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After taking an
early retirement from a hectic life in the corporate world as a
management consultant and event planner, and
completing over 20 years of independent study, Lona became an
ordained non-denominational minister and officiant in 1993. She has been a
resident of the Big Island since 1988 and is licensed by the State
of Hawaii to perform weddings.
In addition to
full-service planning and coordinating of special events and
professional photography, Rev. Lona
performs wedding, commitment, and renewal of vows ceremonies, as
well as christening ceremonies and memorial services. She is not affiliated
with any particular church or religion and honors all spiritual
paths. Her services are designed for people who have a
deep appreciation for the sacredness of the occasion and the quality
of the ceremony. |
A gifted writer,
Rev. Lona's original ceremonies are composed with careful thought.
Each ceremony contains some Hawaiian traditions, along with words and sentiments that awaken a profound experience
of love and its infinite possibilities. Her warmth and gentleness
create an atmosphere in which people can come closer together than
ever before.
The most popular
request for ceremonies is a sunset beach wedding, renewal of vows
ceremony, or commitment ceremony that includes Hawaiian traditions. However, any location of your
choice can be arranged and all services are tailored to your vision
of the ideal setting.
In addition to
ceremonies written and performed by Rev. Lona, there is one other
licensed officiant who performs ceremonies for Romantic Beach
Weddings.
To read testimonials
from Lona's clients please click
here.
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"Love is a sparkling mixture
of two unique souls who find the greatest joy
in one another's company." ~ Dannion Brinkley
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Lona's
first visionary novel, The Magdalene Dispensation, is available online at http://www.lonalyons.com
or it can be ordered from your favorite bookseller. A revised
edition was published in February, 2007, and the
screenplay is now ready for production.
Set primarily on the
Big Island of Hawaii,
autographed copies of this visionary novel are an ideal keepsake or
gift.
The Magdalene
Dispensation picks up where The Da Vinci Code left off. It reveals the
story that has never before been told about Yeshua (Jesus) and Mary
Magdalene, and the women behind the scenes, in the events that continue
to perplex and inspire millions of people.
Mary Magdalene,
in the persona of Constance Weatherstone, reunites on the Big Island of
Hawaii with three women who were part of her spiritual sisterhood 2000
years ago. She returns
to lift the veil of secrecy about her sacred partnership with Yeshua and how they planted the seeds to awaken humanity to its divine
connection. She explains the significance of the long-suppressed Sacred
Feminine in the healing of humanity and why it was necessary for the
Truth to be shrouded until now. She brings a message of hope.
With power and grace, The Magdalene Dispensation
transports you. Mary returns with the answer to every important
question. Her wisdom will change your life.
The Magdalene Dispensation is the first book in a trilogy. The
second book is scheduled for publication in 2008.
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“The
Magdalene Dispensation really made me think. Lona Lyons has done a
superb job of bringing the past to life in a celebration of the power of
knowledge and faith. She has…a story of never-ending love and dedication
to a greater cause. You can feel the power of what she has written.”
~ Karen Lovett, Editor, WomenonWriting.com
“This book
spoke directly to my heart. It frequently evoked tears of joy.”
~ Dr. Waymer Strahm, Holistic M.D.
"This is
storytelling at its best."
~ Kathy Turner, Artist
"Even if you do
not believe the story, it will rock your world and give you much food
for thought. This book is like a rich meal. You will want to read,
digest and savor it."
~ Carole Prism, Screenwriter
Interview with Lona Lyons
Author of "The Magdalene Dispensation"
Reader Views is pleased to have with us
Lona Lyons, author of “The Magdalene
Dispensation.” Welcome Lona.
Irene:
What inspired
you to write “The Magdalene Dispensation”?
Lona:
The characters and part of the story had been coming to me over a
period of six years before I sat down and wrote what was to become the
real first draft. I knew I wanted to write a book about the power of
women and the force they become when they transcend their feelings of
unworthiness and consequent tendency towards competition. I wanted to
display the rich gifts of women and their embodiment of the Sacred
Feminine that have been devalued for thousands of years. But even I was
surprised how the story unfolded, as I’m sure most writers are when they
sit down and let the pen have its way with them. The real turning point
in story focus and content came about as a result of a writer’s workshop
I took in which we were given exercises to help us identify our real
passion – the thing we felt the most strongly about and would keep us up
at night writing. I came to realize that my real passion was bringing to
light the fear and guilt, as well as the cruelty and injustice, which
have been perpetrated and perpetuated by some of the Christian churches
throughout history. I wanted to present a more unconditionally loving
and inclusive alternative that I believe is the truth of God.
Irene:
You mentioned that you were surprised how the story unfolded. Do you
believe that you, for lack of another word, “channeled” the story?
Lona:
I have been asked that question by
many people who say they feel the truth of what I have written. I can
only tell you that, to the best of my knowledge, I was not “channeling”
this information. Instead, I think I may have accessed an old wisdom
that I once knew, and this wisdom is available to all.
