14 April 2022 Comfort

April 14, 2022 by saymber, posted in animals, Bipolar life, books, history, Home, human rights, In the News, Leading Life by Example, Mental Health, Nature, photography, Social media, Spirituality and Religion, Television, Veteran Affairs, Writing and blogging

https://www.twitch.tv/videos/1455782752

Was this the mother of the baby I found? She was climbing all over the Willow tree like she was looking for something.

This passage helped me after my encounter with the squirrel. Tomorrow is Good Friday…I think of Jesus’s mother Mary – where is my son? Can you imagine her torment seeing what happened to Jesus? I think of Parents all over the world who have lost their children for one reason or another – especially suicide. I think at the core of what ails our children and us is how disconnected so many are from Spirit. It’s not just going to church or scripture…words! It’s action – intangible things as simple as a smile or hugs! There are alot of starving spirits in our world!

Hello to you. How are you? I hope this finds you well. As you can see from the picture of the squirrel that I had another experience at my favorite willow tree. I feel most certain that a squirrel can experience what we know as loss and grief. I could go home to my Bible but that squirrel has to find her own way to be comforted. There have been times in my life that I couldn’t find comfort or consolation. Nothing of this world….anything of the flesh could fill the void in me. Only time and things of the spirit could give me peace. The “stuff” of this world is meaningless if you don’t have the certainty of a relationship with the Spirit. Any comfort we find in material things is fleeting – it never lasts.

Matthew 6:19-21New International Version

Treasures in Heaven^(A)

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

As I see more and more about the mental health crisis going on I have come to believe it’s not just mental….at the core it is a spiritual crisis…..an emotional crisis. The crisis is an “inside crisis.” Start healing at the core of a person and the rest will gradually heal too….at least that’s been my own experience.

The message in A Woman’s Spirit today talks about letting go of our painful pasts to make room for joy:

Letting go of old hurts makes room for new joys. -Sefra Kobrin Pitzele

Dwelling on the painful past gets tiresome eventually, but some of us hang on to it longer than others do. However, seeing women move from the bondage of the past to the freedom of living in the present gives us hope. Once we let go of the pain, we discover far more joy in even ordinary experiences. That’s the real surprise.

We have heard sponsors say that when old doors close, new doors open. Letting go of old hurts in order to appreciate new joys falls into the same category. Why not fill our voids with joys rather than recollections of pain?

None of us know how long a life we’ll be blessed with. Accepting how tentative life is helps us decide to seek more joy and less pain. The decision is only the first step, however. Taking control of how we think is the necessary action.

I will experience more joy if I give less thought to old hurts today. The decision is mine, and I can make it and remake it if necessary.

———————-

Some pictures from the walks yesterday:

I didn’t do this justice but seeing the little tricycle near a sapling just seemed to go together in my mind!

13 April 2022 Keep It Simple and Letting Go

April 13, 2022 by saymber, posted in animals, Art and Poetry, Bipolar life, books, drawing, Health, history, Home, human rights, In the News, Leading Life by Example, Mental Health, Nature, photography, Politics and Government, Science (Keshe Foundation and other innovations), Social media, Spirituality and Religion, technology, Television, trust, Veteran Affairs, Writing and blogging

https://www.twitch.tv/videos/1454828924

Reminder to myself today and from my therapist too…too many mind!

Hello to you. How are you today? I hope this finds you well. These past couple of days, months….years have been so surreal. I was watching the news yesterday about the shooting in the subway in New York and what popped into my head was this, “look for the helpers.” When I did that I regained my personal power. I went from powerlessness to being empowered. I want to adopt this lesson with all the chaos I see in the world. Who is helping? Who’s trying to restore peace…order. Focus attention and prayer on them not those responsible for instigating the chaos. I pray for the instigators but have to let God work on them beyond a prayer.

