Dear Reader:

Back in Victorian times…”tiddly winks” was an expression used for parlor games…particularly one in which the players tried to flip “tiddly winks” into a cup….the player with the most “winks” won.

Later this expression came to mean “something trivial or unimportant.”  Sample Sentence: “I can’t believe you don’t want to ride bikes…but would rather watch your “tiddly winks” television program.”

We talk a lot in this blog about “God Winks” and I realize now that there are no “tiddly winks” when it comes to God Winks appearing at just the right moment in our lives. A “Father to Child” intervention when needed most.

With Valentines Day around the corner..this little box of hearts caught my attention while searching for a book. It was wedged in a book shelf between two books. When I opened it…I immediately remembered when and what it was all about.

In January of 2012 I had major surgery, once again, to remove more “little c” and do a major skin graft….from my back to my chest. It took over eight hours to complete.

Doodle had told me about a little children’s book called “The Kiss Box” that a mother bear and cub exchanged… filled with kisses so the little bear wouldn’t miss his mommy so much when she was away.

So Eva Cate and I exchanged a “Kiss box” (before my surgery) filled with hearts to represent a 100 kisses…and some Hersey kisses…just because they are yummy.

Soon after I came to following the surgery I was aware of a little tug on my pink robe that the Ya’s had given me (to this day Eva Cate puts it on every time she spends the night with me) and then we were playing with kisses…Boo had come through and there was my sweet baby.

 There are no little “tiddly winks” from God…He sends kisses and hugs…along with His Winks.

In one of God’s Mysterious Ways (Guidepost) true stories….I had to smile at God’s Wink at a elementary school spelling bee.

The story goes like this (paraphrased by me): Author: Maria Francia (“A Miracle at the Spelling Bee“)

A little first grader had just found a new friend at the lunch table who ate cafeteria food. The first grader brought a  chicken leg from home most days and his new friend was envious.

So one day the first grader asked his mom if he could have two chicken legs to take each day and then explained about his new friend…so every day that week the mother sent two chicken legs.

At the end of the week the new friend’s mother called to thank the “chicken leg” mom for being so kind to include her son in the lunch bag. She worked shifts and couldn’t fix her son a bag lunch and was very appreciative of her kindness and generosity.

They began talking and “chicken leg” mom said her first grader was in the spelling bee for the school’s first and second graders. Suddenly…from the other end of the phone…the thankful mom asked ” Can your son spell b-e-a-u-t-i-f-u-l?

Puzzled she called her son over by the phone and asked him the same thing…he could not…he kept leaving the silent “a” out. All that week when they practiced together she would include the word “beautiful” in the mix (even though it wasn’t on the list)…and each time the little boy would leave out the “a.” Finally on the way to the bee he spelled it correctly for the first time.

The first grader made it through round one, then round two, round three until there was just him and a second grader left. The last word… “Beautiful.” The second grader missed it…leaving out the “a” himself. When the first grader stood up to spell it…he grinned down at his mom and nodded….mouthing (loudly) “I won’t forget the silent “a.”

The crowd laughed and the first grader proudly spelled “beautiful” correctly to the clapping cheers around him.

As soon as they got home his mother ran to the phone and called the other mother who had mentioned learning the word “beautiful.”

“Did you know something I didn’t…that word wasn’t on the list to learn?”

“No…I just thought what you and your son were doing at lunch for my son was “beautiful.”  And so it was. A “God Wink”….an thank you from God for showing kindness.

………………………………

Guidepost also had this one minute short video clip that gave me chills….How can anyone doubt that God exists with all the intricacies He has meticulously given each creature on earth?

A Puffer Fish’s Miraculous Work of Art

A Puffer Fish’s Miraculous Work of Art – Guideposts

* Wasn’t that spectacular….mind-blowing?

* I wanted to catch up with some readers’ blog comments on recent blogs…..the first from Jo Dufford concerning yesterday’s blog….”Healing by Reinventing Ourselves.” Her analogy to what the oncologist went through with his heart attack was so insightful!

