Life's End

An afternoon of deep dialog

Aaron J. Radke — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 00:00:00 +0000

I feel so crazy. It is happening again. I have met another. I am always longing for more. It's like a drug.

It was an intense conversation. It was as if we were one. I thought I spent my life communicating but just minutes passed. Hours slipped by with ever unfolding joy. My thoughts flowed effortlessly. I understood all. Creativity was free to run. We could go anywhere. I felt wonder in the creator for such beauty. A rush and a high like none other. Short concise statements conveyed depths of meaning without misinterpretation. Every thought jumped to other thoughts. Time went by so fast, yet I did not even think of time. I spent an afternoon with Ruby.

Although we had something going, I now realize those conversations were not all that deep. I didn't know how shallow I was. I was seeing things I never had before, but those were just foothills of mountains. I have recently met Scala.

Life spilled in pixel form

Aaron J. Radke — Sun, 27 Sep 2009 00:00:00 +0000

About Life's End

Aaron J. Radke — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 00:00:00 +0000

Life's end is worship. Your time, actions, choices, passions and thoughts are a display of what you think is really import. Worship is life's end. You can not escape it.

Git

Aaron J. Radke — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 00:00:00 +0000

Overview

Git is an incredible tool that has radically redefined my my entire workflow for everything I do on a computer. A cryptographically secure hash as a fingerprint for everything is an incredibly powerful idea. It has permeated everything. Here is a short list of personal applications that it has taken over:

Insanely fast backups
Highly robust nonlinear distributed backups
Virtual desktops by near instantaneous synchronization
Project record
Time tracking
Source control
Journaling
Writing

Here is why it is so much better than Subversion

It is fun; I want to put everything in it
A single directory stores the repository (no littered garbage)
No servers are required
Nonlinear distribution
It is very fast

Frequently required information

getting a repository

$ git clone http://path/to/project.git

creating a bare repository

$ git --bare init

creating a repository

$ git init

commit changes locally

$ git commit -a
$ git commit -a -m "this is the commit message"

setup origin for default push and pulls

$ git remote add origin http://path.to/origin_project.git
$ git config branch.master.remote origin
$ git config branch.master.merge refs/heads/master

sync up repository

$ git push

fix "your branch is ahead of 'origin/master' by \d commit"

$ git config branch.master.remote origin
$ git config branch.master.merge refs/heads/master
$ git pull

undo the last commit

$ git reset --soft HEAD^

sync up repository

$ git push

The seed of faith

Aaron Radke — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 00:00:00 +0000

The seed of faith is wrapped up into the greatest gifts of all. Even when I feel I have no joy or longing for God, the longing for the longing is a joy itself. If I don't have the longing, I have the sadness that I don't long. Thank God for this gift that will not let us go. Stop and take wonder. Let this properly build a confidence.

First, I would say that a Christian, no matter how dark the season of his sadness, never is completely without joy in God. I mean that there remains in his heart the seed of joy in the form, perhaps, of only a remembered taste of goodness and an unwillingness to let the goodness go. This is not the "joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory" ( 1 Pet. 1:8). It's not the joy that we have known at times and fight to regain. But it is a fragment of such joy—like a man who sits in prison and pulls out a tattered picture of his wife, or a paralyzed victim of a car accident who watches a video of the day he could dance. Or, even more fragmentary, the joy may only lie there in the cellar of our soul in the form of penitent sadness that we cannot desire God as we ought. Inside that sadness is the seed of what we once knew of joy. ¹

¹ John Piper, When the Darkness will not Lift:Doing what we can while we wait for God-and Joy, http://www.desiringgod.org/media/pdf/books_bdnl.pdf , Crossway Books, 2006

Longing for Transformation

Aaron J. Radke — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 00:00:00 +0000

This week I have been longing for freedom. Groping for some truth and joy in the "freedom of Christ", I have been reading the Humility ¹ book by C.J. Mahaney. I came to a section which described the pervasive and destructive nature of our pride. He went on to describe the wonders of Christ's ransom paid for our sin for our freedom. At this point I put the book down to think. I was glad but not satisfied. Why? I am longing for some freedom now, some transformation. I don't feel free. I thought, is this longing taking precedence over valuing the cross? Then in a sublime moment, I realized I may never change the way I would want in this life. I may always struggle deeply and have to fight vigorously and fall many times in this life. Transformation that I feel may only be a greater recognition of my need for the ransom. It is disheartening that there may always be a fight. But if that struggle and fight keeps me with a continued display of my dependence on the ransom and it my only real assurance and my only real hope of glory, then so be it. So be it, but God keep me for that purpose alone.

