Honoring our Veterans

I am always giving the east coast a hard time but I must admit that I really enjoyed traveling up to Connecticut. The mountains were full of trees bursting with vibrant reds, yellows, and oranges. The rolling hills were filled with green pastures and fields of corn waiting to be harvested.  Houses sitting on tops of hills surrounded by all the colors of fall while overlooking a valley full of beautiful horses and cattle grazing in the cool air. It was absolutely beautiful. I don't think we really get to enjoy and appreciate the beauty of fall in south Georgia.  We have a few trees with bright reds and yellows but for the most part we go from green to brown. Although, we do get to enjoy the milder temperatures...which I love!

We left Connecticut, went to Pennsylvania and loaded some Hummers going to Texas. This was a simple load with not as much adventure as the last couple of loads but it was one that got me thinking about all the things I am thankful for. I am so thankful to have a living, loving, caring and forgiving God. I am also thankful for the loving, patient husband that God has blessed me with and for the young man that he blessed me with 24 years ago that I am honored to call my son. My whole extended family...parents, sisters, brother-in-laws, in-laws, nieces and nephews...the whole crazy bunch that I love to the moon and back. I'm  thankful for my friends and for my church family. Then there are the little things...my son's laughter...my husbands little winks...the hugs from my little munchkins and not so little munchkins anymore...the 24/7 job that I get to share with Carlos (yes, I am very thankful for that)...camera phones...oh yes, how I am thankful for camera phones. You see those camera phones provide me with long and short conversations with my Toot Toot and with the rest of my family. They also provide me with crazy silly photos of the munchkins and sisters, while I'm on the road. It's not the phone but what the phone gives me...time, comfort, peace and happiness and a lot of laughs...it keeps us connected while being separated and for that...I am very thankful for camera phones. I could go on and on...thankful for my health and my family's health...our home...the sunrise and the sunset...the opportunity to see and explore God's amazing country...for LIFE and for so much more. I am also very thankful for all our men and women that have served and are currently serving in the U.S. Armed Forces...The  Air Force, The Navy, The Marines, The Army and
The Coast Guard.

The Hummers we picked up in Pennsylvania were by no means new. In fact, they had all the signs of being in combat. I usually take pictures of our loads but I just didn't feel it was appropriate to take pictures of this one. As I looked at the hummers and all the damage, I couldn't help but think about the brave men and women that were in them and what they must have endured. I know my thoughts...and visions...and emotions are nothing compared to what was really felt.

Just a few days ago was Veteran's Day. A special day set aside to honor the men and women that have served and sacrificed so much to keep our country free. Freedom is not free...it comes with a price...a huge price! Veterans should not be honored just one day a year, they should be honored every single day.

Our Government is in such scrambled chaos right now. So much money, time and energy are being spent on programs that are useless and do not work.  One of our government's top priorities should be working to help vets get jobs, find homes or get the help and support they need when diagnosed with PSD. I know there are programs out there but when funding for those programs get cut...well, funding to help our military past and present shouldn't be on the list of budget cuts. I was watching a program on CBN this weekend on Veterans. I was left in awe when it was reported that an average of 22 suicides per day...PER DAY are being committed by our vets. One vet had been waiting for months to get the help he needed...the paperwork and approval came in the mail the day after he committed suicide. 

As Carl and I are traveling, we see so many people that are homeless and probably half if not more are vets. We usually try to give food or money when we can but they need so much more. I read a report that said there are about 50,000 homeless vets. The VA is committed to ending homelessness in Veterans by the end of 2015. The one person who should not be homeless is the person who fought to keep us safe and free.  To find out how you can help visit this website http://www.va.gov/homeless/. 

To all the Veterans I say "Thank you and to you Daddy for your service during the Vietnam War. I know you didn't get the Welcome Home that you deserved so here's a great big THANK YOU a thousand times over!

The next time you see a veteran or an active duty serviceman thank him/her for their service. 

"Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one's life for his friends." John 15:13

 

Blessings to all!

   Lynne



What Goes Up Must Come Down

Connecticut...REEEAALY...Connecticut!

Not real excited about our next trip Carl looked at me and said, "I sure will be glad when the freight picks back up so we can be a little more selective about what we haul and where we go. We are taking a communication building to Connecticut." "I know but I was sitting in the back praying for a load when your phone rang...with an offer on a load. So I don't think we need to turn this one down. The Lord just answered my pray. Next time I'll make sure I am a little more specific."

From the moment we got the load it seemed like Satan was putting people in our path to discourage us about going to Connecticut with an oversize load. First, we had someone to ask us how we were going to enter Connecticut because they do not allow prefab buildings into their state. "Really...that is the craziest thing I have ever heard!" Then the same man asked Carlos if we did get in how were we going to get out.  I was like what...drive out just like we drove in.  Who knew it wouldn't be as simple as that. Our permit would allow us to enter but once the load was delivered we would not be able to travel in that state because we would be too long. "Great...so what are we supposed to do...just sit in Connecticut from now on?" So, Carl called the permit office to find out if what he had just been told was true. "No, they do not allow prefab buildings, instead of listing it as a communication building we will list it as a concrete vault." What??? Looks like a building...built like a building...all the other states say it's a building...so it must be a building. No...it's not a building it's a concrete vault! Okay..whatever...as long as we can deliver this building aka vault...we don't care what it's called!

We were then told we would have to buy another permit to leave Connecticut...CRAZY!!!  Then a few days later we had another driver tell us that Connecticut only allows oversize loads to travel Tuesday thru Thursday from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.  He also looked at our Pennsylvania permit to see what route we had been given. His comment to that, "Good luck!" By this time Carl had gotten really discouraged. He kept saying, "What have we gotten ourselves into?" "Don't worry, everything will be just fine. Don't start stressing. Lets just wait until we get our Connecticut permit and see what it says then we'll deal with any problems." After our Connecticut permit came in and Carl read over it, he realized that because of the way the state measures the length, if he raised the third axle off the ground we would be good to go. Yay! Another problem solved.

