Mín Englisc Blog

While eating lunch, I heard a really interesting story on Paul Harvey's program. Recently, a 55-year-old man died in the Seattle area, a lifelong pilot until grounded by doctors because of medical problems. His love for flight didn't go, however: he became an award-winning airplane modeller, and he began mountain climbing as well. However, for the past two months, he had been lying in intensive care at a hospital, wish such severe problems that he needed immediate surgery, but so weak that surgery could not be done. As his death approached, therefore, he arranged for a friend to take him up in a helicopter one more time, ordering the removal of the various medical apparatus that were only prolonging his death by a few days. He died high in the air with a great smile on his face. Now that's a neat story.

Sorry for such lackluster posting — I didn't realise until now that I've only posted once so far this week :-(
Late this morning, we went to Bellefontaine and the southwestern part of the county. It's been a long time since I was down that way, and we all agreed that Pleasant Township is well-named :-) Mom had forgotten what the area looked like, and she especially enjoyed it. We were looking to visit some friends who live down there, who are building a new house. It was quite enjoyable when they invited us to tour the house — a fine house indeed!

Today, we were rather busy with Memorial Day activities. Our troop marched at the head of the village parade, acting as the entire parade's colour guard — something altogether unusual for me :-) At the township cemetery, Isaac's stone was presented, although little mentioned. However, he had a central part in the ceremonies, such as only American Legion members have had previously in my memory.

I took this picture last week from our back porch. I know it's a cottontail, not a European rabbit like domesticated ones are, but it still looks nice. I wonder what it would be like to have one of them as a pet?
During family prayers just now, in the living room, someone signed on Isaac's instant messager. It was rather interesting: his sound is his own voice saying "Someone just signed on", so it was as if he were talking in the middle of prayer, except he wasn't :-)
We had over forty people at church today: although some were missing, we had a few friends from out-of-town present. Dad preached from 2 Timothy 3.15-17 and from John 12.37-41, both of which passages are meditations on the Old Testament. Lunch was at church as is monthly, which was enjoyable, except that with the 1PM meeting schedule, it's actually a dinner, around 6PM. The new family was present for the first time since I've been home (they've had pressing concerns the past weeks; it's not that they've just skipped), so I got to speak with a couple members of the family.

Today has been rather busy: four major lawns mowed, leaving only one trimming job for tomorrow. Tomorrow is the village-wide yardsale day, but many people in town were trying to get one day ahead and sell today. I wanted to buy a working microwave from a person I know, so as to use it at school, but Mom reminded me that we have nowhere to put it. And I don't want to keep it outside all summer :-)
This evening, we went to the cemetery to watch Isaac's monument being placed. It's quite impressive. You'll have to read more on his blog.
One more thing: I finished Sense and Sensibility last night, and now I'm ready to begin on some books that came in from Amazon just yesterday. Chief among them: The Children of Húrin, a newly-published compilation of the various parts of the Narn i Chin Húrin, one of the greatest stories of the Silmarillion.

Mowing today went well, although one yard was harder because we misunderstood the proper height — when you cut the grass even a small bit shorter, the result is far bigger piles of clippings!
I hope tomorrow to put up the bookshelves.

The last of the Odes:



Ode XLII.

1. I extended my hands and approached my Lord,
For the expansion of my hands is His sign.

2. And my extension is the common cross,
That was lifted up on the way of the Righteous One.

[Christ Speaks]

3. And I became useless to those who knew me [not],
Because I shall hide myself from those who possessed me not.

4. And I will be with those
Who love me.

5. All my persecutors have died,
And they sought me, they who declared against me, because I am living.

6. Then I arose and am with them,
And will speak by their mouths.

7. For they have rejected those who persecute them;
And I threw over them the yoke of my love.

8. Like the arm of the bridegroom over the bride,
So is my yoke over those who believe in me.

9. And as the bridal feast is spread out by the bridal pair's home.
So is my love by those who believe in me.

10. I was not rejected although I was considered to be so,
And I did not perish although they thought it of me.

11. Sheol saw me and was shattered,
And Death ejected me and many with me.

12. I have been vinegar and bitterness to it,
And I went down with it as far as its depth.

13. Then the feet and the head it released,
Because it was not able to endure my face.

14. And I made a congregation of living among his dead;
And I spoke with them by living lips;
In order that my word may not be unprofitable.
15. And those who had died ran towards me;
And they cried out and said, Son of God, have pity on us.

