Michele Chynoweth's Blog, page 12

Blessed are they…

[image error]I was proud of those who marched Friday in the 45th annual 2017 March for Life, and proud of those who had the courage to speak out against abortion. In Sunday’s Gospel reading in mass from Matthew Chapter 5, Jesus gives us the beatitudes in his Sermon on the Mount. “Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be satisfied.” I truly believe that those who march for life and against abortion are hungering and thirsting for righteousness. Later in this same chapter, Jesus goes on to speak about the law, anger, divorce, adultery, swearing, retaliation and love of enemies – and on each topic, He “raises the bar” on all of these, giving the Jews at the time a more strict definition of what it means to obey God’s commands. I wonder what Jesus would have said on the Right to Life issue if He was with us today? I’m thinking that He would have been one of the crowd marching, or maybe even one of the speakers! Later in Matthew’s Gospel, there is a story of the King (Jesus) sitting on the throne, separating the sheep (those who obey God’s laws) from the goats (those who do not) to pass final judgement. To the sheep,  “the King will reply, ‘truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’ And to the goats He will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’ Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.” (Matt 25: 40-46) Certainly the unborn who cannot speak for themselves can be considered among the “least” I would think. Lord, I pray today that we all help and support, even if only in prayer, the mothers, fathers and families struggling with bringing a child into this world, that You help them know they are loved. 

Religion and Politics…

[image error]Are you pro-Trump or anti-Trump? Are you pro-life or pro-choice? Are you unsure about which side you’re on,  or sure but afraid to speak out for fear of being unpopular? Today more than ever before with the recent inauguration of our new US President and the protests that have followed, people seem to be speaking out on how they feel on religion and politics…or holding back on how they feel out of fear they might be harassed or bullied for voicing their opinions. This past election has divided families and friends in America almost like the Civil War. And yet, even after that war, where brother fought brother over their strong convictions, people did eventually come together again as believers in God and His Word. I hope they will again soon. It’s obviously important to have convictions. I consider myself first a child of God and a Christian; I am also a woman but I believe in pro-life because that’s what the Bible – God’s Word – tells us that’s what God is about. “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart.” (Jer 1:5) And I can’t justify my rights as a woman to choose if they conflict with my beliefs as a Christian. I hesitated on speaking out on this subject at a recent gathering of friends because there were a few vocal women talking against the new president. I knew if I debated them  it would cause more harm than good just to get across my convictions or beliefs on religion and politics. I’m glad the March for Women’s Rights was peaceful this past weekend. But I’m also disappointed that, although the march focused on being “for” various issues, many protesters were “anti” Trump more than anything else. This week in the Catholic Church is dedicated as the “Week of Prayer for Christian Unity.” It couldn’t come at a better time, in the world at large, but especially in America.  I believe we should focus on our common faith and spiritual beliefs, not our different religious or political views, we should move forward from this election supporting each other and our country instead of trying to keep tearing them down, we should promote peace instead of protest, especially in these fractious times, and we should work together for the common good. Just as Jesus embraced the Gentiles with the Jews and encouraged them to love each other, we need to be tolerant, accepting, even loving toward those who disagree with us, in our words and actions. As St. Paul says, “I urge you, brothers and sisters, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree in what you say, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and in the same purpose.” Amen.

How Do We Stay Excited?

