Tag Archives: photography

May 15 2018

15 May 2018 Fixing broken things

Hello to you.  Hope you are well today.  I am a little tired and not feeling real rested.  I had another traveling dream this morning.  There were small lime green cars and traveling to Sophie, my niece I think.  I was in one of the cars and as I was getting ready to drive away, a couple other versions of the same car I was driving got in my way.  Then I drove down a hill through what seemed to be like a bunch of shopping carts and the car I was driving was all beat up at the bottom of the hill.  Then there was a blurry image of a blonde girl at the end of the dream just before I woke up.  Anyways….those kinds of dreams aren’t very restful lol!

During my last “cycle” I went through, things got pretty wild here at the house.  I was literally not myself and things got broken.  For some reason, this time more than others, specific objects had a strong association with unpleasant feelings I had about certain people and or situations and there was bloodshed and they got broken.  The blue and red blown glass dragons I had kept fixing were irretrievably broken.  Kyle, out of frustration,  even got into the act this time.  I am happy to say, out of the wreckage, there was beauty.  Sometimes it feels like I am under siege by unseen forces and thankfully it’s just material “things” that get broken!  Being an empathic, highly sensitive person, I am very porous and if I’m not careful, can be an easy mark for spiritual mischief makers.  I am so grateful for Kyle, Link, Spot and my family and friends that know to just “stand-by” until the channel changes.

2 18 15 11 5 14

B R O K E N = 65

 

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May 14 2018

14 May 2018 Random

Hello to you.  It’s Monday again.  Hope that wherever and whenever you are is good.  I am feeling that surreal and random feeling this morning.  Had to have Kyle give me a kiss on the walk just to make sure it was real lol.  Have you ever had moments in your life where you need someone to touch you so you know you are really here?  For Kyle sometimes it’s a feeling like your transparent, not solid.  I’m so grateful to even have the luxury of that feeling.

A bunch of words with numbers today.  It’s so addictive for me lol.  I will look up the value of a word and then find a whole bunch of other great words on the same page!  My Aunt asked me if this was like coding.  I said I guess you could look at it like that.  For me it’s just been like having a conversation with the past.  Sometimes when I see the value of a word I will chuckle out loud to myself.  It’s kind of like being privy to an inside joke or something.  I know….”nerd” but it’s fun for me and stimulates my brain like puzzles do for other people.

I told my Aunt this morning what is interesting for me is finding the numeric value of words matching or further defining the actual definition or meaning of a word.  My favorite example is TREE, which is 48, which is 12, which is 3, which cycles back to 3.  When I think of the life cycle of a tree, I think of life, death and rebirth!

14 May 2018 – moth visitor Kyle found by our front door this morning! So lovely.

13 15 20 8

M O T H = 56

20 1 3 15

T A C O = 39 (3 cycle)

3 15 6 6 5 5

C O F F E E = 40

3 15 15 11 9 5

C O O K I E = 58

22 9 4 5 15   7 1 13 5

V I D E O      G A M E = 81 (9 cycle)

2 15 15 11

B O O K = 43

16 12 1 25

P L A Y = 54 (9 cycle)

18 5 1 4

R E A D = 28

18 15 25 1 12

R O Y A L = 71

18 15 19 5

R O S E = 57 (3 cycle)

13 15 22 9 5

M O V I E = 64

20 5 12 5 22 9 19 9 15 14

T E L E V I S I O N = 130

20 5 12 5 16 8 15 14 5

T E L E P H O N E = 100

23 1 20 3 8

3 15 13 16 21 20 5 18

C O M P U T E R = 111 (3 cycle)

23 1 20 3 8

W A T C H = 55

8 5 1 18

H E A R = 32

8 5 1 18 20

H E A R T = 52

12 9 19 20 5 14

L I S T E N = 79

18 1 14 4 15 13

R A N D O M = 65

3 8 1 15 19

C H A O S = 46

13 5 19 19 25

M E S S Y = 81 (9 cycle – had to chuckle about this one! Messes can be a vicious cycle!)

