Happy Birthday Miss Barb!

Posted by Liz Perraud at

Happy birthday to the best LOGOS head cook I know--Barb Schmehl. Barb turns 82 years old today and she’s been cooking for the children, youth and adults of LOGOS at Christ Memorial Presbyterian Church in Columbia, Maryland for over 15 years. What makes her the “best” cook is not so much the food that she gets on the tables (though that is good), it’s more about the love that she gets on the tables. She adores those kids (“her” kids she calls them) and can’t wait for LOGOS to start each fall and is sad when it ends each spring. Oh that all of us would be that enthusiastic about serving in the church.

Barb welcomes and includes all her kitchen crew with a smile on her face, even when a “helpful” table parent tries to “assist” serving the spaghetti and the sauce sloshes all over the kitchen floor. Or when the Texas toast burns. Or when we’re on “stand by” because it’s another snowy Wednesday. She’s a living example of finding your call and sticking with it. No “been there, done that” for Barb and “retiring” from helping out! Our LOGOS Director has told her that when she feels she can’t physically do this anymore, we’re giving her a seat in the kitchen to direct the cooking from there. And she’s fine with that.

She likes to share with people that I saved her life when I asked her to “help out” in the kitchen at LOGOS one fall many years ago. I met Barb on the soccer field—my husband coached our son and her grandson. She was a widow and hadn’t been a part of the church for a while. I didn’t even know at first that she was a member of our church. We needed more kitchen help. She said “yes.” That became Barb’s step back into the church and she did the rest through building many, many relationships with people of ALL generations. I’m happy to take credit for being a little part of that.

So please join me in wishing “Miss Barb” a happy birthday and many more to come (that's her in the center of the picture)! I think I’ll run out at lunch time and put some birthday balloons on her mailbox. Shhhhhhh….it’s a surprise.

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