10 May 2026 Persistent Faith

May 10, 2026 by saymber, posted in Bipolar life, Health, Leading Life by Example, Spirituality and Religion

Hello to you on this beautiful Mothers Day Sunday. I went to church and got lots of hugs as I wasn’t there last Sunday. I sat with my friend Jeannie which was really nice. We fill empty spaces for eachother. She her daughter and me my Mom. I love her very much and am so grateful for her friendship.

We were in Matthew 15: 22 – 28:

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew%2015%3A22-28&version=NIV

https://youtu.be/gL5FdRrZvLQ?si=-FLyivT6Kj8olaJ6 – Persistent Faith – Jason Boyd

As Pastor Jason says, Jesus answers prayers with a yes, no or not yet. I have been praying for healing for my cousin Heidi as well as for other members of my family, friends and even myself. Seeing my cousin this weekend was evidence of Gods healing power and a definite YES! I had a praise today as my back didn’t hurt for the first day in weeks. The stuff going on with my ears is still there but wasn’t as bad today. I will take any relief!

I was going to have breakfast at the Sunrise after church but when I got there even the little tables I sit at were full and people were waiting to be seated. So I went home and had one of my breakfast sandwiches. Link was happy to see me even if I didn’t have his bacon! Lol!

9 May 2026 Like A Banana

May 9, 2026 by saymber, posted in Bipolar life, Food, Health, Spirituality and Religion

Hello there! Hope this finds you well. I am home from an early Mother’s Day brunch with my cousins and Aunt and Uncle. This was the first time seeing my cousin Heidi after her four brain surgeries. She is doing so good! You can hardly tell anything has happened to her. She is living proof of God answering prayers. Her hair is short but growing out. She described herself as a browning banana with all her bruises! We thought that was so funny! I think all of us feel like yellowing and bruised bananas these days!

There were a lot of grateful tears shed today. Hearing how grateful Heidi is to God for pulling her through everything really touched all our hearts. She is so brave!

My Aunt put together beautiful spread with charcuterie boards of meat, cheese and fruit. The boys went out and got us ladies bouquets of flowers. So beautiful!

5 May 2026 Advice

May 6, 2026May 6, 2026 by saymber, posted in Bipolar life, Home, human rights, In the News, Mental Health, Politics and Government, Spirituality and Religion, Veteran Affairs

List the people you admire and look to for advice…

Hello to you. How is it in your world? Here in mine it’s sunny and warm again. I went and got groceries this morning after putting it off as long as I could. It was $214 just for me! That’s double what it was since all the tariffs nonsense began. Last night as I did my nightly prayers, I realized how much I hate our President and had to pray about it. Praying for those we don’t like is even more important than praying for those we do like. I had to pray for him to get the hate out of my heart. I don’t want to hate anybody but every day it’s one more thing he does that pisses me off. I can’t stand seeing his face or hearing his voice every day. I want him and his entire administration fired! I don’t understand why Congress hasn’t done anything. We shall have to see what Gods will is about it all. This uncalled for war with Iran must end!

In answer to today’s prompt I would say the people I look to for advice and admire is my family. I especially listen to my Aunt and Uncle. My Aunt and Uncle are the closest thing for me having parents. Sometimes they get it wrong but it’s rare. Other people I turn to are my Pastor and friends I’ve made through church.

Dear Jesus please guide the leaders at all levels of government. Give them wisdom and empathy towards the people they serve. Please wrap your loving arms around the unhoused, the addicted, the sick, those trying to heal, the abused, the poor and the hungry. Please continue to send your earth angels to the aide of neglected and abused animals. Amen.

