27 July 2025 Free Plane Tickets

July 27, 2025 by saymber, posted in Health, Leading Life by Example, Spirituality and Religion, Veteran Affairs

If you won two free plane tickets, where would you go?

Hello to you. It’s Sunday again – the week just flew by! Today was a bit of a struggle to get going – lower back and hip pain. I made some coffee and prayed for relief and it came along with some Biofreeze topical pain medication. All the walking I’ve been doing caught up with me I guess! If I won two plane tickets I would go to Ireland – always wanted to go there.

At church we were in Corinthians again – 2 Corinthians 1:5-11. What Pastor Jason stressed in this was just because we are believers it doesn’t mean everything is easy – sometimes things get really tough. Our hope must remain in Jesus at all times good and bad. It’s easy to believe when times are good. I liken us to being a blade under a blacksmiths hammer- being shaped and molded by the hammer and fire to perfection. Sometimes it takes a long time to make a good sword. For me personally I have been through a lot of tough stuff and ultimately it has been my faith in God that has pulled me through. God has me on his anvil- molding and shaping me:

2 Corinthians 1:5-11New International Version

⁵For just as we share abundantly in the sufferings of Christ, so also our comfort abounds through Christ.⁶If we are distressed, it is for your comfort and salvation; if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which produces in you patient endurance of the same sufferings we suffer. ⁷And our hope for you is firm, because we know that just as you share in our sufferings, so also you share in our comfort.

⁸We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers and sisters,^[a] about the troubles we experienced in the province of Asia. We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired of life itself. ⁹Indeed, we felt we had received the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead. ¹⁰He has delivered us from such a deadly peril,and he will deliver us again. On him we have set our hope that he will continue to deliver us, ¹¹as you help us by your prayers. Then many will give thanks on our behalf for the gracious favor granted us in answer to the prayers of many.

I liked this that Pastor Jason quoted:

Job 13:15New International Version

¹⁵Though he slay me, yet will I hope in him;
I will surely^[a] defend my ways to his face.

Today was also baptism Sunday and I almost went up when he asked if anybody else wanted to be baptized! My family wants to be present when I do it but I think they would forgive me if I just spontaneously did it! It’s definitely on my heart.

23 July 2025 Known

July 23, 2025 by saymber, posted in Spirituality and Religion

Hello to you. Hope you are well. A lot has been going on! Hard to believe Ozzy Osborne has died.

Last night I went to see Jason Squires on his Known tour. There was a pretty good turnout for a weekday. He sang some of his original songs that went along with uplifting stories to include his own testimony of him and his family surviving what could have been a fatal car crash. I was happy because my friend Charlotte Ward sat with me and gives the best hugs! Amy Potter, Cheryl Hargan and their families where there too. They are all busy people but they made time to go to this event. I am glad I went because I really needed to have some time in worship besides just going to Sunday service.

https://youtu.be/7-XmvCSkRQ0?si=_SKo2sJwrpEFuqdh – Not Finished Yet – Jason Squires (song he wrote after near fatal car accident)

20 July 2025 Answers in Affliction

July 20, 2025 by saymber, posted in Health, Leading Life by Example, Mental Health, Spirituality and Religion

Hello to you. It’s a bright and cool Sunday as I write to you – only 78 degrees! I am back from church – good messages I needed to hear today. We were in 2 Corinthians 1. What spoke to me was this part:

2 Corinthians 1:3-4New International Version

Praise to the God of All Comfort

³Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, ⁴who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God.

For going on 4 years I have been experiencing a pooling in my ears and balance issues as a result. I haven’t been officially diagnosed but I believe I have Mal De Debarquement Syndrome. It just won’t go away. I have had a brain scan and have seen an ear doctor and neither of them found anything. I am convinced this was triggered after being tased by police during a manic episode I had about 3 years ago. I had pooling in my ears but not the weeble wobbly sensation in my head. They say some kinds of trauma can trigger it. Every day I pray for healing but God has remained silent for a cure. I pray “let me be your miracle” and nothing has changed. Lots of people pray for me and still God has not moved. At least I am able to walk! I just have to pay close attention and I need to keep trying to lose more weight.

I comfort myself with passages like we read today. For some reason I am staying like this. May be so I can comfort others who have this affliction? For some reason God is not answering the prayers the way I am hoping. May be he has something else in mind!

For more info I got this from: https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/24796-mal-de-debarquement-syndrome-mdds

Mal de Débarquement Syndrome (MdDS)

Mal de débarquement syndrome (MdDS) is a rare vestibular disorder that makes you feel like you’re moving even when you’re not. MdDS is common after traveling, especially by boat. In most cases, MdDS symptoms go away within 24 hours. But they can linger for months or even years, in some instances.

