Too hot!
Sizzling hot!
Nathan Grant's and Victoria Bennett's romance escapade is not for the faint of heart, and I would not recommend this book for humans under 21 years old, both for males and females.
Tempting Victoria is a new adult novella written by Filipino author Mina V. Esguerra. I already read some of her books and most of them are sweet and clean romance. The best read I got from her works is That Kind of Guy, and finishing Tempting Victoria made me think that her style did mature as time passes by. It is a short read with a bonus story Kissing Day, about Chris and Diana.
Not so long ago, I made a rule that I would not, temporarily, read books with sexual tensions. After almost a year, the rule expired this week. I needed an ice breaker as I read Paulo Coelho's book set. Following Dear Alex, We're Dating. Tama, Mali?! Love, Catherine, Tempting Victoria is my second break.
Just like any other books I read from Mina V. Esguerra, I enjoyed reading Nathan's and Victoria's romance. There's a lot of teasing, kissing, and sex, and they could not deny the physical attraction between them. I just sighed whenever they gave in to their desires. The female lead, Victoria Bennett, is projected as someone who is capable and in control of her choices in life, but not until when it comes to falling for our male lead, Nathan Grant, he, on the other hand, is a chic magnet and who loves to have sex with women whom he finds attracted to him.
Vic tried to deny Nathan, but she just could not do that. How is that even be possible? I kid you not.
Get a copy of the book, if you want to more about how they end up together despite all her rejections and denial. I was surprised Nathan did not give up on her. And again read this, if only you are 21 years old and above, and you are not faint-hearted, alright?
Though I would prefer it if they got married first, before doing it, and I know how primitive my idea is, but that is just a thought from me.
I'm coming out! I'm coming out. I want the world to know. I've got to let it show!
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| Selfie was taken circa 2015 |
I am beginning to open up myself to others. Slowly, gradually, I am stepping out to make another debut in the world of society. But this time I am not doing it alone. I have someone greater than anyone has ever lived. I have someone who is all-powerful. I have someone who never runs out of love for me. He never fails me. But I did many times, I failed Him. But He forgives me always. He even sacrificed himself to save me from death. He is my salvation, my redeemer. His name is Jesus. The Son of God.
Last 2019, things got messy in my life. I was broken. Crushed. I was seeing death as something trivial yet scary. All my possessions, what I had achieved were temporary things I could lose any time. I realized there were things I could not control or even change, more so death.
I had this thought that the pain and grief I felt would be easily gone if I just die, and that was an easy way out. I gave up fighting. Because I always only got hurt. People did not like me or what I do. They rejected me, the real me. I was not good enough and all of us would just die anyway, so why even try to live? If you live, you will just die. Life was meaningless, pointless, even hopeless.
I was withdrawing from physical reality.
I was living to die. I was...
But, then...
Someone pulled me back to life. He sent angels through people who might know me or not. A divinely orchestrated plan led me back to The One who loved me first. To Him who always chased me. To Him who never let me down.
To my LORD.
I lost to surrender my life to Him and learned a lot and still learning and re-learning a lot about Him. I love Him, yet I know that He loves more and more, deeper than the depth of the sea. My brokenness works just like what Romans 8:28 says: "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who[a] have been called according to his purpose."
I was no longer a slave to my pain, grief, guilt, and shame. I am free. I no longer carry a heavy burden, because Jesus said in Matthew 11:30, "For my yoke is easy and my burden is light." And He brings me genuine peace, the kind of peace Paul said in Philippians 4:7, "And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."
Now, that I know the lengths, the heights, and the depths of God's love for me I no longer have the idea of wrong love, the kind of love this world projects and humans unconsciously acquire.
Matthew 22:39 says "And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself," --love others as you love yourself, see? You must love yourself the right way first, God's way, before you express the right kind of love to others. Knowing God and having an intimate relationship with Him will give us more opportunities to learn more about the kind of love He wants us to have and to share with others. How to do that? Own a Bible. Read His words. Talk to Him. Pray to Him.
Some of my Learn to's to better love yourself the right way.
