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"Really," I thought to myself. "Has Starbucks actually created the perfect oatmeal?" I tasted it. It was not too watery or too chunky. I was delighted with the little packet of dried cherries, currants, cranberries and golden raisins to add as liberally as I wanted; but was this really perfect oatmeal and what is perfect anyway?

While my mind wandered I remembered how much of my life I have spent in bondage to perfection. Only time and experience has taught me that perfection is a myth.

Only God is perfect.

I’m not sure how a bowl of oatmeal gave me such a profound realization, but it was so freeing realizing that I can try all I want, but perfection is just not attainable.

Instead of perfection, excellence is what we should strive for and for the record I prefer my oatmeal more on the chunky side.

I guess I could say I have always been a dreamer. I realize it is unusual to say this, but all of my dreams came true by the time I was 25 years old. Yes, I was one of those people who went to college knowing what I wanted to do with my life and with God's grace and favor I accomplished it. Accomplishing my dreams at such an early age was mind blowing and then it occurred to me I still have three-quarters of my life to live and I have no idea what is next.

I found myself visionless and almost lifeless as I went about the daily grind in an unfulfilling manner. The only other dream I had is to be a mother and after years of struggle and disappointment I realized for whatever reason this dream isn't happening right now. So, if I am not a mother what am I supposed to do with the rest of my life?

I still remember sitting on the couch with my husband lamenting over my dilemma. I knew I could either continue to be miserable with my unfulfilled dream or I could move on and choose to live an abundant life despite my circumstances. Proverbs 29:18 says, “Where there is no vision, the people perish.” Even though I was perishing, I was determined to fight for life. I prayed for a vision.

The new vision did not come immediately, but my heart and my attitude were the first to change in response to the world around me. I became teachable. I began to have joy in what I had instead of what I thought was missing from my life. Then at a time when everything was clear the dream came.

I do not even remember how it started, but I knew what I needed to do. I wanted to teach others what I had learned so they might be able to avoid some of my mistakes. I wanted to share how each of us can have a bountiful life no matter how much or how little we have.

So, now comes the execution of the dream. How long will it take? Only God knows. It is a journey I am determined to labor on until whatever God has for me comes to fruition.

I knew I had 30 minutes to spare before my husband arrived home so I set the timer to see what I could accomplish. I was able to accomplish a lot, but due to the fact that I am far from the maintenance stage it didn't look like I had accomplished anything!

Here's what I did:
- put presents and games by the back door to take to a family get together
- rinsed dirty dishes and put them in the dishwasher
- put away Christmas wrapping paper
- took out the trash & recycling
- unloaded Christmas presesnts and found a place for them
- unpacked my laptop and cables and reconnected it to the server here

So that wasn't nothing I guess.

I've discovered that there are two things I must figure out for a successful life. How to plan and how to prepare. I'm really good at planning. I make plans all the time oftentimes months in advance. Although, time and time again conflicts arise because I've planned too much without taking into account the preparation that is required to execute my plan.

A plan is defined as a scheme or method of acting developed in the advance: battle plans. Whereas, prepare is to put in proper condition, readiness as in proper assembly: to prepare for war.

I have to say I love how these two words are explained by referring to war. One doesn't go into battle without the proper equipment, training or without a plan of action. So why should we haphazardly run through life with out preparation or a plan. Too many times I have started a recipe without reading it in its entirety and in realizing my error I've had hungry guests waiting for their main course or I am rushed around the kitchen like a mad crazy woman trying to finish everything before my guests arrive. Then instead of enjoying their company I am anxious and anything but a delightful hostess.

I have to admit I find it a little bonkers that Martha Stewart plans out every day of her month at the start of her magazine, but I also realize that there is something to having a plan so I don't wake up wondering where all of my time went. There must be a way to plan, prepare and execute my schedule without being in bondage to it.

I am challenging myself to learn to maintain my home in 30 minutes a day. This includes cleaning, organizing, planning and most of all preparation. If Rachel Ray can make delightful dishes in 30 minutes or less, I am sure there is a way to take a little time each day to maintain our home and life so we aren't left with a huge mess. I plan on figuring it out!

