As the Train Rolls & the World Turns

No, dear reader, I'm not trying to make some alteration to a certain long-running soap opera (my dear, sainted mother-in-law's fave). Rather, herein I'm simply presenting some ruminations about life, particularly as I'm experiencing it now in this Summer of Ought Six.

("Ruminations". . . well, I hope you know the meaning of this word; if not, please consult Webster. . . & I shall try to avoid such words.)

"As the Train Rolls" refers to my summer job as Conductor & Depot Agent aboard the Fiesta Texas Railroad. This work -- if "work" it can be called since it's so fun -- is radically different from my summer work of the past two, which was at the Front Gate to Fiesta Texas. Then & there I interviewed in-coming Guests (a demographic survey for marketing purposes) for five hours, & then left the park at two in the afternoon. But on the train my hours vary (& every week are more than the hours I averaged at the Front Gate).

On days I work both shifts, I have to leave my room before 7 AM (to be sure I get to the theme park well before my 9:30 AM clock-in) and do not get back until 10 PM or later. Doesn't leave much time for other activities "as the world turns". Get up. . . pray. . . go to work. . . ride the rails. . . get back on the bus. . . flop into bed. I'm not complaining. And PLEASE don't feel sorry for me! Remember: 1) this description is true ONLY when I do a double shift and 2) this job is FUN regardless!

Nevertheless, I get the feeling often this summer, that the train IS my life. And I certainly do not want that to be reality. So I seem to especially relish it when I enter fully into other aspects of my life. My Mexican church on the Westside, the local Emmaus community (officially called a "Fourth Day Group") of Care Bexar, the monthly trip down IH-35 to Dilley for the Kairos Prison Ministry's Prayer & Share with the inmates of the Dolph Briscoe Unit. . .

Notice how these all are "faith-based" activities, to use the current politically-correct term? I prefer to say that these activities are my endeavors to allow Almighty God to use me to minister His grace to others and live out the Good News of His love, revealed to us humans in His written word (Old & New Testaments) and perfectly in His Living Word, the Nazarene Jesus the Christ. Yup, Christ first-last-& always is my goal! I'd appreciate your prayers, my brother or sister in the faith, if you are such, reader.

Oh, and back to "Care Bexar". The name is a play on the name of San Antonio's county, Bexar ("BAYH - hahr" in correct Spanish, but pronounced by Anglos as tho' it lacked the "x"), and a very popular cartoon set of characters from the era when Care Bexar was set up as the first Emmaus community or FDG in this area. There are now seven such FDGs in what was the original Care Bexar coverage area.