16 Nov 2025 Testimony

November 17, 2025November 17, 2025 by saymber, posted in Bipolar life, Leading Life by Example, Mental Health, Spirituality and Religion, Veteran Affairs

Hello to you. How has your day been? I hope well. Today began with going to church at Grace Bible Church in Middleton. The past couple of Sundays we have gotten to hear how loving Jesus has transformed peoples lives and gotten them through difficult times. Today my friend Jeannie was on the big screen and she was wonderful. Tragedy has struck her family more than once but yet her faith has not wavered! Ironically her name is Jeannie like my Mom and she lost one of her daughters to suicide. Her other daughter was in a bad accident on a 4 wheeler.

Jeannie giving her testimony on the big screen

We were in Philippians 4 today:

Thanks for Their Gifts

¹⁰I rejoiced greatly in the Lord that at last you renewed your concern for me. Indeed, you were concerned, but you had no opportunity to show it. ¹¹I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances.¹²I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. ¹³I can do all this through him who gives me strength.

Pastor Jason emphasized that relying on finding joy for anything outside of Jesus would eventually fail us. This is so true – Jeannie’s testimony echoed this. Her faith was strong enough, deep enough to get her through horrible tragedies. How deep does the well go she both asked and answered in her testimony. Contentment in any circumstance is a choice. No matter what life throws at us we don’t have to go it alone. My own life experience speaks to this. After all I went through these past few years the people I relied on could only lead me to the unwavering and unconditional love of Jesus.

After church I decided to have breakfast at the Sunrise and I’m glad I did. I met a widow of seven years named Christine. She sat in the made for two table next to mine. I asked her if she had a church home and she said she used to when her husband was alive. He used to help put the directory together and she helped out in the kitchen. I made a plug for Grace but it sounded like she was waiting for another church to be built to go to. I told her we meet at the auditorium at the Middle Creek high school. This by chance meeting felt a little like a mission God used to send me on frequently when I lived in Texas. May be I’m what she needed to see and hear today. May be I planted some good seed even if she chooses another church. Had I gone grocery shopping as I had originally planned we would not have met! God truly uses each of us to be his body!

31 Aug 2025 The Light Of Eternity

August 31, 2025 by saymber, posted in animals, Bipolar life, Health, Home, Leading Life by Example, Mental Health, Spirituality and Religion, Veteran Affairs, Writing and blogging

2 Corinthians 5:17New International Version

¹⁷Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creationhas come:^[a] The old has gone, the new is here!

Today has been good even if I overslept! My Aunt Ruth came over and went with me to church. It was the first time she has joined me since we moved to the high school. It was so nice to have her there! Even though we were later, we still got a good seat near my friends. The message that stood out to us today from Pastor Jason was seeing people through the light of eternity. Not just for now but for forever. This is something Ruth does with people and she models for me. It’s not just living through what Christ did for us but living for Christ. We are to be Doulos (Greek for slaves) to God. It doesn’t have a negative meaning that slavery typically does.

After church we went to the Sunrise for breakfast and it was good as always. Emma took good care of us as always. It was so nice to have company today! We were talking that it will be 3 years this November since I was in the Idaho State Hospital in Orofino and Link had to be rescued from being locked up after escaping from a boarder. I remember this because of pictures I have on my phone. He escaped the same day I left the hospital which stressed us all out! I am so grateful he was picked up and not lost. I also so grateful that Ruth and John came and got me! Otherwise I would have been stuck there. They had no plan for me to have a ride home. One lady I was there with got released to a homeless shelter. So sad! I hope I never have to go through that again – never have to put my family through all that again. Being Bipolar can put such a strain on the family.

Picture I took of Ruth and John leaving Orofino in November 2022

My poor baby boy after we got him out of the shelter

18 July 2025 Gowen Field Visit

July 18, 2025July 18, 2025 by saymber, posted in Bipolar life, Spirituality and Religion, Veteran Affairs

Hello to you. Hope this finds you well and staying cool. As I write to you it’s a bright and sunny 94 degrees here in Idaho.

