From Sea Level To Mountaintop

Nov 13th

In my high school days, I was fishing in the mountains of western Washington on a beautiful afternoon. The trees along the stream's bank were tall and full, blocking most of the sunlight. I was casting and reeling in, trying multiple times to entice a rainbow trout. I was considering whether to try another spot when I saw movement under the water's surface. Yes, it was coming after my lure.

I continued to reel in, but slowed down so as not to outrun the chaser. As it got closer and closer to the lure, I realized the enormity of what I was about to catch. It looked to be about three feet long and my heart began to race, hoping that I wouldn't lose a potential world's record. In the gloom, I could already imagine camera flashbulbs going off as reporters covered the story. Closer and closer it came. Only a few inches from the lure, it actually breached the surface...and I quickly pulled my lure out of the water. It was just a curious beaver.

I have no idea what I would have done if it took my lure, so I'm glad it didn't. Every once in a while, I find an opportunity to tell the story to a new audience. As amusing as it is, it doesn't hold a candle to the best fishing story of all time. You can find it in the New Testament. "Then Jesus said to Simon, 'Don't be afraid; from now on you will catch men.'" (Luke 5:10)

Nov 14th

My ship was in a dry dock in Brooklyn, New York, with our bridge wing about 90 feet above the steel floor. Another Quartermaster and I were preparing to paint part of the superstructure and he was getting ready to climb over the side and onto a painter's platform. He was experienced in its mechanical operation, which allowed him to raise and lower the platform. But for extra safety, he wore a harness with a long rope attached to it. It was my job to tend to the rope, which was his safety line in case of trouble. As he stepped onto the platform, I wound the rope around a vertical piece of steel and prepared to tie it off. And then disaster struck.

Before the line was secure, he mistakenly pulled the wrong lever and one side of the platform fell out from under him. As gravity took hold of him, the safety line was pulling away and burning my palms. In desperation, I pinned the rope against the steel with my shoulder. The rope stopped and I was able to tie it off. I looked over the side of the ship and saw him swinging back and forth like a clock's pendulum. We safely recovered him, but it was the last time he ever went over the side to work.

I sure didn't blame him. He was probably a couple of seconds away from hitting the floor of the dry dock before I stopped his fall. Even in peacetime, military duties and training can claim a life. But there's a spiritual side as well, with fatal consequences for poor choices. Trust in Him and stay close for safety. "Cast your cares on the Lord and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous fall." (Psalm 55:22)

Nov 15th

The long drive to the San Bernardino Mountains was over, and my car load of city boys was running around in the forest. After their free time, we settled down to setting up camp and a hot meal cooked over a campfire. We were at a pretty high elevation, so I made sure everyone brought blankets to add to their sleeping bags. Although I certainly wasn't expecting overnight cold temperatures, I wanted to make sure the boys were comfortable. A good night's sleep was important.

At first light, I awoke to hear boys yelling excitedly. Looking outside my tent, I was surprised to see a couple of inches of white stuff. None of the boys had ever been in snow before, so they were luxuriating in it. I let them run around and play while I started breakfast. A half hour later they were back, shivering uncontrollably in wet tennis shoes. Putting them all in one tent, I had them take off their soaked shoes and socks. It wasn't enough, so I reluctantly put all their feet...inside my shirt. It was either that or risk hypothermia. After they warmed up, they all went back outside for another romp in the snow.

There's another risk to our immortal soul. We can get distracted and addicted to the pleasures of this world, to the point of being lost. Ask the Lord to give you strength in resisting its temptations. "Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, but he who stands firm to the end will be saved. (Matthew 24:12-13)

Nov 16th

At one point between my first two overseas deployments, my ship steamed south to Mayport, Florida. I took advantage of the opportunity to take a tour of NASA's nearby facilities. The most interesting sight was seeing a full-size mock up of the future space shuttle. It was hard to believe that we could launch something that big into space. Returning to the ship, I noticed that large "football" bleachers had been secured to our flight deck, all facing the same direction.

