Category: In the News

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.

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.

4 April 2024 Olympic Sport

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

What Olympic sports do you enjoy watching the most?

I don’t really have a favorite Olympic sport – I enjoy whatever is being broadcasted on the networks. I feel like whatever is being broadcasted is what they want us to be rooting for. Like when Michael Phelps was going for more gold medals I feel like my favorite sport was watching him with all the hype that was being given to him.

Ephesians 3:20-21New International Version

20 Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, 21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.

23 Dec 2023 1968

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

Share what you know about the year you were born.

The biggest thing I know about the year I was born was the death of Martin Luther King on 4 April 1968 and Robert F . Kennedy on June 6 1968. I can only imagine how this must have affected my family who were avid supporters of equal rights. The year I was born was a tumultuous time!

Philippians 4:6-8New International Version

6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

8 Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.

18 October 2023 Good Neighbor

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

What makes a good neighbor?

When I saw the prompt for today I immediately thought of Fred Rogers Neighborhood program. He showed through that program all the ways to be a good neighbor. He used puppets and people to make his points. One of the most powerful things he did was share a child’s swimming pool with a black police officer – https://youtu.be/v4recJ6qXyk?si=HcUP2OLkmIn4sWkt

He was so gentle and kind. The kind of neighbor I would love to have. I have nice neighbors but they mostly keep to themselves except Marlene. She is an older lady who walks her dog she calls Number 6 and pretty much knows everyone.

Number 6 – she gets lots of walks

https://youtu.be/NB5uSHCIgS0?si=CB8SrUlm6MdV2IAp – Mr Rogers Helpers

I know I have shared this a couple times before but it is so relevant right now. We are getting toxic news at every turn. Mr. Rogers was and remains a helper to this day.

Luke 10:27New International Version

27 He answered, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’[a]; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’[b]”

9 October 2023 Favorite Past Time

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

What is your favorite hobby or pastime?

Hello to you. How are you? I am feeling anxious today. I’m planning on spending the day with my Aunt after I get my laundry done. Feeling bad for the people of Israel and all that is going on over there. The world I’m living in is so surreal right now!

My favorite past time that I have held on to over all that I’ve been through is writing. Everything else I used to do – drawing, painting and crocheting has all but shut down. Being on the medication I am on really has closed my creative juices off. Honestly I would rather not be manic and have my life in control than be out of touch with reality.

Psalm 122:6-9New International Version

6 Pray for the peace of Jerusalem:
“May those who love you be secure.
7 May there be peace within your walls
and security within your citadels.”
8 For the sake of my family and friends,
I will say, “Peace be within you.”
9 For the sake of the house of the Lordour God,
I will seek your prosperity.

11 Sept 2023 Remembrance

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

Today marks a solemn day in world history – a day that showed the world that this country was not invulnerable to terror. In the past such things only happened in other countries not in ours! What’s sad is there are still people that were directly exposed fighting for benefits. There has been an increase of cancer related to the tragedy.

https://www.cnn.com/2019/06/11/politics/jon-stewart-9-11-crying/index.html – this was pretty sad.

When I think of the Twin Towers I think of this from the Bible:

Genesis 11:1-9New International Version

The Tower of Babel

11 Now the whole world had one language and a common speech. 2 As people moved eastward,[a] they found a plain in Shinar[b] and settled there.

3 They said to each other, “Come, let’s make bricks and bake them thoroughly.” They used brick instead of stone, and tar for mortar. 4 Then they said, “Come, let us build ourselves a city, with a tower that reaches to the heavens, so that we may make a name for ourselves; otherwise we will be scattered over the face of the whole earth.”

5 But the Lord came down to see the city and the tower the people were building. 6 The Lord said , “If as one people speaking the same language they have begun to do this, then nothing they plan to do will be impossible for them. 7 Come, let us go down and confuse their language so they will not understand each other.”