29 June 2025 Who To Believe In

June 29, 2025 by saymber, posted in history, human rights, In the News, Leading Life by Example, Politics and Government, Spirituality and Religion, trust

Hello to you. It’s a balmy 83 degree Sunday as I write to you. I got my walk in before it got too hot!

Went to church today and it was interesting. I was greeted by little Dorothy who I think she said she’s 6 years old. She is a hugger and always hugs me when she sees me. Such a sweetheart. The message today came from Brad out of Revelations. We learned more about the end times – specifically the Antichrist and the beasts- false prophets. What I liked was hearing about who we should believe in. Not a political party or government but Jesus Christ. Back when Revelations was first relevant it was the Roman Empire now in our time it’s the MAGA movement and United States government. Don’t follow them – get into the Bible and the teachings of Jesus – follow him! I am happy the leaders of our church brought this up today!

Revelation 13New International Version

The Beast out of the Sea

13 The dragon^[a] stood on the shore of the sea. And I saw a beast coming out of the sea. It had ten horns and seven heads, with ten crowns on its horns, and on each head a blasphemous name. ²The beast I saw resembled a leopard, but had feet like those of a bearand a mouth like that of a lion. The dragon gave the beast his power and his throne and great authority.³One of the heads of the beast seemed to have had a fatal wound, but the fatal wound had been healed.The whole world was filled with wonder and followed the beast. ⁴People worshiped the dragon because he had given authority to the beast, and they also worshiped the beast and asked, “Who is like the beast? Who can wage war against it?”

⁵The beast was given a mouth to utter proud words and blasphemies and to exercise its authority for forty-two months. ⁶It opened its mouth to blaspheme God, and to slander his name and his dwelling place and those who live in heaven. ⁷It was given power to wage war against God’s holy people and to conquer them. And it was given authority over every tribe, people, language and nation. ⁸All inhabitants of the earth will worship the beast—all whose names have not been written in the Lamb’s book of life, the Lambwho was slain from the creation of the world.^[b]

⁹Whoever has ears, let them hear.

¹⁰“If anyone is to go into captivity,
into captivity they will go.
If anyone is to be killed^[c] with the sword,
with the sword they will be killed.”^[d]

This calls for patient endurance and faithfulness on the part of God’s people.

The Beast out of the Earth

¹¹Then I saw a second beast, coming out of the earth.It had two horns like a lamb, but it spoke like a dragon. ¹²It exercised all the authority of the first beast on its behalf, and made the earth and its inhabitants worship the first beast, whose fatal wound had been healed. ¹³And it performed great signs,even causing fire to come down from heaven to the earth in full view of the people. ¹⁴Because of the signs it was given power to perform on behalf of the first beast, it deceived the inhabitants of the earth. It ordered them to set up an image in honor of the beast who was wounded by the sword and yet lived. ¹⁵The second beast was given power to give breath to the image of the first beast, so that the image could speak and cause all who refused to worship the image to be killed. ¹⁶It also forced all people, great and small, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hands or on their foreheads, ¹⁷so that they could not buy or sell unless they had the mark,which is the name of the beast or the number of its name.

¹⁸This calls for wisdom. Let the person who has insight calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man.^[e] That number is 666.

22 June 2025 Tribulation

June 23, 2025 by saymber, posted in history, human rights, In the News, Leading Life by Example, Mental Health, Politics and Government, Social media, Spirituality and Religion, Veteran Affairs, Writing and blogging

Hello to you. Today began with church and the message was kind of heavy. We are working our way through the end times in Thessalonians and other scripture – specifically the book of Mark and the tribulation today. Pastor Jason has been trying to break down things so we can understand. With the recent bombing of Iran and events in Israel it’s very timely! What is the purpose of the tribulation? To prepare Israel for its savior and Gods pouring out judgement on unbelieving nations and individuals. The length of the tribulation is 3.5 year cycles. The first 3.5 cycle will see prosperity and peace and the second 3.5 cycle will see destruction and devastation. It feels like we are in a cycle of destruction and devastation but only God truly knows!

I left with a heavy heart. In light of everything that is going on – feeling like so many bad things are happening at once. We have had bad things happen before – it’s how we get our news that makes it seem worse than times before. It used to take months, even years to find out what we find out now in an instant. In an instant we look at our phones and we are inundated with this crime here, storm here, this conflict there. It can feel overwhelming! I have to remind myself that what matters most is my personal relationship with Jesus. As long as I hold fast to my belief in him and how I am in the world I have nothing to worry about. My nightly prayers always include the whole world – especially the children in war torn regions like Gaza. In all the wars around the world it is the children who suffer the most!

Mark 13:19-23New International Version

¹⁹because those will be days of distress unequaled from the beginning, when God created the world, until now—and never to be equaled again.

