Red Letter Faith

Getting Up To Speed

Marthur — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 04:13:46 +0000

So, there’s been a lot going on lately since my last post. I haven’t had the time to tend to this blog as I had originally planned, but I will continue to post when time permits. I guess the first thing I’d like to mention is that I’ve already taken and passed my A+ certification. The A+ is a two portion examination. I had taken the Essentials portion on May 18th and the IT Technicians portion on the 22nd, the Friday of that week. The questions asked were different than I had originally expected, which caught me a little off guard, but I passed nonetheless with an equivalent score of an 85 on the Essentials and an 84 on the IT Technician’s portion of the exam (the grades mentioned have been converted to a 100 point scale). Dorinda, my better half, showed me her continual love and support through out it all and never ceases to this day to stand by me, always giving me her continual love and support in all moments, good and bad (I believe a person can only love another to the extent that they love God) and her faith shines through out it all, by prayer and through action.

I probably mentioned in a previous post that I started working as a desktop tech for my college. The job has been taking up a lot of my time, more than I had expected, but I do need to get paid. The plans I had made to study web design for the summer may not work out with the time waning as it has been, but no worries, I know that Father has portioned the time that I have for a reason. I believe that everything will go it’s course. Work has been spiritually exhausting. The majority of my fellow co-workers are far from christian. People tell me that’s everywhere you go and I suppose it may be, but we will see. I remember overhearing someone stating that no one has been fired, they either quit or change. I assume that they mean a change that conforms to the zeitgeist of the work place. However, “change” can work both ways, not just one.

A few days ago, Dorinda and I purchased a devotional together. It’s something for us to read together, worship together and pray together. I’ve been wanting to have a devotional such as this with her for a while now. I’m grateful that we can spend more of our time this way. We’ve already had our first deovtional together using the book that I had mentioned and it’s made us look at things differently than we have before. I’m looking forward to the days ahead.

Well Into May

Marthur — Sat, 09 May 2009 12:05:15 +0000

It’s been well into May and a lot has happened since my last entry in June. Since then, I’ve taken two more tests scoring a 101/100 (not a typo) in Statistical Analysis and a 90/100 in MIS. Currently, my lowest overall average for the semester is in Statistical Analysis with a 96.4, however this is subject to change since I still have my finals to take this coming Tuesday! There’s no doubt in my mind that I will do well. Furthermore, last Monday, I started a job as a desktop technician at Angelo State, however, I will comment about this in a future entry. Oh! I’m also taking my CompTIA A+ certification exam on the 18th and 22nd of this month. The examination consists of two exams; the essentials portion on the 18th and a final elective exam on the 22nd. I will write more about this after finals. I have seriously been pressed for time lately and have not had the time to post any other entries other than the academically related. Hopefully this will change during the summer and I will have more time, but for now, I need to get some more rest and begin study for finals soon. God bless!

Life's Shortbread 04.09.09

Marthur — Thu, 09 Apr 2009 21:55:54 +0000

I’ve been busy with classes as of late, and so, I haven’t been able to write much lately, but I thought I’d at the very least post on the latest happenings. As far as academics go, I’ve recently taken two tests and have another test this coming Thursday. I scored an 87/100 on the last Statistical Analysis 2331 test, and a 90/100 in MIS 3343. The test for this coming Thursday is yet another Statistical Analysis test. Afterwards, I’ll only have final examinations left for all my classes in the first half of May. In regards to the upcoming Fall 2009 semester, I’ll be taking four classes: Accounting 2302, Computer Science 1341, Management Information Systems 3393 and International Business 3361. This summer, I’ll be studying in preparation for the MIS 3393 and CS 1341 in order to take some of the edge off of my upcoming Fall semester.

