Category: human rights

29 Oct 2026 RIP Captain and 90 Days

by saymber, posted in Bipolar life, Food, Health, history, Home, human rights, In the News, Leading Life by Example, Mental Health, Politics and Government, Social media, Spirituality and Religion, Veteran Affairs

Hello to you. There was sad news today. My favorite Star Trek ship Captain Jean Luc Picard played by Patrick Stewart passed away;

https://abcnews.com/amp/GMA/Culture/star-trek-star-patrick-stewart-dies-86/story – (use link for entire story)

Patrick Stewart, the legendary actor known for his roles in “Star Trek: The Next Generation” and the “X-Men” film franchise, has died at the age of 86, his representative announced Thursday.

Stewart died “in the loving care of his beloved wife Sunny” after a “brief and poignant journey” with Alzheimer’s disease and Lewy body dementia, according to a statement shared on his social media by his longtime spokesperson, Kelly Bush Novak.

Today there was a lot of hoopla over 90 days and military installations being prepared to be self sufficient. The alarm bells have been going off for us regular civilians as a result. What aren’t they telling us? Is it just another distraction ahead of the upcoming primary races? I look at my life without a power and water grid and have to admit I wouldn’t do so well. The same with food stockpiles. All the food I usually buy is frozen. If we lost the power grid I would be screwed! I need to buy another bag of Links dog food – worst case scenario I could live off of that lol!

https://www.newsnationnow.com/us-news/military/fortress-plan-hardens-us-bases-90-days/amp/ – (use link for full article)

Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth’s new initiative to make military installations in the U.S. self-sufficient for at least 90 days has generated a wide range of responses, including questions about how long it may take to fully implement the plan at hundreds of domestic bases.

Hegseth recently unveiled FORTRESS — short for Federal Operations for Resilience, Troop Resources, Energy, Supply, and Survivability — in a bid to prevent homeland sites from being, as he put it, “starved out, shut down, or cut off” during conflict or disaster.

Here is a prayer for peace, safety, and provision when the power grid goes down:

Heavenly Father,

In the sudden darkness and stillness, we turn our hearts to You, the true source of light that never fails.

When the power grid goes down and our usual comforts are taken away, replace our anxiety with Your perfect peace. Give us calm minds and steady hearts to handle the situation practically and safely.

We ask for Your protection over our home and our loved ones. Keep us safe from physical harm, extreme cold or heat, and any dangers in the dark. We especially lift up the vulnerable, the sick, and those who rely on medical devices—please provide a swift way forward and keep them securely in Your care.

Grant us wisdom to navigate this disruption with patience and a spirit of cooperation. Help us to look out for our neighbors, sharing what we have and being a source of comfort to those around us.

Thank You that even when the lights go out, Your presence remains a constant shield and a lamp unto our feet. We trust in Your provision and Your timing.

Amen

27 Oct 2026 AI

by saymber, posted in Bipolar life, history, Home, human rights, In the News, Leading Life by Example, Mental Health, Money, Music, Politics and Government, Science (Keshe Foundation and other innovations), Social media, Spirituality and Religion, technology, Veteran Affairs

What do you think is the future of AI?

Hello to you. I hope this finds you well. Today’s prompt is on a topic I have written about off and on through the years. Everyday there is a new report out about how AI is going to bring about the end to mankind. My take on this is responsible programming. I feel that AI is needing to be regulated – we need guardrails! Even the god father of AI has expressed concern:

Overview

Geoffrey Hinton, a British-Canadian computer scientist and cognitive psychologist, is widely known as the “Godfather of AI”. He won the 2018 Turing Award and the 2024 Nobel Prize in Physics for his foundational work on artificial neural networks and deep learning. [1, 2, 3, 4]What He Says About AI Hinton has become a prominent voice warning about the rapid, uncontrolled development of the technology he helped create: [1, 2, 3]

Risk of Extinction: He estimates there is a 10% to 20% probability (or roughly a 1% to 20% range depending on the interview) that superintelligent AI could eventually lead to the extinction or marginalization of humanity. [1, 2, 3, 4]

Loss of Control: He warns that AI systems could learn to write and execute their own code, achieve recursive self-improvement, and eventually become smarter than humans. [1, 2, 3]

Creation of “Alien Beings”: He describes advanced AI as creating “alien beings” that understand and compress information in ways humans cannot easily track or anticipate. [1, 2]

Near-Term Threats: Beyond existential risk, he highlights immediate dangers, including:

Mass unemployment affecting knowledge workers, administrative staff, and creative fields (while physical trades like plumbing remain safer longer).

Erosion of information integrity through deepfakes, voice clones, and targeted political disinformation.