I settled on gruyère and Swiss. Gruyère is technically a Swiss cheese however it only has holes in it if it has been aged 5 months to 1 year. When it is a young cheese it has a creamy, nutty taste that adds a savory, distinctive taste to your baking. It is typically used in fondue and to top French Onion Soup.

The Swiss cheese is not necessarily made in Switzerland. Many are made here in the U.S. I chose this cheese as an accompaniment to the Gruyère because it comes from the same "family of cheeses" but would offer a milder taste.

I was pleasantly surprised at the outcome, except for the burned pie crust. My husband said it would be more effective to admit I made a mistake than to pretend it came out perfectly!

Savory Lobster Quiche

9 inch pie shell (can use pre-made)
4 eggs
2 tablespoons of flour
1/2 cup of milk
1/4 cup of mayonnaise
1 cup of shredded Swiss cheese
1 cup of shredded Gruyère cheese
1 cup of cooked lobster (can substitute crab)
1/4 cup of minced yellow onion
1 teaspoon of parsley flakes
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1/8 teaspoon of cayenne pepper

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Prepare your pie crust in the pie pan and once the oven is preheated place in the oven for 3 minutes. After three minutes prick the base of the pie crust with a fork then continue cooking crust for 5 minutes. Remove pie crust from oven and set aside.

Lower oven temperature to 350 degrees and add eggs, flour, mayonnaise, milk to a bowl. Whisk to combine. Add cheese, lobster, onion, parsley, salt and cayenne pepper to the egg mixture. Stir with a spoon until everything is combined.

Pour ingredients into your pie shell and return to the oven and bake for 45 - 50 minutes. Remember to cover the top of your pie crust with aluminum foil or an pie crust protector or it will burn....like mine did :(

I was inspired by making a dessert from leftovers, so I decided to try a frittata. Frittatas and Omelets are the easiest breakfast dish to incorporate leftovers. You can use any type of cheese or herb and almost any meat or vegetable. Just think about what tastes good together.

I wouldn't recommend using peas, broccoli or chicken, but asparagus, ham, cheddar cheese or Swiss would be divine!

Below is a recipe that is easily modified depending on what you find in your fridge.

Q: What is a frittata?

A: A frittata is basically an Italian style omlette. I prefer this cooking technique to it's French cousin, because you don't have to acquire the skill of the flipping the egg around in the pan.

As a child there were always words and phrases that annoyed me and "waste not want not" was one of them. It is possibly because I didn't understand what it meant or it could have been the tale-tale tone that was used when those words were spoken to me. However, as an adult I more than understand this phrase each time I scrape food into the garbage.

Tonight I saw the film Julie and Julia. It isn't very often that you leave a movie inspired and full of sheer joy. Both women decided to make something exceptional out of the mundane. It reminded me of my own journey and the search for beauty in what can be a monotonous life. I love food, love entertaining and figuring out will to make life fuller, but also simpler. I'm still working on the simpler part, I know there has to be a way!

I've decided I like being busy and that part of my life will probably never change - so I must learn to manage the busy. A friend suggested that I make a daily to-do list and I have to admit it has made a major difference.

A good to-do list is more than just tasks. It also applies the one thing I remember from geometry class about a straight line, it is the shortest distance between two points. When making a list try to figure out how to accomplish the most in the shortest amount of time. For example, if you are starting your day at the gym and you know the post office and library are nearby maximize your time by preparing your packages and remembering to put books to donate or return in your car before you leave the house, thus killing three birds with one stone. It is amazing how a little careful planning can really make the most of life and time.

It is just 10 o'clock in the morning and I have already gone to the gym, the grocery store and had my 10 minutes. Yesterday I just about had a meltdown - I was beat down and discouraged because life just started to feel so pointless. The piles of things are stacking up all around me and they don't seem to diminish. It feels like every time I turn around something new is smacking me in the face! How do I manage this better so there is more maintenance and less of every thing being a mess?

I begin to realize in my attempt to execute #1 by putting God first there are other things need to come first as well like the bills, exercise and eating. Heh... :) Now that I'm not at a job and keeping a regular schedule I've been forgetting to eat. My body gets weak, shaky and I have to stop and eat something so I have the strength to conquer the rest of my day. These realizations are forcing me to understand my real priorities. If I can better set my priorities in turn I can better manage my life. First and foremost, I have to take care of myself so I am able to take care of others. If I'm weak I am of no good to this world.

Luke 10:38-42 "Now it happened as they went that He entered a certain village; and a certain woman named Martha welcomed Him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, who also sat at Jesus' feet and heard His word. But Martha was distracted with much serving, and she approached Him and said, 'Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Therefore tell her to help me.' And Jesus answered and said to her, 'Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things. But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her.'"

I think I've spent my life being Martha. I'm always busy. Busyness was the original prompt for this major change in my life. It is why I left the 9 to 5. I wanted to pursue the things that matter. So, how is it that in just three short weeks I find myself busier, more stressed, mind bogglingly overwhelmed and injected full of anxiety? How do I fix it? How do I make this change once and for all?

I notice in the passage that Jesus says, "Martha, Martha, (Katie, Katie), you are worried and troubled about many things. But one thing is needed,".

Jesus, I lay it all at your feet. I'm trusting you for what's next, because I do not know how to do this. Help me align my priorities.

I struggled to open my eyes today, the result of staying up too late. I found it hard to start the first 10 minutes of my day with God without putting the coffee on first. My schedule is still overwhelming me, the piles around the house have shrunk, but are not gone. Then of course with the new day there are new things to conquer, a whole lot more than yesterday.

It is now 9 a.m. and I'm starting my 10 minutes....

I picked up "The One Year Bible" thinking I might start reading the Bible through in a year....August 5th, the book of Ezra...hmmm....I'm not sure that is where I want to start.

I think instead I will take a look at two very different women, Mary and Martha. I had a friend tell me that I already know how to be Martha, but it was Mary who was at the feet of Jesus listening to His every word.

I cannot say I am the most studious person and no matter how hard I try it is a struggle to keep my nose in a book. This trait translated into my relationship with God and finding time to read God's Word was no longer a priority.

Last week I sat in on a talk about how although God is many things, He is also our friend. So, just as I would spend time with a friend to know them, I also needed take the time to get to know God.

This immediately brought me back to "The List", #1 Make more time in my life for God - get to know Him as I would a best friend. How do I get to know God? It isn't just through prayer, but through the reading of His Word.

Execution - Start small Katie....Rome wasn't conquered in a day!

Starting small isn't easy for me. I have the tendency to dive into deep waters and realize I am somewhere I did not want to be and I am tired of swimming. This time I will work slowly on building these new habits so I don't immerse myself so deeply that everything else falls to the wayside - I need to keep my balance.

So, as I wade into the start of my day I will use my first 10 minutes to read the Word.

This is the beginning. The beginning of what? I am not quite sure.

I left my full-time job a few weeks ago prepared to pursue too many things. I found myself characteristically darting in several directions with no real focus. I was frustrated, stressed and anxiously overwhelmed.

But wait, it isn't supposed to be like this! My joy, peace and sanity was residing elsewhere. This is not what I want life to be. How could everything be so helplessly out of order?

In a poor attempt for organization I emptied out all the boxes from our move so I was forced to deal with the mess. It looked just like my life. Piles of cookbooks were paired with winter coats and umbrellas and that belt my wardrobe had difficulty living without. Nothing was fitting together and what do I do with all of these pieces? Where do I start?

It didn't take long for the mess to become an eyesore and I decided I must deal with it. So, maybe if I lay out all the pieces and look at them individually instead of looking at everything all at once I could figure it out. I could make something of the mess and find the bountiful life I've been searching for.

Step 1 - I need a plan
Step 2 - Make a detailed list of plans
Step 3 - Execute

Okay, that can't be too difficult, a list. A list that will be the starting point by which my journey will derive. It will be the passageway to discovering life with purpose, fullness and my struggle to find true joy.

THE LIST:
1. Make more time in my life for God - get to know Him as I would a best friend
2. Make my home a haven for my family and friends
3. Lose 20 pounds not only so I'm healthier, but that I will have the energy to truly discover life
4. Embrace the world around me through travel as well as through cooking and learning about other cultures
5. Learn to balance life without becoming overwhelmed

So here we go with my eyes fixed forward ready to see where the path leads!