November 30 is the projected release
date for Leona Choy's third spiritual autobiography in her “Land of
MORE” Trilogy: STILL MORE! FLOURISHING ON MY
SUMMIT: Living Our Vintage Season.
You've already
written many other books. What is the distinctiveness of this
Trilogy?
These are the
first books I have written about my adventures of faith since I
became a Catholic Christian.
Didn't you
write an autobiography of your life already?
CZECHING MY ROOTS: A Heritage Saga
and Autobiography, chronicled
the first 80 years of my life experiences, ministry, and genealogical
past. In fact, I thought that was the last book I would write, given
my age.
Then what
happened?
Through
a series of events that encompassed four years of intense research
and prayer, I chose to make a faith paradigm shift to become a
Catholic Christian. I explained that process in my first book from a
Catholic perspective, MY JOURNEY TO THE LAND OF MORE:
Evangelical to Catholic.
What do you
mean by the term “Land of More?”
From my youth I
have always desired for more of God's revealed truth and specifically
an ever closer walk with God. I found that in a personal relationship
with Jesus Christ and also with each new step of deeper understanding
of His Word and ways and my own life commitment to Him. This was true
in my years as an evangelical Christian and has continued in these
recent years as a Catholic Christian—always pressing on to “more.”
So I use the term comprehensively of my entire life journey as a
Christian.
Then you wrote
a sequel?
LIVING THE TREASURES OF THE LAND OF
MORE: Discoveries of a New Catholic Christian.
I shared what I was beginning to learn about the richness of living
the Catholic life. I built upon the good biblical and spiritual
foundation of my youth and prime years as a Protestant.
And then this
third one?
I wrote this book
because I am living in the final season of the long life God
generously has given me as a cancer survivor of 24 years and a widow
for 22 years. I am personally challenged to finish well. I've tried
to answer the question of whether the Lord of all seasons of life
heretofore can also be Lord of our late calendar years.
What is the theme of your book?
I believe from the
Scriptures that God intends the advanced years of a Christian's life
to flourish in inward spiritual life despite natural human decline.
Flourishing depends largely on appropriating the power and wisdom and
enabling of Holy Spirit and applying it to our individual state in
life. We can still live the abundant life that Jesus promised even
when life slows with age, one's faculties diminish, and the road
narrows.
Is this a book
for caregivers and about
people who are growing older?
No. On the
contrary, it is from the point of view of the person herself/himself
who is experiencing the “growing older” process. I express my own
thoughts and feelings as I attempt to do it God's way. And I include
my reader in the learning process--"our vintage season"-- because everyone inevitably faces
that experience if one lives long enough. However, caregivers or
those looking on can benefit greatly from an understanding of how
people feel who are going through their advancing years.
Is there another sub-theme you have
woven throughout your book?
Yes,
the need for wisdom and discernment in our later years. We are
challenged to keep changing the things we still can change,
even in our most advanced years, and to accept with joy and
trust in God that which we cannot change. My book begins with a
prayer for wisdom as we stand at the foothills of our upward
summit season journey. It captures the theme of the entire book
in its 30 petitions as I try to "do aging" God's way and pray, God, grant me the
wisdom of mature years to circumvent the potential foolishness of
aging.
What do you
mean by the term “summit season”?
I use the analogy
of climbing a mountain to describe our life journey. We climb toward
the pinnacle from which one day we will launch into Life Eternal. It
is an upward journey, not a downhill slide. As we approach the actual
summit, there is a chronological season of unknown length when we
experience the struggles and successes of that upward climb. It can
be a vintage season, where “the best wine has been saved until
last,” as spoken during Jesus' first miracle at a wedding feast.
That is not the
attitude of many people during the growing-old stage of their lives.
They tend to look at their final years negatively as already being
“over the hill” with everything going South.
I believe the
opposite attitude is the one God wants us to have. This is captured
in the statements in Psalm 90 spoken about righteous aging persons,
“...they will flourish in the courts of our God. They will still
yield fruit in old age; they shall be full of sap and very green.”
Is this book
strictly a personal journal?
No, neither is it
an instruction manual. I share my own experiences during this
advanced season, but I include the reader in our common experiences
and realistic aging struggles. But not from the vantage point that I
myself have already attained or that I am doing everything perfectly,
even the things I write about. Because I am still climbing, I am
continuing to learn how to live fruitfully “in Christ.”
What are some
of the inner issues with which you deal?
Among other issues
I deal with depression, fear of the unknown, the feeling of being
“past tense,” disappointment in not having met our goals or
fulfilled our dreams, loss of purpose for living, maintaining
spiritual balance and renewal, maintaining joy when we experience the
dark nights of the soul.
How about
nitty-gritty issues of inevitable outward changes in advancing years?
Also those: loss
of substantive roles in life, the possibility of assisted living with
loss of independence, dealing with traumatic or chronic health
issues, grief over loss of significant relationships, diminishing
memory, the struggle to leave a meaningful legacy, dealing with
adversities, and downsizing our personal possessions.
And what do you
offer the reader who approaches the summit with its unknowns and
final struggles with personal mortality?
Always hope.
Always joyful anticipation for the crowning moment of life when we
shall finally see our God in the full light of His presence! That is
the moment when what I call our “earth suit” will be exchanged
for our “space suit” and later for an immortal one in the
resurrection of our bodies. Eye has not seen nor ear heard what
glorious things God has prepared for us after we complete our summit
season and experience our “lift off.”
Is there
another sub-theme you have woven throughout your book?
The need for
wisdom and discernment. The challenge to keep changing the things we
still can change, even in our most advanced years, and the acceptance
with joy and trust in God of what we cannot change. My book begins
with a prayer for wisdom as we stand at the foothills of our upward
summit season journey.
What is the
format of this book?
I write in
user-friendly bite-size topics, short life sketches, vignettes, and
reflections; blog post style, you might say. Each of the 15 chapters
can stand alone although each has a distinct theme.
Over 300
pages—that's a sizable book.
Originally, it was
almost twice as long! I don't count words or consider length when I
write my books. When I have finished saying what I consider
meaningful, and after multiple editings, I stop. In this case, before
going to press I had to cut it in half. I am left with “twelve
baskets full of leftovers,” as Scripture describes the still tasty
remnants of Jesus' multiplication of the loaves and fishes miracle.
There may be another book waiting in the wings!
Are any of your books in ebooks
format?
All the Trilogy books are available
there, this current book in process, as well as a number of my
previous titles, and more to come.
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