Deliberate misuse by malicious actors or military applications. [1, 2, 3, 4]

Need for Regulation: After leaving Google in 2023 to speak freely, Hinton has urged governments and tech companies to invest heavily in AI safety research, cooperate across competing entities, and implement strict safeguards before these systems escape human control. [1, 2, 3, 4]

Hinton is not the only one to express concerns.

Several prominent industry leaders and researchers have called for a deliberate slowdown in artificial intelligence (AI) development, most notably following an essay titled “We Must Pace the Frontier” published in September 2026: [1, 2, 3]

Dario Amodei (Anthropic): The CEO and co-founder of Anthropic argued that AI’s growing ability to handle recursive self-improvement is advancing faster than human oversight, calling for a controlled and measured pace to keep up with safety measures.

Elon Musk (xAI): The owner of xAI also voiced agreement with the call to pace frontier AI development.

Demis Hassabis (Google DeepMind): The head of Google DeepMind backed the push for slower development and independent auditing.

Jacob Coxon: A former Anthropic researcher who resigned publicly over existential risk concerns, warning that unchecked progress poses severe dangers to humanity. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7]

Sam Altman (CEO of OpenAI) backed the proposal and agreed to adopt proposed safety frameworks

Not all industry figures agree; critics such as Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang and Hugging Face co-founder Clément DeLangue have argued that big labs may exaggerate fears to restrict competition or create artificial demand. [1]

I think we should pay attention to what the experts are saying – AI – super intelligence- is not a hoax.

A Prayer for the Age of Artificial Intelligence

Father in heaven, Creator of all wisdom, beauty, and truth,
We come before You in a time of rapid change, seeking Your light and alignment in a world shaped by screens and artificial minds. [1, 2]

Grant scientists, engineers, and global leaders the humility, discernment, and ethical clarity to build tools that serve humanity rather than diminish it.
Protect our families, our children, and our communities from confusion, isolation, and the noise of deception. [1, 2, 3]

Help us to remember that technology is only a creation of our hands, while You are our true Source, our Sustainer, and our Guide.
Keep our hearts grounded in real relationships, genuine compassion, and love for one another. [1, 2, 3, 4]

When we prompt and when we build, let us seek Your wisdom first, so that all innovation honors Your image in every person and points the world toward Your peace.[1, 2]

In Jesus’ name we pray.
Amen

https://youtu.be/ett1ZgFKw-Y?is=Ycp5hUyNX_xNztMf – Escape – Mind in a box

18 Oct 2026 Radical Forgiveness

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

Hello to you. How are you? Im doing ok. Today I started taking a new drug for anxiety called Hydroxyzine Pamoate. It’s a take as needed type of medication. You can take it up to 4 times a day. I have been feeling more anxious lately and my doctor recommended giving it a try. Here is some of what the internet had to say:

Hydroxyzine is a first-generation antihistamine medication used to treat short-term anxiety, allergic skin reactions (such as itching and hives), and nausea, or used as a sedative before and after surgery. It is commonly sold under brand names like Atarax and Vistaril. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]

What It Does & How It Works

  • Mechanism: It blocks histamine H1 receptors in the body to reduce allergy symptoms and inflammation. It also reduces activity in central nervous system regions to provide a calming, sedative effect. [1, 2, 3, 4]
  • Onset: It begins working quickly, usually taking effect within 15 to 30 minutes, with peak effects in about 2 hours. [1, 2]
  • Active Metabolite: Once processed by the liver, hydroxyzine converts into cetirizine(Zyrtec). [1, 2]

Today’s message on forgiveness was delivered by Elder Brad Bowden. It was nice to see everyone and get hugs. I almost didn’t go but I forced myself to go – it’s always worth it!

Pastor Jason is still recovering from the car accident:

https://youtu.be/Uh0QtEZAp40?is=uIIBlPkH2YrY_pTZ – Radical Forgiveness – Brad Bowden

I agree that just because you forgive someone it doesn’t mean you have forgotten. Forgiveness is a two way street and when done openly it benefits both parties. I have read about people who have forgiven murderers for example. It was a healing experience both ways. Here is what the internet said about it and examples:

Many family members and loved ones have chosen to forgive the people responsible for the murder of a family member, often finding personal healing and liberation from long-term anger. [1, 2, 3]

