The Early Bird Gets...

Tired!

I think I have mentioned, I get up early everyday. It allows me time for prayer, Bible study and silence to listen to God speak. But yesterday was one of those days where I am not only up early, but out of the house by 6:20AM and very busy all day long. I got back home at 10:00pm last night. As a result there wasn't an opportunity to write yesterday, but let me tell you what I learned.

Self doubt plagues many of us and with it comes a restrictive belief of our abilities. We are, by in large, habitual creatures and find comfort in our routines and sticking to what we believe is possible. However, what we believe is possible and what is truly possible are very different. Then what is possible?

First, a caveat - I am not suggesting the popular saying, 'You can be/do anything you want to.' It is a popular phrase but it is untrue. Before you react to that, let me explain. I am not musically talented, at all. I can't play an instrument, I can't sing, I can't really keep a beat. Could I learn to do any of these things? Yes, I suppose so, but no matter the effort or time spent, I am not going to learn it well enough to be excellent (I might even make it to good but never excellent), because it is not my gift, moreover, I will not be satisfied. Because that is not my PURPOSE, that is not God's plan in creating me. Each and every one of us has a PURPOSE, but many go through their whole lives never knowing what that purpose is. This idea of you can do anything you set your mind to, comes back to the whole idea in recent generations of identifying and fixing your weaknesses. (Who might want to tear us down and create in us a focus on what's wrong and keep us from ever becoming what we ought? I believe this is the work of the devil himself, using a magnificent turn of phrase that seems positive but is anything but - be anything YOU WANT) However, if we apply the simple business idea of ROI (return on investment), we can clearly see effort spent fixing weakness will result in a marginal gain but effort spent enhancing a talent (gift/strength) results in exponential gain! In every business model around the world this is a no-brainer. For all that, and even more importantly, you will be satisfied!

What then is possible? Take a good look at your life. What accomplishments bring you complete joy? What is the pattern, what is the skill/talent that you use each time? This is where discernment is critical. We can easily be lead astray in very convincing ways and happily spin our wheels doing the wrong thing for what we perceive are the right reasons. What are your gifts? Understanding your gifts helps to reveal your purpose. This has been a journey for me and the more I understand myself the clearer the vision gets. It is why I have created Know Thyself Consulting so I can use my gifts to help others find theirs. What would this world look like if everyone lived to fulfill their PURPOSE? In a word...Joyful!

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Lots of Leftover Rice

My daughter graduated college on Friday! Hooray! She also brought the leftover rice from the luncheon they had at school. So she says, 'Mom, what can we do with a bunch of leftover cilantro lime rice from Chipotle? Here is what I made (I asked the kids to name it but was not satisfied with their names.)

Mirepoix (Trader Joe's - I used the whole container) not pictured

Olive Oil

Paprika, salt, pepper, cumin & lemon peel

1 can corn

2 cans Black beans

1 can Diced tomatoes with lime and cilantro

1 small can tomato sauce - not pictured

1 package Soy Chorizo

10 cups chicken broth

1 Rotisserie Chicken

Leftover Cilantro Lime Rice

Garnish

Cotija Cheese

Cilantro

Sour Cream or Greek Yogurt - optional

Heat stock pot with olive oil and add mirepoix let cook until onions have browned to almost burning then add the spices and cook 1 minute then begin adding all the canned ingredients and the soy chorizo. Let cook 5 minutes then add broth. Bring to a boil and meanwhile shred the chicken and add to pot. reduce heat and let simmer for 20 minutes.

Ladle into bowls and add a large scoop of rice and top with cheese and cilantro (add sour cream or yogurt if desired)

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Sunday Dinner

I still have leftover rice! I also have a package of Lemon herbed Tilapia (but not enough for everyone & I have non fish eaters) So i thought Lemon Chicken (again not enough for everyone) would be a nice complement and I had a small Corned Beef roast (not enough and most don't like it) for St. Patrick's Day So for Sunday dinner I made...

ALL OF IT! Plus roasted potatoes and fried cabbage. Would you believe I forgot to serve the rice! So you may see that appear in soup today or tomorrow because I really don't like to waste.