Volume IX


Editor - Sherry Gibson

Poetry, articles, and other writing items
www.authorsden.com/sherrygibson

Only a Game - Published by Publish America
Find out the latest about my upcoming novel
www.sherrygibson.com

Lwlupus
Support Group for Lupus and other autoimmune disorder-
Group Founder-Sherry Gibson
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/LWLupus/

Assistant Editor - Sharon Sanders
Lwlupus Co-founder

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I always enjoy January. The Holiday season is behind us for another full year! I hope that each of you had a pleasant Christmas and a happy New Year. I am trying to recuperate from the stress of the holidays and know that many of you are too. I hope that you will give yourself some relaxation time during January so that your mind and body can rest and be ready for new projects for the coming year!

New Years Resolutions are always a big thing the first week in January. I have not set any for myself. Instead I have set a few goals in front of me that I am going to work toward achieving. Maybe setting goals is the same thing as a resolution, but for me, a goal is never negative. Many New Years resolutions are things we are NOT going to do any more. Some may decide that this is a good time to stop smoking, stop eating too many snack foods, or a time to stop procrastinating. Our list could go on and on.

I find that for myself, positive thinking helps me achieve my goals much easier than approaching a goal with a negative attitude. An example might be fingernail biting. One can approach this as something to stop doing. I am not going to bite my fingernails anymore. Once you make that statement, you have already taken something away from yourself. Instead of setting your goal not to bite your fingernails anymore, you might try a new approach this time! My goal would be; I am going to let my fingernails grow. I am going to treat myself to a nice manicure as soon as they grow a little bit. Okay, so it's psychological blackmail, but it works!

My big goal for this year is to write another book. For five months I've been twirling ideas around in my mind. My mind was split on two ideas. Part of my brain has been working on a fiction novel that I want to write. Every time I sit down to write something for this novel, I find my concentration and enthusiasm is moving in a different direction. My goal now is to put the fiction novel on the back burner this year and work on a more personal book about my life with Lupus.

As many of you know I have my own online support group for those suffering with Lupus and other autoimmune problems. I also have Lupus. One of my reasons for doing this newsletter is to encourage people with physical disabilities and pain to reach beyond their health problems and do things that bring quality back into their life. I want to share my little bit of success with each of you so that you can find your own success in life.

I have decided to write a book about life as I know it, living with Lupus and running a support group. Once I let myself go and followed my heart the decision was easy to make and the writers' block was gone. From this experience I have learned to pay attention to my inner self and follow the path my heart and mind are leading me down. A big weight was lifted from my mind once the decision was made. The ideas just keep flowing for this new book so I know I'm on the right track.

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In each newsletter I like to include something sent in to me by one of our readers. During the Holiday season, submissions have been slow, but so have I.

Feautured Author this week is Jacqui Griffith. Jacquie has Lupus.

Inside Out


You took away my innocence
You tore my soul no doubt.
You gave me pause to stop
And wonder, what hate was
All about.
You held me in your body
Never by choice again,
I had usurped you some
Way. Some how I made you
Cringe.
With broken heart I needed love
From you, who break it still
I, the unwanted still seeks
Acceptance and you never will.
If you wonder what this is all for
What this poem is all about,
It is how you turned a little girl this
Way that way and inside out.
(c) 2002 Jacquie Griffith

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Please remember to send all submissions of articles or poetry to Sherry@sherrygibson.com In your email, please write “Newsletter Submission” in the subject line, so that I will know you want to submit your work for publication in my newspaper. I am looking for submissions from any of my readers, but do consider first, those submissions from readers suffering from autoimmune disorders or other chronic illnesses. Please include a short bio of yourself with the submission.

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This is an interactive newsletter and I look forward to all comments about the articles we include in the newsletter and try to respond back to you in a timely manner. Feel free to email your comments about Jacquie's poem to Sherry@sherrygibson.com and I will forward those on to her ASAP. I want to thank each of you who respond to the poems shared in this newsletter. The authors of these poems or article appreciate the feedback so much.

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Below are a couple of good links that Sharon Sanders wants to share with us. Hope you have to time to check them out!

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http://www.resourcesfor writers.com/writerslinks.html

EZine Links for pay and non-pay. Information links for
writers and references and software.
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Excellent Interactive Lupus site

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/tutorials/lupus/id209101.html

http://www.patient-education.com/

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I'd also like to share some links to friends at Authors Den

www.authorsden.com/sharphoenix

www.authrosden.com/rikwoods

www.authorsden.com/lynnbarry