In terms of non-collegiate news, I’ll be taking my A+ IT Technician certification at the end of May. I’ve been going back over the material and should be finished reviewing well before the exam date. I don’t think I’ll have a problem with the certification exam since I work with (build and repair) computers on a regular basis. I’m not sure if I’ll be studying for more certifications this summer or not, I’ll have to wait and see how my schedule fairs at the end of this semester. Only time will tell…

Life's Shortbread 03.02.2009

Marthur — Mon, 02 Mar 2009 06:12:47 +0000

It’s a new month and I thought I’d post a new entry concerning all the plans/ideas that have been on my mind as of late. Spring break is only two weeks away. I don’t have any plans to go anywhere. I plan to use my vacation time to finish studying for my A+ certification so that I may take the certification exam as soon as possible. I’ve been studying for this certification for quite some time now and I’ve taken longer than I should have. It’s not easy for me to balance my academic time with my personal time. During my time I may have my Bible study, study for my certifications or learn more about the Drupal content management system (CMS). I only have time to study one out of the three, never time for two or for all of the above. So again, in no particular order, the list goes: Bible study, Certification and the Drupal Content Management System.

Bible study is very important to me, but equally important is fellowship. I haven’t had the same fellowship that I had once had and I miss that time dearly. I enjoyed discussing the aspect of the soul, spiritual warfare and divine personality with my friends for whom have all moved away now. Now, I always find myself in thought trying to piece together some kind of “master plan” that will some how allow me to study all that I want within the time that’s been given to me, but that never works out! And so, I must use my time wisely.

For me, studying for the A+ certification from CompTIA is much like taking your first step – the hardest. Not because of the content on which the exam covers, but the time needed so that I may study effectively. Making use of the data by turning it into useful information and applying it effectively takes time. I would like to finish studying for the certification some time soon. Afterwards, I’ll have more time to devote to loved ones and to complete other pending tasks. It’s not just for me, but for them as well.

Earlier I mentioned something by the name of Drupal. Drupal is an open source, web content management system written in PHP and functions as the backend for many websites. In a nut shell, with Drupal, you can launch, update and maintain websites far more effectively than your normal HML based websites. Like WordPress (the blogging system I’m using now), in Drupal, the majority of site updates are done by logging into the backend of the site and making the site updates accordingly (e.g. posting news, blog entries or announcements). However, Drupal is much more powerful than WordPress (WordPress is conformed specifically for blogs, Drupal is mailable, it can be conformed to any specific purpose) in ways too numerous to list and it’s for this reason that I would like to learn Drupal.

Drupal has a high learning curve. Even now I still do not understand all of the basics and to fully accomplish what I would like to do with Drupal (including theming) I will need to learn the following programming languages: xHTML, CSS, JavaScript, JQuery and PHP. It would appear that I have a long road ahead of me if I plan to learn and shape Drupal to my hearts desire. However, it will still be quite some time until I begin such a project as I have more important tasks at hand. I’ll take things one day at a time.

Academia 02.28.2009

Marthur — Sat, 28 Feb 2009 07:44:08 +0000

Everything has been well. Wednesday, I received my MIS test to discover that I had made an 87.5/100, putting me 5^th in my MIS class. In addition, I’m also 2^nd in my Business Statistics class with an above 91 average. I’m still studying hard and I want to surpass my previous grades, we will see and only time will tell. There’s been some other things that have been pressing me. I have been desperately wanting to find the time study for my A+ certification from CompTIA, however I have not found the time I had been praying and hoping for. The time is there, however my mind tires easily and I find myself feeling exhausted the majority of the time after or during my actual college/class homework assignments. I’ve been slowly pacing myself and studying during different times of the day in order to find a time that’s more efficient, however the only time I’ve found beneficial are the late hours of the night, the same time I should be winding down.

Right now, it’s 1:39AM and all I can think about is breaking my Statistics chapters down into sections so that I can order and then begin to memorize and take in the information and formulas. I seriously just need to turn off, but once I get started it’s hard to stop. Perhaps I’ll get started on something else tonight, it’s just to bad it doesnt work the same when it comes to sleep.

