Honor another Peace-Maker: Martin Luther King

In an earlier blog I wrote about peace makers. 

Since today is a national holiday, where we celebrate Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s birthday, it is appropriate to write about his contribution to peace making.  Here is the link to his Nobel Peace acceptance speech: The Nobel Peace Prize 1964.

We all have heard about Dr. King’s famous “I have a dream” speech and are touched by his determination to fight for that dream.  Dr. King’s greatest contribution to peacemaking is portraited in the recent release movie: Selma.   In Selma we witness a chronicle of Martin Luther King's campaign to secure equal voting rights via an epic march from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama in 1965.

As the story goes, from January to March of 1965 Dr. King along with hundreds and thousands of fellow African-Americans as well as some white folks from the northern states participated in marches between Selma and Montgomery, the capital of Alabama.  Even though the demonstrations were peaceful several protesters were injured and some even died.  Their demands?  The equal rights of American citizens to vote.  Finally, in August, President Johnson signed the Voting Rights Act.

I like to finish my tribute to Dr. King with a quote by the late Rev. Sun Myung Moon who considered MLK “The Greatest American Citizen of the 20th Century.”

“On the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, we recall Martin Luther King’s stirring ‘I Have A Dream’ speech which captivated and inspired all of us to put an end to racial injustice and bigotry. We have before us the responsibility of fulfilling that dream. Whether the coming future will bring war or peace depends largely upon our efforts today.”

~ Reverend Sun Myung Moon

 

 

Thank You, America!

 

America can be seen as idea
An idea such as a thought or suggestion as to a possible course of action.  An idea such as an image with an aim or purpose.  An idea such as a vision of an ideal country.

The Pilgrims coming to America certainly had ideas and hopes for a better life.  They parted Europe in order to find a land where they could freely worship God and pursue a life of freedom. 

Those were the principles America was founded on:

The Founding Fathers declared equal opportunities, not equal outcomes:
1)    The rule of law is a First Principle that mandates that the law governs everyone.

2)    The First Principle of unalienable rights recognizes that everyone is naturally endowed by their Creator with certain rights.
3)    Equality is a First Principle that recognizes that all persons are created equal.
4)    The First Principle of the Social Compact recognizes that governments are instituted by the people and derive their just powers from the consent of the governed.
5)    The First Principle of limited government means that the protection of unalienable rights is the legitimate purpose and limit of government requires the government to be strong enough to fulfill its purpose yet limited to that purpose.
6)    A final First Principle is the right to declare revolution when the other First Principles are being infringed by the government.

“America is more than just a place. America is an idea. It’s the only country founded ON an idea. Our rights come from nature and God, not from government. … We promise equal opportunity, not equal outcomes. And this idea was founded on the principles of freedom, free enterprise, self-determination and government by CONSENT of the governed.”

~ Paul Ryan, U.S. Congressman

 

The Pilgrims and the Mayflower Compact

When the Pilgrims arrived at the New World, they arrived in New England’s winter.  Even the following years 1621/1622 their harvest were scare, mainly because they didn’t apply themselves.  Some worked and others were lazy and stole food from others and suffered hunger. 

The Mayflower Compact which had been signed by all male passengers of the Mayflower which gave them permission to leave England and promised them land along the New World shore.  Due to storms they landed in what is today New England instead of their original destiny of today’s Virginia.  The compact was to give them some form of legal binding of self-governing.  Unfortunately, the compact got lost, and it was not until William Bradford declared the end of socialism in 1623 and help draft a legal code which distributed land to each family. 

Until then the Pilgrims had practiced some form of “common course,” which was a sort of primitive agrarian communism. Bradford decided to distribute land among all the settlers, not just members of the company and didn’t discriminate along religious line.  He encouraged free market trade; each family worked hard and worked the land with new pride and gratitude.  The following year they had a plentiful harvest and gathered for a feast of thanksgiving.  William Bradford was the governor of the Plymouth Plantation for over 30 years and wrote about their lifestyle in “The History of the Plymouth Plantation.”

God’s Hope for America

Coming from another country, I didn’t know much about American History. In the 1970’s Rev. Moon gave a series of public speeches entitled: God’s Hope for America, and I learned about the heart-warming stories of the American Pilgrims.

Rev. Moon spoke about the longing of the Pilgrims and their willingness to endure hardship and suffering to bring their dreams to a new reality.  They had a strong faith that God was on their side.  Here is an excerpt from the speech given in October 21, 1973 in Washington, DC:
 

A winter of heartbreak

During the first winter in America, the population of the hardy Mayflower survivors was cut in half. Each day that winter brought a heartbreaking separation from loved ones. One by one these courageous pioneers died. Yet their life from morning to night, from dusk to dawn, was centered upon the will of God. God was their only comfort, their only hope and their only security. God was the principal partner for them. Here was an example of such a rare and pure group of God's people. They demonstrated untiring faith, and God gave them power and courage. They never lost their trust in God and their vision of the future. Their purpose in coming to America was to build a nation where God could dwell, where they could really share fellowship with each other and rejoice in fellowship with God. This was all in God's providence, because He needed a nation to serve as His champion for the ultimate and permanent salvation of the world. 

