25 Jan 2026 Roy’s Rainbow Slippers

January 25, 2026 by saymber, posted in animals, Bipolar life, history, human rights, Spirituality and Religion, Veteran Affairs, Writing and blogging

Hello to you. It’s a sunny Sunday here in Idaho. I hope you are safe and warm where this finds you. I’m just back from church and a short walk with Link. My back isn’t being friendly today. Church was nice. I was joined by Jeannie AND Roy! He had a present for me – rainbow colored slippers he crocheted. The ones he made me for Christmas didn’t fit so these are replacements. These fit nicely and are so pretty! It was so good to see Roy and Jeannie. Today was baptism Sunday. There were 6 young ladies who were baptized – got me teary! It’s beautiful to see young people profess their faith.

Today we were in Luke 5:17-26:

Luke 5:17-26 New International Version

Jesus Forgives and Heals a Paralyzed Man

¹⁷One day Jesus was teaching, and Pharisees and teachers of the law were sitting there. They had come from every village of Galilee and from Judea and Jerusalem. And the power of the Lord was with Jesus to heal the sick. ¹⁸Some men came carrying a paralyzed man on a mat and tried to take him into the house to lay him before Jesus. ¹⁹When they could not find a way to do this because of the crowd, they went up on the roof and lowered him on his mat through the tiles into the middle of the crowd, right in front of Jesus.

²⁰When Jesus saw their faith, he said, “Friend, your sins are forgiven.”

²¹The Pharisees and the teachers of the law began thinking to themselves, “Who is this fellow who speaks blasphemy? Who can forgive sins but God alone?”

²²Jesus knew what they were thinking and asked, “Why are you thinking these things in your hearts?²³Which is easier: to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up and walk’? ²⁴But I want you to know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins.” So he said to the paralyzed man, “I tell you, get up, take your mat and go home.” ²⁵Immediately he stood up in front of them, took what he had been lying on and went home praising God. ²⁶Everyone was amazed and gave praise to God. They were filled with awe and said, “We have seen remarkable things today.”

The question Pastor Jason had for us was who do we have in our life that would be willing to carry us on our mat to the feet of Jesus. I have several people that have been those type of people in my life. My cousin Tony and his wife Tawna are the first to come to mind and my Aunt and Uncle. When I have needed help they have been there for me no questions asked. Before surrendering to Jesus, they were loving witnesses of his love for me. They were patient and kind.

Dear Jesus I pray for the people of Minnesota and other parts of the world that are full of unrest and turmoil. May there be your peace. I pray for your help for all the people and animals affected by the winter storms and extreme cold. Thank you for this day. Amen.

21 Jan 2026 Stay With Me

January 22, 2026 by saymber, posted in Animal Rights, animals, Bipolar life, history, human rights, Leading Life by Example, Spirituality and Religion, Veteran Affairs

Hello to you. I am writing to you after listening to Jonathan Roumie praying a prayer from Saint Padre Pio – it’s beautiful and spoke to me. May be it will speak to you too:

Stay with me, Lord, for it is necessary to have You present so that I do not forget You. You know how easily I abandon You.

Stay with me, Lord, because I am weak
and I need Your strength,
that I may not fall so often.

Stay with me, Lord, for You are my life,
and without You, I am without fervor.

Stay with me, Lord, for You are my light,
and without You, I am in darkness.

Stay with me, Lord, to show me Your will.

Stay with me, Lord, so that I hear Your voice
and follow You.

Stay with me, Lord, for I desire to love You
very much, and always be in Your company.

Stay with me, Lord, if You wish me to be faithful to You.

Stay with me, Lord, for as poor as my soul is,
I want it to be a place of consolation for You, a nest of love.

Stay with me, Jesus, for it is getting late and the day is coming to a close, and life passes;
death, judgment, eternity approaches. It is necessary to renew my strength,
so that I will not stop along the way and for that, I need You.

It is getting late and death approaches,
I fear the darkness, the temptations, the dryness, the cross, the sorrows.
O how I need You, my Jesus, in this night of exile!

Stay with me tonight, Jesus, in life with all it’s dangers. I need You.

Let me recognize You as Your disciples did at the breaking of the bread,
so that the Eucharistic Communion be the Light which disperses the darkness,
the force which sustains me, the unique joy of my heart.

