Calculus, College Resolutions, Psalm
:D
After two full months of neglecting this dustbin,
I'm back.
With nothing much to say.
My title is of perfectly utilitarian nature. My deepest apologies, but ... so is my post.
God has been very good. I haven't been telling this to others as I should. I tend to be shy and shrug off the providences that others notice in my life, with little excuses to myself. I don't have time to explain... They don't care... and others of more heinous nature.
But even though I'm not vociferous about these things (I'm rarely ever vociferous about anything around here), it's still the absolute truth. God's grace is stamped all over this little world of mine. A small example follows.
The End of the Dread Calculus Exam:
Last Thursday, we had this calculus test. I felt very unprepared. For the past weeks and months, I'd struggled through the concepts, barely hanging on to their elementary principles... And now the day of reckoning was looming close.
Tuesday I spent practicing related rate problems, resolving that I would not leave it rest until I had correctly completed five of them. The task took me practically all morning.
The day before the exam, I learned everything else. Re-learned it, actually, and not very well at that.
I'd been praying all week, that even though I really didn't deserve a decent grade on this test, God might give me calmness, presence of mind, AND (if it would be His purpose) a good grade. (I'm perfectly convinced that my brain does math only by the mercy of God.)
Thursday morning, I calmly took the test. I'd forgotten a pencil (left it in my violin case, to be more precise), but the gal next to me had an extra. What providence!
Friday, the teacher hadn't graded them yet.
Monday morning, the teacher began class by saying that he wasn't going to hand out the tests yet. The class had, in general, gotten such atrocious scores on the exam that he was going to hand out extra problems on Wednesday that would bring up scores 10 points or so. Until he decided on the problems, he wouldn't hand out the graded exams. "I tried to write an easy test, guys," he said. I had sure seen his effort, recalling my pleasant surprise at the absence of some quite nasty trigonometric functions (what IS the derivative of sec(x)^2 anyways? AND WHO CARES?).
After class, kids crowded around the desk asking questions. "You can see me in office hours if you want to know your grade," he said.
"I'd really like to see my score," I said, knowing full well that I couldn't make his Monday office hour.
"I can tell you your score right now, Elizabeth--you got a 99%."
Well, I didn't believe him until this morning, when I got my paper back with A 100% scrawled across the top. I think he may have decided to deduct a point because I didn't show enough work on the last problem. I dunno.
Anyways. God is merciful.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
In other news, I've made a list of all the things I won't do in college:
~talk on cell phones loudly in public places
~text message
~get a facebook
~walk in any public place with an ipod or walkman
~use my bursar to buy food on campus
~stay up past 10:00 at night
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
These are not religious convictions. They are merely observations of things that annoy me exceedingly. Facebook is the worst grade-killer and brain-washer known to mankind! especially to the current undisciplined race of mankind, of which I am a member...
Facebook follows no thread, requires no thought, contains no real conversation, but is merely a "Look at ME :D" spectacle. Kids gaze upon these things for hours on end, learning nothing, exercising their brains not one smidge, and wasting hours of time that they could spend actually in the presence of their friends. Or working to bring about world peace. Or, if all else fails, doing homework.
What a novel concept.
But facebook may confront me with its usefulness one of these days... as a means to declare God's glory... but only...
Psalm 73.
12 Behold, these are the ungodly,
Who are always at ease;
They increase in riches.
13 Surely I have cleansed my heart in vain,
And washed my hands in innocence.
14 For all day long I have been plagued,
And chastened every morning.
15 If I had said, “I will speak thus,”
Behold, I would have been untrue to the generation of Your children.
16 When I thought how to understand this,
It was too painful for me—
17 Until I went into the sanctuary of God;
Then I understood their end.
18 Surely You set them in slippery places;
You cast them down to destruction.
19 Oh, how they are brought to desolation, as in a moment!
They are utterly consumed with terrors.
20 As a dream when one awakes,
So, Lord, when You awake,
You shall despise their image.
21Thus my heart was grieved,
And I was vexed in my mind.
22 I was so foolish and ignorant;
I was like a beast before You.
23 Nevertheless I am continually with You;
You hold me by my right hand.
24 You will guide me with Your counsel,
And afterward receive me to glory.
25 Whom have I in heaven but You?
And there is none upon earth that I desire besides You.
26 My flesh and my heart fail;
But God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.
27 For indeed, those who are far from You shall perish;
You have destroyed all those who desert You for harlotry.
28 But it is good for me to draw near to God;
I have put my trust in the Lord GOD,
That I may declare all Your works.
Declare all His works!
It blows me away how God caters to our humanity by inspiring Scripture in so many artistic forms--poetry, parable, and proverb, didactic prose and history, written by the young and old, rich and poor. Yet His Word is singularly unified in its portrayal of Himself. It is unified in its recounting of His love for the church from creation to eternity.