13 5 19 19 1 7  5

M E S S A G E = 69 (3 cycle)

 

 

May 13 2018

13 May 2018 Dreaming stone (Labradorite) and Mom’s Day

Hello to you.  Today has been a really  nice day.  My sweetheart cooked us dinner while I was outside drawing and sweating – really warm and humid today.

13 May 2018 – this drawing is me thinking of myself as a baby blue dragon clutching my labradorite ball last night. I had like 2 or 3 lucid dreams in a row! One of them is represented by the little black girl holding a pink crystal necklace. She wanted to take it and I told her no. There is also a box represented by the realtor like lady from one of the dreams last night. There is a box with two people with huge dogs – these special beautiful beings seem to show up and just disappear for me. The dogs they are with are almost like spirits more than dogs.

Hope all the folks that nurture others are having a special day.   The term “Mom” isn’t just for women in my book.  I called my Mom today and it was hard because there was so much I wanted to say but tears got to me first.  For all my Mom and I have been through, I just dearly love her and am so grateful for all the important things she managed to get through my thick skull.  This is her first Mother’s Day without her Mom and I can only imagine how surreal that would be if I were in her shoes.  We lost Grandma a couple of months ago.  We had all been praying for her to “be free” but as we all know, it’s not all up to us with these sort of things.

13 May 2018 – drawing I did after I talked to Mom

As I mentioned in my notes with the drawing, last night I decided to sleep with my Labradorite crystal ball and it was like one lucid dream after another.  This hasn’t happened to me in a long time.    Both of the orbs I have are in the picture.  Do you have a favorite crystal for dream travels?

What is Labradorite?

https://www.gemselect.com/gem-info/labradorite/labradorite-info.php

Labradorite Gemstone Information

About Labradorite – History and Introduction

Labradorite is a gemstone that was named after Labrador in Canada, where it was found on the Isle of Paul, near Nain in 1770. It has since been found in other places, including Finland, Madagascar, and Australia. After its discovery, labradorite became popular with the missionaries. Labradorite is a plagioclase feldspar which shows adularescence (a white or bluish light seen when turned). This optical effect is so unique to labradorite that it has been termed “labradorescence”. It is the result of diffraction of light in the layers of rock. When viewed at certain angles, labradorite exhibits such captivating color that has led to Inuit legends stating that the Northern Lights shone down on the shores of Labrador and were captured inside these colorful stones. The most highly valued labradorite is material that shows the full spectrum of color in its labradorescence. Labradorite that does not exhibit labradorescence can still make beautiful gemstones because of aventurescence, which is a glitter caused by diffraction of light from mineral platelets.

There are three further types of labradorite; spectrolite, andesine-labradorite and rainbow moonstone (which is sometimes referred to by the trade name, “Madagascar moonstone”). As the trade name indicates, rainbow moonstone comes from Madagascar and it has an intense blue schiller. Spectrolite is a rare labradorite from Finland. It is known for displaying a beautiful spectral play of color, hence the name, “spectrolite”. Andesine-labradorite is created by enhancing the color of labradorite.

Interesting:

Labradorite Gemstone Mythology, Metaphysical and Alternative Crystal Healing Powers Back to Top

According to an Inuit legend, the Northern Lights are captured in the minerals on the coast of Labrador. This is not surprising considering the magical, iridescent color of labradorite. Labradorite is thought to be a magical stone that possesses powerful protective properties and helps its wearer to find their true path in life. It is thought to “bring light” to the otherwise unknown, and thus provide its wearer with insight. Additionally, labradorite is credited with having the ability to bring out the positive in people and calm overactive minds, bringing peace to its wearer. Labradorite is also thought to soothe menstrual problems, aid disorders of the lungs, prevent colds, help with digestion and regulate both metabolism and blood pressure. In traditional Hindu belief systems, labradorite is associated with the throat chakra, or vishuddha, which is the center of purification. The throat chakra is associated with hearing, speech and self-expression. Wearing labradorite is thought to contribute to true and honest expression. Labradorite is said to facilitate communication between the spiritual and physical world, helping its wearer to recall dreams and experiences from past lives. It is therefore thought to help bring out psychic abilities.

