Category: Writing and blogging

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.

25 Sept 2024 Voting

by saymber, posted in Politics and Government, Spirituality and Religion, Veteran Affairs, Writing and blogging

Hello to you. Hope this finds you well. I can’t believe we are almost at the end of September! This year has really flown by.

I recently received my absentee ballot and couldn’t fill it out right away. I had to pray about it! I surprised myself in the direction I went. I was recently swayed by hearing President Trumps input about how he wants to help the American farmers: https://www.youtube.com/live/PUmt1lAOAN4?si=8VdyhrUPTd6lyg8k – Donald Trump meets with farmers in Pennsylvania

His explanation of tariffs and why he wants to impose them made a lot of sense. He’s trying to discourage big businesses from making what we need in other countries cheaply and then turning around and selling to us consumers at higher prices. I am concerned about immigration and our economy. I don’t think we can handle four more years of the same policies. It will be interesting to see how everything works out.

I thought long and hard about voting for Kamala but when it came down to it was this one question – what has she been doing these past three plus years and would voting for her really matter. I live in a very conservative state and chances are even if I voted for Kamala , the electoral process would be for Trump.

Numbers 23:19New International Version

19 God is not human, that he should lie,
    not a human being, that he should change his mind.
Does he speak and then not act?
    Does he promise and not fulfill?

5 Sept 2024 Pets and Time

by saymber, posted in animals, Home, Mental Health, Spirituality and Religion, Writing and blogging
Henry and Spot are together again

Hello to you. I hope this finds you well. I’m feeling a bit off as I write to you. I’m sure it will pass. I found out yesterday that we lost another family pet. It was my ex in-laws Yorkshire terrier Henry. I don’t think we ever get enough time with our pets. If only we could get one more meal, walk, cuddle, play session, treat, howling chorus….just never enough time. There is little consolation. There is little closure as when it’s time to say goodbye it is us that need to hear from animals one last goodbye and all they can do is look into our eyes and see the pain their leaving is causing. They can’t give us what we so dearly want, their lighted eyes simply twinkle out. Their breath ceases. When we had to say goodbye to four of our animals – two dogs and two cats I nearly lost my mind. I had been with my cats 14 years and Sam was like a son. Pieces of my heart and soul shattered. I am dreading the day Link and I will be parted. He will be 9 this year! He’s a senior dog now! We will just have to cherish our remaining years and not focus on what we can’t control. Death has no master but Jesus Christ. I have faith that when my time comes I will have a lot of greeters with paws!

Corinthians 15:26—27, 54–57When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written: “Death is swallowed up in victory.

28 August 2024 Something to Write About

by saymber, posted in Home, Leading Life by Example, Mental Health, Spirituality and Religion, Writing and blogging

Hi there! How are you doing today? I hope this finds you well. I am trying to write a little more often and it’s kind of hard. Being single and living alone with my sweet dog Link – not going out much makes for not much to write about! Most of the outside my home activities are family, church and medical appointment related. Starting next month on Tuesdays I will be joining my Aunt for a Bible study called One in a Million. This study will go on into November. It will be nice to have an opportunity to make new friends! People my age are still working so most of the people will be older and retired. As a newer Christian it will be good to learn more and have the opportunity to ask questions.

Recently I had the question about being baptized as a baby versus being baptized as an adult. The difference is not having a say as a baby and my parents choosing versus my being an adult and making a conscious decision to follow Christ. So at some point I may decide to get baptized as an adult!

Sometimes I feel like I’m holding back from being all into following Jesus. Part of it has to do with each of the episodes I’ve had being Bipolar. Each episode involved religion and Jesus. This last episode that landed me in the hospital and trouble with the law was because I felt Jesus was taking too long to return so I was going to push things along! So I have been avoiding becoming overly religious for fear of what could happen! So much of my life I have been into death and darkness – my early life began with such things losing my Mom so young. I’m grateful to be surrounded by loving family both by blood and by church. They are helping me navigate this phase of my journey.

26 August 2024 Fall Feeling

by saymber, posted in Art and Poetry, Bipolar life, Health, Mental Health, Spirituality and Religion, Writing and blogging

Hello to you. It’s been awhile since I’ve written to you. Not much new has been going on here with me. I just got back from a walk around the block and it was cooler. It’s starting to feel like fall already! The sunset is earlier and the temperatures are dropping. I’m not complaining! The only thing I haven’t liked about fall is cleaning up the leaves from my neighbors trees. Since I had one of them cutback it shouldn’t be as bad this year.

