An Unexpectedly Peaceful Life

       https://open.spotify.com/playlist/37i9dQZF1DWUvZBXGjNCU4?si=cc35c1c26fb34eea

Beloved:
          Sweater Weather Instrumentals is a six-hour playlist I found years ago that I start playing the first morning I take the dog out and can’t feel even a spit of summer on the air.  I don’t remember ever playing it in September and certainly not this early!  But I’ll take it, knowing good and well the humid heat is not gone for good.  Besides, I still have tomatoes on the vine that need that heat to ripen.
          I nearly got through the season without getting stung, though not in my garden.  In the bookstore café, by what bee or bug I didn’t see.  First the pierce and then the fire.  Rebecca, the café barista, gave me ice and asked if my mouth felt like it was swelling.  I’m not allergic as far as I know, so all is well this morning.
          When soft weather changes and bee stings are the stuff of one's journal entries, hopefully she marks what peace her life is made of.  This is not how I thought life would be now, yet who could possibly complain about such a blessed existence, a life so full of love and kindness?  Every time I run the formula, what I miss compared to what I’ve kept keeps me grateful for the goodness of God, other people and golden retrievers.  That is not to say the losses don’t still sometimes sting - only that they no longer overwhelm.  They barely cast a shadow on this unexpectedly oh-so-peaceful life.
          Life will change and then change again, of course.  From sugar to salt to sugar again, ‘round and ‘round it goes.  The trick of faith is hanging on to what doesn’t change, God and love, wherever it shows up.  And also showing up in love for others, as often as they need for as long as they need and we are able.  I pray you know yourselves most profoundly held and loved this day. 

~peace & prayers,
​pastor Annette

Recipe: Apples & Hummus

• 2 small sliced apples*
• 5 oz hummus (Sabra classic is my favorite)

I eat this for lunch a few times a week.  1 apple and less hummus is a great snack. 
*I’m not sure why apples are so expensive right now, maybe it’s the end of last year’s crop and they’ll be cheap again as soon as harvest starts.