Tag: nature

20 April 2022 The Garden We Get To Live In

by saymber, posted in animals, books, Health, Home, Leading Life by Example, Mental Health, Music, Nature, photography, Spirituality and Religion, Veteran Affairs, Writing and blogging

Hello to you. How are you today? I’m doing ok. Feeling grateful for the little rains we’ve been getting. What is amazing is when I go for walks with Link. Everywhere my eyes rest on beauty. This is what you get to experience getting out walking where you live.

Yesterday I found myself thinking that I’m living in a garden – God’s garden. So many different plants, flowers, trees, birds, animals and insects…..everywhere you look life is happening! Now there are the canals with water that sparkle in the sun. Yesterday Link and I just stood and listened to the rushing waters. The more I focus on the wonders of God’s creation, the more I see! Beyond the buildings, moving vehicles and pavement- the flurry of our daily lives – there is evidence of an amazing God all around us. Look and see!

Psalm 8:3-6New International Version

3 When I consider your heavens,(A)
    the work of your fingers,(B)
the moon and the stars,(C)
    which you have set in place,
4 what is mankind that you are mindful of them,
    human beings that you care for them?[a](D)

5 You have made them[b] a little lower than the angels[c](E)
and crowned them[d] with glory and honor.(F)
6 You made them rulers(G) over the works of your hands;(H)
you put everything under their[e] feet:(I)

Pictures from yesterday:

These blooms smell so good! So soft.
I’m like a bee when I go by this tree lol
“You can learn a lot from us dogs. Slow down, take a nap if your tired and stay in the “now” – quit worrying so much. You are eruff!”

Happiness is mine today. It’s as close as the expression of my gratitude. – A Woman’s Spirit

Whenever I hear this song I think of standing in my driveway in base housing in Florida. The moon was full and I was waiting to be with who would become my husband. He introduced me to the voice of Chris:

https://youtu.be/tLrz0vMOhU4. – Audioslave The Last Remaining Light

Roll me on your frozen fields
Break my bones to watch them heal
Drown me in your thirsty veins
Where I’ll watch and I’ll wait
And pray for the rain

Curl like smoke and breath again
Down your throat inside your ribs
Through your spine in every nerve
Where I watch and I wait and yield to the hurt

And if you don’t believe
The sun will rise
Stand alone and greet the coming night
In the last remaining light

Seven moons and seven suns
Heaven waits for those who run
Down your winter and
Underneath your waves
Where you watch and you wait
And pray for the day

And if you don’t believe the sun will rise
Stand alone and greet the coming night
In the last remaining light

And if you don’t believe the sun will rise
Stand alone and greet the coming night
In the last remaining light
Light
Light
Light

Source: LyricFind

Songwriters: Brad Wilk / Chris Cornell / Timothy Commerford / Tom Morello

The Last Remaining Light lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Wixen Music Publishing

19 April 2022 Surprises on Walks

by saymber, posted in animals, books, Food, Health, Home, Leading Life by Example, Music, Nature, photography, Spirituality and Religion, Veteran Affairs, Writing and blogging

Hello to you. How are you doing? I didn’t do a video for Twitch again today. It’s been about a week. I just haven’t felt up to it. It’s been hard to convince myself to get out of bed lately! I just hurt!

I was doing some surfing yesterday about joint pain and arthritis connected to having Covid. Turns out it’s indeed a thing! I’m really starting to believe what I’ve been going through is post Covid related stuff. Here is a link to one of the videos I found where a man and his wife have been experiencing joint pain after Covid: https://youtu.be/fyR9uJHCdKA – if you are experiencing inflammation and pain in your joints, like for me it’s my upper thighs and knees, this video might resonate with you. I am hoping it will eventually stop!

Despite the pain, I’ve been trying to get out for walks with Link. It’s so rewarding when I do! So much to see! There have been surprises lately too! This morning I looked down for just one minute and was amazed to see not one but two wild pansies in the edge of a yard we were passing! I struggled to get down to take the picture…..getting up made me curse gravity a bit lol….but it was worth it!

A lovely surprise for us today on the morning walk- a wild pansy!

Other pictures from yesterday and today:

The tulips are out here in Idaho – when I see them I think of my Mom. She used to grow flowers like tulips
“You make me smile…”
I noticed this yesterday in the shopping center on our walk
This beauty caught my eye even with being surrounded by so many power lines
Part of what makes each tree an individual is their bark – I love seeing trees in afternoon light
This little one made me think of a cat we used to see all the time in Alvarado TX! Love the mustache!
A blue version of the car I used to drive in Sr. High School! Mine was red. I’ll never forget Dad and I practicing stick shift in a parking lot lol!
Ridleys is the grocery store I always go to. I told the cashier I was so grateful she was there (they seem a little short handed), that I was grateful to wake up to peace and quiet and that there was food in the store…..little things people in warring parts of the world aren’t experiencing today. We are so fortunate!

