You have probably heard the term Godwinks but you may or may not find in your dictionary. Squire Russell who first used the term in one of his books touched on something most of us experience but may not realize it.
Take a moment to really examine your daily life. I don’t mean births, graduations and that kind of thing. I’m talking about those little unexplained moments or periods of time when things appear or happen that can’t be explained through general logic.
Haven’t you ever lost something only to have it reappear in a place where you would have never put it? A check arrives in the mail from an unfamiliar source at a time when you are about to be evicted. Your plans to accept a new job falls through and yet an offer from a source you never considered appears. These are those little miracles referred to as Godwinks.
You don’t have to have a Lazarus event to be reminded that our loving God is always around us. He shows us in these little Godwinks that he provides all things if we just pay attention and acknowledge them.
I have seen a lot of Godwinks in my lifetime. The next time you question how something happened….you may have just been Godwinked!
There seems to be a lot of discussion recently about aliens and I have seen a number of people who have stated that aliens were even noted in the Bible. Here are the Bible references as they currently exist as quoted from the Amplified Bible.
Exod 18:3 And her two sons, of whom the name of the one was Gershom [expulsion, or a stranger there], for Moses said, I have been an alien in a strange land;
Deuteronomy 14:21 You shall not eat of anything that dies of itself. You may give it to the stranger or the foreigner who is within your towns that he may eat it, or you may sell it to an alien. [They are not under God’s law in this matter} but you are a people holy to the Lord your God. You shall not [even] boil a kid in its mother’s milk.
Job 19:15 Those who live temporarily in my house and my maids count me as a stranger; I am an alien in their sight.
Psalm 69:8 I have become a stranger to my brethren, and an alien to my mother’s children. [John 7:3-5.]
Proverbs 2:16 [Discretion shall watch over you, understanding shall keep you] to deliver you from the alien woman, from the outsider with her flattering words, [Prov. 2:11]
Isaiah 61:5 Aliens shall stand [ready] and feed your flocks, and foreigners shall be your plowmen and your vinedressers.
Luke 17:18 Was there no one found to return and to reognize and give thanks and praise to God except this alien?
Ephesians 2:19 Therefore you are no longer outsiders, exiles, migrants, and aliens, excluded from the rights of citizens), but you now share citizenship with the saints (God’s own people, consecrated and set apart for Himself): and you belong to God’s [own} household.
Ephesians 4:18 Their moral understanding is darkened and their reasoning is beclouded. [They are] alienated (estranged, self-banished) from the life of God [with no share in it; this is] because of the ignorance (the want of knowledge and perception, the willful blindness) that is deep-seated in them, due to their hardness of heart [to the insensitiveness of their moral nature].
Hebrews 11:34 Extinguished the power of raging fire, esaped the devourings of the sword, out of frailty and weakness won strength and became stalwart, even mighty and resistless in battle, routing alien hosts. [Dan. 3.]
Hebrews 13:9 Do not be carried about by different and varied and alien teachings; for it is good for the heart to be established and ennobled and strengthened by means of grace (God’s favor and spiritual blessing) and not [to be devoted to] foods [rules of diet and ritualistic meals], which bring no [spiritual] benefit or profit to those who observe them.
1 Peter 2:11 Beloved, I implore you as aliens and stranger and exiles [in this world] to abstain from the sensual urges (the evil desires, the passions of the flesh, your lower nature) that wage war against the soul.
1 Peter 4:12 Beloved, do not be amzed and bewildered at the fiery ordeal which is taking place to test your quality, as though something strange (unusual and alien to you and your position) were befalling you.
In each instance if you read the passage and the surrounding passages you will come to realize the term “alien” does not relate to a creature but to something strange or unfamiliar or a foreign location. It is easy to get terminology confused in the Bible as a lot of it is written in parables but in this instance each use of the term is the same or similar.
While there are obviously books that have been left out of the Bible, based on how the term is used in these passages I don’t think the inclusion of any other books will change the meaning. Feel free to do your own research. The internet while a useful tool can also contain a lot of false or misleading information.
Yesterday I visited with a friend who has been told he is dying. I tried to express to his wife that just because a doctor makes that decision does not mean that is the way his life will play out. I believe with my whole heart that God still has a plan for him. While we live in a world where it is so easy to believe in the negative I search for the positivity in life. As the battle between good and evil is being fought before our very eyes……there is hope! The Bible speaks about hope:
Psalm 22:9 Yet You are He Who took me out of the womb; You made me hope and trust when I was on my mother’s breasts. (In this sense hope is a feeling of security.)