Sure as anything, I want to change. I don't want to sit satisfied where I am. Yet, I feel it is crucial that I dwell and glory in the cross here a little this way. To really be able to stand when Satan says, "Your messed up and you will never change" and I say back to him "maybe, but that is why the ransom is worth so much". I think he may like it when I "defend myself" that I am changing. I am way to prone to see my ease as my good works. If I am not struggling I may not see a need for a ransom.

Picking up the book again, the next few pages talked about transformation! Transformation happens after seeing this need for the ransom. Seeing this ransom is what transformed James and John from emphatically not laying down their lives to humbly serving!

In closing, there is nothing like listening afresh to a long lost doctrinally rich song from youth. I sang it then for the catchy tune, but today I find wonder in the truth. It gives me this profound wonder that God is still at work in my life. I didn't see the depth or wonder of the lyrics before but now I gladly do. Here is one that stumbled across this morning:

Please allow me to introduce me.
Half of me slave, the other half free.
Righteous and sinful,
Both at the same time.
Iniquity and purity
Fill up the same mind.
And out of the same mouth,
The holy and profane.
I curse all my brothers,
Then I bless Christ's name.
I hang in the balance,
But still Im secure.
Im leaning towards evil,
But striving to be pure.

I stand between the saint and
Sinner, chasing after holiness, close
Enough to grasp, but still its just
Beyond my reach.
Who I am is in between,
What I wanna be and what I am.

Pulling from both sides,
Humility and pride.
One seeks to give,
The other to be gratified.
In any case, however,
I know Im in need.
Two appetites in me,
Which one do I feed?
Running fast as I can
After elusive perfection.
No Im not there yet,
But sure Im in the right direction.
Cuz I see me at the end
And I look glorified.
Justified safe inside,
So I seek to be sanctified ²

¹ C.J. Mahaney, Humility: True Greatness, Multnomah, September, 2005
² Supertones, In Between, Chase the Sun, Emi Cmg Distribution, 1999

Thoughts on Scala

Aaron Radke — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 16:57:57 +0000

paradigm/syntax general principles

from ruby

mixins over inheritance
the last statement of a function is the return value (encourages small modular code)
no semicolon
symbols with a prime before them like 'this
everything is an object even primitives
higher order functions for loop constructs

from Mathematica

List based hierarchy and functional operations
Powerful pattern matching for code branch decisions

new

syntax

methods, classes, operators can all look the same to make a scalable language
simple but expansive predifened associativity :, precedence provide scalability
{}, () replacable
_ for multiple fill on based on contexts
pattern imports

types

imultibility (val, List)
multibility (var, Array)

operators

Parenthesis on an object calls the apply method
Parenthesis on an object with an equals assignment calls the update method
Single argument methods do not require a dot
Any method can be used in operator notation
predefined prefix unary operators +,-,!,~
postfix operators are methods that take no arguments
methods ending in : are for right called objects in operator notation
equals == test uniformly verifies value with a pre null check
methods are operators, precedence is sorted by beginning characters and associativity is sorted by ending character(:)

classes

Factory methods make use of apply
Companion objects for cleaner instantiation of a companion class
base code is the build in constructor
parameters are fields
parameters can have preconditions with require
separate companion objects for static like pieces
case classes for field pattern matching and companion object construction

traits

linearization

pattern matching

case classes for field pattern matching and companion object construction

control structures

everything returns values
nested loops by additional generators
currying to make language like control structures

functions

first class functions
function literals

typing inference

target typing
simple flow typing versus complex Haskel typing for better OO interoperation

built in tools

xml
combinator parsers: these are really powerful and really useful. These provide whole new levels of abstraction

Ruby snipits

Aaron Radke — Thu, 22 May 2008 12:18:18 +0000

Simple Definition Test
Super Test
Database
1. Active Record
User Interaction
1. Highline

Simple definition test

def test
   puts "this is a test"
end

Super Test

class YammDB < Hash
   def initialize(opts={})
      puts "making YammDB #{opts.inspect}"
      super
   end
end
class Sims < YammDB
   def initialize(opts={})
      puts "making Sims with opts: #{opts.inspect}"
      super(opts)
   end
end
   
