4 Nov 2026 Happy

November 5, 2026 by saymber, posted in Bipolar life, Mental Health, Politics and Government, Spirituality and Religion, Veteran Affairs

Hello to you. As I write to you I’m happy with the way the elections went yesterday even though I am a Democrat in a red state. Idaho voted red which doesn’t surprise me. I was happy for Texas which is the state I lived in before moving here. James Talarico is a breath of fresh air! If I was still living in Texas I would have voted for him too.

https://youtu.be/5_SB8FpiQMM?is=yLWS8DcScAqQb38J – Idaho General Elections Recap

Today was our last Bible study at Grace House. For the last lesson we have been invited to Missy’s our study group leaders home. I am not sure what is going to happen to our Thursday prayer group. We may have to wait until the new place is ready. I would have it at my house but it’s too small!

Spin of the world prayer wheel:

Oh God, help us in our lives and in all of our attitudes,
to work out this controlling force of love,
this controlling power that can solve
every problem that we confront in all areas.
Oh, we talk about politics;
we talk about the problems facing our atomic civilization.
Grant that all men will come together and discover
that as we solve the crisis and solve these problems,
the international problems,
the problems of atomic energy,
the problems of nuclear energy,
and yes, even the race problem;
let us join together in a great fellowship of love
and bow down at the feet of Jesus.
Give us this strong determination.
In the name and spirit of this Christ, we pray.
Amen.

loving your enemies – martin luther king jr. – 1957

A beautiful song without words:

https://youtu.be/YcR6FB0u6SY?is=f6eaSJNJ4Hx_Jfn_ – Streaming Source Energy – Mei-lan

1 Nov 2026 Halloween and Giving Thanks

November 1, 2026 by saymber, posted in Bipolar life, Food, history, Home, In the News, Leading Life by Example, Music, Spirituality and Religion, Veteran Affairs

Hello to you. How are you? For those who celebrated Halloween how was it? I didn’t hang out candy for a couple of reasons. My first year living here I dressed up and tried to hand out candy and ended up with lots of leftover candy. They had trunk or treat for the city on the 29th so most people take their kids to that. I heard a lot of negative press about the candy I would have bought. Most of the major brands had arsenic in them! Nothing is sacred!

The Florida Department of Health tested 46 popular candy products and found arsenic in 28 of them. [1]

Candies with Arsenic Detected

Black Forest Gummy Bears (regular)
Laffy Taffy Banana
Nerds (Grape, Strawberry, Gummy Clusters)
SweeTarts (Original & Rope)
Trolli Sour Brite Crawlers
Hershey’s Cookies ‘N’ Creme
Jolly Rancher (Sour Apple & Strawberry)
Twizzlers (Strawberry, Cherry, Watermelon)
Kit Kat
3 Musketeers
Snickers Original
Skittles (Original)
Sour Patch Kids (Original, Tropical, Watermelon)
Swedish Fish
Dots
Tootsie Fruit Chew Lime
Tootsie Roll (Original & Vanilla)
SmartSweets (Caramel & Sweet Fish) [1, 2]

Candies Tested with No High Arsenic Risk Identified

Organic Black Forest Gummy Bears
Laffy Taffy Cherry
Hershey’s Milk Chocolate
Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups
Whoppers
M&M’s
Twix
Milky Way
Annie’s Organic Bunny Fruit Flavored Snacks Berry Patch
SmartSweets Red Twists
All Unreal products tested
All YumEarth products tested [1]

Industry Response

The National Confectioners Association disputed the findings, stating that the report relied on misleading conclusions and scare tactics rather than established scientific thresholds, and that the products remain safe to consume in moderation. You can read the detailed breakdown via Southern Living. [1, 2]

Today was church with the daylight savings of falling back an hour. I didn’t notice it as much as when we spring forward. I wish they would do away with it! Todays service was a prayer and praise service. We sang a lot with reading out of Psalm 100. I got to see my church fam which makes getting to church good for me. My friend Jeannie came early and we got to visit a bit – loved that. We even got to see Pastor Jason who is still recovering from his accident.