Every day, I'm confronted by singularly offensive people who are very well-off, smart, popular, and (for all appearances) perfectly happy. People whom God blesses, it seems, despite the fact that their lifestyle angers Him immensely.
And then I'm confronted with my own situation.
Yet, in the presence of God, questions fade. He has given me eternal life, unmerited. By His grace alone I will be spared His eternal wrath. This is cause for reverence and fear. May I, as a member of Christ's bride, never desert Him for spiritual harlotry.
And may I declare all His wondrous works.
After two full months of neglecting this dustbin,
I'm back.
With nothing much to say.
My title is of perfectly utilitarian nature. My deepest apologies, but ... so is my post.
God has been very good. I haven't been telling this to others as I should. I tend to be shy and shrug off the providences that others notice in my life, with little excuses to myself. I don't have time to explain... They don't care... and others of more heinous nature.
But even though I'm not vociferous about these things (I'm rarely ever vociferous about anything around here), it's still the absolute truth. God's grace is stamped all over this little world of mine. A small example follows.
The End of the Dread Calculus Exam:
Last Thursday, we had this calculus test. I felt very unprepared. For the past weeks and months, I'd struggled through the concepts, barely hanging on to their elementary principles... And now the day of reckoning was looming close.
Tuesday I spent practicing related rate problems, resolving that I would not leave it rest until I had correctly completed five of them. The task took me practically all morning.
The day before the exam, I learned everything else. Re-learned it, actually, and not very well at that.
I'd been praying all week, that even though I really didn't deserve a decent grade on this test, God might give me calmness, presence of mind, AND (if it would be His purpose) a good grade. (I'm perfectly convinced that my brain does math only by the mercy of God.)
Thursday morning, I calmly took the test. I'd forgotten a pencil (left it in my violin case, to be more precise), but the gal next to me had an extra. What providence!
Friday, the teacher hadn't graded them yet.
Monday morning, the teacher began class by saying that he wasn't going to hand out the tests yet. The class had, in general, gotten such atrocious scores on the exam that he was going to hand out extra problems on Wednesday that would bring up scores 10 points or so. Until he decided on the problems, he wouldn't hand out the graded exams. "I tried to write an easy test, guys," he said. I had sure seen his effort, recalling my pleasant surprise at the absence of some quite nasty trigonometric functions (what IS the derivative of sec(x)^2 anyways? AND WHO CARES?).
After class, kids crowded around the desk asking questions. "You can see me in office hours if you want to know your grade," he said.
"I'd really like to see my score," I said, knowing full well that I couldn't make his Monday office hour.
"I can tell you your score right now, Elizabeth--you got a 99%."
Well, I didn't believe him until this morning, when I got my paper back with A 100% scrawled across the top. I think he may have decided to deduct a point because I didn't show enough work on the last problem. I dunno.
Anyways. God is merciful.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
In other news, I've made a list of all the things I won't do in college:
~talk on cell phones loudly in public places
~text message
~get a facebook
~walk in any public place with an ipod or walkman
~use my bursar to buy food on campus
~stay up past 10:00 at night
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
These are not religious convictions. They are merely observations of things that annoy me exceedingly. Facebook is the worst grade-killer and brain-washer known to mankind! especially to the current undisciplined race of mankind, of which I am a member...
Facebook follows no thread, requires no thought, contains no real conversation, but is merely a "Look at ME :D" spectacle. Kids gaze upon these things for hours on end, learning nothing, exercising their brains not one smidge, and wasting hours of time that they could spend actually in the presence of their friends. Or working to bring about world peace. Or, if all else fails, doing homework.
What a novel concept.
But facebook may confront me with its usefulness one of these days... as a means to declare God's glory... but only...
Psalm 73.
12 Behold, these are the ungodly,
Who are always at ease;
They increase in riches.
13 Surely I have cleansed my heart in vain,
And washed my hands in innocence.
14 For all day long I have been plagued,
And chastened every morning.
15 If I had said, “I will speak thus,”
Behold, I would have been untrue to the generation of Your children.
16 When I thought how to understand this,
It was too painful for me—
17 Until I went into the sanctuary of God;
Then I understood their end.
18 Surely You set them in slippery places;
You cast them down to destruction.
19 Oh, how they are brought to desolation, as in a moment!
They are utterly consumed with terrors.
20 As a dream when one awakes,
So, Lord, when You awake,
You shall despise their image.
21Thus my heart was grieved,
And I was vexed in my mind.
22 I was so foolish and ignorant;
I was like a beast before You.
23 Nevertheless I am continually with You;
You hold me by my right hand.
24 You will guide me with Your counsel,
And afterward receive me to glory.
25 Whom have I in heaven but You?
And there is none upon earth that I desire besides You.
26 My flesh and my heart fail;
But God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.
27 For indeed, those who are far from You shall perish;
You have destroyed all those who desert You for harlotry.
28 But it is good for me to draw near to God;
I have put my trust in the Lord GOD,
That I may declare all Your works.
Declare all His works!
