It's a relationship,
not religion!

There is a small church I pass occasionally, it is located about sixteen miles from headquarters. They have some of the neatest messages on their marquee. The above is their latest!

What a week. Satan has been present at every turn. I have been tested repeatedly and I am disappointed in my score. I have been flailing as I get sucked under by all the baloney. Productivity wise it has been tremendous! With only one major problem with the plant, production has been full bore! Many of my people have had sub-par performances this week though. Some of the guys think that their time on the job is adequate to challenge what it has taken ten years for me to learn. There are no substitutes for consistency and hardwork. I have been awakened six of the past seven nights. Some of the problems were legitimate, others were the result of people having the blue jeans on the wrong end. The worst night I would get up, address a problem and get back to my trailer and doze off just in time to get the next call. The bad night was four times between midnight and six am.. Some of my leased equipment is experiencing major problems.

I finally told some of my bigger employee problems that it was to early in the season for me to get this bent about things and I threw down the gauntlet to them. My way or the highway! Simple, straight forward. No doubt as to whose will, will prevail. I finally felt it was right to call in my South Texas Ace. Adan will be here late Sunday afternoon. He will be the rabbit all the others chase. I have always enjoyed working with Adan and find myself feeling a sense of relief and eager anticipation that he is on his way!

When things really get going out here we have what we call maintenance Sundays. Today is our first this season. We will shut down at seven in the morning and the night crew will come back in at one and do maintenance that is not do-able when we are up and running. Tonight at shift change, last week's day crew will come in as they swap to night shift. The crews will remain on the new shifts for two weeks until our next maintenance Sunday and they will swap over again.

I find myself barely running ahead of last weeks data entry. I made a concentrated effort to do my entries every day instead of letting it build up. I did really well and today I began building my settlements and all the sudden it was gone. I had saved it to disc and it just vanished right in the middle of my session. I looked and looked and finally decided less time would be lost if I went back into the office and began building the load master list again. Technology is wonderful, when it works!

We have been on our own out here for the last few days. Lillie, the GM's wife had a biopsy last week and the prognosis was not good. About the middle of the week she had major surgery in the metroplex. The GM has been taking care of this personal situation so we have done our best to continue on as he would expect. Today the GM called and said lab reports came back and it was very good news. He did not elaborate further! We are thankful for this news and anxious for the complete report when they return.

FATHER, forgive me when I am weak. Forgive me when I try to do things without YOU. I need YOUR strength, I need YOUR wisdom, I need YOUR guidance. I need YOUR presence in my life. Take control and use me. FATHER I continue to lift up Hag, Rene, Lillie, Carol and Michelle for YOUR healing. I ask YOUR healing for Krl's health concerns. FATHER I am thankful for the preliminary good reports for Lillie as well as for Aimee. I pray for continued good results. I am thankful that the week has been productive. I thank YOU for the safe week and I pray YOU will help me as I put a work plan in place. Help those who are doing maintenance on our equipment to do their work with the long term in mind and not just a quick fix. Help me to see the whole picture as I analyze and make adjustments and repairs. Help us not to become frustrated and angry. FATHER I pray for our spiritual family. I pray for those searching for YOU, I pray for R2D2. I pray for YOUR WILL to be done. FATHER, I am unworthy of YOUR love and blessings. I thank YOU for YOUR grace and mercy! To YOU be the glory!