8 So the Lord scattered them from there over all the earth, and they stopped building the city.9 That is why it was called Babel[c]—because there the Lord confused the language of the whole world. From there the Lord scattered them over the face of the whole earth.

My prayers go out to the people of Morocco today.

https://amp.cnn.com/cnn/africa/live-news/morocco-earthquake-marrakech-09-11-23/index.html

28 August 2023 What’s Going On?

by saymber, posted in Bipolar life, Health, history, In the News, Mental Health, Politics and Government, Spirituality and Religion, Television, Veteran Affairs, Writing and blogging

Hello to you. I’ve been surfing random news from various sources and it seems like something big is building. Everything from natural disasters, bank closures, human trafficking, aliens, a really bad President – conspiracy theories about what’s happening with fires. I saw even something about Old Faithful potentially erupting. On every front we are being corralled into fear. I won’t let myself succumb to it. We’ve been through times like this so many times before. We just didn’t have the internet to feed it to us all at once from so many different angles. I don’t believe these are the end times in the way people think. I believe we are having a revelation- a great reveal. Things that were hidden are being brought to light…finally.

Revelation 3:20New International Version

20 Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me.

17 August 2023 Emergency Plan

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

Create an emergency preparedness plan.

Hello there. How are you today? Todays prompt makes me think of when I was living in Florida where we had frequent hurricane evacuations. In a moments notice we had to have our cars packed up and be ready to leave. We usually grabbed the file cabinet with important documents, my trunk of journals, picture albums, suitcases of clothes and supplies to take care of the two cats we had at the time. One year while living in Florida I want to say we evacuated like 3 or 4 times!

The natural disaster that happens in Idaho is fires that

Living here in Idaho I’m kind of spoiled. The only thing I think we might need an emergency preparedness plan for is a fire or a flood. If there was a fire I would just grab Link and go to my Aunt and Uncles house. A lot would depend on where the fire was burning and how fast it was spreading. My priority would namely be getting Link and I out alive! I pray we never have to go through such a thing. I’m thinking of the people of Maui trapped on an island and no where to go but out in the ocean!

Isaiah 43:2New International Version

2 When you pass through the waters,
I will be with you;
and when you pass through the rivers,
they will not sweep over you.
When you walk through the fire,
you will not be burned;
the flames will not set you ablaze.

11 August 2023 Influence

by saymber, posted in Bipolar life, Health, human rights, In the News, Leading Life by Example, Mental Health, Science (Keshe Foundation and other innovations), Spirituality and Religion, Veteran Affairs, Writing and blogging

What change, big or small, would you like your blog to make in the world?

Hello to you. How are you? I’m just off of a video conference with my medicine doctor. We are doing some changes to accommodate for sleep and weight gain. He thinks we need to switch out the olanzapine for Haldol and he wants to add Ambien as needed at night for sleep. I keep waking up in the night. Last night it was 11, 1 and 4 am! We are still seeking the right combination.

What kind of influence do I hope for by doing this blog? My hope has always been that if I reach and help at least one person – even if it’s just me – then I have accomplished my mission! There are a lot of people in the world like me that feel alone and bereft of any kind of support. Look at what Sinead O’Connor went through while she was alive? !! Then she dies mysteriously and the world all the suddenly cares! Her story is an all too common one for people diagnosed with mental illness. Love and try to understand – be empathetic and compassionate while the person is here among the living! Don’t wait til they are gone. In many cases too soon!

1 Peter 5:7New International Version

7 Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.

My prayers go out to the people of Maui Hawaii – https://apnews.com/article/hawaii-fires-maui-lahaina-sirens-c0f3cc5c7718bd41dd54d38479fb29b2

https://youtu.be/jQVbBD-UnWw – Relaxing plant music in Hawaii Plant Wave

Interesting article – I used to buy Dr. Bronners soap all the time:

https://www.marijuanamoment.net/dr-bronners-workers-who-received-company-funded-ketamine-therapy-coverage-report-dramatic-improvements-in-mental-health/