12 1 2 18 1 4 15 18 20 5

L A B R A D O R I T E = 105 =6=3 cycle

 

My children:

13 May 2018 – my kids Spot and Link.

Apr 27 2018

27 April 2018 Quest For Peace

Hello to you this morning. Time for some therapeutic writing! I am, as we used to call our dog Sam, “Grumpicus” again this morning.  Seems to be the way things are going for Kyle and I lately lol!

I don’t about you, but sometimes it just feels like I can’t take “one more thing.” Somehow, by the grace of a power greater than us, we manage! Thank goodness my husband and I don’t have many of the other issues that many American households face each day! Lately it seems life is so complicated and much more stressful than it should have to be!  For example just trying to track down my blood tests for my doctor to make sure I don’t have toxic levels of Lithium in my blood. Everything got sorted out this morning but this is the third time we’ve been through this.  This morning I went to put a new bottle of Windex in the car so we can keep our windows clean.  Well I noticed the back window, which has a tint sheet on it, was bubbling even more than the last time I looked.  It can make it unsafe for backing out when it’s like that.  Anyhew, I said f-it and pulled all the tinting out and boy did that stink!  Just one more thing!  Our 2014 Ford Fiesta has been a challenge ever since we bought it.  We probably won’t buy another vehicle from Ford and can’t really afford to invest in another car at the moment.  We found out this morning they are going to be discontinuing their smaller car lines anyways: https://www.msn.com/en-ca/autos/news/ford-to-discontinue-almost-all-its-cars-in-north-america/ar-AAwp0FY.

Wouldn’t it be nice if we had less bills to keep track of? One bill for the house, medical (to include pets), telephone/internet and car?   I really wish there was a way to simplify my household finances.  There are days I just feel so overwhelmed I don’t want to do anything!  Missing one thing can mean having to pay a penalty.  I haven’t been in the best frame of mind lately and neglected to check my email.  Because I didn’t check it, I missed a couple of credit card bill notices and ended up getting charged a fine for it!

Sometimes I want to just go back to renting versus owning a home and car.   Kind of like what they used to do for military housing or whenever I rented an apartment.  It would make it so much easier for people who are in job professions that require them to be away a lot and move frequently.  In my opinion it would be helpful for the handicapped, disabled and elderly to be able to keep up with their home maintenance responsibilities.  When we first bought this house, there was a warranty with it.  If anything went wrong, we just had to call a number and a company checked out by the warranty company would be sent out to do repairs etc.  Having this sort of system could potentially create jobs and help bring some accountability back into businesses that are typically contracted for home repair etc.  Speaking from personal experience, it feels like you can’t even really count on the Better Business Bureau (BBB) when trying to find reputable companies to do work at our house.  We’ve used the BBB several times since moving here to Texas and we still had problems.  We don’t feel like paying a service fee for a similar company, say Angie’s List,  and probably run into the same problems!

In the car arena, I saw on the news this morning that there is something some companies are doing. They are charging a subscription fee for cars.  You pay a fee and don’t have to actually have to own the car. In this article the vehicles are pretty high end, $1,000 a month and a one time $500 activation is a bit steep but if you consider how much you pay in total to maintain a car and keep it insured, definitely an interesting idea! https://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2018/04/25/dealer-adding-porsche-range-rover-more-luxury-to.html.

There was heart-warming news this morning from Korea.  They are really moving towards making peace between the two countries.  Speaking as a veteran, this is what I want to see more of in this world!  I watched some of Mr. Kim’s speech and got a really good feeling about things.  I want to believe this is a genuine move by both countries.  By their doing this, they are definitely leading by their example.  Some may call me naïve, but I am so proud of North and South Korea right now! I said a prayer for these countries today and hope that this can be an example for the rest of the world – peace is possible!

