Monday's Five Things I'm Grateful For

Thankfulness is a prominent Bible theme. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 says, "Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of Christ Jesus for you." (ESV). As a Christian, I wanted to emphasize that thankfulness is a way of my life no matter how hard or how good the circumstances I'm in. I find that even in the midst of hardships, I always have something to be grateful for. 

 

1. I'm thankful that my family lives right next door (we live in a duplex). My mom babysits Rachel when I go to work three times a week and I can't imagine anyone else taking care of her! While I'm frantically preparing to get to work on time in the mornings, I constantly remind myself how blessed I am to have my mom next door. I do not have to wake Rachel up from her sleep and rush to drop her off at daycare. Family is everything!

 

 

 

2. I'm thankful for another long weekend! We didn't go out of town or plan anything special. But just getting that extra day off from work is already awesome. 

 

3. My mom, my sister and I were able to go on another all-girls coffee date. Since it was the long weekend, I suggested to go out for coffee on Sunday night when Rachel was already in bed. Although we see each other very often, we never get to talk about things. It was a great way to catch up and plan for our parties this week.

 

4. I'm grateful for accessibility to fresh produce even if we live in the city. BC has one of the best tasting fruits and vegetables that I seldom crave for unhealthy snacks and meals. And buying fresh local produce is not hard to find, too. 

  

5. Although we didn't go on any trips this summer, we've been blessed with really good weather. We were able to enjoy the outdoors and visit sites around Vancouver. Last Wednesday, we joined West Richmond Community Centre's West Fest. Rachel enjoyed playing in the bouncy castles and at the playground.

 

Take a few minutes today to reflect on what God has blessed you with. It is only right to credit him for everything He gives. Expressing thankfulness helps us remember that God is in control.

 

 

Monday's Five Things I'm Grateful For

Hi folks, it's Monday once again and for once, I'm not late in posting this entry. During the week, I mentally list my five things even before I start writing anything. There are definitely more than five things I'm thankful for every week, but these are what stood out for me last week.

1. I'm thankful that Rachel is officially potty trained...woot woot! Since last week, she's been wearing her toddler Minnie Mouse undies and have only been in a couple "accidents".

2.  Rachel loved attending Vacation Bible School (VBS) last week. VBS is a week long event during the summer that focuses on teaching school-aged kids about the Bible. This year's theme was "Weird Animals". I'm so proud of her too for participating in the songs, games, crafts, and story time.

3. I'm grateful that Rachel loves reading the Bible. She always ask me to read her toddler Bible to her all throughout the day- while having breakfast, lunch, snack time, and right before she goes to bed. I pray that she'll continue to grow in the knowledge of Jesus.

My sister illustrated Psalm 23 for her and made her own storybook. Rachel is now learning to memorize it.

4. We had a lot of fun at an "End of summer potluck" on Sunday afternoon. We had tons of food and toys to play with. I'm definitely not ready for the end of summer, though.

5.  I'm grateful for God's protection all the time. Whether I'm at home, at work, while driving or even when I'm working out, I always pray for His guidance and protection upon my family.  

What are you thankful for this week?

Late post: Monday's Five Things I'm Grateful For

Hi everyone, I've been MIA again since last week. I came down with colds and cough over the weekend, which I got from my daughter. But I wouldn't let this week go without posting five things I'm grateful for.

1. A visit from Aunt Flow. The ladies would know what this means. Since my miscarriage about a month ago, I've been praying very hard that my cycles would come back normally. Exactly one month from what happened, I couldn't be more excited to see Aunt Flow! I've never been happier in my life because this means we can start trying again very soon LOL.

2. My mom's birthday was last August 13. She turned 56 and she wanted to have a picnic at the local park. Earlier that day it was pouring rain and I was not looking forward to eating outside. My sister reassured me that they've already prayed for a miracle to happen and when she checked the weather forecast, it was just gonna be a cloudy day in the afternoon. Oh me of little faith. True enough, it was humid and partially sunny when I got off work. Our spread that night was fish and chips from Pajo's and a sushi platter from another place. 