[image error]So…Christmas is over, the anticipation of looking forward to the New Year is already waning, it’s the dead of winter in many parts of the world (including where I live in Maryland), and perhaps the road ahead, continuing to take the steps needed to achieving the goals you set and reaching your finish line, seems very long. Perhaps even the winter blahs or even a mild case of depression is starting to sink in, especially if (like me) you don’t have any warm, tropical destination plans for the future. So…what’s next? How do we stay excited at this time of year? Maybe it’s time to call in the “big guns” and ask the Holy Spirit for a little help remaining spiritually motivated! Yesterday the Gospel reading in Mass was about John the Baptist seeing Jesus coming toward him and saying this was the Messiah of Whom he had prophesied.  Imagine John’s excitement! Then, “the next day John was there again with two of his disciples.  When he saw Jesus passing by, he said, ‘Look, the Lamb of God!’ When the two disciples heard him say this, they followed Jesus.  Turning around, Jesus saw them following and asked, ‘What do you want?’ They said, ‘Rabbi’ (which means “Teacher”), ‘where are you staying?’   ‘Come,’ he replied, ‘and you will see’. So they went and saw where he was staying, and they spent that day with him.” (John 1:35-39). Imagine Andrew and his brother Simon (Peter)’s excitement! Imagine our excitement if Jesus, the Messiah, was to walk up to us today! Would we see Him? Recognize Him? And yet, we are called to follow Him every day just like the disciples did. But again, what’s next, and how do we get and stay excited? I think we need to be just like the disciples in this story. First, I think we need to be open to seeking Him in others, and within ourselves, every day. Second, I think we need to answer Jesus’ question, “What do you want?” If we can answer that question in our hearts and simply ask where He’s staying (where can we find Him today?) and have faith that if we but come and follow, we will “see” as He promises, I think we have a good chance in staying spiritually motivated. And since He’s not here physically like He was for the disciples back then but sent His Holy Spirit to us, I believe calling on the Spirit’s power, grace, strength and guidance will help us stay on the course. Every day I think we are called to wake up with spiritual goals. For me, it’s not too much of a stretch as I am called to write Modern Day Bible Stories, contemporary novels that re-imagine God’s Word in the Old Testaments stories to inspire readers today. But even I get stuck a lot, which is why I need to follow my own advice and call on the Holy Spirit to help me write, and continue to give me faith that this calling will eventually pay the bills! In addition, my spiritual goals include finishing reading the Old Testament from start to finish (a page or two a day…I am getting close to being finished after nearly three years!); and being of service (following Jesus) when opportunities present themselves, whether that means doing something nice for someone, showing grace or forgiveness, or just paying a compliment or encouraging someone. As I write this, I feel re-energized and excited to face the day, one step at a time, and not look too far down the road because I know, Jesus promises us in fact (in the Book of Revelation), that I will win the race! 

Are there wise men today?

[image error]This past Sunday was the feast of the Epiphany, one of my favorites in the liturgical year, celebrating when the three kings, or wise men, traversed from afar, following the star to visit the baby Jesus in Bethlehem. Christians believe that the Epiphany means the manifestation of Christ to the Gentiles as represented by the Magi (Matthew 2:1–12). In the Merriam-Webster dictionary, the word “epiphany” means: (1)  a usually sudden manifestation or perception of the essential  nature or meaning of something; (2) an intuitive grasp of reality through something (as an event) usually simple and striking; (3) an illuminating discovery, realization, or disclosure or a revealing scene or moment. I love this feast for several reasons: First, because it prolongs the Christmas season if only for another few days, keeping the spirit alive in our hearts before ordinary time kicks in; second, because I love everything about the word epiphany and what it stands for (I believe that if we listen to God’s still small voice, we can have epiphanies, or “light bulb moments” every single day that awaken our hearts, minds and spirits out of the numbness that daily routines and winter blahs can bring); and third, because it’s such a rich story with such an important lesson for us today: that we need to follow the star in our world today, the light of God shining down on us, guiding us to what’s important, to Christ in our lives.  All of the Bible stories ring true for us today if we only reflect on what God is saying. But sadly people forget that I think. One look at the daily political headlines reveals how little belief people have that there are any wise men (or women) today, especially in our leaders. But what about the rest of us? Are we wise enough to look to the heavens, to see the light, to follow it, to make the journey, to be open to epiphanies, to seek and find Christ? I believe we can be the wise men and women of today if only we believe we can be, if we can remain open to everyday wonder, awe, joy and love, and if we are willing to take action based on what we find each day by worshiping Him and giving our very best gifts back to Him…gifts that we already possess.  “When they saw the star, they were overjoyed.  On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.” (Matt 2:10-11). Lord, help us to realize that you planted the seed of wisdom in each of us, and that we all can be wise men and women today if we only believe in ourselves and in You. Help us to continue to walk on this journey of life seeking Your Light, and to worship You with our finest gifts. 

A New Year…Full of Unknowns

[image error]As an eternal optimist, I have always loved New Year’s Day…(and still love New Year’s Eve, even though I celebrate it sober today.) A whole new year ahead, full of promise. A clean slate to look forward to filling with new dreams, goals and adventures. Yet, in mass yesterday, I heard the priest talking about the uncertainties of the year ahead in this world of ours, and how Mary and Joseph faced a lot of confusion and uncertainty both before and after Jesus was born. And it gave me pause to reflect on my path and how I, like all of us I guess, face the future with uncertainty, and sometimes a bit of fear. This past year, a pretty good one in fact, I quit my day job to pursue my lifelong dream of becoming a full-time author. I had found a new, bigger publisher in New York, I was launching a third new novel, The Runaway Prophet, and I was hoping it would become a New York Times bestseller. While that last part hasn’t happened (yet!), I see that at least I made great progress in book sales, spoke at more conferences nationwide, and grew my book coaching business to help other writers become authors. I do look forward to 2017, and even have big dreams for the year ahead, but I must admit, just like Mary and Joseph did,  I also feel a  lot of uncertainty and a little trepidation regarding financial security in the year ahead. But more and more, as I work hard to grow in my spirituality and relationship with God, I am starting to replace the fears that creep in with faith that God did not bring me this far to let me fail, did not put these dreams on my heart without a plan for me to fully realize them, and as long as I keep doing my best to follow His will, the belief that He will guide and help me in my mission. God says over 100 times in the Bible, to people over thousands of years including Mary and Joseph, to fear not for He is with us. “…the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people.” (Luke 2:10)  I know His message is still true for all of us today, which is the reason why I continue to write Modern Day Bible Stories, contemporary suspense-filled novels that re-imagine stories in the Old Testament for today’s readers. Lord, help me to remember to “be not afraid,” and to have faith in your plan for me as I journey each day through this new year. Happy New Year!