1. Learn to say no
We have that tendency to always yes, even though we want to say no. I think we have that innate mechanism wherein we often do things to please other people. We take pride in saying yes all the time. We do not want to let down other people because they have some expectations, if not too much. As I became an adult, I thought I have to please every single person around me. I was so afraid to disappoint them, though I acted like I did not care I was so scared to be hated by people.
I always wanted to make a facade that I was capable of doing anything assigned to me. I was trying to act like I was a jack of all trades due to the fact that I was so afraid that others might say I was useless. That's why I had a habit of saying yes if someone was asking me for a favor.
So, next time someone asks you for something let's say a favor, it would not be so bad if you take your time and think about it before giving a response. Instead of pressuring yourself and letting others down might as well consider it first. It will be hard in the beginning, you may feel guilty and think of yourself as a bad person. But you'll get through it, pray for it.
2. Learn to take it slow
Do not rush yourself. If something needs to be done, let's say a task from work, give yourself time to think. Give yourself space. Breathe in, breathe out, before you start anything, whether it is work or personal task, much better if you even pray for it. Don't rush. Take it slow. You can pause and rest if things are tiring you down.
3. Learn to give not only take
I came from a poor family, so I tended to get stingy sometimes. I had this idea that I should keep more to myself since I did not have much. I did not hate giving, but I took more of what I could and what I should.
I thought if I kept more I would have more. Yet, in God's economy, this belief is so wrong. It is more like the more you give, the more you will be blessed. It will return to you ten folds, you will live abundantly. Spiritual and physical. You will not be lacking. He will supply all your needs. Needs, not want, alright?
So share what God has blessed you with, and always ask for discernment. We are born in this world with nothing, we will leave taking nothing. We are the stewards of all His creations. We should take care of them and never abuse them. Be more giving.
4. Learn to forgive yourself and others
Don't be hard on yourself. Lower your expectations. People make mistakes. People will disappoint me and you. You and I will disappoint others as well. Don't put too much pressure on yourself. Be more forgiving to yourself and others. If God can forgive us, who are we to deny ourselves and others of forgiveness.
I have to learn and re-learn all of these because they take practice and discipline to make them a habit. The truth is we are still in our sinful nature, our own flesh reeks of sin. It is hard for a naturally bad-nature human to be good without learning and discipline. It takes habits to form a character, a good one. Despite the messy parts of our lives, God did not forsake us. He sent someone to save us so we can return to our original form. God loves me. Period. So be sure to love yourself, the way God does.
So, again, who else will love you? None other than, but Jesus, certainly, eternally. Accept Him in your life and you will never be the same.
Where do you get that extra cash during this lockdown?
A lot of Filipinos lost their source of income due to the CoViD pandemic. I know that most of us are looking for a job to have an extra income to support our family's basic needs, and the online world posts a lot of potentials where people can earn money.
Right now, I have two sources of extra income where I earn not much, but just enough for what my family and I need. I sell online and write reviews.
1. Online selling
I have an account on Shopee which sells brand new and pre-loved books. It also has a small physical store near our house. I started my independent book store last August 2018. The physical book store is not frequent by people, since only a few know it, probably it is just me and the rest of the family. I get my sales more on Shopee, sometimes through Facebook or Carousell. Last time, I checked the sales I already earned and spent 33,000 pesos something in a span of a year (excluding the sales thru FB and Carousell) which do not really cash on hand thing, the digits are more of a system-generated sales report from Shopee. In short, I do not have the 33,000 pesos on my hand in case you are thinking that I have cold cash in my pocket. I have spent most of them, and keep the capital cycling as it serves its purpose.
Reading books is one of my hobbies, so I enjoy selling books. You may also find things around you which you can sell online. Some of my friends are also selling online through Facebook and Instagram. They sell make-up and pre-loved clothes, bags, and footwear. Maybe now is perfect for you to clean and organize your stuff and declutter while earning a few pesos at the same time.
2. Review writing
I came across a post in one of the bookish group I am affiliated with on Facebook. The post advertised about a writing job with average earnings of 5,000 to 10,000 pesos. I am usually skeptical of this kind of post online, they appear fraud to me. Clicking the message button, I still had doubts in me. I sent interest and I got a reply right away. I was tasked to write a short review of 120 words of the latest book I read which was The Alchemist at that time.