16. And deal with us according to Thy kindness,
And bring us out from the bonds of darkness.

17. And open for us the door
By which we may come out to Thee;
For we perceive that our death does not touch Thee.

18. May we also be saved with Thee,
Because Thou art our Saviour.

19. Then I heard their voice,
And placed their faith in my heart.

20. And I placed my name upon their head,
Because they are free and they are mine.

[Doxology]
Hallelujah.

In Grand Rapids, the current Associate Reformed church has voted, with some dissenters but without anger or splitting, to "request that we be transferred from the jurisdiction of Northeast Presbytery (ARP) to Great Lakes-Gulf Presbytery (RPCNA)".

This afternoon, we bought a long board and several brackets. Now I can clean the floor of my room better, for I have ten more feet of bookshelf space :-)

We just watched the closing fifteen minutes of the UEFA Champions League, the top European football championship, in which AC Milan defeated Liverpool FC 2-1. This is analogous to the Super Bowl, by the way.

While mowing a little bit ago, I flushed two little rabbits. A pity I didn't see them closer, but I still appreciated seeing them — especially since, when mowing, the way I normally see baby rabbits is in bits after hitting them with the blade by accident.


Sometime I'd like to own another rabbit, perhaps like this Mini Rex.

New baby born into the congregation this morning, Gideon Soma.

I finished Crime and Punishment.


Now that I have read two Dostoyevsky novels, I find that they are dark and despairing, definitely not enjoyable subject matter. However, I love the immense character development — how much occurs just within individuals or between pairs of people! On that note...
You may know that, unlike many other guys, I have read all seven of Jane Austen's completed and published books, and that I enjoy them. Not primarily because of the situations that occur in them — overall, the settings and general plot lines are the same, although the events are different. What I find most enjoyable, rather, is the character development seen in so many characters. Consider the difference between Elizabeth at the beginning and end of Pride and Prejudice, or Sir Thomas at the beginning and end of Mansfield Park. Yes, some characters are flatter, such as Jane Bennet and Edmund Bertram, but even they undergo amazing changes in their flatness, unusual as that may sound.

Gorilla Escapes From Dutch Zoo, Attacks Random People

Today's mowing has gone quite well; we did three lawns in two hours, leaving just three smaller ones for the week.
This morning, Dad and I went to Springfield: he had to take care of business at the Boy Scout council service center, and I wanted to come along. I'd not been down there in several months, and I enjoyed a time to spend with him and to take a decent trip. Along the way, I succeeded in taking several Wikipedia pictures :-)
We leave in less than an hour for a troop event in the southeastern part of the county: a climbing event at the sprawling Marmon Valley Farms. I'm not sure whether I'll be climbing, but it's quite likely.


Ode XLI.

1. Let all the Lord's babes praise Him,
And let us receive the truth of His faith.

2. And His children shall be acknowledged by Him,
Therefore let us sing by His love.

3. We live in the Lord by His grace,
And life we receive by His Messiah.

4. For a great day has shined upon us,
And wonderful is He who has given to us of His glory.

5. Let us, therefore, all of us agree in the name of the Lord,
And let us honour Him in His goodness.

6. And let our faces shine in His light,
And let our hearts meditate in His love,
By night and by day.

7. Let us exult with the exultation of the Lord.

[Christ Speaks]

8. All those who see me will be amazed,
Because I am from another race.

9. For the Father of Truth remembered me;
He who possessed me from the beginning.

10. For His riches begat me,
And the thought of His heart.

[The Odist Speaks]

11. And His Word is with us in all our way,
The Saviour who gives life and does not reject ourselves.

12. The Man who humbled Himself,
But was exalted because of His own righteousness.

13. The Son of the Most High appeared
In the perfection of His Father.

14. And light dawned from the Word
That was before time in Him.

15. The Messiah in truth is one.
And He was known before the foundations of the world,
That He might give life to persons for ever by the truth of His name.

[Doxology]

16. A new chant (is) for the Lord from them that love Him.

Hallelujah.

Mowing took up a bit of time today, as we mowed five yards this afternoon. You can imagine, that took plenty of energy :-)
This evening, I spent several hours on building my puzzle of Notre Dame Cathedral, Paris. It's been some years since I last did it, but I remembered it well enough that I've been able to work fast.
In the morning, I have an appointment for a blood test for antiseizure medicine levels. Not fun, but I have to live with it...at least it's over quickly :-)



Ode XL.

