Book with the Blue Cover

Cozy Winter Nights: Read a book (from start to finish) with a blue cover, then publish a review, rant, or recommendation.

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How & Why I Chose this Book:

In 2012, I received an end of the semester gift from my nursing students after their very first clinical rotation. They each left me a loving, little message inside and signed and dated it. It meant so much to me because they understood I was someone who believed that God is active in our everyday lives. The name of the book was "When God Winks."

I think I read a couple of chapters in it between breaks in the academic year. That year was also a tough one with caregiving for my mother at home, her inevitable event of breaking a bone in her upper arm after falling, which in turn, rendered her unable to use a walker to ambulate. (Plus, there were her unpredictable seizures.) Needless to say, I didn't finish the read at that time.

When the challenge came up to read a book with a blue cover, I went to my bookshelf, and there it was, waiting for me. I do remember that it was popular twelve years ago because I had seen it in Barnes & Nobles.

On the book jacket, we learn that the author, SQuire Rushnell, was certainly not in the overnight sensation section, but had, in fact, been a very successful television executive for many years and also travelled about doing motivational speaking. I was a bit skeptical as to his authenticity/ability to impart spiritual knowledge, to be honest. Sorry :(

But, I didn't really "choose" this book. I guess it's safe to say that it chose me...and because it met the blue cover criteria, that meant I should now give it a go in 2024? Maybe it's a coincidence? Or maybe I had no other book with a blue cover!

The Book Itself:

The book has only 162 pages, so it should be an easy read. It is very well organized, having the Three Parts laid out in the Contents page. (I always appreciate seeing what I'm getting into.)

(The cover is very appealing to me. Blue, is indeed my favorite color.) The indigo blue color depicts an evening sky about to turn several shades darker. I know this because the moon which lies above the black mountain used as a contrast in the picture, is a waning moon. Barely visible around that crescent entity are a succession of yellow circles. (Very intriguing.)

And so is the title, after all...when you see the words, "when God winks," don't we all see an old man who kind of looks like Santa winking...at least for a second or two? (I'm just going to have to shake that off.)

The next thing we read is the subtitle, "How the Power of Coincidence Guides Your Life." (Have I missed something; I think to myself ???)

Underneath the Covers:

*God Wink: A personal signal or message, directly from a higher power, usually, but not always, in the form of a coincidence. SQuire Rushnell

*Acknowledgments: Here the author introduces us to people in his life that he calls, "God nudgers;" those that helped God nudge him in the right direction.

*Intro: Nine pages. Too many, I think. The author promises that his book will be a "bridge to your self-discovery." (Maybe it's because I'm sixty-nine and have discovered myself in more ways than it's healthy...but it might have been a better fit in my twenties?) But, I'm still willing to learn, so I read on.

SR (the author,) says he has "interviewed scores of people and researched hundreds of coincidence stories to gain a new perspective on these synchronistic events to help others enrich their own lives."

Then he challenges us, the readers, to take "an archeological expedition into ourselves, to dig up the coincidences that have marked our lives. A charting of your winks. He further urges, as he challenges us to get a "wink diary" to use for "harnessing" the power of coincidences to "manifest" a better path for ourselves."

SR believes that "coincidences happen for a reason...to let you know you are not alone."

(So far: I do believe in God winks as the author describes. I also acknowledge there are God nudgers...and those that nudge from other agendas, too. I also think that God reminds us in many ways, and in every way possible, that we are not alone. But...I'm most likely not going to keep a diary. Or use any manifestation techniques, but maybe I already do and am not aware?)

Part One: (Opening Your Eyes to See the Winks)

What the Author says about Part One: you will learn ways to open your eyes to see the amazing ways that a higher, cosmic power has been working in your life.

What I say about Part One: I'm not sure that SR has been effective in teaching me "ways" to open my spiritual eyes, but I did connect with his thinking in several passages.

One being, "change means uncertainty and uncertainty means discomfort." And that in the midst of those times, I'm certain that "God creates messages of reassurance (one being coincidences) in the midst of instability."

I also believe, as does SR, that God is a "God of perfect order" and that He sees our lives from a "higher perspective."

SR also brings out the idea that "God's timing and our encounters" with others are "divine assignments." I have experienced that, so I believe.

Part Two: (Using God Winks to Enrich Your Life)

What the Author says about Part Two: You'll read about ways you can use coincidences to enrich your life as you go forward. You will even learn how to create your own coincidences---turning your wishes into winks.

What I say about Part Two: Rather than saying, create my own coincidences, I think I might be saying the same thing, but using words like, "walking out my faith."

(In this part, SR also asks his audience questions like, "What would you really like to see yourself doing in life?" and then urges them to make a personal inventory of their talents.)

My twenty-year old self would have said, "bring it on," but my almost seventy-year old self, says, "Nah, I'm napping!"

Part Three: (Coincidences in All Walks of Life)

What the Author says about Part Three: It is packed with fascinating stories demonstrating that winks from God guide us through every aspect of life...

What I say about Part Three: "Packed" is definitely correct! Ninety pages of stories. That's 50% of the entire book. The contents cover coincidences in relationships, families, lifesavers, life's end, history, arts, sports, career/corporate, and "little" serendipities. After reading awhile, they all blended in. My brain has filed most of them into non-retrievable folders, because, for the life of me, the only one I can best recall is of my own family coincidences related to dates of the month, a particular month, or a pattern in relation to one another based on our birthdays.

Conclusion:

SQuire Rushnell concludes that coincidences are "a sequence of events...that have been planned/arranged...by God...to give us cosmic pats on the back to keep us going, help us to be hopeful, and to keep us fully alive."

My conclusion is that I do believe in God Winks...

Review, Rant, or Recommendation:

Probably meant to be only one option; but has somehow become all from my perspective.

What I liked the least: Redundancy throughout the book, length of Part Three, fact that audience is best suited for younger generations.

What I liked the most: Recognition that God is all about the details of our lives and He loves us enough to give us God winks and connects us to others through them. Also, I loved how the author chose to put quotes to each chapter of the book, like the one from Emerson in illustration.

***I would like to dedicate this review to my niece, Alaana, who also believes strongly in God winks!

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***God Wink Christmas movies on Hallmark***

(SQuire Rushnell executive producer among others)

2018 Original God Wink

2019 Meant For Love

2020 Second Chance, First Love

2021 Miracle of Love

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