There is change coming sooner than I expected regarding Grace House. They are packing up on the 23rd of this month. I thought we had til January. Our new office/meeting place won’t be ready until next year. So our Thursday prayer group will have to find a new place to meet interim. I had suggested Ridleys that has an open upstairs place that might work out. I don’t know if Lois has checked into that.

https://youtu.be/wrCoMyG4gYs?is=Sqz5UWkV-3OndsXj – Give Thanks – Garrett Munger and Brad Bowden

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm%20100&version=NIV – Psalm 100

https://youtu.be/h8uKldEUrPE?is=6pMJxp4MJIBlYrYa – Phil Wickham – House of the Lord

17 Sept 2026 Stuck

September 18, 2026 by saymber, posted in Bipolar life, Health, Spirituality and Religion, Writing and blogging

Hello to you. How are you? I’m feeling better than I did this morning. I went to my prayer group to start my day. I almost didn’t go because the pressure in my ears was so bad. I’m glad I went and I didn’t stay stuck in my head. I got to see Missy who’s husband we’ve been praying for. He is still having headaches but is home and doing better. Pastor Jason’s daughter Harper is doing well after her surgery. We had prayers and praises. The biggest prayer is needing more people to volunteer to keep pace with the needs of our growing church. I feel bad that I’m not doing more but with my stuff I have going on I am limited. I will keep on praying that Jesus will show me what I can do.

Spin of the World Prayer Wheel:

Always be full of joy in the lord.
I say it again-rejoice!

Let everyone see that you are considerate in all you do.
Remember the Lord is coming soon.

Don’t worry about anything,
instead pray about everything.
Tell God what you need,
and thank him for all he has done.

If you do this, you will experience God’s peace,
which is far more wonderful
than the human mind can understand.
His peace will guard your hearts and minds
as you live in Christ Jesus.

bible – philippians 4:4-7 – paul

5 Mar 2026 World

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

Hello and good evening to you. I tried going to sleep a couple hours ago but my mind just won’t be quiet! I should be used to this by now. So here I am writing to you. Today I went to Thursday prayer at Grace House which is always good. We had a lot to pray about! Pastor Jason’s daughter Harper is really having a hard time. So many people in our church are having health issues. Afterwards I went to the Sunrise. I wasn’t going to go but changed my mind. Going there is like home away from home for me now. I look forward to seeing and hearing Emma and her staff.

As I lay here in the quiet and dark my mind is thinking of the world. What is happening?!! It feels like everything is unraveling. I keep thinking of the children and the world they are inheriting. So many children are dying or are suffering in some way. My nightly prayers are for divine intervention. Our world leaders need to back up their nice words with action!

Dear Jesus I pray for this fragile blue dot we call home. Please be with all the children and most vulnerable – cover them with your love. Please give leaders at all levels of government and influence wisdom in their governance. May the Holy Spirit guide them in all their ways. Please be with those who care for the unhoused, poor and sick. Please protect all those who are in service and who serve others. Amen.

https://youtu.be/Zrxdgat3y9c?si=NtVKuWk8k4D12v3r – Lotus by Secret Garden

https://youtu.be/L6zulqXLPUw?si=chgcQrbs1IH8KLI8 – Hello from the children of planet earth

22 Jan 2026 Prayer Requests and The Holy Land

January 23, 2026 by saymber, posted in Bipolar life, history, human rights, Spirituality and Religion, Veteran Affairs

Hello to you. How was your day? My day began with my prayer group at Grace House. We were blessed to have two new people join us – Missy and Linda Burk. We prayed our personal requests and for the church, the town of Middleton, the state of Idaho and for this country and world. We are a growing church and with growth comes special needs. Lots of volunteer opportunities! We prayed for my cousin Heidi, Missy’s husband Ray, pastor Jason’s daughter Harper and other church members undergoing illness or surgery recovery like our dear Cheryl Hargan.

Lately I have been hungry for positive visual content and I found some. Tonight I watched :

https://youtu.be/0kMFsuVMPe4?si=Tcq0lRQOewejgO4G – 54:06 minutes

Jonathan Roumie and Jeff Cavins visit the Holy Land

What an experience to be where Jesus walked and breathed his last! I love how Jonathan Roumie lives his faith. It was worth watching!