Now really...does this look like a road that needs to have a wide load traveling on it.
We ended up basically shutting the road down to get through.

One of our detour roads.

This is not a sign you want to see anytime...especially with an oversize load.

Then while sitting in a rest area in Pennsylvania, we had another driver that came up to Carl and just started talking. I tell you what, he must have a face that says, "Come talk to me. I'll listen." Anyway, he was asking Los where we were headed with the building aka vault. "Stonington, Connecticut." "That's where I live. It's just a little ole fishing town. I don't know where you're going to park with that thing. There's nowhere in Stonington. The closest place is an hour and half away."  WOW!!! What was it with all these people giving us discouraging news about this load. I don't think this has ever happened before. Satan was working overtime on this one. But we stayed strong and faithful and didn't let him get us down. It was a little difficult at times but God is Good! He helped see us through each frustrating moment.

For those of you that may not know, let me explain about the permits. Whenever we are hauling a load that is oversize which means the gross weight is over 80,000lbs or the height is over 13'6" or the width is over 8'6"...we have to have a permit. Each state issues its own permit and they tell us what roads we can travel and what times we can travel. This is to avoid roads that are under construction, bridges that may be too low and rush hour traffic in high populated cities. Also, if you are caught off route you can be faced with a very hefty fine!  Simple enough right...until the detour is through towns with narrow, narrow roads or the roads have trees with low hanging branches or the roads are as curvy as a snake or it takes 106 miles to go what would have been 20 miles on the interstate...not so simple then and also extremely stressful.That is why the driver told us to have fun on the Pennsylvania detour. Don't you just love sarcasm!!!

Now, back to our journey that has been filled with reassuring words from our fellow drivers.

We ended up spending the night in the parking lot of a closed down shopping center in a little town just outside of Stonington. It's times like these that I am so so so so thankful that I have all the amenities of home in this truck...especially, a bathroom!!!

The next morning one of the crewmen from the job site came and picked us up. It is always so encouraging when we have to have a guide to lead us to our final destination. The journey to the site was about 22 miles of little narrow curvy two lane roads and more overhanging tree limbs. Once we finally reached our destination it was a sight to behold. I wasn't really paying any attention when our guide rode off into the woods and we pulled off the road...well, I can't really say we pulled off because there wasn't a shoulder to pull off on. We were more like half on and half off. But anyway...I was sitting in my seat playing with my camera not paying any attention to what we were doing at the moment. After about 15 minutes of sitting there Carl says, "They want us to go up there." I turned and looked, "What? Up there! There is no way we can get up there! We will tear our truck up!"  I just started laughing. "They have lost their mind!"

The road to a day full of excitement

Sitting on the side of the road with our communication building aka vault.

After anxiously waiting another 15-20 minutes, one of the crewmen finally walked down the hill to get Carl so he could go scope things out. He was not a happy camper when he came back "Yep, we have to go up." It took all four of the men to help guide us up the hill. We had an 11'11" wide load and the road was 12'. It looked like someone went in there with a chain saw and cut down enough trees to make a path. There were large rocks on either side of the road and trees all up and down the edge of it. The limbs from the trees were hanging low and across the road. One side of the road was a hill that went up and the other side was a hill that went down. We had 2 men walking in front on each side of the truck and 2 walking in the back. The men up front had to make sure we would make it under the trees and that we had enough room to get between the trees. The men in the back had to make sure that when we went around a curve that the trailer would not hit a rock/boulder or hit a tree or for goodness sake slide off the hill. It was a very tedious job. The road was about 1/2 mile but it took us a good 15 minutes to get up. Finally...we made it to the top. Oh my...a little square with enough room for us to pull straight in...room for the crane...the pad for the building aka vault and another truck...that was the job site!

Our little hole in the woods.

Trying to relieve some stress.
 I couldn't even take the sign off the truck because of the trees.

A view of our surroundings.

Finally, we got unloaded! Now, the fun part...getting out! One of the men told Carl that they could pick up our trailer with the crane so we could back up and get turned around. Yes, that would be so much better than trying to back down and risk tearing up our truck. So, I grabbed my camera and got ready to do some picture taking.

Getting unloaded

They got the trailer hooked up and started raising it up. I'm standing down the road thinking this is the coolest thing everrr! Then I hear Kevin...oh for those of you that watch Big Brother and remember Jeff and Jordan from a few years ago...Kevin looked and talked just like Jeff. I finally asked him if he had a brother because I just knew he was Jeff's brother. They say we all have a twin out there somewhere...well, I met Jeff's twin. He was too cute! Ok ok back to the trailer...it's up in the air and I hear Kevin say, "Bring it down! Yes, bring it down now!" Then at that very moment the unthinkable happened...Our trailer. Fell. From. The. Sky.  My heart froze, my breathing stopped, my hands starting shaking and tears started filling my eyes. I just stood there...dropped my head and starting thinking Lord what are we going to do now. We can't afford to be out of work...how are we going to get our trailer fixed. I just turned my back to everyone for a few minutes and got myself back together. When I turned back around and looked at Carl, once again he was standing there cool as a cucumber. I thought, "Really, our trailer just fell from the sky! How can you be so calm?" When I said something about it later on he said, "Well, what was I supposed to do? I think I was in shock and couldn't believe what had just happened." 

After the trailer fell, everybody was quiet...nobody was saying a word. Then they started calling out to make sure everyone was ok and once everybody answered they got quiet again and just stood staring at Carl. He was like "Why are they staring at me?" I told him they were waiting for him to blow a gasket but he never did. He just said, "I am thankful no one got hurt. This trailer can be fixed." I was thinking, "Yes...yes it can, but how in the world are we going to get it out of here to get it fixed. I mean really...we're at the top of a hill and nobody can get out...and there isn't enough room for a tow truck to get in."