²⁰“If the Lord had not cut short those days, no one would survive. But for the sake of the elect, whom he has chosen, he has shortened them. ²¹At that time if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Messiah!’ or, ‘Look, there he is!’ do not believe it. ²²For false messiahs and false prophets will appear and perform signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. ²³So be on your guard; I have told you everything ahead of time.

15 June 2025 Fathers Day

June 15, 2025 by saymber, posted in Home, Spirituality and Religion, Writing and blogging

Happy Fathers Day to all the men in my life! Yesterday some of us had a cookout at my Aunt and Uncles house and that was really nice! The weather was beautiful. We had hotdogs and hamburgers and chocolate cake for dessert. We sat on their porch and looked at a couple picture books my Aunt is taking with her for her upcoming visit with my Uncle Bill in California. My cousins and I took a walk at a park nearby – it was harder than it used to be but was good for us after a big meal.

I went to church today and as I sat there I got teary eyed thinking about my dad who is in heaven now. I was thinking how happy it would make him that his little girl was in church for this special day. He can rest easy knowing I believe in Jesus. For so many years I wasn’t going to church – my parents are Catholics and I was a Catholic for much of my life. I have been thinking about my dad a lot lately. My grief has been gradual these past couple of years and days like today especially make it stronger.

The messages at church today came from 1 and 2 Thessalonians- talking about the rapture. We don’t know when it will happen – just how. So many people I’ve known and loved are already with Jesus and someday it will be my turn.

How Great Thou Art

Song by Carrie Underwood ‧ 2014

Overview

Lyrics

Other recordings

Oh Lord, my God
When I, in awesome wonder
Consider all the worlds Thy hands have made
I see the stars, I hear the rolling thunder
Thy power throughout the universe displayed

Then sings my soul, my Savior God to Thee
How great Thou art, how great Thou art
Then sings my soul, my Savior God to Thee
How great Thou art, how great Thou art

And when I think that God, His Son not sparing
Sent Him to die, I scarce can take it in
That on the cross, my burden gladly bearing
He bled and died to take away my sin

Then sings my soul, my Savior God to Thee
How great Thou art, how great Thou art
Then sings my soul, my Savior God to Thee
How great Thou art, how great Thou art

When Christ shall come, with shout of acclamation
And take me home, what joy shall fill my heart
Then I shall bow, in humble adoration
And then proclaim, my God, how great Thou art

Then sings my soul, my Savior God to Thee
How great Thou art, how great Thou art
Then sings my soul, my Savior God to Thee
How great Thou art, how great Thou art
How great Thou art, how great Thou art

Source: Musixmatch

Songwriters: Stuart Keene Hine

How Great Thou Art lyrics © Kassner Associated Publishers Ltd., Pt. Nadaku Musik, Manna Music Inc, Stuart Hine Trust, Emerald Music (ireland) Ltd

12 June 2025 Laying Our Troubles At The Cross

June 12, 2025 by saymber, posted in Bipolar life, Leading Life by Example, Mental Health, Music, Nature, photography, Spirituality and Religion, Veteran Affairs, Writing and blogging

Good morning to you. I hope this finds you well. Today’s prayer meeting was just Jeannie and I. The rest of the regulars had stuff going on so we made the best of it. Jeannie had a lot of prayer petitions to lay at the cross for her family especially Roy who fell and cracked his head open recently. He is elderly and lives alone and relies on Jeannie a lot. He needs more than she can give so we are praying his doctor recommends rehab for him. We prayed for our church and the world. What we also prayed for is what’s going on in my head with the pressure and balance in my ears. Everyone has been praying for me about this.

One of my favorite church songs:

God of Wonders

Song by Third Day ‧ 2003

When we finished we agreed that it felt good to lay all our troubles down at the feet of Jesus. Now the challenge is to not pick those things back up and let Jesus do his thing. That’s something my Aunt and Niki talked about yesterday too! I wonder is it a woman thing to want to try and do it ourselves?! Now is the time for faith – believing in the unseen which can be quite a challenge sometimes.

Overview

Lyrics

Other recordings

Lord of all creation
Lord of water, earth and sky
The heavens are your Tabernacle
Glory to the Lord on high

And God of wonders beyond our galaxy
You are holy, holy
The universe declares Your majesty
You are holy, holy
Lord of heaven and earth
Lord of heaven and earth

So early in the morning
I will celebrate the light
As I stumble in the darkness
I will call your name by night

God of wonders beyond our galaxy
You are holy, holy
The universe declares Your majesty
You are holy, holy

Lord of heaven and earth
Lord of heaven and earth
Lord of heaven and earth
Lord of heaven and earth

Hallelujah! To the Lord of heaven and earth
Hallelujah! To the Lord of heaven and earth
Hallelujah! To the Lord of heaven and earth

The God of wonders beyond our galaxy (You)
You are holy, holy
Precious Lord, reveal Your heart to me
Father, holy, holy (Lord God Almighty)

The universe declares Your majesty (You are holy)
You are holy (yes you are), holy (holy You are)
Holy (Jesus saves), holy

Hallelujah! To the Lord of heaven and earth
Hallelujah! To the Lord of heaven and earth
Hallelujah! To the Lord of heaven and earth
Hallelujah! To the Lord of heaven and earth
Hallelujah! To the Lord of heaven and earth
Hallelujah! To the Lord of heaven and earth

Source: Musixmatch

Songwriters: Steve J. Hindalong / Marc Byrd

God of Wonders lyrics © New Spring Publishing Inc., Never Say Never Songs, Meaux Mercy Publishing, Storm Boy Music, Meaux Mercy, New Spring Publishing Inc.