The next day, we were flooded by hundreds of VIPs and got underway. We went to a pre-determined spot far from the coastline and then went all-stop, but used our engines as needed to keep us pointing in a specific direction. As a countdown was broadcast, everyone had their cameras up and ready to go. About a mile away, a Polaris missile broke the surface of the water and quickly climbed into the sky. I took some good pictures.

A Polaris missile is intercontinental in ability, and has served as a strong deterrent to the ambitions of countries who sought to do us or our friends harm. It illustrates the point of an often-used quote, "The best defense is a good offense." Don't wait for a catastrophe to occur before using prayer. Use it as a constant offense. "...pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus." (1 Thessalonians 5:17)

Nov 17th

Day after day, season after season, our ship's overhaul continued in the Brooklyn Naval Shipyard. The working conditions were either too hot or too cold, and grit from the never-ending sandblasting was always present. Because of scheduled work in our chart room, we had moved all our navigation equipment to a locked storeroom for safe-keeping. One day I was walking by it when I noticed that the door was ajar. I pushed it open and saw an empty bottle of beer on a cabinet, and that's when I saw that its door was also open.

It was empty and twenty pairs of binoculars were missing. We made a phone call and an agent from the Naval Investigative Service stopped by. His conclusion was that a shipyard worker had broken in and taken the binoculars one or two at a time in order to sell them at a pawn shop. It was more than frustrating. The workers were engaged in preparing our ship for more years of service, at the same time that one was undercutting them.

Whether it concerns physical work or spiritual, our responsibility is to do the best job that we can at all times. "Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth." (2 Timothy 2:15)

Nov 18th

It was a cool day in the fall, hunting season, and I was walking with one of my sons. We were on a deserted fire road up in the mountains and hadn't seen any prey so far. Having the rifle, he was a few steps in front of me when a sideways glance made me quickly tap his shoulder. Not even 100 feet above us was a 4-point mule deer with a few does in front of him. Surprisingly, they didn't know we were here. My son aimed uphill, always a difficult shot, and missed. They took off and my son went uphill after them. It took me a lot longer to get to the crest of the hill, where I paused to catch my breath.

On the next hill, I saw a few does coming back in our direction. I whispered to my son that the buck might be pushing them ahead of him, so he crouched by a tree for cover. Sure enough, the buck wasn't far behind. They got closer and closer, less than a football field away. My son got ready, waiting until the last possible second, and took the second shot.

Well, the buck got double lucky that day. That second shot was probably deflected by a branch and the deer scattered, never again to be seen by us. In a similar way, members of the early church who were threatened ended up leaving their homes. But it proved to be beneficial in the end. "Those who had been scattered preached the word wherever they went." (Acts 8:4)

Nov 19th

We were transiting from one Mediterranean port to another when an urgent message came in. Our new mission was to rendezvous with one of our frigates (USS Voge) and offload their explosives. No big deal, as we did that kind of work all of the time. As the morning progressed, we were told more information so that we could properly prepare. This was not going to be a standard underway replenishment with our ships steaming along, side by side. Both ships were going to be stopped and a tugboat would push the frigate alongside, with large rubber fenders in between us. Why?

It turned out that the frigate had been involved in a game of cat-and-mouse with a Russian submarine. And at one point, they had collided, damaging the frigate to the point where it would have to be towed to port for repairs. At the time, there wasn't any word on what happened to the sub, but you can find it online now. Everything went well in transferring all the explosives to our ship. As we watched the tugboat tow the frigate into the sunset, we got ready for our next mission.

When not in open conflict, adversarial navies have forever been testing each other's tactics and capabilities. Sometimes, the freedom to act can lead to unintended consequences. When it comes to relationships between people, we should be cautious and avoid any unintentional leading of others astray. "Be careful however, that the exercise of your freedom does not become a stumbling block to the weak." (1 Corinthians 8:9)

Nov 20th

One of my ships spent a lot of time off the coast of Oman, a country on the Arabian peninsula. Back and forth we'd go, waiting to rendezvous with yet another ship on our schedule. They would reenter the Persian Gulf for patrol duty and we'd stand by for the next ship. Time goes a little slower when you're confined to a relatively small box drawn on a chart. Not long after our return to the states, we heard about another ship's mishap.

