The Kitchen Mission

I am a storyteller. On occasion I am called a writer, but I hear they can spell and punctuate. So I stick to stories.

Stories are what keep us gathered ’round our kitchen tables. Stories cause us to linger long after the last bite is savored. Food nourishes our bodies, but stories fuel our souls. Casual conversations weaved over meals, in kitchens modern or primitive, reveal more than just the happenings of the day. Stories reveal our hopes and dreams. Our fears and worries. Our histories, the paths we’ve worn. Our stories reveal not just our character, but the very nature of God’s.

Have you ever heard a story at just the right time and thought, ‘Wow. I needed to hear that today.’? In a book I read recently called Coffee Shop Conversations, I highlighted the quote:

We cannot underestimate the way our stories of God’s love to us

allow our friends to entertain the hope that God loves them too.

For years I’ve written The Schell Cafe as a labor of love and when time allows. Many of you follow along for the recipes. Most of you; however, tell me you love the stories. Why? Because it’s our stories that unite us.

Last week I shared with you my vision to write an eCookbook. While the seeds were planted long ago, it was the encouragement of my dear friend Brooke who started the ball rolling in the form of a contest. A contest I hope to win, of course! Not so much for me, but for what our collective stories can mean for this little community we’ve built and beyond. Far beyond.

The eCookbook is so much more than recipes. It’s a ministry. And if I were with you in an elevator, or more likely in the produce aisle of the grocery store, here is the story I would tell…

I’m writing a cookbook. The working title is The Kitchen Mission: Recipes to Nourish, Stories to Inspire. It’s the first in a collection of cookbooks featuring tried & true, healthy recipes. Crowd pleasing favorites not only from my own kitchen, but from friends and fans of The Schell Cafe. Each recipe, and the friends who share them, tells a unique story. Stories of celebration. Remembrance. Provision. Hardship. Love.

Each eCookbook in The Kitchen Mission Collection will benefit a ministry or mission near and dear to my heart. As a stay-at-home mom who is not gainfully employed, I’m limited in the cash contributions I can give outside the donations Husband and I give together. Writing cookbooks is a gift of time and talent that I can use to support important missions. Proceeds from the first cookbook The Kitchen Mission: Recipes to Nourish, Stories to Inspire will go to my friends Sandra and Lee Peoples’ adoption fund. The Peoples are in the long process of adopting from Ethiopia. As you know, both adoption and Ethiopia hold soft spots in my heart and I have followed The Peoples’ journey from the beginning. Soon, they will welcome a precious son into their home and family. Sandra shares her family’s story at Bring Joel Home.

So, there you have it. A ministry is born. Let’s get cooking!

Love,