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/koreas-set-bold-goals-peace-by-year%E2%80%99s-end-and-no-nuclear-arms/ar-AAwpo0G?OCID=ansmsnnews11

North and South Korea Set Bold Goals: A Final Peace and No Nuclear Arms

Watching these two world leaders was just what I needed to see this morning. They are “being the change they want to see”, to paraphrase a quote Mahatma Gandhi said long ago. For the past couple of years, I am having trouble finding peace within myself and my immediate world.  Seeing these two men today is inspiration for me to not give up trying! We are talking peace between two entire countries which is epic when you consider how hard it can be to attain peace within your very own skin!   If I can find a way to bring that sort of peace between the two “countries” within myself, I think things will get better at my house.

I think as a way to help myself get into a better frame of mind, I will be making some dog beds today out of old shower curtains and old pillows we have that the cats used to use. Not sure if I’ll sew things by hand or get out the sewing machine.

27 April 2018 – I am contemplating a sewing project today. My allergies have been acting up so it’s something I can do inside. I am going to use old cloth shower curtains.

Apr 17 2018

17 April 2018 Edits and ideas about the future I would like to see

Hello to you.  I hope that wherever and whenever this finds you that you are having a good day.  This phrase where and when comes from watching a scientist named Mehran Tavakoli Keshe of the Keshe Spaceship Institute.  Ever since I started to try to follow his work back in October of 2016 I think it was, I have planted a seed in my heart for his work.   It was so exciting to see what he and all the wonderful people also inspired, are trying to do with the technology he is sharing.  He inspired me to try more experimenting in my kitchen!  Seeing and hearing what he was proposing made me think of the visionary Gene Roddenberry of Star Trek.  When I was in the United States Air Force, my dream was for their to be a purple force.  I talked about this with many people I worked with.  My vision was for all branches of the armed forces to unify for one mission of peace.  I would love to see people, if they wanted to, to be able to join with others to go to regions of the world and be goodwill ambassadors of peace-making.  I would love for them to be able to hug people, help people get on their feet again and not have to worry about their well-being or safety.  It is a utopian view I know….probably even childish in a way but that is my way of thinking.  Not everyone would necessarily share my point of view especially if they have been on the receiving end of unfair activities.  It is not my place to say….”above my pay-grade.”

I wanted to recommend to anyone who regularly reads my writing here of the many, sometimes, severe edits to the blog.  I have deleted countless pictures, my art and words out of concern for others.  My original intention at starting this blog was to write for myself like a journal and it has become much more than that.  I have censored myself and part of this is because I would take some time after I wrote something and realize I didn’t have all the facts or was writing about things I didn’t know everything about.  I only had my perception or view and my sources were from the internet which aren’t always reliable.  Even the sources I thought I could count on seemed to have faults with them or someone would say or write something to discredit them like snopes.com.

Ironically, it is from President Trump and his proposal of “fake news” that I started to question even myself but this isn’t a bad thing.  Not everyone would agree with me.  I decided some time ago, after disputes about his Presidency were creating rifts between my family and friends, that possibly our parents knew something I didn’t.  I started to think about him differently, like a “Trump” card.  I began to wonder if he was actually trying to help us in the opposite way we might expect.  I wondered if everything he and other world leaders were doing was their way of attempting to fix this mess we have been in without our even realizing it.  I began to wonder if he might actually become of the greatest presidents we’ve ever had and I say that not knowing if he was conscious of his behavior.  I decided that I would change my perception of him like I have done for anyone I have come to know in world history, to include  Adolf Hitler.  What I came to understand, for myself, a long time ago is that based on my life, who am I to judge anyone?  I don’t believe anyone is perfect and I don’t believe perfection even exists.  Someone once said, there is perfection in imperfection and I believe that.  This is just me and my opinion.  Everyone has their own opinion and personal perspective on this life and I respect that.  Sometimes it’s hard to get many “passionate” perspectives to communicate but I believe it is possible if we find a way to agree on what we have in common.  This is a good place to start and many very smart people have shown me this by their example.