Going up...only for a minute.

Bent landing gear

No this should not look like this!
This is the rub rail...both sides looked like this.

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 says, "Always be joyful. Keep on praying. No matter what happens, always be thankful, for this is God's will for you who belong to Christ Jesus. 

James 1:19 says, "My dear brothers and sisters, be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry.

With everything we had just been through my dear sweet husband followed both of these commands. He just kept saying over and over "I am so thankful nobody got hurt." He stayed calm...never raised his voice...never had a look of aggravation or disgust...and he listened with an open heart as Kevin told him what he was going to do. He prayed about getting the trailer fixed and the potential loss of work.

Doesn't Carlos look calm!

Matthew 6:34 says, "So don't worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today's trouble is enough for today. Oh, how true this is and we certainly had enough troubles that day. Who had time to worry about tomorrow?? We had to focus on today. For a little while I thought we might be sleeping up in that little hole in the woods...along with 4 other people. But as I have said before God is so good!

Kevin immediately got on the phone and started calling people telling them what had happened and what they needed to do to get us out of there. He assured us over and over and over that his boss would fix our trailer. People...I can not tell you what a blessing that was. Most of the time if anything happens you are on your own. Not this time!

We were finally able to hook the truck and trailer back up. Let me tell you when I looked up and saw them raising the front of the trailer with the crane, I thought I was going to have a panic attack. But praise the Lord our truck and trailer were back together. They got someone to come up to cut the landing gear off (it had gotten bent and couldn't be raised). We were able to get the rub rail that had been snatched loose from the trailer cut off. I know this may sound quick and simple but it took about 3 1/2 hours. Now let the fun begin!!! When the trailer fell, it fell out of line with the road. Since we had no room and I mean noooo room to move around, Carlos had to move forward an inch back up an inch...turn the wheel to the right and move forward an inch...watch out don't hit the crane...turn the wheel to the left and back up an inch...look out for the boulders...turn the wheel to the left and move forward an inch...look out for the fence...turn the wheel and back up an inch...Stop...there's a tree...move forward an inch...stop...the fence again! This went on and on and on for the longest time. At one point we actually got to move 4 inches....oh the excitement there! If it hadn't been for the help of those 4 men guiding us and telling Carl how much room he had or which way to turn the wheel, I don't think we could have gotten out of there. Could ya'll see me trying to tell him what needed to be done....no....me either. But we finally did it....I say we...Carlos did all the work and I did all the praying! Bless his heart...his leg was given out after pushing on that clutch for so long. After the trailer was finally lined back up in the road, Kevin walked up to the truck shook Carl's hand and said, "After all that, backing down the road will be a piece of cake!" Once again with Kevin's help, we did what we did not want to do in the first place, we backed down the road. Finally...Hallelujah! Praise the Lord! We are out! 

Backing down this was so much fun!

We followed one of the workers back to their shop...filled our truck up with water...ate supper and went to bed. The next day they replaced the landing gear and fixed and replaced the rub rail to match what was on the trailer and by 5:30 we were on our way. It didn't cost us any time off work. So you see Matthew 6:34 is so very true. If we had worried about tomorrow it would have been worry for nothing. God had everything under control. Some of you may be asking,  "If He had everything under control then why did this happen?" Well, I don't know exactly why it happened. But I do know that it's just part of life. Things happen and  it's how we handle those things that matter...whether they're big things or little things our attitude...our words...our actions...matter. Jesus' life on earth was not a bed of roses so what in the world makes me think my life should be.  

Yes, our trial that day was nothing compared to what others have had to face. I think it is the little trials that prepare us for when those huge storms hit. If we can't handle the little things then how will we handle the big ones. Big or small...keep your faith and trust in Jesus. He will guide you through. I said we had 4 men helping us that day but the truth is we had 1 big powerful God who was leading...guiding...and directing 4 helpful men...1 happy couple...and 1 rambunctious little dog.

What an adventure this was!!

Til we meet again!
Only by Grace!
   Lynne

The Salt of the Earth

Howdy folks! It's been quite a few weeks since my last post so let's see if I can get you up to date with what's been going on in the truckin' duo world.

First let me update you on how Timothy is doing.  He loves trucking and has already enjoyed seeing some of God's amazing country. He was faced with a few challenges his first couple of weeks on his own but he handled them great. Just like his mama and daddy he loves the west and just like his mama...he loves to talk on the phone (which I am so excited about). During one of our many phone conversations he said, "I think I am going to move out here to Washington. It's so pretty." "Oh no you're not! You can go visit anytime you want but moving is out of the question!" When I told Carl what he said he just laughed "He'll change his mind once it turns cold." Then it happened..."Mama, I woke up freezing this morning. I had to get up and turn my heater on and now they're talking about snow. I've got to get a load and get out of here!"  Just like his mama and daddy...he does not like the cold.  "Ahhh, yes...Lord I love your timing!"

Now...on to us. We said goodbye to the east and headed south to Louisiana and then up to Oregon. Since we were in Oregon and Toot was in Washington, we were hoping to meet up with one another but we just couldn't get it to work out. So close but yet so far away!

I am always excited when we get a load that takes us on a different route and to remote places. I just love the changes in scenery and the places people live. This trip we were able to see the salt flats in Utah. I've never really thought that much about salt and where it comes from other than the fact that I love it on my food and I buy it in the store. Now, I sound like my little kindergarten kids..."Where does corn come from?" "The store." Where does our meat come from?" "Winn Dixie." They bought it at the store so that's where it comes from. Well, I buy salt at the store so that's where it comes from.

Beautiful! Loved how the crystals sparkled in the sun.



As you can tell by my expression, it was not what I was expecting. I had in my mind that it would taste like the salt from the ocean. Oh my, what a surprise! It was much saltier. Carl said it tasted just like salt out of a salt box but I think it was saltier.

Even Spice enjoyed the view.

