20 June 2023 Back Pain and Volunteering

June 20, 2023 by saymber, posted in Food, Health, Home, Spirituality and Religion, Veteran Affairs, Writing and blogging

Hello to you. How are you? I was supposed to start volunteering today but couldn’t do it. I moved the wrong way a couple days ago and even with a back brace could hardly walk without pain. I don’t like to take Tylenol or other pain medication because a lot of times it doesn’t work for me and it’s hard on the liver over time. I’m already taking medications that are tough on my liver.

The gal I’ve been communicating with at the Food Pantry said she has Tuesdays covered now but would let me know if anything opens up. This is a case of my spirit being stronger than my body! I’m kind of disappointed in myself but I think it was the right thing to do. If I am supposed to volunteer at the pantry I feel another opportunity will present itself.

Psalm 73:26New International Version

²⁶My flesh and my heart may fail,
but God is the strength of my heart
and my portion forever.

19 June 2023 Connections

June 19, 2023 by saymber, posted in Bipolar life, history, Home, Leading Life by Example, Mental Health, Nature, photography, Social media, Spirituality and Religion, Veteran Affairs, Writing and blogging

Hi there- how are you doing today? It’s cloudy here today – hopefully we will get some rain.

I hope these wildflowers come back to the canals this year.

Do you stop loving someone or caring about someone after you sever ties? Move away? That’s one nice thing about the internet is you can stay in touch even if you aren’t living close by anymore. There are so many people I miss and thanks to platforms, despite all its flaws, like Facebook I can maintain contact with. Once I love and care about you I don’t stop unless there is a really good reason. It’s nice to have tools to keep connections alive.

Romans 12:16-21New International Version

¹⁶Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position.^[a] Do not be conceited.

¹⁷Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone. ¹⁸If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. ¹⁹Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,”^[b]says the Lord. ²⁰On the contrary:

“If your enemy is hungry, feed him;
if he is thirsty, give him something to drink.
In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.”^[c]

²¹Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

15 June 2023 Passion

June 15, 2023June 15, 2023 by saymber, posted in Food, Home, human rights, In the News, Leading Life by Example, Mental Health, Nature, photography, Veteran Affairs, Writing and blogging

What are you passionate about?

Hello there, how are you? I’m just back from our Thursday prayer meeting for our church, it was Pastor Jayson, Lois and me today. There may only be a couple of us but it matters! I walked over and back. I picked up a breakfast burrito on the way home from Tacos El Rancho – they are so filling. I was only able to eat half of it – eat the rest when I get hungry again!

Some lovely blooms from the walk this morning.

Todays prompt asks what am I passionate about and I have to say the controversial – gun control. I don’t like guns! I feel like being able to own a gun should be as tough if not tougher than being able to drive a car. I have always been passionate about this topic as I lost my birth mother and a cousin to guns. I don’t have a problem with responsible gun owners – I have several in my family. The main thing I focus on is keeping guns from those who would harm themselves or others. I don’t have all the answers but putting more guns in the world doesn’t make sense to me.

Matthew 18:20New International Version

²⁰For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.”

11 June 2023 A Good Life

June 11, 2023 by saymber, posted in Bipolar life, Home, Leading Life by Example, Spirituality and Religion, Veteran Affairs, Writing and blogging

What are the most important things needed to live a good life?

Hello to you. How is your weekend? I just got back from church – it was good. We met in the cafeteria and they did a phenomenal job of setting things up in a smaller space. There was room for everything and everyone! They are putting new wax on the gym floor where we normally gather. Getting to use the cafeteria is an answered prayer!

When I think on todays prompt, the first thing that popped in my head was you need love – both to be loved and to love. I have been fortunate enough to have been and continue to be surrounded by people that unconditionally love me. I know what love looks and feels like. In that love I know is God too. No matter my short comings I know God loves me – my family and friends are a physical manifestation of Gods unconditional love for me. When I get a hug from my Aunt, Uncle or cousins it’s like God reaching out to me through them.

John 15New International Version

The Vine and the Branches

15 “I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. ²He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes^[a] so that it will be even more fruitful. ³You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. ⁴Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.

My Auntie and me sharing in Gods love at Grace House – Ladies Tea

10 June 2023 Time

June 10, 2023 by saymber, posted in animals, Bipolar life, history, Home, human rights, Mental Health, Nature, photography, Spirituality and Religion, trust, Veteran Affairs, Writing and blogging

Who do you spend the most time with?

Hello there. How are you doing? I’m doing ok. It’s a beautiful Saturday. Lots of sunshine!

Who do I spend the most time with? My dog Link and my cell phone! Being divorced and untrusting of the internet dating apps and I don’t get out much means spending a lot of time by myself….staying at home.

I would say the other being I spend the most time with is God. I will say though that for the past couple of years my relationship with God has been different. Almost strained if I can use a word for it. I have to work at it more than I used to. This last episode really tested my relationship. I know everyone thinks God didn’t abandon me but that’s not what it felt like to me getting tased by people I was always praying for – the police and fire fighters. May be that’s just what needed to happen to prevent a complete downward spiral and God knew it. I was not safe on my own. I just know our relationship isn’t what it used to be. I try to stay close but some days God seems so far away. Thankfully I have beautiful family and friends to remind me of Gods love for me.