Leaves crinkling and curling

Breezes cooling sending them swirling

The skies are filled with birds traveling south

The beauty of the sight evokes awe from my mouth

Ever since I’ve gotten back on Depakote my creativity has gone away. It’s the sacrifice I’ve had to make for sanity! I miss the good parts of the highs or mania. It seemed like I had endless energy, thoughts and ideas. I don’t miss not being able to sleep and the endless chatter of inhabiting spirits. I have been stabile for over a year now and I’m grateful. Now if I could just lose the weight I’ve gained and stop feeling like a weeble wobble in my head I’d be all set!

Psalm 92

It is good to praise the LORD and make music to your name, O Most High,

proclaiming your love in the morning and your faithfulness at night,

to the music of the ten-stringed lyre and the melody of the harp.

For you make me glad by your deeds, LORD; I sing for joy at what your hands have done.

How great are your works, LORD, how profound your thoughts! (verses 1-5)

22 July 2024 Change

by saymber, posted in Bipolar life, Food, Health, Home, Leading Life by Example, Mental Health, Spirituality and Religion, Writing and blogging

Hello to you. How are you? It’s 104 degrees here in Idaho! Thank God for air conditioning! I have been waiting til later in the evening to walk and it’s still quite warm and the air quality is poor. I have to do something to tackle my weight problem and making myself get out and walk is one way of doing that. Change is not just my activity level but what I’m eating. My Aunt and I got together last Wednesday and cooked some meat together for meals. I have been really grateful to have them. What happened is I was told my blood sugar levels were headed into pre-diabetic levels and I weighed in 40 lbs heavier than just a few months ago! A side effect of the medication I take for my mental health is feeling hungry all the time. So I’m having to change my snacking habits in addition to what I’m eating for meals.

Just a brief word about President Biden stepping down I think that was a good move. I don’t know much about Vice President Harris. Hopefully she will choose a good running mate. I personally wish it was Robert F Kennedy Jr.

Do Not Worry Matthew 6:25-27

25 “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? 26 Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? 27 Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life[e]?

26 June 2024 Most Delicious

by saymber, posted in Food, Spirituality and Religion, Writing and blogging

What’s the most delicious thing you’ve ever eaten?

I would say the most delicious thing I’ve eaten is my Moms chocolate pudding dessert. Being a foodie there are lots of things I find delicious but there are only a few things that I like to eat in special occasions. The pudding dessert is what I like instead of birthday cake because I like it so much!

Romans 14:19-20New International Version

19 Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification. 20 Do not destroy the work of God for the sake of food. All food is clean,but it is wrong for a person to eat anything that causes someone else to stumble.

22 June 2024 Outside

by saymber, posted in Bipolar life, Home, Nature, photography, Writing and blogging

Hello to you. I’m writing to you as I sit outside today. It feels nice! It’s 94 degrees but you can’t tell sitting on the shaded porch. I haven’t sat outside in awhile. It’s Saturday and the neighborhood is quiet except for a dog barking nonstop inside their home. They resealed our road so the tar is hot and black in the full sunshine. I can smell and feel it from my porch.

View from my porch

Let the heavens rejoice, let the earth be glad; let the sea resound, and all that is in it. Let the fields be jubilant, and everything in them; let all the trees of the forest sing for joy. Let all creation rejoice before the LORD, for he comes, he comes to judge the earth. psalm 96:10-13

5 June 2024 Pope

by saymber, posted in dreams, Spirituality and Religion, Writing and blogging

Hello to you. It’s been awhile since I’ve written. Just haven’t had much to write about out of the ordinary. I had a vivid dream the other day that I want to share. It was about Pope Francis visiting me at my home. In the dream I had a camera to take his photo but I was so lost in the moment I didn’t use the camera! I can remember being so excited I wanted to write my parents about it. I looked through a desk for stationary and when I found a couple blank sheets I woke up. Pretty cool dream!

Acts 2:17New International Version

17 “‘In the last days, God says,
    I will pour out my Spirit on all people.
Your sons and daughters will prophesy,
    your young men will see visions,
    your old men will dream dreams.

23 May 2024 Belongings

by saymber, posted in Home, Spirituality and Religion, Writing and blogging

What personal belongings do you hold most dear?

The personal belongings I hold most dear are my crystals. I have collected them over time from different places. Each one has a memory associated with it.

Crystal I would love to have

Matthew 6:19-21New International Version

Treasures in Heaven

19 “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth,where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20 But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.