1. As honey drips from the honeycomb of bees,
And milk flows from the woman who loves her children,
So also is my hope upon You, O my God.

2. As a fountain gushes forth its water,
So my heart gushes forth the praise of the Lord,
And my lips bring forth praise to Him.

3. And my tongue becomes sweet by His anthems,
And my members are anointed by His odes.

4. My face rejoices in His exultation,
And my spirit exults in His love,
And my nature shines in Him.

5. And he who is afraid shall trust in Him,
And redemption shall be assured in Him.

6. And His possessions are immortal life,
And those who receive it are incorruptible.

Hallelujah.

Some progress made, but much remaining. My floor actually has virtually nothing less, if indeed less, than it did last night, but I've been emptying binders and cutting down stacks; tonight, I've been cleaning out my many papers from the fall semester of last schoolyear!

Today, I've realised that I really need to change the way I've been living lately. Since returning from school a week ago, I've done very little: basically lawnmowing and sitting on the computer, and otherwise nothing that I don't have to do. At least this way, with the laptop computer and wireless Internet, I can be with my family while using it, but still...My room is a mess, in large part because I've not put things away yet. I need more bookshelf space, but much of what I have is empty because I've not gotten around to doing anything. Tonight was the first time that I rinsed my mouth with salt (supposed to be done twice a day) since returning from school, and other such baff. Please pray for me to be doing better!

Less than ten weeks until Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows!

Church today seemed quite unusual to me, since I'm accustomed to Eastvale. We had 33 people today, which is rather low attendance; many people in the congregation are ill, and some were unable to come because of poor health. One family that wasn't there is rather new, and I've not gotten to meet them yet.
During the afternoon, we hosted the Mortons for lunch. It was quite pleasant, especially since I'd not had a chance to see them since March, or to speak with any of them at length since either Christmas or last August.
I would post more, but it's late and I'm tired.


Ode XXXIX.
1. Raging rivers are (like) the power of the Lord;
They send headlong those who despise Him.

2. And entangle their paths,
And destroy their crossings.

3. And snatch their bodies,
And corrupt their natures.

4. For they are more swift than lightnings,
Even more rapid.

5. But those who cross them in faith
Shall not be disturbed.

6. And those who walk on them faultlessly
Shall not be shaken.

7. Because the sign on them is the Lord,
And the sign is the Way for those who cross in the name of the Lord.

8. Therefore, put on the name of the Most High and know Him,
And you shall cross without danger;
Because rivers shall be obedient to you.

9. The Lord has bridged them by His Word,
And He walked and crossed them on foot.

10. And His footsteps stand firm upon the waters, and were not destroyed;
But they are like a beam of wood that is constructed on truth.

11. On this side and on that the waves were lifted up,
But the footsteps of our Lord Messiah stand firm.

12. And they are neither blotted out,
Nor destroyed.

13. And the Way has been appointed for those who cross over after Him,
And for those who adhere to the path of His faith;
And who adore His name.

Hallelujah.

Today was mostly one thing: monument. Most of my day was spent at Fairview Cemetery, the township cemetery less than a mile east of Belle Center, working with Isaac's Eagle Scout project, a monument to township soldiers killed in action. I participated in digging the hole (nearly three feet deep) and in mixing the concrete by hand (fully three feet), even though I'd never done anything with concrete before, except for walking on it. It was hard work, and I'm quite tired, but I know that it was good work, and Isaac's really happy.
I wonder when I'm going to get my grades for this semester? I know my Geneva grades don't usually come in this quickly, so I'm not unhappy, but I'm still curious.



Ode XXXVIII.

1. I went up into the light of Truth as into a chariot,
And the Truth led me and caused me to come.

2. And caused me to pass over chasms and gulfs,
And saved me from cliffs and valleys.

3. And became for me a haven of salvation,
And set me on the place of immortal life.

4. And He went with me and caused me to rest and did not allow me to err;
Because He was and is the Truth.

5. And there was no danger for me because I constantly walked with Him;
And I did not err in anything because I obeyed Him.

6. For Error fled from Him,
And never met Him.

7. But Truth was proceeding on the upright way,
And whatever I did not understand He exhibited to me:

8. All the drugs of error,
And pains of death which are considered sweetness.

9. And the corrupting of the Corruptor,
I saw when the Bride who was corrupting was adorned,
And the Bridegroom who corrupts and is corrupted.

