This is how each of us live. Connected. We are wired to people and things throughout our lives. Some of the people we are connected to are good company to keep, best friends, family... You know, the people that you can count on. Some of those to whom we are wired can add extra stress to an already stressful life. They do not make us happy or point us in the direction of following our dreams. We are also connected to things like jobs, contacts (acquaintances), favorite sports and hobbies, cars, houses, televisions... the things we feel benefit us in our everyday walk through this time we have on earth.

There is so much to be grateful for. The sunrise, the sunset, the air we breathe, the freedoms and quality of life we have, the friends and family we are able to share time with, the fact that we have time to share...the list goes on and on. BUT there are days when nothing seems to go right. Days you are lucky if positive energy doesn't get zapped into the ground, leaving you a pile of negativity.

Remember the story of Goldilocks and the three bears? Just like Goldilocks, we question things in our lives. We test things. Taking a look at our lives is something we can forget to do with day-to-day stress. Goldilocks did not just know which porridge was the right porridge. She tested each bowl. Now, I won't get into the fact that she broke in the Bear's home in this story that might presently be banned from many schools because it promotes criminal behavior... Nonetheless, she tested which porridge was too hot, too cool and just right.

Today I drove down to Carter Dock. It is a lovely area that is like a lagoon. Half of the parking lot was covered in water. I parked and got my lawn chair out and strategically placed it at the water's edge. Then I sat down, planting my feet in ankle deep water on this warm and sunny, delightful day. As the water played with my ankles, I opened my book to a new page.

Each of our lives start as blank canvas. You get to add the colors with the strokes of your brush through your actions and attitudes toward the things you do, feel and accomplish. Here is the way I decide which colors are going on my canvas: Anything positive, like joy, love, mercy, grace, hope, giving, and helping others are my pastels and bright colors. Anger and bitterness, hate, selfishness, and deceit are the dark, foreboding colors that don't allow for a beautiful portrait.

Stepping stones of all shapes and sizes are used in gardens to make the path easier to see and also to make it more decorative. Something I find interesting about stepping stones is that the path has already been chosen by the gardener and then she lays the stepping stones. Some decorate the stones with beads, gemstones, glitter and other smaller stones and glass to make the stepping stones more distinctive. This gives us an awesome analogy for our lives.

There is a song that says to live like there is no more tomorrow and love like you are on borrowed time... Time is so precious. We never know when our last breath will be. We all have people around us suffering in many different ways.

The other day my friend, D, gave me a really cool stainless steel coffee cup that has a detachable plastic sleeve on it. It also came with a dry erase marker. It appeals to my artistic, whimsical self, as well as my coffee side. On Sunday, I decided I would write something inspirational on the cup and think on it throughout the day. I decided on "Do"