December Chill and Warmth

 

It is now December, and wow did it sneak up fast!  The chill of the season came earlier, with some brutal winds and temperatures.  Since we're in Kansas, those winds get pretty wild!

In the past weeks I've worked up at the yard at a BNSF depot.  It's not a hard job by any means, it is transporting and assisting crews to/from their trains and other places they need to go within a certain radius of the depot.  The hardest part at times is staying awake or holding out for a bathroom break when out away from the depot, or maybe trying to get the van in and out of a hard to reach siding that could use a bit of maintenance.  Sometimes some of the sidings that we go out to can get pretty rough, these are ones that most of the public never see.   Yard drivers work 12 hour shifts, all weather/temps/etc.  They are a sought after position, as the other position is long haul driving, which is pretty self explanatory--long distance driving all hours of the day/night.   In down time I keep a bag with hand sewing or embroidery in the little storage spot in the middle of the van, and sew away on little fabric flowers or other small pieces.  It is good to keep the hands busy!  

I've been blessed with the job at the depot.  There's days where it doesn't feel like a blessing, but God has His reasons for putting people where He does.  I've got good coworkers that I enjoy working with, and the crew guys treat us well.  I enjoy asking them about their families, how's the wife (or girlfriend), kids, how's the home remodel project going, how's garden plans going, etc.  Some of the guys, they speak warmly about their wives and families, how proud they are of them.  It's not all rosy, nothing is, but the positive far outweighs the negative.  

While I'm on shift, I spend a lot of time alone between runs.  In that time, I get to listen to solid Christian radio or audio books.  More often than not, I listen to VCY America or Bott Radio Network.  VCY has a station in the town I work in, and Bott started out in KC metro.  Regardless of what time I'm there, whether overnights or middle of the day, I know I can get some solid preaching and teaching, solid sacred music, etc when I turn on the radio.  I've also been listening to John MacArthur audio books via Scribd.  Scribd is a paid subscription but has several hundred thousand books/audio books/etc that are available at any given time.  Right now I'm listening to John MacArthur's "The Truth War: Fighting for Certainty in an Age of Deception".  It is worth a listen if you get a chance, have your bible close by and be ready to pause and check out the verses MacArthur uses.  I've listened to quite a few of his books while driving out on long haul trips and no crew on board.  It's nice to learn and grow whenever possible, and if the Lord gives quiet times, regardless of when or where it is, why not take it?  

Before I go back for my next shift, I'm planning on printing out bible studies from the Time Warp Wife.  You can find that link on the right side of this blog.  Darlene has a lot of good studies to choose from, and you can print out yourself or buy off of Amazon.   I recommend at least taking a look at the studies and devotionals, maybe taking one for a test run and seeing where it leads.  

Here a couple weeks or so ago, I cut my hours down significantly in order to return to working on my sewing business.  I'm back to the sewing machines, and at this time working on Mennonite/Amish/Hutterite styles of clothing.  Those of you who know me know I tend to lean toward the conservative/modest arena.  On my own, I prefer wearing cape dresses, or at the least long and modest dresses that have good coverage.  At work I am not allowed to wear dresses for safety reasons, but otherwise I love them.  I've been working on jumpers and dresses to put in the Etsy shops and in my stand alone store.  They take time to make for sure, as I am particular on pressing, and I don't use a serger--I do straight stitching, with French seaming or bindings for seam finishes.  Think old fashioned.  I even do some seam treatments by hand to keep the seam finish soft.  Good quality doesn't have to mean quickly made, and sometimes it takes more time to do a good job.  I prefer quality of quantity where my sewing is concerned. 

Today has started as a foggy, chilly morning.  I've enjoyed a couple cups of hot Black Rifle coffee, and it's time to get the day going.  I hope you have a great day, and will see you back here soon!

I'll be praying for you!

Angie