Stay with me, Lord, because at the hour of my death, I want to remain united to You,
if not by communion, at least by grace and love.

Stay with me, Jesus, I do not ask for divine consolation, because I do not merit it,
but the gift of Your Presence, oh yes, I ask this of You!

Stay with me, Lord, for it is You alone I look for, Your Love, Your Grace, Your Will, Your Heart, Your Spirit, because I love You and ask no other reward but to love You more and more.

With a firm love, I will love You with all my heart while on earth
and continue to love You perfectly during all eternity. Amen

https://youtu.be/yZT9csjPHXE?si=2brzzMPbt7kL5aUx – Jonathan Roumie praying prayer of Padre Pio

Dear Jesus I give you thanks for this day. I lift up to you my cousin Heidi as she continues to heal. I lift up this world and all of the uncertainty and chaos – all the most vulnerable be they human or animal to your loving care. I pray for all your children. I pray for this planet and all of its majesty. I give you thanks for all my blessings. Amen.

16 Jan 2026 Prayer

January 17, 2026 by saymber, posted in Animal Rights, animals, Bipolar life, Health, history, human rights, In the News, Politics and Government, Spirituality and Religion, Veteran Affairs

Hello to you. It’s late as I write to you. I can’t sleep so figured I would write to you. How was your day? My day was long but uneventful. I got Link out on a walk today. He’s been willing to go lately and I like that!

Yesterday was prayer group day but because of fog and icy roads we did a conference call and were still able to pray together. We have a lot to pray about. My prayer request was for my sweet cousin Heidi who is recovering from a burst brain aneurysm. We also prayed for our dear friend Cheryl Hargan who had surgery today – a double breast mastectomy. We also prayed for Pastor Jason’s daughter Harper. We are a growing church so lots of leadership spaces need filling. Our time praying isn’t just about needs but also giving praise. Local police and fire departments are picking up their bibles and more are coming to Christ. In a time of great turmoil in our country and world there is much comfort to be had in following Jesus.

Dear Jesus please be with our leaders at all levels. Please help them navigate this increasingly violent and confusing world. Let your will be done in all these affairs. Please be with all our friends and family going through health and wellness challenges. Please be with the people of Iran and all parts of this world who are in turmoil and chaos right now. I pray you would help those who give sanctuary to animals. . I pray all this in your name. Amen.

11 Dec 2025 Low Energy

December 12, 2025 by saymber, posted in animals, Health, Leading Life by Example, Mental Health, Spirituality and Religion, Veteran Affairs, Writing and blogging

Hello to you. It’s evening as I write to you. Today was pretty uneventful but I did finally get my butt to the grocery store and Link and I got a big walk (1/2 mile) in today. He’s been willing to go so I take him. I am happy his legs aren’t bothering him right now.

Older picture I have of Link wearing his walking gear

The past couple days I have really had low energy. The thing going on with pressure in my head and ears has been real bad. My back hasn’t been kind either. When that’s all going on I don’t want to do even the most menial of tasks. I am like a water spigot that flows either full blast or barely a dribble! I have seen both an ear and head doctor and neither one found what is causing the stuff in my head and ears. We have prayed about it ever since it started but God hasn’t relieved me of it. This bible verse keeps coming into my mind about what I’m going through and what I need to do:

2 Corinthians 12:9New International Version

⁹But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. 10 That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

1 Dec 2025 The Most Disappointing Time Of The Year

December 1, 2025 by saymber, posted in animals, history, Leading Life by Example, Mental Health, Spirituality and Religion, Veteran Affairs, Writing and blogging

Hello from icy cold Idaho – 23 degrees this morning! Link is looking fancy after his early morning doggy spa day!

I want to share yesterdays sermon from Pastor Jason:

https://youtu.be/sYj8ZyldYCY?si=fGvPWRc8HS7REe6s – Grace Bible Church sermon 30 Nov 2025

For a long time, for most of my adult life, Christmas has been a hard holiday for me. Christmas Eve is the anniversary of when I lost my birth mom to suicide. I was only about 10 months old so I didn’t really get to know her. My Dad and stepmom always tried to make the holidays special and it helped me not dwell on things. My Dad and I would decorate the Christmas tree the day after Thanksgiving. Dad loved Christmas or at least he made a good show of it! I have not decorated for Christmas for several years now and hate the materialism that Christmas often becomes. I live in a tiny home so I don’t like getting stuff to have to find a place for and I don’t like shopping. That is why I like Thanksgiving – the focus is on food and family! Now that I’m living near family with little children to celebrate with, I’m thinking may be my heart will be softened! Kind of like the Grinch story. Our families little ones the Cindy Lou Who’s in my life!