A Military Sealift Command vessel, basically a Navy ship manned by civilians, was travelling back and forth in the same area...and ran aground. They had hit a pinnacle, a pointed rock structure that originated on the sea bottom and extended up. The top of this one lay within 20 feet of the surface, a hazard to any ship. It wasn't on the charts, and no sailor for thousands of years had ever known that it was there.

It could have been my own ship that hit the pinnacle, but the confining limits of our box kept us clear of it. We may sometimes chafe at the limits others, and God, put on us, but they can keep us from harm. "I will lie down and sleep in peace, for you alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety." (Psalm 4:8 )

Nov 21

Having left the Mediterranean Sea with its fine late fall weather, we were now returning home via an unusual route. We had been diverted northward towards Greenland before turning to the southwest and steaming along the coast of Canada. It was bitterly cold and was the first and only time that a ship I served on was covered with snow and ice. And approaching Virginia, it never warmed up. Instead of turning into our normal base in Norfolk, we were going to a special pier, where we would offload our explosives.

We were going up the York River, which was covered with a one-inch sheet of ice. Definitely a novelty for us, though not for Coast Guardsmen who routinely broke ice up north. At last we could see our destination, but there weren't any crowds of families or friends welcoming us home. The line handlers on the pier helped us to moor and officially end our 6 months away. It was then that a couple of doors to a warehouse on the pier cracked open and now we could see where our families were waiting out the brutal cold.

Although the weather conditions made it difficult, our families were there with warm hearts and hugs. Increasingly, conditions in this world make life difficult for everyone, but we are reminded by our heavenly Father of how we can persevere. "Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, but he who stands firm to the end will be saved." (Matthew 24:12-12)

Nov 22

The other ship was maintaining course and speed, while my ship maneuvered into position to conduct an underway replenishment. The one-inch diameter highline wire rope was sent to us and attached, and then we pulled a "trolley" mechanism across on top of the tensioned highline. The trolley had two more attached wire ropes that would be used in pulling the trolley and loads hanging on it back and forth. But I kept my crew from attaching it. Things just didn't feel right. The other ship's crew impatiently demanded that I keep going, but I waved them off. And then it happened.

The other ship began to lose steering control, making it infinitely difficult for our ship to stay on station. An emergency breakaway was sounded and the trolley was retrieved by the other ship. By now, the separation between ships was increasing, but their hydraulic winch was able to release the tension on the highline. I yelled at my crew to release the wire rope, but there was no response. Again, I shouted, "Trip it!" but still no response. I turned around to see that my team had abandoned the area. Not a bad idea, but instead I rushed to the wire and did it myself. The highline bent a few things on its way into the ocean, but all was safe.

Sometimes, you have to run towards danger in order to defuse a situation. Certainly that's what first responders have to do on a continual basis. Pray for them daily. "The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous run to it and are safe." (Proverbs 8:10)

Nov 23

We were close to our 25th wedding anniversary and so was a brother-in-law and his wife. We jointly celebrated by travelling to Alaska to see the sights before cruising on a passenger liner back to British Columbia. The cruise was great, but it took me a couple of days to relax and forget about all the things I had to do back at home. Seeing Alaska up close was pretty good, although you can never entirely relax.

Next to a summer-closed school, we were waiting to met an uncle and aunt who happened to be in the area in their motor home. We could hear an awful racket deep in the woods, which was getting closer. Eventually, a dog came out of the trees into the parking lot, followed by its owner who was playing a concertina accordion. My brother-in-law yelled out to him, "That's the worst music I've ever heard!" To which the hiker responded, "I hope the bears think so, too."

