Lately, I've been reading a great book that was aired on the JONI show on Daystar TV. When I saw Squire Rushnell on the show, I heard two of his God wink stories and at that moment knew I had to read the book.

I ordered it and it finally came in. Well, this weekend my husband wanted to go fishing and so I grabbed the book to enjoy the beautiful day with him and my youngest son.

The book is called When God Winks at You. A God wink is like God saying, "Here I am. I love you." and you feel a big hug from God himself. People would say that they are just coincidences in life but they are way too much to be just a coincidence.

I've enjoyed reading 1/2 of the book but while reading it God winked at me and my husband. So this is my God wink blog of what happenned Saturday, March 17, 2007.

We loaded up the Explorer to head out to a new fishing whole my husband discovered. It was very close by. Usually we drive at least 45 mins away to find a spot but this is to say around the corner. Who would of known that in the backyard of a huge subdivision and between a highway you could find a bit of paradise.

It used to be the San Antonio Lake fishing hole. This place must have been beautiful when it first openned. But now everything was as if someone no longer cared for this beautiful natural retreat. It was run down and there were no signs of anyone. We arrive and I'm thinking to myself this is it? But we get to a small white mobile home and there through the glass doors are four dogs to greet us. They were at first barking and then they began wagging their tails. Their heads motioned to signal that their owner was not home. We sat their thinking how this place could be so beautiful if someone had the money. There was a two story home on the left that surely could of been a bed and breakfast place.

As we sat there in front of the STOP sign in front of the home, we see a woman in rubber boots walking up the trail. She mentions how there is a $8 fee per person whether adult or child. The owner had mandated her to request that amount regardless of age. She was a jovial lady who loved to talk and gave us the layout of what her plans are to get the place up and going. Although, she herself was not the owner, she saw the vision and beauty of that place.

After paying the fee we drove to the other end of the lake. It was so peaceful. The sky was blue the water crystal and a cool breeze blowing overhead. What a grand day to fish! Well at least dad and Jesse were going to fish. "Dad" is what I call my husband.

Jesse was so excited. Spending time with Dad and I was the best time of all for him. He didn't have to compete with his other three brothers for our attention. So when we drove up we found that we had to cross to the other side by walking through a pool of water about ankle deep. There was no way around it. The week before we had an outpour of rain and it was still wet in many areas around the lake.

The guys crossed the make believe moat and I sat in the vehicle with my legs propped up on the window. My feet hung out the window with my chair pulled back. The guys settle down and hook the bait and cast. Then the God wink began.

Out of no where come flying in two swans? Yes, two HUGE swans. Where they came from we didn't know. But they were beautiful. Dad thought it was a spiritual experience. I on the other hand I thought it was a birdwatching experience. We have really been into watching birds these days. Just then Dad says, "Look hon, look over there by that tree." I looked but I couldn't see what he was talking about.  So I stared for awhile and then finally saw it!

Life flashback:

Raul and I were newlyweds and so was my cousin Rose. One day we all decided to go fishing in a boat. So the four of us boarded a small fishing boat that sat four. As we were in the middle of Canyon Lake which is one of the biggest lakes around, somebody needed to go to the bathroom. Bathroom? there wasn't anything available out in the middle of nowhere. So we veer the boat near the shore for that person to tend to business.

We all get ready to cast again and Raul saw me having trouble with something in the boat. He leaned forward to help me and in doing so placed the reel down inside the boat. Well, something that day grabbed the bait and the reel, too! "Oh, no." he moaned. My wonderful husband had lost something very special to him that day. It was his fishing reel that his father had given to him as a child. It was gone. There was no way we could jump in and locate it. The water was too deep and it was dangerous since we didn't know what lurked underneath. I felt my husband's loss profoundly. I could see it on his face how distrought he felt that day. He had lost the gift his dad had given him for his birthday as a boy.

***

I saw it, too. It was a fishing rod. Not just any rod. This was a brand new fishing rod with the price tag still on it. It was $29.95. It was shiny and didn't have signs like it was out there for days? We looked all around and there was no one there. Absolutely, no one but God.

It happened to be my husband's 50th birthday weekend. Our family never celebrates just one day. We celebrate for several days around here. I smiled and knew at that moment it was a God wink.

:o)