I am finding these shorter exercises easier to do:

https://youtu.be/jIjRNg-pOBs?si=GSzDE8DcNq09xG6f – 7 min Gentle Tai Chi for Seniors

New song from Ryan Perdz:

https://youtu.be/ayVVlOfslik?si=QD82-8oQRuw7ga1C – Sour – Ryan Perdz

10 Apr 2026 Tea Party

April 10, 2026 by saymber, posted in Food, Leading Life by Example, Spirituality and Religion

Hello to you. Today began early for me as my Auntie invited me to join her at the Nampa Sisters of Grace tea party at 9 am. What a nice party it was! Tammy, Flor, Jo and a couple other ladies really outdid themselves! The cups and saucers came from Flors collection. There were sandwiches, candies, mints, scones, cookies, finger size cakes and of course tea and coffee. We sang this song:

https://youtu.be/Rmg0UGllTp8?si=tB_j8xKJssFKN1s_ – In the Garden – Alan Jackson

In the Garden

Song by Alan Jackson ‧ 2006

Overview Lyrics

… I come to the garden alone
While the dew is still on the roses
And the voice I hear, falling on my ear
The son of God discloses

… And he walks with me
And he talks with me
And he tells me I am his own
And the joy we share as we tarry there
None other has ever known

… I’d stay in the garden with him
Though the night around me is falling
But he bids me go
Through the voice of woe
His voice to me is calling

… And he walks with me
And he talks with me
And he tells me I am his own
And the joy we share as we tarry there
None other has ever known

… And the joy we share as we tarry there
None other has ever known

Source: Musixmatch

When I got to my Aunties house she had hats set out and we decided the black one was best! I cherish these memories that we make together. She helps me stay in touch with my girly self! The Sisters of Grace are so kind and welcoming. I’m glad we went!

8 Apr 2026 Pushing On

April 9, 2026 by saymber, posted in Bipolar life, Health, history, human rights, Nature, photography, Politics and Government, Spirituality and Religion, Veteran Affairs

Hello to you. How are you doing? Since Sunday I haven’t been feeling so good. I’m writing to you from bed and it’s only 7 pm! Still very light out. I just feel weak and low energy. This too shall pass and I know I will push on beyond whatever this is. The only thing different I’m doing is I have started taking loratadine which is generic Claritin for allergies. The Flonase hasn’t arrived yet. This is another way of tackling the fullness in my ears.

Dear Jesus please be with my Uncle Bill as he navigates issues going on with his heart. I also ask you be with my cousin Heidi as she continues to heal. I ask you to be with the people in war torn countries- let there be peace. I pray you guide leaders at all levels of government – please give our elected officials the courage to stop the mad king! Amen.

2 Timothy 1:7: “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind”

5 Apr 2026 Easter

April 6, 2026April 6, 2026 by saymber, posted in Food, Home, Spirituality and Religion

Hello to you! What a beautiful day today has been. I went to the 9 am service and it was pretty full. It was a really nice service complete with a full choir! We learned about the meaning of Jesus’s last words:

John 19:30 captures Jesus’ final words, “It is finished” (Tetelestai), marking the completion of his earthly mission, the fulfillment of scripture, and the total payment for humanity’s sins. This triumphant declaration signifies that atonement is fully accomplished, ending the need for further sacrifices.

https://youtu.be/NultNYlFSH0?si=89TM85TLed8xmUmf – Easter Sunday – pastor Jason Boyd

John 19:28-30

Later, knowing that everything had now been finished, and so that Scripture would be fulfilled, Jesus said, “I am thirsty.” A jar of wine vinegar was there, so they soaked a sponge in it, put the sponge on a stalk of the hyssop plant, and lifted it to Jesus’ lips. When he had received the drink, Jesus said, “It is finished.” With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.

I came home and rested with Link and then I drove over to my cousins house for a nice meal and visit with my family. We had my Uncle John’s famous ham, burgers and brats off the grill. My Aunt made awesome tasting mashed potatoes – there was little left of them! We had three of the great grandchildren so that was entertaining to say the least. They are so cute! There were eggs to be found, bubbles to be blown and a bouncy house to play in. You don’t get to sit still with children their age. They are growing so fast!

