Easter

The Easter story, much like the Christmas story, can easily seem old and cliche. If you grew up in the church like me, you've heard it since childhood. Jesus was born, He lived, He died on a cross to save us, and three days later He rose from the dead.

But when you stop to think about the impact of those words...the story holds new meaning every time. Because all of that was done for me. His suffering, His excruciating death, the despair of His loved ones - that was for me. The triumph of His resurrection, the joy of knowing He is alive and victorious even over death - that was for me. The forgiveness accomplished by those acts is daily for me.

Today, take time to ponder on what the Easter story means to you.

Never Again, New York City

#3 in the drivers seat

A few days ago, we had the misfortune to be assigned a load to Brooklyn, New York. No, we've been through parts of New York before, and upstate New York is beautiful, but we've never had to drive in downtown New York City before. Not only was this delivery right smack dab in the middle of Brooklyn, it wasn't even delivering to one ofour typical locations - it was delivering to a hospital!

The trip went smoothly until we crossed from New Jersey into New York and headed for the city. We exited the interstate into Brooklyn and immediately knew we were in trouble!

The city streets are very narrow and lined with parked cars on each side, and some random cars stopped in the middle of the road as well. The traffic seems to think that following normal rules of the road is overrated, and generally has no respect for stop lights, road markings, or slow moving semis. Taxis and personal cars zipped around us without caring about little details like driving on the correct side of the road! The roads were certainly not built with large vehicles in mind, and it's nearly impossible to turn from one city street to another without taking the whole intersection. Several times we very nearly hit or scraped against parked cars, impatient taxis, and careless pedestrians.

When we finally arrived at the delivery location, we found it to be a small inner city hospital with one loading dock directly off the street. We had to block traffic in all directions and back up across the entire intersection, and our front end still hung out in the street even when we were fully backed to the dock. We were relieved to be there at last...until they told us that nobody was available to unload our trailer and asked us to come back in 4 hours. What?!

Downtown Brooklyn 

Of course we couldn't stay there, so we had to find somewhere to go park for a few hours. The nearest safe place to park was about half an hour away, but we didn't even get halfway there before we were stopped by a low bridge ahead that we wouldn't be able to clear under. We tried another route and ran into the same problem. We also got into road construction in an area that blocked off the road and left us a passage so narrow that our front corners were nearly touching the wall and our back tires were rubbing against it! We managed to back through an intersection and get turned around, and ended up pulling over on the side of the road and parking with the cars for a couple hours.

When we returned a few hours later, backing into the dock was even more difficult due to the increased traffic in the area. Don ended up helping the staff unload the trailer, and even with his help it took them about four hours to get us unloaded and reloaded. When we finally left, it was mid-morning in downtown Brooklyn and traffic was even more insane! The interstate was only about 3 miles away but it took us an hour and a half to get there through the narrow, crowded streets while dodging the hordes of rude, impatient drivers and pedestrians.

We finally got out of NYC and breathed a deep sigh of relief. We don't want to ever go back! It's bad enough driving through that city in a car, but navigating it in a semi was a nightmare!

Spring and Changing Seasons

Wow, has it really been a month since my last blog? I'm sorry for my absence, it's been a very busy time.

Recent hiking trip with my wonderful in-laws 

I'm happy to say that, at least back home in Indiana, spring has sprung. Fields are being prepared for crops, vibrantly green new grass blankets the roadsides, and the first of the wild daffodils are tentatively turning their pretty faces toward the sunlight. It's still chilly in the evenings, but the daytime weather has improved enough for relatively pleasant walks outdoors.

The changing of the seasons brings to mind the seasons of life. Our current season, living on the road, can sometimes be very frustrating and I have to remind myself that it is only a season, it's not permanent. This to shall pass and become a memory. Instead of focusing the things we aren't able to do right now, I try to remember the positive things. We won't always be able to spend this much time together or see the landscapes of our great country, and I would rather enjoy these things while I have them then waste my time wishing for the things I don't have right now.