My day will be dark only if I shut out the light f my Higher Power. Through my faith and my friends I can know peace – A Woman’s Spirit

https://youtu.be/bFeNjMjk0dA – Toni Cornell singing Nothing Compares 2 U in honor of her Dad Chris. Her eyes are so sad to me. This was the first song Kyle and I listened to (the Sinead O’Conner version) after we said goodbye to our sweet dog Sam. It’s hard for me to listen to for that reason but I toughed it out to hear both Chris and now Toni’s interpretation of it. She did her Dad proud I think!

18 April 2022 It Will Be Enough

by saymber, posted in animals, Art and Poetry, Bipolar life, books, drawing, Health, Home, Leading Life by Example, Mental Health, Nature, photography, Spirituality and Religion, Veteran Affairs, Writing and blogging

Hello to you. How are you doing in your where and when? I’m getting a really late start. It took a lot of coaxing to get up today. Last night was another battle of trying to sleep. The lower part of my body has been experiencing a lot of pain and trying to sleep through that pain can be difficult.

What came to me is thinking about old dogs like my Sam and older people in my life both living and passed on. They didn’t complain about their aches and pains. The message of “it’s not what you can’t do but what you can do” came to my mind. I realized I could do some cleaning up this morning – it hurt but I did it!

When Sam and I used to go for walks without Kyle in Delaware he did something with me that he didn’t do when the three of us would walk. He occasionally would just stop, sit down and look at me with those eyes…”can we stop for a minute? I need a rest…” he seemed to say. Getting older in all our forms kind of forces us to slow down even though inside we want to go like we are still 20 year olds! Today I will remind myself that it’s ok when I am hurting. I will focus on the things I am capable of still doing even though I’m feeling this way – not focus on all the things I can’t do.

Matthew 26:41New International Version

41 “Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation.(A) The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.”

Todays message from A Woman’s Spirit is about approaching life with gentleness:

Our own gentleness is a powerful force in our lives. It is like the gentle flower that grows through granite. – Patricia Hoolihan

We are attracted to women and men who have cultivated a gentle spirit. Their softness nurtured all of us who come into their space. We are soothed and made whole by their caring spirit. Let’s allow our caring spirit to develop too.

The aggression we may have grown accustomed to in our families and neighborhoods need not claim us for all time. We have the power within us to chart a new course. We have examples of gentleness all around us; they are our guides and are here by divine appointment.

Whatever task we are destined to perform in this clean and sober life can best be accomplished if directed by a heart that cares. Being gentle promises each of us the same comfort it offers others. Each gentle act heals our heart and lovingly nurtured the future.

Being gentle today is much easier than being mean-spirited. My gentle side will nurture my inner child and remove my fears.

————————-

Pictures from yesterdays adventures:

A bouquet

17 April 2022 Light of The World

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

Hello to you. I hope this finds you well. It’s a sunny morning here – beautiful day for Easter. In a little while I plan to go to and share with others the good news of this day. Can you imagine what it must have been like to see Jesus after all he went through? I bet the sun was shining that day too! These words resonated this morning:

John 8:12 NIV

When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”

NIV: New International Version

Yesterday we were blessed to get some much needed rain! So grateful! There is water rushing through the canals again. Here are the pictures from yesterday:

Cheerful yellow blooms
Enough rain to see pools of reflection
Moss and lichen- thinking of the day my Mom taught me what lichen was during a visit to Pipestone South Dakota when I was a young girl
I love seeing water droplets sparkle in the sun
After the rain and storms it all gives way to glorious light
This one made me smile. It’s like the sun has hair of clouds!
Purple fit for a King
God put on quite a show last night with views like this and so many birds were out! A huge crane, a hawk, ducks, geese and so much more. The miracles of water.
Link checking out one of the canals on our amazing walk yesterday. We walked farther than normal and got to see and chat with other neighbors. One mentioned her taking care of a brother in Rapid City South Dakota! Since I’m originally from Sioux Falls that was pretty cool!
This one….this one made me think “Hallelujah!” I can just see angels and glory.