Carlos checking out the salt crystals.

Mama, this one's for you!

Got Salt!

As we were riding and looking at the beauty of the salt flats, I was reminded of the verse about being the salt of the earth.

 "You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot." Matthew 5:13.

 Just as salt adds flavor and makes a difference in the way our food tastes, we as Christians should add flavor and make a difference in this world. When people look at us they should see Christ. Our love...our works...our behavior and attitude towards people and situations in our life should reflect Christ. If we are not being obedient to Christ and our life is not reflecting His love, then we are just like salt that has lost its saltiness. We are useless! Being a Christian is so much more than just believing Christ is the Son of God...that He died for us and rose again and that He is our Lord and Savior. A Christian believes all that PLUS lives for Christ...works for Christ...loves like Christ...and is obedient to Christ.

Luke 14:34-35 says, "Salt is good for seasoning. But if it loses its flavor, how do you make it salty again? Flavorless salt is good neither for the soil nor for fertilizer. It is thrown away. Anyone who is willing to hear should listen and understand!" What good is a Christian who doesn't live as a Christian? As Christians we should not just blend into the world, we should stand out and make a difference. We should stimulate in others the thirst for Christ just as salt stimulates the thirst in us.

As we were riding and looking at the salt flats, Carl said, "Look how the salt crystals shine and sparkle in the sunlight." That should be us...we as Christians should sparkle. Shine. Stand out. Make a difference.

Are you a salty Christian shining with Christ's love or have you lost your saltiness and sparkle?

And now for the rest of our trip. There is only one road that leads to Fields.  When we turned on the road the first thing we saw was a sign that said...Next gas 179 miles. Yep, better make sure you have a good car and plenty of gas when traveling this road. We even saw one man carrying an extra gas can with him on his motorcycle. Guess he's traveled this road once or twice. Hmmm, wonder if he learned from experience. 

About 22 miles before we got to Fields was a little town called Denio, NV. Let me just say that calling it a town is a bit of a stretch. It is a census-designated place with a population of about 47. It has a post office, a hotel with a restaurant and The Diamond Inn Bar; where all the action takes place. 

Diamond Inn Bar

Post Office

When we got to Denio it was already dark and hauling a wide load in the dark is a big no-no. So as soon as we came to a wide pull off in the road we stopped. We didn't realize we were across the road from the happening place in Denio, the Diamond Inn Bar or we might have gone over and shaken a leg or two.

Our home for the night.

Our view when we woke up the next morning.

When Carl called to get directions to the delivery spot, we were told to stop at Fields Station. "When you get to Fields there will be a station on your right. You can't miss it. Make sure you don't go pass it because the road turns into a dirt road and gets very narrow and curvy. There won't be any way for you to turn around." At the time we had noooo idea that Fields Station was the only and I mean the only thing in Fields. So we really weren't sure what we would be getting into. We thought they were going to meet us and lead us to the job sight...oh no...they unloaded us right there in the parking lot of Fields Station. They had to unload the building off of our trailer and put it on one of theirs and they were going to haul it to the job sight using a dump truck. The guys told us it would take them 3 1/2 hours to get to the job sight and it was only 21 miles away. The job sight was at the top of the mountain and the road was a dirt, rocky, curvy road that was more like a path than a road. They had to take a bulldozer to widen it and then use the bulldozer to pull the truck up to the top because the incline was so steep. All I can say is thank goodness for Fields Station.

Fields Station was a happening little place...seriously!
It was a grocery store, a gas station, a liquor store, a café and a motel.
If you're ever in Fields, OR check them out. Carl said, "That's the only thing to check out!"

Moving the Verizon building from our trailer to theirs.

They had to put weights from the crane in the back of the dump truck to keep
it from popping a wheelie.

Taking care of business in the drive of Fields Station

I know one thing if you live in Fields or Denio you certainly don't run to town every night to pick up groceries for supper. I asked the young couple that owned Fields Station if they have a lot of visitors and much to my surprise they said yes. "What do people come here to do?" "Hunting, bird watching, hiking, and to go to the hot springs. We actually have several things to do." Well, now I know...never judge a town by its what appears to be "nothingness." I do know one thing, when Verizon gets finished with the new tower they will have better service out in the middle of nowhere than we get in the middle of somewhere. "Can you hear me now? What about now? Can you hear me now?" That little man needs to make his way to south GA!!!!

It took 4 1/2 weeks but we were finally able to meet up with Toot. I was one excited mama. I even got to ride with him for a couple of days. Oh yeah baby...my excitement was through the roof!

We are now off to our next adventure...Connecticut...with a wide load. We're so excited and we just can't hide it. We're about to lose control and we think we like it.  NOT!!!

Til we meet again!

Only by Grace!

    Lynne



Let Your Tears Flow

After months and months of searching, Timothy finally found a good used truck.  Well, I kinda found it for him. Would you believe he sent me on a mission to look at a truck in Birmingham, AL. He and Carl were on their way to California when he called and said he found a truck and that he wanted me to go check it out. WHAT?!?! "You want me to go check out a semi truck for you and make the decision of putting down a deposit?" "Yes, you can do it. I have faith in you." After sweet talking my parents into going with me, we all loaded up and headed up to Birmingham. Daddy inspected the outside and I inspected the inside. We must have done a pretty good job because Timothy is now the proud owner of a 2007 Peterbilt and is one happy fella! I don't think he'll ever stop smiling.

Happy! Happy! Happy!

Since Timothy wouldn't let me go with him in his truck, I seriously considered traveling as a stow away. I searched and searched to try and find the perfect hiding spot but he had every little crook and cranny filled with "stuff".  Since I couldn't go as a stow away, I told Carl that we would just have to get 2 loads going in the same direction...you know, so I could see for myself how he handled the busy cities and heavy traffic.  He said he wanted us to all go together on the first couple of loads anyway so he could make sure his truck was going to do ok. He really just wanted his mama with him! And of course I was more than happy to oblige!

