From Sea Level To Mountaintop

Dec 9

It was my first weekend on the base, so I was walking around getting familiar with it. After an hour, I came across an old Quonset hut that sounded like it was full of people. The sign on the door said "Bingo," so I walked in. My entrance caught everyone's attention and they invited me in. I bought a card and sat down among all the retirees. They were genuinely pleased to see a young sailor and I was likewise pleased to join them.

Five minutes later I called out, "Bingo!" Everyone smiled and clapped as I collected my winnings. The game was reset...and I won again. This time there was only a smattering of applause. I added more money to my pocket and sat down, feeling eyes on my back. I watched as my third card filled too quickly, hoping for balls to be called away from my card's hot spot. "Bingo," I meekly said. As I walked up front, I could see the scowls and narrowed eyes. Another payoff and I headed straight for the door. My welcome had definitely been overstayed.

Games of chance always have losers, as well as winners. Perhaps that's why I can count on one hand the number of times I've involved myself in them. After all, there are much better options out there. "I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus." (Philippians 3:14)

Dec 10

Another Dad and I were taking our combined three sons on an overnight backpacking trip on Mount San Jacinto in southern California. We would be driven to the west side, hike over, and take a tramway ride down the eastern side. The day of our departure finally arrived and my wife dropped us off. The trail was well-marked and we fathers didn't mind that the boys put a little distance between us. Especially a few hours later when we developed problems while trying to keep up with them. The other Dad's knees were killing him, and I had pulled a thigh muscle, slowing us way down.

The boys would wait for us once in awhile, as their wait times increased. We finally made it to our planned campsite and made a hot meal. As I lay there in the dark, with my leg still hurting, I thought about the miles still left to go before making the summit. In the morning, I took several heavy items out of my backpack and left them in the shelter. Perhaps someone else would put them to good use.

I learned a lot from that hike, applying hard-earned lessons to future hikes: carry only what you need, invest in lightweight equipment, and pace yourself. Only then can you reach your destination. "Each one should test his own actions. Then he can take pride in himself, without comparing himself to somebody else, for each one should carry his own load." (Galatians 6:4-5)

Dec 11

Once while I was in Hawaii, I went to a minor league baseball game. The day was perfect and the game was being well-played by the Triple A Islanders and their opponents. In the stands was a fair-sized crowd of a couple of thousand fans. And on top of the game itself, there was the usual menu of "sports" food. As good as it all was, I was thinking that there was something else that could make it better. And then the next pitch was foul hit in my direction.

Although it wasn't quite close enough for me to make a play for it, I watched as a man fought a young boy for possession of the ball. The man raised it triumphantly in the air, perhaps expecting the crowd to applaud him. Instead, every single person in the stadium booed him mercilessly, sustaining it to shame him. Eventually, the man handed the ball over to the boy and sat back down, hoping that everyone would now ignore him.

Life can be tough enough without someone bigger and stronger having his way. It's helpful, though, when the majority sees an injustice and works to correct it. The Bible also generously speaks on how we should treat others. "Do not rebuke an older man harshly, but exhort him as if he were your father. Treat younger men as brothers, older women as mothers, and younger women as sisters, with absolute purity." (1 Timothy 5:1-2)

Dec 12

We were steaming in the Pacific Ocean on our way to a new port. The weather was a bit breezy, with whitecaps on top of 10-foot swells. But that's nothing of concern to large naval vessels. I was inside the superstructure, getting ready for another day's work, when there was a very loud Boom! Along with others, I walked out on deck to investigate the source of the noise, but after several minutes we could find nothing wrong. Until we heard a curious tapping noise and leaned over the rail to look back at the superstructure. And there it was.

The boat boom is a long steel arm, about 30 feet long, that is hinged to the hull. When in port, it can be swung out 90 degrees and serve as a place for small boats to be tied up to. The boat boom was snapped in half, part of it hanging from a steel cable. We ended up lowering an engineer over the side to where he could reach the area. And using an acetylene torch, he cut away the loose steel.