The message from A Woman’s Spirit today is about the difficulty but importance of being able to let go. When we are overly attached to stuff of this world we suffer when things change….when we are forced to let go. We’ve all had a favorite “something” in our lives and the mere thought of letting that something go may have brought about negative emotions…pain. Just one object can symbolize such powerful emotions and trigger so many memories. Think about what happens to you when you hear a favorite song? It’s like we become time travelers going back to the moment we first heard that song – smells, sights, people, what we were eating and drinking….what we were doing. To let go is the fear we will forget. Hopefully this message is for you today:

The child in me says “Hold on”; the adult in me says “Let go.” – Harriet Hodgkin

Learning to let go is growing up. Whether we’re twenty-five or sixty-five, we have to learn to let go. We don’t do it automatically . The principles of this program can serve as a guide.

Perhaps we learned in childhood that if we didn’t want to lose our toys, we had to hold on to them. A pattern was set; we began hanging on to everything. But now it’s time for new training , for learning to let go of everything: possessions, people, attitudes, opinions. Patience and practice accomplish the growth we seek.

We must be prepared for backsliding. Some situations cry for us to hold on rather than let go. We have to be vigilant and forgive ourselves when we give in to the old urge to control. Being adult takes desire and consistent effort. The child in us doesn’t give in easily.

I have a choice today. I can handle all circumstances as an adult and feel free, or my “child” can trigger a confrontation. What will I do?

————————-

It was cold, windy and overcast yesterday but we did get our walks in:

Tulips have been appearing in the neighborhood

Hey – I hope you are doing good. When everything is ruff and confusing look for what’s good. Don’t focus on what’s bad.

Article talking about what they are figuring out about memories and the brain:

https://www.technologynetworks.com/neuroscience/news/many-brain-regions-store-a-single-memory-360560

A new study by scientists at The Picower Institute for Learning and Memory at MIT provides the most comprehensive and rigorous evidence yet that the mammalian brain stores a single memory across a widely distributed, functionally connected complex spanning many brain regions, rather than in just one or even a few places.

12 April 2022 Choosing the Light

April 12, 2022 by saymber, posted in Art and Poetry, books, drawing, Leading Life by Example, Nature, photography, Social media, Spirituality and Religion, Veteran Affairs, Writing and blogging

https://www.twitch.tv/videos/1453816904

The first part of this, 9:2 really resonated with me today.

Hello to you how are you today? It got windy and cold here again! It will be warm again soon enough. I am feeling kind of tired today. Getting restful sleep has been hit and miss. Sleep seems to be one of those things many of us struggle with. Oh to be able to sleep like we did as kids!

The message from A Woman’s Spirit today talks about taking responsibility for our part in what happens in our lives:

Taking responsibility for the part I play in the cause of my problems frees me to do something about them. -Kathy McGraw

We used to love to blame other people for the burdens in our lives. That someone else was to blame for our personal upset was as obvious to us as rain splashing against the windshield. Yet the longer we looked at others rather than at ourselves, the more stuck we became in old behavior.

We’ve since come to understand that we simply cannot grow, we cannot harvest the fruits of this recovery program, unless we develop a willingness to take responsibility for who we are at every instant of our lives. As we begin taking responsibility for our actions, we feel empowered. We realize that we are who we have chosen to be. And we will be who we decide we want to be. As that reality permeates our consciousness, we will begin to know that our hopes can become real, because the promises in the Big Book are real.

I will feel strengthened by claiming responsibility for all that I am today. Before taking action, I can pause and consider whether I will feel good about my choice.

————————-

What kind of choices are you making today? From what part of you are you deciding to take action?

Thinking about my Dad. He brought me this shell after a business trip to New York many years ago. You can still hear the ocean.

