22 February 2022 Tuesday

Check out 22 February 2022 Tuesday chat https://www.twitch.tv/videos/1306552599

Hello to you. How are you? I’m doing ok. I had kind of late start today. Outside is gray with sun trying to peak through. Looks like we got a few flurries overnight.

Morning sun trying to peek through

I went and got groceries yesterday – whew was that expensive! I spent about $200! Granted I was stocking up and also bought a lot of drinks to try and stay hydrated. Still if I spent that much for just one person I can’t imagine trying to feed an entire family!

Talked to my dad yesterday and he sounded pretty good. Thanks to all of you that have been praying for him and my mom. I get so pissed sometimes. They have been of service to God, their families and the community their whole lives. Nothing has come easy to them and now when they should be enjoying retirement together they are having to go through all this! I don’t understand God’s plan about it. I’m sure if I were to look at things through Gods eyes it would make sense but through little ol’ Jackie eyes it just seems cruel. Again, thank you for your prayers and positive words.

I’ve been trying to read a psalm a day. Today was psalm 22. It just didn’t resonate with me but that’s ok. From what is seems there is a lot of crying out to God for help in the psalms and some of them are really dramatic pleas! What do you think?

“I may make plenty of mistakes today. I can accept that. I’m learning and moving forward.” (A Woman’s Spirit)

14 February 2022 Valentines

Check out 14 February 2022 Monday Valentines Day chat https://www.twitch.tv/videos/1297901452

Hello to you. How are you today? Hope this finds you well. It’s Valentines Day. For some this is a very special day. The retail industry loves this holiday! My take on it is if you are in a relationship with someone that everyday is Valentine’s Day! Don’t ever take each other for granted. Don’t wait for a holiday to show your special somebody that you care. When I was married we didn’t celebrate Valentines. We felt the holiday was just too commercialized. To each their own!

Got good news yesterday. My Dad was in and out of surgery for his fractured hip! I was really surprised he got in so quickly! Thank you for your prayers. Now he just has to heal.

We had a nice day yesterday. My Aunt and Uncle joined me at church which was such a treat! They got there before me and had told the pastor and some others it was my birthday so when I showed up they wished me a happy birthday! They had a little bouquet of flowers for me. It just really meant a lot! The big point of the sermon really resonated with me: “we do what we can in order to enable us to do what we can’t .” So much of my day to day is pushing through – trying to focus on what I can do not what I can’t.

Bouquet and cards – so grateful!

Later Link and I went over to my Aunt and Uncles. My cousin, who was also celebrating his birthday and his wife my dear friend was there. My Aunt made tamales and also made my chocolate pudding dessert! My Uncle grilled some elk steak on the grill. Later my cousins older grandkids stopped by and we all watched some of the Super Bowl. It was just really nice to be together! I’m so grateful to have loving family to celebrate these kinds of occasions with.

When I got home I was really anxious so I took Link on a walk. Then I went on another walk by myself. What was happening is I was getting sleepy and felt anxious thinking about trying to go to sleep. So frustrating! I finally did relax and watched the last quarter of the Super Bowl. My Uncle and I had spoken earlier about the LA stadium apparently it cost like 5 billion dollars to build! The LA stadium is practically in his backyard and so we had decided to pull for the Rams! It was nice to see them actually win.

“I will take time to notice the most important friends I have, my family. Each family member will get my love and kind thoughts today. “ (A Woman’s Spirit)

The weather has been nice. I was feeling restless so I got out and chalked a bit

30 January 2022 Feeling Like a Seat Warmer

Check out 30 January 2022 Sunday morning chat https://www.twitch.tv/videos/1281299640

Hello to you. How are you doing today? I hope we’ll. It’s Sunday and I woke up feeling pretty good so I decided to go to Grace Bible Circle in Middleton. I was feeling some anxiety after I got there but I found pressure points on my hands this morning that helped me out with that!