Luke 22:39-44New International Version

Jesus Prays on the Mount of Olives

³⁹Jesus went out as usual to the Mount of Olives, and his disciples followed him. ⁴⁰On reaching the place, he said to them, “Pray that you will not fall into temptation.” ⁴¹He withdrew about a stone’s throw beyond them, knelt down and prayed, ⁴²“Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.” ⁴³An angel from heaven appeared to him and strengthened him. ⁴⁴And being in anguish, he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground.^[a

19 Jan 2026 World Affairs and Martin Luther King Day

January 20, 2026 by saymber, posted in Bipolar life, history, Home, human rights, In the News, Leading Life by Example, Politics and Government, Spirituality and Religion, Veteran Affairs

Hello to you. Today has been good. It started by my waking up in time to get to the ladies coffee time at Grace House. It was good to see everyone and get caught up. I took the opportunity to share about my cousin Heidi and we prayed for her and also I asked that we pray for this country and world. Especially Minneapolis and Iran. Also I am very concerned about what Trump is doing with Greenland and our European allies! What he wants isn’t what most Americans want. I feel like he’s acting like a spoiled child! We want affordable housing, food and healthcare! Every day I live in regret for having anything to do with this administration. I let myself be influenced and that won’t be happening come midterms!

Today was Martin Luther King Day – hopefully not our last! My grandparents would be so sad to see what is going on in our country. Both of them fought for civil rights. Here are some of his most famous quotes:

On Love & Hate

“Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.”
“I have decided to stick with love. Hate is too great a burden to bear.”

On Justice & Injustice

“Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.”
“The time is always right to do what is right.”
“A right delayed is a right denied.”

On Courage & Action

“Faith is taking the first step even when you can’t see the whole staircase.”
“If you can’t fly then run, if you can’t run then walk, if you can’t walk then crawl, but whatever you do you have to keep moving forward.”
“The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.”

On Dreams & Reality

“I have a dream that one day little black boys and girls will be holding hands with little white boys and girls.”
“You can kill the dreamer, but you can’t kill the dream.”

On Service & Humanity

“Life’s most persistent and urgent question is, ‘What are you doing for others?'”
“We have learned to fly the air like birds and swim the sea like fish, but we have not learned the simple art of living together as brothers.”

10 April 2022 Sometimes We Have To Look Down

April 10, 2022April 11, 2022 by saymber, posted in animals, Home, Leading Life by Example, Mental Health, Nature, photography, Spirituality and Religion, Veteran Affairs, Writing and blogging

Hello to you. Hope you are well today. Yesterday was a mostly ok good day. My Aunt and I joined some really special women for breakfast at Grace House. It’s the first time I’ve been in there since we did cleaning and setting up inside of it. It felt so good to meet in a place that felt like a home. Going places with my Aunt is like that. She brings home to a house. It was a blessing to share a moment with her and these women who love God. Emily gave a devotional and I think this is the passage she referenced. She was thinking of her Dad and saying this brought tears to her eyes and to ours:

2 Timothy 1:7New King James Version

⁷For ^(A)God has not given us a spirit of fear, ^(B)but of power and of love and of a sound mind.

On the walk last night I had one of those experiences that you pray you do it right. I had stopped to admire my favorite Willow tree like I usually do. I looked up into her flowing mane of green and then looked down…..I was dismayed at what I saw laying there. It was a dead baby squirrel. I stood there for a moment in sadness and wondering what I should do. Do I leave the body there? Then I saw a little girl in the window watching me. I took one of the bags I use to pick up after Link, and it took forever to get it open, and picked up the little body and put it in the bag. The little one hadn’t been dead long. Then Link and I walked home. I dug a hole in the yard and buried the little one. It made me think of Emily who lost her Dad. It made me wonder if that little squirrels Mom would miss her baby. It made me think of my own life….how one day my body will be a shell….return to the earth. I kept talking to God about it, thinking about that little girl watching what I was doing. My head is usually in the clouds but sometimes you have to look down. Be reminded of some of the hardest lessons God teaches- those about life and death. I hope I got it right.

Morning with my Aunt: