It seems the dot-to-dot craze has followed the return of the popular coloring books for adults and kids. Each intriguing puzzle and pattern from the simple to the complex challenges our cognitive skills. I personally enjoy the challenges of the hard or “extreme” dot-to-dot puzzles, they keep me searching and speculating as to what the final picture will be shaped into. Working with precision from one point to another keeps our mind active and sharp, always looking forward to the next step.
Paul, in his letter to the Ephesians helps us “connect the dots” when it comes to growing in the family of God. Paul’s prayer for the people in Ephesus (Eph. 1:17-19) extends to our lives today. He prays “That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people.” In many respects, Paul gives us the instructions for Christian living through this letter. He reminds us to be humble, gentle, patient, truthful and to “live as children of light”. He insists (4:17) that we must no longer live as we did before being adopted into God’s family. The hope that Paul prays for, the inheritance of the promise of eternal life together within God’s family sets us apart, “you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens… also members of his household.” (2:19)
I challenge you to read the book of Ephesians as a whole, from beginning to end in one sitting. What you will discover is Paul writes these words so that we gain a deeper understanding of who our God is and how we can have a deeper relationship with Him. As believers we are adopted into His family, we need to be proactive in searching for the “next dot”, the next step in building our relationships both with God and our brothers and sisters in Christ. Think about the investment of time and effort it requires to maintain a close relationship with your closest friend or spouse. Then, consider for a moment how much time you spend deepening your relationship with your Heavenly Father. Pray, like Paul, that God will give you the wisdom to see His love for you as a son or daughter in his family.
Have you ever been in the grocery store and watched people shop? It is very interesting to see how people make decisions about the products they buy. Manufactures and food makers by law have to list the ingredients on their products. The labels have to clearly state each ingredient along with the products nutritional information. Having these things clearly labeled gives us the opportunity to buy their product with the full knowledge of what has been put into it, there are no surprises…most of the time.
We can either heed the warning of the “do not enter” or “danger” sign and stay on this side of safety or we can ignore the warnings and walk into a potentially dangerous situation. The sign has a very clear purpose and is pretty much universal in its message across the world. With that being said, I know that there are a number of people out there that see this sign and ask the question, “how dangerous is it?” For them it sparks a certain amount of curiosity and interest, questioning that of what lies beyond the warning.
Have you ever tried to wear a pair of shoes that didn’t fit properly? If they are too small your toes get a throbbing, aching pain in them from being jammed (no pun intended) together. If the shoes are too big, they will constantly rub on the back of your heel eventually causing you to get a blister. When it comes to shoes there is nothing better than a comfortable snug-fitting pair to keep your toes and heels intact.
Some of the key ingredients to growing a “perfect” tomato is providing consistent water, temperature and just the right amount of daylight. According to Google there are 6,840,000 references to “growing perfect tomatoes”, that’s a lot of information to pick and choose from. I have tried to grow tomatoes over the years in varying ways that produced somewhat undesirable results. I am going to attempt another batch this year and the one advantage I have over the others years is an automatic watering system to provide consistent nourishment.
Keep your eye on the ball… in the eye of the storm… a bird’s-eye view… beauty in the eye of the beholder… a second set of eyes… in the blink of an eye… camel through the eye of a needle… eye for an eye… evil eye… I could go on and on but I think you get the point. I played baseball in my younger days and heard the “keep your eye on the ball” idiom all the time. I use this phrase when I teach my own kids to catch a ball or attempt to take a swing at it with a bat. “In the blink of an eye”, this phenomenon occurs when you put a bowl of candy or chocolate in front of some sugar crazed kids.
“What have I gotten myself into? “Have you ever asked yourself this question? It is one of those moments in life when you know you are into something, and it is way over your head. You feel like you have lost control and you are considering a long run into the hills. I took on a project once that sent me into this particular state of frenzy. I remember the sluggish sinking feeling that seemed to consume all my energy and to be honest I can’t remember how I made it through. I know I did because there was a finished product to show for my efforts.
Have you ever considered the amount of time that passes between a green light and a red light as you are driving? Depending on the speed zone you’re in, it can vary from 3 to 5 seconds. Given that amount of time our brain has to make a quick decision, release the accelerator to slow down or as the old saying goes: “put the pedal to the metal”. At times some of us ignore the yellow warning light all together, our focus is on the red or the green, the stop or go that controls our momentum.
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