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.

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.