Off to Oklahoma we went and then to New Jersey. Wait..."New Jersey...Carl, isn't that one of the states you and Timothy said ya'll did not want to go to?" "I know, I know! I heard 2 loads and same direction so I took it." Just in case you haven't read any of my previous posts....We DO NOT  LIKE working the east coast north of Virginia. The roads are too narrow...too much traffic...toll roads EVERYWHERE and they are not cheap...the signs don't make sense and well...it just isn't the same as the south and the west!

Timothy only had one drop off in New Jersey but we had 3 different drop offs and 2 of them were near the Jersey Shore...yay us! When the contact person for each drop off said, "I'll meet you at such and such spot and lead you in because there are some tricky turns," we knew we were in for an interesting day! While traveling to the second drop off, which was right on the Jersey Shore, Carl told me to make sure I took all the pictures I wanted because we would NOT be coming back. After getting drops 1 and 2 off without any problems we just knew we had it whooped. Yeah right! The last drop should have been the easiest...but...well, lets just say it was a royal pain! When Carl called to get directions, the man told him to take Exit 14 but didn't know which one...14, 14a, 14b or 14c. Well, according to the signs we needed 14c...WRONG! As we were crossing a bridge I said, "Look! There's the Empire State Building!" As we came off the bridge Carl said, "And if you look to your right you can see the Statue of Liberty!" Then our hearts stopped...straight in front of us were the toll booths, Jersey City and the Holland Tunnel. I don't think Carl has ever dialed a telephone number so fast in his life. "Are we going to be going into the city? Well, I am sitting here looking at the toll booths. Alright, I'll do something." Very irritated and disgusted, Carl said, "He told me we went too far. We should have gotten off at exit 14 and they are not going to wait on us. We are going to have to spend the night on their yard and unload tomorrow." "Well, if they'd given us the right directions to begin with we wouldn't be in this mess. Now I won't get to see Timothy tonight." Laughing and trying to make me feel better Carl said, "You wanted to tour New York anyway!" "Not like this! Not in a semi-truck! What are we going to do? How are we going to get turned around?" "That guy wanted me to see if the toll booth worker would let us make a U-turn." "Are you kidding me...a U-turn? Does he really think we can make a U-turn in all this traffic in this big truck?" We have toured New York City before...in a car...and on foot. The roads and traffic are crazy ridiculous and Jersey City...well...the roads and traffic are very similar to New York City. My heart was beating a hundred miles per hour...my hands were sweaty...and I had the strongest death grip on my chair. Carl... he looked cool as a cucumber! That is the reason he is the driver of LC and I'm not. After paying $12.50 to go through the toll booth, we went to the first red light turned left and went right back out. "Thank you Lord!"

If there's water, then I have to put my feet in it
The Jersey Shore

This area was badly damaged by Hurricane Sandy

Three days after the new owners bought this restaurant Hurricane Sandy came and
 completely destroyed it. It is still in the rebuilding process. 

Look beyond the building and you will see the Statue of Liberty

Jersey City

 Finally, we made it to our final stop. Carl parked the truck on the side of the street so he could go check out where we needed to park...I called Timothy to tell him we wouldn't be at the truck stop tonight and as I am on the phone with Timothy I look up and see Carl running back to the truck. "Toot here comes Daddy...he's running!" "Running!" "Something must be up. I'll call you back in a little bit." Now for those of you that know Carl are probably thinking the same thing Timothy was saying...Running!! Carl never runs...he hardly ever even walks fast. Run and hurry are just not in his vocabulary. He reminds me of the story "The Hare and the Tortoise"...slow and steady wins the race. Oh yeah, the reason he was running..."Los, what's going on!" "He's still here... unloading the last truck now. He'll unload us but he's leaving at 6:30...finished or not. So, we have to work fast." People it was 6:10. We had 20 minutes and let me just say...slow and steady went out the window!  We got it all off right at 6:30. I don't think we've ever unloaded equipment that fast and yes we made it back to the truck stop and I got to eat supper with my two main men! Yes...I was a happy, happy girl!

Happy girl...sad girl! Timothy is now traveling the wild blue yonder on his own. Before he left he kept asking me if I was going to be ok. He and Carl both knew the water works were on their way. Having a good cry is not something I have trouble with. Tears of joy...tears of sadness...tears of amazement...tears of frustration...you name it and I shed tears for it.  Watching him drive off was like watching him drive out of the drive way for the first time when he was 16. As I watched him drive away I remembered a verse from a devotion that I had recently read, "You keep track of all my sorrows. You have collected all my tears in your bottle. You have recorded each one in your book." Psalm 56:8.  Wow! Christ even cares about my tears. I've never really thought about that before. I know He cares about everything in our lives and everything we go through but I've never really thought about our tears.   Just as He knows every hair on my head; He knows every tear that has ever been shed and He has collected them in His bottle.  I must say though; He has a lot and I mean a lot of bottles filled with just my tears. When we see a loved one crying and hurting our heart aches for them. We want to hold them and make their pain go away. The same thing is true for Christ. When He sees our tears He feels our pain. Not only does He collect our tears in His bottle but He records them in His book. That just takes my breath away knowing that my tears have also been recorded in the book of my Lord and Savior.  Psalm 34:15 says, "The eyes of the LORD are on the righteous, and his ears are attentive to their cry."  When Christ sees our tears and hears our cries He is right there for us. He prays for us. He holds us. He comforts us. He gives us peace. He wipes our tears away.

Yes, my friends I did shed quite a few tears that day. I didn't have an emotional break down like I had thought I might and that I had warned Carlos about but I did have a really good cry. They were not so much tears of sadness but also tears of joy and excitement. Timothy has always dreamed of owning his own truck, being his own boss and traveling the country.  His dream has come true so you see...my tears were filled with every kind of emotion you can think of. But one thing is for sure...as each tear of sadness was shed, Christ felt my pain and prayed for me and as each tear of joy and excitement was shed, Christ smiled and rejoiced with me. And as each tear was shed, He collected that tear and put it in His bottle that I believe has "Lynne's Tears" written on it.