I love taking pictures of the sun in the clouds. It’s like a brilliant eye peering down at me wherever I go

A purple flower that I hadn’t seen yet this spring

I’m excited to see this – soon my favorite type of flowers will arrive (roses)

11 April 2022 Getting Well

April 11, 2022 by saymber, posted in Art and Poetry, books, drawing, Health, human rights, In the News, Leading Life by Example, Nature, photography, Spirituality and Religion, Television, Veteran Affairs, Writing and blogging

https://www.twitch.tv/videos/1452938371

Hello to you today. How are you? I hope this finds you well. Ever since I saw this exchange portrayed on The Chosen I’ve been thinking about it:

John 5:6

⁶When Jesus saw him lying there and learned that he had been in this condition for a long time, he asked him, “Do you want to get well?”

In the Chosen they added dialogue to the exchange. When the paralytic started to complain, Jesus was like look I asked you a question. I didn’t ask who was or wasn’t helping you. Do you want to be healed? In my Twitch stream today I talk about this. In our world the answer to healing isn’t instantaneous or lasting like it was between Jesus and those he healed. No matter what modality of trying to heal you turn to in our world today healing requires you to do something….to buy something. In our hearts we desire the healing power of someone like Jesus. There have been miracles in our times but for most there is always something they must actively do to get well, to be healed. When I was doing Quantum Touch healing a lot of times it worked but what was interesting is the healing usually wasn’t of what the person wanted healed – at least not right away. The healing usually began inside – it was an emotional healing first. A lot of what ails us does have origins in intangible things that manifest into reality. That’s been my personal experience both as a person trying to help others heal and trying to heal myself.

Some pictures from the walks yesterday:

I found this bee on the pavement and moved it to the grass. I think the cold snap we’ve been having is a shock to everyone’s system!

These little flowers are out now – so delicate

Sign of the coming weather. When Aunt Ruth and I left church yesterday little pellets of snow were falling!

Every time I see this on walks I think of a burning bush like with God and Moses. So pretty.

I love seeing the creativity people have with their yards

There are many ways to interpret my experiences today. I will be flexible and occasionally look from another’s vantage point. – A Woman’s Spirit

http://www.thechosen.tv/app

9 April 2022 Your Not Walking Alone

April 9, 2022 by saymber, posted in animals, history, Leading Life by Example, Mental Health, Music, Nature, photography, Spirituality and Religion, Veteran Affairs, Writing and blogging

Hello to you. This morning when I was preparing to get up, a phrase from a song kept repeating in my head, “I walk alone….” I tried to find it on You tube but found something better. I like the thought of never walking alone better. It makes me think of the scene from The Chosen last night. When Jesus meets the architect Nathanael and tells him “I saw you under the fig tree.” Nathanael had been sitting under that tree alone burning up his drawings. He had felt abandoned by God. How many feel that today living in the world as it is? I assure you in all the “noise” is God’s presence…you are seen and heard no matter how things may seem. Your not walking alone. Try to find hope today and let it make your steps lighter.

You’ll Never Walk Alone

Song by Gerry

When you walk through a storm
Hold your head up high
And don’t be afraid of the dark

At the end of a storm
There’s a golden sky
And the sweet silver song of a lark

Walk on through the wind
Walk on through the rain
Though your dreams be tossed and blown

Walk on, walk on
With hope in your heart
And you’ll never walk alone

You’ll never walk alone

Walk on, walk on
With hope in your heart
And you’ll never walk alone

You’ll never walk alone

Source: LyricFind

You’ll Never Walk Alone lyrics © Concord Music Publishing LLC

Songwriters: Oscar Hammerstein II / Richard Rodgers

https://youtu.be/mN8oN8I3lrk – Elvis Presley version of You’ll Never Walk Alone

Some pictures from our walk yesterday:

“Walks are good. When you go for walks you get close to God. If you walk slow like me or can’t walk it’s nice to sit outside for a minute and look at the sky…hear the birds. God is good. May be today you can smile?”