10. And I asked the Truth, Who are these?
And He said to me: This is the Deceiver and the Error.

11. And they imitate the Beloved and His Bride,
And they cause the world to err and corrupt it.

12. And they invite many to the wedding feast,
And allow them to drink the wine of their intoxication;

13. So they cause them to vomit up their wisdom and their knowledge,
And prepare for them nonsense.

14. Then they abandon them;
And so they stumble about like mad and corrupted men.

15. Since there is no understanding in them,
Neither do they seek it.

16. But I have been made wise so as not to fall into the hands of the Deceivers,
And I myself rejoiced because the Truth had gone with me.

17. For I was established and lived and was redeemed,
And my foundations were laid on account of the Lord's hand;
Because He has planted me.

18. For He set the root,
And watered it and endowed it and blessed it,
And its fruits will be forever.

19. It penetrated deeply and sprang up and spread out,
And it was full and was enlarged.

20. And the Lord alone was glorified,
In His planting and in His cultivation;

21. In His care and in the blessing of His lips,
In the beautiful planting of His right hand;

22. And in the attainment of His planting,
And in the understanding of His mind.

Hallelujah.

Possibly the strangest traffic offence ever in Spain

Drivers were surprised to see a motorised bed travelling along the motorway in Ferrol

The Spanish newspaper Ideal Gallego reports today on one of the strangest traffic offences ever to be seen in Spain.

It happened last Friday when drivers on the motorway in Ferrol were surprised to see a disabled man travelling along the road in his motorised bed.

The paper says that 42 year old Antonio Navarro, who is 95% disabled, and who drives and controls his motorised bed with his mouth, had got drunk and was intending to visit ‘Jade’ a local whorehouse, but took a wrong turning off a local roundabout.

Police finally stopped him at 9pm after he had travelled some 10 kilometres along the motorway. Once he had taken the wrong exit he decided to continue along the road so as not to put other drivers in danger. Antonio told the paper that signs should be improved on the roundabout and across the town.

Today is the twelfth anniversary of our departure for Ireland.

Look at these two pictures of Greensburg, Kansas — one before the tornado, and one after. Click the picture to see a fuller view.

Today was rather calm overall. I began unpacking my boxes and bags, discovering in the process things as essential as my toothbrush. I've tons of books to take care of, and I don't know quite what to do with all of them: my shelves were already full months ago, and now I have all these new books as well. I hope I'm not getting like the rich irreligious guy in the parable, but I feel like tearing down my shelves and building bigger ones to accomodate my bountiful harvest of books :-)
This morning was the funeral of Bob Anderson, a past village fire chief who died in his bed. Aside from being the fire chief, he had also been a village administrator, prominent local businessman, and schoolbus driver for many years. Because he was the fire chief, we had firefighters from all over the local area: over a dozen different departments if I remember rightly. Since we live across the street from the funeral home, our street was clogged for quite a while.
Otherwise, little happened. We mowed several yards today, and I helped with the Shrapnels' grass. Today was I first paid for the summer :-)


Here is a picture of our congregation at Eastvale, taken this week after communion.


Ode XXXVII.
1. I stretched out my hands towards the Lord,
And towards the Most High I raised my voice.

2. And I spoke with the lips of my heart,
And He heard me when my voice reached Him.

3. His Word came towards me,
In order to give me the fruits of my labours;

4. And gave me rest by the grace of the Lord.

Hallelujah.

As it comes to fully a year since I was in Indianapolis for a week, I realise: it's really a pity that I can't make nice weeklong trips every year!
Although I didn't mention it, I got home safely. Today was lawnmowing, my first mowing of the summer: helping Isaac and Mom with two smaller lawns. Afterward, tonight I attended the troop meeting, which seemed to go relatively well. And now I'm really tired and ready to go to bed!

Well, after midnight tonight I turned to finishing my Latin America paper. I'm now finished with it, and I'm going to print it shortly after my test is done.
This morning, at 10:00, is my only final exam, in my psalms class. We've had so much that we've learned, I'm very glad that it's not a comprehensive exam!
Once I'm done at noon, I'll just have to finish emptying my room and print my Latin America paper, and then my parents and I can leave. It's hard to believe that, in three hours, I'll be done with my second year of college.

