Mín Englisc Blog

Sorry for no post yesterday. I wasn't as busy yesterday (and didn't get too much done, frankly), but I simply didn't get around to posting.
With five days to go, I've still three papers to finish: Modern European History, How to Read the Bible, and Latin American History. Of course, I'm not delinquent with the Latin America paper, since the professor hasn't handed out the requirements yet :-) I'm mostly done with Europe, but I'm not sure of the professor's instructions, so I've emailed her. It's only going to take a couple of hours to finish that paper, so it's not a problem. Therefore, I've begun work on my Bible reading paper, an exposition of Psalm 93. I've gotten one page written so far. Hopefully I'll not have too much trouble getting these papers done in time. I'm going to have an easier time with it because I already worked on Psalm 93 for my psalms class: copying work from another class is generally prohibited, but I figure that it's okay this time, since I asked my Bible reading professor and he specifically permitted it :-)
This morning, I'm down in Upper St. Clair again, on the southwest side of Pittsburgh, spending the overnight with the Kails. Josh and I (no Abby this time, she's got other things, so she's not here) are to be worshipping at Covenant Fellowship this morning. He's never been there before, and the only time I was there was for my uncle's wedding in 1991, of which I remember nothing.


Ode XXXIII.

1. But again Grace was swift and dismissed the Corruptor,
And descended upon him to renounce him.

2. And he caused utter destruction before him,
And corrupted all his work.

3. And he stood on the peak of a summit and cried aloud
From one end of the earth to the other.

4. Then he drew to him all those who obeyed him,
For he did not appear as the Evil One.

5. However, the perfect Virgin stood,
Who was preaching and summoning and saying:

6. O you sons of men, return,
And you their daughters, come.

7. And leave the ways of that Corruptor,
And approach me.

8. And I will enter into you,
And bring you forth from destruction,
And make you wise in the ways of truth.

9. Be not corrupted
Nor perish.

10. Obey me and be saved,
For I am proclaiming unto you the grace of God.

11. And through me you will be saved and become blessed.
I am your judge;

12. And they who have put me on shall not be falsely accused,
But they shall possess incorruption in the new world.

13. My elect ones have walked with me,
And my ways I will make known to them who seek me;
And I will promise them my name.

Hallelujah.

I've been really busy lately, too busy to post much. Yesterday, I didn't post, simply because all Google services (including Blogger) seemed to be down.
Although I'd hoped to finish a major paper tonight, I won't, partly because I'm not sure of the instructions. Tomorrow, I'll begin on another paper and leave this one behind until I can hear back from the professor. It's not a big deal; I'll be able to write the answer for this one quite soon once I understand it better.
Tonight, I went for a short time to the property of some people I know near here. Here, we walked to a fire ring and burned trash — notably an old chair that had proved virtually impossible to get rid of otherwise. What do you think of the picture?


Ode XXXII.
1. To the blessed ones the joy is from their heart,
And light from Him who dwells in them;

2. And the Word of truth who is self-originate,

3. Because He has been strengthened by the Holy Power of the Most High;
And He is unshaken for ever and ever.

Hallelujah.

I'm done with my Modern Middle East paper and with my preparations for my Latin America presentation. Tomorrow, I begin work on my Modern Europe paper.
Tomorrow, also, I go to register for a room for next year.


Ode XXXI.

1. Chasms vanished before the Lord,
And darkness dissipated before His appearance.

2. Error erred and perished on account of Him;
And contempt received no path,
For it was submerged by the truth of the Lord.

3. He opened His mouth and spoke grace and joy;
And recited a new chant to His name.

4. Then He lifted his voice towards the Most High,
And offered to Him those that had become sons through Him.

5. And His face was justified,
Because thus His Holy Father had given to Him.

[Christ Speaks]

6. Come forth, you who have been afflicted,
And receive joy.

7. And possess yourselves through grace,
And take unto you immortal life.

8. And they condemned me when I stood up,
Me who had not been condemned.

9. Then they divided my spoil,
Though nothing was owed them.

10. But I endured and held my peace and was silent,
That I might not be disturbed by them.

11. But I stood undisturbed like a solid rock,
Which is continuously pounded by columns of waves and endures.

12. And I bore their bitterness because of humility;
That I might redeem my nation and instruct it.

13. And that I might not nullify the promises to the patriarchs,
To whom I was promised for the salvation of their offspring.

Hallelujah.

I wish that I could stay up a little longer. I have only one or two paragraphs to go on my Middle East paper. I wish I'd gotten more done on this paper today, but today wasn't the most productive. I turned in my Odes paper today after reading and revising it somewhat; it definitely feels good to be done with that! However, I'm suffering from a lack of initiative: I just feel like sitting back and relaxing and being done with schoolwork, without writing anything more. I'm going to do what I need to do, but it's a struggle.
It's finally time for room signup for some people. I'm to sign up on Thursday morning. Hopefully I get there in time to register before my 11:00 class; I'm somewhat nervous about being able to get in where I want. At least I'm guaranteed a roommate!


Ode XXX.

1. Fill for yourselves water from the living fountain of the Lord,
Because it has been opened for you.

2. And come all you thirsty and take a drink,
And rest beside the fountain of the Lord.

3. Because it is pleasing and sparkling,
And perpetually refreshes the self.

4. For much sweeter is its water than honey,
And the honeycomb of bees is not to be compared with it;

5. Because it flowed from the lips of the Lord,
And it named from the heart of the Lord.

6. And it came boundless and invisible,
And until it was set in the middle they knew it not.

7. Blessed are they who have drunk from it,
And have refreshed themselves by it.

Hallelujah.