8 April 2022 Longing and Silence

April 8, 2022 by saymber, posted in Art and Poetry, books, drawing, history, Leading Life by Example, Nature, photography, Spirituality and Religion, Television, Veteran Affairs, Writing and blogging

Hello to you today. How are you? I am doing ok. The past few days I have been feeling this feeling of longing. Watching The Chosen has sparked these feelings I think. I watch it and find myself wanting a tangible Jesus in my own life. To be able to stand in his smile and warmth. Hear his voice. Ugh lol! Feeling feelings like this can be rough. I decided not to do my normal Twitch Stream this morning. Sometimes there needs to be silence.

The tough part for me about Jesus is he was once flesh and blood. He was here. He made a promise to come back and thousands of years have passed and all we have are his words. I think about him coming back now…in this kind of world and I think it would destroy him. Think of what the spotlight via the technology we have now does to people!

The message today in A Woman’s Spirit talks about the importance of silence:

Silence should be used sparingly. But used, nonetheless. -Stephanie Ericsson

When we want to control another’s actions, being quiet is difficult. Our ego screams to take charge! When we bite out tongue instead, remembering the Serenity Prayer, we are spared an unnecessary confrontation. Occasionally quieting our mouth, if not our mind, promises big payoffs in our relationship with others.

Silence wears many guises, however. We have all experienced the punishing silent treatment from lovers or friends. And our attempts to engage others in conversation are occasionally met with a silence that confuses us. Another’s quietness may not be easily understood, but we must accept it.

Silence, particularly our own, is requisite to receiving guidance from our Higher Power. Being silent is often the most valuable action we can take.

I will consider being silent each time an opportunity to respond offers itself today. Doing the right thing may well mean doing and saying nothing.

——————-

Bees are really digging the dandelions right now. The flowers are an important food source.

On our walk last night these purple beauties caught my eye!

A character in The Chosen story, Nicodemus, portrayed by Erick Avari has really touched my heart. I could just feel his sadness as Jesus and his apostles gathered to head out on their journey. He just couldn’t leave his life behind so he left gold coins to help them on their way. I wonder if any of us these days could easily leave our lives behind to follow Jesus if he asked us. Nicodemus and his wife were talking about Hagar, Abrahams wife and mentioned a verse carved around a door. I thought it was beautiful. Hagar referred to God as El Roi, “The God Who See’s me.” It spoke to my longing to experience a tangible God. I must remember that God can be seen…in all creation.

Genesis 16:13New International Version

¹³She gave this name to the Lord who spoke to her: “You are the God who sees me,^(A)” for she said, “I have now seen^[a] the One who sees me.”^(B)

7 April 2022 Messages

April 7, 2022 by saymber, posted in Art and Poetry, books, drawing, history, Leading Life by Example, Nature, photography, Social media, Spirituality and Religion, Television, Veteran Affairs, Writing and blogging

Check out 7 April 2022 Thursday chat https://www.twitch.tv/videos/1448998419

Hello to you. How are you today? I am sitting here with Link and some coffee on our little couch. Yesterday I watched more of The Chosen and there was this exchange between Jesus and his mother Mary. The simple phrase: “If not now, when?” I wondered where that was in the Bible but it wasn’t. There are a couple places it comes from. One place is Hillel the Elder (https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hillel_the_Elder) who actually said this:

He is popularly known as the author of two sayings: (1) “If I am not for myself, who will be for me? And being only for myself, what am I? And if not now, when?”^[4] and (2) the expression of the ethic of reciprocity, or “Golden Rule“: “That which is hateful to you, do not do to your fellow. That is the whole Torah; the rest is the explanation; go and learn.”^[5]

And the other is from John Lewis: (https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Lewis)

“If not us, then who? If not now, then when?” John Lewis. “We may not have chosen the time, but the time has chosen us.” John Lewis.Dec 30, 2019

https://twitter.com › common › status

COMMON on Twitter: “@repjohnlewis

What are you being called to do? If you can’t do it now, when?

It’s funny how we get messages we want or need to hear. Sometimes we are ready to act at that moment and sometimes it’s just to get us ready…..to get us thinking.

