Author Archives: frdavid11

This prayer is another of my explorations into history resulting from a historical occasion, in this case relating to the Navy Construction Battalions, or Seabees. Seabees tend to move in their own circles and have less interaction with other Sailors like the ones who man the escort fleet of cruisers and destroyers, so I thoughtContinue reading “Daily Prayer, 5 March”

Sometimes my role as their chaplain was just to be the crew’s cheerleader. After a long day of complicated evolutions, my job was to be there to encourage them and be their biggest fan. This prayer was part of that effort after one of those days.   Yesterday was a pretty busy day, and IContinue reading “Daily Prayer, 4 March”

American warships need lots of gas, and on the way through the Mediterranean, if you don’t get it from underway replenishment, than you have to stop in a port. After Rota, Spain, the next place ships tend to stop on their way through is in Souda Bay, Greece, which is on the island of Crete.Continue reading “Daily Prayer, 3 March”

Having a vocation or calling is something that used to be a given. When we were growing up, we just sort of understood that each of us would find a job that we could do well, and pursue that as a means to provide for ourselves and our, God-willing, future family. What I’ve found withContinue reading “Daily Prayer, 2 March”

We were next to the pier in Spain longer than we’d planned due to equipment that needed repair, and parts were required but were in limited supply. It can be frustrating to be in the spotlight, knowing that the whole crew is waiting for your gear to work so that the ship can get underway.Continue reading “Daily Prayer, 27 February”

This prayer came on an evening as we had finished our transit across the Atlantic and were approaching Spain. We were scheduled to moor in Rota, Spain to refuel and take on supplies, but because of ongoing COVID-19 protocols we were not going to be allowed to leave the ship except to a limited areaContinue reading “Daily Prayer, 25 February”

This story I took from Mike Rowe’s book based on his podcast series, though I edited it a bit to make it shorter and added the moral and, obviously, the prayer. I like the story a lot and it lends itself to a good lesson, but I was afraid that the reveal wouldn’t be veryContinue reading “Daily Prayer, 24 February”

This one was fun, because I don’t think I’ve ever used the word “stupid” so many times in such a short span, and never in a story meant to teach a moral. Because of that, though, this prayer caused a lot of follow on discussions. Most Sailors have heard some version of the opening warning,Continue reading “Daily Prayer, 23 February”