specific home location with which to associate them.

Dad and I went to Columbus for much of the day today. This weekend is Colopex, the major annual stamp show of the Columbus Philatelic Society, and both he and I were interested in it. Many of the displays were interesting (although some were not, such as one on the early postal history of Knox County, Ohio), and there was much I'd not seen before. I was disappointed by what I found of the dealers: not because they were poor-quality, but because the last stamp show I'd attended was the national one a few years ago, and I'd forgotten that smaller stamp shows naturally don't have as many dealers :-) I'd hoped to get an inexpensive recent British set (which I saw recently and admired), two individual Norwegian stamps (since I specialise in that), and a few random US commemoratives (in which also I specialise). Overall, although the American stamps were easy to find, I only got one of the Norwegians (and that only by buying a complete set), and the British ones I could not find. Despite that, I still appreciated the event quite a bit, and I'm very thankful that Dad was able and willing to take me down there.

Nineteen weeks until Harry Potter!

Well, my power cord is finally dead. For a week, I'd been powering the computer on one little strand of wire, surely not more than ½ millimetre thick. However, last night, the strand broke; I'm guessing from oxidation because of running all that power (after all, this same amperage normally runs through dozens of such strands!) through one small strand. I have my new cord in the mail, which I'll pick up when I get back to Geneva.
For my psalms class, I'm to be writing a major paper on a psalm-like deuterocanonical text, either the Psalms of Solomon or the Odes of Solomon. Last night (before the power cable died), I read both texts online, and I really found Ode 26 interesting. Here it is for you to appreciate:

1. I poured out praise to the Lord, for I am His:
2. And I will speak His holy song for my heart is with Him.
3. For His harp is in my hands, and the Odes of His rest shall not be silent.
4. I will cry unto him from my whole heart: I will praise and exalt Him with all my members.
5. For from the east and even to the west is His praise:
6. And from the south and even to the north is the confession of Him:
7. And from the top of the hills to their utmost bound is His perfection.
8. Who can write the Psalms of the Lord, or who read them?
9. Or who can train his soul for life that his soul may be saved,
10. Or who can rest on the Most High, so that with His mouth he may speak?
11. Who is able to interpret the wonders of the Lord?
12. For he who could interpret would be dissolved and would become that which is interpreted.
13. For it suffices to know and to rest: for in rest the singers stand,
14. Like a river which has an abundant fountain, and flows to the help of them that seek it. Hallelujah.

Much of today has consisted of working on my stamp collection, as I've catalogued a bunch of minor entities, such as the Trengganu State of Malaysia, and a few more important ones, such as Japan. When I think about it, it's impressive that I continue to work on a project that's now several years old, overall seeking to move all my stamps to well-organised loose-leaf pages. I wonder if I'll finish it before I'm done with college?
Before I go to bed tonight, I'm planning on finishing The Green Book, by Libyan dictator Muammar al-Qaddafi. It's not required for my Modern Middle East course, but it can't hurt. It's only thirty-two pages in Microsoft Word, and that's not seriously long. Some of his ideas seem to make sense, such as the idea of average people voting in local assemblies that elect members of higher assemblies, etc., somewhat like delegation in presbyterian church government. On the other hand, I strongly disagree with his ideas that (1) representational government is inherently undemocratic, (2) proper democracy requires that average people not be able to produce newspapers, books, etc., and (3) the ideals of the Green Book aren't really as important as his own control of the country. It's actually rather easy reading in the first of the three parts (except where he describes a simple government layout, which wouldn't be hard if I diagrammed the whole thing) and somewhat intriguing. Some people may find it hard to write papers on the Bible, but it's just amazing to me that people could write doctoral dissertations on the Green Book!
Tomorrow, I hope to work a bit on my psalms course final paper topic, that of the Psalms of Solomon, an early Christian apocryphal work. On Friday, I'm hoping to go to downtown Columbus, where a major stamp show is being held. Because I've been spending a goodly amount of money lately, I'll not be buying anything, but it will be great to be able to see everything there.
Also, speaking of my finances, I should report on my electronics problems. I have now bought a new camera, an HP Photosmart that is rather similar to (but better than) my old camera, with the important exception of no traditional viewfinder — as a result, I'll not be able to leave the screen off if I need to save battery power. Still, it's not too bad. Moreover, today I ordered a new power cable (and battery, but that part hasn't been doing badly lately) for the computer, which has been sent to my address at school and should arrive there before I do next week. Although I was told at Best Buy and Circuit City $120 for a universal power cord, this one was only $45! Overall, I've had a ton of money go out: $120 for camera, $52 for power cord and shipping, $99 for battery (minus an undetermined share to be paid by my parents), $135 for federal taxes, $10 for local taxes, and a small fine (likely $5) for failing to follow proper sign-out procedures for spring break. No wonder I don't have any money for stamps!

At tonight's troop meeting, we had an interesting event at the flag-lowering. As Isaac is the senior patrol leader, leading the activity, he cannot also be the bugler, so the music is instead played by a recording. Partway through the music, however, the sound suddenly stopped: the player had run out of batteries! This is a fine demonstration of the superiority of live music, as a real bugler doesn't require AAA batteries :-)

It's weird but nice not to have to go to church until after lunch. I'm glad that I don't have to leave for church at 9:30 like I do at school.
Dad preached from Acts 25/26 (the trials of Paul before Porcius Festus and before Agrippa) in the early service and from part of John 11 (Lazarus is dead) in the late service. It was quite odd for him (in my mind) to be doing this; all my living memory, his practice has been to have an Old Testament series in the morning and a New Testament series in the afternoon/evening. Maybe he figures that, since we don't have a morning service but two afternoon/evening services, he should just preach from the New Testament :-)
On a side note, we had forty people for worship. This is partially due to a new family who I'm told have been worshipping at Belle Center for a few weeks now. It will be appreciated if these people continue their interest and decide to join eventually!
It's odd to be back here. I feel almost as if I'm on a visit away from my home church, and although I'm happy to be here, I'm really curious what happened today, how people are doing, what Dr Robson preached on, etc. Rejoice, all you who are in college and can attend your home church!

Tomorrow, we're to go to Cincinnati to see Grandmother. This will be my first time to see her since around Christmas, when Grumps died. Hopefully we'll find her well; I've not talked with her in quite a while.

One day of break was indeed enjoyable. I spent much of the day working on stamps and watching my new DVD of the BBC miniseries of Mansfield Park, my favorite of Austen's novels. While it is my favorite of those books, I prefer the Pride and Prejudice miniseries: the filming techniques were more like a TV show than a movie; the episodes began with a drawn picture, as if it were I Love Lucy; the actors and actresses weren't the best; and they cut out more. Still, it was a good movie; if I didn't have the P&P movie to demonstrate what the BBC can do at its best, I'd say that this was a wonderful film. The actresses for Mrs. Norris and Lady Bertram, especially, fulfilled their rôles perfectly :-)

So far, my laptop has been powered for over 24 hours straight. I'm unplugging it tonight just in case, but I expect it to be fine all night.
My test in History of Modern Europe went better than I feared, and better than the corresponding test in History of Early Modern Europe last semester. Now all I have remaining is a paper for History of Latin America, which is one page short of being completed. My family hope to be here tomorrow, perhaps as early as lunchtime. If so, that will be really nice :-)
Please keep Katie in prayer right now: if the stress of midterms weren't enough, she's not feeling well currently. I know I'd really have a hard time right now if I weren't healthy!

MORE ELECTRONIC HAPPENINGS!

Thanks so much to Katie for posting that text today!
Well, right now I'm using my laptop. Upon close examination of the bad wire, I found that I could see both severed ends of the strands of wire, and after unplugging the cord I found that one set of ends could easily be manipulated with the tip of my knifeblade to bring it into contact with the other set of strands. It's very fragile (I accidentally messed it up earlier by moving a sheet of paper slightly), it isn't good enough to keep me from having to get a new one, and I don't think it could permanently be taped to keep it in place, but I'm going to go as long as I can this way. My RA, meanwhile, lent me his Macintosh laptop (with Microsoft Word on it!) for the rest of the week, so I'll be taking notes with it tomorrow. I must say, it will be odd to use a Macintosh in class :-) At any rate, things are going significantly easier than I feared.
Tomorrow will consist primarily of two things: my European history midterm, 1100-1220, and working on my paper for Latin American history. All these problems with the laptop have set me back significantly, so after emailing my Latin America professor, I skipped that class today in order to work more on the paper. I'm now more than halfway through it, and I should be able to get done without too much difficulty. Since my psalms class (tomorrow afternoon) was supposed to be a test, but the test got postponed, I don't really have much of any readings to do for it, so I'll have more time to get my paper worked on. I must say, I really don't like this book or this author, but it is important for us to read all sides of the issue; that's why, for example, I've read some Gnostic texts and plan to read more, along with LDS texts and the Qur'an, eventually.