I am nattering on as my friend Les often says of herself in her letters lol.  I hear my neighbor cutting their lawn at the moment and my back yard is very high but I wouldn’t be embarrassed if anyone saw it.  I don’t choose to cut my yard anymore for more than just not having a lawn mower (we tried an electric/corded mower and it didn’t work out).  I worry about all those I harm when I cut the lawn.  I have wounded crickets and other beings by mowing and those wounded have come to me while I’m in the backyard.  We became “friends” and I started to realize the connection between us and nature through these wounded insect warriors.  If you look at life at each level, it’s all the same but just a little different.  So I try to do the least amount of yard work that I have to so as not to harm anyone.  I could hire people to take care of the yard etc., but I know they aren’t like me.  I keep the front yard to “city” standards (like military standards) but don’t like doing it anymore.  I used to cut the lawn and not care about the other lifeforms but once I started to care about them, to include all the trees trying to make new families, my entire perspective changed.

Some of my greatest teachers are like the cottonwood tree in my neighbor’s yard that was struck by lightning instead of our house.  They let their offspring, seeds, go and sometimes they land on fertile soil and sometimes they land at my back porch or in my HVAC unit.  During an outside  meditation I had some time ago,  I started to think of what these trees do.  I began to think of symbiosis and  how life on this planet may have started.  There is a nature photographer, his name escapes me but I shared his work here before, that inspired me to think of nature in this way.  This is ONLY A THEORY not a fact!  Here is a post I wrote about this some time ago: https://saymber.com/2015/05/07/7-may-2015-in-the-beginning-there-was-symbiosis/.   I am providing the link but will have to edit this.

5 Feb 2017 – I did this yesterday and it was very therapeutic drawing so many little boxes to form a Pecan Tree 🙂

Sometimes I link articles and items of interest to me from other places to give my sources.  I don’t always know if I have permission to share what is on the internet here.  I will be doing less of that in the future.  If anyone should come across something I’ve linked and or shared and you would like it removed, please let me know in the comments section of this blog.  In order to make comments, I think, but am not sure, you must have an account.

 

Feb 5 2018

5 Feb 2018 We Are Humans First

4 Feb 2018 – notes on a chalk meditation I did about the water situation in Cape Town South Africa. I feel this is yet another “warning” for this entire world. Water is essential to all life. I read yesterday a town in Michigan is fighting with Nestle. Are they mad about not getting very much money from Nestle ($200  a year which makes me think of how oil and gas does business with small towns and royalties for mineral rights), the environmental impact or loss of water? What’s more important? Water is the most “precious” element on this planet, should it be made a commodity when no one can live without it?  What is fair?  Paying for the services it takes to get clean, safe water I think.  https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/tiny-michigan-town-in-water-fight-with-nestle/ar-BBIFykh?OCID=ansmsnnews11

5 Feb 2018 – We are all Human – not a color, not a creed, not a religion, not a sports team or a company logo. In the beginning there was darkness, blackness, shadow and there was light and both of them were part of life.

4 Feb 2018 – Rainbow by our back door – this with the colors of my husbands flannel were symbolic to me. There is always a fragment of Hope even when all seems lost.

4 Feb 2018 – Drawing I did after spending time out back in the late afternoon sun.

4 Feb 2018 – What I have come to understand for myself and I don’t expect anyone else to have the same understanding, is that God is everything, God is all and everything is energy. God doesn’t “feel” or “care” – that’s what we were made for.

Last night we watched the second half of the Eagles and Patriots game and really enjoyed it.  It was a clean game with few penalty flags or injuries to players.  I saw good sportsmanship between members of the opposing teams which is a good thing to show our young people.  We decided to watch it to support the players, the fans (people), and the companies with the courage to start putting their money where their “mouths” are with regards to trying to give back to the world they (all of us) rely on to exist.  Leading by example.  It’s not about pride, flags, race, religion and all the plethora of labels we’ve come up with to segregate ourselves from one another – it’s about focusing on how diversity is a strength and how we are humans first.

“We are all humans – each walk of life on this planet has done bad things to ourselves and others. I would like to see us begin to focus on our shared strengths and how our diversity is part of that strength. We are biologically incapable of perceiving the world the same for a reason. If we can focus on how we are a human beings first perhaps more will develop empathy towards their fellows.”