Today has been quite useful; I've done a ton of work on my Latin America paper, with little remaining to go.
I've moved in with a guy down the hall from me. His roommate was finished with classes several days ago, and with my roommate home now, I didn't want to be without a roommate any more than he did. I'm to stay here until it's time to go home on Monday.

Know all men by these presents: because I maintain this blog, I am responsible for its posts. When I post good or when I post evil, men know whom to credit or criticise and whom to seek to help. Others can and do influence me, but only God forces me to operate it as he will. Therefore, what I have to say is influenced by others, but what now I post is only what I truly believe, what I believe God has shown me is what is right.
I truly am sorry that what I posted, and for which I am responsible, has caused such uproar and such anger. I am grieved that I have said this, and my heart is filled with pain. Until this happened, I too would have been completely unable to believe what I have read; I nor expected nor meant no offense as I have caused. I thank those of you who have spoken to me in a constructive manner. Pray for me, that I might find favor in the eyes of the Lord.

And as for you, O nameless Memorial resident: May God teach you, in a way that is nor harmful nor hurtful nor unpleasant, the importance of standing up for what you believe. I forgive you (to the extent I can forgive a nameless IP address), and I wish you good, not evil. May you, too, find favor in the eyes of the Lord.



Let this be an end of discussion of this subject on this blog. You know my email address — it's listed on the header, after all — and I will be happy to respond via email or any other medium if you have anything to say. I'm not seeking to say "drop this subject and leave me alone!"; I am only saying that I'd like you to contact me other ways. If nothing else, I check email far more frequently and have my phone on most of the time, so commenting on my blog isn't even the easiest way to reach me.

"Or suppose a woman has ten silver coins and loses one. Does she not light a lamp, sweep the house and search carefully until she finds it? And when she finds it, she calls her friends and neighbors together and says, 'Rejoice with me; I have found my lost coin.' In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents."

Luke 15:8-10

Over the weekend, while I was at Kails', I took my camera and used it frequently. By the evening, I wanted to use it, but I realised that I'd left it somewhere else. Two days ago, I discovered that I couldn't find it anywhere. All that I could imagine was that either I'd left it at Kails', in Josh's car, or at church at Eastvale, since I went in that order between those places, and I discovered my lack of camera at College Hill church, where I went straight from Eastvale. I called Josh and had him look everywhere, but without succes. I searched my room multiple times, but without success. I called our pastoral intern's wife to ask her to look at church (since they live next door), but she couldn't find it. I'd been really unhappy, since I just bought this camera over spring break, and for a not-so-low price either. Tonight, as I was cleaning my room and beginning preparations for packing, I was looking through the laundry basket when I discovered the camera, in its bag as it should be. It was in my room the entire time...definitely an answer to prayer! I now feel really bad for Josh, although when I called him he wasn't at all unhappy; and for the intern's wife, even though I've not called her yet (it's not the nicest thing to call this time of night!) to tell her. Ah well, it's a sign of God's goodness, it reminds me that not everybody always has a nice digital camera to use whenever they want!

Therefore I say to you: Rejoice with me, for I have found my lost possession!

For the context of this post, please read my previous post and the comments made upon it. This is a public reply to those comments; I have posted this here rather than as a comment because I fear that it would be too long for a single comment.

I am well aware that the long speaker ("X") may have been trying to cover me. That is admirable, and for that I am thankful. However, let me quote the professor's comment:

Recall that the instructions for this assignment state that the presentation should center on the "current political state" of the country.

Seeing that (according to what I was told) X's speech began five hundred years in the past, and that when I showed up several minutes later X was still well in the past, and that X continued for several minutes despite being warned by the second speaker ("Y") and despite being warned by the professor and despite seeing that I was present, I am forced to believe that X's long speech was not motivated entirely — or even significantly — by a desire to cover for me. Bear in mind that, according to Y, Y and the first speaker ("Z") spoke for a maximum of ten minutes combined, an appropriate time to speak: two of the four people spoke for ten of the twenty minutes. Because of X's failure to conclude X's speech in a timely fashion, I was forced to conclude my speech — on the organisation of the government, no less, without a doubt in accord with a topic of the "current political state" of the country — in a hurried and incomplete fashion. My own presentation was ready, and I was wholly prepared to speak for the necessary time well before the end of X's speech, but I cut it short as an effort of damage control.

It's been one year since I finished my first year of college.