Music is generally played in order to please those around you, although it can certainly be used in other ways. I well remember how hard rock music, played at high volume, flushed Panamanian dictator Manuel Noriega from his hiding place. But music for His sake certainly pleases the Lord. "Hear this, you kings! Listen, you rulers! I will sing to the Lord, I will sing; I will make music to the Lord, the God of Israel." (Judges 5:3)

Nov 24

When word got around that a certain seaman was in the process of selecting a rating to move in to, I moved in a little closer to encourage him to consider being a quartermaster. During slow times when he was a member of the bridge watch team, I brought him over to the chart table to practice some navigation skills. He grew to love the work, and was ready to join us, but one obstacle stood in his way. He needed a security clearance to be a quartermaster, and he was currently a citizen of the Philippines, which would keep him from getting one.

So we helped him with his studies, and he passed the written test. A group of us put on our dress blues and rode with him on the ferry from Bremerton to Seattle. As we stood to one side in the large ceremonial hall, I looked around at all the people from around the world who were eagerly awaiting the official transition to US citizenship. I was happy that they were joining us, and especially proud of Romeo. In turn, he was proud to be a newly-naturalized citizen of the United States.

In a supernatural way, we become citizens of another place, which is far above our current home, and much to be desired. "But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body." (Philippians 3:20-21)

Nov 25

The message received from our squadron commander was disappointing, to say the least. My ship was being diverted to transfer some cargo off the coast of England, while the other ships went straight across the Atlantic Ocean and to home. We dutifully carried out the mission, and it was so foggy that we couldn't even see England itself. And as we turned west, we received another message from the squadron commander..."Don't follow us." They were taking heavy seas from a hurricane and making little headway.

So we turned towards Greenland, where it was much colder and we received quite a bit of snow. The ocean swells were over 20 feet high, but mostly straight on and we weathered them well. We eventually traveled down the coast of Canada, where most of our snow melted, and entered our home port in Virginia. And although we started out being a couple of days behind the other ships, we ended up beating them home.

At first, it didn't make any sense to take a longer way home. But the commander knew the conditions up ahead and gave us good advice. Our Lord knows what lies ahead of us and likewise wants to help our progress. "Jesus replied, 'If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him.' " (John 14:23)

Nov 26

My ship was returning to San Diego very early on a weekday morning. There was next to no boat traffic and the wind was blowing very hard. Not a problem for us, as our courses were compensating for the "set and drift" caused by the wind. As we approached an upcoming turn around North Island, we noted a large sailboat that was being overpowered by the wind. Her sails were actually down, but her inboard engine just didn't have enough horsepower to keep her on course. And to make things worse, she had another sailboat tied to her starboard side. A recipe for disaster.

The sailboat was quickly drifting across the channel and we moved as far over as we dared to give it more room. Shoal water was literally yards away from us, as we were on the danger side of the channel buoys. We could move no farther over as we watched the sailboat close in on us and bounce off our side. Her damage would have been minimal at that point, but her mast couldn't clear our flight deck catwalk, and her crew rushed below deck for safety. The boat's mast was sheared off and crashed down on her deck. When it was safe, her crew came back topside and gave us a wave to let us know they were okay.

Over all my years at sea and on mountaintops, it's been my experience that the weather always wins. Take heed and not chances. "But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind." (James 1:6)

Nov 27

My ship was at the naval base in Rota, Spain for a couple of days before heading in to the Mediterranean Sea. We weren't the only ones, though. One of my shipmates had already been off the ship and returned with unconcealed excitement. "I just met a quartermaster on one of the subs and he's inviting us aboard his boat for a tour!" Now, I had already been aboard a WWII submarine that was a tourist attraction in Seattle, but a ballistic missile "boomer" was a major step up.

As promised, we got our tour on this modern-day submarine. Compared to its predecessor, it had tons of room for the crew, but I still preferred the extra space on my surface ship. The last stop of our tour was a large control console that looked pretty important. Other submariners were there waiting, and they walked us through a simulated launch of their missiles. It was a sobering experience, to say the least.