I think we have a world filled with people who have never know unconditional love in all the many forms in which it exists.  They go to church on Sunday and hear stories about a God of conditions for giving them love and all the conditions for being “worthy” of it.  They go to work and schools where it’s always about conditions….being good enough or risking losing everything.  They go home and their families place conditions on them for their love and devotion too.  If no one ever shows you this kind of love, if all your life is nothing but conditions, how could you know what it is.  I was and remain blessed to have those who show me what unconditional love is.    This one, Sammy, our cocker spaniel, was the my first true example – no judgement of me when I got made at him, no cares about how I looked, smelled, what I was wearing, what music I listened to, what car we had to drive or where we lived – NO CONDITIONS!  He just wanted to love and be loved.  The only conditions that existed, and he didn’t put them there, we did, was spending time together, cuddling, playing together, walks, food and water.

Me with our cocker spaniel Sammy on 25 Dec 2009. He passed away 27 April 2011.

I hope something here resonates with you and in the place I’d most like to see people use when they are making decisions – your heart. 

Links:

https://news.nationalgeographic.com/2018/02/cape-town-running-out-of-water-drought-taps-shutoff-other-cities/

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/tiny-michigan-town-in-water-fight-with-nestle/ar-BBIFykh?OCID=ansmsnnews11

http://www.johnsoncountytx.org/election-day-locations – I looked at the ballot this morning for the Democratic Primaries.  I’m glad I did and would recommend my fellow Texans do the same.  I’m not sure how I feel about the word “right” anymore.  When I see it and process the word, it sounds like entitlement and that word has some negative connections to it for me.  I think we have basic things that are rights – like food, water, clothing and shelter,  and everything else I’m not so sure is a right.  I am not so sure people just want everything given to them without putting forth any effort to obtain it.  I do think there should be fair systems in place so everyone has an equal opportunity to obtain what they want beyond the basics they need for survival.  Anyhew, there are many important issues on the ballot!  Definitely need to get informed and get out and vote!

DSC_0425 4 Feb 2018 Jackie Wygant morning meditation Alvarado TX 25

 

Feb 2 2018

2 Feb 2018 Treasure

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew+6&version=NIV – this chapter of the Bible came to my mind thinking about the title of my blog today.   I use the term God because it’s a term most people universally know.  Every walk of life on this planet has their own version of what “God” is.  In my opinion it is the term “religion” versus spirituality that has divided us as a species.  For so long people thinking they are right and others are wrong instead of just accepting that everyone is different.  So much bloodshed over who is right and who is wrong in regards to religion!  It’s important to remember in addition to us not all being born into the same “systems” we are biologically incapable of perceiving existence the same way (thank you Josh White: https://bookme.name/JoshWhite)!

The God of my understanding is the Energy of all existence.  There is no gender or anything specific – just Energy.   There isn’t just one way when it comes to such a God and that is why I chose this understanding for myself.  I want to live in a world where people are allowed to be who they were born to be and lead fulfilling lives – knowing unconditional love as they live, not waiting for death to obtain it in a place they’ve been taught they won’t be worthy to receive it anyways!  Why would a loving God condemn their creation to such a negative spiral of existence?!  Never understood that.

I do not fly under any one “banner” of religion/spirituality but do find a lot of wisdom in the New Testament.  Matthew is one of my favorite books.

Matthew 6 New International Version (NIV)

Giving to the Needy

6 “Be careful not to practice your righteousness in front of others to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven.

2 “So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. 3 But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, 4 so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.

Prayer*

(I’ve gone even simpler and found much better results.  When you place too many conditions on God and they go unmet, you sow a seed of resentment in your heart against God if your prayer with conditions isn’t answered like you think it should be.  The God of my understanding, the Energy of all life/existence, does not feel or have emotions like we do….that’s what we are for.  That’s why we have hearts and senses….bodies.  God can see all through existence forward and backwards…we cannot.  We do not know “what is best” for any given situation with our limited tangible experience.   Our souls may be ancient but God will always be older!   The prayer I came up with for myself:   “I pray for the greatest and most loving good for (insert person, place, situation).  Not as I would have it, but as you would have it.”)

