17 November 2021 Coffee

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

Hello! How are you? I walked through a new door today. I met a new friend at The Flying M Coffee Shop in Caldwell- it’s a town about 15 minutes from where I live. She had a latte and I had a mocha – both were really good. The atmosphere of the place was really nice. A lot of people were there using computers. We got a chance to visit and get to know each other better. Turns out she is a life coach! Wonder what God is up to !! She has an online business too where she makes bracelets and other really cool things. I have a lot to process! The first thing is God and my Angel Deegan getting me to the coffee shop and back safely! We did it! I told her if she had asked me a month ago to meet her I probably would have said no. What door is next I wonder? I will have to be patient and just be ready!

Link to her business if your curious: https://www.positivelymagickal.com/

17 November 2021 Reason To Live (personal testimony)

by saymber, posted in Bipolar life, Health, Mental Health, Music, Spirituality and Religion, Veteran Affairs, Writing and blogging

Hello! How are you? It’s 28 degrees this morning here in Middleton Idaho. I think winter is coming! Link and I said poo poo to a walk. We will wait til it’s a little warmer!

Galatians 5:22-23New International Version

22 But the fruit(A) of the Spirit is love,(B) joy, peace,(C) forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control.(D)Against such things there is no law.(E)

What is your reason to live? So many people I talk to struggle with that question. I struggle with that question. A couple of times I couldn’t stay in touch with my reason and I tried to take my life. One time a couple of years ago now I was almost successful. I had so many reasons to live but in my moments of despair I lost touch with them. Trying to kill myself was one of the most stupid and selfish things I’ve ever done! I hurt my husband and family so much!

I’m going to be honest. I was testing God with what I did. I took pills. As I waited for them to take effect I realized I was alone. There was no one coming to save me. No Kyle. No God. No Angel. Just me…..all there was was me. My survival instinct kicked in and I remembered my bulemia days and stuck my fingers down my throat forcing some of the pills up. Then something told me to go for a walk. To keep moving. I grabbed my purse and dragged myself around the block. I was barely able to walk. When I got home I laid down and just gasped for breath until the remaining pills wore off. I lived but when I told my husband he was so hurt! Why would I do such a thing!! I had always assured him I would never do such a thing after how my moms death affected all of us. I lied to him.

I’m not sharing my story for sympathy. I want to pass on my experience. My strength. My hope. I learned a valuable lesson through what happened…..don’t test God! If you are thinking about taking your life and don’t reach out you are going to be on your own. It’s almost as if God was saying “If that’s what you want to do I’m not going to stop you!” The further twist is how a negative in my life, bulemia, ended up saving me. Further proof that nothing we go through is for no reason.

I hope by sharing my testimony someone will be helped. I still believe there is a God. I’m still here for many reasons. I’m only just beginning to find out what some of them are. That’s what life is . That’s what gratitude is. There is always at least one thing…one reason.

Good Lady Gaga song that got me teary thinking about things this morning….million reasons : https://youtu.be/en2D_5TzXCA

16 November 2021 How The Rose Came To Be (Short Story)

by saymber, posted in Uncategorized

Once upon a time there lived a gentle carpenter named Lawrence and his daughter Rose. They lived in a tiny little house in a tiny little village named Roslyn. In our modern times Roslyn would be considered a one stop light sort of place. Blink and you might miss it.

Lawrence supported himself and Rose by making furniture. It kept him very busy so Rose ended up spending a lot of time alone. She didn’t have any friends. The kids at school were very cruel to her. You see Rose was different. She had red hair, freckles and she was very mature for her age.

One day after yet another day of being tormented at school, Rose decided to go for a walk in the woods on the outskirts of town. She had never done this before. She was crying. Shortly after entering the woods she heard a whisper calling to her,”Rose why are you crying?” “They hate me I just want to escape forever and ever!” “Sleep” the forest whispered. Little did Rose know she was in an enchanted forest. Rose suddenly felt very sleepy and curled up in the grass. Soon she faded away and all that remained were seeds. The seeds burrowed into the soil and all was still.

The shadows of the ending day began to fall. Lawrence put the finishing touches on the chair he had been working on and headed into the house, “Rose?!” He called out but there was no answer. He started to get worried and decided to go looking for her. He went by the school and all the other places he could think she had gone. He couldn’t find her. Off in the distance he saw the woods, “I wonder if she went in there?” He felt his heart sink. If only he paid more attention to her!