Seasons change, but each has its beauty, its hardships, and its joys. I think back to when I was single and longing to find my soulmate, the one to share my life with. Looking back, though our beginning together was difficult and sometimes I wish the timing and circumstances had been different, I wouldn't trade the relationship we have for the world. To say that God's timing is always perfect sounds so cliche, but it's absolutely true.

This morning I sat in a restaurant booth and watched a group of ladies talking nearby and passing around a precious baby girl. My heart ached to be that new mother, sweetly kissing her newborn. It seems like nearly every time I access social media, someone else is pregnant or is posting photos of their little ones. My news feed is flooded with baby bumps, nursery decor, chubby cheeks, dimpled hands, and toothy smiles. Yet as much as I long for that season of life, I know it is not the right time yet. When the timing is right, that season will come for us as well. Until then, I will see the beauty of the season I'm in.

Camping with my sweetheart

There will be other seasons in life, and each has its share of joys and sorrows. In springtime, it's easy to become discontent wishing for land to plant a garden, room for baby animals to grow and thrive, and a place of our own to watch the wonders of spring come to life. While these dreams may be fulfilled in a different season, longing after them will only foster unhappiness with the season I'm in right now.

So, for now, I will focus on the positive and appreciate the beauty of our current season of life. Today's sunrise is different from yesterday's, and tonight's sunset will not be the same as tomorrow's. From Seattle to New York City, and from Miami to Sacramento, the view outside my bedroom window changes with the diversity of scenery in our beautiful country.

Happy spring!

Weather Woes

Cascade Mountains, Washington

Fraulein Maria may have included "snowflakes that stay on my nose and eyelashes" in her list of favorite things, but they are certainly not on my list. In fact, I'm pretty much tired of snow in general!

It's been a few weeks since I last blogged...and boy, do we have some stories! It's been a crazy few weeks, with weather, mountains, new states, and new experiences.

Did you hear about the huge storm that slammed the East coast a couple weeks ago? Thankfully we weren't stuck in it, but we did get sent to Connecticut shortly afterwards. The interstates were clear, though local roads were still in bad condition.

Snowy trees in Wisconsin 

However, from there we went straight down to Richmond, Virginia...by way of New York and New Jersey! And of course, I made a wrong turn and ended up going right through the Bronx. Let me tell you, not a fun experience! We made it through that, but when we dropped south into Maryland, the road conditions changed drastically. Maryland was not prepared to handle the volume of snow they received, and they were still working to clear the interstates. There were plow trucks with no warnings and accidents caused by slick road surfaces, not to mention that the outside lanes kept disappearing under snow!

We finally got down to Virginia, and conditions improved slightly. When we got to our shipper location, however, they had no signs or markings on or around their building and we unintentionally passed it. Thinking to loop around the block and come back, I turned at the next intersection...only to find myself on a narrow, 2 lane country road lined with houses. After 5 miles, we finally found a local church and cemetery with a large snow-covered parking lot. It was nerve-wracking, but we got ourselves turned around and headed back in the right direction! We eventually got back to the shipper, but since we had been slowed down by the weather, it was 11pm and they had all gone home for the night! Sighs...

Recently, we were stuck in Wisconsin about 24 hours due to a cracked windshield. Another vehicle had thrown up a rock, and what started as a tiny chip grew rapidly in the frigid air until it nearly reached top to bottom on the driver's side. Of course, the local glass repair technicians were out of our model of windshield until the next day!

Snoqualmie Pass, Washington 

Last week, we were assigned a load from Columbus, OH to Seattle, WA. We ran into a few snowstorms on the way out there, and some slightly concerning mountain passes, but for the most part we were doing fine until we hit Snoqualmie Pass. Now, the Cascade Mountains receive one of the highest annual snowfalls in the world. The Snoqualmie Pass is far from being the steepest or narrowest pass we've ever driven, but it was under 6-8 feet of snow! The interstate literally wound between walls of snow on each side. A recent snowfall had left slush and ice on the road, making the pass especially nerve-wracking!

