Interview with Chariss Walker
Today, Tyler R. Tichelaar of Reader Views is pleased to interview Chariss Walker, who is here to talk about her new book “Make a Joyful Noise.” Chariss K. Walker, D. Div., has something more to offer than credentials. Although she has certainly earned her degrees, she also has over thirty years of self-help study and reading. Her true qualifications come from what matters most: life experiences, true insight, and helping others. Chariss currently lives in Navarre, FL with her family. Tyler: Welcome, Chariss. I’m glad you could join me today. To begin, will you tell us why you decided to write “Make a Joyful Noise” and what its overall purpose is?
I wrote “Make a Joyful Noise” as a book of hope and inspiration to those who have lost faith that life, in its purest form, is filled with love, joy, peace, happiness, and prosperity. It seems today that many have lost hope and are very discouraged in these uncertain times we live in. In today’s current economic, political, and financial doldrums, many are depressed and saddened with a feeling of hopelessness. They feel that nothing they can do will change their circumstances. “Make a Joyful Noise” gives steps that not only lift the spirit, but also allow the reader to find peace, joy and comfort in every area of their lives. Tyler: Chariss, in the book you talk about spiritual laws or divine edicts, laws that govern every religion. Will you give us an example of what some of these laws are—are they different than basic laws we have like the Ten Commandments or guidelines like the beatitudes? Chariss: Spiritual Laws are different than both the Ten Commandments and the Beatitudes. The Ten Commandments is a list of rules and regulations, such as “Thou shall not kill.” The Beatitudes, or blessings, are a list of characteristics, such as “blessed are the meek” and “blessed are the pure of heart.” Each of these has its place in our society just as Spiritual Laws do. A law is simply a basic plan in which to make things work. We are all familiar with the laws of our government such as “pay your taxes” and “do not speed.” Most of us are familiar with physical laws, such as gravity and polarity. Spiritual Laws are concrete and immutable laws just as physical and natural laws. This means that they do not change. God has an orderly, divine plan in place. He has given us laws to use in order to make the plan work. Spiritual laws have to do with the edification of the soul, the pure experience of the life we currently live. An example of these “soul instructions” can be found in Proverbs 23:7, “As a man thinks in his heart, so is he.” When we look at that scripture with a clear mind and in conjunction with other information, we understand that a person cannot hide what is in his heart; it will come out. If people are filled with bitterness and strife over past hurts and grievances, it will be evident in most of their daily activities and lives. Because they are bitter and dwelling on these conditions, they bring more of it into their lives. This is the Spiritual Law of Attraction. What we think about the most will manifest or show up in our lives. Tyler: I understand you explain that by following these laws, a person can come to achieve his or her higher purpose. But what do you define that higher purpose as? Chariss: We each have a higher purpose, Tyler. The trick for most of us is to find it or be open to the possibility of that higher purpose. I think the best way to describe it would be to use the example of Moses. Moses was an orphaned child who was found floating in the river by Pharaoh’s daughter. She took the child to raise as her own son. Moses was given every advantage of a young prince through education, privilege, and societal upbringing. But when he was an adult, Moses killed an Egyptian to defend an Israeli slave. In fear of what he had done, Moses fled to the desert and began a new life. He married, found work, and joined his adopted tribe in their customs. One day, Moses was in the fields and he noticed a fire. He went to investigate it and discovered that the fire was in a bush but the bush did not burn up. God, in his divine wisdom, knew exactly how to get Moses’ attention. God told Moses to go to Pharaoh and speak on behalf of his Israeli brothers and sisters; He told Moses to tell Pharaoh to free the slaves. Moses protested and said that he could not do this, he was not an eloquent speaker; send someone else, and so on. Having been raised in the palace and educated by Pharaoh’s own teachers, Moses was the only one likely to succeed at this mission. But because he “believed” he could not do it, God relented and sent Aaron to accompany him. This is the best part—after Moses and Aaron arrived to stand before Pharaoh, his training took over and Moses knew exactly what to do. He stepped forward and into the role of his higher purpose, the very thing he had been groomed to do since his youth—he demanded that his people be set free. That is what a higher purpose is—the one thing that no one else can do exactly the way you can do it. That example may seem so remote to us today, so let me give a more current one of a young woman who ran away from home. She did not have the means or education to get a great paying job nor the experience to understand financial matters. Soon, she was living on the street or in shelters. After a period of time, she found assisted living arrangements where she was given basic instruction on money management and how to live on her own. She took courses and job training classes that allowed her to increase her pay. She later applied for a job with the civil service and passed the required test, then was offered a position in the housing department to assist the homeless in finding food, shelter, and clothing. No one could have been as understanding and compassionate as this young woman who had navigated these same courses in the past. Tyler: Thank you for the explanation, Chariss. Will you list for us some of the laws that you discuss in the book and give us an example of how a specific law is used? Chariss: In “Make a Joyful Noise” I list fourteen of the many Spiritual Laws. For you today, I will talk about four of those laws and how each is used in everyday life.