Some messages that spoke to me today:

Mark 8:36New International Version

³⁶What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul?

John 14:27New International Version

²⁷Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you.^(A) I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled^(B) and do not be afraid.

Quote from John Lewis: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Lewis

5. “You are a light. You are the light. Never let anyone — any person or any force — dampen, dim or diminish your light … Release the need to hate, to harbor division, and the enticement of revenge. Release all bitterness. Hold only love, only peace in your heart, knowing that the battle of good to overcome evil is already won.”

― Lewis on being human in Across That Bridge: A Vision for Change and the Future of America

Acting responsibly is no harder than I choose to make it today. – A Woman’s Spirit

A little tree with a new dress of flowers

6 April 2022 A Tangible World

April 6, 2022 by saymber, posted in Bipolar life, books, Food, Home, Leading Life by Example, Nature, photography, Social media, Spirituality and Religion, Veteran Affairs, Writing and blogging

Check out 6 April 2022 Wednesday chat https://www.twitch.tv/videos/1448162389

Hello to you. How are you? I hope you are well. Today I got out of my comfort zone and went to a Middleton Woman’s Group. They had their first meeting at our local bakery called The Rustic Oven. All of the ladies were recent transplants from various parts of California like the Bay Area. It was interesting to hear the different reasons they left California. For some it was the politics and others stuff like the fires. It was a nice first meeting. I went from interacting purely in the digital world to interacting in the tangible world. I got out of my comfort zone!

I had an orange roll here was really yummy. Got a chance to meet some nice ladies!

Today there was a good message in A Woman’s Spirit:

We can say yes to life even at its darkest moments if we can see it as part of the greater reality. – Mary Norton Gordon

We glimpse only the opportunities that bear our name during any experience. We have heard many times in this program that we are never given more than we can handle. We can trust that this is true. We have also heard that God tells us only what we need to know right now; the rest will come to us when we are ready, when the time is right. That too we can count on as truth.

It goes without saying, then, that every moments experience is part of the bigger design for our lives, a design that always has a positive outcome. If we feel scared or confused by the changes in our lives, it’s only because we have forgotten that God is in charge of the plan for our lives. We can say yes and be at peace.

I know that what comes to me today is a tiny part of God’s big plan for my life. I am not alone.

———————-

Some pictures from my walks yesterday and this morning:

Matthew 19:14New International Version

¹⁴Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs^(A) to such as these.”^(B)

5 April 2022 Feeling Peace

April 5, 2022April 5, 2022 by saymber, posted in animals, Art and Poetry, Bipolar life, books, drawing, history, human rights, In the News, Leading Life by Example, Mental Health, Movies, Music, Nature, photography, Social media, Spirituality and Religion, Television, trust, Veteran Affairs, Writing and blogging

Check out 5 April 2022 Tuesday chat https://www.twitch.tv/videos/1447098869

Hello to you today. I hope this finds you well. To be honest I’m struggling a bit today. The more it seems that I seek what’s good in the world the more the opposite extreme seems to try to get in my view.

I decided to watch The Chosen yesterday and I am enjoying it so far. The scene when Jesus heals “Lilith” real name Mary really touched me. When he puts his hands on her head and brought her peace she could feel I thought of that scene from the Davinci Code when Sophie touches Robert Langdons head. I thought of all the times Kyle used to do that to me when I was thinking too much. A simple and beautiful gesture…..feeling peace….relief from too many mind. If your curious You can get the Chosen app from the Apple Store. Here is a link: http://www.thechosen.tv/app or search “The Chosen”

Yesterday we got a little bit of rain but it was weird. Our cars all looked like they had been washed in mud! https://idahonews.com/amp/weather/adventure-starts-with-weather/milky-rain-nope-but-cars-in-the-treasure-valley-will-be-especially-dirty-monday –

“Are your cars dirty after the rain? The culprit is strong winds blowing lakebed dust near Summer Lake OR toward the Boise, Nampa, Meridian area,” the NWS wrote on social media.

