Saturday, March 31, 2012

Thoughts For Holy Week

On a pilgrimage to the Holy Land years ago I visited both mounts. I confess that I only made it half way up massive Mount Sinai in our trek in the dark before dawn, although many of our tour group made it to the summit to view the sunrise. Moses must have been in good physical condition! The contrast between the two locations caused me to reflect on the contrast.


THE TWO MOUNTS

Leona Choy


Sinai thunders “Do!”

Calvary whispers “Done!”


As Moses climbed Mt. Sinai

so I will try

sweating and straining

stumbling over rugged rocks

slipping on steep slopes

attempting Sinai's pinnacle

making it only half way.

Sinai thunders “Do!”

THE LAW, imposed for the good of man

measures with a perfect divine ruler

man's inability to attain

a "mission impossible" standard:

breaking one law

I stand condemned by all.

Calvary whispers “Done!”

GRACE, bought by the blood of the One

who dragged a rugged cross

over rough cobblestones

up Calvary—instead of me

and made it all the way

bought my freedom from the Law!

Sinai thunders “Do!”

Calvary whispers “Done—once for all—

IT IS FINISHED!”

Thursday, March 29, 2012

APRIL 2012 DISCOUNTED PRICE LIST!

LEONA CHOY PUBLICATIONS
*Books available from Leona in Winchester + Order from other publishers
Some Popular Titles by Leona Choy
+The Life-Changing Power of the Holy Spirit-
Insights from Classic Christian Leaders 12.95
+Andrew Murray: An Authorized Biography 12.95
*Singled Out For God’s Assignment: 12.95
Dealing with spouse loss (Also on eBook)
*The Widow’s Might: Dealing with spouse loss 12.95
*Walk the Green Valley: Dealing with spouse loss 8.00
*Are You Mad at Me, God? Coping with illness 8.00
*Hospital Gowns Don’t Have Pockets: Coping with Illness 12.95
*Living It Up! Meditations for “prime timers” 12.95
*Celebrate This Moment! Leona’s poetry Trilogy (not in stock)
(However, each of the 3 books in the Trilogy may be ordered separately @ $5 each)
*Release the Poet Within (Poetry writing Craft) 12.95
*How to Capture & Develop Ideas (Writing Craft) 5.00
*Touching China: Close Encounters (Missions) 8.00
*My Dreams & Visions: Ted Choy biography
(out of stock. Loaner copies available)
*Let My People Go (Moses Chow biography) 8.00
*This is Your Life—Write It! (How to do it) 10.00
*Czeching My Roots: Leona Choy original autobiography 12.95
*My Journey to the Land of MORE: (Leona’s spiritual journey) (Also eBook) 12.95
*Living the Treasures in the Land of MORE (sequel to preceding book) 12.95 (Also eBook) Release date April 2012
______________________________________
Please add Shipping & Handling $3 for 1-2 books to one address
$4-$5 S/H for 3-5 books to one address (U.S. orders only)
(Postage subject to change by P.O.)
Ask about discount for quantities
Virginia residents only: Add sales tax 5% to your order
Sorry, no credit card orders
Make checks payable to:
Leona Choy 497 Devland Dr. Winchester, VA 22603
540-877-1813
Web site: www.goldenmorning.com for book reviews & orders
Blog: www.leonachoy.blogspot.com

Monday, March 26, 2012

“DIFFERENTLY-ABLED INDIVIDUALS”

I’m enthusiastic about this bright, new term being used to describe “special needs” children and adults. It is high time that we encourage and enable people of all ability levels to let their unique lights shine. Hats off to communities and groups and schools and churches that sponsor mainstream sports and cultural events for these precious individuals. Mentally and physically and socially many of them can far surpass previous expectations for their development.

As a matter of fact, all of us are “special needs” people as we seek to express the abilities, talents, skills, and aptitudes with which we have been endowed by our Creator. Beyond those natural and inherited gifts, are the Gifts of the Spirit which the Holy Spirit Himself apportions to Christians—“according to His will” for the building up of His Body, the Church. We are all “differently-abled individuals.” The Scriptures explain that not all possess the same gifts or abilities, that certain gifts are not superior to others, and that everyone is given some.

As a child I longed to play the piano like my best friend. My efforts were so discordant and hopeless that my teacher suggested Mother was wasting her money on lessons for me. I envied others who had a knack for sports. I was always the last one chosen for any activity. I wished above all that I could paint like one of my classmates. My attempts were futile. I was certain that God passed me by when He handed out abilities. However, no one is passed over; we are simply differently-abled. Each of us can shine his light for God’s glory in some unique ways.