As we talked it over afterwards, the only cause that we could think of was that a rogue wave had hit the ship and snapped the boat boom. I don't want to imagine what it would have done to a small trawler or sailboat. Never, ever underestimate the damage that water can inflict. Paul had first-hand knowledge with this. "The bow stuck fast and would not move, and the stern was broken to pieces by the pounding of the surf." (Acts 27:41)

Dec 13

My boys and I were spending a few days camping in the eastern foothills of the Sierra Nevada mountain range. Its peaks include Mount Whitney, the highest mountain in the lower 48 states. In between hikes in the higher elevations, we decided to check out a dusty high desert road which was marked by an interesting sign. On it was a claim that several Western-themed movies had been filmed in the area. It was easy to see why, with its varied landscape and vegetation. And then I saw it.

In front of me was a slanted rock formation that rose about a hundred feet above the sagebrush. I recognized it from a scene from an old episode of my favorite TV show. The scene and its characters ran through my mind and I told it to my boys. I didn't do it justice, though, as words just weren't enough to describe Captain James T. Kirk's battle against a reptilian opponent. But it still felt good to be there.

Captain Kirk was alone and desperate for a weapon to use against the enemy. Although the script didn't allow him to call upon the name of the Lord, we have that option at any time. Be bold and use it. "...This is what the Lord says to you: 'Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army. For the battle is not yours, but God's.'" (2 Chronicles 20:15)

Dec 14

At a distance of at least 50 miles, our task force of a half-dozen ships was steaming down the coast of a foreign country. We were also engaged in an EMCON exercise, which meant that none of us were using radios or radar of any kind. Practicing this allows ships to remain somewhat more invisible to potentially hostile forces. I came up to the bridge at 3:30 am to take over the watch and was briefed on our assigned station. The formation was steaming along on a certain course and speed and our position was in the back.

Within the first 15 minutes of my watch, I became convinced that we were well out of station. Although we couldn't use radar, and the night was moonless, the other ships' stern lights just seemed to be too dim to be as close as we were supposed to be. So I substantially kicked up the speed. Two hours later, as the sky started to brighten and I could see the outlines of the other ships, I used a hand-held instrument to check the distance. We were still too far behind. Without assurances from using the radar set, and out of an abundance of caution, the last two watch teams had allowed the ship to fall far behind.

Even by the end of my watch, we weren't back to where we were supposed to be. But the guide ship never called us out for the error. I guess they weren't sure of our position, either. At times in our personal lives, we may find ourselves unable to rely on familiar checks and balances. It shows the importance of spiritual closeness to the Lord to keep us in the right place. "Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me." (Psalm 51:10)

Dec 15

One afternoon, I received a rare visit from my neighbor, who asked me to follow him into the trees separating our properties. Lying in the tall grass was a doe, but one that wasn't about to jump up and go bounding away. This deer had clearly been attacked and died on the spot. We looked at the surrounding ground, but it was dry and too hard for any predator to have left its tracks.

We talked for a few minutes and came to the conclusion that it must have been a mountain lion. From time to time over the years, we had seen dogs chase deer, but they were much too slow to keep up with them. The doe was on my neighbor's side of the line, so he took responsibility for bagging and disposing of it.

For a few days afterward, I kept my eyes open and moving around. But the keen awareness of knowing a cougar had been around soon wore off. That will always happen unless we receive regular warnings and evidence of predators in the area. When it comes to spiritual dangers, the evidence is all over the place. Be careful and ask for the Lord's help. "Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour." (1 Peter 5:

Dec 16

A friend and I were driving two carloads of boys into the mountains for a weekend campout. As soon as the boys piled out, we told them that the tents had to be put up before there was any free time. One of them said he didn't feel good, so I told him to sit down and rest. But as soon as the tents were done and free time started, the boy joined right in. This happened whenever there was work to do, and I was getting a bit tired of it. When it was time to turn in, all the boys were sharing one tent. My buddy and I were relaxing for the first time that day when we heard puking. Yep, it was that kid. I guess he was really sick after all.

