27 August 2023 Favorite Recipe

August 27, 2023August 28, 2023 by saymber, posted in Bipolar life, Health, Home, Mental Health, Spirituality and Religion, Veteran Affairs, Writing and blogging

What’s your favorite recipe?

Hello to you. I’m just back from church. I wasn’t sure if I was going to go but forced myself. I’m not having an easy time of it right now with sleep. It feels like I’m tossing and turning the whole night!

My Aunt sent me this as we love Maxine – this is so true!

One of my favorite recipes is my Moms Red Devils Food Cake. It stays so moist and tastes so good. No eggs are required either!

Easy Red Devils Food Cake

3 cups flour, 1/2 cup cocoa powder, 2 cups sugar, 2 tsp baking soda, 1 tsp salt

2 cups cold water, 1 cup oil, 2 Tbsp vinegar, 2 tsp vanilla

Mix and put in 9×13 pan bake 35-40 min at 350 degrees. Cupcakes 15-20 min.

Romans 15:13New International Version

¹³May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

26 August 2023 Excitement

August 26, 2023 by saymber, posted in animals, Bipolar life, Health, Leading Life by Example, Mental Health, Spirituality and Religion, Veteran Affairs, Writing and blogging

Tell us about the last thing you got excited about.

Hello to you. How are you today? I’m feeling tired. I got up several times in the night again and this was without taking the new medications. I’m so tired of this struggle with getting the right medications!

I can’t really remember the last time I was excited about something. Excitement for me really translates to gratitude for me. The last time I was really grateful was when I purchased this house. Getting it how and when I did was definitely a God thing.

Going and getting Link from my friend Erin 8 years ago was a time of excitement!

Psalm 37:4New International Version

⁴Take delight in the Lord,
and he will give you the desires of your heart.

25 August 2023 City of the Future

August 25, 2023 by saymber, posted in Health, history, Home, human rights, Leading Life by Example, Science (Keshe Foundation and other innovations), Spirituality and Religion, technology, Veteran Affairs, Writing and blogging

How would you design the city of the future?

Hello there! How are you doing on this sunny Friday? Whatever you are facing today I hope you have support to get through it. Let go and let God.

Todays prompt makes me think of the Venus Project: https://www.thevenusproject.com/

The Venus Project is a non-profit organization that presents a new socio-economic model utilizing science and technology toward social betterment to achieve a sustainable civilization.

Most modern cities in the United States are not built in a sustainable way. You have to drive from the suburbs to congested areas where goods and services are available. Little to nothing is available within walking or safely bicycling distance. In my small town there are things within walking distance which makes it nice.

If I were to design the perfect city everything you would need would be within walking or bicycling distance. Each home would have a way to collect enough water for everyday use and enough electricity to not be on a power grid. Each home would be sustainable and constructed with repurposed materials like logs made of recycled plastic.

Acts 1:7-8New International Version

⁷He said to them: “It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. ⁸But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

24 August 2023 Name

August 24, 2023 by saymber, posted in Bipolar life, drawing, history, Mental Health, Spirituality and Religion, Veteran Affairs, Writing and blogging

Where did your name come from?

Hello to you. I’m just back from the Thursday prayer meeting and getting groceries. We had Savanah, Pastor Jason’s daughter with us which was really nice. Apparently her school day started with the school smelling like gasoline! Jeannie was able to come again – she’s so sweet.

Last night I drew a couple pictures. They aren’t my best work but just what I had come through to draw:

So where does my name come from? My name was from Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis. She was many years before I was born but still an inspiration to my parents I guess!

Matthew 16:13-20New International Version

Peter Declares That Jesus Is the Messiah

¹³When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say the Son of Man is?”

¹⁴They replied, “Some say John the Baptist;others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”

¹⁵“But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?”

¹⁶Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.”

23 August 2023 Motivation

August 23, 2023 by saymber, posted in animals, Bipolar life, human rights, Leading Life by Example, Mental Health, photography, Spirituality and Religion, Veteran Affairs, Writing and blogging

What motivates you?

Hello to you. How are you doing? I’m doing ok just really tired and groggy. I’m sitting outside on the porch with Link writing to you to clear my head.

Todays prompt makes me think of a phrase I’ve said many times before agreeing to do something – “check your motives at the door.” Ask yourself why you are doing something before you agree to do it. Are you doing it just to get something in return? Are you making a debt to be paid? When I do something for someone I’m not expecting anything in return. A thank you would be nice but not expected. When I put expectations on the things I do I get a resentment if my expectation is not met.