During my How to Read the Bible class today, we were divided into pairs and told to create a psalmlike poem. My partner and I (with whom I work on Friday nights) were assigned to do an acrostic thanksgiving psalm. Since this is English, moreover, we had to do an acrostic with the Latin alphabet. It's really weird; an acrostic psalm is supposed to have 22 verses, not 25! Because Psalm 145 is an acrostic that is missing the Hebrew letter נ ("N"), we were given permission to skip "X".
Much of today has been occupied with more work on this Palestine paper. I've made a bit of progress, since I'm now about halfway done with the fourteenth page. I'd hoped to finish tonight, but I'm just falling asleep too fast to have a chance to finish it in any decent fashion. Tomorrow's agenda is three-parted:
• Odes of Solomon: preparing my paper for presentation to the professor, due at 1530 tomorrow
• Completion of the draft of my British Mandate paper
• Hopefully begin research for my presentation on the current political state of Panamá for a Friday presentation
During my Latin America class, the first two groups presented on Colombia and Venezuela respectively. As one of the Colombia group was playing the part of President Álvaro Uribe, I went to his Wikipedia article to see his picture. Although I was eventually told that my speculation was wrong, I thought that he had patterned himself after the picture: his glasses, his dress shirt, his suit jacket, even his tie were as close as one could reasonably get!


Ode XXIX.

1. The Lord is my hope,
I shall not be confused in Him.

2. For according to His praise He made me,
And according to His grace even so He gave to me.

3. And according to His mercies He exalted me,
and according to His great honour He lifted me up.

4. And he caused me to ascend from the depths of Sheol,
And from the mouth of death He drew me.

5. And I humbled my enemies,
And He justified me by His grace.

6. For I believed in the Lord's Messiah,
And considered that He is the Lord.

7. And He revealed to me His sign,
And He led me by His light.

8. And He gave me the sceptre of His power,
That I might subdue the devices of the Gentiles,
And humble the power of the mighty.

9. To make war by His Word,
And to take victory by His power.

10. And the Lord overthrew my enemy by His Word,
And he became like the dust which a breeze carries off.

11. And I gave praise to the Most High, because He has magnified His servant and the son of His maidservant.

Hallelujah.

Boris Yeltsin has died.

While much of today hasn't been very productive, I seem to have done more than I thought. Much of my day has been devoted to typing my Palestine paper, and when I finished typing for the night and looked at it, I realised that I have about 10½ pages. Just 4½ to go, and I think I should have an easier time with the conclusion :-)
Although I've not been outside too much today, I did go down to the track at the Merriman Athletic Complex (at the south end of campus, below Reeves Field) with several others from my floor. There was this walk-a-thon for some Christian organisation that frees slaves in Africa, and the college was sponsoring those who would walk at least one mile.
Overall, I only have six things left to go for the semester:
• Final paper for HIS 222 (Modern Europe), maximum of 14 pages, no minimum
• Final paper for HIS 260 (Latin America), not yet assigned, likely 5-7 pages
• Final paper for HIS 300 (Palestine), 15 pages
• A group presentation before the class on Panamá for my Latin America course
• Final exegesis for BIB 200 (How to Read the Bible), of Psalm 93, not too long or hard
• Final examination for BIB 303 (Psalms)


Ode XXVIII.

1. As the wings of doves over their nestlings,
And the mouths of their nestlings towards their mouths,
So also are the wings of the Spirit over my heart.

2. My heart continually refreshes itself and leaps for joy,
Like the babe who leaps for joy in his mother's womb.

3. I trusted, consequently I was at rest;
Because trustful is He in whom I trusted.

4. He has greatly blessed me,
And my head is with Him.

5. And the dagger shall not divide me from Him,
Nor the sword;

6. Because I am ready before destruction comes,
And have been set on His immortal side.

7. And immortal life embraced me,
And kissed me.

8. And from that (life) is the Spirit which is within me.
And it cannot die because it is life.

[Christ Speaks]

9. Those who saw me were amazed,
Because I was persecuted.

10. And they thought that I had been swallowed up,
Because I seemed to them as one of the lost.

11. But my injustice
Became my salvation.

12. And I became their abomination,
Because there was no jealousy in me.

13. Because I continually did good to every man
I was hated.

14. And they surrounded me like mad dogs,
Those who in stupidity attack their masters.
15. Because their thought is depraved,
And their mind is perverted.

16. But I was carrying water in my right hand,
And their bitterness I endured by my sweetness.

17. And I did not perish, because I was not their brother,
Nor was my birth like theirs.

18. And they sought my death but were unsuccessful,
Because I was older than their memory;
And in vain did they cast lots against me.

19. And those who were after me
Sought in vain to destroy the memorial of Him who was before them.

20. Because the thought of the Most High cannot be prepossessed;
And His heart is superior to all wisdom.

Hallelujah.

I've not done too much useful work lately; aside from writing a two-page book review, I've only done about one page for my Modern Middle East paper. Hopefully I can be more productive in the morning.



Ode XXVII.

1. I extended my hands
And hallowed my Lord,

2. For the expansion of my hands
Is His sign.

3. And my extension
Is the upright cross.

Hallelujah.

Thirteen weeks until Harry Potter!