Tyler: Chariss, of these laws, the Law of Attraction has received a lot of attention lately, even outside of religious circles. Will you give us examples of the Law of Attraction and how it works in scripture? Chariss: Yes, Tyler. The Law of Attraction simply stated is that we will attract whatever we think about the most into our lives. Our thoughts, words and deeds are drawn to us like a magnet. To understand this better, it is not only what we think about or what is in our hearts as stated in Proverbs 23:7, it is everything that we think, say and do. All of our actions whether negative or positive will find their way back to us. Life is a circle and what we give out is returned to us or “attracted” to us. Florence Scovel Shinn said it best, “The game of life is a game of boomerangs. Our thoughts, deeds and words return to us with astounding accuracy.” I also love one particular scriptural reference for this law—Luke 6:38—“Give and it shall be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the same measure you use, it will be measured to you again.” If we just think about what that verse is saying for a moment—Whatever you give will be given back to you. For example, if you give love, you will receive so much love that your container will not be able to hold it all. It will spill out into your lap. The same law applies to our talents, money, time, and anything else we give with good measure. That is simply beautiful. Unfortunately, the same is true for the negative things we give in thought, words and deeds. There is an example in Job 3:25 about thinking negative thoughts, “What I have feared has come upon me. What I dreaded has happened to me.” So you can see that it makes sense to keep our thoughts, words and deed of the highest regard because we will “reap whatever we sow.” Mike Dooley says it very well, “Thoughts become things. Think the good stuff.” Tyler: Chariss, later in the book you talk about such things as auras and dream interpretation—aren’t these rather “new age” concepts? Why should we pay attention to such information? Chariss: Tyler, I do not believe that these concepts are “new” at all. I believe they have always been with us in every religion and world culture and the concepts are tucked neatly within the pages of the Bible when we have eyes to see and “ears to hear” I Peter 11:15. According to the dictionary, an “aura” is a force that surrounds all people and objects as a bright glow. Jesus Christ was described as the light of the world in John 8:12. When recalling the great artwork capturing the essence of Christ, it is very common that his image was painted with a light or halo emanating around him. This is a depiction of the aura of Christ. In Matthew 5:14 Jesus said, “You are the light of the world.” Is it a far stretch of the imagination that as brothers and sisters of Christ, we also have the same characteristics in mind, body, and soul? In “Make a Joyful Noise,” I also discuss the history of dreams and dream interpreters, the everyday occurrences of dreams in biblical scriptures, and the importance of dreams. When we read about dreams and dream history, we can see that the people were shifted away from this method of communication with God even though scripture is filled with examples of how people depended on dreams as messages from the divine. Tyler: Chariss, why did this shift take place? Are you saying that people can have direct and meaningful communication with God and they don’t need a church or spiritual authority to direct them? Chariss: Yes, Tyler, I am saying that we can all have direct and meaningful communications with God. We must remember that mankind went though the dark ages. Some time after 325 C.E. the ruling church took a stand on what would be taught to the masses. It is the same today. In the Bible, there are many, many references to dreams and to the angels of the Lord appearing to mankind. Dreams were counted on and they were used as a means to understand the will of God, to make fair and just decisions, and as guidance in everyday life and special affairs. Often an angel appeared to bring news or good tidings, to warn about dangers and aid in battles. Today, if we hear of someone who refers to their dreams or to an angel or spiritual guide, more likely than not we want to call the men in white suits. Dreams and angels should be household words rather than taboo—after all they are mentioned many times in the Bible—mainly for our edification and example. Tyler: Would you say your book’s audience is people of any religion or faith, or just one specific religion such as Christianity? Chariss: Tyler, I believe that “Make a Joyful Noise” is for anyone of any religion who has the desire to expand their knowledge and spiritual growth. Tyler: How do people of a specific faith such as Christianity or Islam reconcile their own religion with