4 July 2026 Reason to Celebrate (250 years)

by saymber, posted in Animal Rights, animals, Art and Poetry, Bipolar life, Food, history, Home, human rights, In the News, Leading Life by Example, Spirituality and Religion, Veteran Affairs

Hello there! How are you? If you’re American you are probably having a cookout and preparing for fireworks tonight. I hope if you are reading from America and you have pets that you secure them. I know a lot of people have to give their pets tranquilizers to get through this night. Thankfully my Link doesn’t get worked up like most dogs. So many people like fireworks! They are pretty to watch but aren’t very eco friendly!

There has been quite a hoopla over today marking 250 years – we made it this far and I have hope for the future despite everything going on right now. Freedom isn’t free! It’s good to see so many people loving our country.

I had a wonderful meal and visit with my Aunt, Uncle, cousin and his wife and two of my Aunts Granddaughters Richelle and Tatum, Tatum’s husband Kyle and baby Liam. We had hamburgers, hotdogs, potato salad, corn on the cob, fruit, watermelon and ice cream and brownies for dessert. Liam was definitely the star of the show. Once he got acclimated to everybody, he had a great time. Great Grandma my Aunt gave him some metal measuring cups he loved clanging together. We all know what he’s getting for Christmas! My Uncle, Great Grandpa said he’s going to get Liam a drum set! lol! 😂 We made a special memory today! So special!

My sweet Auntie and I – Grandma Becker would be so proud! She loved celebrating the 4th in her backyard in Ft. Collins CO
My beautiful Grandma Becker (I couldn’t flip picture!)

If God could talk
it wouldn’t be in English
or Latin or Arabic
It wouldn’t be in Yiddish
or Spanglish or pidgin

If God could talk
the words would crack like thunder
pour down like a torrent of jewels
flooding our basements with shining ideas,
sparkling conclusions.

If God could talk
a thought would be a redwood
a word an ocean
a sentence a century.

If God could talk
I would not have to
for all the words today requires
would flow in on the morning breeze
and find their way to the morning news.

If God could talk
God’s word would be carried
on the wings of eagles
the ankles of gnats
in the pouches of kangaroos
and the paws of polar bears.

It would spread through the sound
of honey bees and hyenas
be translated into a rainbow
by blue herons and cardinals,
blackbirds and yellowjackets
pink flamingos and gray whales,
purple martins and chameleons.

It would cause rivers to flow,
tides to rise, moons to wax,
suns to set, sparrows to fly,
planets to revolve,
universes to expand
if God could talk.

if god could talk – jan phillips

2 July 2026 Young Washington

by saymber, posted in history, human rights, Movies, Politics and Government, Veteran Affairs

Hello to you. I’m home from going to see the movie Young Washington with my Aunt and Uncle. We got sticker shock that the movie tickets were less than the soda and popcorn! The movie was an Angel Studios production that consisted mostly of battle scenes and George being a sort of superhero. There was clapping in the audience at the end. My Aunt and Uncle are patriotic and this film had that appeal to them. I couldn’t get over how much William looked like a young Stuart Townsend and how much taller he was compared to other people in the film. The way they portrayed George was like he was super human to have survived so many battles.

William Franklyn-Miller was the very handsome George – he was so tall! There were other recognizable actors like Ben Kingsley, Kelsey Grammer and Mary Louise-Parker.

https://youtu.be/-s8mqW03geo?is=IOBaNb9wfUb-FStK – Official Trailer for Young Washington

The Lord bless you and keep you;
The Lord make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you;
The Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace.

blessing – bible – numbers 6:24-26

1 July 2026 Best Way To Deal With Negative Thoughts

by saymber, posted in Bipolar life, Health, Leading Life by Example, Mental Health, Spirituality and Religion, Veteran Affairs, Writing and blogging

What’s the best way to deal with negative thoughts?

Hello there! How are you today? Today’s prompt is timely. Every day is a battle for me when it comes to thoughts. The best way to deal with the negative ones is to think of positive ones! Pull the lever on the train of thoughts and attach a redirected car – make the train go a different direction. This practice is something I’ve learned dealing with chronic anxiety. Another thing I do is pray or watch something uplifting. I reach out to loved ones and that helps too. Another thing I do to combat negative thoughts is write here. Writing gets my thoughts out of my head.

