Twas the evening after the first day. And it was good.

Well, the first day of classes is over. It was busy, but it's good to be back.

I saw lots of people on campus that I recognized, fellow engineers and past classmates. The first class I had was at 8:30 and was Engineering Economics. The instructor was from Argentina and he joked that our class would probably be difficult because they didn't have an instructor who spoke English. He also told us that sometimes his jokes don't translate well into English, so if he makes a joke, he'll raise his hand so we know when to laugh. I think I'm going to like him :)

Then I had a two hour break where I read my assignment for this next class session, checked up on a few things, dropped by the office and talked with Dr Teague, Barbara (the secretary) and Helen about scholarships and the TA position.

Afterward, I spoke with Dr Bunting. Things are very hectic for him right now and he says I'm still a possibility but he's not decided on anything yet.

Then came time for Linear Algebra with Dr Binegar. He went over algebraic interpretations of vectors and then we let out. Unfortunately my next class is almost entirely across campus, from HES to Cordell and I couldn't find the door to get into the classroom. There are three doors on the outside and I went through two of them before finally going through the third and finding it. Luckily he hadn't started yet even though I was a minute or two late. This is Dr Chandler's first semester here and he's teaching Networks. I watched his presentation when he was a faculty candidate and I thought his to be the most interesting and well-presented of all the candidates, so I have high hopes for this class. There were only 10 students enrolled interestingly.

We got out early so I went over to Engineering South and up to the Methods lab room and sat and read for a little while before class started. The professor came in, gave us a little speech and told us we'd probably never see him again. The TA will be handling almost everything. The TA was Moayed, he was a TA from Physics II and recognized me as one of the students who did "really well" in the class.

I then visited Dr Rosenberg (from Physics) and he remembered my name. I picked up my final exam from last semester and reviewed it. There were a few mistakes that I had made but overall I did well in the class. He told me I was fifth in rank (for the semester) and congratulated me. It's better than I'd thought I'd done.

Then I stopped by the bank and made some deposits (they have stacks of checking deposits but whenever I go there I have to specifically ask for savings deposit or withdrawal slips), then to the post office to mail a package (there was a huge line) and then to Walmart in order to pick up groceries for the next couple of weeks.

Finally I got home and was swamped with messages for SafeRegistry, people wanting to cancel, who didn't want to be charged, wanted refunds etc. I called them back but wasn't able to finish before 5:35, which is when I left to go to the J & J residence. The Bible study group was going out to McAllister's at 6:00. I had eaten a late lunch so wasn't hungry, I just had a sweet tea. Or two to be exact (a refill). Two 32 ouncers, for a total of 64 ounces of sweet tea. Now every time I yawn, sweet tea squirts out my ears.

They all went to the BCM to watch some football game, I came back to finish up gathering papers for the next couple of days, bookmarking websites, and finishing up my tasks for SafeRegistry. Tomorrow I just have two classes. Speaking of which, here's my weekly schedule, with Bible studies and meetings in case anyone is interested, they know where I am:

Monday
8:30-9:20 ENGR Econ
11:30-12:20 Linear Algebra
12:30-1:20 Networks
1:30-3:20 Methods
7:00-8:30 Jonathan's Bible study

Tuesday
9:00-10:15 Dynamics
2:00-3:15 Physics

Wednesday
8:30-9:20 ENGR Econ
11:30-12:20 Linear Algebra
12:30-1:20 Networks
1:30-2:20 Dynamics Lab
3:30-5:20 Methods II Lab
7:00-8:30 Home Group Bible Study

Thursday
7:00-8:00 Men's Prayer
9:00-10:15 Dynamics
2:00-3:15 Physics

Friday
8:30-9:20 ENGR Econ
11:30-12:20 Linear Algebra
12:30-1:20 Networks

Now for some quotes:

Note, (1.) We have need to watch carefully over our own hearts, lest fondness for any relation prevail above our love to God, and take us off from our duty to him. It is charged upon Eli that he honoured his sons more than God (1 Sam. ii. 29); and see Matt. x.37.
(2.) Even good men are apt to cool in their zeal for God and duty when they have long been deprived of the society of the faithful: solitude has its advantages, but they seldom counterbalance the loss of Christian communion.

This is Matthew Henry and the point he was making is that our acquaintances should be those who will help our Christian walk and not hinder it. It's also a good point that we shouldn't let any relation or friend take the foremost role in our lives, for that belongs to God. That being said, a Christian companion is of incalculable value.


"You will say that these are very small sins; and doubtless, like all young tempters, you are anxious to be able to report spectacular wickedness. But do remember, the only thing that matters is the extent to which you separate the man from the Enemy. It does not matter how small the sins are provided that their cumulative effect is to edge the man away from the Light and out into the Nothing. Murder is no better than cards if cards can do the trick. Indeed the safest road to Hell is the gradual one - the gentle slope, soft underfoot, without sudden turnings, without milestones, without signposts."
-Screwtape

As is apparent, this is something Screwtape said, and he is right. The easiest way to hell is a gentle one, not being pulled into grievous sins necessarily, but little ones, ones that "can't possibly hurt that much." I thought this was an observation worth noting again.


When commenting upon Exo 21:1-11 Henry says:
"This law will be further useful to us, (1.) To illustrate the right God has to the children of believing parents, as such, and the place they have in his church. They are by baptism enrolled among his servants, because they are born in his house, for they are therefore born unto him, Eze_16:20. David owns himself God's servant, as he was the son of his handmaid (Psa_116:16), and therefore entitled to protection, Psa_86:16. (2.) To explain the obligation which the great Redeemer laid upon himself to prosecute the work of our salvation, for he says (Psa_40:6), My ears hast thou opened, which seems to allude to this law. He loved his Father, and his captive spouse, and the children that were given him, and would not go out free from his undertaking, but engaged to serve in it for ever, Isa_42:1, Isa_42:4. Much more reason have we thus to engage ourselves to serve God for ever; we have all the reason in the world to love our Master and his work, and to have our ears bored to his door-posts, as those who desire not to go out free from his service, but to be found more and more free to it, and in it, Psa_84:10."

And I liked that analogy. Christ would not go free but engaged to serve forever. This should drive us to do accordingly.


Moses, accordingly, rose up early (Ex 34:4), to go to the place appointed, to show how forward he was to present himself before God and loth to lose time. It is good to be early at our devotions. The morning is perhaps as good a friend to the graces as it is to the muses.

This is Henry again, giving a very practical application to a simple observation. I have found that the morning time is one in which I am most attentive. This next semester I shall have more time in the morning than previously I think, and I hope to devote this time to studying and prayer.

There are more quotes from Henry and from Lewis (I finished the Screwtape Letters) but they were too long to put here. I am still enjoying Henry's observations and applications very much.