My very first award - Sunshine Blog Award!

Over my past six months of blogging, I've been hearing lots about awards.. but I've never actually received one... until today...

My very first award - the Sunshine Blog Award - thanks to Emily @ My Inspired Life with Fibromyalgia! This award is given to "bloggers who positively and creatively inspire others in the blogosphere".

Here are the rules:
1.  If you are nominated, you must blog a post linking back to the person/blog that nominated you.
2. You must answer some questions, nominate ten fellow bloggers and link their blogs to the post!
If you do this, you get the award! You can use the image above to either put on your post or on your blog itself!
3. You should comment on your nominees' blogs to let them know you've nominated them.

Here are my questions:
1. Who is your favourite philosopher?
Actually, I don't really have a favourite per se, or many that I even read about. But one of my favourite wise-men is a man called C.S.Lewis. He wrote many books including the famous Narnia series, a lot of books that have shaped my life and thinking.

2. What is your favourite number?
My favourite number is 3 - I believe all good things come in three (well, actually not really, I just really like the number). Plus three reasons why always looked good in essays at school! :)

3. What is your favourite animal?
At the moment, elephants. I just came back from Sri Lanka where I visited the Elephant Orphanage, one of my most favourite places in the whole world - check out these cuties!

4. What are your Facebook and Twitter urls?
Facebook: Faith&Fibromyalgia; MyHandsStillWork
Twitter: @DharshiSpeaks

5. What is your favourite time of the day?
The first six seconds after my alarm rings; For six seconds, while I am still waking to the world, for six seconds, there is no pain; for six seconds, I am a normal person & Fibro is just a word; for six seconds, I can jump out of bed and do whatever I want; for six seconds, I can be the me I want to be. For six seconds, then it all comes rushing back .

6. What was your favourite vacation?
My favourite vacation in the whole world so far was when I visited Switzerland. It's such a beautiful land, full of nature (which I love). Mostly, it's a place where you can go up a mountain & enjoy some freezing cold weather, get sick of it and within 15 minutes come down & run across some meadows under the warm sunshine.. Absolutely perfect! :)

7. What is your favourite physical activity?
Physical eh? Well, Fibro pretty much stops any physical activity possible, but I do love dancing! When I'm alone in my room, and especially when I'm feeling down, I play my favourite tunes & dance away (regretting it ten minutes later, when Fibro delivers the pain) .. I'm the strange person you see on the train, with their headphones in their ears, drifting off in their world and tapping their feet and dancing..

8. What is your favourite non-alcoholic drink?
This one's easy... tea of course. I love tea & I drink it like a newborn drinks milk. I love all forms of tea, normal, herbal, uncaffeinated etc. My favourite ones are: Dilmah Extra Strong (when I need a gentle wake me up), Rooibos & Chammomile (when I need a chillax) and trying as many new varieties of teas as I can find!

9. What is your favourite flower?
My favourite flowers are daisies. For a similar reason as Emily, I love the simplistic nature of daisies. Yes they are weeds & they do grow freely in all sorts of random places. But to me, they're sunny and bright even when they are growing out of difficult places.

One of my mates at university told me if I had a boyfriend, I would be the cheapest date ever, because the guy could just break into someone else's backyard and rip off a few of their daisy weeds and I'd be thrilled! Lol :)

10. What is your passion?
My passion is to a person that is caring and always there for anyone I call friend. I want to paint the world in beauty. I want to make this world brighter even when I cannot muster a smile.