Let your tears flow!

Til we meet again,
     Lynne

Chose Faith Not Fear

Hello, everybody! It sure has been awhile since my last post. Some of you may have wondered if the truckin' duo fell off the face of the earth or were abducted by aliens. Well, we didn't fall off the face of the earth but being abducted by aliens could be debatable. I am sure with the things I say and do, at times, Carl thinks the same thing. But anywho... we just went through a few changes this summer. The truckin' duo went from being Carl and Lynne to Carl and Timothy...yep...I got kicked out of the truck, but baby I'm back.

Since Timothy was a little boy he's wanted to buy a truck and hit the road. His dream has finally come true. He's had his CDL's and has been driving a truck for 6 years but he didn't have any long haul experience. So...he kicked me out...he got in...and for 4 1/2 months he did his training under Carl. They became the new truckin' duo. I sure wish I could have been a fly in the truck during those months. We had several people to ask us why I didn't go with them. REALLY!!! Carl, Timothy, me and Spice all in one truck...I DON'T THINK SO!!

Timothy's new truck

What in the world did I do during those months at home by myself? I spent time with family and friends. When it wasn't raining (which wasn't very often), I enjoyed sunning by the pool. I also learned to somewhat enjoy mowing the yard. I am still trying to figure out how and why most of the ladies in my Sunday School class and my sisters find it relaxing. There is nothing relaxing about spending 2 hours in a dust storm...can't see...can't breath...and every little inch of my body is covered in dust. Yeah, that is real relaxing! But I must say putting in my ear phones and listening to Christian music on my Pandora did help a little...I mean a VERY little. I also started making rustic hand painted signs out of old pieces of wood. Carl and Timothy fixed me up a little shop which I named "Country Blessings". You can see some of my work here; https://www.facebook.com/rustichandmadesigns.  Overall, I just tried to keep myself very, very  busy. It would have been extremely easy for me to curl up in a ball and let depression set in for those several months. Being away from Carl is always a difficult thing for me to handle. I've told you before how I wish he had a pocket to carry me in. I would be perfectly happy perched up there. He just laughs when I tell him that...not so sure if it's a good laugh or a bad laugh. (Just a little side note..as I read this to Carlos, he started laughing...still not sure!)  But this time, I also had to deal with being separated from Timothy and getting myself use to the idea of him traveling the country by himself. Just not real wild about him off in Timbuktu all alone. 

 During my time at home we had a series of Sunday School lessons on Fearless by Max Lucado. Oh my goodness! What perfect timing. When the lessons started I was letting my fears about Timothy getting in his truck and traveling across the country alone consume me. I know! You're thinking "Goodness, Lynne! He's 24!" Yes, he is but he's still my baby and my baby he'll always be! We all deal with fears everyday but how we deal with them makes all the difference in the world. We can let our fears suck the life right out of us or we can have faith in Christ to overcome our fears. No, it  wasn't a coincidence that what I was struggling with would also be my Sunday School lesson for the next several weeks. It was a God thing! His timing for everything is always perfect! I am really bad about not letting God take control of my fears and worries after I have prayed and asked for His help. I pray and tell Him that I am giving all my worries over to Him but then I still worry. "Don't worry about anything; instead, pray about everything." Philippians 4:6. That is a verse that I have to pray quite often.  I have always had faith and I know that no matter how big or small the fear may be that Christ is always right by my side to see me through. Sometimes it just takes me a little longer to get to that point than it should. These lessons just helped reinforce God's love, strength, comfort, and support that He has for me.. for us all. I already knew all that but I just needed to hear it again and I needed it at that very moment. Let Go and Let God! That's what I had to do. After I prayed and put Timothy and his safety in the hands of God...and yes, I really did it this time; I felt so much better. Fear and happiness can not live together in the same body. Finally, moving ahead and feeling much better then WHAM! A health scare. It was a holiday weekend and it would be at least 4 days before I could see the doctor. My mind went crazy.  I prayed about it and would feel good about the situation and then slowly one thought after another and all the what ifs began to overwhelm me. Fear/Satan was creeping his way back in and I was letting him. And once again, the Lord used my Sunday School lesson to speak to me. It was on Fear and Faith. As always...perfect timing!  Max Lucado  said, "Fear will always knock on your door. Just don't invite it in for dinner. And for heaven's sake, don't offer it a bed for the night." When I read this I had already opened the door and let fear in.  I even let it come in for dinner and stay for a few nights before I was able to see the doctor. After a couple of doctor appointments and each one telling me they didn't think there was anything to worry about, I got a call telling me they were referring me to another doctor. Once again, I opened the door and let fear in, but this time I only let it in for a very quick breakfast and I certainly did not let it spend the night. Then I get a phone call about a completely separate test that came back abnormal. "REALLY! What is the deal?" Praise the Lord that He has power over fear.  I remembered what Max Lucado said about not letting fear in and this time I refused to let it in all.  Matthew 8:23-27 tells us the story of when Jesus calmed the storm. He and his disciples were in a boat when a furious storm came up. Waves were crashing over the side of the boat...the disciples were terrified and Jesus...well, He was sleeping. The disciples yelled out for help and for Him to save them. He woke up and asked, "You of little faith, why are you so afraid?" Then He got up and rebuked the winds and the waves and it became completely calm. Jesus didn't immediately calm the storm. He waited for them to call out to Him. That's what He wants all of us to do...that's what He wanted me to do...call out to Him.  Once I called out to Him my faith in Him took control of all my fears. FEAR is False Evidence Appearing Real. It takes a possible threat and blows it way out of proportion. It turns logical thinking into irrational behavior and turns our emotions completely upside. Choose faith over fear and trust over doubt...that is what I had to do.  I am so thankful to know that when my focus shifted from Christ that His focus was...is...and will always be on me...waiting on me to call out to Him...waiting to grab my hand and lead me through the storm to overcome my fears.