Irene:
Your book is considered as fiction.
How much truth do you believe is in it? How do you base your belief?
Lona:
For me, there is a lot of truth in the
book. But I believe that it is up to each individual to develop the
ability within them to accurately discern the truth and that
responsibility should not be abdicated to any outside authority. “Blind
faith” produces fanatics and cults and shuts down the intrinsic part of
ourselves that knows better. I call that intrinsic part the True Self
and I have come to know it as the presence of the Divine within every
person.
I followed the same path in my early life that most follow when they are
searching for God. I went to all the churches I could get my hands on
and looked and listened intently. The only conclusion I came to was that
I would never measure up to a God that was unforgiving, angry and
disappointed in me as most leaders in the pulpit claimed HE was. And
since God was presented as a man and I was female, I knew my chances for
redemption were even slimmer. Yet, there was something in me that nudged
me forward and made me persist in my search, despite my early
disillusionment. I believe that “something” was the Voice of God within
me and it is genderless and all-knowing. I
believe that same “Voice” resides in all and our real job here on Earth
is to allow that divinity to express through us, as us.
Irene:
Please give us some tools as to how we
can access that “Voice” that you speak of.
Lona:
There
are probably many ways to develop the stillness within where the “Voice”
can be heard. Many choose meditation as a discipline to quiet the
relentless wanderings of the mind so a deeper Truth can be accessed
beyond the chatter. I think intention is an important first step because
it creates a type of surrender, energetically, that opens a pathway to
receive divine inspiration.
Irene:
What research did you do before and during the writing of “The
Magdalene Dispensation”?
Lona:
I read many books and did a lot of online research, which I found to be
more up-to-date than the public libraries. Margaret Starbird’s work was
an inspiration and it rang many bells for me, along with "Holy Blood,
Holy Grail". I was in the final stages of editing my book when I heard
about Dan Brown’s book and my first thought was that my book may be
redundant. When I read "The DaVinci Code", however, I was gratified to
see that he had presented the same research that I had already seen and
his story was much different than mine. I think his book is making a
great contribution by bringing a lot of attention to the inconsistencies
and abuses of power in Christian dogma and church hierarchies.
Irene:
Aside from being a fable, “The Magdalene Dispensation” has some deep
seated messages. Would you tell the reading audience what would be the
most important message in the book?
Lona: The
most important message of the book is that we are all divine – and we
are all equally divine. The true basis for our equality is spiritual in
nature. God has no favorites because favoritism requires judgment and
there is no judgment possible in Unconditional Love. The greatest gift
we have been given is the spark of divinity that resides within us and
it connects us as an inseparable part of our Divine Source. Our choice
is to allow this True Self to express though us, or we can choose the
frequently traveled and well-worn road of the personality/ego, which is
the temporal part of us, thank God. Most of us have had quite enough of
our personalities in one lifetime and have no interest in carrying them
around any longer than necessary.
Irene:
By reading the book, the reader is
drawn into getting in touch with their own divinity and searching for
their own truth. Why do you believe this is an important aspect of
living a spiritual life?
Lona:
My biggest dream is that this book will contribute to the awakening of
humanity to its divinity. (I include myself in that awakening.) We are
all works in progress. As we look out into the world, we see evidence of
the absence of this awareness in the headlines of all the newspapers, in
the majority of television programs and films, and in our own
communities. Nestled deep within the truth of our divinity is the key to
peace on Earth. It is the great equalizer and the answer to every
important question. I believe that’s worth searching for, despite the
obstacles and the depth of our amnesia.
Irene:
I find this topic very fascinating. I
could go on and on asking you questions but we have to wrap this up. Is
there anything else, Lona, that you would like the readers to know?
Lona:
I think we are on the verge of a huge
breakthrough in consciousness. The more we know the truth of our
divinity, the more that divinity will be made manifest in our outer
world. I am fascinated by the critical mass theory as it applies to this
consciousness. Like the mythical hundredth monkey (if it is a myth), I
believe there will come a time – in this lifetime – when that hundredth
monkey will awaken to its divinity and suddenly, the effect will be felt
everywhere. Then life will get very, very interesting!
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Romance Tip #1: Give her a
foot rub after a hard day.
Romance Tip #2:
Brush your sweetheart's hair.
Romance Tip #3:
Whenever you hear "your song," grab your partner's hand and dance -- no
matter where you are.
Romance Tip #4:
Find a poem by her favorite poet -- or better yet, write your own -- and
recite it on her voice mail.
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Reverend Lona Lyons is a non-denominational
minister and officiant, licensed by the State of Hawaii,
license number 96-410. Her specialty is a ceremony on a Big Island beach
at sunset,
including weddings, renewal of vows, and commitment ceremonies that
contain Hawaiian traditions.
