I spent most of my day in Soda hall finishing up my discrete math problem sets. I don't have a final for this 1 unit course, but did various problem sets throughout the semester to make up for material I didn't get at UCD. We covered things like stable marriage, RSA cryptosystem, and discrete probability.

I'm working on the problem sets really intensely because even though I can turn them in on the 22nd (at the latest), I would really like to go home after my last final exam this thursday, the 20th.

The exodus of people has begun. Dustin left earlier this week for home in socal, and Joseph just left today for the airport. He's going to be going to Taiwan for a family vacation. By the time thursday rolls around, it's going to be a ghost-town here. At least I have Tommy and Sang to keep me company.

Sang and I have the same Music 27 final this thursday. I'm not too worried about it, but it will be good to have most of tomorrow to study for it if I can finish up my problem set.

An acoustic guitar is a musical instrument until a pick falls into the hole. Then it turns into one of those plastic toys with which you have to maneuver a small metal marble through a hole in the toy.

I glanced at an old entry posted on December 18th in 2005 titled Service At Berkland today, and I suddenly realized that I now recognize many of the people in the sea of faces. Jacob is sitting with a tan jacket in the foreground, with Henry's wife Margaret sitting behind him. When I took this picture, they weren't even married. Oh my.

Devotion time questions:

Jeremiah 17

What does v.1 say regarding the depth of Judah’s sinfulness? Are there sins in my life that are deeply etched in my heart and habits?

It had become so rooted in the people that they always had it on their hearts. They had accepted sin as part of their lives, and did not take action in dealing with them.

Thoughts omitted here.

What can we learn about the consequences of sin given that “even their children remember their altars and Asherah poles?” What responsibility do I feel towards the next generation?

Sin has a way of spreading to others, especially those you have a leadership role over, or act as a role model for. If you have children or younger siblings that look up to you, living a sinful life will probably not escape their eyes, and you could lead them into living a sinful life as well.

But if anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a large millstone hung around his neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea.
Matthew 18:6

Compare and contrast the person who “depends on the flesh for his strength” and those “whose confidence is in [God].”

The person who depends on the flesh for his strength has a heart that is turned from God. He will be like a bush in the wastelands that must draw nutrients from the dry ground, comforting no one with its very limited shade. When prosperity comes, the person will not see it or recognize it as prosperity, and they dwell without receiving God's blessings.

He who trusts in the Lord receives God's blessings, and is like a tree planted by the water. He is never in need or comfort or necessities, for God will provide all that he needs. It provides shade for others who come to the river, and bears fruit for others as well.

How does knowing vv. 9-10 lead to trusting in God rather than going for unjust gain?

God sees and examines our hearts and motives. He knows not only what we do, but why we do it. We cannot trust even our own hearts, but we can trust in God, who knows more about our own, personal sins than we do.

How did people respond to Jeremiah’s prophetic work according to v.15?

They confused God's patience with dishonesty on Jeremiah's part. Because God was having mercy on them, they discounted everything Jeremiah was saying to them, and neglected to obey Jeremiah's instructions on how to change their lives to please God.

According to this passage, what is behind Jeremiah’s refusal to “run away from being [God’s] shepherd?

His devotion towards God allows him to continue to trust in God and love the people of God. If I were in that situation, it would be very easy for me to desire and look forward to the destruction of the people who were persecuting me, abusing me, and calling me a liar for faithfully delivering God's word, but Jeremiah continues to have a heart for the nation of Israel and warns them despite their offenses towards him.

What kind of attitude do I need today to continue in my calling to be a prophet?

I need to be able to persevere through situations through which God desires for me to pass. Though situations may change for better or for worse, but as long as I cling to the path God has call me to, he will see me through whatever it is he desires for me. Though persecution may come, it should not change our attitude towards serving God, for it is part of what he desires for us.

Why was keeping Sabbath important from God’s perspective? How was this related to their trust in God?

It was a day that allowed them to put into perspective their role as God's creation and as God's people. By setting aside a day of the week for God rather than the things of the world, they acknowledge that it is not the things of the world that they live for. It was a demonstration of their trust in God, just as the Israelites did not gather manna on the seventh day.

Ceasing work and business on the Sabbath was an act of surrendering to the priority of God over time, schedule, and earthly agendas. What are some specific ways in which I can prioritize Sabbath times by suspending work, my to-do lists, and the general anxiety I have toward time and getting things done in order to create unhurried times for God?

Sleeping earlier on Saturday night, getting up early to get ready on Sunday, staying away from things that might distract us before and during Church, giving our best to God in all that we do, try to get all the work that needs to be done completed on the other six days, etc...