Author: saymber

29 Oct 2024 Kid at Heart

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

What does it mean to be a kid at heart?

Hi there! How are you doing this fine fall day? Good I hope!

Today’s prompt makes me think of myself when I was younger. Children used to think when I would go to an adult function that I was there to see them! I gravitated towards children and pets as I didn’t feel like I fit in with the adults! Adults like to talk about things I am not always interested in. Kids and pets are less cerebral – more play and laughter – imagination. They are less complicated and like to look at things more simply and honestly. Adults are focused on adulting – politics, world issues, body problems, work and religion. I have strong opinions on these issues which are often contrary to public opinion!

Being a kid at heart is something I miss about myself as I grow older. I have kind of become what I used to avoid at public gatherings. I’ve had some things happen to me in the past few years that have roughened me around the edges and taken away my innocence. Thankfully there is hope in all this as I have surrendered to Jesus and he said we must be as children to enter his kingdom.

Matthew 19:14 New International Version (NIV)Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.”

24 Oct 2024 Direction

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

Hello to you. Hope this finds you well and if you are having a difficult time I hope things get better for you. This morning I had to scrape my car windows before heading to my prayer group! Cold is here!

Tonight my thoughts turn to the directions we are headed as a world. It feels like we are being split down the middle….good and evil. Some say we are headed to the end times even. I don’t believe we are headed to the end but to a new beginning. The fabric of this world and its underbelly are being revealed to us in a very tangible way. Things that have been going on for all too long are being exposed and justice is prevailing. Ultimately however things like the upcoming election turn out God will prevail. I have to believe the direction we are headed is and will be the right one. Keep the world in your prayers and positive meditations.

Galatians 6:9 (NIV) – “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.”

11 Oct 2024 Closer

by saymber, posted in In the News, Leading Life by Example, Nature, Spirituality and Religion, Veteran Affairs, Writing and blogging

Hello to you. I hope this finds you well. It’s starting to feel like fall here in Idaho. The trees are changing color and shedding their leaves. It’s getting darker earlier and the temps are getting lower. Fall is one of my favorite times of year minus having to clean up leaves from the neighbors yard!

My thoughts are turning to seeing the hurricane damage from Helene and Milton. I am thinking about the people and animals that lost their lives. I know when I have been in such circumstances I have drawn closer to God as I understand him. I can remember one of the couple times Kyle and I were almost flooded out of our home and survived a tornado touching down near our house. I was forced to let go and let God because I was truly powerless! I can’t control the weather! Its a very humbling experience to face such fierce occurrences. I can remember watching the waters rise to our front windows making the lawn chairs float. I was so worried but Kyle just kept reassuring me not to worry. Everything ended up being alright. Neither one of us were Christians at the time but I did believe in God. These scary times made me look outside myself for help and it came!

Now that I am a Christian I don’t have to wait for a crisis to believe in Jesus Christ. He is always close and ever present.

James 4:8-10New International Version

8 Come near to God and he will come near to you.Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts,you double-minded. 9 Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom.10 Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.

25 Sept 2024 Voting

by saymber, posted in Politics and Government, Spirituality and Religion, Veteran Affairs, Writing and blogging

Hello to you. Hope this finds you well. I can’t believe we are almost at the end of September! This year has really flown by.

I recently received my absentee ballot and couldn’t fill it out right away. I had to pray about it! I surprised myself in the direction I went. I was recently swayed by hearing President Trumps input about how he wants to help the American farmers: https://www.youtube.com/live/PUmt1lAOAN4?si=8VdyhrUPTd6lyg8k – Donald Trump meets with farmers in Pennsylvania

His explanation of tariffs and why he wants to impose them made a lot of sense. He’s trying to discourage big businesses from making what we need in other countries cheaply and then turning around and selling to us consumers at higher prices. I am concerned about immigration and our economy. I don’t think we can handle four more years of the same policies. It will be interesting to see how everything works out.

I thought long and hard about voting for Kamala but when it came down to it was this one question – what has she been doing these past three plus years and would voting for her really matter. I live in a very conservative state and chances are even if I voted for Kamala , the electoral process would be for Trump.

Numbers 23:19New International Version

19 God is not human, that he should lie,
    not a human being, that he should change his mind.
Does he speak and then not act?
    Does he promise and not fulfill?

5 Sept 2024 Pets and Time

by saymber, posted in animals, Home, Mental Health, Spirituality and Religion, Writing and blogging
Henry and Spot are together again

Hello to you. I hope this finds you well. I’m feeling a bit off as I write to you. I’m sure it will pass. I found out yesterday that we lost another family pet. It was my ex in-laws Yorkshire terrier Henry. I don’t think we ever get enough time with our pets. If only we could get one more meal, walk, cuddle, play session, treat, howling chorus….just never enough time. There is little consolation. There is little closure as when it’s time to say goodbye it is us that need to hear from animals one last goodbye and all they can do is look into our eyes and see the pain their leaving is causing. They can’t give us what we so dearly want, their lighted eyes simply twinkle out. Their breath ceases. When we had to say goodbye to four of our animals – two dogs and two cats I nearly lost my mind. I had been with my cats 14 years and Sam was like a son. Pieces of my heart and soul shattered. I am dreading the day Link and I will be parted. He will be 9 this year! He’s a senior dog now! We will just have to cherish our remaining years and not focus on what we can’t control. Death has no master but Jesus Christ. I have faith that when my time comes I will have a lot of greeters with paws!