Most of my day today was uneventful. I succeeded in writing a bit for my Modern Middle East paper of fifteen pages; I'm now beginning the eighth page. Hopefully, this can be done by early next week, even though I have a small paper for Latin America due tomorrow.
During my psalms class today, I gave a presentation on my Odes paper. Frankly, I didn't think that it went too well, but both the professor and another student thought it was quite good. I guess that the two purposes of giving such a presentation are (1) to educate the audience, and (2) to get a good grade, so if I understood them rightly both of those will have happened. One part that definitely went well was the introduction, since I ended up reciting from memory the first four verses of Ode 1. I do appreciate the Odes, even though they're not canonical, and I wish more people were familiar with them.
Tonight, I spent several hours at Carsons'. Aside from talking with them (especially Dr Carson, but somewhat with Mrs Carson also), I spent a bit of time working on my Middle East paper, since their lack of working Internet kept me from that distraction :-) As well, Dr Carson read my Odes paper, which he enjoyed.


Ode XXVI.

1. I poured out praise to the Lord,
Because I am His own.

2. And I will recite His holy ode,
Because my heart is with Him.

3. For His harp is in my hand,
And the odes of His rest shall not be silent.

4. I will call unto Him with all my heart,
I will praise and exalt Him with all my members.

5. For from the East and unto the West
Is His praise;

6. Also from the South and unto the North
Is His thanksgiving.

7. Even from the crest of the summits and unto their extremity
Is His perfection.

8. Who can write the odes of the Lord,
Or who can read them?

9. Or who can train himself for life,
So that he himself may be saved?

10. Or who can press upon the Most High,
So that He would recite from His mouth?

11. Who can interpret the wonders of the Lord?
Though he who interprets will be destroyed,
Yet that which was interpreted will remain.

12. For it suffices to perceive and be satisfied,
For the odists stand in serenity;

13. Like a river which has an increasingly gushing spring,
And flows to the relief of them that seek it.

Hallelujah.

In chapel this morning was performed part of Psalm 18 to the tune "National Hymn", which I've seen in a hymnbook but never before heard performed. The performance was quite impressive.

Today has gone okay, although not the best overall. My morning class went well, as did the afternoon. I was supposed to speak about my final paper in my psalms class today, but my time was postponed until Thursday because I was schedulled last, and some people went longer than intended. This evening hasn't been too nice; after class, I found out that I'd not formatted my Odes paper as my professor wanted, so I've spent 2½ hours fixing it.
I'd hoped to work at the library next semester, but because of their hiring policy, it's likely that I'd not be able to get it, and I wouldn't even find out until the fall. As a result, I've applied to work at the Brig again next semester, and the manager (a different one, since I'm going to lunchtime) is quite happy with that.


Ode XXV.

1. I was rescued from my chains,
And I fled unto Thee, O my God.

2. Because Thou art the right hand of salvation,
and my Helper.

3. Thou hast restrained those who rise up against me,
And no more were they seen.

4. Because Thy face was with me,
Which saved me by Thy grace.

5. But I was despised and rejected in the eyes of many,
And I was in their eyes like lead.

6. And I acquired strength from Thee,
And help.

7. A lamp Thou didst set for me both on my right and on my left,
So that there might not be in me anything that is not light.

8. And I was covered with the covering of Thy Spirit,
And I removed from me my garments of skin.

9. Because Thy right hand exalted me,
And caused sickness to pass from me.

10. And I became mighty in Thy truth,
And holy in Thy righteousness.

11. And all my adversaries were afraid of me,
And I became the Lord's by the name of the Lord.

12. And I was justified by His kindness,
And His rest is for ever and ever.

Hallelujah.

Today was the worst civilian-only shooting in American history, as a single gunman killed thirty-two others and wounded many more before killing himself on the campus of Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, Virginia. Only once in American history has a school suffered worse: the Bath School disaster, in central Michigan in 1927, in which a school official blew up forty-five people with explosives.

As I sat in the Brig after finishing work tonight, watching the televions, it struck me: how is it that this hasn't happened more times than it already has? Thirty-two died today. As I sat in the Brig, I was one of thirty-six within its small area. How and why is it that some people, such as al-Qá‘ida, haven't done this already? Consider what it must be like for Israelis! Such a blessing that this is the worst we've ever had of this sort, not a common occurrence.

Today went decently well for me. I finished my paper on Maus today, began my reading for my Middle East class, and worked sufficiently — indeed, an extra half hour due to low staffing levels tonight. I suffered a work-related injury tonight, however: while holding two shipping boxes of bags of chips, I accidentally backed up into the side of the pizza oven. I felt the pain instantly and instantly pulled back, so it's simply the sharp red mark of a first-degree burn. My supervisor allowed me a few minutes off (as long as I needed) for icing it and putting on some burn cream. Even though it didn't affect me, I was very thankful that when I told her that I was about to resume working, she told me that I could rest a few more minutes if it were still hurting.
As you read this Ode, note that tomorrow I present my research into the Odes. Although it was difficult, I'm very thankful for having to write on such a subject.


Ode XXIV.
1. The dove fluttered over the head of our Lord Messiah,
Because He was her head.

2. And she sang over Him,
And her voice was heard.

3. Then the inhabitants were afraid,
And the foreigners were disturbed.

4. The bird began to fly,
And every creeping thing died in its hole.

5. And the chasms were opened and closed;
And they were seeking the Lord as those who are about to give birth.

6. But He was not given to them for nourishment,
Because He did not belong to them.

7. But the chasms were submerged in the submersion of the Lord,
And they perished in the thought with which they had remained from the beginning.

