The Glue that holds me together

I have to admit, like most women, The Notebook is one of my all-time favourite movies! The love between Noah and Allie is epic & almost every female I know swoons when everyone tells Noah to leave Allie's side as her Alzheimer's deteriorates.. but Noah simply says, "Allie is my home".. Every woman wants to be loved like this! If you haven't seen this, you really need to see it, ASAP!

It makes me wonder though.. Is Noah & Allie's love really the most epic love?
Well, no. Romance aside, God stands in front of us with a love that is far more deserving, fantastic and all-consuming, who has forgiven us infinitely more than Noah did Allie & who has loved us with a love that will last forever. He stands at our doors, saying I am your home. Come make your home with me & let's spend eternity together in love.

People often ask me how and why I still believe that God loves me even as I get weaker and sicker. The answer is simple... The more weaker I get, the more convinced I am that God loves me and works in all things for my good. Now God has always been wonderful to me. He made me & he has listened to and answered my prayers since I was young. But never have I known His love like this than He has shown me in the past few years. From helping me and supporting me, he now does almost everything for me. He helps me wake up in the morning. He makes me fall asleep at night even despite the weaning medications and the unbearable agony. He is my friend and companion when all my friends desert me simply because they don't want an "ill" friend. When I am treated unfairly, he works in the hearts of colleagues and others to restore love to the relationship. He holds my hand physically each night and I know that when I leave this earth to go home with Him, I will die in His arms.

Truly, in all things, God works for the good of those who love Him! He holds me together and he's by far the greatest love I have ever known. No man could even come close to comparing with this EPIC LOVE.

Today's theme song...

I feel so broken
From head to toe
I'm curling away from high
Doubt I could rise even if I tried

Yet there's people awaiting
And never ending lists of tasks to be done
For now I have no choice
I wish I could hide rather than run.

Good things come in pairs...

My second award! Inspired by the Sisterhood of Travelling Pants, this is an award for female bloggers to encourage the spirit of sisterhood. I received the award from Emily at  My Inspired Life with Fibromyalgia. 

Here are the rules:

1. Thank the giver

2. Post 7 things about yourself

3. Pass on the award to 7 other deserving bloggers and inform them that they have been nominated

4. Include the logo of the award in a post or on your blog

7 things about Me!

1. My favourite colour in the whole world is purple. Although this winter, it is closely followed by sea green. 

2. I've never had pets before, unless you can count goldfish. One day, I'd love to have a cute puppy. 

3. I love being creative. I make my own jewellery, I do cross-stitch, knitting and some stitching as well. Check out my creations at My Hands Still Work. 

4. I love nature. I could think of nothing else more wonderful than to watch a beautiful sunset, take a walk outside or just sit on a cliff and watch the sea. 

5. I have lived in 7 different countries in my life. I've been moving countries since I was six months old. 

6. Fibromyalgia consumes a lot of my life & thinking, but one day I will conquer it and things will be different. 

7. I love reading with a passion, particularly fantasy. My favourites at the moment are the Eragon series and anything written by Ted Dekker. 

7 Deserving Blogs:

1. Erin at Chronic Christian Crafter

2. Simone at FibroModem

3. Simple Expression 11

4. Xocolatchic

5. Spooniesta

6. Young Fibromyalgia

7. Fibromyalgia and Faith

There you go! Congrats to all the nominees! You all are truly inspiration blogger sisters to me & I appreciate each and every one of you! 

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.