Today started out a little bit earlier than normal. One of my earth angels, my cousin Tony, came and picked me up so we could go to Gowen Field, which is near Boise, so I could update all my files to reflect that I’m divorced. We were blessed that their retiree affairs officer, Bill Fackler, was there to help me with my Survivor Benefit Program (SBP) and finance files to get them to reflect that I’m divorced. Unfortunately you have to update your SBP file within a year of being divorced to stop paying into it and it was 2021 that the divorce was final. At least we were able to get things updated. Bill was fantastic! He has been fishing a couple times with Tony so they got a chance to get caught up while we were there. I went the ID card office and was able to update my DEERs. DEERs is what is used for tracking dependents. It felt really good to get so much done in one place! The folks working there are really friendly and good at what they do. This trip was an answer to my prayers as I had been fretting about getting all this done for quite some time.

On the way back to my house, we stopped at the Sunrise Cafe for breakfast which included a much needed by my cousin, good cup of coffee. Emma, the manager was there – she remembers me when I go there! Another gal, Ria (spelling?)said hello as she remembered me too. There is a reason I love going to that place! It was nice having good company for a delicious breakfast. I had French toast and Tony got a huge pancake he could hardly finish. After breakfast we took a walk together which was nice too. He couldn’t stay long as he had a massage therapist appointment to get to. His back gives him trouble too. It was so nice to have time with Tony. He works a lot and doesn’t get much free time.

Link was happy I was home – he got a couple pieces of bacon which he devoured. I always save a piece or two for him. I kinda feel guilty eating bacon to be honest. I think it’s because there is so much cruelty with the raising and slaughtering of pigs! May be some day there will be a good substitute for the different kinds of meat we eat!

Dear Jesus I give you praise for this day. Thank you for how smoothly things went at Gowen Field. Thank you for Bill Fackler. I thank you for my family, especially my cousin Tony. I pray for Eli who is Tony and Tawna’s little 15 year old dog who is having back and other problems. I pray for all world leaders at all levels of government to have wisdom. I pray for all the animals in captivity that they know kindness and compassion. I pray for the homeless, the sick, the hungry and the poor that they receive relief and mercy. Lastly I pray for the lost who don’t know you or just don’t believe in you Jesus – show them the way. Amen!

15 April 2024 Restaurant

April 15, 2024 by saymber, posted in Food, Spirituality and Religion

What is your favorite restaurant?

I would have to say my favorite restaurant is the Sunrise Cafe here in Middleton. Their food is consistently good and they know me! They notice when it’s been awhile since I’ve been in. I like their 2 egg special that comes with 4 pieces of bacon, hash browns, sour dough toast and 2 eggs over medium. My uncle teases me about ordering the same thing every time! Sometimes they have special pancakes like red velvet or lemon flavors. They close at 2 pm which I think is nice for the people working there.

Matthew 14:15-21New International Version

¹⁵As evening approached, the disciples came to him and said, “This is a remote place, and it’s already getting late. Send the crowds away, so they can go to the villages and buy themselves some food.”

¹⁶Jesus replied, “They do not need to go away. You give them something to eat.”

¹⁷“We have here only five loaves of bread and two fish,” they answered.

¹⁸“Bring them here to me,” he said. ¹⁹And he directed the people to sit down on the grass. Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke the loaves. Then he gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the people. ²⁰They all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over. ²¹The number of those who ate was about five thousand men, besides women and children.

21 April 2022 When Is The Last Time You Fed Your Soul?

April 21, 2022 by saymber, posted in animals, books, Food, Health, Home, Leading Life by Example, Mental Health, Nature, photography, Social media, Spirituality and Religion, Veteran Affairs, Writing and blogging

Hello to you. How are you? Another late start for me. Last night I actually fell asleep but then Link and Smokey needed to go out…at 2 in the morning! Ugh!! I was able to get back to sleep off and on and actually have interesting dreams. I was with a lot of different people!