So another miracle came to the Pilgrims. When they were just barely surviving and their population had been halved, the Indians could easily have wiped them out with one stroke. But again, God was a shield for them. The first group of Indians the Mayflower survivors encountered were not hostile. The Indians welcomed the settlers. If the Pilgrims had been destroyed at that time, there would probably have been no America for God. God intervened to save His people here in America. This is my belief. God wanted them to settle, and He gave the Pilgrims a chance. 

As the population of the settlement grew, they had to push the Indians away to enlarge their own colony. Of course, this land did not belong to the new American people originally. The Indians were the inhabitants of the land, and the Pilgrim settlers must have been invaders in the eyes of the Indians. Why then did God give these settlers their great chance? Here is my interpretation. God sided with the American settlers because it was in His plan. Furthermore, these American settlers met God's requirements and truly demonstrated an unwavering faith in God. God could not help but give them His promise and fulfill that promise. 

America's existence was according to God's providence. God needed to build one powerful Christian nation on earth for His future work. After all, America belonged to God first, and only after that to the Indians. This is the only interpretation that can justify the position of the Pilgrim settlers. 

This continent of America was hidden away for a special purpose and was not discovered until the appropriate hour. The people of God came at the appointed hour. They came to mold the new way of life. Their principal partner was God. At home, in caring for their children, in farming or cooking or building, they let God share their work. He was the only security they had. A farmer might talk to his son working out in the field with him. "Let's plow this field in the name of God." Their everyday life was lived in the name of God. 

After the first spring visited them, they cleared the fields, planted, cultivated, and harvested the crop. And they attributed all their precious harvest to the grace of God. The beautiful tradition of Thanksgiving thus originated. Following the next severe winter, the first thing they built was a church. At night, at dawn, in the morning and at noontime, they prayed to God. I am sure they prayed, "God, we want to build a place for You which must be better than the Old World. We want to build a place where You can dwell and be master." 

And they also had a vision of the future that this Christian nation would do more good for the rest of the world than any other country upon the face of the earth. I am sure that after their church they built a school. They wanted outstanding schools for their children, better than any schools existing in the Old World. And their homes came last. After they built these homes, they dedicated them to God. This is the history of your Pilgrim Fathers, I know. I can visualize early America as a beautiful America, because God was dwelling everywhere. In the school, in the church, in the kitchen, in the street — in any assembly or market place, God was dwelling.

The American Dream

The Pilgrims laid the foundation for the American Dream which is a national ethos of the United States, a set of ideals in which freedom includes the opportunity for prosperity and success, and an upward social mobility achieved through hard work.

“That sense of can do spirit, of American Exceptionalism has a long history going back to the pilgrims who carved out a place to call home and the rag tagged army that defeated the most powerful empire in the world.”

What is America – ReadState

I like to finish this tribute to the Thanksgiving Holiday with a short video by musician and singer/song writer Bono at Georgetown University who as an Irish born sees America as an Ideal truth which is self-evident in all of us: 

Next week I will write about the movie America: Imagine a World without Her

History of Memorial Day

MemorialDay, an American holiday observed on the last Monday of May, honors men and women who died while serving in the U.S. military. Originally known as Decoration Day, it originated in the years following the Civil War and became an official federal holiday in 1971. Many Americans observe Memorial Day by visiting cemeteries or memorials, holding family gatherings and participating in parades. Unofficially, at least, it marks the beginning of summer.

It is unclear where exactly this tradition originated; numerous different communities may have independently initiated the memorial gatherings. Nevertheless, in 1966 the federal government declared Waterloo, New York, the official birthplace of Memorial Day. Waterloo—which had first celebrated the day on May 5, 1866—was chosen because it hosted an annual, community-wide event, during which businesses closed and residents decorated the graves of soldiers with flowers and flags.

Decoration Day

On May 5, 1862, General John A. Logan, leader of an organization for Northern Civil War veterans, called for a nationwide day of remembrance later that month. “The 30th of May, 1868, is designated for the purpose of strewing with flowers, or otherwise decorating the graves of comrades who died in defense of their country during the late rebellion, and whose bodies now lie in almost every city, village and hamlet churchyard in the land,” he proclaimed. The date of Decoration Day, as he called it, was chosen because it wasn’t the anniversary of any particular battle.

On the first Decoration Day, General James Garfield made a speech at Arlington National Cemetery, and 5,000 participants decorated the graves of the 20,000 Union and Confederate soldiers buried there. Many Northern states held similar commemorative events and reprised the tradition in subsequent years; by 1890 each one had made Decoration Day an official state holiday. Many Southern states, on the other hand, continued to honor their dead on separate days until after World War I.

