I guess people are kind of
wondering what happened to me. Or probably forgot about this blog altogether.
It’s been pretty busy. I always
use that excuse because it’s true. Some times, things you like to do get put
off so you can do more important things. Like school.
I think I’ve already mentioned
this, but I’m taking New Testament Greek I this semester. That is a world of
adventure. It’s a lot of work only because you go over a lot of language
material and memorization in a short amount of time. I really enjoy the class
though. We’re parsing and translating sentences from the Bible. You have to
understand the specifics in your own language before you can understand the
specifics in another language. It’s very interesting. As long as I stay on top
of the workload, it isn’t that bad. Several of my classmates complain about the
difficulty level. Probably because they’re all guys and the majority try to put
homework off until the night before.
It’s funny connecting Russian to
Greek. I pronounce Greek words as though they are Russian, but the words have
different meanings. One Greek word sounds like the Russian word for shoes, but
in Greek it means blind. It is most intriguing.
Ah well. My other favorite class
is Music Appreciation. It exciting to see the influence music has on society
and vice versa. I knew that I liked two Beethoven melodies before the class.
Now I realize I enjoy listening to Beethoven, Chopin, and Bach. It’s
interesting to study the lives of various composers. Most didn’t have happy
lives, but it is fascinating to note how music helped them through difficult
times, especially Beethoven.
Speaking of languages and music, I
had this song stuck in my head today. I could only remember the first line in
English and the chorus in Russian. My mind was trying to mesh the two into one
incomprehensible composition. It didn’t work. I looked in the worship
songbooks, but I could not find it at all. I’m assuming it is an older tune and
was not included in the newer printing of the songbook I searched in. After I
got back to my room, I dug out my Russian/English songbook we use back home and
found the song without a problem.
Here are the Russian lyrics:
Знаешь ли ручей, что бежит
Со креста, где умер Христос?
Знаешь ли Того, Кто дарит
Выкуп от страданий и слез?
If Google translate failed you,
here is the English version of the same verse:
Have you seen the stream as it
flows
From the cross where Jesus has
died?
Do you know the Savior Who bled
For our many sins, crucified?
It’s a beautiful melody, which
fits well with the words.
Now back to the subject of
time-draining activities. Aside from school, I also helped build and take down
the set of the theater’s most recent production. I believe I have helped in
some manner with most of the plays preformed. However, since my timesheet is
listed under “sound technician” and I only come in to help when I have time,
they usually don’t put my name in with those who helped with set production. Ah
well, I still enjoy doing it. I’m normally exhausted, sore, and covered in
sawdust/paint/dirt when I get out of scene shop, but it feels worth it. It feels
like I’ve actually done something productive because I can see the results.
Such is not always distinctly visible with mental labor.
Next week will be busy. Along with
regular homework, I have 6 summaries to turn in, two tests on Friday, clean
sweep (a seemingly governmental procedure which demands a dustless
environment), and I need to pack for Thanksgiving break. Yay for Thanksgiving
break. Sometimes I think the week before Thanksgiving break tests students by
say, “Hey, if you can finish your projects, ace your tests, pack for the week,
and have your room utterly spotless then you can take on anything.” Which may
or may not be the case. As you can imagine, it easily gives one easy access to
undue stress.
Back to music for a second, this
particular verse of the song “Higher Ground” really hit home today.
My heart has no desire to stay
Where doubts arise and fears
dismay
Tho’ some may dwell where these
abound
My prayer, my aim is higher
ground.
Lately, I’ve found myself focusing
on things that irritate me and bring me down rather than looking to positive
things. The being around stressed out people for too long while burdened with
your own fears and doubts doesn’t really help much. People complaining about
the election didn’t help either.
Quoting part of a devo I heard
last week, “Bad things are coming. Good things are too.” Sometimes, I think we
focus on the bad things more than the good things.
Ironic how easy it is to forget
what you once treasured. No?
Back to a more cheerful topic, I
shall be spending this Thanksgiving break at the Gather Mountain International
Shortwave Station in Harrison, Arkansas. It’s a really long name. Put simply,
it’s a missions related trip. A group of students are going and we will be
setting up radio towers, installing broadcasting equipment, installing sound
equipment, doing some website construction, and so on and so forth. Basically,
doing a bunch of prep work so others can record sermons and send them to the
Pacific islands via radio.
It’s an interesting mix of both my
majors. CS side: website and sound equipment. Bible side: preparing the way for
others to teach the Gospel.
Ok, so it mostly involves the tech
side, but it’s still pretty cool in my mind.
Lastly, this is also November,
otherwise known as NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month). While I haven’t
been able to participate the last two years because of school, I still try to
get some writing done when I can. I’m working on yet another new short story. I
want this one to actually focus on some issues that bother me rather than just
write it because it sounds cool. I haven’t gotten much written at all, but the
idea is still there.
Well, I better get back to my
homework so I can get it all done and sent in on time before break.
Till we meet again.
~ Always Hope! ~
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