160128 Thank you for the jasmine flowers

Jasmine flower from the orphanage

I love the smell of the jasmine. But I've never seen or smelled a real jasmine flower before. I've only smelled it from tea or body lotion and fell in love with the beautiful scent. It's only last year that I came to know what it really looks like. It's strange that I was never too curious about what this beautifully scented flower might look like.

There was a flower bush in Cambodia in front of the orphanage that smelled really good - it smelled like jasmine. However, I didn't know what it was because the children were telling me the Cambodian name of the flower. So I just thought it must be some local flower with a good scent that smelled kinda like jasmine. For the entire week that I was staying at the orphanage, I just enjoyed its smell and never questioned if that might in fact be jasmine. Only once when I came back home, I started to wonder if that bush really was jasmine. I suddenly got excited and looked up "jasmine flowers."

This took me back to the time I was in Cambodia. I loved the smell of jasmine flowers brought by the breeze. It also reminded me of the conversation I had with one of the kids at the orphanage. I was walking around the garden, smelling various flowers to see where the smell had been coming from. When I got near to this flower, I was so excited that I finally found the source of the smell. I stuck my nose in the flower and inhaled as much as I can to remember its scent. Then one boy came to me to see what I'm up to. I shared how much I loved the smell. He started to pick all the blossomed flowers one by one. When he brought the flowers to me, his hands were full of these white jasmine flowers. I told him that he didn't have to pick all the flowers, I'm happy with one to keep as a souvenir. In response, he said that more will bloom tomorrow, whereas I'm only there for one more day so I should take all of them.

Out of all the flowers the boy picked for me, I only kept two in my Bible. The scent is barely there anymore, but I still stick my nose in my Bible, whenever I miss Cambodia.

Speaking of Cambodia, I couldn't fall asleep last night because I was thinking about Cambodia. The fact that there is an opportunity for me to return this summer got me excited. I know it's still a long time ahead, and I don't know what my situation will be like in the summer. However, I trust that if God wants me to go again this year, He will show me and make a way for me. So I'll be praying in the mean time and trust God.

no.237 131223 Thank you for the electricity

Even the evergreens have turned into beautiful crystals.

On my way home from work, I noticed that many buildings still had no lights. Some of the buildings that were pitch black included the ones my friends live. I texted some of them to see how they were doing, and some said they were at a friend's place, and some told me that they are staying at a hotel. The traffic lights were still unavailable on some streets, including main intersections. I heard that many people are still without power. Even the condos just across the street from me have no lights. Apparently, a lot of places won't get electricity until Christmas... it will be an interesting Christmas this year. I'm thankful that I have electricity at home, and I hope that the power will be fixed soon and set people free from uncomfortable conditions!

no.220 131206 Thank you for the cloudy day

You know what I realized today? I realized that the first thing I do as I walk outside, when it's dark out, is to look up. I see if the sky is clear enough to see the stars. I think it's become a habit. I search for the stars because that's what makes me happy. Lately, I haven't been able to because the weather didn't cooperate with me. Now that it's winter, there is another thing I do. I check if it's snowing. I wasn't able to see neither the stars nor the snow tonight. It would be nice to see the snow since it's winter and all, but we haven't gotten any sunlight in a while. Although weather in December can be pretty depressing, I'm still thankful for today. We have to have days like this (gloomy, grey and cloudy) in order to appreciate days that are prettier with bright sunshine or fluffy snowflakes. So, I'm thankful for this cloudy day, although it makes me super tired and sleepy!