28 Mar 2026 Reaching Out

March 29, 2026March 29, 2026 by saymber, posted in Bipolar life, Health, Home, Mental Health, Spirituality and Religion, Veteran Affairs

Hello to you. I hope this finds you well. Today was good. I woke up with my usual problem – anxiety and I didn’t want to be alone. I reached out to my Aunt and she had Link and I come over. She helped me make a delicious cup of coffee and made me a toasted blueberry bagel. She gave me a much needed hug. She just knows what I need! Almost every day I have anxiety in the morning and instead of fighting my way through it today I reached out. I am so blessed to have an understanding Aunt and Uncle! At times I really don’t like living alone. Thank God for Link! Am I going to be alone for the rest of my life? Sometimes I think so! The dating scene for my age group is pretty dismal. I always said that if I couldn’t make my second marriage work that I was destined to be alone. There is a large void in my life not being married. I will just have to let God have the final word on this.

Favorite song before bed: https://youtu.be/h9hILKB9qZQ?si=8gwxivXqomrWUX7j – Vangelis – Come to Me

John 16:33New International Version

³³“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

15 Mar 2026 When God Heals

March 16, 2026March 16, 2026 by saymber, posted in Bipolar life, Leading Life by Example, Spirituality and Religion

Hello to you. It’s Sunday again. The weeks are flying by already. I’m just back from a family birthday party at my cousins house. Lots of good food and company. The men grilled burgers, hot dogs and elk burgers. The grandchildren always bring joy and laughter as does my Aunt Ruth. They even did an Easter egg hunt that the kids really enjoyed. It was good to see everybody.

Church was good. Roy was there in a wheel chair with his sister and brother-in-law. That is a miracle of Gods healing power! We had Bryant Strodt give the sermon out of Mark 5:25-34:

Mark 5:25-34New International Version

²⁵And a woman was there who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years. ²⁶She had suffered a great deal under the care of many doctors and had spent all she had, yet instead of getting better she grew worse.²⁷When she heard about Jesus, she came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak, ²⁸because she thought, “If I just touch his clothes, I will be healed.” ²⁹Immediately her bleeding stopped and she felt in her body that she was freed from her suffering.

³⁰At once Jesus realized that power had gone out from him. He turned around in the crowd and asked, “Who touched my clothes?”

³¹“You see the people crowding against you,” his disciples answered, “and yet you can ask, ‘Who touched me?’ ”

³²But Jesus kept looking around to see who had done it. ³³Then the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell at his feet and, trembling with fear, told him the whole truth. ³⁴He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering.”

https://youtu.be/Pvd7EswOdm4?si=sTf1DRbkrUYyq1v6 – When God Heals – Bryant Strodt

When God heals, it is to build our faith. When God doesn’t heal, he also uses it to build our faith.

I have been asking God to heal me for the past couple of years and he hasn’t yet. In his divine timing I have faith that he will heal me if he’s going to. I also have to accept that as we get older our cars (bodies) break down and don’t work like they used to. What I am praying for might be unreasonable! I may never be completely pain free.

12 Mar 2026 Focus

March 13, 2026 by saymber, posted in animals, Bipolar life, dreams, Leading Life by Example, Mental Health, Spirituality and Religion

Hello and good evening. I am writing to you to help quiet my brain before bed. I have been having good dreams since the one I told you about with sleep paralysis. This past day I dreamt about being with my ex and his brother. I really miss both of them and the in depth talks we used to have. We were good friends! The dream felt like a nice visit with them.

My thoughts tonight turn to the word focus. The context being of what I focus on gaining power in my life. I am currently focusing on losing weight and being more active. It’s going from just thinking to doing. This is a battle because of the fullness in my ears, balance and my lower back. I am hoping the Tai Chi, currently at a beginners level and walking, will gradually help me out with what is holding me back.

The other thing that holds me back in my life is my love for my dog Link. I hate leaving him alone for too long. He is going to be 12 this coming December! He’s a senior dog now and I don’t know how much longer we will have together. After him I don’t know if I will be able to have another pet. There are a lot of things I don’t do because of my responsibility as a pet owner. My little old man gets a lot of my focus.