Lawrence went home and grabbed his flashlight and headed back to the woods. It didn’t take long before he got to the clearing where Rose had fallen asleep…..but she wasn’t there! All Lawrence found was an outline of his daughters sleeping form. He touched the soil. It was still warm. He called out to her but only heard birds settling down to sleep. He began to weep. His tears fell to the space where she had been and then something miraculous happened….a plant with a deep red flower began to rise up to him. He had never seen such a flower. His tears flowed over the flower as it seemed to respond to his voice. It started to sink in that his Rose was gone. “I will call you Rose,” the bereaved father cried….and that is how the Rose came to be. The End.

16 November 2021 Sunlight

by saymber, posted in Home, Mental Health, Short stories, Veteran Affairs, Writing and blogging

Hello and good morning from here. How are you? Did you get sleep ? I don’t feel like I got much. After my post last night I tossed and turned til like 1 am or later. I finally got up and took a couple Benadryl and that got me a couple hours. So anyways….got some coffee and beautiful sunshine is streaming in. Laundry is going. It’s a new day!

I read the story I posted yesterday to one of my friends and he asked “What happens next?!” That made me smile. I told him it was meant to be that way. That’s what a short story is. There really are light and shadow beings. The technology of today is finally able to capture their images.

Today I’m thinking about revisiting a story I wrote way back in Sr High School like 1985 or 86……..yes I’m an old fart! The story was called How The Rose Came To Be. I don’t want to dig through my storage bins to find it so I’ll start from scratch. I will make it a separate post .

Tomorrow I have something to look forward to. One of the ladies I met through Meetup has invited me to coffee! I had put out an intention to God that even if I only met one person and made a friend that would be good. Prayers are being answered!

15 November 2021 Good night

by saymber, posted in Art and Poetry, Bipolar life, dreams, Mental Health, Veteran Affairs, Writing and blogging

Hello. It’s 1003 pm here as I write. I should be winding down and going to sleep but I can’t for some reason. I feel tired but as soon as the lights are out my eyes pop open. I just lay in the dark awake. Does that happen to you? I have tried a couple different sleep aides but none of them work not even Benadryl! I want a deep sleep with happy dreams! Some of my favorite dreams are when I get to fly. You just jump up and oops there goes gravity!

“Eyes wide shut the dark night pulls it’s strings on the curtain call of this day.”

“She closed her eyes and the sky was a brilliant blue. The sunlight was soft….no clouds. She reached her hands towards the sky and gave a little jump…up up and away she flew. “ That was what happened in one of my flying dreams .

Well I’m going to try and fall asleep again. Goodnight.

15 November 2021 Be One Of The Lights (short story)

by saymber, posted in Short stories, Spirituality and Religion, Veteran Affairs, Writing and blogging

She sat down head in hands taking a deep breath. The day fell off of her shoulders. She could hear the multitudes of people lingering around her. So many stories. She lifted her head and was shocked by what she saw. All the people around her were just shadows! She blinked her eyes a couple of times to make sure her eyes weren’t playing tricks on her but the shadows remained. Then she saw a being that seemed to be made of light come towards her….walking through all the shadows. She heard a voice, “Be one of the lights.” She blinked just once and all the shadows became people again. The light being was nowhere to be found. Suddenly the people passing by began to stare at her. Some of them walked towards her asking ,”Can you help me?” They all had faraway looks in their eyes like they were lost. Pretty soon she was surrounded. She caught a brief glimpse of light and realized it was her own hand.

15 November 2021 Glow

by saymber, posted in history, Leading Life by Example, Mental Health, Spirituality and Religion, Veteran Affairs, Writing and blogging

Hello to you how are you? It’s Monday again. My Monday is gray and overcast. In a little while I have to drive to my therapist appointment. It will be good for me to get out and talk to another human being.

We had a small victory here. If you will recall from a few posts ago I had bought a Djembe drum. Well turns out it had wood eating insects in it!! Well one of my new Meetup friends suggested I put it in a bag and freeze it. If worked! I could send it back but I am kind of attached to it now. When I look at the little instrument it reminds me that I too have flaws and imperfections but am still useful to God.

The times I feel the most useful is when I’m feeling the “glow.” It’s that warm feeling in the center of my chest when I’m right where and when I’m supposed to be. When I feel that feeling it emanates through my whole body. Most times it comes when I’m expressing true emotions…..stuff of the spirit. When I’m talking with others about real things….about God. When I’m in that space I’m not worried about the world I’m living in….what I’ve left undone.