I am always amazed at how the Lord puts people, devotions, Sunday School lessons, songs. letters, and just simple words of inspiration in our path at just the appropriate time. Phillips, Craig & Dean's "I Chose to Believe" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fsskLzx-4fQ ; Natalie Grant's "Hurricane" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ttKnLwwHlig and Casting Crowns' "Praise you in this Storm" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xGPS8sa-bRQ  Those are just a few of the songs that helped me out. Most importantly was Carl being at home when this 4 week journey began. He was unable to stay home the whole 4 weeks but each time I had a doctor's appointment the Lord made sure that he was able to be right by my side. What a blessing that was! Everything turned out fine. In fact, when I went to the last doctor there were no signs of anything. It was gone! Yes, it was all God! The morning of my last appointment Carl prayed and before we got out of the car he looked at me and said, "Everything will be just fine and if it's not...we will get through it...together! I am so blessed to have him in my life. I still have another health issue that has to be checked on in a few months but I have put it in the hands of the Lord and I know everything will be fine. I chose happiness, joy and peace. I have closed and locked the door to fear. It is not coming in again!

Fear is and will always be around us. Fear of losing our job, fear of our child going off to college or starting kindergarten. While I was battling my fear of Timothy hitting the road alone, a friend of mine was dealing with her fear of her daughter starting middle school. We have health fears, fear of losing a loved one; losing our home to a fire; fear of being robbed. Fear, fear, fear it is everywhere.           

 2 Timothy 1:7 tells us, "For God has not given us a spirit of fear." Christ is well aware of all the fears in our lives and how quickly it can sneak in and take control of our mind, our thoughts, our feelings and emotions. That is why Christ tells us over and over in the bible "do not be afraid"...not just one time or 2-3 times but many many times. "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." 
Isaiah 41:10.

Into His hands I lay the fears that haunt me,

The dread of future ills that may befall;

Into His hands I lay the doubts that taunt me,

And rest securely, trusting Him for all. —Christiansen

Til We Meet Again!

Only by Grace!
      Lynne 

White As Snow

Brigham City, UT

Idaho

Last winter while in the freezing northwestern states, a friend told me to adjust...adapt...embrace and become one with the cold. Well, for five VERY LONG days we adjusted...adapted...embraced and became one with the bone chilling, frigid, icy, raw, arctic winds, blizzardous and numbing weather of Idaho. I hope you get the picture....it was COLD!!!!! I'm not sure who was happier to get out of the snow Carl and me...or Spice. We were so excited to say good-bye snowy Idaho and hello sunny California.

Not sure who's walking who?

The morning we unloaded in Idaho it was a whopping 7 degrees and it would be one of those tarped loads...not just one tarp but five. All winter Carl has been trying to get me to buy a pair of long johns but NOOOO I never would. "I'm not wasting money on those things, besides I probably won't even be able to get my jeans on over them." So, the night before we unloaded I wanted to go to Walmart and buy some....oh yeah...long johns. When I told Carl I wanted to stop at Walmart, he was like "What do you want to go to Walmart for?" With a smirky little grin and a very soft voice "to get some long johns for tomorrow." Oh, I wish you could have seen the look he gave me! Without saying a word I knew exactly what he was thinking and then ...it came. "I tried to get you to buy a pair just last week." "No, you did not." "Oh, yes I did. I said, look Lynne, they even have a pair of pink long johns for you. And you just kept right on walking." "No, I didn't. I don't even remember seeing any pink ones....WHATEVER!!" I did get me some long johns...just not from Walmart...from Carl's drawer. They were about 10 sizes too big (Carl strongely disagrees with the size. I wish you could have heard him when I read this to him.) I had those suckers rolled up every which a way but I wore them and yes, I was able to get my jeans on and yes...they kept my legs so, so, so warm! When I told Carlos how warm my legs were he was like, "YEAH...I've been trying to tell you and you wouldn't listen!" Well, I'm listening now.          

The warmth and sunshine of southern California was such a welcomed sight. The fact that I could wear a short sleeve shirt made me a very happy girl. We didn't even mind the fact that our load had to be tarped.  As we were tarping Carl said, "We are getting really good at this...we are tarping professionals." "Yeah, we should start giving tarping classes." From the warm sunny days of southern California off to the warm sunny days of south east Texas. I quickly polished up my little toes one morning and drug out my flip flops. Yes, my feet are as white as white can be but they were glowing with excitement of being free...free of socks...free of boots...free, free, free at last.. for two whole days! Oh yeah, when I say warm I don't mean 80 degrees I mean high 60's low 70's. But after dealing with single digit temperatures...that is warm. Unfortunately, I have had to pack the flip flops back up. We are now in Kentucky. Carl said, "Woman, we just left the cold and you sent us right back into it." Yes, me...I am the one that found the load which means that when I'm complaining about being cold, it will all be directed right back at...ME! Instead of smelling like money, it will be feeling like money!

Getting into a pickle seems to happen to us quite often, our Kentucky delivery was certainly no different. We had to deliver to a town that is built up in the mountains...not good. Traveling up skinny two-lane curvy roads in the dark in a big truck is always a stressful event...now...add getting lost on top of that! We called for directions but the guy had no idea where we were. He tried giving us some directions for where he thought we were and said,"If you go past the CVS Drugstore, you have gone too far." Well, just great we were right there at the drugstore and it's not like we could just whoop that truck around. So our reliable Tom-Tom...NOT..told us there was a fuel stop just ahead. That fuel stop ended up being a little gas station with a bridge that looked too low for us to get under...can you say OMG! There just happened to be a Pizza Hut right there. It didn't really have a drive, the parking lot just kind of opened up to the road, so Carl hooked it in there. Now, there we are...it's dark...we're taking up the whole parking lot and no where to go. Carl jumps out and goes inside to ask the Pizza Hut people if they could give us some directions. It was quite obvious by the look on Carlos' face that he was totally lost. So, in situations like this...you pay the delivery boy to escort you to the delivery sight. With the pizza delivery boy leading the way off we went. I bet you are wondering how in the world we got turned around. Would you believe there was an ally behind Pizza Hut, so we back up into it and were able to make a sharp enough turn to get turned around. Was the LORD watching over us or what! You may be thinking but you got lost...yes we did...but, in probably the only place in town that had room for us to get turned around...plus the pizza boy was there with no deliveries to make. So yes...God was there...He's always there...in EVERY situation!