5 “And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. 6 But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. 7 And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. 8 Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.

9 “This, then, is how you should pray:

“‘Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
10 your kingdom come,
your will be done,
    on earth as it is in heaven.
11 Give us today our daily bread.
12 And forgive us our debts,
    as we also have forgiven our debtors.
13 And lead us not into temptation,[a]
    but deliver us from the evil one.[b]’

14 For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15 But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.

Fasting

16 “When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show others they are fasting. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. 17 But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, 18 so that it will not be obvious to others that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.

Treasures in Heaven* 

(Where is “heaven” to you? Why must we wait for death to experience it when God has made heaven all around us to share with those we love while we still live?)

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

22 “The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are healthy,[c] your whole body will be full of light. 23 But if your eyes are unhealthy,[d] your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness!

24 “No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.

Do Not Worry

25 “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? 26 Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? 27 Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life[e]?

28 “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. 29 Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 30 If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? 31 So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

Footnotes:

  1. Matthew 6:13 The Greek for temptation can also mean testing.
  2. Matthew 6:13 Or from evil; some late manuscripts one, / for yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.
  3. Matthew 6:22 The Greek for healthy here implies generous.
  4. Matthew 6:23 The Greek for unhealthy here implies stingy.
  5. Matthew 6:27 Or single cubit to your height

New International Version (NIV)Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

I know some people are “put off” by the Bible and “religion-speak” but sometimes, if we have an open-mind, we can see how all things are useful, connected even.  I believe each moment we live is filled with “clues” to the next moment….no snoozing allowed in Life School!

Feb 1 2018

1 Feb 2018 Life and Art

Hello there.  It’s 7:50 am on this Thursday morning as I write to you.  I hope you are well.  I had a frustrating time last night trying to get good pictures of the rare moon lol.  This drawing about sums it up:

31 Jan 2018 – drawing I did yesterday afternoon. Well later in the evening, when I was fighting with my Nikon to get pictures of the lovely moon, the figure in this drawing makes me think of how frustrated I was lol. People kept driving by each time I was trying to concentrate and it wasn’t their fault, just frustrating living behind a busy road!

Anyhew, we then tried to watch Pirates of the Caribbean Dead Men Tell No Tales and that didn’t help my mood either.  Kyle will probably be finishing it by himself.  He’s more of a fan of the Pirates theme then I am.  I showed Kyle the drawing I had done earlier.  Many of the themes in it were like what we were watching in the movie that ironically had the Blood Moon as part of the story, “the compass in the eye”:

31 Jan 2018 – My drawing yesterday, Convergence, which seems to have a lot of elements from the Pirates of the Caribbean movie Dead Men Tell No Tales Kyle, at random, decided we were going to watch last night. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pirates_of_the_Caribbean:_Dead_Men_Tell_No_Tales

The dream I had before waking was interesting.  There was something about a pretty girl in a library who could sing.  I wanted to get to know her and get closer, but another guy was in the way blocking me.  He even put his feet in my face saying in an irritated voice, “Do you mind?!”   Then there was the part with other kids in the library and my telling them everything is energy, everything is alive, “Just look at the core of the earth!  All living things have souls!”

This dream calls to mind the stories from the show Glee.  There were many relationship rivalries to include what was going on with Corey Monteith and Mark Salling and their characters in the show.  How difficult it must be for actors and actresses to just turn on and turn off  their emotions.   What if something real evolves but it is not reciprocated or too many would be harmed to go any further?  This problem resonates with me and my own experience playing FFXI.  I was married when I met Kyle online and initially we were just role playing and then it evolved.  A lot of damage was done to make our relationship happen.  We both have paid for our choice but do I regret it?  No.  That’s my honest answer.  The only thing I regret, is hurting my ex-husband.

I’ve made a lot of mistakes in my life and have had to pay for them in one way or another – my conscience, my heart and the God of my understanding won’t allow for anything else.  When you do something wrong, you have to own it and do the best you can to make amends to those you have harmed in doing that wrong.  You don’t pile new wrongs on top and bury things.  Burying your poor choices just makes it worse.