Psalm 27:14 Wait and hope for and expect the Lord; be brave and of good courage and let your heart be stout and enduring. Yes, wait for and hope for and expect the Lord. (Even though life may leave challenges at our feet, the Lord wants us to know that we can expect him and depend on him and look forward to his coming.)
Psalm 33:18 Behold, the Lord’s eye is upon those who fear Him [who revere and worship Him with awe], who wait for Him and hope in His mercy and loving-kindness. (God loves those who love and respect him ‘fear him’. On those who follow him he pours out his love in response to their obedience.)
Psalm 39:7 And now, Lord, what do I wait for and expect? My hope and expectation are in You. (Don’t be afraid to “wait” and “hope” for the outpouring of God’s love because it will come in His time not ours.)
As you go through your own daily battles, don’t forget to have hope. God loves you and only wants the best for you. That does not mean that we won’t be tested but that when we are we have a heavenly Father that loves us and stands by us in all things. Go to Him in prayer. Go to Him when you are in need. Don’t forget to go to Him just to show Him your love for Him!
Have a wonderful Sunday.
God is the Creator of all things. In Him all things are made new.
Despite the political nonsense, the violence and the fake covid…God always gives us a new day.
Every day brings more tribulations but if we stay focused and stay connected with our faith, we will survive.
We need to stop fighting among ourselves and unite together! The elite that have control of the world will easily lose control if we do. Negativity may hold us captive…..but it doesn’t have to! Individually we can set our own course to lead. Together we can set a course that will make God proud and clean up this world to make a better place for future generations.
Put not your faith in any man but in the holy trinity.
I have always been drawn to mountains. This comes from partially because even the Bible speaks a lot about mountains. As early at Genesis mountains are mentioned in Genesis 8 :4 “On the seventeenth day of the seventh month the ark came to rest on the mountains of Ararat”. In Isaiah 2:2 “It shall come to pass in the latter days that the mountain of the Lord’s house shall be established as the highest of the mountains and shall be exalted above the hills, and all shall flow to it”. For more biblical references here is a good site to go to: https://www.biblestudytools.com/topical-verses/bible-verses-about-mountains.
There is a spiritual connection with the huge peaks. Certainly when I stand on a mountain I feel closer to God. It is not just the height but more a presence. I have painted a lot of mountains. Here is this week’s mountain ridge.
The mountains tremble and quake before Him and the hills melt away and the earth is upheaved at His presence–yes, the world and all that dwell in it Nahum 1:5.
As children of God we can be mountains, firm and strong. We can stand and endure all things because our feet are firmly planted in the word. There is no need to worry about falling because our roots are embedded in the rock of salvation, Jesus Christ. In a time when “all things” are in question, God is the only thing that is certain.
Be a voice that can be heard in the wilderness. Be a cry that echos from the mountain top. Stand tall and unafraid because there is nothing here on earth that is too big for God. The Bible tells us multiple times to not have fear. If you live with fear you have already given up. Be like the pine tree that grows tall and wide. Let your words lead others to righteousness.
While I have read the Bible, I never tire of studying it. While we are currently living in “hell on earth” I decided to go back to Genesis.
Most people have a seven day week that is determined mostly by a job and family. While we may have busy days….God was busier in his “seven days”.
We know the number seven is significant so let’s start with the first reference of the number – creation. On day one these are the tasks God created… 1. Creation of the heavens and earth. 2. Creation of light…earth was nothing but water at this point. 3. Separation from light and dark (day and night). My goodness God was a busy guy even on day one. Put yourself in God’s shoes for a moment….you are starting your Monday and you decide to create a world called earth and heavens above it. While with good imagination you might come up with some concept but would never have the tools to execute such a task. Then to take it a step further God created day and night. In his infinite wisdom he knew every life form would need a period of rest and growth…even the earth.
On day two or our Tuesday how would you be at creating and completing the heavens? Just speaking for myself I could not create except maybe in a painting.
Now we are at “hump day”, Wednesday, God’s third day. He is having another busy day with the creation of land mass and vegetation. At this point he is seeing a portion of his dream realized.
On day four, our Thursday, God determines more light is needed and he creates the sun and moon and then the stars. Think of it now he casts the sun and moon into place and says that was not enough and created the millions of stars to light up the heavens. What do you typically do on a Thursday…bet it is not hand placing stars!
Now we are at day five. For most of us it is seen as “fish day” or the last work day of the week. For God, he still could not see the end of his week in sight. He was busy creating every living creature particularly those of the sea. All those whales, millions of fish and other creatures of the deep God created in one day.