Little by little I realized that I was differently-abled by God to “paint with words.”

I PAINT WITH WORDS

Some paint with brush and canvas
describing beauty seen by human eyes
others paint with notes on a staff

which becomes music to delight the ear.

I paint with words.


Some paint with photo lens capturing color
or by blending nature's ingredients to produce
gourmet food for eager palates
some paint with healing hands and skills
to restore color to pallid cheeks and impart health.
I paint with words.

Some paint with hammer, nails, or mortar and cement

others paint with numbers and equations

describing, solving universal mysteries
or painting with technologies and systems

creating incredible things in cyberspace

beyond my finite comprehension.

I paint with words.


Some paint on engineering blueprints

white lines on blue backgrounds
which become impressive architectural edifices
a graphic artist paints from dreams and imagination

still life or astonishing animation

a sculptor paints with hammer and chisel in stone.
I paint with words.

Each is an artist endowed by Creator God
with a portion of His creative spirit
in stewardship as a precious gift

not intended to be a secret treasure
to hide or bury unused
but to discover and invest
and multiply

and so must I
when I paint with words.

****

I wrote the above poem at the beginning of 2012 and sent it to a precious Chinese Christian musician-composer friend in Hong Kong to encourage him in his music gift. James Wei-ji Huang, whom my husband and I met in Shanghai years ago, is internationally known for his Christian hymn compositions and training and conducting Christian choirs.

He surprised me to tears of joy by composing a beautiful melody as background music with a YouTube video in cadence to accompany the reading of my poem. If you would like to hear it, the link is:

Music for Mrs. Leona F. Choy’s poem composed by James Huang Wei-ji. Permission granted to James to share this poem and music internationally. http://youtu.be/nRs78I8rLsQ

If you would like the sheet music, email me and I will paste it into an email to send you. James’ father was a pastor who was imprisoned for his faith and martyred during the Cultural Revolution in China.

Saturday, March 24, 2012

Why does the sky cry?

One might expect a child to ask such a simple, naive question when the rain begins to fall. Since I am a forever-child of my Heavenly Father, I can ask the same question. A dark, overcast sky with gentle rain pattering on my roof evokes many conflicting emotions within me--I feel wistful, happy, yet sad, peaceful, nostalgic, and pensive all wrapped up with melancholy. It makes me both restful and restless.

*SKY TEARS


Why does the sky cry?

Is it for what has been and is no more?

Is it for what is not and never will be?

Is it for what will be but is delayed?


Does the sky cry from emptiness or fullness?

Or simply because in the cycle of seasons

it is time to cry?

The sky needs release and the thirsty ground

needs sky tears to soften the soil

and prepare for spring: the planting

sprouting, birth of life.

The weeping sky and the rejoicing earth

meet in expectancy for the certainty

of growth after the spring rain.


Why does my heart cry?

I don't know why. Perhaps for all the reasons

of the sky and earth combined

for I am part of that cycle of life and its seasons.

I seem to be always in transition, always in anticipation

always in passage to another stage.

I, too, cry from emptiness and from fullness

and for release. Sometimes wistfully looking backward

and then again pressing longingly forward.

Sometimes my tears are neither sad nor glad.


Perhaps my tears are the bridge between

the loving decrees of God for my life

those unknown episodes still beyond the horizon

and the thirst of my earth-heart to know what they are

and what the coming spring will bring

after the planting, after the sprouting

after the births of life that will come forth in me

ultimately

after my spring rain.

*****

* All poetry on this blog site is by Leona Choy

A Peek Over My Shoulder

I promised in my previous post to offer my blog viewers a glimpse of one of the books I hope to work on next. I've been working on this in bits and pieces for many years--I better get to writing this one or else I will "outgrow" it! The Preface in rough draft is below.

