As I reflect on my thoughts and desires, I can see a pursuit for Eureka! I have a hunger for Eureka!/Aha! 

Working definition – Eureka!/Aha! – a positive response to a discovery. Eureka!/Aha! includes satisfaction or joy.

• Eureka! is a cry of joy or satisfaction when one finds or discovers something. From Greek verb eu·​re·​ka | \yu̇-ˈrē-kä \ I have found. Since 1963 Eureka! has been the motto of California. Eureka is attributed to Archimedes on discovering a method for determining the purity of gold
• Aha! – a surprise, a triumph, an interjection. First known use of aha Interjection was in the 14th century.

 This realization led me to consider a few questions:

• Why do I pursue Eureka!/Aha?
• Why do I experience a burst of life, a quickening when I perceive something new, an Eureka!/Aha! moment?
• Are these bursts of life supposed to always be present in me?
• Does the reality which I see revealed in the experiences of Eureka!/Aha! change me in its seeing?
• Should pursuit of Eureka!/Aha! drive my action?
• Does Eureka!/Aha! keep us from living? Does Eureka!/Aha! detour or hinder our purpose?

Truth and life seem connected to all my memories of Eureka!/Aha!

Truth and life are visible in the accounts of other people telling about their experience of Eureka!/Aha!

Truth and life are almost always present in the stories of others. When I have talked to people who recognize having experienced Eureka!/Aha! moments in their lives, a new understanding of truth can be identified.

When I feel Eureka!/Aha!, the resulting life and truth feel complete; at that moment, nothing seems wanting. Oh, I am aware that people have a finite perspective. At the same time there seems to be a completeness of understanding when we perceive Eureka!/Aha! The life experienced in a Eureka!/Aha! moment does not need all truth that can be known about that idea/object revealed to be full/complete. For example, at this time, we do not understand the causes of the graviton, or even what rule determine the graviton to act like a boson rather than a fermion. We do not know if graviton has a one or a two integer spin, much less the reason why. When new things have been learned about gravity, the Eureka!/Aha! and the possibilities of the new understanding run through the mind before any lament about the still unknown. We may lament not understanding more but there is a delay. What affects the length of the delay would be an interesting exercise. I see this in the things of God. When God reveals something of Himself, we see truth, we are enlivened, we glory in what we see of God. We do not lament unknown revelation, at least initially. The bottom line is that our nature perceives Eureka!/Aha! when it participates with life and truth.

At times Eureka!/Aha! can seem too strong. We can feel so much life/truth that we do not think we can take anymore. We can feel like an old wine skin overflowing with new wine, full to bursting. Eureka!/Aha! can be all enveloping, all saturating, all satisfying.

As I see it, Eureka!/Aha! is the lower level in the analogy of life in the Spirit of God.  Jesus claimed to be the ‘the Way, the Truth, the Life.’ It seems to me that our relationship with God is our highest relationship to life and truth.

Too many times I have heard Christians say, “we are not to be directed or even nudged by our feelings.” This is not sound. “16 Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God. 17 Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father.”

These things are emotionally pleasant.

• Romans 8:14 For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. 15 For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, “Abba! Father!” 16 The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God, 17 and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him.
• Galatians 5:22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, and self-control. Against such things there is no Law. – Against such things there is no law.

All Christians can remember times when we have been convicted by God’s revealing of Himself. Too often we wallow in the shame when we see our actions as failures. I would argue that that response is flawed. The result of God’s conviction should be acceptance of God’s ways and a thanks that He is actively leading us toward Him, the Truth. Stopping at shame thwarts the good which God has prepared us. It also causes us pain. The truth here is God’s holiness. The indirect application of this truth is some degree of lament over out relation or rather opposition to that holiness/

Now, I return to the former questions about Eureka!/Aha!

• Why do I pursue Eureka!/Aha? I see that Eureka!/Aha! comes with truth, I like to know the truths of God. also, I pursue Eureka!/Aha! because it is aesthetically pleasing.
• Why do I experience a burst of life, a quickening when I perceive something new, an Eureka!/Aha! moment? I do not know the exact scientific reasons we experience pleasant sensations when we sense Eureka!/Aha!, but we do.
• Are these bursts of life supposed to always be present in me? I argue yes. When the truth seems to make us unhappy, it is not the truth causing the unhappiness. It is our actions compared to the truth that lead to unpleasantness. These are points/moments in time, not usually a line or even continuous points.
• Does the reality which I see revealed in the experiences of Eureka!/Aha! change me in its seeing? This is a powerful yes. Even when we do not accept something, it changes our underlying thinking. I like to think of John’s words on transformation, I John 3:2 “Beloved, we are now children of God, and what we will be has not yet been revealed. We know that when Christ appears, we will be like Him, for we will see Him as He is.  3:3 And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.” We are transformed by truth. I want to be transformed.
• Should pursuit of Eureka!/Aha! drive my action? This is tough, but my answer is a qualified no. We are not to pursue Eureka!/Aha! for itself. We are to pursue the ways, truth, and life of God. When we have physical pain, it lets us know something is not right. If we are not having a positive Eureka!/Aha! with God, we should consider our world view’s alignment with God. If we predominately feel negative, we need to reconsider our ways. I am bipolar; my emotions, thoughts, and body experience pain. But even in pain, I can experience God’s love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.
• Does Eureka!/Aha! keep us from living? Does Eureka!/Aha! detour or hinder our purpose? – No, a Eureka!/Aha! moment does not move us from living. Rather a Eureka!/Aha! moment results from participation with life.

Most images related to Eureka!/Aha! are of people looking up and/or smiling. The amplitude of Eureka!/Aha! can vary greatly, from finding an object around the house that you thought you lost months ago to coming up with a concept new to current information.