While we may typically wake up late on our sixth day, Saturday, God was up early creating the livestock and the beasts and still had a few minutes to create man in his own image. Wow, I consider myself to be a fairly smart and creative person but I am but a grain of sand under God’s feet.
On day seven our Sunday, God knowing he still had a lot left to do looked at what he had done and was pleased. Then and only then did he choose to rest.
For me at least I am glad God spent these six days creating. He certainly earned his day of rest on Sunday.
I try to begin and end each day with prayer. It is not something I have always done but during the last year in particular it has been something I have tried to maintain to cope with life.
For the most part I have always been faith driven but there have certainly been times when I questioned God’s intentions. Last Thursday was certainly one of those days. It was later that day that I had to remind myself that it is not always about us! It is not our will or plan that is important. It is God’s will that is important.
We have to set aside our own personal feeling and let Him lead. The evil that caused the events on Wednesday to take place is still in this world.
It is time for God to take the reins because what man has put in place cannot easily be undone. There is still hope but peace will not come easily. Things will get worse before they get better.
Our part in this is simply to be patient. Don’t be swayed by mass media and corrupt social media. When we are quiet God has an opportunity to do his best work.
For me and my house, we will serve the Lord. This country can be great again but it will suffer a lot of birth pains before it reaches that point.
Be quiet and listen to the whispers of God for direction. For me moving forward I will be less concerned about the state of this country and more concerned about my own spiritual health. I will leave the hard stuff to God.
Fear not for the things you cannot fix…it is not meant for you too. Rejoice in your faith and family and everything else will be taken care of.
We truly do need to be “one nation under God” and that begins with each one of us. Have a truly wonderful day.
As the picture implies there is a path. It can be simple or misleading with lots of treacherous detours. While this is election day it is not just any election day but one that will ask that question…not just who is the right man for the job…but more importantly who can lead us down the right path.
Don’t close the page yet my focus is not on politics! Pathways can lead us to many things: a career, education, romance. During your lifetime how many times have you had to choose a path? If your life has been like mine there have been quite a few pathways.
The Uncertain Space
Don’t find yourself in that uncertain space. A bad decision may have consequences but no decision will leave you stuck in a place where moving forward could be difficult at best.
So the moral of this story is choose wisely the path you walk down. The results could be life changing!
Good morning friends. This week I have again been reminded to keep my faith alive. While I know where my own personal faith lies, I try very hard not to judge others for what they believe.
Earlier this week I had an opportunity to visit the Freschoes of West Jefferson, NC. These paintings are not just pieces of art that are overwhelmingly beautiful but they relay such a strong sense of peace. See for yourself!
And now we meet Leah. Leah was not a strong beautiful woman like her sister Rachel. When Jacob the grandson of Abraham meets the two sisters he is instantly attracted to Rachel. Their father Laban told Jacob that if he worked for him for seven years he could claim his beautiful daughter’s hand in marriage. He doesn’t know until the seven years are up that his bride-to-be is Leah, not her beautiful sister Rachel that he desired. You can imagine Jacob’s disappointment.
Laban tells Jacob that he can marry Rachel in another seven year but in the meantime would have to act as a husband to Leah. Just so he can marry Rachel later, he does as Laban requested and marries Leah. Leah knew from the very beginning that Jacob did not love her but but felt she had little choice and would never be disobedient to her father. She still proved to be a dutiful wife. With each day of marriage she became more depressed and longed for someone to love her. God was not happy that Leah was still unloved. He opened up her barren womb and enabled her to conceive while her sister Rachel remained barren.
Leah joyfully bears four children by Jacob. Since the birth of her firstborn, Leah as a mother becomes stronger. She pours her whole heart into raising her children and devoting herself to serving God. It is he she knows who has filled her heart with joy.
What did we learn from this story?
Beauty is not always the path to love or righteousness.
A woman full of self doubt can become a strong woman.
The desires of our own heart may not always be within God’s plan for us but if you are devoted to him your cup will be overflowing.
Leah did not let the fact that her husband did not love her lead her down a path of darkness, instead she concentrated on her relationship with her God and her children. As much as God commanded us to be a helpmate to man, it does not mean women are slaves to man. A strong bond between a man and a woman is a beautiful thing but when there is no love there God steps in and will help you to find that love whether it is love of a child or just finding love of self.
Leah who had little self-worth in the beginning became a strong woman happy as a mother and a child of God. The fulfillment of self is often ignored. Find your faith and find true happiness.
Through My Eyes 