There is a lot we can learn from our pets about motivation and perhaps that’s why we love them so much – their motivation is pure. They just want to give and receive affection without getting anything in return.

Proverbs 16:2New International Version

²All a person’s ways seem pure to them,
but motives are weighed by the Lord

22 August 2023 Top Ten

August 22, 2023 by saymber, posted in animals, Movies, Spirituality and Religion, Veteran Affairs, Writing and blogging

What are your top ten favorite movies?

Hello to you. How are you? I’m feeling tired but ok. Todays prompt is a fun one as I enjoy movies:

One of my all time favorite movies – Blade Runner

Blade Runner, Somewhere in Time, Cat People, Smoke Signals, What We Do in the Shadows, Black Panther, Queen of the Damned, Fried Green Tomatoes, Brams Stoker Dracula, The Fifth Element, Superman (Christopher Reeve), Purple Rain and Tombstone.

There are so many! These are just a few that I’ve watched more than once.

John 1:5New International Version

⁵The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome^[a] it.

21 August 2023 Writing

August 21, 2023 by saymber, posted in Art and Poetry, Bipolar life, Leading Life by Example, Mental Health, Spirituality and Religion, Veteran Affairs, Writing and blogging

What do you enjoy most about writing?

Hello to you. How are you? I’m doing ok but tired.

What I enjoy most about writing is it’s been with me nearly my whole life. Like an old friend. We’ve gone through poetry and short story phases, traveling phases and just ordinary life phases. I started writing at a very young age. I have a trunk full of my written accounts of my life and those I have shared life with. It’s a time capsule of family history even through two divorces. I kind of stopped keeping written diaries in 2015. My trunk is full and it’s heavy! I have contemplated throwing it out several times but decided against it. May be some day someone will want them.

Psalm 103:1-5New International Version

Psalm 103

Of David.

¹Praise the Lord, my soul;
all my inmost being, praise his holy name.
²Praise the Lord, my soul,
and forget not all his benefits—
³who forgives all your sins
and heals all your diseases,
⁴who redeems your life from the pit
and crowns you with love and compassion,
⁵who satisfies your desires with good things
so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.

19 August 2022 Positive Emotion

August 19, 2023 by saymber, posted in Bipolar life, Leading Life by Example, Mental Health, Spirituality and Religion, Television, Veteran Affairs, Writing and blogging

What positive emotion do you feel most often?

Hello to you. How are you ? I hope this finds you well. I am doing ok. I had my first dose of Ambien last night and it didn’t interfere with my sleep which was a good thing. It sometimes takes awhile to see what different medicines will do.

The positive emotion I feel the most is gratitude. I’m so grateful to God, the people and animals that are in my life. So much of how my life is right now is thanks to God. My life is manageable and not more than I can handle.

“ the attitude of gratitude turns a frown upside down”

Psalm 107:1-3New International Version

Psalm 107

¹Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good;
his love endures forever.

²Let the redeemed of the Lord tell their story—
those he redeemed from the hand of the foe,
³those he gathered from the lands,
from east and west, from north and south.^[a]

Ephesians 5:18-20New International Version

¹⁸Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit,¹⁹speaking to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit. Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord, ²⁰always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

18 August 2023 Goals

August 18, 2023 by saymber, posted in animals, Bipolar life, Health, Home, Mental Health, Nature, Spirituality and Religion, Veteran Affairs, Writing and blogging

How do you plan your goals?

Hello there, how are you? I’m doing ok. The pest control people came out this morning and took care of a large wasp nest. I feel kind of bad but more than likely they were they were the ones trying to build a nest in my weed wacker – the ones that stung me. My hand is still itchy and swollen!

The new medication, Ambien, showed up today. It will be interesting to see how my body reacts to it. It’s another bed time medication. Hopefully it won’t interfere with my getting and staying asleep.

So how do I plan my goals? I used to be much more organized and a planner – a worry wart. Now bring retired and Bipolar 1 so long I hardly plan at all! The best thing for me is my calendar. I keep organized and am able to have short term goals using it.

Jeremiah 29:11New International Version

¹¹For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

17 August 2023 Emergency Plan

August 17, 2023 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

²When 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.