Yesterday morning I had the blessing of meeting a new friend for breakfast at the Sunrise. We got the chance to hear more of each other’s stories and talk about the goodness of God in our lives. She and I are both relatively new to Grace Bible Church in Middleton. We talked about a lot. She reminded me that if I truly believe who God is, I am not the labels this world has given me….my sin…my mistakes. I am his child and I am forgiven. With a loving God we don’t have to be defined by the world. She mentioned a very convicting question she was asked recently, “When is the last time you fed your soul? Or have you just been feeding the flesh?” Life in our modern world can seem overwhelming and chaotic. Especially with my friend trying to be a wife, mother to three rambunctious boys and so much more….. and still in all that “noise” of life take care of yourself…. feed your soul. I walked there and walked home and I was so sore lol but I made sure to write down that question so I could share it with you today. The other thing I wrote down feeling the pain of my body was, “my body is not a prison. My body is a temple.” The pain will pass…it always does.

1 Corinthians 6:19-20New International Version

¹⁹Do you not know that your bodies are temples^(A) of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own;^(B) ²⁰you were bought at a price.^(C)Therefore honor God with your bodies.^(D)

Yesterdays time really meant a lot to me. Meeting in person! Seeing her eyes change depending on what she was talking about – watching a little bit of the tired she carry’s in those eyes lift. Seeing her smile as she talked about what was on her heart. There is something about actual tangible moments like we had that no digital medium can ever replace. We fed our souls and our belly’s were contented by yet another wonderful Sunrise breakfast.

Here are some pictures. May be they will give you a moment of rest today. May be they will help you feed your soul. I encourage you to take that camera phone of yours on a walk…what miracle of creation will God show you?

One of a whole group of these. I think it’s a succulent.

I found these two little beauties hiding under a bush

When I got up from photographing the blooms I almost stepped on this little being. Jumping spiders are amazing to me. I’ve had some actually interact with me.

Where the lost puzzle pieces go….I had to smile when I found this. Thinking of people I love who enjoy puzzles. Putting together puzzles with my Mom on snow days when I was a kid.

Couldn’t zoom in closer but wanted you to see the ducks enjoying the canals.

I was looking for scripture about light and darkness and found this in John

“Ok much better! I’m tired from our walk but so happy! If you have to choose between being happy and sad I hope you will choose happy! Teeth aren’t just for chewing! Even we dogs know teeth are for smiling! “

26 March 2022 Spring

March 26, 2022 by saymber, posted in Art and Poetry, Bipolar life, books, dreams, Food, Health, history, Home, human rights, Leading Life by Example, Mental Health, Nature, photography, Social media, Spirituality and Religion, Veteran Affairs, Writing and blogging

Check out 26 March 2022 Saturday chat (spring) https://www.twitch.tv/videos/1437351008

One of my neighbors trees. The bees were loving it!

Grape Hyacinth (I think) I thought it was a blue bonnet like in Texas at first glance

Spring peaking up through winters debris

Hello to you. How are you? Hope this finds you well. I dreamt about my dog Spot again last night. She was running loose for some reason and found me. I miss her but she’s living her best life right now so grateful about that. She and I share dreams pretty often.

Yesterday I walked over to the Sunrise Cafe (https://www.theoriginalsunrisecafe.com/) for breakfast and got to witness one of those God moments. A man with a cane walked in and sat down at a booth by himself. Then the main waitress went over and sat across from him. She noticed he was wearing a hospital bracelet and asked him about it. He said he was having some “medical stuff” going on. One of the the things was cancer. He was going through chemo. After she left I then had the courage to say hello too. What was so beautiful was his smile. For all that he was dealing with he was still smiling. Your attitude when your facing adversity really makes a difference in how things will go for you. The Sunrise is becoming my go to place ! Good food and good people both who work there and the customers.

Todays message in A Woman’s Spirit talks about how sometimes we have to let go of our problems that might be going on that we just don’t know what to do about and make space for spiritual solutions….”let God on it!”

“When we loosen our grasp on our concerns, there is room for the spiritual essence of all life to move through us in such a way that healing occurs.” – Carol Sheffield

I will not be caught in a problem today if I am quiet and ready for the solution. Stillness engulfs me now.

This morning I was looking through my books and decided to take out a book of poetry written by a family friend named Tom Snooks. He struggled and died from cancer many years ago. It made me think of the man from the restaurant who is currently struggling. The poem I want to share is one he wrote about spring: