Connect-the-Dots

Growing up did you enjoy the little activity books as you were traveling with your grandparents? My grandmother went and bought an activity book and inside the book were pages of fun things to do. Coloring pages, search words, find the hidden objects and my favorite was connect-the-dots. Each page you would follow the dot from number 1 to 2, to 3 to 4 and so forth, and it made a picture from the lines you connected with the dots. Sometimes you could color what you connected.

Everyone is unique and so is life. The picture within this blog is a connect-the-dot picture. Now we can normally think we can just go from 1 then 2, 3, 4 and so on, but this picture is unique and comes with a set of instructions (I will list at the end of the blog). Assumptions and expectations and can make a mess out of life.

Save the picture and reopen it in paint. Now try connecting the dots as you think they should go. In the end, we just make a mess out of the picture. There is no picture but a tangled mess of lines.

Ever felt this way in your relationships? Drawing conclusions as you think they should be connected? It is easier to draw than it is to wait for the picture to develop in your mind and then reproduce accordingly. I admire artists who can just see the image and reproduce their thoughts of the image on a blank canvas.

When we do not follow the instructions we lose out and make a mess out of our life. In relationships, we can think we are going to get hurt or do not want to invest because we think we will be like the picture and turn out to be a mess. The key to any relationship is setting healthy boundaries. Setting boundaries are the keys to a healthy lifestyle. One can assume where those lines are supposed to be drawn, but until you receive the instructions do not start drawing just yet. 

Let the person know where your boundaries are and hold yourself and them accountable for those boundaries. Then begin that relationship with them and providing detailed information about you that you wish to share. When communication and instructions are followed you have a beautiful connect-the-dot picture.

Be careful not to provide too much information or not enough that can mislead that person into a direction they should not go. Try connecting those dots. Before you began connecting-the-dots on this picture did you study it? Did you notice there are extra numbers or missing numbers? Did you create the image already?

When we begin to try to do it on our own we will add too much or not enough in our life. We make a mess or we cannot reach the goal we set out for ourselves. Before beginning on any endeavor or relationship, sit back, meditate, reflect, and listen for the moment. Gather all the facts before assuming or drawing to conclusions.

When you make a mistake, you may not erase it completely, but you can reconnect. Reconnect with a lost love one so the picture can be complete. Is someone having a bad day at work? Reconnect with them with a simple hello and smile. Are you in line waiting to be checked out? Connect the dots with life and draw a picture of fun, laughter, enjoyment and most of all a complete picture, drawing the right lines of conclusions creating a picture-perfect relationship.

Are you ready to start connecting? If you need help connecting to your life and other relationships then connect with me via email and let’s draw together. Below are the instructions to complete this unique connect-the-dot picture:

Start at 5 Draw to: 53, 52, 51 Move to 19 Draw to 18, 11 Move to 57 Draw to 58, 68

Move to 3 Draw to 52 Move to 8 Draw to 4 Move to 87 Draw to 89

Move to 53 Draw to 55, 56, 57, 13, 11, 10, 9, 8, 24, 21, 19, 44, 42, 41, 21

Move to: 2 Draw to: 4, 6, 7, 5, 3, 1, 2, 26, 31, 34, 33, 36, 37, 32, 29, 30, 48, 51, 81, 74, 72, 71, 106,

105, 104, 103, 101, 97, 90, 89, 65, 59, 66, 88, 87, 79, 68, 66, 67

Move to 81 Draw to 78, 108, 107, 86, 90

By Faith (Forging Attitude In Trusting Him)

Tossed Stones

Spring's breeze blew early at 7 am on the lake up in the mountains of New Mexico. Walking along the shore and picking up stones and tossing them to see how far they would skip. My grandfather would usually win against me as he threw the furthest stone. Stones can skip the surface of the water, and then they sink to the bottom where they lay in the heart of the lake.


Words can vary from size and weight. Some are lofty and some are so heavy; they can be hard to pick up. Words are like metal that can be melted and fashioned in such a way that it can be formed and fashioned into a weapon. They can be fashioned into flowers for the day.

I love my grandmothers. Fond memories of both and their special qualities they bring out through their way of doing things. These special memories were in a form of a lemon meringue pie that mamma made just for me when I came out to visit two years ago. The hand-stitched wedding quilt my granny made for me with her own hands. I would call at least once a week to check in on them and see how they are doing. I will never forget the calls to granny and the way she ended that call, “Steven, thank you so much for the flowers for today.” Words, phone calls, and a special thinking of her; were flowers for her today.

Attitude fashions our words and how we express them. Words are like stones that flippantly or methodically can be thrown in such a way they can go far or short, but always can sink to the bottom of the heart. Many people carry these stones, and they are weighted down in life and cannot float to the top to enjoy life.

Are you building stones that create bridges to mend relationships? Are you tossing stones that do not seem to matter? How are you handling the stones that are tossed your way? Tossed stones can hurt and some use them to build walls.

Think about the stones and how they can be used in your life. Either you can hold the stone and nail a person whom we think is guilty like Casey Anthony, or we can lay the stone and build a bridge and give a person a chance. Same as what Jesus did with the woman at the well. Maybe the men were angry that she did not want to sleep with them anymore and wanted to change. In order to remind them Jesus stooped down and wrote their name in the sand and asked who is without sin cast the first stone. Jesus knew they too were guilty of sin.

If a tossed stone is thrown at you what do you do? Catch it and toss it away. Do not be like the lake and hold onto the stones because your life will be full of them and pretty soon the stones take away the water of life. You then become stone and you over look other people. Water is life. Jesus said that He is the living water. It is easier to toss the stone back and be legalistic in your ways, but it is harder to toss the stone to form a bridge and become a person that loves.

It is easy to point the finger at someone else’s mistake and cast that stone. However, there are three other fingers that are pointing back at you. It is harder to extend a closed fist of blame than it is to be open to forgive and lift the other person up. It is harder to extend a closed fist of blame (stone) then it is to be open and to forgive, while lifting the other person up. Evidence may point to be guilty as charged, but who are we to judge someone who may be innocent or proven innocent? It is harder to forgive than to dislike someone. Gather all the facts and see if a person is tossing stones or building with the stones before you toss yours.

Take the stones and build bridges that can help you over troubled water. Take time to mend and tear down those walls built with stones. Life is so much prettier. Even if you are unable to mend a relationship, at least you can build a pathway of stones to walk on. Toss the stones out of your lake and go for a swim of your life. If you been hurt by a stone email me.

By Faith (Forging Attitude In Trusting Him)