8. For they travailed from the beginning,
And the end of their travail was life.

9. And all of them who were lacking perished,
Because they were not able to express the word so that they might remain.

10. And the Lord destroyed the devices,
Of all those who had not the truth with them.

11. For they were lacking in wisdom,
They who exalted themselves in their mind.

12. So they were rejected,
Because the truth was not with them.

13. For the Lord revealed His way,
And spread widely His grace.

14. And those who understood it
Knew His holiness.

Hallelujah.

We had 34 people at church this morning as Dr. Robson preached from the conclusion of Hebrews 11. After church, the Carsons invited me to eat with them, along with the Robsons and Al Miller. It's always great to be able to eat with them :-) It's hard to believe that I have just three more weekends here before summer, and only the last one is certain for me to attend morning and evening. Two weeks from now, I'm to stay with Josh Kail overnight and worship at Covenant Fellowship in the morning, while next week I'm to go to an informal gathering that Josh and Abby invited me to attend at her house. I hope I don't miss our evening Bible study, but it's possible.
I'm just glad that I'm about done with my Europe paper, so that I can get going on other stuff. I'm ready to begin getting the Middle East paper out of the way in the morning...wait, it is morning, almost 1:00, and I have to get up at 7:00...I guess I'll be tired again. Just wait until summer break!

Ode XXIII.
1. Joy is for the holy ones.
And who shall put it on but they alone?

2. Grace is for the elect ones.
And who shall receive it but they who trusted in it from the beginning?

3. Love is for the elect ones.
And who shall put it on but they who possessed it from the beginning?

4. Walk in the knowledge of the Lord,
And you will know the grace of the Lord generously;
Both for His exultation and for the perfection of His knowledge.

5. And His thought was like a letter,
And His will descended from on high.

6. And it was sent like an arrow
Which from a bow has been forcibly shot.

7. And many hands rushed to the letter,
In order to catch (it), then take and read it.

8. But it escaped from their fingers;
And they were afraid of it and of the seal which was upon it.

9. Because they were not allowed to loosen its seal;
For the power which was over the seal was greater than they.

10. But those who saw the letter went after it;
That they might learn where it would land,
And who should read it,
And who should hear it.

11. But a wheel received it,
And it (the letter) came over it.

12. And a sign was with it,
Of the kingdom and of providence.

13. And everything which was disturbing the wheel,
It mowed and cut down.

14. And it restrained a multitude of adversaries;
And bridged rivers.

15. And it crossed over and uprooted many forests,
And made an open way.

16. The head went down to the feet,
Because unto the feet ran the wheel,
And whatever had come upon it.

17. The letter was one of command,
And hence all regions were gathered together.

18. And there was seen at its head, the head which was revealed,
Even the Son of Truth from the Most High Father.

19. And He inherited and possessed everything,
And then the scheming of the many ceased.

20. Then all the seducers became headstrong and fled,
And the persecutors became extinct and were blotted out.

21. And the letter became a large volume,
Which was entirely written by the finger of God.

22. And the name of the Father was upon it;
And of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,
To rule for ever and ever.

Hallelujah.

Today has been rather slow. I've spent a lot of time working on my paper on Maus, a powerful first-hand account of the Holocaust depicted in a cartoon style. It may seem like a cartoon, but it's anything but that. I want to buy a copy of the second part (which I've borrowed, but don't own) this summer.
Otherwise, little has happened. I had an enjoyable phone chat tonight...I only got about six hours of sleep, due to being up until 4:30 in the morning...I watched bits and pieces of a horror movie that, because I didn't see the connecting bits, seemed simply odd.

Ode XXII.

[Christ Speaks]

1. He who caused me to descend from on high,
And to ascend from the regions below;

2. And He who gathers what is in the Middle,
And throws them to me;

3. He who scattered my enemies,
And my adversaries;

4. He who gave me authority over bonds,
So that I might unbind them;

5. He who overthrew by my hands the dragon with seven heads,
And set me at his roots that I might destroy his seed;

6. Thou wert there and helped me,
And in every place Thy name surrounded me.

7. Thy right hand destroyed his evil venom,
And Thy hand leveled the Way for those who believe in Thee.

8. And It chose them from the graves,
And separated them from the dead ones.

9. It took dead bones
And covered them with flesh.

10. But they were motionless,
So It gave (them) energy for life.

11. Incorruptible was Thy way and Thy face;
Thou hast brought Thy world to corruption,
That everything might be resolved and renewed.

12. And the foundation of everything is Thy rock.
And upon it Thou hast built Thy kingdom,
And it became the dwelling-place of the holy ones.

Hallelujah.

Wow...I'm up late! I'd planned to go to bed at least two hours ago. Some people from my floor invited me to go to build a fire behind one's house (a couple blocks north of campus), so I went along, expecting to go to the back lawn. Instead, we went onto property in the valley, really behind all right, but not quite the way I expected :-)
During my BIB200 class this morning, as part of a study of the prophets, we were assigned to compose our own prophetic oracles; my partner and I were assigned to use antithetical parallelism (comparison of opposites; for example, Psalm 1: "Because the way of godly men/Is to Jehovah known;/Whereas the way of wicked men/Shall quite be overthrown) for a woe oracle (Woe to you, ___, for you have done ___). I misunderstood the instructions and, with the consent of my partner, thought I was supposed to make it sound biblical. Therefore, I ended up with the following:

Listen, O Israel, to my words,
To what I will say of your great sinfulness!
I have commanded cleanliness in your walls,
And purity in your cities,
But your houses are full of mildew,
And corruption in your dwellings!
Therefore flames will purify your corruption,
But you yourselves will not escape the fire.

