A Letter To Marcus and Joni Lamb

Wedding Rings/Photo JA Wren

Marcus and Joni I just want you two to know I love you guys, you two true representatives of our Lord Jesus Christ for standing for the truth and the sanctity of marriage, no one in their right mind would ever condone the mistake that Marcus has made, however it must be remembered as that, a mistake, that you have stood up and accepted responsibility for as well as accountability to God and Joni, the only two you really have to be accountable to.

You two have been in the service of the Lord long enough I don't have to tell you to prepare for the attacks that are going to launched by the enemy, however I know that the Lord will be by your side, as well as being covered by mine and many other peoples prayers. It is a awful shame that people are who don't understand or care that this situation is personal between you two and the Lord and between you two as husband and wife. 

I want to thank both of you but especially you Joni, in a day when marriage is taken for granted and way to often dissolved at the swipe of the pen just because a couple may become bored with one another, for standing up for one of God's most sacred of creations, marriage.

Another School Standoff

Front Of Marinette High School/Photo Marinette School District

Residents here in the city of Santee, Ca. where having flashbacks once again after another school standoff with a student holding fellow students hostage, this time in the city of Marinette, Wisconsin a town of 11,600 bordering Lake Michigan.

A 15 year old male student, whose name has not been released was armed with a .22 caliber semiautomatic and a 9 mm semiautomatic pulled out the weapons and refused to let anyone leave the classroom as classes ended for the day, inside the classroom the student kept 23 fellow students and a female teacher hostage for about five hours and would only communicate with police through the teacher, and according to police never indicated the reason for the standoff.

According to Marinette Police Chief Jeff Skorik the suspect released 5 hostages at about 7:40 who had to use the restroom, than shortly after police entered the room about 8:03 when they heard 3 shots fired. Inside the room they found the remaining hostages safe and the suspect injured by a self inflected gunshot wound. As of this morning he is alive at the Bay Area Medical Center in the city, however police are not releasing the seriousness of his wounds.

Santee residents are having flashbacks because just 9 years ago on March 5, 2001, fifteen-year-old Santana High student began shooting, killing two, and wounding thirteen. Bryan Zuckor, a fellow student, was the first killed, as he and another student were shot in the bathroom where shooter Charles Williams began. Williams then exited the bathroom and headed for the Santana High School quad, where he opened fire on surrounding students and faculty. There, he fatally shot another student, Randy Gordon, and wounded twelve others (ten students and two staff). Williams then returned to the bathroom where he later surrendered to the police.

Personal accounts of the events relate the initial confusion during the incident, describing the sound of the shots as "like firecrackers". Panic followed as people began to realize what was happening. Witnesses also describe Williams as "smiling" during the shooting. Referring to the chaos after the shooting, one parent remarked, "They just don't have a system to handle this." Students and faculty were evacuated to a nearby shopping center, and local businesses and churches helped to handle students and parents. Others also said that they heard him saying, weeks before the shootings, that he was "going to pull a Columbine".

How Was My Thanks Giving?

Jesiah playing ball with dad thanksgiving 2010/photo duane donecker

Hello my friends glad to see you could make it, I pray you all had a great thanksgiving yesterday, got some special time with family and friends and of course some good food, but most of all did you find what you where or are still thankful for?

I most certainly did in all aspects, first let me tell you what I was thankful for, first and foremost my dear Saviour Jesus Christ for without I would be no one, and heading straight to hell at that, I love you my Lord more than anything or anyone else in this universe, I pray that you continue to lead me in the right direction, and though I know I will never be entirely like you Lord, let others see you in me.

Second I as so very thankful for my immediate family, Sandi and Jesiah.  Sandi my dear I love you so much and I am honest when I say I would be no where and no one without you! I feel so blessed and honored that this is the 13th thanksgiving we have spent together, although one of those was long distance when I was in Afghanistan and off the coast of Pakistan.  I want you to know I my love grows more for you everyday. And Jesiah Raine my son, what can I say? You being in my life totally fulfills me where your mother can not, you are me son, yet I do not want you to live as I had, I want you to listen to what I say and my past when you get old enough I will not hide a thing from you, but please don't repeat it, learn from it. Knowing that You and your mommy is on the other side of the door everyday when I come home is the greatest blessing God has provided me second only to his Son.

We had a great thanksgiving, spending it at the in-law Kathy and Gary vines, I love them both so much, the both have become true family too me through out the years, the feast and company was great. While the food was cooking Jesiah and I played ball for a good 3 hours and tired ourselves out, so after all the food and the exercise I think Jesiah and I crashed by about 6:30 7:00 ate the latest.

I must say it was one of the best Thanksgiving's I've had in a long time, and I hope to have many more.  Please take care all and watch out for Christmas as it is coming fast.

