Our Woman of the Week is Mireille Mishriky, who has written a series of children’s books about superheroes based on the fruits of the Holy Spirit. She has also written a play and, pre-COVID, was working on a type of vacation bible school based on her book series. We asked her to tell you about herself:
"’Now when the woman saw that she was not hidden, she came trembling; and falling down before Him, she declared to Him in the presence of all the people the reason she had touched Him and how she was healed immediately. And He said to her, "Daughter, be of good cheer; your faith has made you well. Go in peace.”’ (Luke 8:47-48)
“I love this passage! I relate to this woman more than most women in the Bible, for many reasons. Maybe I should backtrack a little. In my youth, my relationship with our Lord was relatively immature and significantly influenced by the Old Testament: God was a distant, scary judge, and eternal life seemed impossible to achieve. It took longer than I can admit for my relationship with Christ to mature from ‘accused’ to ‘daughter.’ When Jesus calls her ‘daughter,’ I feel that He is speaking to me as well.
“This woman's humility astounds me, and her faith can move mountains! She was confident that even by touching the hem of His garment, she would be healed. There are days where I am barely holding on, by a thin thread, to the hem of His garment and yet, He never ceases to call me 'daughter.’ I pray that my faith can one day equal a tenth of this woman's faith in Christ and that, when in doubt, I remember that I am the daughter of the Most High. Ladies, I have a long way to go, but I am farther along than I was many years ago. On this journey, the pace is of no importance as long as we keep progressing to our ultimate goal!”
Axia!
Mireille Mishriky, our Woman of the Week, was nominated for her series of Superholies children’s books. We asked her to tell you why she, a former journalist, decided to turn to fiction for youngsters:
“Why start my publishing journey by writing a story for children? Christian children?
“My faith, my son, and the angels I serve in my Sunday School class.
“I have been writing since before I can remember. Writing occurs despite me, independent of my will.
“My son, extraordinary in my eyes, has the same ordinary love for superheroes as the average youngster his age. Despite my best efforts, Bible stories could not compete, night after night, with the allure of Spider-Man or Captain America. We would read about Moses one night, and he would ask for Lightning Mcqueen the following night.
“If only he could realize that Christians have superpowers, I thought. Intangible superpowers, but real. Invisible but monumental, capable of moving mountains and parting seas.
“The SuperHolies began to take form in my mind. The powers bestowed by the Holy Spirit, commonly known as the ‘Fruits of the Holy Spirit.’ I re-imagined them as Superpowers/Super Heroes.
“I could now read my son a bedtime story that would spark his interest (superheroes) and yet teach him the fundamentals of our Faith. Writing is a gift that our Lord has given me; my first book series is my offering, my gift to Him.”
You can find Mireille’s books on Amazon and, if you want to learn more about The SuperHolies, she maintains a website.
As always, we asked our Woman of the Week, Mireille Mishriky, about her morning routine:
“There is a popular internet meme that I love: "I am not an early bird or a night owl. I am some kind of permanently exhausted pigeon!" How true!
“My morning routine consists of me trying to open my eyes while debating whether to hit the ‘snooze’ button once more only to be jolted, terrifyingly, with the realization that my son's school bus will make its appearance soon, very soon.
“While my son is getting ready for school, I finalize his lunch box and ensure that all necessities are packed and ready to go and then I "steal" a few moments to pray. I have a prayer list of those who have asked for prayers, I pray for my Sunday School kids, and I read the day's reading according to the Coptic Orthodox Calendar of reading.
“After my son boards the school bus, I return home and read the Bible, make a cup of coffee and fire up my laptop to start my ‘big girl’ job (writing is a passion and a service). There is usually some music playing in the background, a to-do list trying to grab my attention and a phone call from my mother to properly start of the day!”
Thank you, Mireile!