Category: history

13 July 2026 Learner

by saymber, posted in Bipolar life, history, human rights, In the News, Leading Life by Example, Mental Health, Spirituality and Religion, Veteran Affairs

Are you a lifelong learner?

Hello to you. There has been difficult news today. Another person was shot and killed by ICE agents in Biddeford Maine:

https://apnews.com/article/ice-shooting-maine-immigration-dhs-f26f8c2256aa6f0748582ea4adbb515c

I feel so bad for his little girl who is only 3 years old! Her dad was shot right in front of her. When is enough enough?!! My prayers go out to her and her mother.

Changing gears…..

Todays prompt is so true of me. All my life so far I’ve been in school – life school. I have experienced both the good and bad lessons life has to teach. I believe we don’t go through things for no reason – especially difficult things. When we approach difficult things as learning opportunities we grow as people. We become the sort of person that can then turn around and use what we’ve learned to help other people facing similar challenges. When we face difficulties we can choose to shut down and become bitter or we can bloom where we are planted.

Turning to God during trials makes the load lighter. There has been so many times when I turned my trials over to God that doors previously closed flew open! The way was made smoother than it would be on my own. These past couple of years I have really been using the power of prayer to help me and others get through difficult times.

Spin of the Prayer Wheel today:

God, help me to be 
a pure vehicle for your love,
and light, 
and wisdom.

steven sadleir

9 July 2026 8 Days To The Moon and Back

by saymber, posted in history, In the News, Movies, Science (Keshe Foundation and other innovations), Spirituality and Religion, Veteran Affairs

Hello to you. It’s another hot day here. I will get my walk in when the sun goes down! This morning prayer was good. We stayed a little extra time to pray over the 21 Days Of Prayer prayer requests. The prayers ranged from health to requests for people to return to their faith. A lot of atheists! One request that touched my heart was from a lonely person reaching out in a world where it’s difficult to make lasting friendships. The older you get the harder it is!

Last night I was able to watch an interesting documentary on PBS about the Apollo 11 mission to Mars. I have been one of those people who was skeptical of the mission even happening and it being a hoax. The documentary did a good job of bringing the mission to life. It put my skepticism to rest.

https://youtu.be/ls2No9izqAA?is=0ork4Gxhs8YEXXWN – 8 Days- To The Moon and Back – BBC Trailers

8 Days: To the Moon and Back is a 2019 documentary-drama that recreates the Apollo 11 mission, blending declassified cockpit audio, NASA archives, CGI, and dramatic reenactments to tell the story of the first moon landing. Directed by Anthony Philipson, it stars actors like Rufus Wright as Neil Armstrong, Jack Tarlton as Buzz Aldrin, and Patrick Kennedy as Michael Collins, bringing the astronauts’ experiences to life through their own words. The film covers the full eight-day journey, from launch to return, revealing details often unseen in historical footage. 

From the World Prayer Wheel today:

In the joy of your heart,
Your light remains.

In the gift of your caring,
Your light remains

Where you reached out to help,
Your light remains.

Where you sat in silent peace,
Your light remains.

In the place where you worked,
Your light remains

In the stillness of the starry night,
Your light remains

In the light of each day fully embraced,
Your light remains.

Like the touch of an Angel,
Your light remains.

When you live as a light,
Your heart is joined in the Infinite Light of Love.
And that about you which is eternal … remains.

your light remains – rev. jacquie riker – 2003

5 July2026 The Art Of The Cast

by saymber, posted in animals, history, Leading Life by Example, Music, Spirituality and Religion, Veteran Affairs

Hello to you. Hard to believe another Sunday is here and about gone already. Link and I cuddled our way through neighborhood fireworks last night. He just stayed by my side through it all. I always feel bad for the pets, birds and squirrels! Some of the fireworks sounded like gunfire and sounded like they were in the house. We got to bed about 2 am. Things had pretty much stopped by then

At church today we were in Matthew 6:5-13 again:

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

https://youtu.be/4XAYJpRGGJc?is=vFVH2QPNoUUCmYnh – The Art Of The Cast – Pastor Jason Boyd

How we view prayer matters. Prayer is a conversation not a negotiation.