This submarine was part of a wall of deterrence, whose purpose was to convince an enemy not to attack our country. Decade after decade, they performed their mission well. Because mankind is fallen, we have always needed defenses. After seeing the condition that Jerusalem was in, Nehemiah convinced his countrymen to rebuild the walls. "Then I said to them, 'You see the trouble we are in: Jerusalem lies in ruins, and it's gates have been burned with fire. Come, let us rebuild the wall of Jerusalem, and we will no longer be in disgrace.' " (Nehemiah 2:17)

Nov 28

My ship was anchored in the harbor of Naples, Italy and I had spent the day sightseeing and shopping. Not for myself, though. I lost count of the number of dress shops that I went into as the day gave way to nighttime. I finally settled on a gift for my future wife and paid the shop owner. Rather than fold it up, she carefully placed the dress in a protective cover, which I was equally careful to protect. I made my way back to Fleet Landing, where I would catch a liberty boat back to the ship.

There were a lot of guys standing around, talking to pass the time until their boats arrived. I saw a couple that I knew, but I was tired of carrying the dress and looked for a place to put it. I saw a large steel bollard, which sailors use to secure mooring lines to. It was perfect. I laid the dress across it and stretched my arms. At the same moment, a drunk sailor stumbled over and passed out on top of the dress. Without thinking, I grabbed him by the shirt collar and pulled him roughly away. He never knew it, rolling along the ground until he stopped, still unconscious. My shipmates looked at me with wide eyes.

This wasn't exactly the kind of guy they were used to, and I regretted reacting the way I had. If I had taken a moment to think, I believe that I would have handled it a little differently. Fortunately, no harm was done, but it could have gone badly. "Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right...think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me - put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you." (Philippians 4:8-9)

Nov 29

We were anchored off the coast of Cartegena, Spain and had transferred items to a barge tied up alongside. I was quickly throwing my own things into a seabag, amazed at the opportunity I had just been given. If I could move fast enough, I could go ashore and find my way home a week earlier than the rest of the crew. I spent the night at the small naval base, where the officer-in-charge wonderfully promised me a ride to Madrid.

I spent another night sleeping on chairs at the airport, which was abandoned during the night hours. A windstorm was so strong that the doors wouldn't stay closed, making for a fitful sleep. But I finally got into the air for the flight to New York City, where they promptly lost my luggage. But all the inconveniences were forgotten when I saw my wife in Seattle. The long journey, along with its expenses, had been worth it.

David's journey from shepherd to King was an incredible one, and not without its opportunities and dangers. Most of the time, he didn't even know what his destination was, only that he knew the importance of following God's leading. When the Lord shows the way to go, it's time to pick up and go. "Praise the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits..." (Psalm 103:2)

Dec 1

Just a few more hours and we'd be back in our homeport after 4 weeks of war games around the Hawaiian Islands. I was getting into my summer whites and looking through the porthole at an equally white scene, made so by thick fog. The soft vibrations caused by the ship's engines suddenly stopped, which was very unusual. I finished dressing and started heading forward, and then felt the engines go full astern, causing the ship to bounce up and down. And just as I stepped onto the main deck, the collision alarm sounded. I grabbed on to a winch and looked around for what was out there. My mouth dropped when I saw it.

My ship was well over 600 feet long, but what came out of the fog bank was a supertanker twice our size. It was on our left side and heading straight for us. "Miss us!" I hoped. A few moments later, I felt our ship list slightly to the right as it hit us up forward. The General Quarters alarm then sounded and everyone went to their emergency stations. As it turned out, the first 20 feet of our ship had been sheared off by the tanker, but there was only one minor hole below the waterline.    