31 Jan 2018 – Only picture that turned out from last night and ironically the background is bluer than the actual moon lol.

Jan 31 2018

31 Jan 2018 Human Nature

http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/glee-star-mark-salling-dead-35-suspected-suicide-article-1.3788124 – very sad

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Proverbs+22&version=NIV

Proverbs 22 New International Version (NIV)

22 A good name is more desirable than great riches;
    to be esteemed is better than silver or gold.

2 Rich and poor have this in common:
    The Lord is the Maker of them all.

3 The prudent see danger and take refuge,
    but the simple keep going and pay the penalty.

4 Humility is the fear of the Lord;
    its wages are riches and honor and life.

5 In the paths of the wicked are snares and pitfalls,
    but those who would preserve their life stay far from them.

6 Start children off on the way they should go,
    and even when they are old they will not turn from it.

7 The rich rule over the poor,
    and the borrower is slave to the lender.

8 Whoever sows injustice reaps calamity,
    and the rod they wield in fury will be broken.

9 The generous will themselves be blessed,
    for they share their food with the poor.

10 Drive out the mocker, and out goes strife;
    quarrels and insults are ended.

11 One who loves a pure heart and who speaks with grace
    will have the king for a friend.

12 The eyes of the Lord keep watch over knowledge,
    but he frustrates the words of the unfaithful.

13 The sluggard says, “There’s a lion outside!
    I’ll be killed in the public square!”

14 The mouth of an adulterous woman is a deep pit;
    a man who is under the Lord’s wrath falls into it.

15 Folly is bound up in the heart of a child,
    but the rod of discipline will drive it far away.

16 One who oppresses the poor to increase his wealth
    and one who gives gifts to the rich—both come to poverty.

https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Starship_Troopers – opening quote for this chapter is from Proverbs 22:6

Chapter 8[edit]

Some things, the more you understand the more you loathe them.

  • That old saw about “to understand all is to forgive all” is a lot of tripe. Some things, the more you understand the more you loathe them.
    • Juan Rico, p. 111, internal monologue on the execution of Dillinger.
  • “Ah yes, [life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness]… Life? What ‘right’ to life has a man who is drowning in the Pacific? The ocean will not hearken to his cries. What ‘right’ to life has a man who must die to save his children? If he chooses to save his own life, does he do so as a matter of ‘right’? If two men are starving and cannibalism is the only alternative to death, which man’s right is ‘unalienable’? And is it ‘right’? As to liberty, the heroes who signed the great document pledged themselves to buy liberty with their lives. Liberty is never unalienable; it must be redeemed regularly with the blood of patriots or it always vanishes. Of all the so-called natural human rights that have ever been invented, liberty is least likely to be cheap and is never free of cost. The third ‘right’?—the ‘pursuit of happiness‘? It is indeed unalienable but it is not a right; it is simply a universal condition which tyrants cannot take away nor patriots restore. Cast me into a dungeon, burn me at the stake, crown me king of kings, I can ‘pursue happiness’ as long as my brain lives—but neither gods nor saints, wise men nor subtle drugs, can ensure that I will catch it.”
    • Lt. Col. Jean V. Dubois (Ret.), p. 119; expanding on his statement that “a human being has no natural rights of any nature.”
  • “I told you that ‘juvenile delinquent’ is a contradiction in terms. ‘Delinquent’ means ‘failing in duty.’ But duty is an adult virtue—indeed a juvenile becomes an adult when, and only when, he acquires a knowledge of duty and embraces it as dearer than the self-love he was born with. There never was, there cannot be a ‘juvenile delinquent.’ But for every juvenile criminal there are always one or more adult delinquents—people of mature years who either do not know their duty, or who, knowing it, fail.”
    • Lt. Col. Jean V. Dubois (Ret.), p. 120

 

Jan 28 2018

28 Jan 2018 Creating Unity Begins With Inspiration

It looks like it’s going to be a lovely day today so I need to get about enjoying it.  I hope this finds you loved and loving – unconditionally.