Book title: FINISHING WITH A FLOURISH

Preface: On the Launching Pad
Leona Choy
While time is still running, live life to the hilt and bear fruit to the max.
When time is running out, run the last mile Home and prepare well for take-off.
Celebrate each day as a loving gift from God not with a thoughtless drift.
Wisely finish your life assignment from God with a flourish to glorify Him.
The FLOURISH factor
To plumb the depths of meaning in the word FLOURISH is to come upon a shiny, glinting vein of gold in a deep mine. To flourish means to prosper and be successful in every sense. At the core it means that something or someone is thriving in a vigorous, energetic, spirited state and continuing to grow or increase.
For a person it means to be in one’s prime, at the height of fame, excellence, or influence. In botany it means that a plant is sturdy, growing luxuriantly, or is in a state of blooming, flowering, and bearing fruit. In penmanship or calligraphy it means to make fancy strokes or flourishes, to add ornamental lines to writing or to embellish initial letters of a sentence. As an action it means to wave something about in the air, as to brandish a sword or weapon. In music it alludes to a trumpet call or fanfare. In history or life or beauty flourishing means the finest or most prospering state or period.
Whoa! One hardly thinks of all those analogies applied to people in their mature or advanced years. More likely antonyms come to mind: deteriorate, fade, decline, wither, dry, fail, become weak, depreciate, grow fainter, shrivel, wilt, shrink, droop, wane, become frail, feeble, fragile, go downhill.
Humanly speaking and with the physical, mortal body in mind, some of those antonyms do apply to us. But from our Father God’s perspective and expectation for His children (of whatever age) and applying it to our eternal, and never diminishing soul, the flourish factor does trump the decline.
Our key verses of Scripture are in Psalm 92: 13-16. “The just man shall flourish like the palm tree, like a cedar of Lebanon shall he grow. They that are planted in the house of the Lord shall flourish in the courts of our God. They shall bear fruit even to old age; vigorous and sturdy shall they be, declaring how just is the Lord, my Rock, in whom there is no wrong.”
God’s expectations for the mature in age Christian come to their fullness in 2 Corinthians 4:16-18 “Therefore we do not lose heart, but though our outer man is decaying, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day. For momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison, while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal.”
The dismal news first
There are some unchangeable facts of mortal life we all have to face. No matter how diligently we pay attention to good nutrition, engage in proper exercise, take handfuls of vitamins, swallow our medications, even submit to cosmetic surgeries and other attempts at rejuvenation, we can only hope to somewhat slow the physical and mental process of aging.
Our temporary bodies are created by God; because of the Fall in Eden, they are mortal and therefore terminal. Although we grow physically from the time of our conception, the visible part of us nevertheless begins degenerating (decaying, diminishing, wasting away, being destroyed, and spent, in other translations of Saint Paul’s words in the Corinthians passage above.
Sometimes I act as if I expect to live on Planet Earth forever. I shouldn’t be in denial. Even with bionic or spare parts, my mortal life is winding down. My bodily parts are definitely deteriorating along with the rest of earthlings—I’m living in my “earth suit.” As a Christian I anticipate the fulfillment of God’s promise that I will have a totally changed body—someday. I recite in the Creed, “I believe in the resurrection of the body and life everlasting. Amen.” My body will be changed similar to Jesus’ body after His resurrection. That’s something to look forward to—but it’s for later, not now. That’s good news/bad news.
By and large, the changes of natural aging sneak up on us. Every organ gradually loses its reserve capacity although we may not be aware that it’s happening. There’s a decline in ability to recover from physical and mental stresses. Bones take longer to knit, wounds to heal, and infections to clear up. The immune system starts to decline around age 30. White blood cells begin to lose their effectiveness, which makes it harder for the body to stave off illness. Surprisingly, metabolism already begins to slow at around age 25. Muscle mass gradually shrinks. Yes, tell us about it! Kidneys may lose up to 50 percent of their efficiency between ages 30 and 80. You don’t have to tell us about that one!
All that doesn’t encourage me! But there’s still more: some of the liver’s functions gradually decline. Lungs lose on the average 30 to 50 percent of their maximum breathing capacity between ages 30 and 80. So that’s why I huff and puff going upstairs! Blood vessels lose elasticity, and bone mass begins to drop by about one percent a year after peaking in one’s thirties. The senses flag: taste diminishes, the nose loses keenness of smell, hearing fades, vision begins deteriorating at about 40, and changes occur in the skin. Can I bear to hear more?
Sweat glands decline in activity, the quality of sleep changes, the brain loses an average of about 20 percent of its weight, and speed of recall and mental performance slow down. Ah, so is that why I feel light-headed sometimes? That is the verdict for humanity right across the board—every race, every culture, every generation from the time Adam stepped out of Eden to the present—everything deteriorates in the end!
Is there any good news? OF COURSE!
The upward look
How about us who are children of God on the life journey of faith, indwelt by the Holy Spirit, and anticipating eternal life? We go through the same physical deterioration process that we share with all created things. But our outlook is not the same as that of the animal world. Saint Paul describes us as being both “the outer man” and “the inner man”—the former is our body of flesh, the latter is our immortal, eternal soul or spirit. That’s why we don’t “lose heart.” God’s perfect design for our spirit is a daily renewal.