Sometimes this world feels like the story of Mary and Martha:

Luke 10:38-42New International Version

At the Home of Martha and Mary

38 As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha(A) opened her home to him. 39 She had a sister called Mary,(B) who sat at the Lord’s feet(C)listening to what he said. 40 But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, “Lord, don’t you care(D) that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!”

41 “Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried(E) and upset about many things,42 but few things are needed—or indeed only one.[a](F) Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.”

Busy busy busy……our world is so busy that we miss what is important. We miss what is right in front of us. We miss an opportunity to glow. In the end what is it that remains of us ? Is it what we did or how and who we loved?

What makes you glow?

14 November 2021 Safe

by saymber, posted in history, Home, Mental Health, Music, Spirituality and Religion, Veteran Affairs, Writing and blogging

Hi. How are you? It’s 806 pm as I write you. Today has been a good day. For those of you that have been following along with me you know driving has been a thing for me. Today I drove the farthest I’ve driven here in Idaho and made it there and back safe….praise God and my guardian Angel! I had a really enjoyable visit with my family – it was a happy birthday!

Tonight I watched a live broadcast of Elevation Church’s Steven Furtick and his message really resonated. Steven had a unique style of preaching – so much energy! Don’t weep for what’s left you, whatever it is. Something better is coming!! Build on what remains. I have endured a lot of losses but a lot of good remains. A lot of good has come. God knows my heart and has not abandoned me to sorrow. Today I was crying for the loss of my husband to divorce and God filled the void with my loving family. I can’t go back….only forwards…..better!

I can remember being in my back yard in Texas crying because my world had gotten so small. I kept playing the song by Mind In A Box called Escape over and over. God had to move so many pieces to answer my pleas. I lost so much but as my new life unfolds I realize there was no other way. God delivered me and my husband. My husband was too young to be trapped as my caretaker and he just couldn’t help me. So many pieces have to move for just one moment….just one prayer.

14 November 2021 Meetup and Comfort Zone

by saymber, posted in animals, Home, Mental Health, Veteran Affairs, Writing and blogging

Hello there how are you?! It’s Sunday morning as I write to you. I have a cup of coffee and my writing buddy Link beside me. What a blessing it is to wake up to his furry face each day!

So last night I hosted the first event for my Connect Middleton Idaho Meetup Group and I was so pleased! There were three of us and our 40 minutes on Zoom went so fast! We spent the time getting to know each other better and plan to meet again next Saturday. One person from Middleton has joined the group so I’m hoping they will join us for the next event. It’s baby steps! I’m so grateful!

Today is stepping or rather driving out of my comfort zone day. My cousin is hosting a birthday party for my Aunt and his son at their house and I have to get there on my own. I’m a little nervous but I know if I get lost all I have to do is call! Gradually I’m hoping I will regain my confidence and not be so afraid of driving here. It’s been almost a year since my accident. Oh and today is actually my Uncle Bills birthday! Happy Birthday Uncle!

A personal birthday wish!

13 November 2021 Helpers

by saymber, posted in history, Leading Life by Example, Mental Health, Spirituality and Religion, Television, Veteran Affairs, Writing and blogging

For some reason I am thinking about Fred Rogers tonight. When I remember him I feel warm inside. Sometimes when I see old reruns of his show I will start to cry when he sings. He was just so kind! He had one of those faces you see in a crowd and you just know everything is going to be ok.

One of those small comforts has come to be Fred Rogers’s famous advice to look for the helpers. “When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news,” Rogers said to his television neighbors, “my mother would say to me, ‘Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.’ (Source Internet)

Who are the helpers in your life? There are so many we can’t even see but they are there. I think about turning on the light switch and there being light. So many helpers working round the clock to make sure we have light, heat and cooling. There is of course our police, firemen, gas station attendants, snow plow drivers, truckers, ferrymen, military, doctors, nurses, waiters, cooks, hair dressers, IT people and so many other professions that work round the clock making our lives better. My ex husband used to work at a dry cleaners. He told me it felt like his kindness was the only kindness some of his customers saw all day! A friendly smile and hello helping make what might of been a miserable day into a better one. He consciously chose to be a helper.

Are you a helper? Are you one of the lights in our sometimes dark days? Sometimes all you have to do is smile. Hold a door for someone. Say hello and wave. Try a random act of kindness. For example I’ve seen people pay for another persons groceries before. Just one thing can sometimes change somebody’s life. Kindness is the right kind of contagion!