Luke 24 NIV – scripture from Sunday

On the Road to Emmaus

¹³Now that same day two of them were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles^[a] from Jerusalem. ¹⁴They were talking with each other about everything that had happened. ¹⁵As they talked and discussed these things with each other, Jesus himself came up and walked along with them; ¹⁶but they were kept from recognizing him.

¹⁷He asked them, “What are you discussing together as you walk along?”

They stood still, their faces downcast. ¹⁸One of them, named Cleopas, asked him, “Are you the only one visiting Jerusalem who does not know the things that have happened there in these days?”

¹⁹“What things?” he asked.

“About Jesus of Nazareth,” they replied. “He was a prophet, powerful in word and deed before God and all the people. ²⁰The chief priests and our rulershanded him over to be sentenced to death, and they crucified him; ²¹but we had hoped that he was the one who was going to redeem Israel. And what is more, it is the third day since all this took place. ²²In addition, some of our women amazed us. They went to the tomb early this morning ²³but didn’t find his body. They came and told us that they had seen a vision of angels, who said he was alive. ²⁴Then some of our companions went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said, but they did not see Jesus.”

²⁵He said to them, “How foolish you are, and how slow to believe all that the prophets have spoken!²⁶Did not the Messiah have to suffer these things and then enter his glory?” ²⁷And beginning with Mosesand all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself.

²⁸As they approached the village to which they were going, Jesus continued on as if he were going farther.²⁹But they urged him strongly, “Stay with us, for it is nearly evening; the day is almost over.” So he went in to stay with them.

³⁰When he was at the table with them, he took bread, gave thanks, broke it and began to give it to them.³¹Then their eyes were opened and they recognized him, and he disappeared from their sight. ³²They asked each other, “Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?”

³³They got up and returned at once to Jerusalem. There they found the Eleven and those with them, assembled together ³⁴and saying, “It is true! The Lord has risen and has appeared to Simon.” ³⁵Then the two told what had happened on the way, and how Jesus was recognized by them when he broke the bread.

Jesus Appears to the Disciples

³⁶While they were still talking about this, Jesus himself stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.”

30 Nov 2025 The Stray and Free Will

December 1, 2025December 1, 2025 by saymber, posted in animals, history, Leading Life by Example, Mental Health, Movies, Spirituality and Religion

Hello to you. It’s the end of the weekend. Today was a good day. At church my friends were there to include Jeannie and a healing Roy. You could see he was healing on his face from the fall. After church I had breakfast at the Sunrise which is always good – got my Emma fix! She and the other staff are so kind to me. My Aunt Ruth invited Link and I over for chili for linner (lunch and dinner) and we watched a good movie based on a true story called The Stray:

The Stray is based on the true story of director Mitch Davis and his family. The film recounts how a stray dog named Pluto wandered into their lives when the family was facing struggles, saving their youngest son and helping to heal their family bonds. Davis stated that Pluto “saved my life and my family in more ways than one.”

It was as we feared as it goes with stories about animals – especially dogs! I won’t ruin it for you but I recommend you have Kleenex!

The second part of my topic today comes after watching a livestream of the Bishop James Long on Tik Tok this evening. He explained really well why there is evil in the world. God created everything but he did not create evil. Evil is a product of free will – choice. He used the example of a knife. A knife is created as a tool to be used for good. The knife doesn’t choose to be used to kill someone. The person who uses the knife for an evil purpose is to blame for what it’s used for. We are created for good but have the free will to make choices that are evil in nature. God is not responsible for our evil intentions. It’s so easy to want to blame God for the evil that happens in this world! Why does he not stop it? If he stopped it all then we would be automatons – mere puppets with no mind of our own. There is justice – we may not live long enough to see it but it will come. We all are responsible for making good choices and taking responsibility for bad choices.

AI Overview – question about where in the NIV Bible is free will mentioned

The term “free will” does not appear in the NIV Bible, but the concept is addressed throughout Scripture through passages about human choice and responsibility. Key passages that illustrate choice include Genesis 2:16, where God gives Adam and Eve a command, and Joshua 24:15, which presents the people with a choice of whom to serve. The Bible also mentions “freewill offerings,” like those described in Exodus 35:29, which were given willingly without coercion.