The article on the difference between curing and healing gives us so much to think about. I loved that the doctor moved rocks around while he probably mentally worked through what to do with the rock in his own life. It seemed that he said to acknowledge how you feel about something, and then move the rocks the way you best can “heal”. What a powerful thought, no matter what your pile of rocks happen to be…

Sis Kinney made this observation from the blog: “Each Morning We Are Born Again”

 Loved the poem “Beginning Today.” So, beginning today, I will strive to do just as he stated. It’s funny how we change our points of view on this as we get older; we don’t worry about the past or the future. It is what it is and no amount of worry will change either, right?

I, had a God’s Wink on this Buddha quote also (Each Morning We are Born Again)….with a verse from the Bible by the prophet Jeremiah: (Bible study I am attending on Tuesday…and after this wink I think God wants me there) After I had finished my blog Monday I started reading some of introduction and first chapter of the study guide and what did I see:

Yet I still dare to hope

when I remember this

The fruitful love of the Lord never ends

His mercies never cease

Great is his faithfulness

His mercies begin afresh each morning.

( Lamentations-3:21-23)

Johnny Johnson also gave a heart-felt testimonial on “Each Morning We Are Born Again.” Thank you Johnny for your candid and introspective thoughts concerning your personal life’s journey!

…Funny this blog should come today when just yesterday I told myself that I walked off my path and let things get in the way of my moto and prayer. I needed to get back on track.

I have had 13 spinal surgeries but I have never let it get me down or stop me from at least trying to do any and everything I want and or need to do. I returned to work after 11 of the surgeries but my employer asked me to retire while waiting for number 12.They were afraid I believe, that I might fall or something would happen where they would get stuck with a worker comp case.

But now I have drifted away from my original thought here as well as drifted away from my heart and mind set and that is why I pray to be a better person today than I was yesterday.

I let life and some pain cause me to lose that focus. So I am back on track looking to be a better person today and your blog, as God would have it, has reinforced myself to be a better person today. Thank you and as you say, your blog today was my God’s Wink!

I also loved Linda Carson’s thoughts on how God’s Winks help guide her daily.

I keep getting messages as I drive down Ladson on my way to work.  Its always nice to see the cross that stands in someone’s driveway that says, Remember, You are Loved.  But usually the days I happen to see that, there are always one or two more messages somewhere, billboards or license plates or a song.  Today it was a church sign:  Christianity isn’t just a religion, its a relationship. Isnt’ that so true?  Now that we are learning to listen and be open, how much have we missed?  Really great to feel closer and comforted in our daily walk.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

I will continue stopping periodically to share these wonderful thoughts and observations from you astute readers.

So until tomorrow….Everything is “B_E_A_U_T_I_F_U_L”!

“Today is my favorite day”  Winnie the Pooh

* Joe, Linda’s son, is going through a tough time right now…health-wise and job-wise. He could use your prayers to help guide him out of this valley.

Libby sent this message to all you for your prayers for Betsy…

The blog today was absolutely “on target” for me, as it usually is!!! Thanks to you and the wonderful friends of “Chapel of Hope” members who have prayed for Betsy and sent messages of love and care…..We could actually feel the blessings!!!

On-going prayers for our little Rudy are appreciated so much by the family.

**** Don’t forget! If you haven’t cast your choice yet for boy or girl in the “Give it a Twirl” contest for Mollie, Walsh, and Rutledge…please take a minute and shoot me an email or put it under comment. The tally is turning very interesting…..

* Adding this on…been waiting to hear from Brooke today…she  had more surgery done on one eye (around noon today-MUSC) to help with a problem she has had since childhood….please keep Brooke in your prayers as she goes through this final process with her eyes. They are too beautiful not to be seen or sync’ed….we will soon have a new “Miss Blue Eyes” again! Our Ya “Unsinkable Brookie Parker”!!!!!