Michele Chynoweth's Blog, page 13

All God’s Children

As this recent US election draws to a close, I think we all need our thoughts to turn not only to unity as a country, but unity with the world as a whole. I am especially mindful of this as I have plans to travel half-way around the world to Australia. I believe we Americans have a tendency to focus on ourselves and our own fortune, happiness and even problems…and not be concerned about what others around the globe struggle with, and how very much we are all dependent upon one another. The internet has definitely helped make us all become more globally aware. It amazes me that I have “friends” from Africa and India on Facebook, people I have actually met at conferences such as the National Religious Broadcasters conference this past February in Nashville, TN, who I now stay in touch with on social media.  But we also have to be more careful, I think, in this regard…I understand ISIS is trying to infiltrate our country more and more, not only by hacking into people’s computers but by actually calling and texting people’s phones. My heart breaks for everyone trying to escape the evil of ISIS…Muslims and Christians alike in the Middle East, families of young people recruited all over the world, women who are used and abused as sex slaves…the atrocities go on. Hopefully world leaders, with America on board, can work to stop them one day, although the threat is real that if ISIS is stopped, another terrorist regime will step in and replace them. When I started writing my novel, The Runaway Prophet, way back in 2011, ISIS wasn’t event an entity in the news. Of course, the Muslim Brotherhood was, anther radical terrorist organization that gave rise in part to ISIS. I write fiction, and imagined over five years ago, ‘what would happen if these terrorists actually lived and worked underground in Las Vegas, running the city and meanwhile, building a nuclear bomb under one of the casinos?’ And now, truth is just as strange (and awful) as fiction it appears. Now that our election is over, I believe all Americans should be more and more aware of and concerned about the rest of the world, the good and the bad, and be prepared for whatever might happen, no matter who will be leading us into the next four years as president. That’s what St. Paul, who was a proponent in unifying the Gentiles with the Jews in the first century BC, strived to do. “In the same way, even though we are many people, we are one body in Christ and individual parts connected to each other.” (Romans 12:5) Dear Lord, please let us all strive to care for one another throughout the world, no matter what our nationality, color or creed…help us all to use our individual gifts to help heal the world.

Let Go and Let God…

“All the world is full of suffering. It is also full of overcoming.” (Helen Keller) We have had a week to deal with the disappointment surely half of all Americans faced, and may still be grappling with,  at the outcome of the US presidential election. And now the same people feeling this way must move on, working with the other half in unity and peace, pulling together as “one nation under God.” Because that is what America does.  To do otherwise, to hold onto anger and resentment, is surely harmful to oneself and to the world around us. I encourage everyone to let go of any grudges, resentments and fears and have faith and hope that this country will pull together and be the leader God intended it to be. And more importantly, for each and every individual to have and hold peace and good will toward all in their hearts, for the sake of others…and for their own sake. Because God really is on the throne and  in control. “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” (John 16:23) Perhaps, for a moment, try turning off the television, radio, computer and phone…and opening your Bible. If you don’t have a favorite passage, open it at random…the right passage meant for you will most likely appear! And hold it in your heart, meditating on it and letting it give you comfort and peace. I write this so that I too will follow it…I write “Modern Day Bible Stories,”novels full of suspense and romance but based on Old Testament stories in the Bible. I don’t randomly choose which ones, usually God puts the next story on my heart (which is how the whole idea to write this type of book came about…when God tapped me on the shoulder and said “Michele, write a modern-day novel based on the Book of Job.”) I now look back and see He was helping me through some “Job-like” trials and tribulations…and calling me to help others relate to His messages in the Bible through contemporary fiction. But I have to do the work…which includes reading, researching and studying the Bible – and applying it to my own life. Today I pray we all find God’s message in the Bible to guide us through this challenging time.