Notable Examples of Forgiveness

  • Mary Johnson and O’Shea Israel: Mary Johnson forgave O’Shea Israel, the teen who murdered her son in 1993. After years of grief and anger, she met him, forgave him, and later helped welcome him as a neighbor. [1, 2, 3]
  • Darryl Green and Kimyon Marshall: Darryl Green, a Morgan State University professor, forgave Kimyon Marshall, who killed his brother Ruben Cotton in 1988 when Marshall was 14 years old. Green later supported reducing Marshall’s sentence, and the two co-founded a nonprofit called Deep Forgiveness. [1, 2]
  • Kate Grosmaire: After her daughter Ann was shot, Kate Grosmaire visited the teenage shooter, Conor, in jail to tell him that she and her husband forgave him before turning off Ann’s life support. [1]
  • Sharletta Evans: Sharletta Evans forgave Raymond Johnson, the teen who shot and killed her 3-year-old son in a 1995 drive-by shooting in Colorado, after Johnson reached out years later seeking reconciliation. [1]
  • Bill Pelke: Bill Pelke forgave Paula Cooper, who murdered his grandmother Ruth Pelke in Indiana in 1985, and later campaigned against the death penalty on her behalf. [1]
  • Nadine Collier: The daughter of Ethel Lance—one of the victims of the 2015 Emanuel AME Church shooting in Charleston—publicly told the gunman during a bond hearing, “I forgive you. You took something really precious away from me… But I forgive you and have mercy on your soul”. [1]

Why People Forgive

  • Releasing Inner Pain: Many survivors state that forgiveness is primarily for themselves—to stop carrying the heavy burden of anger, bitterness, or hatred, which they describe as emotionally consuming. [1, 2]
  • Restorative Justice: Programs that bring victims and offenders together help survivors find answers, understand the context of the tragedy, and move forward through accountability and healing. [1]

15 Oct 2026 Spark of Faith

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

Hello to you. How does life find you as you visit me here? Today was good. I had Thursday prayer group with Lois, Judy, Jeannie and I. We prayed for Pastor Jason and his family. He is recovering from a car accident in which he suffered a concussion. He is sorely missed! He does so much and his absence is deeply felt. I’m so glad he didn’t suffer worse injuries! It’s been so nice having Judy added to our group. She prays so deeply as does my dear friend Jeannie! I love our little group – our little spark of faith.

A little bit later I went over and visited with my Auntie. She made us a pizza for lunch. We had a good talk about negative media. She has felt like the news lately has been a horror show – the work of the devil. We aren’t designed to handle so much negativity! I have noticed it too. We need to focus on Jesus. She told my cousins daughter, a young mother, to avoid watching the news too much. Good advice!

We watched a nice show When Hope Calls:

https://www.netflix.com/tudum/articles/when-hope-calls-cast-release-date-news

When sisters Lillian Walsh (Morgan Kohan) and Grace Bennett (Jocelyn Hudon) were young, their parents died of tuberculosis. The girls were separated: Lillian was adopted and raised by a kind family in the fictional Canadian small town of Brookfield, and Grace grew up in an orphanage. Upon reuniting as adults, the sisters open New Hope Orphanage, which is initially met with uncertainty and suspicion by the Brookfield townspeople. But in Season 1 of the romantic period drama When Hope Calls, Lillian and Grace open their hearts and make connections in their town in order to create a loving home for the children in their care. 

I love having time with my Auntie! She is so gentle and kind. When we are together we try to focus on what is good and light in the world. She is a great comfort to me.

Spin of the World Prayer Wheel:

What you are, the world is.
And without your transformation,
there can be no transformation of the world.

j. krishnamurti

6 Oct 2026 Small Price To Pay?!!

by saymber, posted in history, human rights, In the News, Leading Life by Example, Mental Health, Politics and Government, Veteran Affairs

I came across this video tonight and it really resonated with me – so much so I felt to share it with you here. I usually try to avoid politics because it’s divisive but I can’t just overlook this:

https://www.facebook.com/share/v/18hbneC5V2/?mibextid=wwXIfr –

Kalen Allen

I almost didn’t make this video because I’m tired. I think a lot of us are. Tired of being shocked, tired of arguing, tired of every new headline somehow becoming another reason to hate each other.

But hearing the President of the United States talk about Los Angeles and San Diego that way really bothered me. Not as a Democrat or a Republican, but as an American and as a person.

I don’t think we should ever become so loyal to a politician that we lose our ability to say, “That was wrong.” No elected official should be above our questions, our criticism or our accountability. They represent us. We do not belong to them.

So this isn’t me telling you how to vote in November. It’s me asking you to please vote, to think for yourself, and to remember the humanity of the people on the other side of your politics.

No American life is a small price to pay.

Spin of the World Prayer Wheel;

Never do to others
what you would not like
them to do to you.

confucius

4 Oct 2026 A Manna Mindset

by saymber, posted in Bipolar life, Food, human rights, Leading Life by Example, Mental Health, Spirituality and Religion

Hello to you. Today was good. I was happy to see Pastor Jason up and well after his accident and of course seeing and hugging my friends Jera, Cheryl, Mark, Barbara and Jeannie. I was blessed by interacting with Cheryl’s little sweety girl Eleyana (spelling). She has the most beautiful curly blonde hair!