I also gave the first line in Hebrew first, since I know what "Hear, O Israel" would be, and I approximated "words" by using the Hebrew Wikipedia. I must say, it was fun being allowed to shout at the professor and the rest of the class :-)


Ode XXI.
1. I lifted up my arms on high
On account of the compassion of the Lord.

2. Because He cast off my bonds from me,
And my Helper lifted me up according to His compassion and His salvation.

3. And I put off darkness,
And put on light.

4. And even I myself acquired members.
In them there was no sickness
Or affliction or suffering.

5. And abundantly helpful to me was the thought of the Lord,
And His everlasting fellowship.

6. And I was lifted up in the light,
And I passed before Him.

7. And I was constantly near Him,
While praising and confessing Him.

8. He caused my heart to overflow, and it was found in my mouth;
And it sprang forth unto my lips.

9. Then upon my face increased the exultation of the Lord and His praise.

Hallelujah.

I just realised that I was using the wrong standard: I was editing my paper somewhat this morning to fit guidelines, not for the final paper, but for the oral presentation! No wonder the guidelines seemed rather unusual for a formal research paper.
While doing that work, I changed one word from an improper form to a correct one. I now have a seven-syllable word:

pseudepigraphically

According to the Oxford English Dictionary, that would likely be pronounced psiūdėpigrăf·ikæli. I have a hard time not getting lost in the word!

Because my class registration is tonight, I've been tracking the number of open seats in my desired classes. Since last night, the number of available seats for Dr. White's BIB300 class has actually increased; someone must have decided that they didn't want it :-)

Today has mostly involved work on my Odes paper — which is largely done! It's still a draft that needs a bit of work, but I'm planning on doing nothing more than stylistic changes for a week or two while I work on other stuff.
My 1115 class today, Modern Middle East History, was rather interesting: as classtime approached, a large number of people began coming into the classroom, only one of whom is in the class. Upon my asking, a professor told me that it was the arts lecture for HUM303, a core course that I had last semester, and my protests that my class met there at that time didn't help much. We ended up meeting in another smaller classroom nearby, into which we fit easily. That was definitely my most unusual experience regarding class location, and the closest to being annoying: imagine sitting in the lounge of the classroom building with classmates, wondering where your class will be held. At least it all turned out in the end :-)
You may appreciate two pictures I took at my aunt and uncle's house over break:

Isn't this just what you think of for the weather on the morning of Good Friday?

Two Eastern Bluebirds (one male, one female) and one male Red-bellied Woodpecker


Ode XX.

1. I am a priest of the Lord,
And Him I serve as a priest;

2. And to Him I offer the offering of His thought.

3. For His thought is not like the world,
Nor like the flesh,
Nor like them who worship according to the flesh.

4. The offering of the Lord is righteousness,
And purity of heart and lips.

5. Offer thy inward being faultlessly;
And let not thy compassion oppress compassion;
And let not thyself oppress a self.

6. Thou shouldest not purchase a stranger because he is like thyself,
Nor seek to deceive thy neighbour,
Nor deprive him of the covering for his nakedness.

7. But put on the grace of the Lord generously,
And come to His Paradise,
And make for thyself a garland from His tree.

8. Then put it on thy head and be joyful,
And recline upon His rest.

9. For His glory will go before thee;
And thou shalt receive of His kindness and of His grace;
And thou shalt be anointed in truth with the praise of His holiness.

10. Praise and honour to His name.

Hallelujah.

I'm sorry for no post for so long! I've been so busy lately, especially with typing this Odes paper — I'm just about done :-) — and getting back to campus, getting back into school mode, etc. Today, I added small linguistic bits, so my paper now includes four different languages, written in four different scripts: English, Greek, Hebrew, and Syriac! What's more, I couldn't find any Syriac online, except in a radically different form, so to get the form I needed, I had to find a picture of the form I needed and do a screenshot, then copy and paste individual letters to form what I needed!
I should note: break went very well overall: my uncle ended up driving me down to Rose Point for church (since I didn't feel like going to New Castle First Baptist), so I saw Grandpa and others from the congregation; I went along with two of my cousins to Boardman, Ohio (probably my only time in the state for all of April!); I saw a bit more of my oldest cousin's fiancé than I'd expected; and overall I felt entirely part of their family. When I was younger, I felt very much an outsider from most of Mom's family, so to become a bit closer to some of them is indeed a blessing.

Ode XIX.
1. A cup of milk was offered to me,
And I drank it in the sweetness of the Lord's kindness.

2. The Son is the cup,
And the Father is He who was milked;
And the Holy Spirit is She who milked Him;

3. Because His breasts were full,
And it was undesirable that His milk should be ineffectually released.

4. The Holy Spirit opened Her bosom,
And mixed the milk of the two breasts of the Father.

5. Then She gave the mixture to the generation without their knowing,
And those who have received (it) are in the perfection of the right hand.

6. The womb of the Virgin took (it),
And she received conception and gave birth.

7. So the Virgin became a mother with great mercies.

8. And she labored and bore the Son but without pain,
Because it did not occur without purpose.

9. And she did not require a midwife,
Because He caused her to give life.

10. She brought forth like a strong man with desire,
And she bore according to the manifestation,
And acquired with great power.

11. And she loved with redemption,
And guarded with kindness,
And declared with grandeur.

Hallelujah.