From Seattle, they sent us back to Michigan. We had to stop for about 12 hours in North Dakota due to high winds, the kind that threaten to knock a grown man off his feet. Another bad snowstorm hit us in northern Indiana, but after many several delays we finally made it to Detroit. That city is one of the few places we have traveled through while trucking where I have actually felt very uncomfortable. I was glad to leave that city and head back down to Ohio...only to be given another load, this time heading to Sacramento, CA! We've already stopped twice on this load due to snow and ice. We'll see how it goes.

Stay safe out there!

A Few Good Songs

Today is my birthday, and if you've followed me in the blog world before, you may know I have a tradition of posting some of my favorite music on my birthday. Enjoy! :)

Bluegrass Gospel







Contemporary Worship







Hymns

So Far 2016

Sunrise over Flagstaff, Arizona 

Well, we're a few weeks into the new year. Already several celebrities have died, the stock market has plummeted, several intense storms have hit the country, and we continue to discuss  (with no small amount of trepidation) who our next president may be. On a personal note, after spending a drill weekend outside in snow and subzero temperatures, I came down with a persistent cold.

Sheesh. Not a very cheerful January so far.

Good thing we know who is ultimately in control, right? 

I mean, c'mon - I've read the back of the book. Our side wins in the end! It may be awhile, and there may be some pain and difficult times in between, but in the end Jesus is victorious and heaven awaits. 

In the meantime...we are still rolling across the country, making money! Well actually at the moment we're parked in Chicago because our load got cancelled  (a pretty typical happenstance during this time of the year). That's quite ok though - it gives us time to relax, cook, and catch up on sleep that we have been sorely lacking. 

And, in other news, tomorrow is my birthday! If you have followed my blogging journey through the last several years, you know what that means. Check back for some of my favorite music!

Thankful to see her!

We were blessed to see both of our families recently! We took a load to California and got to see my parents. They kindly brought my favorite cake, gifts, and (as a very special surprise) my niece! I haven't seen her in years, but she is so precious to me and will always have a place in my heart. I can't believe how big she has gotten! 

We also saw Don's parents a few days ago. We happened to be passing through the area and had a fuel stop not far from their house, so they sweetly met us at the truck stop and had dinner with us. It's the first time they've seen the inside of our truck! I'm so blessed with my in-laws - they are such kind, loving, welcoming people and we enjoy spending time with them.

Well, my lovely readers, I am going to close for today with a prayer request. There is a lot going on right now that is causing me to feel very stressed out. Some situations are beyond our control, and there's so much on my mind and heart right now. Please keep us in prayer as we take it all one step at a time and seek God's will for each step. Thank you!

Happy New Year!

2016... Wow. Hard to believe 2015 is gone already!

Christmas Eve, Miami Zoo

2015 was a difficult year in some ways and yet we have been incredibly blessed through it all. It was our first full year of marriage, which has involved a lot of growing together. We began this trucking adventure, and while it has turned out to be harder than we thought, we are accomplishing our goals - I am thankful to say we got another debt paid off on New Year's Eve! We have been blessed to spend time with our family and some dear friends, and reconnect with others through technology.

Goals for the coming year: to continue growing together; to communicate more with each other, loved ones, and our Lord; and to pay off more debts and spend wisely with our future in mind.

A year ago, I began this blog with a resolution to be real. "So many people wear a mask, only showing what they want everyone else to see. I can't live like that. Not in my personal life and not in my personal faith."

#3 being her beautiful self

Let's continue to be real, with God and with each other. He would rather have our heartfelt love than our hypocritical lip-service. Let's love each other in the things we do and say, instead of pretending to care to cover up our selfishness.

Let's make 2016 a year we can look back on and know that we did our best to carry out Jesus' commandment to love God and love our neighbor as ourselves. What that love looks like...let's let Him show us. Let Him guide us. If we are listening for that still small voice, He will tell us when and where and how to love.

May your new year be blessed!