Emporia Presbyterian Manor
Lessons from Ecclesiastes SEPTEMBER 2021
Love, hot from the oven For staff, it’s her banana cake. For residents, it’s her apple crisp. But no matter which creation a person craves the most, Dining Service Director Jessica Goodwin’s love of baking is matched only by the chef’s own love for her work. “Baking is my passion,” said Jessica. “I think the balance of different combinations of flavors and textures is what can make a great dessert. When it’s done right, it should give you a warm satisfying feeling—like home.” For anyone who has ever tasted one of Jessica’s creations, it’s hard to imagine her anywhere other than the kitchen, but during her 10 years at Emporia Presbyterian Manor that hasn’t always been the case. Jessica Goodwin “I started out as a part-time server here and kept working my way up. When I started to bake, I found out that I really loved it. From there, I moved on to cooking and then getting to work with Chef Johny Partwary really inspired me to learn more and grow myself into a chef,” said Jessica.
Now, as the director of dining services, Jessica does less of the day-to-day cooking and more budgeting, managing and teaching her team the finer points of hospitality and service. But that doesn’t mean that her job is any less rewarding. “I love the rush when it’s serving time then being able to watch the residents enjoy their food,” said Jessica. Luckily, she still finds time for the banana cake and apple crisp. u
By Mary Bridges Chaplain, Salina Presbyterian Manor Editor’s Note: This is a guest column from the chaplain at Salina Presbyterian Manor. In a nod to our Presbyterian heritage, we will be periodically sharing columns from our community chaplains in your Community Matters newsletter.
In July, the Rev. Elwyn Holmes of Salina’s First Presbyterian Church led our first worship service in over a year. He used the familiar words from Ecclesiastes 3:1-13 for his message. The reverend said that these words from centuries ago continue to remind us that life isn’t always great and it often brings things into our lives that we don’t like. He used “The Message” translation by Eugene Peterson. These words gave me renewed hope for our world. Jeffery Kranz, an author who lives in Bellingham, Wash., tells us that “Ecclesiastes explores the unpredictability of life: we have an idea of how the world should work, but it rarely goes that way. And no matter how wise we are, or how hard we work, or how strong our faith is, we don’t have any guarantees and we are encouraged to be loyal to God and enjoy the simple things in life — because we really don’t know what’s going to happen tomorrow.”
Devotion – continued on page 2 Get the latest on visitation and COVID-19 at our campus at EmporiaPresbyterianManor.org/covid-19.
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