Toby had a lot of food for us to process. For example “kids become what they see not what we say.” I highly recommend your watching this link:

https://youtu.be/rBbglxV9jKI?is=AAQBv1Aa1hY1dqCQ – A Manna Mindset – Toby Slough

Glad to see Pastor Jason is ok!

After church I decided to buy breakfast at the Sunrise and put off grocery shopping til tomorrow after our ladies gathering. I had a half pumpkin spice waffle – so good! Tasted just like pumpkin pie. I so dread grocery shopping!

Spin of the World Prayer Wheel:

Dear Jesus, help us to spread your fragrance everywhere we go.
Flood our souls with your spirit and life.
Penetrate and possess our whole being so utterly,
that our lives may only be a radiance of yours.
Shine through us, and be so in us,
that every person we should come in contact with
may feel your presence in our soul.
Let them look up and see no longer us, but only Jesus.
Stay with us, and then we shall begin to shine as you shine;
so to shine as to be a light to others;
the light, Jesus, will be all from you.
None of it will be ours.
It will be you shining on others through us.
Let us thus praise you in the way you love best,
by shining on those around us.
Let us preach you without preaching:
not by words, but by our example,
by the catching force,
the sympathetic influence of what we do,
the evident fullness of the love our hearts bear for you.
Amen.

adapted – favorite prayer of mother teresa

11 Sept 2026 Armor of God and 25 Years

by saymber, posted in Bipolar life, history, Home, human rights, In the News, Leading Life by Example, Mental Health, Politics and Government, Spirituality and Religion, Television

Hello to you, Today has been good. I went with my Aunt to the Sisters of Grace gathering in Nampa. There was a good turnout and lots of delicious food. I helped with a skit my Aunt put together called Fashion of a Lifetime- putting on the full armor of God – from Ephesians 6:11-18 :

Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.

I was the helmet of salvation in the skit. My Aunt gave me a gray felt hat to put on. There were no pictures taken but that’s ok. We all were in the moment which is rare these days.

Today is a good day to remember this passage with the 25th anniversary of 9/11. It’s one of the darkest days of world history. I will never forget it! I was sleeping after a 12 hour shift and was called by my coworkers and I went and turned on the tv and couldn’t believe what I was seeing! It just didn’t seem real!

Something happened that day – we were all united in a way that only such horror can do. We were all Americans and grieved together. We are living in a time of such division in this country. It’s like we have forgotten – we need to remember we are one.

What is a powerful quote for 9/11?

AI Overview

Powerful 9/11 Quotes For Remembering September 11, 2001 ...

One of the most powerful and enduring quotes for 9/11 is inscribed on the wall of the National September 11 Memorial Museum: “No day shall erase you from the memory of time.” 

This line comes from Book IX of the epic Latin poem The Aeneid by the ancient Roman poet Virgil. At the 9/11 Museum, the letters were forged by artist Tom Joyce using pieces of steel recovered from the World Trade Center site. It honors the lives lost and promises eternal remembrance.

 

3 Sept 2026 Different

by saymber, posted in Bipolar life, history, human rights, Leading Life by Example, Mental Health, Music, Spirituality and Religion

What’s something you do completely differently from how you were raised?

Hello to you. I hope this finds you well. So much bad news in the headlines right now, I don’t think we were designed to process so much “news” all in one sitting everyday.

In answer today’s prompt I would say the thing I do different from how I was raised is how I practice my faith – religion. As a child I was raised Roman Catholic. In addition to Mass were the Sacraments like Confession- there were rules. As an adult I fell away from Catholicism because the church wouldn’t honor my first marriage. I went for a bit when I was with my second husband but we stopped going because going to Mass was like going to a funeral. We were surrounded by people who didn’t seem to want to be there. Then I was a Pagan for most of my second marriage which was like 12 years.

In my current life I go to church on Sundays in an high school auditorium versus a brick and mortar church like I used to. My current church, Grace Bible Church Middleton, has given me a church family that I know and love. People know me by name. Each Sunday there are warm hellos and hugs! I feel like I belong to this church. I was even baptized last September which was a big step for me in my walk with Jesus.

Spin of the World Prayer Wheel;

The angels dance in your wake
The sun rises for your glory
Stars illume in your light
Magnificent and eternal
My Lord Jesus
My timeless love

justina m. pernetter

https://youtu.be/zSif77IVQdY?is=TvVuxgFvt1vQL-_z – Alison Kraus – Down to the River to Pray

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 10:10-16:

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John%2010%3A10-16&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

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