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Botanical Musing Meditation: Summer's Gratitude Harvest Blessing (Gift), Brain Health Awareness Month Edition
- Andrea Angie (GA)
- Jun 30
- 5 min read
Summer's Gratitude Harvest Blessing (Gift): May you pause to gather the fruits of this season's growth, recognizing not just what you've accomplished but who you've become through the tending. May you trust that every challenge faced, every adaptation made, and every moment of choosing divine goodness over demeaning grind has cultivated gifts within you that the world desperately needs.
Botanical Observation: As summer concludes, gardeners traverse their land with baskets, collecting not only the evident fruits but also seeds for the next planting season, herbs for winter remedies, and picking flowers to preserve their beauty by drying during the darker months.
The harvest celebrates both the visible abundance + the invisible growth that made it possible: stronger root systems, resilient plants, and soil enriched by a season of careful tending.
There is stunning completeness in this harvest moment.
The gardener doesn't focus only on what could have grown differently or what challenges arose during the season—there's gratitude for what flourished under the specific conditions that existed. Your soulful, diverging journey through this season deserves the same kind of appreciative harvest.
Every accommodation you ARTvocated for, every boundary you set, every moment you chose to show up uniquely as your ever-evolving self—these are fruits worth gathering + celebrating.
Our gratitude practices rewire our brains for greater appreciation + wellbeing, creating upward spirals of soul care + savoring life, even amidst our laments.
Intentional + intuitive gratitude harvesting becomes a revolutionary act of responding to God's grace + self-compassion. When you acknowledge the gifts that have grown from your savoring + struggles, you create fertile ground for nourishment in the holy rhythms of each emerging season.
Blessing in Hebrew: Berakah (beh-rah-KHAH) - literally means "to kneel." In ancient contexts, kneeling to present a gift symbolized offering something valuable with honor + humility. This imagery suggests that blessings flow from a heart posture of generosity + abundance.
Blessing in Ghanaian Twi: Nhyira (N-yih-RAH) - is both a noun + a verb, meaning "blessing" or "to bless." It is seen as a robust invocation of divine favor that brings prosperity, peace, joy, and hope to individuals + communities. Beyond personal wellbeing, the belief is that blessings are meant to be shared + multiplied within the community.
Reflection for Your Journey
SOULjourner,
Just as attentive gardeners gather both the obvious fruits + the hidden seeds of their season's work, you too can harvest the full abundance of growth that has emerged from your journey of cyclical living + self-ARTvocacy.
What fruits have ripened in your life this season? Reflect on both external + internal growth—enhanced self-acceptance, bountiful boundaries, a deeper understanding of your needs, or increased confidence in your unique way of being + doing.
In your personal tending, practice gathering the seeds of compassion + wisdom that will nourish future growth. Perhaps it's recognizing which environments help you thrive, which relationships support you, or which practices help you stay regulated + centered. What have you learned + celebrated about yourself that you want to carry forward?
In our collective tending, your harvest contributes to a larger abundance. When you celebrate your divergence, ARTvocate for your needs, and show up in the world, you create conditions for others to do the same. What seeds of change have you planted in your communities that might bloom into greater acceptance + inclusion for others? When we harvest gratitude for our personal growth while recognizing our contribution to collective flourishing, we complete one cycle while planting seeds for an even more abundant future.
Brain Health Awareness Month Benediction: May every blessing (berakhah / nhyira) flow freely—from reverence, from grace, from the deep well of God's generosity—reminding you that your brain + being are sacred gifts worthy of love + care every single day.
As we conclude this summer blog series, we will plant seeds for the next series to emerge in the fall. Thank you for tending to your soul, SOULjourner.
Amen + Asé ♡
A Special Free Gift for You
To deepen your journey into sensory awareness + sensing pleasure, I invite you to download my complimentary PDF guide, Savoring Sensuality with Soul.
This pastoral guide explores the importance of presence, surrender, and gratitude in experiencing life's replete pleasures more fully. It offers pastoral care on how to engage your senses and celebrate your neurology.
Download Your Free PDF Here:
As you explore this resource, remember that your unique journey is a celebration of soulful living. May you find daring shalom + sensual pleasure in every moment.
With soul,
Pastor Angie
SOULjourner, go Deeper on my Autism+ page for more resources.
Featured Gift Set SOULution
The Workspace Gift Set - Nourish your mind + workspace with this thoughtfully designed, succulent-themed gift set.
Why This Set? Every item in this set is chosen to create a workspace that supports your mental clarity, creativity, emotional regulation, and daily peace + play. Fabulous for Brain Health Awareness Month (and beyond), it’s a beautiful way to honor the connection between your environment and your wellbeing.
What’s Included + How Each Item Supports Brain Health:
Whimsical Respiratory-Sensitive Paint Can Candle (8 oz., hand-poured, wood wick, non-toxic): The gentle, non-toxic fragrance + soft crackle of the wood wick create a calming atmosphere, helping to manage stress and support mindful work-play + relaxation.
Pre-Planted Fresh Mini Succulent: Having a living plant at your desk has been shown to lower stress, boost mood, and improve focus. The act of caring for a plant also nurtures a sense of self-tending + connection to nature.
Affirmation Phone Stand: This daily visual reminder keeps your phone upright + your spirit uplifted. Positive affirmations are proven to support emotional wellbeing, essential for brain health.
4 x 6 in, 50-Sheet Sticky Notepad: Jotting quick notes, ideas, or gratitude lists by hand stimulates cognitive function, enhances memory, and helps organize thoughts—supporting both creativity + mindfulness.
Faux Feather Pen: Writing by hand with a unique pen can make note-taking more enjoyable, encouraging creative thinking + providing a tactile break from screens.
Color + Journal™ 'Thank You' Card + Envelope: Expressing gratitude + reflecting on meaningful relationships is linked to improved mood + cognitive wellbeing. The card’s message + succulent coloring activity offer a mindful pause + a nourishing soul care reminder:
Front of postcard: “Thank you, you stuck it out with me, I’m forever grateful." Back: blank Back quote: “Like the life of a cactus, it blooms at night to conserve water + energy. This is a soul care reminder that blooming is about a grace pace, not performance."
Soil Moisture Stick Sensor: This simple tool makes caring for your succulent effortless, reinforcing daily rituals + the satisfaction of nurturing life—routines that can ground you + support sabbathing rhythms.
Free Gift Wrapping Included: A beautifully wrapped gift elevates the experience, signaling that your well-being is worthy of celebration.
Or you can BUILD YOUR OWN GIFT SET >>
Until next time,
Gift from your soul.
✧
Deepen Your Soul Care Journey
Beloved SOULjourner, as you continue to nurture your gift-giving practice, discover sustainable gifts designed to embody intentional gift-giving + connection.
Soulful gifting for social change in the soul care boutique. Be inspired to amplify your ARTvocacy through peace + play vibes.
Disclaimer: This blog post is for informational purposes only as I share my pastoral care, my journey, and bring to you valuable research. It is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. If you are experiencing any medical concerns or symptoms, please seek the guidance of a qualified healthcare professional.
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