LIEBSTER AWARD NOMINATION

LIEBSTER BLOG AWARD

I have recently been nominated for the Liebster Blog Award by Nelly Sum who has created a wonderful blog, “A Girl’s Random Thoughts”, which can be found by clicking this link, https://nellysum.wordpress.com/2015/03/24/i-am-now-safe/. Nelly has created a thought provoking, soul engaging site that offers her view of life through prose, short stories, and incredibly insightful snippets. I highly recommend perusing her work if you haven’t yet had the pleasure

.
There is no greater honor than to be recognized by your peers for the work you share. As artists, we paint, write, compose, sculpt, or offer analysis of various parts of creation using our very souls to communicate. Regardless of the venue we employ, we are putting a piece of ourselves within everything we offer to the public. WordPress offers a platform for each of us to share that wonderful gem we have hidden within for far too long. For whatever reason, each of us have chosen to share our gems with the world and I, for one, cherish the opportunity to stretch my creative wings and soar. The people I have met here have often made the difference to a day spent in darkness and to one lived in the light and for that I am exceedingly grateful.
There are a few rules to follow for the Liebster Blog Award:
1. Link back to the person that nominated you
2. Answer the questions asked by the nominator
3. Nominate 11 other bloggers
4. Create 11 questions for your nominees
5. Notify all nominees on their blogs and/or social media
Nelly has asked the following questions and I will attempt to provide edifying responses:

1. Have you found your purpose in life?
Everyone is created for a specific purpose in this life and I believe we are charged at searching, discovering, and then implementing that purpose. My purpose is to help others live through events that are meant to destroy them. This life has no shortage of devastating events that try to crush hope, steal joy, and destroy life so there must be people who have survived the impossible in order to help others know they, too, can survive and thrive. We can do this through actions, words, gifts, offering an empathetic shoulder or ear, or just paying it forward somehow. It doesn’t have to be an earth shattering, life-changing action. No, sometimes it is as simple as holding someone’s hand as they sob. I know my purpose and will use my life experiences to help as many as I can to know that there is hope even in the darkest of pits.
2. What makes you happy?
Simple things make me happy. Seeing the new buds on trees after a long winter, hearing the sound of a child’s deep laugh, the fragrance of lilacs in full bloom, the funny antics of animals, babies in any species (except bugs, leeches, or other creepy crawlies), engaging in a great book, discovering/learning something I did not know, seeing wonder and awe in the expression of a child, seeing or hearing of acts of kindness that are not rewarded with fanfare, seeing the success of a friend or family member, trying new foods but enjoying some traditional favorites, writing, painting, singing, listening to music, cooking for someone, spending time with Christ in scripture and prayer and researching through history to name just a few things that bring happiness and joy into my life.
3. If you would change anything in your past, what would it be?
This is a tricky question because I think a person’s answer changes as they progress through life. Twenty years ago, I would have penned a long list of things that I would want to change. Today as I sit and contemplate everything that has occurred throughout my four and half decades I do not think I would change anything in my own life. If I changed anything then I would not be the person I am today, I would not have found my purpose, and I would not have wanted to fulfill that purpose. However, if it were in my power, I would have changed the suffering of my family and friends. If I could have, I would have relieved them of heartache and suffering and stopped them from making very poor choices but we must each walk the path put before us. Our choices have the power to make our path smooth or very rocky. Yet, hardship and suffering are the seeds of wisdom so who am I to deny them the opportunity to gain that attribute.
4. What is your favorite genre of music.
I do not have one favorite genre of music. If the music I listen to can rekindle a lovely memory or cause intense feelings then I love it. Music that opens the door to my soul and allows it to take flight is truly treasured. I love listening to traditional music offered by different cultures as everything about it represents that culture. There are types of music I do not care for, hard rock and rap top the list. I cannot connect with either one and neither allows my soul to flow. Instead, it feels as if I am being attacked whether through the head banging abuse of the instruments or the toxic lyrics. To me, this is not music; instead, it is a form of social protest.
5. What is your passion in life?
My passion in life has evolved throughout my journey due to physical limitations. I have always been and will always be passionate about protecting children from harm/abuse/exploitation. My plans included a very active role in achieving this but the Lord had other plans, for my declining mobility has prevented the fulfillment of that passion. Nevertheless, I use my words and internet access to educate and advocate. My passion today is to finish my books with the goal of helping those suffering.
6. Which famous person would you like to spend a day with if given a chance?
There are many folks I would love to sit and talk with but if I had to chose only one then it would have to be Harriet Tubman, for she was an extraordinary woman of unfathomable courage and character. Yet, I wouldn’t want to just “interview” her; instead, I would want to be able to sit down and talk to her as a friend.
7. What do you value most in your life?
I value my salvation, for it is the only thing that holds worth in my life.

8. Do you think someone can love one person for the rest of their lives.
Yes, indeed. If two people are soul mates and love each other sacrificially then it is forever but if their love started with what their eyes lusted after then it will never last.
9. Road trip or indoors reading a good book?
This depends on where the trip will end. If it is headed to a natural wonder or to explore nature then I would pick the road trip. However, I would definitely choose the book more times than not as I am a homebody and my ailments make traveling a hardship.
10. Do you think introverts can make good leaders?
Absolutely, introverts are usually deep thinkers and will not rush into foolhardy actions. However, it is usually the load mouth extroverts, who are charismatic that the populace will put into power then they have plenty of time to regret their decision.

11. Your definition of happiness.
Happiness is temporary but can be found when one is content with who they are, where they are, and how their life is going. Joy, is ever lasting and is the better of the two for which to strive.

It is my utmost honor to nominate the following ten sites for the Liebster Award. Each and every one of them provides something unique and fascinating feeding my soul. Naturally, I would have listed all the blogs I follow because they all fill me anew each day.

http://drchdietfood.com/ Chitra’s Healthy Kitchen
http://amoafowaa.com/2015/04/11/doom-scarings Mum C Writes
https://arcillayfuego.wordpress.com/ Arcilla y Fuego by Belén
https://pleisbilongtumi.wordpress.com/ CIGUDEG pleis bilong tu mi
http://gracemusing.com/ Chronicles of the kid next door
https://arlene1956.wordpress.com/ Dreams and Escapes
https://jjhiii24.wordpress.com/ John’s Consciousness
http://phainopepla95.com/ Weggieboy’s Blog
https://pacificparatrooper.wordpress.com/ Pacific paratrooper
https://jollyprivy.wordpress.com/ You can make a positive difference if you think you can.

And the ten questions I would love to ask these ten bloggers are the following:
1. What was that initial spark that pushed you into the creative realm and does it still drive your work or is there something new?
2. What event/s in your life would you define as life altering, which impacted your specific artistry?
3. Do you believe we can make an impact within this world, amongst her people, her politics, and the level of hope ebbing and flowing throughout the populace?
4. What do you believe about heavenly beings being all around us helping us in life? Do they exist or not and why do you believe as you do?
5. What brings you joy and why?
6. If you had the power to change one thing in all of creation what would it be and why?
7. When thinking upon love, which of the following phrases do you believe to be the most accurate and why? Love is a myth…Love is rare…Love is a game…Love is sacrificial.
8. Who do you blog for and why?
9. In all of the world, within the past or present who would you like to spend a week with and what would you do?
10. If you were God/Creator/ being with all power, what would you do and why?

Again, I would like to thank Nelly Sum for this great honor. May your day be blessed beyond compare!