33 years...

Friday, December 4 I will be married to my lovely wife 33 years. She is a dedicated wife, mother and grandmother. I was truly blessed by God when she became a part of my life. I love her so much!

At First Sight

Memories take me back,

To the night that I met you.

Back when we were young,

We found a love so true.

My heart skipped a beat,

As you walked across the floor,

Little did I know,

It was you I would adore.

It happened at first sight,

When you glanced at me,

I found love that night,

My true destiny.

Our love grew even stronger,

And we've raised a family.

After all the joys and sorrow,

You're still standing next to me.

So after all these years,

And all the time together,

You're still the only one,

That I'll love forever...

(Sharon Cutshall)

I love you Carla, thank you for all you do! You are the best. You have always be there for me and I know... "God blessed the day I found you!"

Happy Thanksgiving!

We Give Thanks Our Father in Heaven,
We give thanks for the pleasure
Of gathering together for this occasion.
We give thanks for this food
Prepared by loving hands.
We give thanks for life,
The freedom to enjoy it all
And all other blessings.
As we partake of this food,
We pray for health and strength
To carry on and try to live as You would have us.
This we ask in the name of Christ,
Our Heavenly Father. --Harry Jewell

My son the Marine, the Sergeant, the Soldier...

My son has just completed his 9 year tour in the military. As a parent although I am very proud of him, I am also relieved that he will be here with us; safe and sound. He served his country very well. He displayed mixed emotions about leaving. I know it's hard to let go of something he has devoted such a large part of his life to. He served and did more than most when it comes to protection of our great county. He served with honor, pride and good moral character.

Thank you my son! You are my hero!!!

30th anniversary as a emergency responder...

October 15 marks my 30th anniversary working in some form of emergency services. I have worked as a firefighter, paramedic, EMT, Fire Station Officer, safety director, deputy sheriff, emergency management director and a homeland security director. It's been a long 30 years and I have seen much trauma, delivered babies, searched for lost people, rappelled out of high rise buildings, fought fires (several very large), dealt with major disasters, been spit on, fought with drunks, had saves, saw too much death, dealt with violent crime, involved with crisis debriefings, lost fellow brothers, attended line of duty deaths, seen joy and cried in desperation after the lost of a child...the list goes on! This is a common story that is so real to all those who also serve the public. We will never get rich; we just do what we do to help those who need it.

Taking a break...

I will be taking a break from blogging for a while. Thanks for reading this blog; I pray that God will bless you and help you through the storms of life... (he will if you ask and believe)

Jack Donovan

Declaration of FREEDOM...

"We hold these truths to be self-evident,
that all men are created equal,
that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights,
that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness."

These memorable words were written by Thomas Jefferson, age 33 at the beginning of the Declaration of Independence. This document, co-authored by Jefferson declared the United States independence from England. Many fought and died to secure and maintain that independence (or freedom). Not everyone accepted this freedom spoke of in the declaration.

Jesus of Nazareth, age 33 died for independence or freedom. Because of his death we are now free; free from sin. Because of his death our name can be written on a document called the Book of Life. This document is a declaration stating that we have accepted the reason for Jesus Christ death. We will live eternally with the Lord if our name is found in it. Not everyone will accept this freedom given because of the Lord's death.

Both documents are very important but only one will matter in the end. We should honor those who fought and those who died for our great country. We should also honor our Lord who left his place in heaven to come to a world to die for all mankind.

Happy Father's Day...

Happy Father's Day to my dad, my son, my son-in-law and every dad that reads these words. Being a father is a great responsibility. Do your very best to be a good dad and leave the rest to the greatest Father ever... our Lord!

Have wonderful day!

Lord, please show me your will for my life...

In the past I have prayed and prayed for the Lord to show me his will. Let me simply say He (the Lord) has already done this through His Word (the bible). Our main mission on this earth is to tell others about Christ. In the book of Matthew it says: "Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." Matthew 16-20

In our life the only thing that really matters is what we accomplish for Christ. I'm not saying that education and your career are not important. But, if you are a Christian, then what are you doing with those things in which the Lord has blessed you. In your circle of friends, your family and your co-workers are you responding to the doors of opportunity the Lord opens for you (to share the good news of the Lord)? Believe me it is not by chance that people become a part of your life. Share the Word with those you are in contact with.

Now do you just start every conversation with "Jesus loves you"? Although this may be the right thing to do for some, not every personal encounter is the open door I was speaking of. If you only spoke of Jesus at work and you did not do what you were hired to do then more than likely you would be fired. Often you can speak to the hearts of man by your actions, not your words. Let the Holy Spirit lead you. He will show you when the timing is right.

Remember you can not save anyone. Only the Lord can do this. It is a great feeling when you help lead someone to the Lord but sometimes you only plant a seed. The seed will be watered by another person and the Holy Spirit will speak to their heart. The decision is then up to the individual whether or not they ask the Lord to forgive them of their sin. You have done what you have been commanded to do. May God bless you as you serve Him.

"What, after all, is Apollos? And what is Paul? Only servants, through whom you came to believe—as the Lord has assigned to each his task. I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God made it grow. So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow. The man who plants and the man who waters have one purpose, and each will be rewarded according to his own labor." 1 Corinthians 3:5-8

Lord, teach us to pray...

"One day Jesus was praying in a certain place. When he finished, one of his disciples said to him, Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples. And he said unto them, When ye (you) pray, say, Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, as in heaven, so in earth.

Give us day by day our daily bread.

And forgive us our sins; for we also forgive every one that is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil..." Luke 11:1-4

This scripture is commonly referred to as the "Lord's Prayer." To read the entire prayer look up Matthew 6:9-13. The Lord is teaching his disciples how to pray. The prayer covers honoring God; our physical needs; debts and debtors; temptation and sin. If you sincerely pray this prayer from your heart, reaching out to the almighty God, our Father will hear and answer you. This is how God wants us to pray each day. This is what God wants you to ask of him.

Do you have to always ask these specific words? Of course not but God does want you to talk to him and tell him what's concerns you. If you feel close to God and don't really need anything from Him then praise him. Thank Him and tell Him you Love him. He desires us to express our love just as we desire this from our family and close friends.

Also, pray for others. If you feel overwhelmed with your problems, give them to God and start praying for other people. This act will relieve your stress and God will bless your unselfishness.

We need to pray more. The Lord has taught us how... now we need to pray. Pray or simply talk to God as if he is right beside you because... He is!