Vote in Faith, not Fear

“I don’t want to vote for either candidate, they both scare me.” If we had a dollar for every person who said that to us about tomorrow’s US presidential election, we’d all have pocketfuls of spending money. Some people are choosing not to vote at all. Some are voting for the “lesser of two evils” but still fear the outcome. But I believe not only should all Americans vote tomorrow, they should do so in faith that the candidate they choose will lead our country into a brighter tomorrow. Now I’m usually an optimist, but even I got sucked into that fear cycle for a while…up until the last few days when I decided to be positive about the election and simply vote for the candidate I believe stands the way I stand on the issues: in my case, for the right to life vs. right to choose, for legal immigration (and banning illegal immigration, or anything illegal for that matter), for upholding law and order by fully supporting our police and military, for working to obliterate the evil force that is ISIS, and for helping people get jobs so that they feel they have purpose and are contributing to society instead of just taking from it. Forget the personalities (every person is a sinner, even and perhaps especially politicians who have some of the biggest egos). And no matter who wins and who loses tomorrow, we must then have faith that God has a plan for that leader who is chosen, for America, and for each of us, no matter what. Yes, He gave us free will, and yes that will is faulty. But God will always be there for us. Look at the story of Saul and David in the First Book of Samuel (on which my newly republished novel, The Peace Maker, is based). It’s a fascinating, exciting plot in which Saul is originally chosen by the people to be King, but fails miserably; the prophet Samuel then chooses David to follow Saul as King, and the people love him. But Saul, full of anger, jealousy and resentment, doesn’t step down without a fight, chasing David into the hills to try to kill him. Of course David does eventually become King, but not without a lot of struggles and challenges. And even he makes some huge mistakes. Does it all work out in the end? Of course, because David begets the royal line that leads to Jesus. But the story is a prime example that nothing in our human world is ever easy or perfect…we must live with our choices, but have faith that God will save all of us in the end, as long as we choose to follow His Will each day to the best of our abilities. “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” (Jer 19:11) I pray we all leave our fears at the door as we walk into the voting booths tomorrow, confident all we be well.

Sinners and Saints?

Yes, we are all sinners, and according to God’s Word, we are also all called to be saints! Actually today’s holiday, Halloween, is rooted in the Christian “All Hallows Eve,” or the eve of All Saints Day (another word for saints is “hallows.”) I truly believe that sainthood isn’t just for certain people…it’s for each and every one of us if we just keep striving to be out best selves, help and serve others to the best of our abilities, and to know and serve the Lord with all our minds, hearts and souls. Not an easy task. Some days (particularly on Mondays!) it seems hard enough just to “suit up and show up” to work and get through the day. It’s one of the reasons I chose Monday mornings to write my blog. Reading and writing about God’s Word and how it applies in our lives today makes me start the week off right and focus on my spirituality and how I can grow in it…instead of just trying to get by.  And I hope it helps you too. God calls us to so much more than what we can even imagine some days in our limited human view, and He promises our reward will be great in heaven, and even here on earth.  “…to those sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints together with all those who in every place call upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, both their Lord and ours, may God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ give you grace and peace.” (Cor 1:2-3) Grace and peace…that’s all I need today. And if we feel alone on the path sometimes, we can remember that we actually have the faithfully departed and saints in heaven praying for us, cheering us on! (Picture one of your loved ones in heaven, cheering you on!) Today, we only have to use our talents and gifts to serve others; to converse (pray) with Him and to listen (meditate) on His Word; and  to try to walk in His ways. To that end, Jesus gives us a lot of direction through the Gospels…in the parables, and in particular, the Beatitudes which is the reading for the All Saints Mass tomorrow. Perhaps, if we can find ourselves in one of the Beatitudes (are we meek, mourning, merciful, lowly, a peace maker?) we can see that we too are called to be saints:  “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad,because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.” (Matt 5:3-12). Lord, help me to aspire to be holy, a saint in the making, and to rejoice and be glad! Happy All Hallows Eve! 

 

Revealing God’s Ultimate Truth…

I’m in a bible study with a great group from my church and we are studying the Book of Revelation. I have to admit this is only the third bible study in which I’ve participated…and it is very intense! Of course, the Book of Revelation itself is intense…and at first glance, very scary (which is why I think I, like many, haven’t really read through the whole book before)…with its images of dragons, demons, giant locusts with human faces, devil symbols of 666 and…well, you get the picture. And of course its apocalyptic prophesies of God’s judgement, wrath, plagues and punishment that will come at the end of the world upon those who have not been obedient or faithful. It’s a tough book to read, even when I’m doing so with my husband and then discussing it with a great group of believers led by great study leaders. But one thing rings true over and over throughout Revelation, just like it does throughout the Bible: God will save those who are faithful, just like he has since the beginning of time. It’s tough to BE faithful, to act faithfully no matter what we are going through as human beings, given our egos and our own wills, which can so often lead us astray. We see over and over throughout the Bible how people turned away from God even though they had mighty leaders like Abraham, Moses, David and so many more,  and ultimately, Jesus Christ and His disciples who followed.  You might say today it’s harder than ever to act faithfully with so much evil in the world and so many distractions for our time and attention. And who is here to lead us? We forget sometimes that Jesus left us the Holy Spirit to guide us…and of course, since the beginning God has given us His Word in the Bible. So while there will still be doom and gloom ahead – no matter who is elected as US President, no matter how much ISIS spreads and how badly Christians and other faithful people are persecuted, no matter how much evil seems to be in this world – the ultimate truth, promised in Revelation, which echoes all of the Books in the Bible before it – is that good, and God, will triumph over Satan and evil, and if we keep believing and acting through our faith, we will see that time in all its glory. So I’ll end with the last line of the Bible as my prayer this week: “The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.” (Rev. 22:21)

