I was part of the Navigation Team on board the Cutter SASSAFRAS.  My job was to make sure the helm (the people who actually steer), were doing their jobs.  It would not necessarily be their fault if we were off course; the ocean has currents, and the waves and wind have an effect on ships at sea.  I would use the LORAN (a radio-based navigation system used well before GPS became a household word), as well as doing some celestial navigation (basing our position on the sun, moon and stars).  Once I established the actual position of the ship, I would, if necessary, suggest a course correction to the Officer of the Deck, who would either give an order to the helm, double check my work, or completely ignore me.  Though it was a choice, I was never completely ignored.

 

A funny thing happened every time we passed the 180th meridian (the international dateline); within about two hours our LORAN unit would stop working.  The bridge crew even had a pool; for a buck you could pick the time the unit would go down, and another one to guess when it would come back.  Proceeds went to the Morale Fund.  In between those times we were left with the old methods of determining our position.  I don’t know for sure, but I heard they no longer teach celestial navigation in the Guard.  It’s too bad, because it always seemed like a good idea to have a backup plan – just in case.

 

The debates are raging; who would make a better President, Barack Obama or Mitt Romney?  Everyone seems to have an opinion.  Basically it boils down to one is a hack and the other will save the world.  I have my opinion (and will keep it to myself here).  I have prayed about who I should vote for, but I truly do not trust either candidate to save the world – or the country.  We have gone too far, in my opinion, for any man to save us.  Fortunately, I have a backup plan – God.

 

You are right, He really isn’t my backup plan – He is my “go-to” guy.  If there is any hope for this country, any hope for this world, it is God.  The fact is however, there is no hope for the world anyway.  I have read the Book, and the world gets destroyed.  America, as great as it is (even still), will cease to exist – even the Church will end.  This is all according to plan.  I admit, it looks bleak, but as the old saying goes, “It’s always darkest before the dawn.”  Just when it truly can get no worse, Jesus will come back and put an end to our suffering, and we will be with Him forever.

 

By all means, pray and vote!  But don’t put your faith in some mere man.  Put your faith in God, He is our only real hope.