Emmanuel's Seniors Journal

Hi Everyone, My goal is to only write once a week, but today presented many simple gifts I would like to share.  I had both CT scans done today which is a blessing, and I was told my surgeons will receive the results today.  I ask, please pray I will receive confirmed dates for surgery quickly.    I asked for two things this summer, to see a beautiful Monarch Butterfly in my backyard and for my morning glory to bring forth a flower.    As I went out into my yard at lunch, now almost the end of summer, I was given both requests.  A monarch landed near me on the railing of my deck, sadly I was unable to take a picture and then I noticed a white and purple flower on the morning glory plant.  Both requests were given today, I feel extremely blessed.  I also would like to share an email from earlier today that my friend Roger sent.  He wrote a post three weeks ago, about his friends the beavers.  I was encouraged and blessed by his words...

  Years ago, when we purchased our home, I had no idea how to create or care for a garden that produced vegetables and flowers.   I remember asking a friend where do I begin? She replied by saying, "Each year, you will learn, and the garden will always be changing." I remember thinking, "Really, that is all of the advice you are going to give me?" Now that I look back, my friend's words have become real for my experience as a gardener.   Yes, some of the flowers and the arrangements are the same, but the way the plants grow, and variations are always different.   I will remember this year, 2020, for the wildflowers, pansies, nasturtiums, calla lilies', sweet peas, morning glories, lots of swiss chard and lettuce, cucumbers, red and purplish tomatoes, and beans. The morning glories and sweet peas are new to my garden. The morning glories did not bloom, but there are still a few more weeks of warm weather, so maybe they will surprise me. The sweet peas...

Alex and I have been riding our bikes each night out into Lakeview park.   There is something beautiful about riding a bike in the summer, like a warm wind blowing across your face (I was going to say through your hair, but I wear a helmet). Then the freedom of being on a bike, and being with my grandson.   I like to get on the bike and ride until I get home, without too many stops.   Alex wants to ride, pause for a few moments he calls it fueling up his bike, then off we will go again.   We stop, chat, and take in the surroundings while he fills up.   During a forty-minute ride, he will stop at least five times.   I am learning from him to pause and enjoy the world around me.   Not to be so focused on completing a task instead, stop and be aware. Being still and practicing pause is vital to good health.   There are three areas of life we need to keep in balance, even when we consider taking time to pause silently, they are: physically, emotiona...