Happy Thanksgiving

Me And The Love Of My Life/Photo Duane Donecker

It is hard to believe the holidays are upon us once again, it seems like Thanksgiving and Christmas 2009 was just a couple of weeks ago, I guess that's what happens with age.  I remember as a child it seemed like a year in between each Christmas was an eternity and today it just marks how fast time goes by the older you get.

Allot of things have happened in my life the past year, and so much I am thankful for, first of all I am thankful for my Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, for without him I would be nothing and have nothing, I remember the day I accepted Jesus into my life like it was yesterday.  It happened on Oct 31, 1998 which I believe is such an appropriate date.  I was a heavy drinker at the time, probably about a case or more of beer a day if I wasn't out at sea.  I had asked Sandi to marry me, but in her past their had been issues with people in her life as a child and alcohol, and she said she would marry me if I could stop drinking.

Sandi had already introduced me to God and the church but I was still unsure how I felt about the whole concept of God, you see as a child probably between the ages of 5-10 I enjoyed going to church very much and I believed, but when I was about 12 years old I left my mom and moved in with my dad, (they had divorced 11 years before) and their I was introduced to the Catholic Church, after a few months of attending this church I began to feel really turned off, then I didn't know why but today I know it's because the teaching their began to make me feel guilty about every little thing I did that was deemed a sin, before I knew you where to ask for forgiveness when I was going to the Baptist church which I did and never felt guilty, yet I didn't understand why when I was going to the Catholic Church I felt constantly riddled with guilt.

I began earnestly reading the bible, listening to radio programs and praying for the first time in my adult life, and after about two months I felt the Holy Spirit invade my body.  I didn't understand the concept of the Holy Spirit and had barely even heard of it, but the minute it happened I knew in my heart that the Holy Spirit had entered my heart, mind and soul. From that day one not drinking became natural, despite all my fears of how I would function with out a drink every day and to this day the Lord continues to help me fight the temptation of drinking.

Second, I am thankful for my family. Sandi and I were married on 22 January 2000 so here we are almost 11 years of marriage, and though we have our tough periods as any marriage I wouldn't want to share my life with anyone else, she truly turned out to be my soul mate.  Jesiah was born on 03 March 2006 our first and only child, and he too is truly a blessing he makes our life fun, exciting and yes even challenging.  He is healthy, smart and a very handsome young man.

Also of course I am thankful for the rest of my family, my mom Sandi  has passed away and I miss her very much, I lived with her during most of my early childhood to about age 12 and I must say she was a wonderful mom and she is responsible for my love of knowledge, she always encouraged me to learn, learn, learn and because of her I was reading the 4th to 5th grade level when I entered kindergarten.  My father too I am very thankful for as he taught me the importance of working hard and trying to do things to the best of your ability and never give up when you have started something it is those things he taught me that ensured my success during my naval career.

Also I am very thankful for my in-laws, Sandi's mom Kathy and her step-dad Gary. Although we have had out disagreements through the years both of them have always been supportive and their when we needed them and they are very loving grand parents when it comes to Jesiah.

OK I know this is kind of  rambling on but the last thing I am grateful for is the US Navy and what 20 plus years of service has done and though I am now retired still does for my and my family.  I learned allot about myself during those years but I won't go into that now, that could be another post for a later date but in a nut shell I grew up in the navy and because of the navy I learned how have respect for other people of other cultures, races, and religion and in this day and age where I believe intolerance for others are higher than they have been possibly since our civil war.

My Loving Son/Photo Gary Vines

Well that is enough rambling so again to everyone happy Thanksgiving, if you are traveling be safe, enjoy family and friends but most of all take the day and dedicate it to the Lord giving thanks for all He has done in your life.

A Poem I Wrote In 2003 I found floating around the web today

Fantasy/Artywork courtesy sekpress.net

Far From Fantasy

I dreamed of someone like you for so many years,
Someone to love and cherish
I found you my fantasy come true
Yet you did not show me the true you

How could I know you played me for a fool
I gave you my all for so very long
Yet you had nothing to give
Taking was all you knew

It hurt so bad the day you said
“I have to go”
I cried like never before
And never have again

Of course in my heart you were my true love
I was so young and happy; new to the world
And the hurt love could give
I thought you where happy too

Too late my eyes began to open
Before I knew the pain in store
If I only knew that true love was
Far from fantasy

© 2003 Duane Albert Donecker

Where Did Summer Go?

Jesiah Donecker/Photo Duane Donecker

Well Thanksgiving is only four days away and it is freezing outside, (for Californians) and it is going to be raining for another couple of days, and I was sitting here in the living room thinking of all the fun things that we did during the summer. Jesiah loves to be outside as much as he possibly can, and he has all kinds of things for playing outside.

One of our favorite things we liked to do was go over to the high school next door called Santana High School, and yes if you are wondering this is one of the schools were there was a shooting, at Santana it happened on March 5, 2001 when Charles Andrew Williams shot and killed two students and wounded 13, it was a horrible day but the school and the neighborhood have recovered well and Jesiah having been born in 2006 of course knows nothing about it.

Well as I was saying we loved to bring a football and go to the football and lacrosse field, Jesiah really likes to watch them play lacrosse when school is in session so he calls it the lacrosse field when most people call it the football field. Him and I would go down to the field and first throw the football around and then tackle each other, of course Jesiah had it rigged so I would have the ball more than he did, so he could tackle me more than he got tackled, it was allot of fun and we would spend a good hour or so doing that, then we would/walk run about a mile or two before we started for home, but of course we would be pirates doing so exploring on the way home so getting home would at least take another hour, (remember the school was right next door)

Jesiah also has a bike and a razor scooter and during the summer and even now he likes to take one of them down to the courtyard of the complex and there would normally be a couple of more kids down there riding their bike or scooter and I would sit down at one of the tables and watch him play for an hour or two until it was time to get up stairs for dinner.

However the thing we loved to do the most last summer was swimming, it was so amazing how well Jesiah did this summer, now one thing must be known we have been taking him into the pool since he was about 6 months old, so he is a water baby. Jesiah started out this summer wearing his Lighting McQueen swimming vest and being scared of the deep end, gradually he got where he could actually go in the deep end and swim around the pool in his vest, I mean actually propelling himself around the pool. About a month into the summer he decided he wanted to shed the vest and graduate to a Sponge Bob ring and he was spending almost all his time in the deep end.

About two months into summer he started to swim between mom and me without his ring but still using it when he was doing his own thing and then one day I was about 4 feet from him when suddenly out of the corner of my eye I saw him slide out his ring and purposely swim to the edge of the pool, needless to say I about had a heart attack when I saw that, but from then on he didn't want a floaty of any kind anymore.  By the end of summer he was swimming the full length of the  pool with nothing to help him, it was a totally amazing summer and I wonder how it went so fast!

What do I mean by Side Stepping?

Jesiah and Tyler/Photo Duane Donecker

Hello everyone and I know what all of you are thinking, that's all Duane needs is another

blog, well let me tell you why I made another blog, you see the other blogs I have are all about the serious things in life and I was thinking last night while  watching my son Jesiah and his friend Tyler playing, "everything in life isn't and should not be all serious", we need to have fun in our lives no matter how hold or young you are.

I think the reason so many adults end their lives with a stroke or a heart attack, I think to many of us take life way to serious, and we forget to sit down and watch what our children are doing.  I love how I can take Jesiah to a totally new park and  he will go out and start circling the play equipment deciding where he is going to strike first, kind of like a shark in the water circling it's prey.  He will circle a few times then look over at me and I will give him his thumbs up and off he goes and he's suddenly surrounded by 3 or 4 other children.

Now Jesiah has been accepted into the little group, and what I like is no matter what st

age of the game everyone one was in, the integrated right in the middle of it, no one is yelling at him to wait until their finished, no kid is telling him who is charge here, and they are all sharing. Could you imagine if most adults acted like this, I think we would have a different world than the one we are living in today, violence would be almost unheard of.

Another thing I have noticed about children is racism is practically non existence, unless a child is brought up in a racist atmosphere they haven't been exposed to enough of it to effect they way they live there everyday lives. One time I was surprised when my son came running up to me and said dad that black boy has to go home pretty soon, that was the first time I had ever heard him address another child that way, but my mind put at ease when I said isn't there some one else you can play with and he said, "that yellow boy is nice" I looked over and saw a little boy wearing a yellow shirt, and they boy he had been taking about earlier was wearing a black shirt, with that I had to let out a little chuckle at that. I think Jesiah was three when that happened and to this day at almost five I've never heard him mention a child by color.

So now back to the fun for us adults, think back to the things you liked to do when you where younger, I used to laugh to myself when I used to see a grown man in his 20's or 30's riding a skateboard or a BMX bike, (I'm not sure I would recommend either of those to someone in their 40's like me) or even out flying a kite with a child by their side.  Then I realized these guys are probably going to live allot longer than me just because they are doing something that is fun too them and helps them relax, so now I don't laugh anymore I try to get out there and do something fun, wither by myself or with Jesiah.

This blog then is going to be about fun things in life, things that may make us all feel young again and think of our childhood, so I hope you can maybe have a bit of fun reading my new blog.