The messages today had to do with the revival of the church. Pastor Jason spoke specifically about the vision he and the church team have about that. How to minister to and reach more people. How this area is growing so much they may have to have more than one service. What they want to do with the office on Main Street. Even doing outreach to the kids that pass by from the high school! A sports program. Life groups and Bible study. He talked about so much! I found myself feeling really overwhelmed. There is so much need! Sometimes it’s all I can do to even show up much less commit to things. I also felt like a seat warmer. That’s what we used to call people in recovery that showed up to meetings but were not active in the fellowship.

Sometimes I feel like a bit of a fraud when I go to church. Like I’m not there for the right reasons. I’m not sure if I belong. A lot of it has to do with me not being comfortable going on my own. I’m surrounded by couples and families with children. Everybody seems to know each other.

I guess all I can do is the next right things as they present themself. For some reason I am going to this church! May be God will show me some way I can go beyond just warming a chair on Sunday.

Why am I sitting here?

13 Jan 2022 Light headed

Check out 12 January 2022 Wednesday evening https://www.twitch.tv/videos/1261922019

Hello to you. How are you? It’s an overcast day here but listening to some music from Astravert helps: Check out Thorsday Jamz | !spotify !youtube !bandcamp !twitter !merch https://www.twitch.tv/astravert – you can watch the stream even if it’s not live. Got my coffee. Praying about my aunt having knee surgery today. Have an appointment with my medicine doctor in a bit. I hope he’ll have answers for me if we are on the right track with my medicine. I’m still getting over that damn cold. The past couple of days I’ve been feeling light headed hopefully that’s just remnants! I really want to be over it! I need groceries on the way home and am kind of dreading going with so many people being sick.

Yesterday I streamed on Twitch a lot. I actually got a chance to visit with a couple interesting people. One was a woman in training to be a therapist and last night an applied math scientist. I love it when that happens. I love hearing peoples stories and love sharing mine. The scientist asked me about what I considered one of my craziest times in my military career and what came to mind was 9/11. I’ll be honest that day really f-d up my world and those of the people I was working with at the time! We were in shock!

Anyhew- feeling a little scrambled this morning. Trying to pull it together. Had my talk with the Holy Spirit this morning – trying to make a habit of welcoming his presence everyday. Thank you for coming by! I would love to hear from you if you have the time.

Stuff going on in my world

12 January 2022 Why?

Yesterday when I was streaming on Twitch I got to talking about there being a reason for everything. Even if at the time it doesn’t make sense. So many times seemingly senseless things have happened and the first question was “WHY?!!” Then you look at the whole picture and oftentimes you get an “aha!” moment.

When I was spending a lot of time in my backyard in Texas I learned so much from the trees, flowers and insects….from simple blades of grass and dried leaves. I can remember sitting on the bandstand we had and pointing at a blade of grass or dandelion and just thinking to God “what do you want to do with that?” Something would always happen. The wind would blow. Sometimes an insect would show up. I felt like God was showing me that every single “piece” was accounted for. There was a plan for even a humble blade of grass. This got me thinking about the entirety of existence…..countless pieces of this existence all having a purpose. The intelligence I felt of God was everywhere and in everything. I was shown battles even in the seemingly gentle plant kingdom. There would be a prickly weed gradually surrounded by the “softer” plants. Kind of like a neighborhood ganging up together against a bully! All of this going on in my little backyard. I miss my nature friends. I feel like in the moments I had there was a glimpse into the why of things.

Even those things we perceive as having no purpose do indeed have one…..I asked!

Some may say it was just a coincidence what I experienced but it happened over and over again- no coincidence. I miss those moments of feeling so plugged into God….into existence. Every place that I’ve lived I have found an outside “church.” I miss Alvarado but have faith that I’m where I am right now for a reason and a new natural place of worship will present itself. The “why” of my being here will reveal itself.

8 January 2022 Up Early

Sunrise this morning

Hello to you. How are you? I got up early this morning and couldn’t go back to sleep. It feels like I didn’t sleep but I known I did! I can remember a dream I kept floating in and out of that had a tribal theme….David Bowie even peeped in. I am still not over this darn cold and this morning I was fretting about my Aunt. She’s scheduled to have knee surgery on the 11th and I’m nervous about it.