What we focus on gains power – takes center stage of our lives. The past couple years I have been trying to put Jesus at the center but I will be honest it’s not been easy. I was a pagan for a long time. Prior to being a pagan I was a Roman Catholic for many years up until I left home. After the Catholic Church refused to acknowledge my first marriage I tried many other churches and just couldn’t find one I felt comfortable or accepted in. In the church I am currently attending, Grace Bible Church, I have found acceptance and fellowship but sometimes I feel like the chameleon tattooed on my shoulder. My ability to feel anything deeply has gone the way of my creativity. I want to feel Jesus’s love for me and sometimes I just don’t! I want to weep with the depths of his love and I just can’t. What used to come to me so easily has been reduced to this blog. I am so grateful to you who come to visit me here from all over the world which encourages me not to give up writing altogether!

Dear Jesus I come before you asking for you to heal me in my brokenness- physically, mentally and spiritually. Please show me you are present and that you love me. I ask that you make your presence known to all in this world that thirst for the living water only you can provide. Help me and others like me authentically be vessels of your spirit. Free me and others like me from the bondage of self. Amen.

1 Mar 2026 Humility and Birthday

March 2, 2026 by saymber, posted in Food, Health, human rights, In the News, Leading Life by Example, Politics and Government, Spirituality and Religion, Veteran Affairs

Hello to you. I hope there is love and peace in your corner of the world. There is a lot going on in this world that needs our prayers! I am not happy with what is going on. It’s like we don’t even have a Congress! Thank God for my church and blood family!

Today Pastor Jason was in Matthew 18:

Matthew 18:21-35New International Version

The Parable of the Unmerciful Servant

²¹Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?”

²²Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.^[a]

²³“Therefore, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants.²⁴As he began the settlement, a man who owed him ten thousand bags of gold^[b] was brought to him.²⁵Since he was not able to pay, the master ordered that he and his wife and his children and all that he had be sold to repay the debt.

²⁶“At this the servant fell on his knees before him. ‘Be patient with me,’ he begged, ‘and I will pay back everything.’ ²⁷The servant’s master took pity on him, canceled the debt and let him go.

²⁸“But when that servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred silver coins.^[c] He grabbed him and began to choke him. ‘Pay back what you owe me!’ he demanded.

²⁹“His fellow servant fell to his knees and begged him, ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay it back.’

³⁰“But he refused. Instead, he went off and had the man thrown into prison until he could pay the debt.³¹When the other servants saw what had happened, they were outraged and went and told their master everything that had happened.

³²“Then the master called the servant in. ‘You wicked servant,’ he said, ‘I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to. ³³Shouldn’t you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?’ ³⁴In anger his master handed him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed.

³⁵“This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother or sister from your heart.”

https://youtu.be/50mzUwYBsTk?si=ktuc9aFiugADmptK – Unforgiven Pastor Jason Boyd

He gave a quote from C. S Lewis that really resonated with me: True humility is not thinking less of self but thinking of yourself less.

The root of forgiveness is love:

1 Corinthians 13:5New International Version

⁵It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.

After church I drove over to my Aunt and Uncles to ride with them to Olive Garden in Nampa to celebrate my cousins wife’s birthday. It was very busy and we waited about 35 minutes but it was worth it. The best part of the meal was us being together to celebrate my beautiful friend! We are the same age but she is the more mature of the two of us. She had good news about her work situation – fewer hours and getting to work from home one day a week. They were going to lose her so they worked out this deal. We are so happy for her!

My Aunt and I had chicken Alfredo and everyone else had soup and salad. Our waitress wasn’t the most attentive but it was very busy so we tried to be understanding. Everyone is excited for me and the healing journey I am currently on with giving Tai Chi a try. It means a lot to have their encouragement and support. We are happy that my cousin Heidi is home now. She is on a big healing journey and we are so proud of her! My Uncle John is doing really well from his knee surgery and it was wonderful that he joined us today. He was happy to actually be able to wear regular pants for the first time since his surgery!

Dear Jesus I pray for this world and all the life within it. Please be with the leaders of this world in these trying times – let them seek peace not wars that never end. I ask you to put a hedge of protection around all those who serve. I pray that you would wrap your loving arms around the sick, those trying to heal, the poor and the hungry. Thank you Lord. Amen.