Fortunately, he had a change of clothes. We also gave up one of our sleeping bags to the boy and everything settled down. A couple of minutes later, he threw up all over himself again. My friend decided to drive him an hour and half back to this home. I didn't see him again until breakfast and I asked how it went. "He did a number two in the back seat." And with that, he went into our tent to go to sleep.

I guess I could have been a little more sympathetic and attentive to the boy's words during the day, but there just wasn't stopping his sickness. All we could do was tend to his needs as much as we could, which including taking him home. But God's love is deeper and goes much farther than we ever could. "I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me." (Matthew 25:36)

Dec 17

Our replenishment ship had more than one way to transfer supplies to another ship. Besides being connected with a variety of wire rope to pass pallets of cargo, we also had the use of helicopters. A Sea Knight (CH-46) is a double-rotor aircraft that can carry a significant load from ship to ship. We carried two, but our flight deck wasn't large enough for both to launch at the same time. After the first launch, the second helo would be rolled out from the hangar, its rotors opened and then launched. When recovering them, the first helo to land would have its rotors folded before going into the hangar.

I was on the bridge during one mission using both Sea Knights. As we recovered the first one, the flight deck crew was having difficulty folding the rotors. As the clock ticked, the second helo was getting low on fuel and I contacted the captain. He came up to observe and get updated. Just as our second helo was about to declare an emergency and catch up to the other ship, the first Sea Knight was rolled into the hangar, clearing our flight deck to be used.

Getting rest after a long day's work is important, for us as well as for machines. But sometimes we have to go through a series of steps before shifting gears. "A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest..." (Proverbs 6:10)

Dec 18

The Star of India is a sailing ship built in 1863 and is currently moored in San Diego as a seaworthy floating museum. It's been a fixture of the skyline there for over 50 years. During its time at sea, it crossed the Pacific numerous times, finishing as a cargo vessel that brought Alaskan salmon to US ports. I decided to use it for another purpose.

My retirement ceremony was held on its main deck on an absolutely beautiful day. In attendance and sharing the moment with me were a lot of friends and family, as well as former shipmates. I was inwardly moved during the ceremony, thinking back on my nearly 27 years in uniform. I owed a lot of people for my successes, the most important being my wife. She was the strong one, keeping the home and family going while I had been away.

Nautical lore celebrates the days of wooden ships and iron men. But it pales in comparison to the near legendary strength of the women in our lives. "A wife of noble character who can find?...She is like merchant ships bringing her food from afar...Many women do noble things, but you surpass them all." (Proverbs 31:10, 14, 29)

Dec 19

I can't imagine what it was like for a 19th century sailor not to hear from his family for a year or two. Nowadays, you can live chat with your family every evening. Amazing, to say the least. For all my 20th century career, my primary means of communication was through snail mail, along with an occasional phone call. At the time, it was great, although I wouldn't have been as satisfied with it in the 21st century.

As my boys grew up and were able to read, it occurred to me how important it was to stay connected with them during my deployments. Yes, my wife could share her letters with them, but that just wasn't the same. So I began to write letters to the boys, putting them in a separate envelope. It was always my goal to write 100 letters during a 6-month deployment, and I always came pretty close to achieving it. Coming home, it always felt like we had just separated not too long ago.

Whatever the means, keeping in touch with friends and family is very important. Paul felt the same way. "You show that you are a letter from Christ, the result of our ministry, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the Living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts." (2 Corinthians 3:3)

Dec 20

The time had finally arrived for our wilderness survival weekend in the mountains east of San Diego. Another dad and I had selected the place due to a trail that led to a spring. With backpacks and water, but no food, our boys set off with us. Of course, it took longer than we thought, so our water was expended as we arrived at the spring. Hmmm. At some point, a long-gone rancher had modified the spring into a wooden tank for stock to drink from. All kinds of multi-colored vegetation was growing inside. We cleaned it out as best we could and lowered the water level, so that we could at least get water straight from the pipe. But we boiled it thoroughly.