Passages illustrating human choice and responsibility

Genesis 2:16-17: God gives Adam and Eve a command, presenting them with a choice that has consequences.
Joshua 24:15: Joshua tells the Israelites, “Choose for yourselves today whom you will serve…”.
John 7:17: Jesus states that “Anyone who chooses to do the will of God will find out whether my teaching comes from God”.
Galatians 5:13: The Apostle Paul writes, “You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love”.

Passages about “freewill offerings”

Exodus 35:29: “All the Israelite men and women who were willing brought to the Lord freewill offerings for all the work the Lord through Moses had commanded them to do”.
1 Chronicles 29:6–9: The people made freewill offerings of jewelry and other materials to help build the temple.
Ezra 2:68 and Ezra 7:16: These verses mention freewill contributions for rebuilding the temple after the exile.

28 Nov 2025 Decisions

November 29, 2025 by saymber, posted in animals, Health, history, Spirituality and Religion

What’s the hardest decision you’ve ever had to make? Why?

Hello to you. I hope this finds you well in your world and if things are not going well that you have hope in your heart. Remember people all over the world are praying for you.

Today’s prompt calls to mind a couple hard decisions I’ve had to make. One was deciding to have a hysterectomy and never have children. We put my health as the priority. I had fibroid cysts that would have just keep coming back had I not decided to have my lady parts removed. The other decision that immediately came to mind was euthanizing our cocker spaniel Sam – we just didn’t want to let him go! He was so tired and weak when the end finally had to come. Sam was my soulmate and I don’t think I’ll ever have another like him. I’ve told God Sam had better be there in heaven when it’s my time to go!

Revelation 5:13New International Version

¹³Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all that is in them, saying:

“To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb
be praise and honor and glory and power,
for ever and ever!”

24 Nov 2025 Reaching Out

November 25, 2025 by saymber, posted in animals, Bipolar life, history, Native American Culture, Nature, Spirituality and Religion, Writing and blogging

Hello there – how are you? It’s nighttime and close to bed time as I write to you. I was just looking at the stats for my blog for the past couple of days and was delighted to see how many different countries were lit up! I’ve always said that even if my words reach one other person and help them I’ve done a good thing. Sometimes reaching out is just to myself- getting out of my own head the thoughts that tumble around in there. Since I have become more active in my faith, I have been using my blog to reach out. May be something in my posts touches a part of you that needs to be touched. May be Jesus has found a way for me to be useful after all!

If Jesus wants to capture your attention, he will find his messenger to reach you. He uses the most unlikely of candidates to do this work. Lord knows I’m about as broken as you can get but he hasn’t given up on me yet. Once you say yes to Jesus you can never say no again… not without consequences.

Our little miracle Link with his momma Tippie

What is keeping you from Jesus? Sometimes things happen in our lives that make us mad at God. We want to blame someone for our misfortunes. If I were to tell you that for everything that happens in our lives is for a reason even if at the time it seems senseless would that help you to reconsider your relationship with Jesus? I think of each of our lives as part of an extremely complicated board game. So many pieces of this game have to be moved in just the right order by God for even one prayer to be answered. For example after my dog Sam died I spent three years grieving and begging God to bring him back to me. Well his answer came when I found two parts to a Christmas ornament from the Choctaw reservation announcing the arrival of a little drummer boy. I initially thought my friend Erin was pregnant as she is part Choctaw but no her dog Tippie was! We had said that if Tippie ever had a boy we’d adopt. Well Tippie gave us not one boy to choose from but three! Dutch, TJ and Link. God answered my prayers in the time it needed to take. He heard my cries and Link was that answer but so many things had to happen for him to exist. My God is a mighty God who even though I wasn’t a Christian at the time loved me.

The ornament I found and notes I wrote to include a little song

Psalm 77^[a]

For the director of music. For Jeduthun. Of Asaph. A psalm.

¹I cried out to God for help;
    I cried out to God to hear me.
²When I was in distress, I sought the Lord;
    at night I stretched out untiring hands,
    and I would not be comforted.

