If it is the Lord's will.

Now LISTEN, you who say,

'Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city,

spend a year there, carry on business and make money.'

Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Instead, you ought to say,

'If it is the Lord's will, we will live and do this or that.'

{James 4:13-15}

Rewind.

THIS POST is a perfect example of my most obvious flaw: enthusiasm without follow-through. Those who know me well are grinning and nodding their heads. I tend to squeal and clap my hands and bounce up and down when anything slightly amusing comes my way. Then, fickle old me gets bored and moves onto the next best thing. Although this is a silly little example, it's an illustration of how ADD our hearts can be, flittering from one stimulating attention-grabber to the next. We are constantly distracted by entertainment, materialism, and to-do lists, rarely pausing to fully invest our attention in any one thing. God is patiently teaching me how intentionality, commitment, and integrity can enrich friendships and my career...perhaps these lessons will overflowing into my blogging or lack thereof.

Stepping off my soapbox now. :) I mainly just wanted to pop in and say that I brought those few posts from the sweet pea diaries over to their real home where they rightly belong. However absurd this sounds, I missed this little place that has documented so many happy, sad, and awkward memories over the past few years. When time allows, I hope to share my Texas adventures with you and spread a little TLC around here...until then, rest assured that life is grand and beautiful and full of surprises. So thankful for all of you and your prayers!

From sweet pea diaries: morning motivation.

You know those mornings when you wake up and magically feel energetic and excited? Me neither. Today was definitely not one of those days. So I pulled myself up by my bootstraps and set out to make it a good day whether or not I woke up on the right side of the bed. I crawled out of bed, started the coffee, lit a candle, and made a date with Rodney Yee the yoga guru.

Then I made some cherry orange creamsicle pops, sat down with my devotional, journaled for a bit, and then it was a good day.

From sweet pea diaries: ladies night.

It’s funny to think that a short month ago, I anxiously doubted that God would provide me with friends here in Austin. I prayed desperately for just ONE, and in true form, He gives abundantly more than we ask for. Fast forward to now…I’m sipping a fancy margarita and eating half-priced appetizers with some girlfriends while waiting my turn for a professional chair massage. I would have never imagined I had these little shenanigans and beautiful friendships in store for me. Thankful for laughter and God’s goodness tonight.

From sweet pea diaries: quote.

"The more you strive and search for happiness, the more you overlook the possibility that it is already HERE."

—Robert Holden

From sweet pea diaries: butternut squash.

BUTTERNUT SQUASH RISOTTO

Recipe from RachaelRay.com. Enjoyed with white wine and business ventures tonight.

Ingredients:

• 4 cups chicken broth (32 ounces)
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, grated or finely chopped
• 2 cups arborio rice
• 1 cup dry white wine
• One box frozen butternut squash puree (12 ounces), thawed
• Nutmeg
• Salt and pepper
• 1 cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese
• 2 tablespoons butter, cut into small pieces
• 10 leaves fresh sage, slivered

Preparation:

 In a large saucepan, bring the chicken broth and one cup water to a boil over medium-high heat, then turn the heat to low.

 In a large skillet, heat the EVOO, about two turns of the pan, over medium-high heat. When the EVOO is rippling, add the onion and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about two minutes. Add the rice and toast for three minutes. Stir in the wine and cook, stirring occasionally, until mostly evaporated, 2-3 minutes.

Add two ladlefuls of the warm chicken broth to the rice and stir until the liquid evaporates. Repeat with the remaining broth, cooking the risotto until creamy, about 18 minutes. During the last three minutes of cooking, stir in the squash; season with nutmeg, salt and pepper. During the last minute of cooking, stir in the cheese and butter. Top with the sage.

From sweet pea diaries: quote.

"Today you are you, that is truer than true. There is no one alive who is youer than YOU."

—Dr. Seuss

From sweet pea diaries: cubicle.

This little tidbit of inspiration lives in my cubicle reminding me what matters for real.
Thought for the day: How do you define success?

From sweet pea diaries: ratatouille.

RATATOUILLE STOUP

Recipe from RachaelRay.com. Prepared with love by my newest friend and vegetarian foodie.

Ingredients:

• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 green bell pepper, seeded and diced
• 1 red bell pepper, seeded and diced
• 3 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 medium eggplant, peeled and diced
• 2 small zucchini, diced
• Salt and pepper
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 can diced tomatoes (28 ounces)
• 6 cups chicken stock
• A handful of flat leaf parsley, finely chopped
• A few leaves fresh basil, torn or shredded

Preparation:

Heat a deep pot over medium-high heat with three turns of the pan of EVOO, about three tablespoons. Add the onion, peppers, garlic, eggplant and zucchini. Season the vegetables with salt, pepper and thyme. Cook until softened, about 7-8 minutes.

Add the tomatoes and chicken stock, bring the soup to a boil, then turn it down to a simmer. Stir in parsley and basil, adjust salt and pepper and serve. ENJOY!

From sweet pea diaries: quote.

"It seems that the more places I see and experience, the bigger I realize the world to be. The more of it I become aware of, the more I realize how relatively little I know of it. How many places I have still to go, how much more there is to learn? Maybe that is enlightenment enough. To know there is no final resting place of the mind, no moment of smug clarity. Perhaps wisdom, such as it is for me, means realizing how small I am and unwise and far I have yet to go."

—Anthony Bourdain