I have always wondered how anyone could really look at God’s creations and not believe in Him. Look closely at the picture of flowers. Zoom in on the intricate details. How marvelous! That is just a flower. Now think about the miracle of human life.

“Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! You have set your glory in the heavens. Through the praise of children and infants you have established a stronghold against your enemies, to silence the foe and the avenger. When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is mankind that you are mindful of them, human beings that you care for them? You have made them a little lower than the angels and crowned them with glory and honor. You made them rulers over the works of your hands; you put everything under their feet: all flocks and herds, and the animals of the wild, the birds in the sky, and the fish in the sea, all that swim the paths of the seas. Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!”
‭‭Psalms‬ ‭8:1-9‬ ‭NIV‬‬

This week I have asked you to look for Godwinks and notice God’s presence around you. On this Transformation Tips Tuesday I encourage you to pause. Close your eyes. Be aware of yourself and your surroundings. Notice your breathing in and out. Imagine all the systems in your body working together; circulatory system, nervous system, digestive system, etc. Maybe even take a few moments to Google the various systems of the human body. What a miracle that all of these systems work together as we go about our day. You and I are pretty much mindless of that miracle as it is happening. Today be intentional about your mindfulness. Be aware of the miracle of life. Be present. Take moments throughout the day to declare;

“Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!”
‭‭Psalms‬ ‭8:9‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Yesterday I encouraged you to keep your eyes and ears open for Godwinks. What did you see? What did you hear?

I heard a song that reminded me of the promise of blessings from God. Those of you who have followed the blog for a while know that I feel a connection to the prophet Elijah. I have always been drawn to and encouraged by stories about him.

My favorite comes from 1 Kings 18. The land has suffered a three year drought. Elijah has just had a showdown with the prophets of Baal and challenged them to pray to Baal to start a fire. Long story short, nothing happened but instead, God showed off! Then…

“And Elijah said to Ahab, “Go, eat and drink, for there is the sound of a heavy rain.” So Ahab went off to eat and drink, but Elijah climbed to the top of Carmel, bent down to the ground and put his face between his knees. “Go and look toward the sea,” he told his servant. And he went up and looked. “There is nothing there,” he said. Seven times Elijah said, “Go back.” The seventh time the servant reported, “A cloud as small as a man’s hand is rising from the sea.” So Elijah said, “Go and tell Ahab, ‘Hitch up your chariot and go down before the rain stops you.’ ” Meanwhile, the sky grew black with clouds, the wind rose, a heavy rain started falling and Ahab rode off to Jezreel. The power of the Lord came on Elijah and, tucking his cloak into his belt, he ran ahead of Ahab all the way to Jezreel.”
‭‭1 Kings‬ ‭18:41-46‬ ‭NIV‬‬

I love, love, love this story. I love the faith Elijah shows in the promise of rain…the promise of blessings. I love that he tucks in his cloak and runs ahead. So yesterday, as I was looking for Godwinks, I was overcome with emotion when I heard this song. Click here to listen to the song and worship.

Then, after church, we went to the beach for a couple of hours. I love the beach. The massive ocean, the tides, the roar of the waves all remind me of God’s power. While we were there, the clouds rolled in and rain drizzled on us sporadically. As I covered up with my towel and the large, cold raindrops pelted me, I couldn’t be mad. While it wasn’t the perfect day to get a tan, it was another Godwink so I soaked in the hope and promise of God’s blessings.

On this Mindset Monday I again encourage you to look and listen for Godwinks as you go about your day. The idea of a Godwink comes from the book “When God Winks” by Squire D. Rushnell. The book explains a Godwink as an “event or personal experience that some call coincidence but is so astonishing that could also be viewed as divine intervention, especially when perceived as an answer to prayer.”

On this Mindset Monday keep your eyes and ears open. Where do you see God intervening on your behalf? What have you heard that underscores the presence of the Almighty in your life? What answers have you received to prayer? May our Mindset this Monday be that of hope and focused on God’s promises. When we see a cloud let us praise God for the blessings that come with rain.

Last Sunday, while waiting on a baseball game to start, I walked on this trail located beside the ballpark. The further I went into the woods, the trail became darker and more shaded. As I walked, I prayed and talked with God. I took the moment of solitude to share my joys and thanksgiving as well as my worries and burdens. Realizing the time was drawing near for the game time, I turned around and made my way back towards the entrance of the trail. Then I noticed the light shining through the trees. I snapped this picture as a reminder of the Godwink. As I continued on the trail I recalled the various Scriptures about Jesus and light and praised God for the beautiful reminder of the presence of Christ.

“When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.””
‭‭John‬ ‭8:12‬ ‭NIV‬‬

“I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness.”
‭‭John‬ ‭12:46‬ ‭NIV‬‬

“The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.”
‭‭John‬ ‭1:5‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Spend some time this Spiritual Sunday looking intentionally for the Light. Click here to begin your day of worship. Spend some time in Scripture by looking up one of the verses listed above. Read the surrounding verses to get a sense of the context. Finally, as you go about your Spiritual Sunday, have your eyes and ears open to the presence of Christ in the light around you. Look intentionally for Godwinks. We would love for you to comment below your Godwinks or Christ sightings today so we can share in your praise.

Let’s talk about the sound of torn fabric. Click here for See You Saturday!

A short video on the Veil being torn; Click here

Jesús is the light to our darkness!

Recently I learned about the word “stravage” which means to wander aimlessly. When life gets busy, tough, or stressful, it is easy to react by aimlessly wandering through our days, weeks, and even months. In the song Hard Times by Unspoken, “sometimes in life the road we’re on is not the one we choose”. Thankfully we can walk in good company. We can refresh others and be refreshed when we come with Joy; “so that I may come to you with joy, by God’s will, and in your company be refreshed.” Romans‬ ‭15:32‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Sunflowers are called Sunflowers because they follow the sun. They symbolize loyalty which is very similar to our Christian walk, following the Son of God. On this Finish Friday let’s look up to the Son and be refreshed.

Click here to worship with us! Now may “The God of peace be with you all” as we walk with God! (Rom‬ ‭15:33‬ ‭NIV‬‬)

Let’s take a moment today to really read this verse from Isaiah 61:10 NIV and write it on our hearts. Not only rejoice but to believe it over ourselves and celebrate it.

“I delight greatly in the Lord; my soul rejoices in my God. For he has clothed me with garments of salvation and arrayed me in a robe of his righteousness, as a bridegroom adorns his head like a priest, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.”

Look at this beautiful Easter Cross. Now think about how God sees us. We are beautiful inside and out, clothed in salvation. On this Thankful Thursday we can find joy in knowing who’s we are. Delight means a high degree of gratification. Let us not forget to show God our gratification as His children. What will you thank God for today?

On this Water Walking Wednesday we can walk with great Joy and Pride. We are so blessed to have the heritage of Christ Jesus. Carrying the statues of God, I envision His law written on our hearts. How do we carry them? I like to think of the word abide, to remain stable and fixed in God and His word.

“Your statutes are my heritage forever; they are the joy of my heart.” Psalms‬ ‭119:111‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Summertime can be a relaxing time, yet busy, and fun. We can spend time near the water, family cookouts, and many cherished memories. I encourage us not to get too relaxed that we forget to carry God’s word, worship Him, and find Joy in His statutes. Summertime is also a time to relish in His God’s beautiful creation. The next time you sit by the water or see a beautiful sunset, remember your heritage and the joy found when we abide in God. Let’s not forget to Walk on Water!