³I remembered you, God, and I groaned;
    I meditated, and my spirit grew faint.^[b]
⁴You kept my eyes from closing;
    I was too troubled to speak.
⁵I thought about the former days,
    the years of long ago;
⁶I remembered my songs in the night.
    My heart meditated and my spirit asked:

⁷“Will the Lord reject forever?
    Will he never show his favor again?
⁸Has his unfailing love vanished forever?
    Has his promise failed for all time?
⁹Has God forgotten to be merciful?
    Has he in anger withheld his compassion?”

¹⁰Then I thought, “To this I will appeal:
    the years when the Most High stretched out his right hand.
¹¹I will remember the deeds of the Lord;
    yes, I will remember your miracles of long ago.
¹²I will consider all your works
    and meditate on all your mighty deeds.”

¹³Your ways, God, are holy.
    What god is as great as our God?
¹⁴You are the God who performs miracles;
    you display your power among the peoples.
¹⁵With your mighty arm you redeemed your people,
    the descendants of Jacob and Joseph.

¹⁶The waters saw you, God,
    the waters saw you and writhed;
    the very depths were convulsed.
¹⁷The clouds poured down water,
    the heavens resounded with thunder;
    your arrows flashed back and forth.
¹⁸Your thunder was heard in the whirlwind,
    your lightning lit up the world;
    the earth trembled and quaked.
¹⁹Your path led through the sea,
    your way through the mighty waters,
    though your footprints were not seen.

²⁰You led your people like a flock
by the hand of Moses and Aaron.

4 Nov 2025 Sisters

November 4, 2025November 4, 2025 by saymber, posted in animals, Bipolar life, Leading Life by Example, Spirituality and Religion

Hello to you. I hope this finds you well. Today began with meeting with fellow Sisters in Christ for Bible study. Today’s study was about the story of Joseph. We learned about how his story is very similar to the story of Christ. The Bible study we’ve been using is God of Covenant by Jen Wilkin. The study is taking us through the book of Genesis. I didn’t get the book as I’m terrible about doing the homework – I get easily overwhelmed. I read the Bible that the study is covering and participate in discussion. The ladies are so welcoming and kind!

We start at Marie’s kitchen table going over homework

Part of what we covered today:

Genesis 37New International Version

Joseph’s Dreams

37 Jacob lived in the land where his father had stayed, the land of Canaan.

²This is the account of Jacob’s family line.

Joseph, a young man of seventeen, was tending the flocks with his brothers, the sons of Bilhah and the sons of Zilpah, his father’s wives, and he brought their father a bad report about them.

³Now Israel loved Joseph more than any of his other sons, because he had been born to him in his old age;and he made an ornate^[a] robe for him. ⁴When his brothers saw that their father loved him more than any of them, they hated him and could not speak a kind word to him.

⁵Joseph had a dream, and when he told it to his brothers, they hated him all the more. ⁶He said to them, “Listen to this dream I had: ⁷We were binding sheaves of grain out in the field when suddenly my sheaf rose and stood upright, while your sheaves gathered around mine and bowed down to it.”

⁸His brothers said to him, “Do you intend to reign over us? Will you actually rule us?” And they hated him all the more because of his dream and what he had said.

⁹Then he had another dream, and he told it to his brothers. “Listen,” he said, “I had another dream, and this time the sun and moon and eleven stars were bowing down to me.”

¹⁰When he told his father as well as his brothers, his father rebuked him and said, “What is this dream you had? Will your mother and I and your brothers actually come and bow down to the ground before you?” ¹¹His brothers were jealous of him, but his father kept the matter in mind.

One of my favorite songs by Dolly Parton is from the story of Joseph:

https://youtu.be/w_-YbWHs6DE?si=RT3d8PXqWzI20oLz – Dolly Parton Coat of Many Colors

27 Oct 2025 Morning Walk

October 27, 2025 by saymber, posted in animals, Nature, photography, Spirituality and Religion, Writing and blogging

Hello to you. I’m back from a walk. It’s really cool and crisp out. The trees in the neighborhood are all starting to change color and drop their leaves. I miss taking Link out but he just can’t do it. His back legs bother him. He’s going to be 11 this year – he’s still a puppy to me! I hope this finds you well and knowing you are cared about. You are never alone – Jesus is always with you.

Some positive food for your spirit:

Keep your face always toward the sunshine, and shadows will fall behind you” by Walt Whitman,

Hebrews 10:24-25New International Version

²⁴And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, ²⁵not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.