Mín Englisc Blog

Tonight, as I bicycled along the Beaver River Trail toward campus, the sunset on Eastvale was beautiful.

Each Monday this semester, I've gone with several other Geneva students to Providence Senior Care Center, a nursing home at the southeastern corner of Beaver Falls (about two miles south of here), to help with their evening activities. While it's "volunteer" work required for out sociology class (which class I have enjoyed immensely), I have truly enjoyed getting to spend time with the residents there. Tonight, I was the only one: we've been there more times than we're required to go, and apparently I was the only one that had the time to spare to go again. I had no reason to walk, I knew that it would be at least somewhat light as I returned to campus, and I love my bicycle as much as ever, so I quickly decided to cycle down and back. Recently, a rails-to-trails bike trail was built in Beaver Falls along the Beaver River, closer to the river than any houses and in clear sight of the river. I'd never ridden it until a few weeks ago, but since I've gone several times. As today's weather has been wonderful, I knew that I would take the trail both ways.
The sun was setting as I returned to campus somewhat after 8:00, and I looked joyfully upon Eastvale. It's always a pleasant view, but tonight was the best I've ever seen it. Here I was, looking to the west from the east: as I gazed across the river, I knew that I was looking back from the sunset land.

"Looking back from the sunset land": this phrase fits me perfectly tonight. Most literally, I was looking from the west, the land of the sunset, to the east, the land of the sunrise. However, it also describes my spirit this evening. Today's classes being over, I only have ten more college class sessions before I'm done. I graduate in nineteen days.

I've spent four years in Beaver Falls, four years at Eastvale. God be praised, it's been a wonderful four years: emotional trials and the burden of the seizures I've had, but my Day at Geneva has been a Day of a most loving church family in which I've had a real part, a Day of great times with close friends like I'd dreamed about since I was a little child, and a Day of other experiences that I never could have imagined. The evening of this Day has been perhaps the best part of it all: although the emotional trials have been the hardest of any time this Day — through the fault of no man nor woman — my burden of seizures is lifted, my church and everyone in it has become even more real to me, and I've experienced so much of this area to the point that I have finally begun to love it. But the sunset comes. May God grant a yet more glorious Day arising!

I love the LORD, because He hears 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!

Psalm 116

Last summer, while working at the Seminary, I spent some of my spare time scanning all copies that I could find of minutes of the Reformed Presbyterian Synod of Scotland. RPTS has copies of the minutes of over 125 different meetings! However, I couldn't find every year; although I found and scanned one more year when visiting the archives last fall, dozens of years remained without any copies. This week, however, I discovered that McCartney Library here owns copies of three years' minutes that RPTS doesn't have. I'm thankful to be able to say that the librarians here were quite willing to help me get these minutes scanned: so now I have 130 different meetings' minutes :-)
I wish that I had time to work more on RPCNA synod minutes. Last summer, I discovered a manuscript copy of the earliest Synod minutes, which I had believed to be lost, and after a bit of work I was able to transcribe all of them. These aren't originals; instead, they were transcribed from more authentic copies by W.M. Glasgow, whose history I republished. McCartney, however, has photographs of more authentic copies: while not the originals, they were made by the original clerk's son, who was himself clerk for some years. I'd like to be able to spend time comparing the two versions, since when I looked at the others cursorily, I found only a few differences. At least I know that Glasgow's version is close to the original and not varying in any essentials. Hopefully I can see these online at the RPArchives website soon; however, I understand that they have other priorities, and I'm sure that there's more interest in the 20th-century Covenanter Witness issues that they just posted than in early 19th-century Synod minutes.

Sorry that it's been two weeks since I last posted. And now there's less than a month left in the semester. Less than a month until graduation...wow.

Last night went well. More details (perhaps) later.
I have a test in my Novels class on Madame Bovary and Great Expectations that begins at 12:20. Thus the reason for "more later" :-)

Following is what I tried to write last night: I was apparently rather closer to falling asleep than I thought at the time.

Today was much busier with schoolwork than normal. I had a short reflection paper to do for my Evangelism class, so I spent much of my morning writing three double-spaced pages (thankfully, reflection papers are much faster to write than are other types of papers), while everything after 4PM was occupied with preparations for an event that my Evangelism class is putting on tomorrow night. Thus I don't have anything going on tomorrow night except schoolwork, either.