Next up was scrounging up some food by living off the land. We were armed with knowledge on edible plants and how to set traps for very small game. Nothing was to be had all that day and well into the next. And then we found our Garden of Eden. Thanks to the generosity of that same rancher from the past, we found a single apple tree. And although deer had reached most of the fruit, we recovered a half-dozen apples from the very top. Fruit never tasted so good.

You might recall a TV show called Survivorman, which featured a Canadian host in a variety of extreme environments. Despite his wilderness experience, he was rarely able to satisfy his thirst and hunger. The Israelites faced the same deprivations after leaving Egypt, but God took care of them. "He gave you manna to eat in the desert, something your fathers had never known, to humble and to test you so that in the end it might go well with you." (Deuteronomy 8:16)

Dec 21

(Following up from a previous devotion.) Our ship had finished transiting through the Panama Canal, although we had some cosmetic damage from bumping off a concrete quay. Later that evening, an authentic-looking classified radio message was found stapled to a bulletin board, and its news spread throughout the ship. It stated that we had also suffered sonar dome damage and we would have to go to a shipyard's dry dock for repairs, extending the length of our cruise. As you can imagine, people were upset.

But no more so than our commanding officer. The message was somebody's idea of a joke and he launched an investigation. Within hours, the offending petty officer was ferreted out and was standing in front of captain's mast. Before taps was sounded that day, he ended up losing a stripe because of his poor choice.

Without humor, the day-to-day advance through life would be a little harder. Sometimes, though, laughter comes at a cost, and this petty officer got a taste of both sides. "There is a time for everything...at time to weep and a time to laugh..." (Ecclesiastes 3:1,4)

Dec 22

After standing the mid-watch until 4 am, and then a sea and anchor detail, I was very tired and needed some sleep. I went down to my bunk and crawled in, too tired to even think about going in to this new port. Not even a minute later, the ship's Chief Master-at-Arts (the "top cop") shook me and told me to get up. I groaned. "Come on, Supalla. You're on permanent Shore Patrol duty. Get enough stuff together for two weeks. You'll be living in a hotel."

I never got out of my bunk so fast. We worked every other day AND had private rooms, a double bonus. Duty never looked so good. Barcelona, Spain was beautiful and full of things to experience. It became my all-time favorite port. One of the highlights was visiting a monastery up in the mountains and seeing the dedication of the monks.

Solomon is believed to have written the book of Ecclesiastes. As famous and wealthy as he was, he wrote of many things that discouraged him. But as he closes, he shares his final thought, which overshadowed everything else he wrote about. "Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man." (Ecclesiastes 12:13)

Dec 23

This was the day. Well before sunrise, my boys and I crawled out of our tent at Trail Camp. The elevation was around 12,000 feet and we had nearly 3000 feet left to go until we reached the summit of Mount Whitney. We had already spent a few days in the area, getting acclimated to the elevation. By the time we got to the top, we would have hiked 97 switchbacks, back-and-forth trails that slowly took you upwards. They added a lot of miles, but were the only way to get there.

Leaving most of our gear behind, we started out with a bare minimum of supplies for the final hours up and back to our base camp. The first part took us through snow fields and areas where ice had overwhelmed the trails and forced us cross-country. As much as these presented formidable obstacles, we wondered when and if the invisible one would hit us. And it did. One of us was suffering from the effects of early high-altitude sickness, but he gamely went on. Eventually, he felt good enough so that we all made the summit.

It was a challenge that we had prepared a year for, and we were happy to achieve our goal. I had prayed that my boys would be strong enough to make it, but found that their determination gave me strength. "You will go out in joy and be led forth in peace; the mountains and hills will burst into song before you..." (Isaiah 55:12)

Dec 24

As far as homecomings go, this one was a little cool. After six months away, my ship was returning home on the day before Christmas. No doubt most of the guys who had homes in the area were looking forward to walking through the front door and seeing everything decorated and presents under the tree. I was just happy to see my growing family down on the pier, knowing that they hadn't been in San Diego for more than a few days.