The Second Deadly Sin…

Second only to the first sin of pride, envy can be the root of a lot of evil. It is at the heart of the story of Cain and Abel in the Bible’s Book of Genesis, which my upcoming novel I’m now writing, titled The Jealous Brother, is based upon. If you’re not familiar with the story, Cain kills Abel out of jealousy, or envy. Adam and Eve, Cain’s parents, later have another child, Seth, who becomes one of the ancestors in the royal line of Jesus. In killing his brother, Cain loses everything, including that birthright. There are many other examples of sibling rivalry in the Bible: Jacob, who steals his brother Esau’s birthright; Joseph and his brothers, who sell him into slavery; and in the New Testament, the Prodigal son and his brother, who complains that he was the good son and got nothing; and Mary and Martha, the latter of whom complains that she is doing all the work and her sister is getting all the credit. You get the picture. Even in the Gospel in today’s Mass, we hear someone from the crowd call to Jesus, “Teacher, tell my brother to share the inheritance with me,” to which Jesus tells a parable about a wealthy man who plans to store up his riches only to be told he’s going to die that same night. (Luke 12:13-21)  I grew up in a very competitive family (you should come to one of our family reunions!) and my sister and I sometimes competed for our parents’ attention…and I know my kids competed with each other at times as well. I think sibling rivalry is normal, as long as it doesn’t get out of hand. But envy can also be closely linked to some of the other deadly sins like greed, lust and anger. Are you feeling jealous of a sibling, friend, co-worker…who you believe is unfairly getting all of the credit, attention, money or material things instead of you? Try praying for God to remove the feelings that are causing you pain, and then try praying for the other person of whom you’re envious. (not praying for him or her to have a major catastrophe…but praying for his or her happiness!) Lord, help us to turn to you when we feel the powerful clutches of envy sneak into our hearts so that you can remove this terrible sin.

Be the “One”

 

I was fortunate to be the lector, or reader, in church yesterday because when I prepare for the readings, I always get something “extra” out of them by reading the background given in the Workbook for Lectors, Gospel Readers and Proclaimers of the Word…and this time was no exception. Yesterday’s Gospel reading was from Luke 17:11-19 in which Jesus cures ten lepers, but only one comes back to thank Him. Jesus is disappointed that only one returns. He is a Samaritan; back in Jesus’ day, Samaritans, or people from Samaria, were held in contempt by Jews because their religion was different (they believed in God but didn’t hold to the same traditions as the Jews). Jesus ends up telling the healed Samaritan to “Stand up and go, your faith has saved you.” I have heard and read this Bible passage many times but today I was moved by this message in the workbook: “The nine settled for too little for had they returned, they too would have received the far greater gift he gives the Samaritan; the promise of salvation.” I guess I always thought that all ten were “healed” but only one came back to give thanks, but never realized they were only healed physically, not spiritually; they didn’t bother to show faith in the God who just healed them by praising and thanking Him.  It makes me reflect on the fact that, if I rush off to the next thing, taking God’s latest gift for granted, if I’m not thankful and worshipful to God for the little things, I can’t hope for bigger things and I may miss what He has in store for me; if I don’t stop and thank Him when I make strides in my author career, however small…when a bookstore grants me a book signing, when a conference invites me to give a workshop, when a reader says he or she appreciates my book…I will never move on to the bigger things I dream of (becoming a New York Times Bestselling Author for one!) or perhaps the even bigger things He has planned for me! I pray I remember this week to thank God each day for all of His gifts, both big and small, so that I may build my faith in Him and be saved by that faith. 

Respect Life…and God’s Teachings on It

Yesterday kicked off “Respect Life Month” and the year-long pro-life program by the US Catholic Church. This year’s theme is “Moved by Mercy.” It draws on a quote from Pope Francis when he called for the Jubilee Year of Mercy: “We are called to show mercy because mercy has been shown to us.” The church’s program  (with online brochures and webpages that can be found at www.usccb.org/respectlife) focuses on women and men suffering after abortion, individuals tempted to end their lives, couples longing to conceive a child, people pushed to the margins of society by a ‘throwaway culture,’ and expectant mothers facing challenging pregnancies. The church holds pretty high standards when it comes to the teachings on these issues. (ie., the church is against assisted suicide, in vitro fertilization, contraception and of course, abortion.) In short, it upholds God’s teachings in the Bible. I remember when my husband and I were questioning these high standards when he was going through the RCIA process…and the priest sitting in on the class that night explained that the Catholic Church simply “raises the bar” when it comes to moral, ethical and spiritual teachings. Those words will always stay with me…they removed any doubts I had that the Church is limited or “radical” in its teachings…and confirmed what I fully believe now: that God set down His guidelines for us in the Bible (His Word) for us to follow. It is we human beings who try to complicate it all, or “water it down” to fit our own desires. Those words have helped me to stay on the path of writing Modern Day Bible Stories (novels that are based on stories in the Old Testament of the Bible, closely following the plot but written through contemporary, fast-paced, suspense/romance that’s more entertaining and easy to read so people can still get God’s message)…even when friends and family question and challenge me on why I write “religious” fiction or books based on the Bible. And more importantly, it has helped me stay on the path of remaining faithful to God’s teachings amidst a society that continues to veer away from them.  Ever urging us to stay true to our faith, St. Paul tells us: “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.” (Phil. 4:8) We are all sinners, but we also are all called to be saints!

