Rogelio

So I've got this Father in Law Rogelio. He's actually my ex Father in law since I'm not married. One of the funny things about knowing him is that I never knew him when he was actually my father in law. AnyhowRogelio is one of the most interesting people I've ever met. By an unforeseen and unique turn of events we ended up spending most of the afternoon together on Wednesday and he sort bore his soul to me. He seems like the kind of guy who will kind of bear his soul to anyone. I'll post his picture someday soon.

Rogelio is 62 years old.

He was born in Cuba.

He came to the US in 1980 because he was on a mission to go to San Francisco and have a daughter (mission accomplished the rest is history).

He is going to go to the Florida keys and live in a trailer and catch fish to survive.

He told me a lot of things yesterday:

He told me that in Cuba when he was boy most people spent no money all year, and saved it all to buy nice clothes to wear on Christmas day.

He told me they didn't need money much because everything they needed just grew out the ground or was fished out of the sea. They just had to throw some seeds on the ground and melons grew up.

He told me he hated Castro because he has seen how Castro destroyed everything in his country piece by piece. All the political stuff he told me made me an even further entrenched libertarian.

He told me that in Cuba the walls of the buildings that used to be as nice as here are broken down. Windows without glass and buildings without roofs. I can see how much it hurts him that the walls of his country are broken down just like Daniel and Nehemiah. I should have told him to pray for Cuba all day for awhile and see what happens. It didn't occur to me.

He told me that in Cuba the Government keeps the people poor so they can control them. That everything has to come from the Government and you only get it if the Government likes you(including healthcare so there Michael Moore). If you ever say anything bad about the State you become the enemy. And staying on the good side of the State gets harder and harder because whatever you give it is never enough for them.

He told me that in Cuba to go from one city to another you have to go through a check point and be questioned.

He told me that the people in the US have never seen what State control does to a country and a people and thats why people in the US vote Democrat.

He told me that in 62 years he has never understood women and he told me that when I'm 62 I won't understand them either.

He told me that every day in Miami a Cuban man kills a women. This is apparenlty because both the Cuban men and women are crazy.

He told me that he felt like the force of destiny pushed him to do some of the things in his life. Pushed him to come to San Francisco and have a daughter. Is pushing him to move to Florida and some day back to Cuba. Pushed him to show up at Rosary's house unanounced in the middle of the night Tuesday.

He told me things in life are destined you can't change them they are written in the book. I agreed with him about the book and told him God wrote it before He created the world.

I told him the Gospel. He wasn't offended but was more interested in continuing to talk about his own ideas. I guess it runs in the family...

And I mean that part of the family that's descended from Noah.

Rogelio is a crazy man whose done crazy things.
Rogelio is a very sad man.
I really really like Rogelio.

All our days we carry it
Or it carries us
In our chest we bear it
All our days we must
It hungers it thirsts
When it needs it feeeds

It give the tongue its words
And forces the hands' deeds
It pours forth desire
For earth, posession, and pride
Our years are washed away
By its relentless tide

Until the One comes
Changes its streams
Now it loves righteousness
And of heaven it dreams

But how qucikly its called
To return to dust and to death
It falters at a glance
It faints at a breath

Who can bare this beast
Within our breast?

Jeremiah 17:9
The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?

Mark 7:21
21For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery,

Proverbs 4:23
Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life.

Ezekiel 11:19
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,

Psalm 51:10
10 Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.

Been Studying

Been Studying.

Putting a significant ammount of time into generating a well thought out post is not currnetly theasible.

Here's a quote:

"God threatens terrible things if we will not be happy." Jeremy Taylor 1613-1667 Brittish Clergyman

Set Free

"Suppose a kingdom had long been overrun by the enemies of its true king, and he, though long possessed of sufficient power to conquer them, should yet suffer them to prevail, and establish themselves as much as they could desire, would not the valor and wisdom of that king be far more conspicuous in exterminating them, than it would have been had he opposed them at first, and prevented them entering the country? Thus, by the diffusion of Gospel light the wisdom, power, and grace of God will be more conspicuous in overcoming such deep-rooted idolatries, and in destroying all that darkness and vice which have so universally prevailed in this country, than they would have been if all had not been suffered to walk in their own ways for so many ages past".

William Carey (1761-1834) Missionary to India.

I heard this quote mentioned in a sermon. It points to God's increased glory in redeeming the world from sin and misery. Like in Romans 8.

19For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God. 20For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope 21that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. 22For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now.

Is Simon Smarter Than a Fifth Grader?

Hopefully we will find out sooner or later.

I'm currently working on becoming an elementary school teacher. I already have my Bachelor's degree. The following steps stand between myself and the classroom.

1. Qualify for and enroll in a Post Bachelorate teaching program at an inexpensive online out of state Universtiy (Almost done)

2. Pass the CSET (studying)

3. Pass the CBEST

4. Get Hired for an internship.

In an internship I would work full time as a teacher while still finishing my credential. Theoretically I could start teaching as early as this fall. That's what I'm working towards.

Becoming a teacher would make major changes in my life. Not the least of these changes would be that I would no longer have my current job as a security guard. I'm not sure if I can handle the shock. This job has been the one constant in my life for many years. There are very few things I've done in life as long as this job. When I started this job Bill Clinton was President. I've had this job through 3 Residences, 3 Churches and 3 cars. I may have to grieve.

BTW: I find that show "Are you Smarter than a 5th grader?" very entertaining. I was dissapointed though when I figured out the contestants don't actually compete against the 5th graders. Isn't that kind of implied?