Corinthians 15:26—27, 54–57When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written: “Death is swallowed up in victory.

28 August 2024 Something to Write About

by saymber, posted in Home, Leading Life by Example, Mental Health, Spirituality and Religion, Writing and blogging

Hi there! How are you doing today? I hope this finds you well. I am trying to write a little more often and it’s kind of hard. Being single and living alone with my sweet dog Link – not going out much makes for not much to write about! Most of the outside my home activities are family, church and medical appointment related. Starting next month on Tuesdays I will be joining my Aunt for a Bible study called One in a Million. This study will go on into November. It will be nice to have an opportunity to make new friends! People my age are still working so most of the people will be older and retired. As a newer Christian it will be good to learn more and have the opportunity to ask questions.

Recently I had the question about being baptized as a baby versus being baptized as an adult. The difference is not having a say as a baby and my parents choosing versus my being an adult and making a conscious decision to follow Christ. So at some point I may decide to get baptized as an adult!

Sometimes I feel like I’m holding back from being all into following Jesus. Part of it has to do with each of the episodes I’ve had being Bipolar. Each episode involved religion and Jesus. This last episode that landed me in the hospital and trouble with the law was because I felt Jesus was taking too long to return so I was going to push things along! So I have been avoiding becoming overly religious for fear of what could happen! So much of my life I have been into death and darkness – my early life began with such things losing my Mom so young. I’m grateful to be surrounded by loving family both by blood and by church. They are helping me navigate this phase of my journey.

26 August 2024 Fall Feeling

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

Hello to you. It’s been awhile since I’ve written to you. Not much new has been going on here with me. I just got back from a walk around the block and it was cooler. It’s starting to feel like fall already! The sunset is earlier and the temperatures are dropping. I’m not complaining! The only thing I haven’t liked about fall is cleaning up the leaves from my neighbors trees. Since I had one of them cutback it shouldn’t be as bad this year.

Leaves crinkling and curling

Breezes cooling sending them swirling

The skies are filled with birds traveling south

The beauty of the sight evokes awe from my mouth

Ever since I’ve gotten back on Depakote my creativity has gone away. It’s the sacrifice I’ve had to make for sanity! I miss the good parts of the highs or mania. It seemed like I had endless energy, thoughts and ideas. I don’t miss not being able to sleep and the endless chatter of inhabiting spirits. I have been stabile for over a year now and I’m grateful. Now if I could just lose the weight I’ve gained and stop feeling like a weeble wobble in my head I’d be all set!

Psalm 92

It is good to praise the LORD and make music to your name, O Most High,

proclaiming your love in the morning and your faithfulness at night,

to the music of the ten-stringed lyre and the melody of the harp.

For you make me glad by your deeds, LORD; I sing for joy at what your hands have done.

How great are your works, LORD, how profound your thoughts! (verses 1-5)

22 July 2024 Change

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

Hello to you. How are you? It’s 104 degrees here in Idaho! Thank God for air conditioning! I have been waiting til later in the evening to walk and it’s still quite warm and the air quality is poor. I have to do something to tackle my weight problem and making myself get out and walk is one way of doing that. Change is not just my activity level but what I’m eating. My Aunt and I got together last Wednesday and cooked some meat together for meals. I have been really grateful to have them. What happened is I was told my blood sugar levels were headed into pre-diabetic levels and I weighed in 40 lbs heavier than just a few months ago! A side effect of the medication I take for my mental health is feeling hungry all the time. So I’m having to change my snacking habits in addition to what I’m eating for meals.

Just a brief word about President Biden stepping down I think that was a good move. I don’t know much about Vice President Harris. Hopefully she will choose a good running mate. I personally wish it was Robert F Kennedy Jr.

Do Not Worry Matthew 6:25-27

25 “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? 26 Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? 27 Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life[e]?

28 June 2024 Debate

by saymber, posted in history, human rights, In the News, Politics and Government, Spirituality and Religion, Veteran Affairs

Hello to you. Hope this finds you well. Yesterday I watched the debate between President Biden and former President Trump. I was not impressed. Is this the best we can do?! I was relieved to see that a third choice is possible with Robert Kennedy Jr! They kept him off the debate stage but he did his own thing answering questions. I would vote for him but fear it would be like other times a third candidate arose and it’s like throwing your vote away. I have voted Green Party before and that was the case. People vote the popular ticket line and other candidates don’t have a chance. I wish we had more choices than the lesser of two evils! President Biden doesn’t seem to have all his marbles and President Trump didn’t have answers to questions – he couldn’t give a yes or no. Very depressing!

Colossians 3:12-13New International Version

12 Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. 13 Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord has forgiven you.

26 June 2024 Most Delicious

by saymber, posted in Food, Spirituality and Religion, Writing and blogging

What’s the most delicious thing you’ve ever eaten?

I would say the most delicious thing I’ve eaten is my Moms chocolate pudding dessert. Being a foodie there are lots of things I find delicious but there are only a few things that I like to eat in special occasions. The pudding dessert is what I like instead of birthday cake because I like it so much!

Romans 14:19-20New International Version

19 Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification. 20 Do not destroy the work of God for the sake of food. All food is clean,but it is wrong for a person to eat anything that causes someone else to stumble.