I was more than a little frustrated. An investigation showed that they were completely in the wrong, and had never slowed or changed course. And then it came to me. A few more seconds in the other direction and the tanker might've cut us in half. Even when things don't go well, they could have been so much worse without His presence. "I will lie down and sleep in  peace, for you alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety." (Psalm 4:8 )

Dec 2

After a long Italian bus ride, we scrambled out into the shadow of one of the architectural wonders of the world - the Leaning Tower of Pisa. Built in the 12th century as a bell tower, a faulty foundation caused it to lean over 10 degrees from upright. I paid the admission price and went through the turnstile and entered the tower at ground level. There was a central spiral staircase to use and you could get off at each floor to get a view of the surrounding buildings.

Stepping out to the exterior of the tower when I was halfway up, I was horrified that there wasn't a safety railing of any kind. Definitely feeling the 10 degree lean, I put my back against the cold stone and scooted along until I was on the "high" side. Here, it didn't feel like gravity was going to pull me off the tower. I relaxed here until a couple of kids ran by me, laughing and playing tag. I didn't feel like going up to the 8th floor, so I took a few pictures and it was time for me to go down.

Years later, the tower's foundation was improved and the lean decreased to only 4 degrees. Rarely is something built with a similar error that has lasted so long. When it comes to spiritual things, we can count on the foundations that God has provided to us. "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding..." (Proverbs 3:5)

Dec 3

It was 3:30 am and I was standing out on the bridge wing looking forward to getting off watch and catching a couple hours' sleep. It was surprisingly warm, seeing as we had recently left the Bering Sea and were now steaming south along the Canadian coast. Another ship was in station about 3 miles off our starboard side and my eyes looked over to her. Her navigational lights were bright and showing me the right perspective, and the starlight even helped me to see her outline. Then something incredibly bright in the sky caught my eye.

Over my right shoulder was a falling meteor, but I'd never seen one like this before. It was actually a fireball that was illuminating its trail of smoke. In the couple of seconds that it was visible, I was remembering what I knew about meteors and their journey into earth's atmosphere. And then my jaw dropped. I was able to follow the path of the meteor all the way down until it hit the water, on a straight line between us and the other ship.

Meteors are often remnants of the tails of comets whose orbits have intersected with the earth's. When the rocky or metallic material enters our atmosphere, the sudden friction ignites them with so much heat that they usually burn up before striking earth. Unlike meteors, we have a much grander purpose for being here. Embrace it. "Do everything without complaining or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe as you hold out the word of life..." (Philippians 2:15-16)

Dec 4

We had recently returned stateside from my first overseas deployment and it was my first duty day. As Duty Quartermaster, I had already asked the chief what my responsibilities were before he left on vacation. "Just wind the chronometers," he said. No problem there, as I had been doing that for a few months, and submitting the paperwork that went with it. Shortly after 8 am, I got a call from the officer in charge of the ship for the day. It seemed that I hadn't done my part for morning colors, the hoisting of the flag. Hmmm. Seems like the chief hadn't told me everything after all.

Being the only quartermaster on the ship that day, I gathered a lot of books looking for any other duties that I was supposed to perform. All I could find was a reference to evening colors, when the flag was lowered. But nothing told me when to do it. I made an assumption to initiate it at 5 pm, which was wrong. The flag is supposed to be lowered at the precise second that the sun sets. So the day pretty much ended the way it started, with another mistake. But it was definitely the last time.

Time is incredibly important to a quartermaster, whether for navigating by the stars or the proper hoisting of the flag. When we're off, it's very apparent to others, so we quickly learn to avoid being wrong. But, regarding time, there is one thing that no one will get right, so it is our responsibility to always be ready. "He said to them: 'It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority.' " (Acts 1:7)

I had just made a major career change and was going to my first ship as a Deck officer. Getting off to a good start was important, as first impressions can end up being lasting impressions. On my first day, the person I was relieving gave me the grand tour of all the areas that I would be responsible for. One of the stops was where all the underway replenishment equipment was maintained, from hand tools to special probes that allowed fuel to be transferred from one ship to another. But when the door opened, I couldn't make out the equipment.

