9August 2026 I Am The Good Shepherd

by saymber, posted in history, human rights, Leading Life by Example, Spirituality and Religion

Hello to you. Today began with church. We were in John 10:11-16:

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John%2010%3A11-16&version=NIV

https://youtu.be/qw7xhchfoe4?is=U_iLflvDM6ClyM_U – I Am The Good Shepherd – Brad Bowden

It’s about the love of the shepherd not the worthiness of the sheep. This funny video was shared that illustrates very well what being a good shepherd must be like:

https://youtube.com/shorts/Cu5qyPamutc?is=SUDx7mzl-103Y2ga – The sheep is all of us

After church I went and breakfast at the Sunrise Cafe. Got my Emma fix. She is so kind and always remembers my order!

Spin of the World Prayer Wheel:

Well, I don’t know what will happen now.
We’ve got some difficult days ahead.
But it doesn’t matter with me now.
Because I’ve been to the mountaintop.
And I don’t mind.
Like anybody, I would like to live a long life.
Longevity has its place.
But I’m not concerned about that now.
I just want to do God’s will.
And He’s allowed me to go up to the mountain.
And I’ve looked over.
And I’ve seen the promised land.
I may not get there with you.
But I want you to know tonight, that we,
as a people will get to the promised land.
And I’m happy, tonight.
I’m not worried about anything.
I’m not fearing any man.
Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord

i’ve been to the mountaintop – martin luther king jr. – 1968

8 August 2026 Uniquely Link

by saymber, posted in animals, Bipolar life, Home, Spirituality and Religion

Share a photo of your pet and tell us one thing that makes them uniquely them.

My sunbeam boy

Hello to you. Hope this finds you well. It’s Saturday as I write to you.

Today’s prompt asks me to point out a unique thing that makes my dog Link who he is. Something that comes to mind is when he hides his favorite toys – babies- in plain sight:

One of his favorite babies he recently “hid”

The other thing that is unique is his weak or nervous bowels. When he gets nervous he poops wherever he is. He has a booty butt! The vet always brings that up when we visit. One other thing he does is nips at the back of the heels of men he doesn’t know. He’s very protective of his domain! Most of all he is a good boy and my best buddy.

Spin of the World Prayer Wheel:

My True Father,
I set my hopes upon You alone,
And I only ask You, God,
For my Soul salvation.

Let Your Holy Will
Be my strengthening on this way,
For my life without You is a mere empty moment,
And only serving You leads to Eternal life.

Amen!

prayer for the soul – st. agapit of pechersk – 11th century

6 August 2026 Prayer and Praise

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

Hello to you. It’s morning as I write to you. This morning was our Thursday prayer and praise meeting. We had a good turnout to include Jeannie before she heads back to school, We had a lot to pray about in addition to our prayer sheet that Lois prepared for us:

Little doodle I did

My back was hurting when I went but after prayers it’s feeling better.

Last night I had a couple dreams that woke me up. The first one was so brief but vivid. It was anticipating the arrival of my stepmom and then all the sudden the room went black. I made my scary dream noise that woke both Link and I. Link hates it when I have scary dreams. The next dream was of me turning off several bedside lights and then something putting pressure on my chest to hold me down. I cried out for help – specifically for my first husband Ken but he didn’t come. I got away and kept crying out for Ken til I woke up. It’s been awhile since I’ve had vivid scary dreams like these.

Spin of the World Prayer Wheel:

God,

Please put a guard at my mouth,
love in my heart
and calm in my mind.

Amen

julie lepianka – february 2009

5 August 2026 Finding Solace

by saymber, posted in Art and Poetry, Bipolar life, drawing, history, Spirituality and Religion

Hello to you. As I write to you many parts of my country and places abroad are on fire and or are suffering from heat waves. All are in my prayers! I can only imagine how hard it must be for all those who have lost their homes. I have been keeping Venezuela and their earthquake losses and places suffering war in my prayers too. I almost feel guilty that I have it so good! We had a water main leak today and the water was off so they can do the repair. Such a minor inconvenience in the scheme of things!

I wonder how many people are turning to God, finding solace in God in these times. It’s easy to love God when life is going your way. I wonder if you asked any of these poor souls if they believed in Jesus would they still say yes?

Some would ask why does God allow bad things to happen. I would say bad things are a catalyst to change. Many actions go into one thing happening. Many choices and moves have to occur for anything to happen good or bad. Life is a series of choices – the outcome of some of those choices can be bad – or seem bad at the time. If we put God first in our choices things can be manageable. It’s when we don’t figure God into our plans that things go astray. Standing in the ashes of a home without God I can imagine how alone and lost one might feel. I pray that those struggling like that will be comforted.

Spin of the World Prayer Wheel for today:

Oh, children, don’t you weep,
If the road is long.
All of us are prayers of action,
On our way to God,
On our way to God.

Some of us are long and rambling,
Sometimes lost for years,
Some of us are small and holy,
Beautiful and clear.

Oh, children, don’t you weep,
If the road is long.
All of us are prayers of action,
On our way to God,
On our way to God. 

prayers of action – tom rapp – 1973

4 August 2026 Lyric

by saymber, posted in history, Music, Spirituality and Religion

What’s a song lyric that has stuck with you forever?

Hello to you. My prayers go out to the people of Spokane Washington and all the other parts of the world that are burning. I am convinced that what they have been spraying all over in the sky has made the trees and grass more flammable. Just a theory!

The song lyric that has stuck with me much of my life is from a song called Blinded By The Light by Manfred Mann’s Earth Band. Every time I hear it I am immediately transported to my childhood home. I am in the basement wearing my wrist radio listening to this song:

Blinded by the light
Revved up like a deuce, another runner in the night
Blinded by the light
Revved up like a deuce, another runner in the night
Blinded by the light
Revved up like a deuce, another runner in the night

https://youtu.be/33ptulhhQPg?is=Ju4hNx1ORVa4mBL3 – Blinded By The Light – Manfred Mann’s Earth Band

This is pretty close to the one I had

https://musicandmemory.org/ – music and memory organization.

Transforming Lives
Through the Power
of Music

Discover how MUSIC & MEMORY® helps individuals with cognitive and physical challenges reconnect with their memories, reduce anxiety, and improve quality of life through personalized music

Spin of the World Prayer Wheel :

You are the peace of all things calm
You are the place to hide from harm
You are the light that shines in dark
You are the heart’s eternal spark
You are the door that’s open wide
You are the guest who waits inside
You are the stranger at the door
You are the calling of the poor
You are my Lord and with me still
You are my love, keep me from ill
You are the light, the truth, the way
You are my Saviour this very day.

you are god – celtic oral tradition – 1st millennium

3 August 2026 Favorite Quote and Womens Coffee Time

by saymber, posted in drawing, Spirituality and Religion, Veteran Affairs

What is your favorite quote?

Hello to you. I hope this finds you well and if not I hope you know you are unconditionally loved. People are praying for you! We had woman’s coffee today at Grace House and we did just that! A gal named Kathy was there and she shared about her Choctaw history. So many stories! They are changing the meeting to once a month at 1:00. Hopefully we will still have a good turnout.

There is strength in numbers!

My favorite quote is one from my Dad. He only had a 8th grade education and didn’t talk much but when he did it was meaningful. He told me once that “life is school and we are in it our entire life.” I think he’s so right. At every turn there is something to learn. We are constantly faced with new challenges and opportunities.

Spin of the World Prayer Wheel for today:

With your feet I walk
I walk with your limbs
I carry forth your body
For me your mind thinks
Your voice speaks for me
Beauty is before me
And beauty is behind me
Above and below me hovers the beautiful
I am surrounded by it
I am immersed in it
In my youth I am aware of it
And in old age I shall walk quietly
The beautiful trail.

american indian – navajo

2 August 2026 I Am

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

Hello to you. It’s Sunday again and it’s been a good one. I didn’t sleep but a couple hours last night but still made it to church. Today’s service was lead by Pastor Munger. Jesus connects himself to God through the Old Testament. He tells us who he is so we can trust him. We were in John 8:22-20:

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John%208%3A12-20&version=NIV – John 8:12-20

Our church musicians
This is powerful – statue that survived fires in France

https://youtu.be/ynFkVkGUpyM?is=dpgLPWfb58oScmsl – I Am – Pastor Garrett Munger

https://youtu.be/9sE5kEnitqE?is=2Xk8UOGFtxzeNU7m – CeCe Winans – Goodness of God

Spin of the World Prayer Wheel:

Loving and believing in your goodness
I thank you for the beauty put before me.

Asking for serenity and acceptance
I will have the courage to grow.

Giving to and respecting all others
May the world be closer to peace.

margaret shaw (age 16) – may 15, 2009

1 August 2026 BTS

by saymber, posted in Music, Social media, Spirituality and Religion

Hello to you. I hope this finds you well. Tonight I got to watch via NYCTHRASHERs Tik Tok page a South Korean boy band named BTS. I was one of some 50,000 people watching the performance which is a lot for Tik Tok! The MetLife Stadium in New Jersey had about 82,500 people in attendance. – sold out show. I had never really heard of the band before them being mentioned on Tik Tok. Here is what the internet has to say about them:

BTS (Bangtan Sonyeondan) is a famous seven-member South Korean boy band formed in 2010 that debuted on June 12, 2013 under BIGHIT MUSIC. The group consists of members RM, Jin, Suga, J-Hope, Jimin, V, and Jung Kook. [1, 2, 3, 4]

The Members

  • RM: Group leader and main rapper.
  • Jin: Oldest member and vocalist.
  • Suga: Rapper and major music producer.
  • J-Hope: Main dancer, rapper, and vocalist.
  • Jimin: Vocalist and dancer.
  • V: Vocalist with a deep baritone voice.
  • Jung Kook: Youngest member (maknae), main vocalist, and dancer. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]

Music and Global ImpactName Meaning: The name stands for the Korean phrase Bangtan Sonyeondan, meaning “Bulletproof Boy Scouts,” and later gained the English branding “Beyond the Scene”.Themes: Their songs explore mental health, youth struggles, school-age hardships, and self-love.Fandom: Their massive global fan base is officially known as ARMY. [1, 2, 3, 4]

One of the songs they performed tonight that I liked:

https://youtu.be/qZTVU04UOO4?is=5_hndPLqiTQD4ZjY – BTS – Swim

Spin of the World Prayer Wheel:

Father, we thank thee for the night,
and for the pleasant morning light;
for rest and food and loving care,
and all that makes the day so fair.

Help us to do the things we should,
to be to others kind and good;
in all we do, in work or play,
to grow more loving every day.

child’s bedtime prayer – rebecca weston – 1890

30 July 2026 Reason

by saymber, posted in Bipolar life, drawing, history, Home, Mental Health, Nature, Spirituality and Religion, Veteran Affairs

Do you think everything happens for a reason?

Hello to you. It’s another smoky and hazy day as I write to you. I’m getting a bit of cabin fever staying inside so much. We stay inside for the winter and stay inside for the summer! it feels like the whole earth is burning.

Do I think everything happens for a reason? The way I’ve come to understand how things work is this existence is like a chess match. Every move of a piece is carefully thought out. Our Lord knows where every single fragment of this existence is going to go. Each move carefully thought out. To answer a single prayer requires the movement of so many pieces. The Lord has all the time in world – he operates in infinity. One day in our time is forever in his. He exists outside of time whereas our mortal coil is limited by time and circumstances.

I can remember sitting out in my back yard in Texas and I would point at a dead leaf or a blade of grass. I would ask “what are you going to do with this,” and then a breeze would come and move the leaf or blade of grass. Sometimes an insect would land on it. I came to understand that God had a plan for everything in creation – even things that seemed to not be of use anymore.

Sometimes things happen in this shared existence that seem to make no sense at the moment. It’s only when enough time passes that we see the purpose. We can often look back and see Gods plan and have an “aha” moment. We are able to see what happened that seemed horrible while we were living in it was actually for our greater good. If my second husband had not divorced me, I would not have the relationship I have with God, my family and church. At the time I was going through the divorce I wasn’t sure I would make it!

https://youtu.be/HuV2ID4PVgA?is=IM4tOhSr-2uwiQNL – Enigma – Why

Spin of the World Prayer Wheel:

I would say to young people 
a number of things, and I have only one minute.

I would say — let them remember
that there is a meaning beyond absurdity.

Let them be sure that every little deed counts,
that every word has power,
and that we do — everyone — our share
to redeem the world, in spite of all absurdities,
and all the frustrations, and all the disappointment

And above all, remember that the meaning of life
is to live life as if it were a work of art.

rabbi abraham joshua heschel – 1972

29 July 2026 Home Decor

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

What’s your home decoration style?

Hello to you. It’s another hazy smoky day here today. I haven’t been out walking the past couple of days. I feel bad for all the countries of this world suffering from fires, earthquakes and floods. Mother Earth is speaking and we better start listening!

Today’s prompt is pretty easy for me. One word describes my decoration style. – eclectic. I don’t have a particular style or genre. When I was with Kyle we collected dragon figurines and stuff like McFarland plastic dragons. For awhile we also collected My Little Ponies and stuffed owls. After the divorce and me leaving Texas I gave a bunch of stuffed animals like my bears, to my cousin for the children to play with. When we divorced I kept only one dragon figurine and a couple stuffed dragons we had bought on our first date at Universal Studios in Orlando Florida. The only other collection I have is crystals. Living in a tiny house you have to be careful with accumulating stuff!

These came from Universal Studios
This dragon we picked out at a flea market

I rewatched this yesterday – it’s been posted for 17 years now and it’s still relevant. Its a very good explanation about our current stuff system:

https://youtu.be/9GorqroigqM?is=jLBnLFjlpEQBL_N0 – The Story of Stuff

Spin of the prayer wheel :

Touch the pain of the world 
and release hope into the darkness.

sister simone campbell – sisters of social service