My 10 Blogger Nominees (in no particular order):
1. Chronic Christian Crafter - for being a loving friend & a great encouragement to me & others
2. Fibromyalgia and Faith - a sister blogger so close in words
3. Simple Expressions 101 - a new friend with many a wise thought
4. The Spooniesta - a lovely new blogging friend
5. FibroModem - A woman who is continually looking to make a difference each day
6. CharisLah - A gentle encouraging spirit
7. Human In Recovery - A new blog I stumbled upon thanks to the Ultimate Blog Challenge
8. Three Worlds of BG - for being an inspiration to me both in blog and in real life each day
9. Bek in Training - For her words of wisdom and creations of beauty
10. Mostly Fine, Chance of a Shower - For overcoming many battles and still remaining joyful

There you go! Thanks again to Emily @ My Inspired Life with Fibromyalgia! Truly, you have made my joyful by giving me my very first accolade! :)

Laughter Lost Episode 8

Sourced from FibroTV

I would love to see someone try some of these.. Definitely worth a chuckle..

Gentle hugs to you all.. xoxo

Something new & exciting

Friends,

I'm about to embark on a new & exciting adventure..... Don't worry, it's nothing drastic!

I've decided to start a new blog called My Hands Still Work, showcasing some of the jewellery, cross-stitch and other craft items I have made and make to creatively express the pain and joys of my daily life.

Please come check it out! :)

God, where are you?

God, where are you?

(c) ChronicFaith

I scream but no sound comes out

I beg but my pleas appear unheard

I’m desperate but my prayers disappear with the wind.

God, where are you?

I struggle and I fall apart

I am mocked & made a fool of

I cry myself to sleep,

God, where are you?

I am in agony and I sweat in anguish

Pain fills me from head to toe

I can’t breathe, I can’t move

God, where are you?

I am filled with grief

I have lost the one I love

I am alone & abandoned,

God, where are you?

When you pleaded, I saw your heart.

When you cried, I collected your tears.

When you were in pain, I held your hand.

When you grieved, I mourned with you.

  

I was never far, my beloved daughter.

I never left your side

If only you could see tomorrow, you’d understand

What I’ve done for you & why.

“As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.” Isaiah 55:9

God is never far from us & he is always working for our good, even when it doesn’t seem like it. Romans 8:28 says that “in all things, God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to His purpose”. Because we, as humans, are limited by so much: by time, by our experiences, by our lack of patience  & by peer & cultural pressure, it is very hard for us to see beyond the here and now. But God is outside of time & space and He sees these things. He knows what is best for us, today, tomorrow & each day after that. He is not only interested in providing for us now but for us in the future & for all His children, the same. As His Word says in Isaiah 55:9, “as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.” What a great & wonderful God we have who looks after us & provides for our every need and want. Let us learn to trust Him in all circumstances, knowing that our trust is placed in a loving God who prepares all things for us & for our good both now & into the future. 

Laughter Lost Episode 7

I saw this card in a store a couple of years ago.

Don't we all sometimes wish this about our problems, particularly fibro?

Laughter Lost Episode 6

Been tempted to do this once or twice???

Laughter Lost Episode 5

Today is one of these days where I wish this was true...

Make the Invisible Visible

A friend of mine has issued this small, simple way to raise some awareness for fibromyalgia. 

You don't have to have the illness to raise awareness. Even if you could do this & keep it as your profile picture for 1 day, it would make a difference! Of course, the longer it last, the bigger the difference made. 


Here's how to do it:
• Open this picture via this ppt link: http://fibromodem.files.wordpress.com/2012/06/spread-fm-awareness1.ppt

• Your computer will ask what you would like to do with the presentation – You want to OPEN it.• Once open, you will want to INSERT a lovely photo of yourself.• Then press 1) FILE; 2) SAVE AS, then pick a name & save it as type *jpg.• You can then upload it to your status and you’re ready to spread awareness


Remember, you don't have to have Fibromyalgia to spread the word! 


(c) FibroModem

Laughter Lost Episode 4

For those of you who like me, who just can't clean regularly because it costs far too many energy and pain spoons! 

Enough with guilt trip! There are better things we both could be doing with our spoons.. that's all I'm saying.

Laughter Lost Episode 3

This is me today....

Laughter Lost Episode 2

Here's a creative solution to our pain... Have you tried this???