 

Rachel also enjoyed playing in the park after dinner. 

 

Dessert was chocolate mousse cake from Whole Foods, which we had at home. Mom also brewed coffee to go with it. We couldn't wait to devour the cake that I forgot to take a photo of it.

3. My husband (Michael) and I celebrated our 4th wedding anniversary on August 15, 2014. We had brunch at The Market by Jean Georges last Saturday and shopped a little bit in downtown Vancouver. 

4. Lately, I've been taking lots of naps. Just about a month ago, we changed our daughter's nap routine from pushing her in her stroller til she falls asleep to letting her lie nap on our bed. I co-nap with her and usually fall asleep faster than she does. LOL. I'm thankful that she naps 2-3 hours everyday!

5. I'm grateful for lazy Sunday afternoons. After attending church service in the morning, we'd usually have our Japanese food fix at a local Japanese market for lunch, go home and just relax. For me it's the perfect way to unwind before the start of another week.

There you have it, my list for the week. I'm sorry I haven't been posting as much lately. Please include me in your prayers for a fast recovery.

Monday's Five Things I'm Grateful For

It's the little things in life that keeps me happy these days. Ever since I've started this gratitude journal on my blog, I feel like there is always a good thing that comes from my day to day experiences. 

Here are some of the things I'm grateful for in the past week.

1.  Last Monday, we got a new modem. As I've mentioned last week, our wi-fi hasn't been very cooperative for a few weeks. Our internet provider sent us a new modem in hopes of fixing our crazy internet connection. So far, so good.

2. I'm grateful for a wonderful tea time with some girlfriends at a friend's new condo. It was a delightful afternoon of sharing funny childhood stories and of course sampling homemade goodies and savouries!

3. What a joy it is for me to back to my running and workout routines! Yes, I'm back to waking up early in the morning for strength training at the gym or running outdoors. Running outdoors early in the morning during summer time is quite relaxing. Gotta take advantage of the warm weather.

4. It's been a crazy hot summer in the west coast so far and I'm grateful that our office has air-conditioning.  Customers like to stay in for a bit and chat with us while sipping their iced lemon water, too :) 

5. I've been reading Kimberly Snyder's Beauty Detox book and I just can't get enough of the glowing green smoothie! I've been having it for breakfast after my workout/run for about a week now. It's so refreshing and it actually keeps me full til lunch time. More post to come soon about the glowing green smoothie and my quest to be a vegetarian.

Have you thought about your blessings last week? Start writing them down or posting them on your inspiration board, they'll surely make you a more grateful and cheerful person.

Monday's Five Things I'm Grateful For

Last week flew by for me. I guess because it was my first week back to my "normal" routine (went back to work and started going for walks again). On top of that, our internet connection hasn't been very cooperative as I've mentioned in my previous post. Here we are again, Monday...I'm welcoming it with open arms not just because I get to write my Five Things I'm Grateful For, but it's also BC Day (which means we have a long weekend!)!!

Thinking about the week that passed, I have a lot of things to be grateful for. 

1. Although I'd always whine to my husband about why I'm not a stay-at-home mom, I'm thankful that I have a "secure part-time job". I work only three days a week and have 3 weeks + 1 day paid vacation leave every year, too! My supervisor is very understanding and my coworkers are not hard to deal with. When I went for my 3-week leave (to rest and recover from my miscarriage), my managers and coworkers kept texting and calling me to ask how I was. I felt their love and concern for me, which was really nice.

2.  I'm grateful for the long weekend and the beautiful weather that came with it! My family did as much as we could on our staycation. We went to Granville Island on Saturday and went for a mini cruise on the Aquabus for the first time! My daughter enjoyed running after the seagulls, too, after our supper at the Granville Island Market. 

      On Sunday, we joined our church's Family Fun Day. Booths offering Asian cuisines and games were set up at the parking lot. 

        This morning, we packed our lunches and spent half the day at the park. My daughter, Rachel, enjoyed her first waterpark experience! It was such a hot day too!

3. I'm grateful for a much needed girl time with my mom and my sister. Nothing beats a good conversation with your best friends over coffee. Right after Rachel went to bed on Sunday night, we met up for coffee and stayed until the cafe closed.

4. Our coffee/girl time wouldn't have been possible if not for my loving husband who stayed with my daughter at home. I feel I under-appreciate him sometimes. He does so much for our family and never complains when I ask him to do something. He works full time and is taking courses for the CGA program and still has time for Rachel and me. I love him so much!

5. I'm grateful for the Scripture in Philippians 4:6-7.
   v.6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 
    v.7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Jesus Christ.

     As human as I am, I've been worrying about a lot of things lately, particularly about trying to conceive...again. It had been more challenging to get pregnant the second time around (after breastfeeding Rachel for 23 months). Then the miscarriage happened. Questions like when will I get pregnant again or will I not miscarry the second time pop into mind once in a while. These verses remind me that God will give me the peace of mind I need when I present my requests to Him. His timing is always the best.

I hope I've inspired some of you to start your own gratitude journals. It's a great way to start your Mondays.

Monday's Five Things I'm Grateful For

I apologize for this very late post. I actually wanted to post this on July 28th but our internet connection just didn't work the whole week. So I ended up being late for this entry. 

Monday, July 28th, was my first day back to work after a 3-week hiatus from the "real world". Instead of feeling the Monday blues, I am starting the week on a positive note by posting on my gratitude board. 

My gratitude list this week:

1. Gorgeous weather we've had over the weekend and I couldn't be more thankful to God for that! It was the perfect weather for our choir picnic yesterday. We had tons of fun and tons of food!

2. I'm grateful for some pampering and pedi time last Friday. Who wouldn't be thankful for that?

3. I couldn't be more thankful to my parents and my sister who are always there for me! They came back from their week-long vacation and didn't hesitate to babysit R while I took a little break and did some shopping!

4. My daughter has been consistently using the potty for the last two weeks! I still need to constantly remind her to let me know when she needs to use the potty, but it's been a HUGE improvement since we first started training her (1.5 yrs old). Yes it's has been a pretty long process but it's finally starting to pay off.

5. I'm thankful for the Bible verses I've been reading since last week through my devotional guide called "Today". I am constantly reminded that God is writing the story of my life. I may not like some parts of the story, but I must believe that He is leading me and showing me the clues that will guide me to my happy ending. I have to be listen carefully to what God is telling me and openly accept the challenges that come my way. I must say, though, that I cannot wait to see the amazing ending.

There certainly are more in my life to be thankful for, but I'll save them for next Monday.

Monday's "Five Things I'm Grateful For"

I was reading Thriving Family's Summer 2013 (I know...a year late) issue recently and found a great article about keeping a gratitude journal and writing down the things that you are thankful for. Studies have traced a range of impressive benefits to the simple act of writing down the things for which we’re grateful—benefits including better sleep, fewer symptoms of illness, and more happiness among adults and kids alike.

I've decided to start the "Five Things I'm Grateful For" entry today and every Monday thereafter. If the start of the workweek triggers feelings of anxiety and stress, it'll be refreshing to write down some things that you are grateful about last week. It's also a great way to keep myself in a thankful and positive state of mind especially what I've been through lately.  So here goes my list this week:

1. I'm thankful for the awesome weekend I had with my family! Rest and relaxation are two luxuries that money can't buy and that's what I experienced over the weekend. Nothing beats a healthy Saturday night dinner at Whole Foods and a lovely Sunday afternoon play time at Steveston Park. 

2. Summer and sunny days. Need I say more?

3. I'm grateful for good health. Indeed, health is wealth. When I was miscarrying 2.5 weeks ago, I felt like I couldn't even lift my head from my pillow. I'm really thankful that my energy is back and the Lord has restored my soul.

4.  Technology. I should've been in L.A. for a family reunion since Wednesday but because of my recent miscarriage, my doctor recommended me to get more rest and avoid flying. Thanks to technology, my sister has been sending me email updates about their events and calling me through Tango so I could stay in touch with them.