Thank God, I got the job and earned almost 7,000 since April 20. And again I do not have the cash on hand. I already spent it on our basic needs. The job requires me to read books and write my impression of the story I read.
You may also find ways on how to earn online just like me. If you are good at drawing, someone may commission you. Or if you are also good at writing, you may find a job just like mine.
I am blessed that I earn from the things I love to do: reading and writing. You may never know as you scroll down on your Facebook or Instagram feeds with your smartphone or laptop, you might find a part-time just like how I did. Now is the time to start utilizing those gadgets for something profitable and helpful. I refer to the decent ways of using the internet to earn money, alright? Are we clear on that? And I pray that this post somehow helps you with what you are going through right now. Keep safe! God bless!
A gentle reminder: For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs. ~1 Timothy 6:10
Who doesn't love bubble milk tea?
I did. I was in love with it. I always wanted it. I craved for it ever since I got to taste the sweet drink and the chewy bubble pearl. I was delusional.
I thought just because it has the word tea, it was also healthy. But I was wrong.
The milk tea house has been a booming business all over the Philippines since 2017 or 18 and said to be originated from Taiwan, the same origin as Meteor Garden and the F4 fever.
I was a fanatic of bubble milk tea, but not until last 2019 at the beginning of the year. A doctor I met once advised me to stop drinking tea or milk tea, coffee, and soda, as well as eating chocolate due to the medication she gave me. I was banned from consuming chocolate and I hiatus from consuming my all-time favorite drink, bubble milk tea, for about a year and had few secret rendezvous with my lover bubble milk tea and chocolate at the beginning of my withdrawal.
There are a lot of unhealthy drinks in the market like soda, artificial fruit juice, and unauthentic chocolate drink, and milk tea just added to the list. These kinds of drinks are harmful to health if not consume moderately. These drinks contain mostly a lot of sugar, and when I say a lot, it is more than what our body needs. People may not easily and totally get away from these drinks since they are what the markets offer to its customer, and to be honest they are a lot much cheaper than those organic products we get to see online. Good thing I am not a fan of soda or any artificial fruit juice drink, but I was crazy for chocolate drinks and bubble milk tea.
This year 2020, I decided to look for an alternative and healthier choice of milk tea drink, and since I no longer taking that medicine after a month of doing so, now I can freely go back to drinking my all-time favorite, milk tea and tea alone. I list down two of my go-to healthy drinks and where to buy them:
1. Gold leaf tea bags
Gold Leaf Teas is the largest local hot tea brand in the Philippines, bringing world-class premium teas to the home of every Filipino at unbeatable prices!
I get to purchase quality tea bags for an affordable price from them. They offer a wide variety of tea. I prefer getting my supplies of tea from Gold Leaf Shopee store since they always have discounts.
Drinking tea is good for my tummy. If I feel bloated, I just have to drink tea and I get to release the air trapped in my stomach. It has calming effect and also known as an antioxidant to help you remove the toxins brought by harmful elements in our bodies.
If you want to try drinking tea, you may click the link to visit Gold Leaf online store: https://shopee.ph/gold_leaf
2. Celestial Milk Tea
Celestial Milk Tea is your heavenly milk tea. It's healthy and affordable for the price of 195 pesos per liter. They have three different flavors, all sugar-free: winter melon, Okinawa, and salted caramel. Instead of using the mainstream milk available in the market, CMT uses 100% carabao milk in making their tea. Their milk tea has lower cholesterol, higher calcium, and energy booster. A healthier choice for all the milk tea lovers out there!
Other benefits of carabao milk are that it contains riboflavin needed for normal growth, the agent against skin swelling, inflammation of the lining of mouth and tongue, and dizziness. It also has vitamin A for good eyesight, and vitamin D, calcium, and phosphorus for strong bones and teeth.
Aside from milk tea, pure carabao milk is also available from them and can be purchased for 219 pesos per liter. It is much cheaper than buying from the ones I saw on Shopee.
You may visit their page and message to order your very first heavenly milk tea:
So, have you decided what to put in your glasses next time you crave a flavored drink? I hope you will make the right choice and you may also suggest what other healthy yet affordable drink I should try next time. May we all choose a healthier way of living this 2020! Keep safe!
Disclaimer: This post is not sponsored and in any way affiliated with any of the products mentioned above.
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