What are your dots?

I've thought a lot this week about connecting dots. I love helping people see how their creative side, their plain old everyday life stuff, and their faith are all a part of one big picture, instead of a bunch of separate little pictures. I also enjoy how these things intersect in my own life. When I speak for women, I draw from my crafting and decorating hobbies for illustrations of God's love and provision for us. Often, when I teach on decorating with recycled objects and flea market finds, I also teach people how God can take our trash, our stress and painful experiences, and turn them into something worth treasuring. A few weeks ago, as I was prepping for one of these seminars, I decided to start a new blog for trash to treasure decorating. I had thought it would be a perfect extension of my speaking and I have had fun going around my house taking pictures of my decorations to upload to the site.

This week, after getting just a few hits per day since it started, my blog activity suddenly increased when another blog found the site and linked to one of my posts. I found links on Twitter that day to that post too. Ironically, it happened on the same day that I saw the movie "Julie and Julia." Why is it ironic? In the movie,which is based on a true story, Julie Powell starts a blog and when her readership, which is usually her mother and her best friend, expands and someone she has never met comments on her blog, she high-fives her co-worker and does a happy dance. Eventually, a lot more people discover her blog and soon she has interviewers calling as well as book editors with offers.

I'm not saying that's what is going to happen with my website (not that I would object either), but the movie lit a spark of hope in me as I considered the idea that God might have more in mind for my dots than I could ever imagine. Sometimes I push my hobbies and interests, my faith and my church activity, my housework and my writing all back into their little corners, ignoring the way God has woven them all together. And sometimes I cram everything into confining parameters, ignoring the reality that God has no limits.

I'm not sure what will happen with the site, but it was fun seeing the spike in interest. Maybe it's just a fun little side trip. Maybe it's a link to an even bigger plan. In the meantime, I'm delighting in the joy I've found in this reminder that God has a picture for my dots.

What are your dots? What hobbies do you have? What are your dreams? Share your comments on how you have seen God make connections between your faith, creativity, and everyday life.

Michelle

This post is linked to The Inspired Room for the Friday Link Party.