Make it last…

[image error]The day after Christmas…are you tired, worn out, a little bummed out after all the hype? Hopefully you’re not taking back gifts at the hectic mall you were just in days earlier! After all, it is, in the original Christian celebration, only the second day of Christmas (you know, from the Twelve Days of Christmas, made memorable by the song of the same name?) Yet, instead of continuing to celebrate Christmas for 12 days starting yesterday, the day Christ was born, most of us have already celebrated for weeks instead of observing the more solemn waiting period of Advent, and are done with it all, perhaps even glad it’s over. I’m guilty myself…of getting caught up in the preparation and decoration and shopping and wrapping and feeling like it’s all “over.” And yet…I want Christmas to continue somehow, even though the fun chaos of family and friends gathering is over, the gifts have been unwrapped, and the big day is past. So…how can we keep “celebrating” Christmas until Jan. 6? I plan to keep the tree up (and watered and hopefully alive), to try to be “present” to those around me (even though the one left in my house now, my husband, is sick with a bad cold), and most importantly, to try to grow closer to Jesus in my heart by reading daily scriptures and observing the various feast days along the way. Today, for example, is the feast of St. Stephen—an apostle who showed generosity to the needy and the first martyr of the early church, witnessing to Christ by the ultimate gift of his own life. Dec. 27 is the feast of St. John the Evangelist, the author of one of the Gospels and Revelation. Dec 28 is the feast of the Holy Innocents, the children murdered by King Herod, who plotted to kill the Christ child. And the Christmas season culminates on Jan 6 with the Epiphany, when the wise men followed the star and paid homage to the baby Jesus. The “real” 12 days of Christmas are important because they give us a way of reflecting on what the Incarnation – God made man – means in our lives. Lord, help us to keep Christmas in our hearts as long as we can – to make it last and so remember how you were born like one of us to show us the way to be like You, so that the world will know a little more kindness, peace, mercy and love.

Quiet in the storm

[image error]So often, especially in the Christmas season, we want to be seen and heard…to be the life of the party or to be thanked (and praised) for the gifts we give that we picked out so carefully and spent so much money on, for that special dish we made, or for how amazing we look in our new outfits. I know I do. Christmas can be the time of excess, stress, and for me, wanting even more attention and recognition than I usually get at other times (which happens to be one of my character defects). So this Christmas season I am working hard NOT to give in to that particular desire but to crave instead to be quiet, and to be the quiet in the “storm”…to show restraint when I want to be critical,  to calm another person who is stressed out, to tell others how great they look, how special their gifts are, and how amazing they are…and then to be quiet, expecting nothing in return except the peace and joy of knowing that I am spreading a little of God’s love. Mary, the mother of Jesus, was a great example of this. She played such a huge role in our salvation, yet she didn’t speak much (only 15 verses in the Bible), showing instead her quiet humility, gratitude and grace, even when her Son was born. “When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, ‘Let us go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.’ So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph and the baby, who was lying in the manger. After they had seen the Child, they spread the message they had received about Him. And all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart.”  Lord, help me especially this week to remember to be quiet, to meditate upon the silent, holy night you were born and the special gift of your love, and to reflect upon how I can spread your love to those around me.

Don’t forget to invite God!