Anybody wonder why I hate group projects? Answer: HIS 260. It's not at all nice to have received a poor grade on the presentation because of others' shortcomings. Although I would be unhappy to receive a poor grade for my own poor performance, my performance doesn't seem to be responsible — it's others' that the professor seems to blame. Someone else talked for longer than necessary on an irrelevant topic, so that when I started I had to compress my talk significantly, and even then we were out of time before I began. I'm aware that life isn't always fair, but when I'm going to lose fully 1/3 of a letter grade (if I'd gotten an A overall otherwise, this would have left me with an A- overall) I'm not at all happy with certain other students. Let them suffer for their own poorness or benefit from their quality, and let me suffer for my own poorness or benefit from my own quality, but let me not be treated as they when I have no influence over them.



Ode XXXVI.

1. I rested on the Spirit of the Lord,
And She lifted me up to heaven;

2. And caused me to stand on my feet in the Lord's high place,
Before His perfection and His glory,
Where I continued glorifying (Him) by the composition of His Odes.

[Christ Speaks]

3. (The Spirit) brought me forth before the Lord's face.
And because I was the Son of Man,
I was named the Light, the Son of God;

4. Because I was the most glorified among the glorious ones,
And the greatest among the great ones.

5. For according to the greatness of the Most High, so She made me;
And according to His newness He renewed me.

6. And He anointed me with His perfection;
And I became one of those who are near Him.

7. And my mouth was opened like a cloud of dew,
And my heart gushed forth (like) a gusher of righteousness.

8. And my approach was in peace,
And I was established in the Spirit of Providence.

Hallelujah.

At the beginning of the semester, Dr Curtis urged us to use multiple translations of the Bible for our psalms class. I ended up buying a copy of the New Jewish Publication Society Tanakh, a translation made almost exclusively from the Masoretic Text (making few comparisons with other ancient versions) and giving the books of the Bible in the traditional Jewish order: תּוֹרָה (Law), נביאים (Prophets), and כתובים (Writings). Because this places the Psalms after Malachi, and because I use the NJPS frequently, I've grown accustomed to having the Psalms near the end of the Bible. Well, tonight I found that I'm indeed accustomed to it: I was trying to find the Psalms in an English translation of the Septuagint and became frustrated to find the Prophets at the end of the book and the Psalms in front of half of them!
Today I finished my Modern Europe paper and increased my work on my How to Read the Bible paper. I'm now onto page 3 (of 7-9 total) of that one, after which I'm to begin work on my Latin America paper.
Surprisingly, I found out that, as things stand currently, I'm not allowed in my room after my last final! As in previous years, non-graduating students are required to check out within 24 hours of their last final, but this time no student is allowed to stay after noon on Monday. Well, it happens that I have a final on Monday, 1010-1200. What's more, my Latin America paper is due at 1600, although I plan to have it done early. What am I supposed to do for preparing to go home? I'm rather dissatisfied with this. Hopefully, I'll be able to get a variance, perhaps 30-60 minutes after the end of my final, for packing up.


Ode XXXV.

1. The sprinkling of the Lord overshadowed me with serenity,
And they caused a cloud of peace to rise over my head;

2. That it might guard me at all times.
And it became salvation to me.

3. Everyone was disturbed and afraid,
And there came from them smoke and judgement.

4. But I was tranquil in the Lord's legion;
More than shade was He to me, and more than foundation.

5. And I was carried like a child by its mother;
And He gave me milk, the dew of the Lord.

6. And I was enriched by His favour,
And rested in His perfection.

7. And I spread out my hands in the ascent of myself,
And I directed myself towards the Most High,
And I was redeemed towards Him.

Hallelujah.

Today all the Music Department students have their trials before boards of department faculty.

Today was the last day of classes.

Today has actually not been too much of work for me; I've spent a lot of Wikipedia time, but not much paper-writing time. I've done soewhat tonight, but not as much as I should have done.




Ode XXXIV.
1. There is no hard way where there is a simple heart,

Nor barrier for upright thoughts,
2. Nor whirlwind in the depth of the enlightened thought.

3. Where one is surrounded on every side by pleasing country,
There is nothing divided in him.

4. The likeness of that which is below
Is that which is above.

5. For everything is from above,
And from below there is nothing,
But it is believed to be by those in whom there is no understanding.

6. Grace has been revealed for your salvation.
Believe and live and be saved.

Hallelujah.