Oh yeah...let me add in my experience with Spice at the delivery sight. She had been in the truck for a pretty long time and really needed to go for a walk. I got her out and off we went to what looked like grass...wrong! Splosh, splosh, splosh right in the mud and water and ice she went. She was going so fast that as soon as I hit the ice my feet started slipping and sliding. When she finally got finished walking ME, she was wet all over. Carl said,"What did you do? Let her lay down and play in the water!" "No, it's dark and I couldn't see the puddles until she starting splashing through them and had me splashing through them after her." Not a fun walk!!

As much as I dislike the cold weather, I do love the beauty of a snow covered mountain or field. Every time I see a field of snow I want to stop and make a snow angel, which I usually do. I love the look of it and even the feel. It has a way of bringing out the child in all of us. It has such a stillness and quietness to it. It has a remarkable way of turning the unsightly things into things of beauty.  Yards filled with junk, trash along the roads, brown dead grass and trees are all covered with the beauty of white fluffy snow. Even at night, as the moon is shining down, the snow just glows through the darkness. The unsightly, becomes a sight of beauty. That is exactly the way it is with us and God. As humans our lives are filled with sin, (the unsightly) but as Christians we can go to our LORD...pray and ask for forgiveness...turn away from our sins and our loving gracious Father washes our sins away until they are white as snow. He turns our unsightly to a sight of beauty. Sometimes we may still see the unsightly in our lives. It may be hard for us to forget about things we have done or said but what a blessing it is to have a forgiving Father. He not only forgives us when we confess our sins...He forgets about them..never to think of them again. Our unsightly, ugly, dirty sin is not just covered up it is completely washed away. It is white as snow.  "Come now, let us settle the matter," says the LORD. "Though your sins are like scarlet they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson they shall be like wool." Isaiah 1:18 I love how the beauty and awesomeness of God makes me think of songs. I don't always remember all the words but just the fact that one phrase or verse sticks in my head helps to keep me focused on Jesus Christ. This time it was a hymn from church and I just kept singing "Sin had left a crimson stain, He washed it white as snow." The name of the song is "Jesus Paid it All". I pray that if you have not turned to Christ and repented of your sins that you will do that now. Turn them over to Him and let Him wash you WHITE AS SNOW! May you see the beauty in yourself that He sees in you. What a glorious, glorious moment that will be!

My Snow Angel

Idaho

I have mentioned before how we always have people begging us for money or food but last week we even had a dog begging for some food. We had stopped in Shiprock, NM to do some grocery shopping. Now, this is a little town that just lets their dogs run free. Every time we stop the parking lot is full of dogs just roaming around. Well, on this day as we were putting up our groceries we heard a knock on the door. It was a man begging for a few dollars to get a hamburger and as soon as he walked off a dog walked up to the truck..sat down ..looked up at Carlos and started barking. It wasn't a mean vicious bark. It was an, "I want something to eat also" bark. Carl said, "Do you hear this dog barking at me? I guess he wants something to eat also." So Carl grabbed some dog food, got out and walked across the parking lot and poured three little piles of dog food. One pile for each dog that was standing there. I told him,"Not only do we help two legged beggers we also help the four legged ones. I must say though, Spice was not thrilled at all about us giving her food away.

Now for an update on Spice. She has adjusted very nicely to her new life as a trucking dog. The riding part anyway. The snow, the sand spurs, the stickers and lack of grass are still a work in progress. Oh, and being on a leash...she really dislikes that. We bought a retractable leash and when that thing tightens up on her she goes to bucking and a jerking like some kind of a wild animal.  She will see something, take off after it and the leash will run out before we can catch up with her, which results in her acting like a crazy dog. The other night I was out walking her and she kept getting closer and closer to a little ditch, which was filled with water, and then she saw something and off she went. I jerked on the leash...she jerked back and pulled my feet right out from under me...flat on my bottom I went. One night with Carl she got the leash wrapped around her tail and in the process of trying to get it off she got it wrapped around her nose. She was bucking and jerking trying to get it off but the more she jerked the tighter it got. She wouldn't be still long enough for Carl to get it off. She ended up pulling it so tight that she had herself pulled side ways. I always wipe her paws off before she gets back in the truck but the other night after walking her Carl said,"Better get the heavy artillery!" I looked down at her feet and they were just as muddy as they could be. It was dark, and she found herself a little mud-hole to walk through before her daddy realized it. For fourteen years she has eaten only dog food but in the last five weeks she has eaten everything under the sun. She has found more ham bones, chicken bones, and leg bones ever thought possible. When we take her out for a walk, she is on a mission, a mission to find a bone. We try really hard to watch her but she has a nose on her better than any hound dog. She can find those things and have them in her mouth before we even know what is going on. And oh my goodness, don't even try to take it away from her...talk about a dog going crazy. It is never a dull moment with her. Most of the time I feel like I am living an episode of "I love Lucy" and now we have us a "Lucy dog." She just cracks us up!!

Every night before going to bed she has to go back up front, check things out
and then she stands there looking back through the curtain at us.

Life is great!

Getting ready to bomb somebody!

Do you see his snowball?

Til We Meet Again!
Only By Grace!
    Lynne