5. I'm most grateful about my 3-week staycation. I haven't been working for almost 3 weeks now due to the pregnancy loss. Being a stay-at-home mom has always been my dream since I gave birth to R. The last few weeks has given me a taste of that and I'm lovin' every second of it!

How about you? What are you thankful about this week?

Light at the end of the tunnel

It was as if I've finally gotten out of a very long dark tunnel. Saturday afternoon, after my hour-long nap, I felt as if I had renewed energy, renewed hope. I was ready to do my "normal" again, I was ready to do household chores, I was ready to take my daughter out to the park again. I was ready to start anew!

The weather was perfect for a picnic at the park. I didn't pack anything for dinner, my husband and I had roast lamb from our fave Greek restaurant in Steveston while my daughter had Vietnamese food. We finished off dinner with some ice cream...mmm...

In the last couple of weeks that I've been staying at home full time, I've come to love my daughter more and more. She brings so much joy and happiness to our family even though she's sometimes a handful. I have been blessed beyond what I'm supposed to have. I have a loving husband who takes care of me very well and makes sure that I have breakfast ready before I wake up (at least in the last two weeks). My mom, my dad, and my sister have been a huge help to my family in every way I can think of.

God has given me this time to slow down and re-think my priorities. I've been procrastinating for the longest time about starting a blog, and here I am, writing here every few days. God has given me more time to read more of His word and share my insights to you. God has given me this opportunity to write so that I can give Him back all the glory.

Tsokolate for the weak soul

It's true, chocolate has been proven to improve your mood. In an article I read in Reader's Digest, it said that dark chocolate stimulates the production of endorphins, chemicals in the brain that bring on feelings of pleasure. It also contains the chemical serotonin, which acts as an anti-depressant.

The past few days had been one of the worst in my life. All I needed was a mood-booster and what better way than to make my own native hot tsokolate. Thick, frothy with a bittersweet taste of dark chocolate, Tsokolate or Filipino Hot Chocolate is one of my favourite treats during Christmas holidays and any day, actually. Paired with pan-de-sal (butter pan rolls) or ensaymada (brioche), it always give me a feeling of warmth and nostalgia (my grandma made this for me when I was growing up in Cebu). 

I used 20 mini discs of Argao's 100% pure tableya, 5 cups of boiling water and a lot of whisking/stirring to make a big pot of Tsokolate.You may add sugar and milk according to taste. For me, I usually add 1-2 tablespoons of maple syrup for 1 cup of tsokolate.

 

While sipping my cup of tsokolate this morning, I also reflected on God's Word to me. I came across 2 Corinthians 12:9 New International Version (NIV)

⁹ But He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.

Once again, I'm reminded that all these are happening so that I will not forget that there is a God who is in charge of my life and I have to entrust everything to Him. I cannot and should not rely on my own strength.

God is too wise to be mistaken

I just didn't feel right this morning. I woke up at 5:45 and just couldn't go back to sleep. For some reason, I couldn't stop thinking "what if this will be the last day that I'll be carrying this baby?" I just laid in bed, prayed and finally stepped out of bed at 7:20. Went to the washroom and realized there was a clot as big as my palm at the bottom of the toilet. I didn't know what it was. My husband was with me at that time and I just hugged him and cried. Sadness overcame me. 

My doctor couldn't even give me a clear answer if I miscarried or not that morning. I have to wait another 2 weeks for an ultrasound. I think I need a second opinion...but don't know who to go to.

As I reflect on the events that happened this morning, Babbie Mason's "Trust His Heart" comes to mind. Let me share the lyrics with you. 

TRUST HIS HEART

All things work for our good
Though sometimes we don't
See how they could
Struggles that break our hearts in two
Sometimes blind us to the truth
Our Father knows what's best for us
His ways are not our own
So when your pathway grows dim
And you just don't see him,
Remember your never alone

Chorus:

God is too wise to be mistaken
God is too good to be unkind
So when you don't understand
When don't see his plan
When you can't trace his hand
Trust His Heart

He sees the master plan
He holds the future in his hand,
So don't live as those who have no hope,
ALL our hope is found in him.
We see the present clearly
He sees the first and last
And like a tapestry He's weaving you and me,
To someday be just like him

I know God has better plans for me. I just need some closure and clarity with my situation right now.
 