Instead, every square inch of the shop's walls was covered with inappropriate pictures of women. I looked at the three petty officers who ran the shop, knowing this was a make or break moment. So I said, "When a customer stops by to pick up equipment, how about you remove any pictures that can be seen from the door?" The next time I was at the shop, I found out they had taken down 100% of the pictures, whether a customer could see them or not.

As I found out later, I had given them all the excuse they needed to gladly get rid of a "tradition" that predated them. They'd never been comfortable with it, but didn't feel like they could take a chance of offending anyone. Turns out, nobody even mentioned it. "He who covers over an offense promotes love..." (Proverbs 17:9)

December 6

On a port visit to Pearl Harbor on the island of Oahu, I had signed up to go to a luau in the evening. Having watched Elvis Presley movies in the past, I felt like I had a pretty good idea of what it would be like. Endless food and hula dancing were on my list. I rode with other sailors on a tour bus to the location, which we recognized by all the lit torches. We walked in an endless line past the barbeque pit until we finally got to the buffet. One helping of pork was all we got, although the fresh pineapple was all-you-can-eat.

The food was gone before we knew it and then came the impatient wait for the performers, who were late. At last the stage was illuminated and we were shown a couple of acts that were a bit underwhelming. The main act was then introduced and a big Hawaiian walked onto the stage with his props. He started swinging the ropes, which had large wooden spheres attached to the ends. Okay. Then the stage lights were turned off and the black lights were switched on, which made the spheres glow in the dark. Great. I was expecting authentic Hawaii and instead got Las Vegas.

We sometimes raise our expectations too high and are disappointed as a result. Real life is not a Hollywood movie, which can attain perfection through script rewrites and multiple takes on film. We have to live each moment as it comes, guided by the hand of God. And how does it turn out? "The creation waits in eager expectation for the sons of God to be revealed." (Romans 8:19)

Dec 7

It was a Saturday afternoon and I'd gotten a call from Port Operations to take my tugboat on an unscheduled job. When I got to the pier, I already knew how many crew members would show up. We were already 4 short of a normal complement, and because we were the duty crew, we had to leave a watchstander behind to keep an eye on the other tugs. To maximize the amount of "muscle" onboard, I made a change to the roster and left my female sailor behind. She wasn't happy.

The next day I was called in to see our officer-in-charge and was told that the female sailor was contemplating charging me with discrimination. I explained the reasoning behind my decision, and added that I had explained it to the female at the time. And as it turned out, everything cooled down and was forgotten. Sort of. Although a similar situation never came up again, I had decided to bite the bullet the next time.

Women in the military have traveled a steep road to get to where they are today. Obstacles have long been in their way, mostly unfair, but others with a grain of common sense. It takes wisdom to see the difference, which is what the book of Proverbs is all about. Reading it is just common sense, "...for acquiring a disciplined and prudent life, doing what is right and just and fair..." (Proverbs 1:3)

Dec 8

Among my more pleasant memories are those when I was able to see my sons a week early when coming back from a deployment. My boys twice flew to Hawaii and were on the pier to greet me. They then sailed back to California with me, in what is called a Tiger Cruise. The first time, they stayed in my (crowded) stateroom with me, and we took turns sharing the single bunk. The second time, they had an empty Marine officer's bunkroom to themselves, which was a lot better.

There were a lot of tours and other planned events to help keep all the Tigers occupied during the trip home. Their ages ranged from 12 to 70, and it was a great opportunity for them to see what life in the Navy was like. I took pictures whenever possible, and one of my favorites is of my older son firing away on a .50 caliber machine gun. He was big enough to handle it, although I'm sure the first few rounds probably surprised him.

I don't know if either of my sons seriously entertained the idea of military service, but from time to time my wife took the opportunity to squash any thought of it. Having one man in the family constantly gone was enough. Both boys have grown into fine men who serve their community and the Lord faithfully. And what more could you want? "There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord." (1 Corinthians 12:5)