Sims.new(:blah)
Sims.new()

Database

Active Record

#!/usr/bin/ruby
require 'rubygems'
require 'sqlite3'
require 'activerecord'
   
# connect to database.  This will create one if it doesn't exist
MY_DB_NAME = File.dirname(__FILE__) + "/my.db"
MY_DB = SQLite3::Database.new(MY_DB_NAME)
   
# get active record set up
ActiveRecord::Base.establish_connection(:adapter => 'sqlite3', :database => MY_DB_NAME)
ActiveRecord::Base.logger = Logger.new(File.open("db.log","a"))
ActiveRecord::Base.colorize_logging = false
#ActiveRecord::Base.logger = Logger.new(STDERR)
   
# create your AR class
class Routing < ActiveRecord::Base
   has_and_belongs_to_many :destinations
   has_and_belongs_to_many :sources
end
class Source < ActiveRecord::Base
   has_many :routings
   has_many :subsystems
end
class Destinations < ActiveRecord::Base
   has_many :routings
   has_many :subsystems
end
class Subsystem < ActiveRecord::Base
   has_many :destinations
   has_many :sources
end
   
class CreateTable01 < ActiveRecord::Migration
   def self.up
      create_table :routings do |t|
         t.column :name, :string, :null => false
         t.column :description, :string
         t.column :xml_file, :string, :null => false
      end
      create_table :subsystems do |t|
         t.column :name, :integer
         t.column :version, :integer
      end
      create_table :sources do |t|
         t.column :subsystem_id, :integer
      end
      create_table :destinations do |t|
         t.column :subsystem_id, :integer
      end
      create_table :sources_routings, id => false do |t|
         t.column :routing_id, :integer
         t.column :subsystem_id, :integer
      end
      create_table :destinations_routings, id => false do |t|
         t.column :subsystem_id, :integer
      end
   end
      
   def self.down
      drop_table :routings
      drop_table :sources
      drop_table :destinations
      drop_table :sources_routings
      drop_table :destinations_routings
      drop_table :subsystems
   end
end
   
      
#CreateTable01.migrate(:down)
#CreateTable01.migrate(:up)
   
r = Routing.create(:name => 'test', :description => 'test routing', :xml_file => 'test.xml')
r = Routing.find_by_name('test')
   
puts r.name

User interaction

Highline

#!/usr/bin/ruby
require 'rubygems'
require 'highline'
   
      
@hl = HighLine.new
   
@hl.choose do |menu|
   menu.prompt = "Please choose your favorite programming language?  "
      
   menu.choice(:ruby) { @hl.say("Good choice!") }
   menu.choices(:python, :perl) { @hl.say("Not from around here, are you?") }
end

rpass

Aaron Radke — Thu, 22 May 2008 12:17:59 +0000

Download: rpass.rb

#!/usr/bin/ruby
#title:rpass
#date: 2008-05-19
#author:Aaron Radke
# TODO: add an optional encrypted file to use
require 'rubygems'
require 'crypt/rijndael'
require 'base64'
require 'stringio'
require 'crypt/blowfish'
#require 'highline/import'
require 'highline'
   
      
class RPass
   def initialize(opts={})
      @highline = HighLine.new
      @opts = opts
      @opts[:file] = File.dirname(__FILE__) + "/stored.aes" unless @opts.key?(:file)
      @key = @highline.ask("key for #{@opts[:file]}? ") { |q| q.echo = false}
      @rijndael = Crypt::Rijndael.new("%-32.32s" % @key)
      self.decrypt
   end
      
   def decrypt
      if File.exists?(@opts[:file])
         puts "Decrypting ..."
         #---decrypt
         encryptedString = ""
         File.open(@opts[:file], "r").each{|line|
            encryptedString << line
         }
         # TODO?   Need to add the proper logic if the string did not decrypt
         f = File.open(@opts[:file], "r")
         begin
            @decryptedString = @rijndael.decrypt_string(encryptedString)
         rescue RuntimeError
            puts "Error: Could not decrypt: " + $!
            exit
         end
            
         if decryptedString.class != String
            puts "Error: could not decrypt unkown type"
            exit
         end
            