[image error]‘Tis the season to invite others and be invited to holiday parties, to gatherings of family and friends, lunches, dinners and the like. But have you remembered to invite God to the party? And if you’re not hosting, will you at least invite Him to come along? I recently was reminded in a Bible study on the Book of Revelation (as I’ve heard before and then forgotten as is in my human nature!) that I need to invite God to be part of all I do…in my daily life, thanking Him for the food I eat, asking for help in relationships, to bless the work I do, to give me grace and strength, to be by my side. And the holidays are no exception, although I tend to get caught up, like we all do, as Dr. Seuss would say in his wonderful book, How the Grinch Stole Christmas, “with (their) presents, the ribbons, the wrappings! the tags and the tinsel, the trimmings, the trappings!…” and forget what this holiday season is really about…love, peace, joy, family, friends, our relationships with people…and with our God Who came to us as the baby Jesus, to save, lead and love us. So don’t forget to invite Him to accompany you to that next holiday gathering (which may be delightful, or may be difficult) to help you have a better attitude, to be less self-centered and to think more of others, or to be by your side so that your heart may be filled with gratitude, peace, love and joy. Because as the Grinch discovered, “maybe Christmas doesn’t come from a store…maybe Christmas perhaps means a little bit more!” It really is all about God. And of course, He is always awaiting our invitation:  “Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with Me…” (Rev. 3:20) Lord, help us to remember to invite you to be by our sides and dwell in our hearts…when we work, when we play, when we gather with people whom we love and even those who are hard for us to love.

Power in Letting Go…

Have you ever heard of a “God Box?” It’s simply a box – any plain, decorative, hand-made or store-bought box – in which you place your concerns, worries, doubts, fears and problems, written on slips of paper – and then turn what’s written there over to the care of God. You simply release your own control, or attempt to control, whatever is bothering you, in faith that God will take care of it for you. It’s a physical way to “let go and let God.” I first heard of the concept at a women’s recovery retreat over ten years ago. At the end of the retreat we women collectively filled a God Box with slips of paper and then burned it in a ceremony which was very peaceful and healing. At the time I was really struggling with a failing marriage and business and didn’t know which way to turn. I went home and started my own God Box in a pretty round cardboard box that a good friend had given me as a gift. It had held tealight candles which I had used up and was too pretty to throw away. I’m sure what I wrote down was resolved because I removed those slips of paper over time (and ended up remarrying and starting a new successful career). And then I forgot to use my God Box again until a few years ago when four out of our five teenage kids were living with my new husband and I and there was a lot of, shall we say, drama. (We have a blended family of three boys and two girls all fairly close in age.) Yes, you can write people’s names with whom you’re having issues on those slips of paper too. I also wrote down “get a new publisher” because I was having problems with my current one. I forgot about these though until I uncovered them just two months ago when I opened it up to put new slips in.  I smiled as I unfolded and read each piece of paper – God had truly solved what I could not! The very people and things that I had felt hopeless, helpless, frustrated and fearful over were gone! I put new ones in…and just the other day one of those has already started to become resolved. It has made me realize that there is nothing too overwhelming for God to tackle…but we first need to stop wrestling with whatever it is and hand it over to Him, much like a child would hand a tangled ball of yarn over to his or her mom or dad to unravel. I believe this Advent season is a great time to start or use a God Box to clear and prepare the way for the Lord to enter our lives this Christmas. The very wise Book of Proverbs in the Bible encourages us to do this as well. “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.” (Prov. 3:5-6). Lord, during this hectic holiday season help me to remember that You have all the power and to simply turn things over to You to experience true peace and joy.

Prepare the Way…

I have to admit I am not at all ready for Christmas, not to mention Advent, which started yesterday. I just returned from a 16-day trip to Australia, where it’s summer…tropical, warm, sunny, green. It was tough to come back to reality, to face jet lag, holiday family hoopla, gray trees and cold weather. The child in me just wants to go back on vacation. But I know this feeling too shall pass, and I yearn, as I do every year, to get ready for Christmas, to get in the “Christmas spirit,” not only with decorations and shopping and such, but in my heart and soul. So what will I do to prepare this year? How will this year be different than last Christmas, and the ones from years past, where I tend to find myself sitting in church on Christmas Eve thinking I’m really not in the spirit enough yet…and it’s already upon me…that feeling of not preparing or being ready enough. First, I think I will remember lessons learned from the Aussies…they are by nature so happy, friendly and relaxed! Their motto is “no worries,” even though they have the most dangerous animals on the planet (if the sharks don’t get ‘ya, the crocs, stingers, snakes and spiders might!). Fortunately we went swimming, snorkeling and scuba diving in their beautiful waters and lived to tell how beautiful it was! It seems there that life is an adventure that’s meant to be not only taken in stride, but enjoyed each and every day! Second, I know I need to get back to reading Scriptures and spend time in prayer and meditation to connect with God…and to thank Him and praise Him for all of the many blessings I have received of late. And last but not least, I hope to reach out to others who are less fortunate and to friends or family members who may be struggling…or at least let them know I care. I believe that now the US presidential election is over, we can can truly – as individuals and as a nation – move forward, putting all of the silly ballot recounts and protests behind to focus on what really matters: “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace and good will toward men.” (Luke 2:14).  Let it begin with me.