My best friend with paws – Link is Gods feet on the ground to help me not be completely alone day to day

Isaiah 59:1-2New International Version

Sin, Confession and Redemption

59 Surely the arm of the Lord is not too short to save,
nor his ear too dull to hear.
²But your iniquities have separated
you from your God;
your sins have hidden his face from you,
so that he will not hear.

9 June 2023 Name

June 9, 2023 by saymber, posted in history, Home, Nature, photography, Spirituality and Religion, Veteran Affairs, Writing and blogging

If you had to change your name, what would your new name be?

Hello to you. How are you? I’m doing ok. Link and I are moving kind of slow today and it’s raining. We need the water so grateful for the rain!

Todays prompt is about changing your name. I honestly don’t think I would change it! I already changed my maiden name to my married name. I kind of flirted with a name a couple of years ago for a Facebook profile Julia James. Julia was my confirmation name when I was a little girl still practicing Catholicism.

I was looking at my pictures love this two tone rose.

Isaiah 41:10 (NIV)

“So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”

6 June 2023 Blooming Where Your Planted

June 6, 2023 by saymber, posted in Bipolar life, Food, Leading Life by Example, Mental Health, Nature, photography, Spirituality and Religion, Veteran Affairs, Writing and blogging

Hello to you. Hope this finds you well as you visit me here today. I just finished an intake appt for behavioral health through the VA. Fun! Fun! So many questions!

Today my mind turns to thinking about finding happiness where you find yourself living. Blooming where your planted. This is something I’ve tried to do most of my life. Next week I’m going to see about a volunteer opportunity at the local Food Pantry here in town. I have been praying about an opportunity to serve my community that wasn’t politics and this showed up on Facebook. What’s pretty cool is the gal I talked to is medically disabled too . She said she really likes helping out at the pantry. Like her I need a purpose in life – a reason to get up in the morning!

Plants and Trees bloom where they are planted and so can we!

Hosea 14:5

⁵ I will be like the dew to Israel; he will blossom like a lily. Like a cedar of Lebanon he will send down his roots;

5 June 3023 Fears

June 5, 2023 by saymber, posted in Bipolar life, Health, Home, Leading Life by Example, Mental Health, Nature, photography, Spirituality and Religion, Veteran Affairs, Writing and blogging

What fears have you overcome and how?

Hello to you. How are you today? Todays prompt is about fears I’ve overcome. The biggest one I have had to overcome is the fear of death. I think we all have a healthy fear of that! Ever since death took so many that I have loved – people and animals, I have had to accept that death is a part of life. At some point I too will have to let go of my clutch of this life and go and see what’s next.

Nature and animals have shown me a lot about life after death. I can remember after spreading Sam and Blondies ashes around our oak tree in the front yard millions of pale flying insects came forth. Seeing that happen was kind of like seeing proof of life after death. From ash comes life.

Delicious peonies – these smell so good!

Revelation 21:4. ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. …
Psalm 34:18. The LORD is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.
Psalm 147:3. He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.

31 May 2023 Birthday and Religion

May 31, 2023 by saymber, posted in Home, Nature, photography, Spirituality and Religion, Veteran Affairs, Writing and blogging

Do you practice religion?

Hello to you. How are you today? Today is my Dads birthday! I hope he has a good day. In birthdays past my Mom would make chocolate pudding dessert. We both love it and also chocolate cream pie. My Grandma Schmidt used to make that. Some of my favorite memories with my Dad are us dueling over the piece sizes of the dessert!

Todays prompt asks a question that has more than one answer. Yes I practice religion but I also practice spirituality which is more than just reading a Bible and following rules. For me the word religion kind of has a negative connotation associated with it. Religion has been at the root of many wars and continues to be so. That’s why I choose to think of religion more as having a personal relationship with God. There are so many interpretations of the Bible and so many different denominations of a religion with God at its center! Which ones are the right ones?! I was raised Catholic which is really different than the church I’m attending now. With the church I’m attending belief in Jesus is the focus to be saved whereas that’s not the case with Catholicism. It’s taken me some time to say Jesus is my savior; the only way. I’ve come a long way – I’ve tried a lot of different walks of faith to get to the point I’m at now. I still question things!

28 May 2023 Having It All

May 28, 2023 by saymber, posted in Bipolar life, Home, Mental Health, Nature, photography, Spirituality and Religion, Veteran Affairs, Writing and blogging

What does “having it all” mean to you? Is it attainable?

Hello to you. How are you? I’m just back from a dawdle with Link. I’m lucky to get him around the block these days. I have had to learn patience with him. He isn’t a spring chicken and neither am I. The peonies are blooming in the neighborhood – so beautiful:

Yesterday was nice. My cousin whose son got married yesterday, had a gathering at her house. I didn’t stay long as I was feeling really tired. I still haven’t really recovered from my fall this winter. My lower back is still bothering me.

Todays prompt questions what does it mean to me to have it all. I have learned to be grateful for what I have. When I have everything I need and want for nothing I need I feel like I have it all. Currently I have all my needs met and anything over and above that is icing on the cake. When I was active duty I was busy all the time. I worked a lot and then came home and had household chores. I didn’t have a lot of free time. I guess I never really thought of trying to have it all in our societies standard – working, having free time, hobbies, vacation, spending time with family and friends, being married and having children. I’ve just been grateful as I’ve gone along! I think societies having it all is attainable but not necessarily sustainable. You can get burnt out without balance and that happened to me.

Mark 12:30-31New International Version

³⁰Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’^[a] ³¹The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’^[b] There is no commandment greater than these.”