Praying about Our Nation’s Next Leader…the Debate Starts Tonight

Tonight the first 2016 US Presidential debate will be nationally televised. Barring any unforeseen catastrophic circumstances, one of the two candidates in the debate will end up being the President of the United States, still one of the most powerful “rulers” in the world. Did you know that there was no official ruler of God’s people until they finally begged to have one in about 600 BC? (as it is written in the First Book of Samuel, “When Samuel became old, he made his sons judges over Israel…Yet his sons did not walk in his ways…Then all the elders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel at Ramah and said to him, ‘Behold, you are old and your sons do not walk in your ways. Now appoint for us a king to judge us like all the nations’.” (1 Sam 8:1-22) God told Samuel to appoint Saul, who became the first King of Israel but ended up turning from God. So God told Samuel to appoint another, and King David was chosen, and then there was a succession of kings leading up to King Herod’s reign in which the King of Kings, Jesus Christ, was born. So the people asked to be ruled…as people usually have over the ages. My novel, The Peace Maker, which is being re-published and released tomorrow, Sept. 27, is based on the First Book of Samuel and the rise of King David, set in a modern-day America with a plot about a contemporary US Presidential election and issues much like those we face today: the strife for peace in the Middle East, right to life vs. right to choose, and more. So…which candidate is the right one in this election? Which one would God choose? I think we need to educate ourselves, so a good first step would probably be watching the presidential debates, starting tonight. And then we need to keep praying!

There’s No Choice But…

to take a stand, in my opinion, in this year’s election. Many people I know are saying they will not vote but I believe that to do nothing shows a lack of responsibility and courage. Thus far I  have been trying to stay open-minded and somewhat silent, especially since I am an author who wants universal appeal. But as the election draws near, I believe God is calling me to speak out for truth and life whether I want to remain popular among as many readers as possible or not. Of course in my newly-republished novel, The Peace Maker, a contemporary political suspense/romance based on the Bible’s story of David and Abigail in the First Book of Samuel involving a modern-day  US Presidential Election with issues just like those we face today, I do take a stand. (I don’t want to give too much away for those who haven’t read it though). And even though I dislike some of the stances and character traits of both candidates this election, I know that I must speak out for, and vote for, the right to life. There are many passages in the Bible which defend every person’s right to life, including the unborn: “God created man in his image; in the divine image he created him; male and female he created them” (Genesis 1:27); “Be fertile and multiply” (Genesis 1:28); “Thou shalt not kill” (Exodus 20:13, Deuteronomy 5:17); “Truly children are a gift from the Lord; the fruit of the womb is a reward” (Psalm 127:3); “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you.” (Jeremiah 1:5); When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. (Luke 1:41). I recently attended the “Stand for Life” fundraising banquet of the Baltimore North Pregnancy Center. Keynote Speaker Rev. Edward V. Meeks spoke out on voting against the “death culture” of the current administration and Hillary Clinton…which means voting for the right-to-life candidate, Donald Trump.  Just days ago, news reports stated that Trump took a stronger stand on this issue by announcing his new Pro-Life Coalition, vowing to fight for a permanent prohibition on spending federal taxpayers’ money on abortions and selecting Marjorie Dannenfelser, a major anti-abortion activist, to lead it. He released a letter pledging to fulfill four pro-life goals as president, including nominating pro-life justices, signing a law ending late-term abortions, stripping funding from Planned Parenthood as long as the organization performs abortions, and making permanent the Hyde Amendment ban on taxpayer money going to fund abortions. Many considered this a bold move since most candidates usually try to tack to the political center, hoping to avoid thorny social issues this late in their campaigns. Meanwhile, Clinton recently leaned further in the other direction taking a more radical stance for abortion by calling for a repeal of the Hyde Amendment, supporting full-fledged taxpayer funding of abortions, and saying it would “champion” the abortion giant Planned Parenthood. The line has now been drawn clearly by both candidates on this issue…and it’s time for people to decide on which side of the line they stand. I know I stand on the side of God.