When my wife made eye contact with me up on the bridge wing, she used a little sign language to say, "We have a home!" Well, that was a surprise. Meeting her later on the pier, she told me how she had gone to the base housing office to get on the waiting list. Apparently, the official took one look at her pregnant condition and bent the rules a little. And just like that, we had a home in which to spend Christmas eve together.

When I think of where Joseph and Mary spent their Christmas Eve, I am so thankful for their sacrifice and obedience. And what a marvelous gift that they were able to be a part of. "You will be made rich in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God." (2 Corinthians 9:11)

Dec 25

Another deployment and another Christmas overseas. It comes with the territory as so many military members are in foreign lands and seas at all times. We do what we can onboard ship, putting a tree up on the mess decks and with the cooks preparing a special meal. Aside from that, there's not much else that can be done, except wait for the next mail call. Seems like that's Christmas, whether in December or July.

Just in time, a small package came to me from my wife. I was surprised to find a Christmas stocking with my name on it. And another stocking, and another and another, all with the names of the guys in my division. I took them up to the chartroom and hung them on one wall to surprise them. A little home, 4000 miles from home.

My wife has always been like that, doing special things to bring a little joy to others. We were all in need of a little joy at that time, and she came through. "...but always try to be kind to each other and to everyone else." (1 Thessalonians 5:15)

Dec 26

The cruiser I was on had spent the better part of a month off the coast of eastern Russia and now our supplies were getting low. Just as we turned south, a Soviet destroyer fell in our wake to follow us. Our captain decided to send a message by flashing light: "Come alongside for a gift." It was repeatedly ignored for an hour, until the Russians turned around to return to their naval base. That's when our captain ordered flank speed and a hard right rudder. "I got something for them and they're going to get it!"

We caught up to them and steamed alongside less than a hundred feet away. A bolo line was thrown across their bow, but the Russian sailors stood at attention and refused to touch it. At a signal from their captain, they then picked it up and started to pull more of the line over. A canvas bag was attached and went over the gap between us, and its contents made their way up to their captain. We later found out that some of the gifts included cigars and a map of San Diego.

Everything was prim and proper up in front as potential enemies stared each other down. Meanwhile, towards the stern, sailors from both ships were throwing souvenirs back and forth. It was a good way to release the tension, and a reminder that God's love will ultimately triumph. "If your enemy is hungry, give him food to eat; if he is thirsty, give him water to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head, and the Lord will reward you." (Proverbs 25:21-22)

Dec 27

It was getting close to bedtime at a large weekend gathering of men and their boys. I was walking across a field in order to check on my group of boys in their cabin. A couple of other men were close by and I overheard one say to the other, "Did you see what happened in Cabin 12?" I got a knot in my stomach when I realized that my boys were in there! I ran the rest of the way, bounded up the steps and opened the door. Everything looked fine, but the boys looked a little sheepish. "Turn out the light, Commander."

I stood there looking around, thinking that it was one of the most beautiful things I'd ever seen. The boys had cut open glow sticks and then splashed liquid over everything, from ceiling to floor. Real stars, comets and meteors couldn't measure up to the display. When someone turned the light back on, I had my stern face on. I marched them to the camp director, who heard the story and laughed. He didn't want us to clean it up or paint it over. He wanted to enjoy it for a couple of nights.

The consequences of our choices can alternate between harmful and harmless. Our place in the maturation process determines which. Be as we get closer to what the Lord wants us to do, we will stand out in a crowd. "Do everything without complaining or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure...in which you shine like stars in the universe." (Philippians 2:14-15)

Dec 28

The Bering Sea in February. Not a place you'd like to be unless there was a real good reason for it. In this case, we were showing the Russians that we could operate in their "back yard" at any time of the year. I was standing watch on the bridge during the mid-watch with only a half hour to go when the chilling words were yelled, "Man overboard at the fantail!" We immediately began a special maneuver which would hopefully bring us back to the point where he fell in. But with the darkness, the heavy seas and thick fog, I was already thinking he was lost for sure.