1. My God, my God, O why have You In my distress forsaken me? O why so far from giving help, And from my agonizing plea? All day, my God, I cry in vain; By night, yet no relief I gain.
2. But still You are the Holy One; In Israel's praise You dwelling have. Our fathers put their trust in You; They trusted, and You rescue gave. To You they cried; deliv'rance came; They trusted and were free from shame.
3. Reproached of men, by all despised, A worm and not a man am I; All they that see me laugh in scorn; They shake their heads and taunting cry, "He trusts the LORD! Let Him defend And save Him, if He is his friend!
4. You took me safely from the womb; Gave faith when on my mother's breast. From birth dependent on Your care. You are my God; in You I rest. Be not far off, for grief is nigh; There's none on whom I can rely.
5. As herds of bulls that roam the wild My cruel foes about me throng; They bellow and they compass me Like bulls of Bashan fierce and strong; Foes open wide their mouths to slay, Like lions roaring for their prey.
6. My life like water is poured out, My bones at every joint apart; Like cracking pots my strength is dried; In me like melting wax my heart; My tongue and jaws together cling; My soul to dust of death You bring.
7. Like dogs the wicked compass me, And they have pierced my hands and feet. I now can number all my bones; With gloating stares all eyes me greet. My clothes among them they divide, And on my robe with dice decide.
8. But be not far from me, O LORD! Haste, O my Strength! Give help to me! My soul deliver from the sword. My life from dogs and lions free.
Psalm 22:1-20

Today is Good Friday. Approximately 1975 years since Christ's death. Tonight, I went with my aunt and uncle to their Good Friday service, which was better than last year's. This year, it was just readings based upon the Gospel According to St. John, which were (overall) rather well done.
Otherwise, not much has gone on. By this morning, we had about six inches of snow on the deck here! Once I get back to campus (dialup isn't available here), I'll look to post at least one picture. I've gotten several good pictures of various birds, including Downy, Hairy, and Red-bellied Woodpeckers, Eastern Bluebirds, Northern Cardinals, and Tufted Titmice. Tonight, after the service, I saw Sarah Hoetzler and Dan McConaghy, like last year, except it wasn't as big of a surprise as then :-) Otherwise, I've sat around here, enjoying the chance to talk a lot with my aunt and cousins. I've enjoyed talking with my uncle, too, but I've seen less of him than the rest of them. A pity that the fiancé won't be here much this weekend!

Ode XVIII.
1. My heart was lifted up and enriched in the love of the Most High,
So that I might praise Him with my name.

2. My members were strengthened,
That they might not fall from His power.

3. Infirmities fled from my body,
And it stood firm for the Lord by His will;
Because His kingdom is firm.

4. O Lord, for the sake of those who are in need,
Do not dismiss Thy Word from me.

5. Nor, for the sake of their works,
Withhold Thy perfection from me.

6. Let not light be conquered by darkness,
Nor let truth flee from falsehood.

7. Let Thy right hand set our salvation to victory,
And let it receive from every region,
And preserve (it) on the side of everyone who is besieged by misfortunes.

8. Thou art my God, falsehood and death are not in Thy mouth;
Only perfection is Thy will.

9. And vanity Thou knowest not,
Because neither does it know Thee.

10. And Thou knowest not error;
Because neither does it know Thee.

11. And ignorance appeared like dust,
And like the foam of the sea.

12. And vain people thought that it was great,
And they became like its type and impoverished.

13. But the wise understood and contemplated,
And were not polluted by their thoughts;

14. Because they were in the mind of the Most High,
And mocked those who were walking in error.

15. Then they spoke the truth,
From the breath which the Most High breathed into them.

16. Praise and great honour to His name.

Hallelujah.

Today has been altogether relaxing. I've done relatively little — just relaxing, sleeping until 8:30, watching the many birds, and working on my Odes paper. I've gotten two pages done so far today, and I hope to get more later. Another of my cousins arrived here today from college for break; she was talking about writing an eight-page draft in a few hours. Eight pages! It would take me two full days to write that much, even as a draft! I'm glad that she can type faster than I can.
My aunt was considering going to a Maundy Thursday service tonight, but that fell through once we realised that it was 7:05 PM, and that the service began at 7:00. Oh well...I'm not sure if we're going to a Good Friday service tomorrow or not. At least, if we go, I'll be prepared for the possibility of seeing other Geneva students there. It was so amazing last year to run into Sarah Hoetzler there...:-)

Ode XVII.

1. Then I was crowned by my God,
And my crown is living.

2. And I was justified by my Lord,
For my salvation is incorruptible.

3. I have been freed from vanities,
And am not condemned.

4. My chains were cut off by His hands,
I received the face and likeness of a new person,
And I walked in Him and was saved.

5. And the thought of truth led me,
And I went after it and wandered not.

[Christ Speaks]

6. And all who saw me were amazed,
And I seemed to them like a stranger.

7. And He who knew and exalted me,
Is the Most High in all His perfection.

8. And He glorified me by His kindness,
And raised my understanding to the height of truth.

9. And from there He gave me the way of His steps,
And I opened the doors which were closed.

10. And I shattered the bars of iron,
For my own shackle(s) had grown hot and melted before me.

11. And nothing appeared closed to me,
Because I was the opening of everything.

12. And I went towards all my bound ones in order to loose them;
That I might not leave anyone bound or binding.

13. And I gave my knowledge generously,
And my resurrection through my love.

14. And I sowed my fruits in hearts,
And transformed them through myself.

15. Then they received my blessing and lived,
And they were gathered to me and were saved.

16. Because they became my members,
And I was their Head.

[Doxology]

17. Glory to Thee, our Head, O Lord Messiah.

Hallelujah.

Christ is risen!

Indeed, Christ is risen!