Message from A Woman’s Spirit today:

My life is filled with the evidence that I am lovable. God has not forgotten me. Everywhere I look today, I’ll see a gift.

I know times are ruff right now but it’s going to be ok! Do what I do and be happy right now. Stop worrying about all that stuff you can’t or won’t do anything about. Be good ok?

John 14:15-31New International Version

Jesus Promises the Holy Spirit

¹⁵“If you love me, keep my commands.^(A)¹⁶And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate^(B) to help you and be with you forever— ¹⁷the Spirit of truth.^(C) The world cannot accept him,^(D) because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be^[a] in you. ¹⁸I will not leave you as orphans;^(E) I will come to you.^(F)¹⁹Before long, the world will not see me anymore, but you will see me.^(G) Because I live, you also will live.^(H) ²⁰On that day^(I) you will realize that I am in my Father,^(J) and you are in me, and I am in you.^(K) ²¹Whoever has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me.^(L) The one who loves me will be loved by my Father,^(M) and I too will love them and show myself to them.”

I Look To You – just the voice in song I needed to hear today. Beautiful Whitney.

4 April 2022 What Do You Want?

April 4, 2022 by saymber, posted in Animal Rights, animals, Art and Poetry, Bipolar life, drawing, history, Home, human rights, In the News, Leading Life by Example, Mental Health, Nature, photography, Social media, Spirituality and Religion, trust, Veteran Affairs, Writing and blogging

Check out 4 April 2022 Monday chat https://www.twitch.tv/videos/1446211091

Hello to you. How are you today? I hope this finds you well….rested? Are you getting enough rest? I myself am struggling with that. What’s frustrating is as I am getting older I have to rest more frequently than I used to! I don’t know how it is for you but sometimes it feels like the body betrays us leaving us feeling powerless!

My thoughts today are about the question I ask myself and others, “what do you want?” The context of the question is about the world we live in. Your immediate world that you experience each day. Who and what are you giving your personal power to?

What do you want to see more of in the world you live in? Where do you focus most of your mind, body and souls energy? Who and what gets most of your personal power?

Lately I’ve been seeing a lot of videos on You tube from animal shelters and rescue agencies. They are finding and rescuing dogs that have been shot and left to die. One dog was shot while she was pregnant. Other dogs covered in oil, left in landfills and dumpsters…old dogs abandoned on a street, sick dogs left to wander. For a time I have been wondering if focusing my attention on such things is giving power to that stuff happening in the first place! I have asked God before if there were no rescue agencies and shelters would this horrible stuff still be happening? The answer is most likely yes and these animals would just suffer.

People take their powerlessness out on each other through horrific abuse and they take it out on animals. Where do people learn to be and do such horrible things? A lot of times they themselves were victims….they were taught and learned that acts of violence were the way to deal with difficult emotions and situations. The chain of this behavior has to be broken. Is that possible? Are we like some breeds of dogs born with a predisposition for certain behaviors? Is it in our DNA? If the right things happen that those violent tendencies in our code get activated?

What do I want? I want to see less activation of the genetic codes in people that make some aspects of this existence so horrible. We need to teach people at a very early age how to deal with difficult emotions and situations so that they don’t take all of that ugly out on the world around them…innocent animals and children.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emotional_intelligence – I think this subject should be taught in school

Emotional intelligence (EI) is most often defined as the ability to perceive, use, understand, manage, and handle emotions. People with high emotional intelligence can recognize their own emotions and those of others, use emotional information to guide thinking and behavior, discern between different feelings and label them appropriately, and adjust emotions to adapt to environments.^[1] Although the term first appeared in 1964,^[2] it gained popularity in the 1995 best-selling book Emotional Intelligence, written by science journalist Daniel Goleman. Goleman defined EI as the array of skills and characteristics that drive leadership performance.^[3]