Today was much busier with schoolwork than normal. I had a short reflection paper to do for my Evangelism class, so I spent much of my reflection papers are much faster to write than other papers!), while everything from 4PM until late evening was writing three double-spaced pages (thankfully, reflection papers are much faster to write than are other types of papers), while everything after 4PM was occupied with preparations for an event that my Evangelism class is putting on tomorrow night. Thus I don't have anything going on tomorrow night except schoolwork, either.
Like normal, I ate my lunch in my Novels class, but today's lunch was more eventful than normal. Having finished eating, I reached for my Styrofoam drink cup that was sitting on an adjacent empty desk — only to have my thumb puncture the cup below the "water line"! I must say that's never happened before to me, although I've been using these cups frequently since the beginning of my freshman year. Not surprisingly, I quickly had less Coke, as a significant amount spilled onto the floor. Thankfully, the professor (not sure what had happened, but understanding that a drink had been spilled) turned to me and told me that I might go to get paper towels — I'd much rather be told to clean it up than not told anything :-)

Just now at church, I heard of the death of an elderly relative whom I knew a little. Read his obituary from the New Castle News:

Clarence Gibson Wilson, 90, of 681 Wilson Road, Portersville, died at 7 a.m. April 3, 2009, in Jameson Hospital. He was born May 3, 1918, in Slippery Rock Township, Lawrence County, on the property where he lived his entire life except while serving in the Army.He was a son of the late Vance Fisher and Nannie Jane Gibson Wilson.He married the former Mary Elizabeth Kerr on May 12, 1943. She died May 21, 1975.Mr. Wilson was a self-employed dairy farmer.An Army veteran, he served during World War II with the medical corps in Midland, Texas.Mr. Wilson was a lifelong member and ruling elder of Rose Point Reformed Presbyterian Church in Slippery Rock Township.Survivors include two sons and daughters-in-law, Steven P. and Patricia Wilson of New Castle and Charles V. and Judy Wilson of Portersville; a brother and sister-in-law, Earl L. and Evelyn Wilson of New Castle; six grandchildren, Luke Wilson, Ruth Slatter, Susanah Hanson, Victoria Miller, Abigail Dorr and Pamela Pacifico; and nine great-grandchildren.In addition to his wife, he was preceded in death by a sister, Mary Jane Wilson; a brother, Ralph Homer Wilson; a granddaughter, Natalie; and a great-granddaughter, Dakota.Calling hours are 1 to 4 p.m. today at the Smith Funeral Home, 421 New Castle St., Slippery Rock. A service will be conducted at 3 p.m. tomorrow at Rose Point Reformed Presbyterian Church, 1166 Church Alley (Old Route 422 and Rose Point), Slippery Rock Township. Charles Brown, pastor of Rose Point Reformed Presbyterian Church, will officiate. The family will receive friends immediately following the service. Burial will be in Rose Point Cemetery.Memorial contributions may be made to Rose Point Reformed Presbyterian Church or RP Home, Perrysville Avenue, Pittsburgh.

He was my grandfather's cousin. I'm headed to the funeral in a few minutes.

On Wednesday, I decided to take a bicycle ride to a place I'd never before visited: Old Economy, in Ambridge, another National Historic Landmark. A preserved formal Christian commune, it is located perhaps eighteen miles southeast of here, almost all the way to the Allegheny County line. I truly enjoyed the time, but it would have been more enjoyable had I arrived more than five minutes before closing time. As is, the site is surrounded on three sides by a small picket fence (the other side is a high wall, but I could jump high enough to see over it), so I was able to see plenty of it from the streets to the outside. I doubt that I'll get to, but I'd like to go there again (but not by bicycle) before graduation.
Yesterday, I took a somewhat-shorter-but-longer-than-I-had-previously-planned-to-take bicycle ride, going up to Ellwood City. The entire route is less than one way to Ambridge, but rather hillier: Wednesday's trip involves going along the Beaver River all the way to its confluence with the Ohio, and then following the Ohio up to Ambridge, which also lies on the river; however, Ellwood City lies well up above Beaver Falls, in the hills above the Conoquenessing Creek. One family from church live in Ellwood, so with their permission I paid a short visit; as the visit took longer than I expected, I asked if I could be driven part of the way back (fearing darkness before I returned), but instead I was driven all the way back. No complaint :-)
My goal yesterday, for which I aimed before going to the family's house, was a National Register of Historic Places-listed house southeast of Ellwood. It's not amazingly impressive, but the house is visually appealing, and a nearby historical marker gives some interesting details.
Between all these bicycle trips, in seven days (Friday to Thursday) I've visited three different National Historic Landmarks and thirty-one sites (including the three NHLs) on the National Register of Historic Places — eighteen in Ohio and fourteen in Pennsylvania, including the aforementioned Beginning Point of the U.S. Public Land Survey, which is split between the two states. Although I visited more in one day in Denver, those were downtown buildings clustered closely together, while these sites are split between states and spread all over two counties. I've definitely had a historic week :-)

Did you know that in 1825, the Court of Exchequer declared all contracts by hobbits illegal and void in England?

It's true. Read this article. Once you've finished reading that, look at the other "Did you know" lines here.