Link trying to figure me out this morning

This morning I talked to God and was like “We are going to need the big guns today!” There are days that are like that. Days that you know a power greater than yourself is needed. You just have to ask and be prepared for what unfolds next.

“All I ask of you is to lead me to the next door. It’s not about being rich or being poor. Don’t let me waste my time here in worry and strife. Help me Lord make the most of this life”

4 January 2022 Going Around

Hello to you. How are you? I’m on the tail end of the cold I caught. Sleep and vitamin c and some Alka-Seltzer stuff have helped me kick this thing. Found out this morning my uncle caught a cold too. They are hoping it’s just a cold. That’s what you have to hope in this age of super viruses! My cousins husband and daughter tested positive for Covid recently..starting to wonder if this shit isn’t in our water!!!!

We got some more snow overnight but it’s wet because it’s warmer. I am glad I don’t have to worry about going out in this mess until Friday. I’ve been finding out for the second winter that this town doesn’t do snow removal. For a place that experiences winter you would think it would be a priority but apparently it’s not. So the roads are slick now.

I must have been thinking about Wes. In one of his Facebook posts he said looking at one of his scans was like seeing galaxies inside his body

To you reader I hope that you are well and you have something to be grateful for even if it’s a tiny thing …..just one thing. Even if it’s just that you opened your eyes today. From experience if you ask for God to help you – they will. Vocalize – talk to God like you would talk to a good friend. The results might surprise you. Today is going to be a better day. Don’t give up!

https://twitch.tv/jwygant

1 January 2022 Cold and Colors

Exploring color and shapes with my markers

Hello to you and happy new year. My year is starting out with a case of the snuffles. I must have picked it up at the grocery store as that’s the only place I’ve been for the past couple of days. It’s a beautiful sunny day here but really cold – only 15 degrees! For the next few days it’s going to be bitter cold here. It’s on days like this that I miss living in the south!

Reaching out for more color

I’ve been exploring with my color markers this morning . I’ve never been real confident with color but I’d like to change that – just takes practice! Kind of like what’s been happening with my shirts. I’m exploring color and shapes. Some of what comes forth is childish and basic but that’s ok. It’s a journey I’m on. I definitely have a unique style!

Not sure what I will be doing today besides trying to get well. Thank goodness I have Link to keep me company!

30 December 2021 Snow Angels

It’s kind of hard to see it but it’s supposed to be a snow Angel! Boy is it harder to get down and get back up !

Hello to you. How has your day been? Today for me was mostly about rearranging snow. We sure got a lot of it. I decided to play a bit and made a snow Angel lol.

Your never too old to play in the snow!

“Who is my family? Who are my friends? Who knows where the road begins….where it ends. This life makes wanderers…..explorers of us all. Starting and returning to a shape very small…curved hand in mouth to a suckling ball.”

30 December 2021 Snow

Check out 30 December 2021 Snow https://www.twitch.tv/videos/1247967777 – just a little video to share the heavy snowfall with you!

Good morning to you from snowy Idaho! How are you? I’m doing pretty good. I decided to unbury my car and go get groceries before we get so much snow I can’t get out. I’m so grateful to the people who work at our local Ridleys grocery store. If it gets much worse I hope they’ll let them close early but after talking to one of the gals who lives here in town, she said it’s unlikely they will close. These folks are some of the unsung hero’s in our world. I pray they will all be safe getting to and from work. Anyhew I am grateful. In awhile I need to go out and rearrange some of the snow that’s fallen! It’s accumulating fast!

Last night I had a nice stream on Twitch. A couple followers visited and that’s always fun. One is from London and the other France. We just talked about random stuff. It’s nice to have company in the evening. The only thing that is kind of annoying is the delay in the chat sometimes. They enjoyed getting to see the snow!

My friend contacted me about getting together tonight and we decided to cancel. With the roads like they are and all the snowfall we decided it was just better to wait til the weather was better.

I haven’t decided if I’m going to paint another shirt yet or not. I will say it’s been fun taking some old plain tshirts and breathing new life into them with art!