This song came to my mind this morning. It’s about a love that stretches through the expanse of all existence. I think of God’s love for us:

We are Stars by the Pierces

We are stars
Fashioned in the flesh and bone
We are islands
Excuses to remain alone
We are moons
Throw ourselves around each other
We are oceans
Being controlled by the pull of another

And I just wanna be loved by you
Yeah, I just wanna be loved by you
I see nothing worse
Than to sail this universe without you

When we met
I was pulling an angel out of a liar
We forget
Satisfaction kills our desire
We are dreamers
Wishing upon what we were born from
We made plans
Kill them ourselves
And then we mourn them

And I just wanna be loved by you
Yeah, I just wanna be loved by you
I see nothing worse
Than to sail this universe without you

I just wanna be loved by you
Yeah, I just wanna be loved by you
I see nothing worse
Than to sail this universe without you (I just wanna be loved by you)
I see nothing worse
Than to sail this universe without you (Yeah, I just wanna be loved by you)
I see nothing worse
Than to sail this universe without you
Without you

Source: Musixmatch

Songwriters: Catherine Eleanor Pierce / Allison Margaret Pierce / Allison Pierce / Catherine Pierce

We Are Stars lyrics © Multisongs, Bunny Cat Music, Wordspring Music, Llc

https://youtu.be/IWD8b9eIROI – We are Stars

16 April 2022 Saturday Request

by saymber, posted in animals, Bipolar life, books, history, Home, human rights, In the News, Leading Life by Example, Mental Health, Nature, photography, Politics and Government, Spirituality and Religion, Veteran Affairs, Writing and blogging

Hello to you. How are you? My thoughts this morning are all over the place to be honest! There is just so much going on in this world. The news isn’t good but I am trying to remain conscious that good things are happening. There are so many good people. For all of the awful we are being bombarded with at every turn, there is good. I remind myself that even though I am powerless to stop and change so much of what is going on, God is not. There will be justice….there is justice we can’t see with our eyes but know with our spirits. My request is God’s justice for atrocities such as this:

https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-zelenskyy-kyiv-business-black-sea-22d7279f32c15d4a7037a2195113fb57 – 900 souls

Philippians 4:6-7New International Version

6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Todays message from A Woman’s Spirit is a great reminder about the power of time….it passes. Whatever the trial or tribulation we are experiencing we can trust it won’t last. We wish we could hold on to the good stuff that happens as much as we want to let go and forget the bad stuff….the length either stays is where we are empowered outside the rules of time:

Everything passes, as I flow with this river of highs and lows, I become calm. I trust my experience and the life force guiding me. – Ruthie Albert

Everything passes. There is perhaps no greater comfort when we’re caught in the throes of trauma than the knowledge that this too shall pass. We lived many years without this knowledge as we struggled to change the i changeable. Unfortunately, the only thing that changed was our level of frustration: it got higher. Now we know that we can patiently wait for a situation to pass. Nothing lasts forever.

The good times pass too, of course. We hope to hold on to them, but the same principle applies. The minutes tick by, carrying is to new experiences. What we need to learn will become known to us through both the good times and the struggles. They all will pass, having prepared us for the high and lows that wait to serve us.

I am at peace with the knowledge that everything passes. My needs will be met today.

————————-

Here are pictures from yesterday’s adventures:

Morning light trying to happen- “dwell in me Lord, be strong when I am weak…”
Setting up for Good Friday service at Millcreek Elementary School
I took this going in to help set up. In the evening one of our parishioners children handed me a flower just like this from the same tree. Children and trees…….
Lots of extra chairs in anticipation of Easter. The Good Friday service really meant a lot to me. There was a good turn out.
Something that reminds us of the pain Jesus endured
Memories new and old in a moment
When I saw this moment I wanted to capture it for their Mom. I also thought of my Grandpa and what it must have been like for my Mom and her family to help Grandpa prepare for such occasions. These moments are so fleeting, thank goodness for cameras!
Gorgeous flower on our walk that I hadn’t seen before
Sweet beautiful boy we encountered on the walk. He wanted to come to me so bad but Link wasn’t having it! I hope he is home safe and loved.
My little bear Link getting my attention!
Found out yesterday that my brother Jerry is a Grandpa again!
This is one of the red tulips I shared the other day. More of them have appeared and I was able to get a closer look! I love the fringes on the edges!
Vanity….you would laugh at how many tries it took me to get this! Sometimes it’s nice to see a face that goes with words. I hope the best for you – no matter what things seem like now it’s all going to keep moving on. Stay focused on the helpers….do what you can to be a helper. Remember that no act of kindness is too small for God.

14 April 2022 Comfort

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. 20 But 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) 21 For 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!

12 April 2022 Choosing the Light

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?

Dancing feels so great
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)

10 April 2022 Sometimes We Have To Look Down

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

7 For (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:

Me seeing my Aunt
Big tree outside Grace House
My Aunt at Grace House – the mat is a perfect message about the feeling of the place

Pictures from walks yesterday:

Two crows can you see them?
A tiny reminder underneath the rocks of how precious and fragile this life is. We all belong to God all creatures great and small.

9 April 2022 Your Not Walking Alone

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

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

13 She 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)