I really miss Pope Francis. I found this on the Prayer Wheel today:

On this day, I would like all of us
to hope anew and to revive our
trust in others, including those
who are different than ourselves,
or who come from distant lands,
bringing unfamiliar customs,
ways of life and ideas!

For all of us are children of God!

his final address – pope francis – easter sunday 2025

https://youtu.be/Av0BTpjK8z4?is=CG9plqPRBiblfK8N – Pope Francis Last Message

28 June 2026 As It Is In Heaven

by saymber, posted in Bipolar life, Health, Leading Life by Example, Mental Health, Music, Spirituality and Religion

Hello to you. It’s Sunday again as I write to you.

Today we were in Matthew 6:5-13:

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew%206%3A5-13&version=NIV

https://youtu.be/bOLS13cl78c?is=FtL4CHiDv_kGPaZL – As It Is In Heaven – Brad Bowden

Brads message today was a good reminder that prayer to God is more than just a transaction where we ask for things and expect results. Prayer is an act of submission to the will of the father. It can be so disappointing to keep praying and not see God move the way we want him to. I have been praying for healing for so long now and there had been no real answer. If I am going to overcome I have to trust God will move in his time and not mine. I may be this way forever for whatever reason I’m not privy to. God knows!

https://youtu.be/NLhdzuCSmIw?is=yL89_CTYYpV-NiBq – Build My Life – Peyton Allen

27 June 2026 Believe

by saymber, posted in Art and Poetry, Bipolar life, Mental Health, Spirituality and Religion

What’s something you used to believe as a kid that seems ridiculous now?

Hello to you. How are you? My prayers go out to the people of Venezuela as they struggle to recover and discover bodies in the rubble.

Thinking of today’s prompt, I had and still have a vivid imagination. As a child I was a dreamer. From an early age I was a writer of stories and poems. I wanted to be famous – a singer, dancer, artist and writer. As I look back now, I never really had a chance to realize those lofty aspirations. My stepmom popped me into reality early on by telling me I didn’t have to be famous to be somebody! She was right! I could have never made it as a famous person with my conditions and probably wouldn’t still be here to write to you.

I found the following on the Prayer Wheel today:

Blessed be the Earth and those who tend her,
for she is the source and sustenance of our lives.

Blessed be the children who hunger for food,
learning, and homes that are safe,
for their future is shaped by our choices today.

Blessed be the refuges fleeing the violence of war and poverty
may they find shelter, peace, and work that sustains them.

Blessed be those who are calling for freedom,
resisting oppression and risking their lives in the struggle for justice,
for they are the shapers of a brighter world.

Blessed be the persecuted and wrongly judged,
for theirs is a sorrow lessened only by mercy and human kindness.

Blessed be the prophets who speak and write of a world beyond war,
for theirs are the words becoming flesh.

Blessed be the story-tellers, music-makers, and artists at life,
for they are the true light of the world.

Blessed be the tender-hearted who mourn and grieve
the wars we’ve fought, the lives we’ve lost,
may peace ride in on the river of their tears.

beatitudes – jan phillips

25 June 2026 Language

by saymber, posted in history, Leading Life by Example, Spirituality and Religion, Writing and blogging

Which languages do you speak and how did that impact your life?

ich spreche nur ein bisschen – I only speak a little bit.

Hello there! Guten tag! wie geht es ihnen? – Good day! How are you?

The German language has been with me since grade school when I was given a class. I still have the workbook I used. I also took a class when I was stationed in Germany but if you don’t get to practice you lose it! Learning German was helpful when I was overseas but as much as I wanted to practice what I had learned, the Germans wanted to practice their English! It was just easier to speak English than watch me struggle with German!

I love Google Translate: 

Lieber Jesus, ich danke Dir für diesen Tag und all die Segnungen, die er mit sich bringt. Ich bitte Dich, dass Du mir weiterhin Deine Gegenwart in meinem Leben zeigst und mich zu einem Segen für alle machst, denen ich begegne. Amen

Dear Jesus thank you for this day and all the blessings within it. I pray that you will continue to show your presence in my life and make me a blessing to all those i encounter. Amen.