A Letter To The Heart

Marthur — Fri, 20 Feb 2009 22:34:14 +0000

God calls out to us. He calls out for a journey. He whispers through our hearts, but not all of us may recognize Him. Not all of us know the story He yearns to tell us – and not all of us know the Truth. Some reject the Lover’s letter and continue on with their lives having lost sight of their First Love and the Word within His Love Letter. They continue on in the story we call life aching to one in a play for which they know not the part. Having lost their place in the script, they live life through shuffled pages. They search, and search… and continue searching for their part, for their missing lines, that once found they hope can make sense of it all. To make sense of the many atrocities that blanket our world and the condition of the human heart. They search to fill the void that our First Love had once filled in Eden.

Can you imagine it? The soft green grass against your skin. The trees above tower over giving shade to all beneath. A gentle breeze can be felt as the canopy above sways to-and-fro giving way to the light above. The light falls upon you like a gentle shower as you feel the warmth glisten across your face. Here in Eden you feel the warmth from every side and in every aspect of your being. For here in Eden, you walk with your Beloved and the void is filled. You are complete. Your heart knows not of loss nor suffering. However, we are not in Eden nor in the days past. Yet, the Bridegroom faithfully continues to call out to you. Regardless of your unfaithfulness, the mistakes you’ve made and the condition of your heart. Regardless of the juice that lay fresh upon your lips. He reaches out across vast chasms conquering even death so that you may come to know Him once more – and like in Eden… walk with Him once more.

Lost in the story we walk beside ourselves lonely if not cold as we continue on the journey for which we have been called by our Beloved. We search for our lines; our place in life – our part in the story. We continue to shuffle through pages. We flip back to the past and turn to the present as we reminisce with moments of brief, yet, artificial joy, to a tale less painful. A path many have traveled. On this path, lies a lonely pile of ash where embers had once burned, giving hint that life had once existed here. With a sad reluctance you stare at the ash and perhaps, with a thought aching to your own heart’s embers you realize, “my passion had once been aflame, but now it is as the ash… alone and without warmth.” You yearn for that life giving warmth; a warmth to set you aflame and heat the embers of your heart again. The same glistening warmth across your face for which you had once known in Eden.

Part of the problem with humanity is that man can become too easily satisfied and lost within his own greed, selfish ambitions and pride. And so… we settle for lesser things in life, for the lesser journeys as we depart into life. We lower ourselves from who we truly are and we forget our roots. We settle for empty words, empty promises, empty relationships, empty hearts – empty souls. We anesthetize our hearts so that we don’t have to feel the weight of the world around us. We neutralize ourselves from all sides and close our minds and hearts to the Truth. There are those who look toward God (the Bridegroom) and believe in the morals that have been placed within our hearts, but they have yet to truly read His Word, the Word from the very same God for which they look toward. The bride knows only of the groom, but not of the message He continues to convey in His Love Letter.

The Bridegroom calls out and there is comfort in His voice. The warmth that you had once felt in Eden approaches. It rains down upon you like a jubilee. Will you turn your eyes to the call of your First Love? Will you open and take heart in His Love Letter? There’s more to life than simply living, greater journeys of the heart to be had – the embers can burn again! Retrace your roots and know from whence you came, who you truly are and discover your missing lines within the pages you have sought after, not the pages from within your life but that which is in the Love Letter and discover your purpose – discover a Love that covers a multitude of sins. Again, the Bridegroom calls out and He calls out to you. Take Christ into your heart and know that in Him you can see again, live again – and love again.

Academia 02.19.2009

Marthur — Thu, 19 Feb 2009 06:53:01 +0000

My second Statistics test is today. I’ve been studying hard for this test for quite some time and I expect myself to do very well. I made an 86 on my first Statistics test and hope to make a higher grade this time around. I have a little more studying to do before I retire for the night. Furthermore, I have a Management Information Systems (MIS) test on Monday. I have yet to study for this test, but there’s no doubt in my mind that I’ll do well. I’ll probably begin studying for my MIS test later this evening and will finish up my review some time Saturday. I’m really enjoying my classes this semester and can hardly believe that my mid-terms are on the horizon already. The past weeks have flown by and I’m looking forward to the rest of the semester. It’s academia under control!