Over Easter break, I'm staying at the house of one of my uncles and aunts, Mom's third brother and his family. Two of my three cousins are here (plus Joey, the oldest one's fiancé), and we should see the third one tomorrow.
Nothing really interesting is likely to happen over the weekend. That's what I want. It should be good to see somewhat of family, including Joey (a really great guy; he and my cousin will be a fine married couple!), and to relax and do nothing of work other than my Odes paper.

Ode XVI.

1. As the occupation of the ploughman is the ploughshare,
And the occupation of the helmsman is the steering of the ship,
So also my occupation is the psalm of the Lord by His hymns.

2. My art and my service are in His hymns,
Because His love has nourished my heart,
And His fruits He poured unto my lips.

3. For my love is the Lord;
Hence I will sing unto Him.

4. For I am strengthened by His praises,
And I have faith in Him.

5. I will open my mouth,
And His Spirit will speak through me
The glory of the Lord and His beauty,

6. The work of His hands,
And the labour of His fingers;

7. For the multitude of His mercies,
And the strength of His Word.

8. For the Word of the Lord
Investigates that which is invisible,
And reveals His thought.

9. For the eye sees His works,
And the ear hears His thought.

10. It is He who made the earth broad,
And placed the waters in the sea.

11. He expanded the heaven
And fixed the stars.

12. And He fixed the creation and set it up,
Then He rested from His works.

13. And created things run according to their courses,
And work their works,
For they can never cease nor fail.

14. And the hosts are subject to His Word.

15. The reservoir of light is the sun,
And the reservoir of darkness is the night.

16. For He made the sun for the day so that it will be light,
But night brings darkness over the face of the earth.

17. And by their portion one from another
They complete the beauty of God.

18. And there is nothing outside of the Lord,
Because He was before anything came to be.

19. And the worlds are by His Word,
And by the thought of His heart.

20. Praise and honour to His name.

Hallelujah.

Iran has released the British hostages!

Today wasn't really very impressive. My classes went well, and I've been able to get four pages done now on my Odes paper. I'm going to be spending Easter weekend with an aunt and uncle, my mother's third brother and his family. I spent Easter with them a year ago. I'd post more, but it's 1:15, and I've not slept well recently.


Ode XV.

1. As the sun is the joy of them who seek its daybreak,
So is my joy the Lord;

2. Because He is my Sun,
And His rays have lifted me up;
And His light has dismissed all darkness from my face.

3. Eyes I have obtained in Him,
And have seen His holy day.

4. Ears I have acquired,
And have heard His truth.

5. The thought of knowledge I have acquired,
And have lived fully through Him.

6. I repudiated the way of error,
And went towards Him and received salvation from Him abundantly.

7. And according to His generosity He gave to me,
And according to His excellent beauty He made me.

8. I put on incorruption through His name,
And took off corruption by His grace.

9. Death has been destroyed before my face,
And Sheol has been vanquished by my word.

10. And eternal life has arisen in the Lord's land,
And it has been declared to His faithful ones,
And has been given without limit to all that trust in Him.

Hallelujah.

Why did I post Psalm 45 yesterday?

Josh Kail and Abby Bowser, close friends of mine here at Geneva, got engaged late Saturday night. I knew that this was coming — Josh had told me of his plans, and for some time Abby had been urging him to propose — but it's still great to see them making it official. Seventeen months until the August 2008 wedding!
Although I know people who have recently betrothed themselves, such as Ryan Cerbus and Laura Zimmovan (who went as Laura Cerbus in last week's April Fools edition of the campus paper!), it's not been for anyone whom I know really well. I've had classes with Josh for two semesters, and this is the first semester that I've not had a class with Abby. I often eat with them when I get the chance, and I've stayed at his house multiple times, with plans in the works to do so again before the end of the schoolyear. Even though I'm just a friend, not family or one of the two of them, and even though I'm really glad to see others of my friends in good relationships, it gives me great and hitherto unsurpassed joy to see them engaged now. May God bless them with many years of happy marriage!


Ode XIII.

1. Behold, the Lord is our mirror.
Open (your) eyes and see them in Him.

2. And learn the manner of your face,
Then declare praises to His Spirit.

3. And wipe the paint from your face,
And love His holiness and put it on.

4. Then you will be unblemished at all times with Him.

Hallelujah.


Ode XIV.

1. As the eyes of a son upon his father,
So are my eyes, O Lord, at all times towards Thee.

2. Because my breasts and my pleasure are with Thee.

3. Turn not aside Thy mercies from me, O Lord;
and take not Thy kindness from me.

4. Stretch out to me, my Lord, at all times, Thy right hand,
And be to me a guide till the end according to Thy will.

5. Let me be pleasing before Thee, because of Thy glory,
And because of Thy name let me be saved from the Evil One.

6. And let Thy gentleness, O Lord, abide with me,
And the fruits of Thy love.

7. Teach me the odes of Thy truth,
That I may produce fruits in Thee.

8. And open to me the harp of Thy Holy Spirit,
So that with every note I may praise Thee, O Lord.

9. And according to the multitude of Thy mercies, so grant unto me,
And hasten to grant our petitions.

10. For Thou art sufficient for all our needs.

Hallelujah.