         #some other key will cause the header to be scrambled
         if decryptedString =~ /^title:rpass/
            @decryptedLines = decryptedString.split(/\n/)[1..-1]
         else
            puts "Error: could not decrypt"
            exit
         end
            
      else
         key2 = @highline.ask("new file: renter key ? ") { |q| q.echo = false}
         if key2 != @key
            puts "Error: Setting up new key failed"
            exit
         else
            @decryptedLines = []
         end
      end
   end
      
   def encrypt
      puts "Saving encrypted version..."
      plainString = @decryptedLines.join("\n")
      plainString = "title:rpass\n" + plainString
      f = File.open(@opts[:file],"w")
      print @rijndael.encrypt_stream(plainString)
      f.close
   end
      
   def insert(text, index = -1)
      @decryptedLines.insert(index, text)
   end
      
   def replace(text, index = -1)
      @decryptedLines[index] = text
   end
   def delete(index = -1)
      @decryptedLines.delete_at(index)
   end
      
   def grep(pattern)
      @decryptedLines.each_with_index{|line,i|
         if line =~ /#{pattern}/i
            puts "#{i}: #{line}"
         end
      }
   end
      
   def ask
      command = @highline.ask("rpass> ", String)
         
      command.sub!(/^\s+/,'')
      command.sub!(/\s+$/,'')
         
      if command =~ /^h(elp)?$/
         puts "Available commands:"
         puts %{---------
            (h)elp
            (l)ist
            exit
            (s)ave
            reload
            (g)rep pattern
            (d)elete index
            (i)nsert index text
            (a)dd text
            newkey key
            (r)eplace index text
         }.gsub(/\t+/,'')
      elsif command =~ /^(exit|quit)$/
         encrypt
         return false
      elsif command =~ /^s(ave)?$/
         encrypt
      elsif command =~ /^reload$/
         decrypt
      elsif command =~ /^l(ist)?$/
         grep(".?")
      elsif command =~ /^g(rep)?\s+(.*)$/
         grep($2)
      elsif command =~ /^d(elete)?\s+(-?\d+)$/
         delete($2.to_i)
      elsif command =~ /^i(nsert)?\s+(-?\d+)\s+(.*)$/
         insert($3,$2.to_i)
      elsif command =~ /^a(dd)?\s+(.*)$/
         insert($2,-1)
         grep($2)
      elsif command =~ /^r(eplace)?\s+(-?\d+)\s+(.*)$/
         replace($3,$2.to_i)
      elsif command =~ /^newkey$/
         key1 = @highline.ask("Enter a new key? ") { |q| q.echo = false}
         key2 = @highline.ask("Renter new key? ") { |q| q.echo = false}
         if key1 == key2
            puts "Setting up new key..."
            @key = key1
            @rijndael = Crypt::Rijndael.new(@key)
         else
            puts "Error, key not duplicated.  New key not set."
         end
         replace($2,$1.to_i)
      else
         grep(command)
      end
         
      return true
   end
      
end
   
      
if ARGV.size == 1
   rpass = RPass.new(:file => ARGV[0])
else
   rpass = RPass.new
end
   
while rpass.ask
end

Fighter Verses

Aaron Radke — Sat, 19 Apr 2008 12:55:48 +0000

Word

Blessed is the man ...
who walks not in the counsel of the wicked,
nor stands in the way of sinners,
nor sits in the seat of scoffers;
but his delight is in the law of the Lord,
and on his law he meditates day and night.( ps1:1-2)

The word of our
God will stand forever.( Is40:8)

Glory

Who has measured the waters
in the hollow of his hand? ( Is40:12)

whatever you do,
do to the glory of God. ( 1Cor10:31)

Have you not heard? The
LORD is the everlasting God ( Is40:28)

I created you...
for my glory. ( Is43:7)

And the glory of the
Lord shall be revealed. ( Is40:5)

Salvation

You were darkness,
but now light in the Lord. ( Eph5:8)

Trust in the Lord
God, an everlasting rock. ( Is26:4)

Awe

The Lord is the everlasting God,
the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He does not faint or grow weary;
his understanding is unsearchable. ( Is40:28)

Sanctification

...grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ ( 2pt3:14)

Focus

...preparing your minds for action ... set your hope fully on the grace ... at the revelation of Jesus Christ. ( 1pt1:13)

Power in weakness

May you be strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy ( Col1:11)

Children

I have no greater joy than
to hear that my children walk in truth. ( 3Jn 1:4)

Anxieties

Fear not, strength comes from God

you whom I took from the ends of the earth,
and called from its farthest corners,
saying to you, "You are my servant,
I have chosen you and not cast you off";
fear not, for I am with you;
be not dismayed, for I am your God;
I will strengthen you, I will help you,
I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. ( is41:9-10)

Some of the references for these verses on anxiety come from ¹.