That’s the good news! An “outer man,” our “earth suit,” is not all there is to the Christian. We have an “inner man” that is better than bionic. That’s why we can encourage one another to keep on keeping on. This truth enables us to live the kind of optimistic and fruitful life God planned for us without despair. Being renewed spiritually day by day, every day, can cushion that downward slippery slope that seems to accelerate with the years.
At whatever season of life we find ourselves, we need to embrace a Christian view of the aging process. Unless God calls us to Himself earlier, we’ll all get to that latter season. Aging is still only momentary and slight no matter how negative it may feel. Aging is not terminal—we are destined to live forever! Our eyes should never focus on the limitations of aging, but upon “the eternal weight of glory” in the future.
That’s the best news ever! It should give aging the proper, optimistic perspective. We shouldn’t be depressed with our normal decline or the condition of our “earth suit” body. Let’s be confident that we’re heading upward although to all appearances our physical body is going down the incline.
A PRAYER FOR WISDOM
Leona Choy
God, grant me the wisdom of mature years:
Help me circumvent the foolishness of aging.
When You see me playing in the spiritual shallows,
Lord, beckon me out of the wading pool into deep waters.
If I feel bogged down in meaningless routine,
turn the plain water of my daily life into “the best wine saved until last.”
When I tend to resist change and settle in my comfort zone,
grant me an open spirit and a growing, receptive mind.
If I’ve lost my get up and go,
teach me how to “rise and take up my bed and walk.”
When my leaves are withered and dry,
revive me to be “full of sap and very green.”
When my fruit is scanty and sour,
show me how to “flourish like the palm tree”
If the embers of my first love for You are growing cold,
fan them into flame by Your Holy Spirit.
When my noisy activity drowns out Your still small voice,
quiet me to wait on You in contemplative silence.
If the soil of my life is depleted and lies fallow,
break up the clods, supply fresh nutrients, make straight my furrows.
When my prayers seem unanswered and my spirit is arid,
open the floodgates to let Your Rivers of Living Water flow.
Where my life is out of balance and I lose my footing,
help me restore eternal priorities to keep from stumbling.
When my vision for Your Kingdom has grown dim,
touch my eyes to see again Your destiny for me.
If I’ve become slow of speech to declare Your message,
open my lips to boldly proclaim Your Good News.
If I have difficulty hearing Your voice clearly,
send Your Holy Spirit to be my hearing aid.
If my mind and memory begin to slip,
let me remember that You never leave me or forsake me.
When I’m weary from the length of life’s journey,
draw me close to Your bosom to find comfort and rest.
If I’m laboring to bear scarcely 30-fold fruit,
teach me to abide in You to effortlessly produce 100-fold.
Where some good seed of Your Word still lies dormant,
send Your latter rain for an abundant late harvest.
When I am tired and lack motivation to press on,
restore iron to my soul and strength to my weak knees.
When I drag my feet to do Your will,
energize me with the adrenalin of Your Holy Spirit.
When I’m short of breath from life’s fast pace,
inflate my lungs with Your Breath of Life.
If I grip material possessions too tightly,
teach me to hold loosely the things of this world.
If I open my mouth to speak foolish words,
show me how to put a watch on my lips.
When I’m afraid of the darkness around me,
take my hand to walk with You in Your Light.
When my emotions roller coaster out of control,
teach me to set my affection on things above not on earth.
When anxiety about the future threatens to overwhelm me,
remind me of Your great faithfulness in years past.
If my appetite becomes jaded by the world’s junk food,
give me Yourself as my Daily Bread in the Eucharist.
When I think I’ve reached the limit of my endurance,
help me persevere to run the last mile Home.
When thoughts of my mortal end cause me fear,
tell me again of the place awaiting me in Your Father’s House.
Sound bites and special features
In film and broadcasting, sound bites are short pieces of speech taken from a longer segment. They are striking remarks or thought-provoking statements that encapsulate an important point. In television, more thoroughly researched topics are presented as special features and given a longer time slot.
In certain sections of this book, I offer brief, succinct, or catchy “sound bites” on printed pages instead of audibly. Some are one-liners, others take several paragraphs to develop—they are snippets of seasoned wisdom and inspirational quotables. In other sections, I stretch out particular subjects into longer blog-like articles or vignettes somewhat like “special features” on television. All these formats cover a broad spectrum of topics, comments, and observations focusing on the commonality and camaraderie of our maturing years.
Since God created us to sequentially grow, develop, and mature from conception to our final years on earth, these thoughts are meant for everyone. Readers of any age may look over my shoulder and find the topics meaningful because none of us know where we might be on God’s timeline of our lives. Each of us knows where we are chronologically, but we don’t know precisely when we will reach God’s predetermined finish line. That is reached by some unexpectedly when they are still very young, or in midlife’s prime, or more expectedly by those who have lived into advanced years. I write from the vantage point of more advanced years, so this book focuses on topics familiar to my peer group of readers.
The “sound bites” are also “bites” in that this book is in a user-friendly format meant to be picked up and read in leisurely snatches as bite-sized snacks or appetizers. I hope they are “sound” in the sense of being seasoned, practical, and meaningful observations on real life in real time in our advanced years.
I’ve applied these principles and precepts to myself first by writing many of them in first person. I suggest that the reader do the same and apply the thoughts to himself or herself. **