Update: 02.19.2009 @ 4:53pm

I started my test at 2:00pm and finished around 3:00pm. I looked over all of the problems two to three times before turning it in to the professor. I scored a 96/100 on the test…

Primary Ice Pick Headaches

Marthur — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 05:30:44 +0000

Starting early last Thursday morning I received a sharp pain coming from the back right side of my head, in the parietal area. The pain was sharp and momentary, only lasting between one to two seconds. Almost like an electric shock or pin prick. I continued to experience these head aches until late Sunday. The experience can be horrifying as the pains may come in succession. My research and symptoms have pointed to primary ice pick headaches. The International Headache Society classify these headaches by:

No other disorder present
No accompanying symptoms
Head pain occurring as single stab or series of stabs
Stabs lasting for up to a few seconds and recurring with irregular frequency

My googling has found research related to melatonin as an effective treatment to ice pick head aches:

The current report details three cases of people treated with melatonin for frequent, debilitating stabbing headaches. Two of these people were unable to take therapeutic doses of indomethacin. The first case involved a woman experiencing stabbing head pains eight to ten times per day on average before treatment. Her head pains were completely relieved with 12 mg of melatonin per day at bedtime, and, while continuing to take melatonin, she remained pain-free at a two-month follow-up. In the second case, a woman had a reduction in the frequency of stabbing head pains from two per day to none within 24 hours of starting treatment with 9 mg of melatonin per day. Continuing to take melatonin, she remained pain-free at a four-month follow-up. The final case was a woman who had experienced a reduction in head pains from several per day to none with indomethacin, and who did equally well using 3 mg of melatonin per day at bedtime. She remained pain-free after two months of continued treatment with melatonin.

After reading a few health related headache articles, including the one above, I purchased a small 60 tablet 3mg bottle at the local GNC. I’ve been taking 3mg a night and the headaches have ceased. I’ll come back with a follow up in a month.

Update: 03.16.2009 @ 1:27am

It’s been a month now and I have not experienced any further occurrences of the ice pick headaches after taking the melatonin supplements . Furthermore, I would like to note that I had only taken the melatonin for a period of one week. The headaches ceased after the first night after taking a one 3mg tablet.

Valentine's Day

Marthur — Mon, 16 Feb 2009 05:29:21 +0000

I had a wonderful Valentine’s Day with Dorinda. I’ve never spent Valentines with anyone before her. Thursday evening I spent some time at the craft stores in town gathering materials for Dorinda’s Valentine’s Card and spent the better part of the night making the card. On Friday, I delivered her card with a single rose at her work place. It was worth seeing her smile and too brighten her day. For us, our Valentine’s started on Friday. Saturday she helped me pick out a new shirt at the mall, something nice Afterwards, we spent time at the river. With my utmost respect, Dorinda and her family has been a blessing in my life. They’ve given me a lot to be thankful for and I thank Father in all His glory for giving me another day, God bless.

A Late New Years Update!

Marthur — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 08:38:01 +0000

It’s been a while since my last entry and thought I’d post the latest happenings for the new year. Classes started a few weeks ago and everything has been going well. I’ve already taken my first statistics exam scoring an 87. I’m only taking two classes this semester so that I may focus on other tasks. I’d like to complete at least one IT certification by the end of spring break. I believe my certification studies will progress after I acquire my A+ cert. For now, I am going to focus on my academics and certifications for the years first quarter. I haven’t been able to do this alone. Dorinda has given me her unconditional love and support through it all. She’s always putting a smile on my face, but most of all, together – we bolster our faith in God our Father, our Lord and Savior. I am and will always be eternally grateful.

Red Letter Faith

Getting Up To Speed

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