Dr. Robson today took a break from his normal Hebrews series to preach from John...11? At any rate, it was the "Palm Sunday" passage, with the entrance of Jesus into Jerusalem, since today is Palm Sunday. We had more normal attendance today, 33 people — only about 2/3 of what we had last week :-)

My heart doth overflow;
A noble theme I sing.
My tongue's a skilful writer's pen
To speak about the King.
More fair than sons of men
Thy lips with grace o'erflow,
Because His blessing evermore
Did God on Thee bestow.
Thy sword gird on Thy thigh,
O Thou supreme in might,
And gird Thyself with majesty
And with Thy splendor bright.
To victory ride forth
For meekness, truth, and right;
And may Thy right hand teach to Thee
The deeds of dreadful might.
Thine arrows sharpened are,
Men under Thee to bring,
To pierce the hearts of enemies
Who fight against the King.
Thy royal throne, O God,
From everlasting is;
A righteous scepter evermore
Thy kingdom's scepter is.
Thou righteousness hast loved
And wickedness abhorred;
On Thee, 'bove all, has God,
Thy God, The oil of gladness poured.
With cassia, aloes, myrrh,
Thy robes sweet fragrance had;
From palaces of ivory
The sweet harps made Thee glad.
King's daughters are among
Those who in honor stand.
Thy bride arrayed in Ophir gold
There stands at Thy right hand.
O daughter, hear and heed;
Incline to me thine ear:
"Forget thou now thy people all,
Thy father's household dear.
Thy beauty to the King
Shall then delightful be;
Because He is thy Lord, do thou
To Him bow rev'rently."
The daughter then of Tyre
There with a gift shall be,
And all the wealthy of the land
Will make requests of Thee.
The daughter of the King
All glorious waits within;
Her lovely gown with threads of gold
Has interwoven been.
She to the King is led
In fine embroidery;
The bridesmaids in her train, her friends,
Are brought to honor Thee.
Attendants following
Their joy and gladness bring,
Until they all have entered there
The palace of the King.
Then in Thy fathers' stead Thy children
Thou shalt take
And everywhere in all the earth
Them noble princes make.
Through every coming age
I'll make Thy name to live;
The peoples therefore evermore
Their praise to Thee shall give.

Today has really been a lot about research for my Odes paper. I'd hoped to do a lot of work today, perhaps a couple of pages or more of typing my paper, but all I've done is more research and categorising, more reading and classifying: I've researched a lot, and I'll have less trouble later, but I'm still not getting going as fast as I'd like. At least I know that it wasn't wasted time :-)
I'm hoping soon to post some pictures from this week's all-dorm competitions. Some of them are quite interesting, especially the one from the tug-of-war yesterday evening...

Ode XI.
1. My heart was pruned and its flower appeared, then grace sprang up in it, and my heart produced fruits for the Lord.
2. For the Most High circumcised me by His Holy Spirit, then He uncovered my inward being towards Him, and filled me with His love.
3. And His circumcising became my salvation, and I ran in the Way, in His peace, in the way of truth.
4. From the beginning until the end I received His knowledge.
5. And I was established upon the rock of truth, where He had set me.
6. And speaking waters touched my lips from the fountain of the Lord generously.
7. And so I drank and became intoxicated, from the living water that does not die.
8. And my intoxication did not cause ignorance, but I abandoned vanity,
9. And turned toward the Most High, my God, and was enriched by His favors.
10. And I rejected the folly cast upon the earth, and stripped it off and cast it from me.
11. And the Lord renewed me with His garment, and possessed me by His light.
12. And from above He gave me immortal rest, and I became like the land that blossoms and rejoices in its fruits.
13. And the Lord is like the sun upon the face of the land.
14. My eyes were enlightened, and my face received the dew;
15. And my breath was refreshed by the pleasant fragrance of the Lord.
16. And He took me to His Paradise, wherein is the wealth of the Lord's pleasure.
16a. I beheld blooming and fruit-bearing trees,
16b. And self-grown was their crown.
16c. Their branches were sprouting and their fruits were shining.
16d. From an immortal land were their roots.
16e. And a river of gladness was irrigating them,
16f. And round about them in the land of eternal life.
17. Then I worshipped the Lord because of His magnificence.
18. And I said, Blessed, O Lord, are they who are planted in Your land, and who have a place in Your Paradise;
19. And who grow in the growth of Your trees, and have passed from darkness into light.
20. Behold, all Your laborers are fair, they who work good works, and turn from wickedness to your pleasantness.
21. For the pungent odor of the trees is changed in Your land,
22. And everything becomes a remnant of Yourself. Blessed are the workers of Your waters, and eternal memorials of Your faithful servants.
23. Indeed, there is much room in Your Paradise. And there is nothing in it which is barren, but everything is filled with fruit.
24. Glory be to You, O God, the delight of Paradise for ever.
Hallelujah.


Ode XII.
1. He has filled me with words of truth, that I may proclaim Him.
2. And like the flowing of waters, truth flows from my mouth, and my lips declare His fruits.
3. And He has caused His knowledge to abound in me, because the mouth of the Lord is the true Word, and the entrance of His light.
4. And the Most High has given Him to His generations, which are the interpreters of His beauty,
And the narrators of His glory,
And the confessors of His purpose,
And the preachers of His mind,
And the teachers of His works.
5. For the subtlety of the Word is inexpressible, and like His utterance so also is His swiftness and His acuteness, for limitless is His progression.
6. He never falls but remains standing, and one cannot comprehend His descent or His way.
7. For as His work is, so is His expectation, for He is the light and dawning of thought.
8. And by Him the generations spoke to one another, and those that were silent acquired speech.
9. And from Him came love and equality, and they spoke one to another that which was theirs.
10. And they were stimulated by the Word, and knew Him who made them, because they were in harmony.
11. For the mouth of the Most High spoke to them, and His exposition prospered through Him.
12. For the dwelling place of the Word is man, and His truth is love.
13. Blessed are they who by means of Him have perceived everything, and have known the Lord in His truth.
Hallelujah.