Happy Monday everyone! Today is a special day for me because for the first time since I began Apartment 102, I am actually writing to you from Apartment #102.  Since February, I have only seen my place on occasion to pick up mail, as I have been staying with my parents and getting help from my family and friends, due to my illness.  Last night was the first night since February that I have slept in my apartment.  This is a huge step for me, and one step closer…  It was a scary and strange feeling, but it also felt really good.

Now that I am back in my apartment, there are a lot of things that need to be done.  Some heavy cleaning and organizing.  I also have to get back to the business of decorating and making my home my own.  With all of this “home-making” to come, there’s going to be a lot to talk about here at Apartment 102.  There will be lots of fun stuff to come including DIY projects, home improvements, and other tips!  So, stay tuned guys and THANKS for stopping by!!  :)

Image via flickr

Today I have been thinking about small victories.  Those times in life when something is a step forward to me, but may not seem like a big deal for anyone else.  Sometimes it may become overwhelming to think about how far you have to go to overcome a certain situation or to achieve your goals, etc.  Sometimes looking down that road may seem never ending…

Image via Flickr

But oh how much more encouraging to my soul it is to look at how far I’ve come.  How far I’ve come from who I used to be, where I used to stand, how down I used to feel.  Everything is truly in Gods hands and I must have faith in THAT.

For my family and close friends, seeing me with my oversized purse is nothing out of the ordinary these days.  I have mentioned here and here before that I have been ill and it has been quite a journey for me.  Before becoming ill, I traveled light with a cute little purse or clutch in hand, with nothing but my keys, lip gloss, wallet, and cell phone.  Now, whenever I go to the doctors or just around the corner to the grocery store, I come equipped with my own sort of “medi-pack”.  My bag is stuffed full of all the things I need to make it through an hour or 2 out of the house, including things I’d need should I have an bad moment.

Now I know some of you could be saying well what’s the big deal?  Well, I am someone who was constantly on the go, traveling light, and very spontaneous.  Having my “medi-pack” is not only heavy lol, but it makes it front and center that at any time something could happen.  We all know that part of life is dealing with the unexpected, but when we’re going through life day to day, floating on cloud nine,  healthy or without any huge circumstance, it’s a little easier to forget that something may happen at any moment.  It’s a little easier to feel as though you have more control over what’s going on.  But when sickness or troubles come, you realize how much you never really were in control to begin with.

So for this stage of my journey, I carry my “medi-pack”, style it up (because you know I love a cute bag), and have faith that one day soon, I will be able to travel light once again.  And when I am able to do so, I have this fabulous clutch to strut.

I call it my victory clutch .  I know it may seem like just a really nice handbag, but for me it signifies so much more.

Tomorrow is not promised and today is in Gods hands.  Let’s celebrate today’s small victories! ♥

What about you guys? Do you have anything special that you do to encourage yourself (or others) or to recognize your own small victories?

Image via Flickr

Glamour just posted an interesting article over on their Daily Fitness Blog.  The article discusses the stigma (and sometimes criticism) placed on women who are naturally thin.  Whether a person is thin, more curvy, or overweight due to genetics, stress or health issues, body image issues are a huge part (and problem) of our society (and the images we see and words we read day to day don’t help!).  Oftentimes, these body issues can lead to physical and mental health problems.  There may have been times when we have said something someone and not even realized how our words affected the other person.  We may not know what another person is dealing with in their own life, but one thing is for sure, a kind word never hurts.  Maybe we can be the ones to use our words to help to build our sisters up .  Check out the article here.

Pleasant words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones. Proverbs 16:24

I have often heard others referring to someone “swimming against the current” with their actions. In this, they are referring to actions which go against the flow of their lives, or the direction in which they should be going. These actions often exhaust a person or cause a person feel like they are doing everything they can, but gettin’ nowhere.

Today I was doing some reading (Joyce Meyer-Battlefield of the Mind) and had my own “ah-ha” moment. After getting sick in December and then getting diagnosed in February, I of course began doing research on what could help me be in better health, what foods would be easy for me to eat and digest, and what food would speed healing. While all of these things are great, the latter of the three is where I had my “ah-ha”. Not only was I looking for food that would speed healing, but in my mind I was depending more on the food and what I could do for myself then I was depending on God for my healing. I had been sick for such a long time that I started to feel like there has to be something I’m not doing right. There has to be something that I can do to help this along. I’ve prayed and prayed, so now maybe God wants me to do something else! I was completely OVER being sick and not being able to be out and about like I normally am. I was stressed out every day because I felt guilty for not being able to work and was fearful of what was going to happen if I lost my job. I was all over the place, but never really settled in to the fact that maybe I was supposed to just be still and know that through faith and perseverance and when the time was right, I would be healed.

I am still healing and living through my illness, but today I realize that sometimes God has to slow us down to talk to us, teach us, develop us, and get us to a better place in our lives. I may not understand everything right now, but what I now realize is that with all of my hard work in trying to heal myself, I was doing my own “swimming against the current”. Sometimes God stretches things out and makes them so that we will know without a shadow of a doubt that it is He alone who has delivered us and that it wasn’t through anything we could do on our own.

When everything is going well I have felt in control of things and like I have had a handle on them.  During this time I have felt fearful of what is and could be and out of control.  But I was never in control to begin with, right!?  Through this journey I am learning to expand my trust and really give it all over to God.

This whole journey is a learning experience, and God is still working on all of these things with me today. But what I do know, is that through all of this God has taken care of all my needs and on the other side there are great rewards and blessings.

Images via flickr – Yvette Inufio

When we think of someone having a stroke, a child is the furthest thing from our minds.  Pediatric strokes affect every 1 in 2300 to 4000 infants and children, however doctors know very little about what causes them.  Check out my sister and nephew on CBS news Atlanta, helping to bring awareness to this issue.  To help support this cause for these brave little ones, please go here.  Thanks !!!!

Try looking out for God through out the day and look for the beauty in the simple things.

Image from Domino Magazine via The Domino Magazine Files

This is what I tell myself when I’m having a blah day or when I’m going through tough times.  In the heat of things, this may not be my immediate thought, but then something will happen that will remind me of these simple principles.  Something small happens that makes me smile; something unexpected that seems to come out of nowhere; or something that never usually goes my way easily or at all, all of a sudden happens with NO effort.  These things help me to make it through the day, give me hope, help me to focus on being grateful, and help me to silence what I’m feeling and focus on what is.  Looking for the beauty in things helps me to focus on the big picture and find joy in the simple things.

About a month ago, I had one of those “look for God throughout the day” moments.  I was home sick, and had been sick for a while.  If anyone has ever had a long-term illness, ever gone through something for an extended period, or things just seem to be taking longer than expected in some area of your life, you know what it’s like to start to feel like “when are things going to get better”.  Then, my manager called and told me the reviews were in and the yearly raises had been done.  To my suprise, my increase was so much more than I could have ever imagined.  Especially after past experiences with the company when I didn’t get a yearly raise at all, and since I hadn’t been to work in about a month.  “Who gets a raise when they’re not even working!?” is what my sister said lol  Immediately I knew this was God showing me he was right there

Have a happy Monday!