Sandalwood & Chamomile

God will let you laugh again; you'll raise the roof with shouts of joy,

--- Job 8:21, The Message.

I had been looking for this verse weeks after I stumbled on it on my friend's blog. (Thanks, Ting!) I couldn't quite find it, until I stumbled on it again when my friend posted another entry.

Although the verse is nestled in the monologue of Job's friend Bildad, who mistakenly argued that Job's wickedness brought him his suffering, I claim this verse as God's promise to me. The God I serve is a great God, and indeed He will allow me to laugh again, to raise the roof with my shouts of joy. I look forward to that day, as if that day has already come. Maybe then I can stop crying and instead feel joy bubbling and overflowing out of me.

Written by Gail T. at 12:25 AM | 4 comments Links to this post    
Filed under on the web, words of wisdom

I get surprised at the sort of things that come out of people's mouths. There are blatant lies and honest to goodness truths, insincere phrases and stop-me-dead-in-my-tracks declarations. Often, I realize how naive and clueless to people's real thoughts I have been all along. I can't claim to be a good judge of strangers because I usually find that my second and third impressions are in fact diametrically opposed to my first ones.

Close friends imply I am somewhat gullible. Well, gullibility could explain the numerous April Fool's jokes I fell for last Tuesday. There was the news of the discontinuation of Vox's Question of the Day (My reaction: "What am I going to be writing about in Vox? What to do?") and deletion of My Cebu Photo Blog posts and pictures ("Wait, I haven't even hosted Satchmo yet!"). And what about the real-live ducks quacking outside my classroom door... courtesy of a funny 5-year-old? I do have one saving grace: I did not fall for Google's Gmail Custom Time. Heh.

I feel that I almost always believe whatever a person says. So I was floored when I found out that someone has been doing apologetics for me. On my behalf. In my defense. Without my knowledge. I was immensely touched precisely because I didn't need to be defended. But my apologist raised logical counterarguments against all possible attacks on me. Yeah, I really was touched.

Being true to my own character, I completely believed--and still do--my apologist. It might have been an April Fool's joke. But then again, I do prefer to see the best in a person.

Written by Gail T. at 8:44 PM | 5 comments Links to this post    
Filed under as it is, pictured

It's amazing how much sunshine and some warmth can lift one's spirits. I didn't even realize I do get affected by SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder).

In any case, I was able to enjoy the warm sun with my kids this morning. Ahh, everything looked and felt better. I was in a better mood, and was a better teacher because of that little bit of sunshine.

Then, I ran a personal errand during my extended lunch break (which turned into two hours, instead of the expected 1.5-hour affair). I walked around Seattle's International District and in Pioneer Square, just basking in the sun's rays. How I wished for my sunglasses, but even that didn't affect my mood. Only coming back to get cooped up at work made the corners of my mouth turn downwards. *sigh*

As I was waiting for my bus, I was suddenly reminded of the excursions I had taken in the middle of the day when I went on vacation. I remember thinking how wonderful it was to be walking in the sunshine, when I could have been stuck at work.

Toward the end of the day, the warmth of the sun still lingered. As I walked Seattle's streets, I was able to smell food aromas wafting from open restaurants. I stopped walking, and closed my eyes. I remember the wonderful smell of roasted chicken by the side of the roads in Cebu City.

Ahhh... I need to go on vacation once again. I really really really need it.

I have one coming up in October (*sigh* still way too far away). Maybe I should add something to my travel experience. Being a picky eater and possessing of a not-so-adventurous stomach, I don't like to try to eat everything when I travel. But then I realize, I can expand my horizons just a little bit. Perhaps in my future trips, I can try this. Whenever I smell something delicious in the air, I should look for it, ask for it and eat it. Okay, at the very least, I'll try it. If the food smells stinky, that should be for a more adventurous tummy.

Written by Gail T. at 6:56 PM | 2 comments Links to this post    
Filed under life in the US, recollections, travel, work