From the world prayer wheel this beautiful prayer from Mary Elizabeth Frye 1932:

Do not stand at my grave and weep
I am not there; I do not sleep.
I am a thousand winds that blow,
I am the diamond glints on snow,
I am the sun on ripened grain,
I am the gentle autumn rain.
When you awaken in the morning’s hush,
I am the swift uplifting rush
Of quiet birds in circled flight.
I am the soft stars that shine at night.
Do not stand at my grave and cry,
I am not there; I did not die.

mary elizabeth frye – 1932

Prayers go out to the people of Venezuela who are experiencing loss after the earthquakes.

23 June 2026 Best Advice

by saymber, posted in Bipolar life, history, Home, Mental Health, Spirituality and Religion, Writing and blogging

What’s the best advice you’d give to someone younger than you?

Hello to you! It’s Tuesday evening as I write to you. How are you?

Today’s prompt makes me think of my younger self. The best advice I would give is to slow down! When I look back on my 58 years, much of those years I can’t even remember. Everything is a blur. I burned a candle at both ends through much of my life. I barely have any memories of my childhood. The memories I do have are just fragments of mostly traumatic events. Most of my memories are highlights. I used to write in journals everyday but stopped because I was running out of storage space! I have a big black cedar lined trunk full of journals, calendars and sketch books. I have wrestled with what to do with everything for years now. I don’t have any children of my own to pass my stuff on to so someday whomever takes over my estate will probably just send everything to the dump. Most young people these days don’t want stuff from their elders. I am the end of a tree.

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Genesis%202%3A9&version=NIV – Genesis 2:9

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Proverbs%203%3A18&version=NIV -Proverbs 3:18

Philippians 4:6-7 (NIV)

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus”

21 June 2026 Watchmen On The Wall and Fathers Day

by saymber, posted in Food, Home, Spirituality and Religion

Hello to you. I’m just back from my Aunt and Uncles where we celebrated Fathers Day with my cousin and his wife. My Aunt had me try on some pants she picked up at Costco – good fit and pretty. We had roasted turkey and they brought over roast and fish my cousin caught. It was so nice to see them! Link loves seeing everybody too! We went for a walk after dessert of angel food cake and fruit and boy was I huffing and puffing. It was pretty hot out but still! I really need to lose some weight!

This morning began with church. We were in Nehemiah 4:9-14:

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Nehemiah%204%3A9-14&version=NIV

https://youtu.be/pZpcc6FTY_E?is=GogCGYiLy3ab9lKi – Watchmen On The Wall – Pastor Jason Boyd

16 June 2026 Writing vs Speaking

by saymber, posted in Bipolar life, Health, Mental Health, Spirituality and Religion, Veteran Affairs

Hello to you. It’s nearly bedtime as I write to you. I had an appointment with my therapist today and I shared with her something that’s been going on. The fullness in my ears makes it hard for me to carry on conversations. It’s a wet uncomfortable feeling. I am finding it’s easier to write than it is to carry on a conversation. I know what I want to say but sometimes I get blocked from saying it. I noticed this at the tea party Sunday. I don’t want my body to become a prison like what happened to my dad!

Prayer I found to share:

Lord, as I lay down to sleep, I thank You for today’s blessings and seek Your peace to quiet my mind. Protect me through the night and rejuvenate my spirit. May my rest be filled with Your comforting presence, and may I awaken refreshed for the day to come

14 June 2026 This is the Way and First Tea Party

by saymber, posted in Food, Health, Home, Spirituality and Religion

Hello to you. I’m just home from my cousins house and the first tea party. Today began with church. I got to see my church family. Jeannie was there with Roy’s daughter Wendy. We were in Matthew 6:5-8:

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew%206%3A5-8&version=NIV

https://youtu.be/ft3JxiyPih0?is=Rxe_5PxVdzrLSDv- This Is The Way – Pastor Jason Boyd

Beautiful spread!

The tea party really was beautiful! It was the first one my family has done so there was a learning curve. I was a bit late as my GPS decided it didn’t want to take me to my cousins without going to my Aunts first! My cousin came and rescued me. I was pretty frazzled! There was a good turnout that included the grandchildren. Everyone had on their spring dresses and little clip on hats. I was so glad to see everyone to include my cousin Heidi. It’s been six months since she had her aneurysm. She’s doing so well! There were little sandwiches, scones and macaroons. There were many different teas to choose from. There was talk of doing it again next year.