SQuire Rushnell (yes, that’s a capital Q) is a New York Times best selling author and the creator of the popular Godwinks(c) series. Four books in the series were co-authored with his wife, Louise DuArt.

SQuire and Louise also co-wrote Couples Who Pray and The 40 Day Prayer Challenge. But I was blessed this week to interview both SQuire and Louise about their new Dogwinks book.

Enjoy!

Has God ever blessed you with an unexpected “detour” in your life that turned out to be the better path?

Louise – Absolutely! We’ve had so many, but I must say my favorite detour was when SQuire had a business trip in Canada. He had planned to take his brain injured son with him for some fun activities.

At the last minute the Canadian meeting was unexpectedly postponed. However, that opened the door for a Divinely Aligned Godwink … a detour. 

Now forced to stay in NYC, SQuire searched the newspaper for something to do with his son. 

Under Broadway shows, he came across a familiar name. Louise DuArt.  I was performing in a show called “Dream Stuff.” 

You see, years before, SQuire was VP of Children’s Television for ABC and gave me my first TV series called “The Krofft Supershow” which began my career in television.

We hadn’t seen each other in years and had no idea that we were both single.

When we saw each other in the lobby of the theatre after the performance, our hearts skipped a beat. He invited me for coffee and we’ve had coffee every day since! We’ve been married over 20 years.

But wait… here’s the Godwink… SQuire’s mysteriously canceled meeting … detouring his trip to Canada… was perfectly aligned with the last performance of the Broadway show. A day later, would have been too late. That’s the grace of God found in Godwinks & Divine Alignment. 

SQuire (adds) – We describe that term “Divine Alignment” as those moments when you find yourself at “the right place and the right moment for God’s will to be done”; you meet the girl or guy of your dreams or, perhaps, someone who opens a door to your career. Whenever those paths connect, there always seems to be a Godwink.

Let’s talk about your new book, Dogwinks: True Godwink Stories of Dogs and the Blessings They Bring (Howard Books, May 2021). Please tell us about it.

SQuire – At the center of each true inspirational tale is a dog whose actions show the reader how God uses pups to work in wondrous ways. We call those moments Godwink/dogwinks … sweet messages of comfort and encouragement. There are 20 stories in “Dogwinks” that illustrate the amazing roles of our furry friends to bring joy and miracles just when we need it. 

What brought about the idea for this particular book and how did you go about collecting the stories?

Louise – It was during our daily prayer time. We had this overwhelming feeling that God wanted us to do a book about dogs! We realized that dogs have many of the qualities that mirror who HE is. They are faithful companions, they love us unconditionally, they are protective and courageous, they always want to be near us and hang on our every word. 

SQuire (adds) – As with each of our 12 books, the moment we start writing God just divinely aligns us with the perfect stories for that particular title.

Your concept of Godwink ‘mapping’ reminds me a lot of ‘Divine detours.’ How should someone go about ‘mapping’ his or her life experiences in search of past Godwinks? What do you believe is the value in doing so?

SQuire – This concept began with urging our readers to take an archeological dig into their own pasts, uncovering the most significant crossroads of their lives; an uprooting geographical move; the time you met your spouse; when you lost, or gained a member of your family; etc. Our premise is that each crossroad probably had Signs of Hope that you missed … Godwinks of encouragement. Once you see that there have been Godwinks all along your paths, you’ll expectantly look for them in the future. We call this “mapping” your Godwinks.

A few fun questions…

When the words aren’t flowing—or when you want to celebrate if they are—what is your favorite comfort food and why?

Louise – Being of Italian heritage, I love to cook and we both love pasta! I make a tasty dish called Pasta Primavera. We feel less guilty since it has a lot of fresh vegetables that off-set the calories. 

SQuire (adds) – My job is to enjoy everything my wonderful wife places in front of me. I do it well.

Stories and/or parables are an integral part of both the Old and New Testaments. Is there a Bible story, parable or passage that has been particularly important to you and/or describes your personal journey of faith?

Louise – We have traveled many diverse paths over the years. Sometimes we’ve felt like we were on a Holy Roller coaster ride hanging on for dear life!

There are two scriptures that have been a handrail for us during the good times and the challenging times.

  • Proverbs 3:6 “in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.”
  • Romans 8:28 “ALL things work together for good for those who love the Lord and are called according to His purpose.”

SQuire, in the story that is your life, are you the tall, dark stranger; the romantic lead; the mythical warrior; the mad scientist; or the child in an adult’s body?

I’ve never cast myself as the romantic lead nor mad scientist. But “child-like” is an epithet I wear like a Boy Scout badge. Of course you can say that I once ran ABC “Kidvid”… but this scene better describes that notion: Lunch with two friends, Stan Lee (Marvel Comics) and Joe Barbera (Hanna Barbera) always brought us to the realization that we were grown men with the heart of a little boy.

Louise, in the story that is your life, are you the strong, female lead; the girl next door; the mysterious woman behind dark glasses; the super heroine; or the little girl trying to walk in high heels?

I am definitely the little girl trying to walk in high heels! I was a geeky kid who was never comfortable in my own skin. I actually became an impressionist so I could morf into other people.  I had a lot more confidence as Cher, Barbra Streisand or Judge Judy!

You write about dogs in the new book. Please tell us about your pets, if any, or your favorite pet as a child.

Louise – I always had a lot of pets…hamsters, horned toads, guinea pigs, bunnies. But my favorite was my dog Spotty. There’s a Godwink story about my personal dogwink/divine alignment with Spotty in the “Dogwinks” book. 

SQuire – My first dog Tippy was a cute mutt who joyfully jumped into the fray of three brothers rolling around on the floor. Tippy was also my companion and protector when, at age ten, my paper route was cold, dark and scary after winter sunsets.

Thank you, SQuire and Louise)! It’s great to have you as a guest at Divine Detour.

Thanks much. Wishes for wondrous Godwinks … and dogwinks!

SQuire Rushnell & Louise DuArt Rushnell

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For more information about SQuire and Louise, visit their website and follow SQuire on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

To purchase Dogwinks, log on to the Godwinks webstore or the following online retail outlets.