It blows me away how God caters to our humanity by inspiring Scripture in so many artistic forms--poetry, parable, and proverb, didactic prose and history, written by the young and old, rich and poor. Yet His Word is singularly unified in its portrayal of Himself. It is unified in its recounting of His love for the church from creation to eternity.
Every day, I'm confronted by singularly offensive people who are very well-off, smart, popular, and (for all appearances) perfectly happy. People whom God blesses, it seems, despite the fact that their lifestyle angers Him immensely.
And then I'm confronted with my own situation.
Yet, in the presence of God, questions fade. He has given me eternal life, unmerited. By His grace alone I will be spared His eternal wrath. This is cause for reverence and fear. May I, as a member of Christ's bride, never desert Him for spiritual harlotry.
And may I declare all His wondrous works.
posted by Unknown at 6:57 AM
9 Comments:
Congratulations on your Calculus exam!
*Ahem*
what IS the derivative of sec(x)^2 anyways?
Well, since sec(x) is equal to 1/cos(x), sec(x)^2 would be 1/cos(x)^2, or you could write it as cos(x)^(-2)
"Appry Chain Roo" to get the outside:
-2(cos(x)^(-3))
And multiply it by the derivative of the "inside" which is the derivative of cos(x), in other words, -sin(x)
The two minus signs cancel and we have 2(cos(x)^-3)*sin(x) or
2*sin(x)/cos(x)^3
AND WHO CARES?
Well.... I care :(
You list:
~talk on cell phones loudly in public places
Nope, nor talk on Cell Phones period.
~text message
Hard to do without a cell phone ;)
~get a facebook
Never, never, never! I hate walking into the library and every computer is in use by students staring mindlessly at pictures on facebook!
~walk in any public place with an ipod or walkman
Hmm, okay, but I've been doing that. It was a bit uncomfortable at first, but then again, I only use one ear bud. When it comes to a choice between using valuable time in between classes and looking like a "typical" college student, I decided to swallow my pride and make use of that time ;)
~use my bursar to buy food on campus
Naw, too expensive. It's a matter of principle with me.
~stay up past 10:00 at night
That would be a nice thing to hold to. Last night I got too excited trying out some new functions on my calculator and ended up staying awake until 11:30. But it sure was interesting!
I'm glad you did well on your Calculus exam. That's great!
Your list sounds like a good plan, although I must confess I don't quite understand "use my bursar to buy food on campus." However, it does not sound good.
Psalm 73 has been a convicting and promising one for me over last year and this year.
Well, anyway, glad to see you back on the blog! Hopefully, another two months won't pass between this post and the next. : )
God's providence is amazing!
I'm glad the test went well.
Wow. It sounds like you've had a lot to think about the past couple of months. Calculus does not sound like fun.
Nice grade, though. God is so good. :)
And staying up past 10:00 can be fun...like when you get distracted and start having fun doing school. I love those nights! :)
I tried commenting earlier, but it woudn't work. Maybe if I didn't sign in...
And it worked! :) Beta blogger and Blogspot don't mix well. :(
Sympathies about the math . . . it makes me sick to even see such problems.
Somehow I don't think you're going to keep that resolution about not staying up past 10:00. I think keeping that resolution requires complete control over your own life. Just remember the Apostle Paul stayed up real late talking to people so it must not be unrighteous :)
Regarding your comment about Facebook that "Kids gaze upon these things for hours on end, learning nothing, exercising their brains not one smidge, and wasting hours of time that they could spend actually in the presence of their friends." I must say I struggle with some of the same feelings toward blogs, and sometimes the internet in general. When I stop and really think about it I do conclude that blogs and the internet in general have brought about good. But at the same time they are dangerous sink holes for vast amounts of wasted time.
For the record I have never been to a facebook site, yet.
I agree with Rudy — you'll not be able to go to bed that early. One of the freshmen I know here at Geneva came in with that determination but has been almost completely unable to keep it.
I do believe, however, that Facebook is not the worst — although I've not tried it, and I don't plan so to do, alcohol is probably worse than Facebook for a college student.
By the way, would you email me at erudil AT columbus DOT rr DOT com ? I was going to leave a note on Sister2's site, but I found tonight that it's not in existence anymore.
Just a note: if you don't know who I am, I was on the mission trip in July, and the rest of your family will remember my name.
I should say: I'm asking for an email address because I have at least one picture on my computer that I don't need but Sister3 might like.
Oh, hooray, you're back!
Indeed, thank God for His goodness. I'm so glad you got a good grade on your exam. It's amazing how many things there are to praise Him for if we remember to be thankful even for the things that seem insignificant--telling those things to one another is something that we should care about because by doing so we're magnifying God.
I'm thankful for friends right now--even though they led me to break one of your dicta (I stayed up past midnight last night! yikes! :o).
One of my favorite Psalms, and one of the few we sing in RUF. Thank you for posting it. God is our strength, like the sap of a tree--the only reason we stay alive.
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