Looking for my blog viewers!

I understand that scientists are continually scanning the heavens deep into outer space sending a signal to find out if there is any life form out there with whom to communicate.
THAT'S MY INTENTION IN THIS POST--to find out if I have any blog-viewers left in cyberspace after letting you down for so many months without new posts!

It is not because I have been lazy or deliberately negligent or uncaring about my faithful blog-viewers. I've been busy writing and preparing to publish another book. With limited time and somewhat diminished strength in my mid-eighties, I've had to choose my priorities carefully.

MY BLOG IS DIFFERENT: I don't follow political trends or comment on the latest news or try to inform you of significant events or people on the world scene. I don't offer youtube videos or family pictures, although my sons keep supplying me with the latest tech stuff to enable me to do so if I wish. There are outstanding blog sites that feature all those things. I don't compete with them. MY BLOG CONTENT IS PRIMARILY A SHARING OF MY CURRENT WRITINGS AND MY LIFE EXPERIENCES RELATED TO MY CHRISTIAN LIFE.

With my current book (I'm not sure but perhaps it is my 35th) nearly off the press, it's no surprise to my friends that I'm starting on another book right away. I always keep several potential book manuscripts in process on the back burner so it's a matter of which one I should pursue next. The answer is that I probably will start on several and see which one God impresses me He wants me to work to the finish next to give Him glory and be of spiritual help to readers. I will give you a preview in my next post of the Preface of one book manuscript I have already started to work on.

I am thinking of using fresh excerpts from my current writings as blog posts. Those may or may not find their way into one or another of my forthcoming books, depending on the length and strength of the generous bonus time the Lord is giving me on Planet Earth. When His allotted time for my mortal life is complete, I will stop writing at the Finish Line--but perhaps resume in His presence in the Eternal Dimension, if the Lord still needs writers in Heaven.

These are incredible tech times: eBooks (electronic books) are not only the wave of the future of publishing, but already sweeping the literary landscape. Publishing without the medium of paper and ink and printing presses has rocketed off the launching pad. From small fry to senior citizens you see eager eyes reading books on their Kindles, iPads, and other electronic media. Academia is on the verge of being transformed; soon students may not be carrying heavy school books in their backpacks but studying from eBooks.

For the author the scene is changing rapidly. It is now even possible to skip the print version of a book and go directly to publishing in the eBook format. One has to keep up with the times so I may venture in that direction as well. I have one published book on Kindle already, and my two latest books will be on within a month or so. This is just a "heads up" for what is coming down the pike in publishing.

Would you please do me a favor, if your eyes are reading this post? Let your friends know that LEONA IS FINALLY BACK BLOGGING and tell them where they can find me. The astronomers may not be getting any feedback from outer space, but I would sure appreciate knowing who is "out there" in cyberspace--if I have blog-viewers. I hope you will let me know if I have your eye! Either leave a comment at the end of any blog post, or better yet, feel free to email me: leonachoy@comcast.net. If I know who you are, we may be in a position to have a dialog--if you wish. But anonymous viewing is okay too.

The press is running!

Publishing Update—Leona Choy—March 2012
Living the Treasures in the Land of MORE was finally sent to the printer press-ready on March 9, 2012! Thanks to many of my friends and prayer partners for your investment by prayer and advance orders and designated contributions for the production of this book.
Because of your generous financial help, according to my calculations we are nearing (but not yet reached) the amount needed to cover the cost of production, printing, and shipping! PRAISE GOD! Contributions and advance orders are still eagerly accepted!
The projected timeline for the book’s release is:
20 business days for printing (approx. 4 weeks)
1 week back and forth for the final proof
1 week to finish printing and binding and shipping.
Allowing a little elbow room for unexpecteds, the release date may be, Lord willing, before the end of April 2012!
We hope to have enough funds to launch both this book and the previous one, MY JOURNEY TO THE LAND OF MORE, on e-books at the same time this new book, the sequel, comes off the press. Then both books will be available for KINDLE readers and on other electronic systems.
We expect to offer a special discount for these two books if ordered as a SET and mailed to the same address. Watch for the announcement!