1 June 2025 Joy

June 2, 2025 by saymber, posted in history, Home, Leading Life by Example, photography, Spirituality and Religion

Describe one simple thing you do that brings joy to your life.

Hello to you. Hope this finds you well. Today has been simple. I woke up to my alarm after tossing and turning much of the night and went to church. I’m glad I went. I got to sit with my friend Mark and keep him company as his wife Beth is still healing from surgery. He is the sweetest man! Today Pastor Jason touched a bit on what heaven might be like and it nearly made me cry! He had a little bit of the “almost fifty” health scare which made him reflect on his own mortality. As I get older I too am hyper aware of the fact time only goes forward and waits for no one!

My neighbor Diana always has something blooming in her yard

One simple thing I do that brings me joy is to stop and notice beauty around me. I’ve always been the person that notices change in my surroundings- good or bad. For example, when I look back at living in Delaware when we lived in apartments that were made section 8 after we moved in – if you were to look at the pictures you would never guess it was filled with trash much of the time. I looked for and found beauty and overlooked the dump it really was!

2 Timothy 4:1-9New International Version

4 In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and in view of his appearing and his kingdom, I give you this charge:²Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction. ³For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. ⁴They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths. ⁵But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist,discharge all the duties of your ministry.

⁶For I am already being poured out like a drink offering, and the time for my departure is near. ⁷I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. ⁸Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.

Personal Remarks

⁹Do your best to come to me quickly,

29 May 2025 Taking Advice

May 30, 2025 by saymber, posted in Bipolar life, Home, photography, Politics and Government, Spirituality and Religion, Veteran Affairs, Writing and blogging

Hello to you. How are you? I’m back from my walk alone – got Link around once. He didn’t want to go but we made it! I followed my Aunt Ruth’s advice to take my phone with me. Because I did I got a couple pictures!

You wouldn’t know by just driving through my neighborhood that there is so much beauty. Many of my neighbors take great pride in their yards. I encourage you to take a walk if you can and take your phone not just for safety but to see with new eyes! Oh and use that nose of yours to smell the beauty!

Song of Solomon 2:1King James Version

2 I am the rose of Sharon, and the lily of the valleys.

We had our Thursday prayer meeting at Grace House – there were four of us. It’s always good to pray together! We have personal intentions we pray about and a prayer sheet Lois and Pastor Jason put together with the prayer needs for the church. I included the wars in Gaza, Ukraine and Russia today. It has been tearing me up to see the effect war is having on the children in Gaza – so malnourished and afraid! No child should have to go through what they are.

18 May 2025 Sacrifices

May 19, 2025 by saymber, posted in animals, history, human rights, In the News, Leading Life by Example, Spirituality and Religion, Writing and blogging

What sacrifices have you made in life?

Hello to you. It’s been a couple days since I’ve written to you – I hope this finds you well. Today’s message at church was a serious one. Are we in the end times? For many of us the signs point to yes. This is the scripture we read:

2 Timothy 3:1-9New International Version

3 But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. ²People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, ³without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, ⁴treacherous, rash, conceited,lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God— ⁵having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with such people.

⁶They are the kind who worm their way into homes and gain control over gullible women, who are loaded down with sins and are swayed by all kinds of evil desires, ⁷always learning but never able to come to a knowledge of the truth. ⁸Just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses, so also these teachers oppose the truth. They are men of depraved minds, who, as far as the faith is concerned, are rejected. ⁹But they will not get very far because, as in the case of those men,their folly will be clear to everyone.

Some other messages were to spend time in the company of fellow believers and to recognize foolishness when we see it. For me it’s always keeping the lamps lit for whenever Jesus returns! It could be any time!

The prompt today is hard for me to answer. In the course of my life I have wanted for little and that which I was lacking was made up for in some way. I never had children so the ways that parents typically have to sacrifice things I haven’t had to. The trade off I made was being being a pet parent for many years and I have sacrificed being away from my fur babies for great lengths of time. This has meant not going on trips away from home!

Just got the good news that my Aunts granddaughter is in the hospital tonight and going to be giving birth to a baby boy! Praise God! We are hoping for a smooth delivery!