When things don't go as planned

My horror of all horrors occured last Friday, July 4, as I was getting ready for work. I used the washroom right before I was leaving and found that I was bleeding! I immediately called my mom who was at home to take care of R that day. I was in shock, didn't know what to think and how to react then my mom immediately started praying for God's protection over me and the baby.

The first thing I could think of was I cannot lose this baby! I burst into tears and sobbed uncontrollably. Thank God my mom was there to assure me that we have to submit to whatever God's will is for this baby. She kept reminding me that there is a purpose for this and we have to keep our faith and not worry about things that we do not have control about. I kept saying that I shouldn't have did any weight training that morning and blamed myself for what happened. My mom assured me that things like these just happen and that nobody was going to blame me for this.

I got a doctor's appointment that afternoon and was sent for an ultrasound on Monday. Unfortunately we couldn't get any appointment that day. By this time, I have already submitted everything to the Lord and not even a tad worried about the spotting. I continued to spot during the day, especially after a meal or when I went "no.2".

On Saturday, July 5, my husband (M) tried calling the Chinatown Radiology to see if they could squeeze me in for an emergency appointment today. We were so happy to know that I could be accommodated at 11:15! During the whole time the radiologist was looking at the monitor, I kept telling myself to be ready for the worst (i.e. I couldn't hear any heart beat or You've lost your baby). After what seemed like an eternity (I guess it was only 5 minutes), the radiologist told me that the pregnancy was in very early stages that she could only see the sac. According to her, I was only 6 weeks pregnant! All the while, I thought I was already 9.5 weeks along. I'd have to call my doctor again this Monday and find out what is going on.

Last night, as I was having my daily devotions, I came across several verses that has spoken to me so clearly that God is in control of everything.

"Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord." Psalm 27:14.
"Come to me, all you who are weary and burded, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heard and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light." Matthew 11:28-30
"Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you." 1 Peter 5:7

What I'm reading now

While on a weekly library trip with my daughter, R, I've borrowed a few books from the library. One of them was "The 30-Minute Pregnancy Workout Book" by Anna Aberg.

I've just started reading it while R was napping but haven't really gotten around followwing the routines. I find them doable especially to those who have been already active even before getting pregnant. Before I learned that I was pregnant, I was training to run a 10K faster and have still been running 4 times a week up to now. I'm just looking to add another light-weight training program to add to my routine.

Another book I borrowed was "Your Vegetarian Pregnancy" by  Dr. Holly Roberts. Since giving birth to Rachel, my lunch is usually a salad or a vegetarian meal. It's a challenge for me to have a vegetarian dinner since my husband is a meat-loving person..hahaha...so I try to cook a veggie dish and a poultry or fish dish for dinner. Hopefully this book will help me convince my family that a vegetarian diet is just as nutritionally sound as one that includes animal-protein.

I'm the type of person who reads several books all together and read a part of this and that during the day. "Supernatural Childbirth" by Jackie Mize is one of the books that I've also been reading even before conception of my second baby. This is such an insightful book about putting faith principles in having my own "perfect/supernatul" pregnancy and pain-free labour/childbirth. In the last two years that my husband and I have been trying to conceive, this book has helped me to believe that God has his own perfect timing for me to be pregnant again and have a beautiful baby.

A pleasant surprise

The news of having a positive home pregnancy test for the second time came as a surprise for M and I. I was shaking from sheer joy that this was happening again! We've been so busy in May preparing for our overseas trip and it just never crossed my mind that I've already missed my period last month.

The weekend after we came back from our 3-week Asian vacation was when I decided to test and found out we were expecting! On my first doctor's visit last Tuesday, June 10, she told me I was already 6.5 weeks along! What a blessing! EDD for baby no.2 is February 1, 2015.

I thank God for this wonderful opportunity to be pregnant again and have another baby! We just pray for a healthy and normal pregnancy.