Decisions

I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go;
I will counsel you with my eye upon you.( ps32:8)

Future

For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for wholeness and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. ( Jeremiah 29:11)

Welfare of loved ones

If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!( mt7:11)

sickness

Many are the afflictions of the righteous,
but the Lord delivers him out of them all.( ps34:19)

Death

For none of us lives to himself, and none of us dies to himself. If we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord. So then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord's. For to this end Christ died and lived again, that he might be Lord both of the dead and of the living. ( rm14:7-9)

Falling away from faith

And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ. ( ph1:6)

Facing opponents

what then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? ( rm8:31)

Old age

even to your old age I am he,
and to gray hairs I will carry you.
I have made, and I will bear;
I will carry and will save. ( is46:4)

Weak for work

But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. ( 2cor12:9)

Over ministry

so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth;
it shall not return to me empty,
but it shall accomplish that which I purpose,
and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it. ( is55:11)

Listen

Hear my voice,
Listen and hear my speech. ( Is28:23)

if you hear His voice,
Do not harden your hearts (Heb3)

If anyone has
an ear, let him hear. ( Rev 13:9)

Listen to Me ...
You who seek the LORD ...
Look to the rock ... ( Is. 51:1)

Listen to Me, ...
And give ear to Me, ... ( Is. 51:4)

Listen to Me ...
in whose heart is My law
you who know righteousness, ( Is. 51:7)

you who fear God,
_Listen_

Charge to wage war

Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.( mk14:38)

Triumph over sin

Not perfect in this life

Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own.( phl3:12)

And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit. ( 2cor3:18)

Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? ( rm7:24)

Certain persons, by swerving from these, have wandered away into vain discussion, desiring to be teachers of the law, without understanding either what they are saying or the things about which they make confident assertions.
Now we know that the law is good, if one uses it lawfully, understanding this, that the law is not laid down for the just but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and sinners, for the unholy and profane, for those who strike their fathers and mothers, for murderers, the sexually immoral, men who practice homosexuality, enslavers, liars, perjurers, and whatever else is contrary to sound doctrine, in accordance with the gospel of the glory of the blessed God with which I have been entrusted.
I thank him who has given me strength, Christ Jesus our Lord, because he judged me faithful, appointing me to his service, ( 1tm1:6-12)

I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. ( 2tm4:7)

Sovereignty

To this end we always pray for you, that our God may make you worthy of his calling and may fulfill every resolve for good and every work of faith by his power, so that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and you in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ. ( 2ths1:11-12)

Glory to chirst

Now may the God of peace who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great shepherd of the sheep, by the blood of the eternal covenant, equip you with everything good that you may do his will, working in us that which is pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen. ( hb13:20-21)

whoever speaks, as one who speaks oracles of God; whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength that God supplies--in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. To him belong glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen. ( 1pt4:11)

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.
our efforts are not finally decisive ( gal5:22-23)

complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure. ( ph2:2-13)

God creates obedience

"Behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah, not like the covenant that I made with their fathers on the day when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, my covenant that they broke, though I was their husband, declares the LORD. But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the LORD: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people. ( jer31:31-33)

And the LORD your God will circumcise your heart and the heart of your offspring, so that you will love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul, that you may live. ( dt30:6)

And I will give them one heart, and a new spirit I will put within them. I will remove the heart of stone from their flesh and give them a heart of flesh, that they may walk in my statutes and keep my rules and obey them. And they shall be my people, and I will be their God. ( ez11:19-20)

And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules. ( ez36:26-27)

I will make with them an everlasting covenant, that I will not turn away from doing good to them. And I will put the fear of me in their hearts, that they may not turn from me. ( jer32:40)

How to pray with our will power

and may the Lord make you increase and abound in love for one another and for all, as we do for you, ( 1th3:12)

And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment, so that you may approve what is excellent, and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God. ( phl1:9-11)

Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure. ( phl2:12-13)

¹ Steve Halliday, John Piper, Future Grace: The purifying power of living by faith in future grace, http://desiringgod.org , Multnomah, Inter-varsity press, 1995

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