Hello, friends! Sorry for being silent for so long. My new job has kept me busy this fall and holiday season. First years are filled with first things, setting up shop, new ideas and suggestions, and new relationships, especially when it’s not only a first year for you but for the position in its current imagining and a first year for your new boss.

For those of you who may not know, on August 1, I became the chaplain for Rabun Gap-Nacoochee School for all three of its divisions. The two years previous we had a separate chaplain for each division (lower, middle, and upper schools) who either worked part time or also taught. This new position means I get to hang out with over 580 students from more than 50 countries, ages 4-19. Then there is our amazing faculty and staff who welcome me into their classrooms, offices, meetings, and who stop by my office to visit now and again.

If you follow me on Instagram (@prayerfulkitchen), you know much of what I’ve been up to, including the expansion of our religious dinners program for our non-Christian students. It’s been a treat to learn new recipes from Turkey, Senegal, Somalia, India, Germany, and others, as we have hosted our Muslim, Jewish, and Hindu students for meals.

My apologies if you are a Facebook user. I rarely am on that platform any more. I’ve grown tired of the political yah-yahing and at being disappointed by the words and behavior of people I know to be otherwise reasonable adults…mostly.

All of this activity has kept me out of the head space for writing. Generally I need some downtime to allow my mind to wander into writing territory, weaving in and out of ruminations and ideas until bumping against one that demands being put to “paper,” as it were. With nearly half the first year gone, my hope is to shake loose a little more time to sit in front of the keyboard. There is much that I have wanted to share about God, food, and our relationships with one another.

Here’s to good intentions for 2020 and more opportunities to connect with all of you!