One of the songs we sang:

https://youtu.be/5_aIauL2xKA?is=1FIDlbTCkjIBdjdr – Hillsong Shout to The Lord

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

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”

8 June 2026 Wishbone

by saymber, posted in Animal Rights, animals, books, history, Television

Hello to you. Another day has come and gone. I’ve started watching PBS in the evening. Tonight I’m watching a documentary about the making of the PBS show that features the adventures of a dog named Wishbone. I feel like I’ve been living under a rock with this one! It was an award winning show. It makes me think of when I did cartoons depicting highlights of my dog Sam’s life after he left us. I gave Sam a human voice. When I unbury them I’ll share them again.

The feature-length documentary about the beloved 90s PBS series is titled What’s the Story, Wishbone?. It explores the making and cultural impact of the classic children’s show that introduced a generation to literature. Directed by Joey Stewart, the film is available across major digital platforms.

https://youtu.be/f6L3Qp7SF2U?si=cEXCv4PSMrdWN2sc – A Tail in Twain – Wishbone

6 May 2020 drawing I did last night of Link out in the backyard.

7 June 2026 Into The Wilderness

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

Good evening to you. It’s starting to get dark as I write to you. I just finished watching a PBS show about the marriage of Queen Victoria. I enjoy watching programs that are about historical figures:

https://youtu.be/KfCDrm5aP50?si=69zbrBhyCA-LrhdP – PBS Queen Victorias dress

Today was church and grocery shopping. The messages today came from Mark 1:9-13 and Luke 5:16:

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Mark%201%3A9-13&version=NIV

Luke 5:16New International Version

16 But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.

https://youtu.be/t7KROQ5Cbjs?si=ICLLbJIyA4oCA_h_ – Into The Wilderness – Jason Boyd

Jason asked us to come up with one word that describes what the wilderness means to us. For me the word was loneliness. When I’m alone I am the most vulnerable. Loneliness is like a vast desert and company quenches the thirst. I use to really like going off on my own and communing with nature. Ever since I’ve been having problems with my ears and lower back, the most time I spend alone is walking in the neighborhood.

One of the songs we sang today nearly brought me to tears:

https://youtu.be/j04Bx9pKwpU?si=GCobPwV5eLQDGD_x – I Surrender All

When I have completely surrendered my will to that of the Holy Spirit drastic change has occurred. Both when I quit drinking and smoking I gave up my will to Gods will and claimed victory!

6 June 2026 Nostalgia

by saymber, posted in Bipolar life, history, Home, Mental Health, Movies, Music, Social media, technology, Television

Hello to you in your here and now. I hope you are well. I was just watching a video on Tik Toc that made me very nostalgic for my teen years that I want to share with you. It was a compilation of 80’s movies:

https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZP8shMYu6/ – Gen X we didn’t know it at the time but this was everything

I am a Generation Xer so a lot of my core memories are from the 80’s. My generation is the last to know what life could be like without smart phones and the internet. My favorite music was also in that time period. I remember seeing the beginning of MTV! One of the first videos I remember seeing:

https://youtu.be/djV11Xbc914?si=rzOizAppFEPx0oad – AHA Take on Me

I grew up without cell phones. I was a latch key kid who relied on a hard wired phone to keep in touch with my parents. I also relied on phone booths when I was away from home. In my early years in the military I worked on computers when they had data cards that had to be processed.

This is what I used early in my military career

If you didn’t want to be found you had an answering machine to collect your calls. I feel like the Internet has been a blessing and a curse! When I went to my first concert, David Bowie, the crowd didn’t have phones to capture it. Everyone was in the moment. Thats not the case these days:

https://youtu.be/8tCC9yxUIdw?si=Mhb8PcuxHUwWWok4 – David Bowie about the Internet (interview excerpt)

A part of me really aches for simpler times. Nowadays everything is moving so fast. We are already into June when it seems like we just had Christmas! Every single moment has a planned event it seems like! Can we keep up?!