Harvest Apple Spice by Tea Forte

My tea shelf is overflowing with so many delicious choices that it was challenging to know what to share with you. Then I sampled this tea and knew this tastiness had to be shared.

When I first smelled Harvest Apple Spice, I felt like it was Fall. It smells like apple cider and made me want to put on a sweater and jump in a pile of leaves. I was hopeful that the taste would be just as good and I was not disappointed.

On their website http://teaforte.com this tea is described as “Flavor: Juicy apple spice, orchestrated with notes of berry richness and a hint of oak. Aroma: Sweet apple cider with mulled-spice fragrance and faint berry undertow”.

If you are missing the season of Fall, try this a sip of Harvest Apple Spice!

2 Years Without My Mom

Today is a sad day as it has now been two years since my Mom died. As I think about the last two years, sometimes it seems like so long since I last talked to Mom and other times it is like two years flew by. And that is grief.

As I have been thinking of this day, a quote from Frederick Buechner kept returning to my mind.

“When you remember me, it means you have carried something of who I am with you, that I have left some mark of who I am on who you are. It means that you can summon me back to your mind even though countless years and miles may stand between us. It means that if we meet again, you will know me. It means that even after I die, you can still see my face and hear my voice and speak to me in your heart.”

When I think of the marks of my mother that she imprinted on me, the list is long.

She taught me to love music-playing it and hearing it. She said it was important to practice too and she liked practicing as little as I did.

She was always reading multiple books at once. She kept books and her reader in different places so she had something close by to read whenever she had a free moment. She was always happy someone was reading no matter what they were reading! She loved to give book recommendations and loved to give a book to another reader (usually me) as soon as she finished!

My Mom found so much joy in seeing happiness in the people she loved. She loved to hear about my day, my work, and what was going on in my life. She was genuinely happy when her people were happy.

My Mom liked to eat foods that made her happy. No one who met Mom will argue with the fact that Mom was a picky eater! And yet, she was happy to eat her favorite meals and snacks over and over again. Two of the last things Mom ate were a homemade cinnamon roll and a lemon Bundt cake to celebrate my birthday! Potlucks and church suppers were never her favorite because someone might try to sneak some mayonnaise or a scary vegetable into her meal.

I could go on and on sharing ways that my Mom has left her mark on me. In memory of my Mom, could you take a few minutes today to tell someone special in your life that you love them and how they have left their mark on you?

“It means that even after I die, you can still see my face and hear my voice and speak to me in your heart.”
— Frederick Buechner

A Prayer for the Week Between Christmas Day and the New Year

Whether you are working or taking this week off, it is a unique week as we await the new year. Some people are rushing to complete tasks before 2022 ends. Others are trying to do as little as possible to conserve energy for the new year. Wherever you find yourself in these final days of the year, know you are loved!

God of All Time, We find ourselves nearing the end of the calendar year. The new year is coming soon and yet we must remember the current year has a few more days remaining. Slow us down from rushing to the flip the calendar into a new year. Whether we are working or using up some vacation time, help us to use this time wisely…which doesn’t mean that every minute must be filled. Help us to use this time and all our time wisely by giving thanks to you for the time we have. Seeing each day as a gift is what you ask of us. For the gift of this day, we thank you. For the gift of this year, we thank you. For the gift of our lives, we thank you. Even when life isn’t going according to our plan, we thank you for walking with us and supporting us. So make us aware of your presence this week, we know you are with us and sometime just need a reminder. Thank you for this week before the new year. Amen!

Do the Hard Thing!

I hope you will join me in this celebration and be reminded/inspired to do the hard thing. I know I will need this reminder again soon.

What is something that is hard for you to do? We all have our own thing that challenges us. Mine is asking for help. I will work and work and work because a task is mine to complete. I could ask for help, and too often, I do not. Join me in this moment of celebration. Recently at work, I asked for help. Even with trying so hard, I could not finish everything that needed to be done. So I did the thing that is so hard for me, I asked for help. And guess what? I was given help!

I wanted to share this because I know each one of us has something that is so hard for us to do. And I don’t know what yours is. I do know the peace I felt when this one time I did that hard thing. So I hope you will try it. Do that one thing that is so hard for you.

And knowing myself, it will probably be awhile before I ask for help I need again. So when that hard thing is too much for you, give yourself grace when you just can’t do it. And then try again.

God! We need some help here. We probably won’t ask for help because that it is too hard to admit we can’t do it all ourselves. Help us to do that one hard thing that is making our lives more challenging. Give us courage to just do it. And then, give us courage to do it again. And for those times we just can’t, grant us grace and peace, we pray. Amen.

December is Here!

Happy December! Amid all the joy that many are feeling in this holiday season, be aware of those among us who are feeling a variety of emotions. This is a reminder to be kind to yourself with whatever emotions pop up around the holidays.

Just recently a friend told me her primary mood lately has been melancholy. Another friend’s Mom is nearing the end of her life and receiving care with hospice. I am aware of my own grief that my Mom won’t be physically present with us as we gather as a family this year.

And I can tell you just as many stories filled with joy and excitement for people I know who are delighted this holiday season.

We, humans, are amazingly able to experience more than one emotion at a time. You might be crying and suddenly burst into laughter. A long forgotten photograph might inspire a variety of feelings. Cooking a family recipe might bring back memories of the last time you ate this food gathered around a table filled with family. Unpacking Christmas ornaments might remind you of the loved one on whose tree they used to hang.

As we flip the calendar to a new month (yes, I still have a paper calendar), let us be kind to ourselves and each other. This month may be your favorite and someone else may just be hoping to “make it through December”. You can love the holidays. You can dread the holidays. And you can do both at the same time.