I was relieved of my post and was running to my assigned station when I noticed a trail of water leading into sick bay. I stopped and went in, and found out what had happened. Because of the conditions, we had assigned two men to the fantail. A rogue wave had hit them, filling the area with water. The first one to get back to his feet was injured and went to get medical help. The second man then got up and looked around, but found himself alone. He was the one that reported the man overboard.

What a relief to find out that we hadn't lost a shipmate. We rejoiced and things went back to normal for the rest of the night. Jesus told a parable of a lost son who was found, leading to a big celebration. That's what He wants for all of us. "For this son of mine was dead and he is alive again; he was lost and is found." (Luke 15:24)

Dec 29

Tied up to a pier on my first ship, a few of us were looking for something to do onboard. We settled on playing an overnight "Spades" tournament, a popular game of cards for sailors. Before the ship's store closed, we stocked up on beverages and snacks and then met at 10 pm in the Combat Information Center. Playing for money, we decided on the payout terms and then began. The hours began to tick by, along with countless games, and the payout ledger was continually added to.

The snacks dwindled as we played through the mid-watch and into the next, but our enthusiasm never waned. We rarely looked at the clock, focusing on the games and adjusting our strategies as we learned more about our opponents. At last, the ship-wide silence was broken by the announcement of reveille and breakfast. It was now 6 am and we stopped to tally up the ledger's numbers. We all had to laugh as we looked at the final results. After a whole night's effort, one team owed the other the princely sum of $1.

This was the first and last time I ever played cards for money. I realized that I had received a very inexpensive lesson on how there were better things to do with my time, which is a precious resource that can't be recovered. "Be shepherds of God's flock...not greedy for money, but eager to serve..." (1 Peter 5:2)

Dec 30

My ship had just left the port of Yokosuka, Japan and was enroute to South Korea. Our captain had received rare permission to proceed at nearly twice the speed ships normally do. And we were going to use a shortcut through the Straits of Shimonosaki, between the island of Honshu and Kyushu. For this 28-knot transit, I quickly created hand-drawn booklets to help the quartermasters with navigation. We flew by the shipping in the area, no doubt raising eyebrows on the other vessels.

As we were approaching the final traffic separation scheme before the narrowest part of the Straits, I was telling the officer of the deck the remaining distance to a major turn. At the same time, a lot of attention was now being paid to a tug and tow coming towards towards us and the same turning point. I started to recommend earlier turns with updated safe courses in order to give them options. No action was taken until the Captain yelled to the OOD, "Well, what are you going to do?!" Right full rudder was ordered...at the same time the tugboat skipper had decided to make an emergency turn. Our rudder was shifted...at the same time the tugboat did...and shifted again. We passed each other so closely that I could no longer see it.

If you're not paying attention, shortcuts can sometimes lead you into a dangerous situation. Always be ready to receive a warning before it's too late. "Surely the arm of the Lord is not too short to save, nor his ear too dull to hear." (Isaiah 59:1)

Dec 31

Well into retirement, I was now "decommissioning" a small sailboat, preparing to donate it to a preschool's playground. I had arranged for a mobile crane to assist me with the work in securing the retractable keel, which was a very heavy plate of steel. It proved to take a lot more effort and time than I had estimated, but the crane operator was patient and helped when needed. A few bandages on my hands later, the work was finally done and I was writing a check to the man.

"I know you from somewhere," he said to me. We shared information and kept going back in time, all the way back to my first ship. It turned out that he was a part of the helicopter detachment on my first overseas deployment and had remembered seeing me from time to time. I later found his picture in a cruise book, marveling at how he recognized me after 45 years.

It was a fitting end to my time on the water, coming full circle nearly a half century following my first voyage. Why did I spend so many years in the Navy? Simply put, I answered a call to duty, regardless of how hard it was, or lonely, or anything else. I just feel that I was born to do it and it's the same way with my Christian walk. Regardless of how hard it was, or lonely, or anything else, it was just something that I was born and called to do. It was my duty. "So you also, when you have done everything you were told to do, should say, 'We are unworthy servants; we have only done our duty.'" (Luke 17:10)