the various spiritual beliefs you include in your book? Chariss: The one connection between all religions is their belief in God—whether they call their God by any other name, such as Prana, Higher Power, Universal Energy, Ki, Chi, Allah, etc., makes little difference for there is but one God. “Make a Joyful Noise” is an introduction into a closer spiritual union with God. I believe the most important concept to garner from my book is that God loves each one of us regardless of race, creed, gender, or religious convictions. The second most important point in my book is that there is no separation in the mind of God. There are many texts that attest to this principal, but since I used the Bible as my reference point in the book, let me pull from that now. There are many scriptures that point to this oneness, but my personal favorite is Malachi 2:10: “Have we not all one Father? Did not one God create us? Why do we profane the covenant of our fathers by breaking faith with one another?” Tyler: Chariss, will you tell us a little more about your personal spiritual journey and what led to your deep interest in spirituality that goes deeper than just the ritual of religion? Chariss: As I stated in the introduction of my book, I knew at a very early age that God was calling me to a service. I asked many questions, such as, “Why am I here? Does God love me? Does He even know I exist? If He does love me, what does He want from me? How can I find my purpose? How can I connect to God and know His divine will for my life? Why is there so much suffering and pain? Why do we not heal ourselves and others as Jesus did? Why do we not see miracles today?” Through the years, when I could not get a solid answer from my spiritual leaders, I sought to find the answers myself. I read and studied. It was not uncommon for me to read two and three books at a time. I attended workshops and seminars. I opened my mind to new ideas and concepts. I searched for the answers to my questions. As Socrates said, “An unexamined life is not worth living.” Tyler: Was there any one moment or book or person in your life that helped you make sense of it all—that made the meaning of it all make sense—so that you knew God existed and you knew He loved you and what He wanted from you? Chariss: Yes, some years ago, after I had studied for several years and had gathered quite a bit of knowledge, I wanted to “touch the hem of God’s robe,” if that makes sense. I wanted more. I decided to go on a journey of isolation; some would call this a “spirit quest.” I found a remote location in the mountains outside Albuquerque where I camped for five days. Each morning I went to the top of a rise and meditated, each evening I did the same. I did not speak to anyone or watch television or listen to a radio. I ate a diet of fruit, fresh bread and water. It was just me and God for the most part, but I was also visited by a swarm of bees that did not sting me, a wolf that sat and watched me, a hawk that flew over each time I sat on that rock, and a bear who visited my camp at night but did not disturb me in any way. It was during that time of isolation that I found what I was looking for. I found that God loved me fervently, that I was His child, and that He was always with me and had never left me at any point in time no matter how dark the time had seemed. It was during this time that I discovered my higher purpose of writing to reach many with the message of God’s love. It was a moment where I could see the “bigger picture.” And, it is a moment that I will always cherish. Tyler: Chariss, what do you think makes “Make a Joyful Noise” stand out from all the other spiritual and self-help books on the market today? Chariss: It is my belief that “Make a Joyful Noise” is different from other spiritual and self-help books for several reasons:
Tyler: Chariss, when people finish reading “Make a Joyful Noise,” what do you hope their response is? Chariss: It is my hope and prayer that “Make a Joyful Noise” will bless each person who reads it around the globe. The responses that I have gotten so far are, “Thank you and God bless you for sharing your knowledge and insights with me. I have learned so much from reading the book. I read it over and over.” Tyler: Thank you, Chariss, for joining me today. Before we go, will you tell us about your website and what additional information may be found there about “Make a Joyful Noise”? Chariss: Tyler, it was a pleasure being here with you today. I am honored to have the opportunity to discuss my book, “Make a Joyful Noise.” The address for my web site is http://www.chariss.com. The web site has several pages: Tyler: Thank you, Chariss, for the informative interview. I hope “Make a Joyful Noise” enriches many people’s lives. Listen to Interview on Inside Scoop Live
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