Creating God, you sure did fill us with lots of emotions. And no other month brings those emotions to the surface as fast as December. So remind us to be kind to everyone this month, especially ourselves. When our feelings bubble up to the surface, may we have courage to let them out. And when our feelings linger just below the surface, give us patience with ourselves as we await the time we are ready to share how we are feeling. In joy and sorrow, you Loving God remains our constant companion. Amen.

8 Years Yesterday! Happy Anniversary Tea and Theology!

It has been 8 years since I began writing here. Of course, so many things have changed in the last 8 years. I have moved from a time of sabbatical to youth ministry to full-time hospice chaplaincy. I have physically moved from the apartment where this blog was born to a lovely home and then a different lovely home. I think of the adventures, joy, and sorrow of the last eight years too. Thank you to the readers who quickly jumped on board and all the readers who have joined along the way. Thank you all for reading and being part of this journey.

It all began with these words-

“Welcome to my new blog.

Here you will find book reviews, worship words (liturgy), and recommendations for a good cup of tea. I hope you’ll find books you’d like to read. I hope you’ll find words that help you connect with God. And, I hope you’ll find a new tea to enjoy. I’m looking forward to walking this journey with you.”

So thank you all for reading, commenting, sharing, and growing with me these past eight years. Blessings to each of you and know I will give thanks for you when I have a cup of tea today.

Peace and Love, Susannah

A Prayer for All Saints’ Day

Does everyone appreciate this holy day more as they age? I know I do. Today (or the Sunday closest) is a day set aside to remember that this generation of faith is not the first and will not be the last. We have learned from those who have gone before and we are to pass along what we know to be true.

On this All Saints’ Day, I invite you to join me in this prayer that combines some words from the hymns I Sing a Song of the Saints of God and For All the Saints. Pray with me as together we remember and give thanks!

For all the Saints who from their labors rest, we give thanks to you, Loving God, for each and every saint who has gone to be with you. We are thankful for those we knew and loved. We are thankful for those whose stories we heard even though we never met. We are thankful for those whose stories now only live in your memory.

We remember that one was a doctor and one was a queen and one was a prophet and one was a priest and one was slain by a fierce wild beast. And each of them was beloved by you, Faithful God. And the list of who they were to those who loved them is full of descriptions that made each one unique and is a reminder of how You created each one of us with gifts, hopes, and dreams.

Ringed by this cloud of witnesses divine, we feebly struggle, they in glory shine, yet in your love our faithful lives entwine. This is your hope for us, God, that we may feel connected to your children throughout the ages. When we sing this songs, we remember. When we speak their names, we remember. And when we remember, God, we are asking you to help us to be saints too. Amen.

https://hymnary.org/text/for_all_the_saints_who_from_their_labors

https://hymnary.org/text/i_sing_a_song_of_the_saints_of_god

You Need to Read The Remarkable Journey of Coyote Sunrise

While the title of this blog post says it all, I will go on! What an amazing book full of unique and lovable people who all find themselves together on a school bus. Why are they on a school bus? Because this beloved school bus is where Coyote and Rodeo live. As they let others into the bus and into their lives, they are changed and they bring change to the lives of those they meet.

As this story unfolds, you learn that so much is hidden under the surface in each of their lives-just like every life! And you want a good ending for all of them, of course you do. I invite you to join Coyote and her companions on this journey of grief, second chances, friendships, learning from each other. This book reminded me, once again, how much we need each other. So please read this book and then encourage someone you know to read it!

The Remarkable Journey of Coyote Sunrise by Dan Gemeinhart

How Do You Know?

I love to ask someone what they loved about their significant other in my work at hospice. It can be a great way to learn so much about both of them. I like to ask how they met and what is the secret to their years together. Sometimes I get an immediate answer. Sometimes they say I don’t know and promise to think more about it.

My spouse and I are away celebrating (belatedly) 15 years of marriage. Here is what happened today that answers that question for me.

My husband has wanted to do deep sea fishing for years. I mean years and years. He scheduled the two of us to go. The plan was to go and catch lots of fish and then eat them together in a delicious meal. Great plan! On this beautifully, warm day, we hit the open water. He reeled in a mahi-mahi. I reeled in a red snapper. And then I realized I was not made to do deep sea fishing. I promise no details except I was sick! And you know what, not one time was my spouse grumpy or upset that we had to return to land earlier than planned. Not one time! Instead he said you were out here for a long time and we caught fish!

So the next time someone asks me the secret to marriage, I will share this story. And say find someone who keeps on loving you even you puke all over their dreams.

1 Mahi-mahi and 18 Red Snapper!

A Morning Prayer

Often I hear from hospice patients that they are thankful that God woke them up this morning. And I know this is one way of saying they are thankful for another day of life. I, too, am thankful for this day of living. I am not a morning person and find it difficult to be thankful for being woken up! I share with you a morning prayer that recognizes we have a variety of feelings about mornings.

God of Early Mornings and Late Mornings, We give you thanks for another day of life. No matter if we jump out of bed ready for another day or if we prefer to linger in our comfy spots as long as possible. Thank you for the people who can smile in the morning and the people who need a little help from a shower or caffeine to bring about a smile in the AM.

You have given us this day. Let us find joy in this day. You have given us this day. Help us to share love this day. You have given us this day. Keep us mindful of the opportunities this day presents to us.

God, you have woken us up for another day of life. Be with all of us this day as we prepare for whatever we may encounter. Send us forth in peace. Amen.

Some of us just want to sleep a little longer!