October 1960, on-board the troop ship USS Breckenridge and somewhere along the AleutianIsland chain. We had just finished a twelve month assignment at an Army post in Seoul, South Korea and I was on the way home for Christmas. However, there was a problem with the trip. We were following the tail-end of a typhoon and the going was rough. I never did get a ‘right reading’ on the height of the waves, but I remember that if you hung onto the hand rail to keep one’s balance and went up to the deck at mid-ship you could come to a hatch that had the upper half open to let fresh air into the lower decks. What I remembered was that it looked like a wall of water out that door with no horizon. The ship had a tendancy to repeat the same routine over and over again. Slowly climb up the side of a wave; teeter on the top for a few seconds; then slide to the bottom; only to pop like a cork out of the trough of water with a shudder. (I forgot, on the teeter part, the props would spin and the ship would shake like it would fall apart.) I thought it was just me that was highly concerned, however even the sailors were sea sick and not many of them were cheerful. (moans were more appropriate communication for the day. To say that I was not confident was saying the least but I can look back on the incident now with a newer outlook. In Luke 8:22-25, Jesus was asleep in a little boat, seemingly unconcerned. In fact, in the Gospel of Mark the disciples woke Jesus by saying, “Don’t you care that we are perishing?” (A heavy duty statement that I have proclaimed more than once in my life.) The answer given by Jesus in the form of a question was not only memorable but also instructive to those of us who are blown away by the problems of life. “WHERE IS YOUR FAITH?” I have learned through my experiences with the master a few things that are important to remember: First, trials are normal in one’s life; Second, faith is built on truth and not one’s emotions; Third, faith is expected to be used or exercised (this is accomplished when history and facts are assembled and applied resulting in faith); Fourth, one’s faith doesn’t have to be large, just alive and growing (God will take care of the size we need). Many times in the lives of Sharon and myself we have experienced the steps of faith above and been blessed by Him. Like the disciples we found ourselves in awe and amazement of the Savior. But then we always have a choice to make: be in awe and amazement of the Savior or be blown away.