Evolution of Memorial Day

Memorial Day, as Decoration Day gradually came to be known, originally honored only those lost while fighting in the Civil War. But during World War I the United States found itself embroiled in another major conflict, and the holiday evolved to commemorate American military personnel who died in all wars.

For decades, Memorial Day continued to be observed on May 30, the date Logan had selected for the first Decoration Day. But in 1968 Congress passed the Uniform Monday Holiday Act, which established Memorial Day as the last Monday in May in order to create a three-day weekend for federal employees; the change went into effect in 1971. The same law also declared Memorial Day a federal holiday.

Memorial Day Traditions

Cities and towns across the United States host Memorial Day parades each year, often incorporating military personnel and members of veterans’ organizations. Some of the largest parades take place in Chicago, New York and Washington, D.C. Americans also observe Memorial Day by visiting cemeteries and memorials. On a less somber note, many people throw parties and barbecues on the holiday, perhaps because it unofficially marks the beginning of summer.

From the History website.

Let Us Celebrate the Resurrection of Jesus



Resurrection and springtime are very closely connected.  One may not believe in the resurrection of Jesus which is celebrated worldwide on Easter Sunday, but one cannot deny the magic of the reawakening of creation, especially after a long and hard winter as we had this year.

In this sense we are all reawakening during the months of April and May, rejoicing in the appearance of the green grass, the flowers, and blooming trees.  In spring it is easier to open ones heart to new and fresh ideas.  The creator has put a lot of effort into the process of the first season after winter.  The course from dormancy to new life is truly a miracle which we can experience in our personal life as well.  In this sense we can discover and look forward to something new and exciting.

Would you Recognize Jesus?

I was reading an article in the Whole Living Magazine Mar/April 2014 issue by Betsy Whitfill which posed the question “Would you recognize Jesus?” She talks about that every tradition, religious and non-religious, expects the return of their teacher with a new revelation: Christians expect the return of Christ, Jews the Messiah; Muslims await the Imam Mahdi, Hindus Sri Krishna; Buddhists await the 5^th Buddha, Maitreya. Certainly, the time we are living in could benefit from a heavenly messenger and show us how we could live more peacefully together. Ms. Whitfil emphasizes that it is crucial for us to recognize this herald if we want to determine humanity’s future in a positive way.

Discovering Who was Jesus – and Who is Jesus

Even for those of us who were raised in a Christian Church there are many things about Jesus which are not easily understood.  That’s why I appreciate an article I read on the “Real Easter.”  Some Christians believe that Jesus had to die for us so that we may experience resurrection.  As the Son of God he was able to forgive “sins” while he was on earth.  His main mission was to teach people about God, the heavenly Parent.  Going beyond the 10 commandments of the Old Testament Age, Jesus' message was condensed into two phrases: Love God, and love your fellow men.

“Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.”

~ Matthew 22:37-39

The Life and Mission of Jesus Christ

Rev. Sun Myung Moon, who met Jesus when he was only 16 years old, gives the deepest account of the life of Jesus Christ.   He had several personal opportunities of meeting Jesus and consulting on very profound events during Jesus’ life on earth in regards to his physical family, his relationship to John the Baptist, and why he had to go to the cross.  When we learn more about Jesus’ mission, we can certainly be better prepared for his return.

How do we Experience Resurrection?

Even though some people believe that Jesus resurrected physically, I believe that it was Jesus’ spirit that was raised.  For us to know the process of resurrection (Sect.II:1) is to learn about the heart of God which is equal to salvation or restoration.  For that to take place we need a physical body to do good deeds, we need the word or the truth, we need to go through a growing period, and finally we need the benefit of “Merit of the Age” which means to be born based on the groundwork of many saints and sages and righteous people who have broadened the foundation of heart. 

A few months ago I wrote a book review of “Proof of Heaven” by Dr. Eben Alexander who had a near-death-experience (NDE).  He is urging all of us to become aware of the fact the time has come for all people to know God and to feel that we are loved by this Heavenly Parent.

May you experience the joy and the peace of resurrection and renewal this Easter.  This spring season is perfect timing for not only believing in the resurrection but to experience it ourselves.

 

 

 

The Life of Jesus

 

I never had a personal experience with Jesus.  Even though, I was baptized and had confirmation classes at 16 in the Lutheran Church I didn’t not understand about Jesus’ life.  Not until I heard Rev. Sun Myung Moon’s teaching about Jesus could I appreciate what Jesus went through and what he accomplished for us.

From the beginning Jesus’ life was controversial.  Most Christians believe that Jesus was born by virgin birth.  Some believe that Joseph was the father even though he and Mary were only engaged.  If we study the bible, we can learn what really happened (Luke 1:38) When Rev. Moon had his visitations from Jesus, he revealed many truths to him.

The fact is that Jesus started a history-changing revolution to the point that we started a new calendar beginning with his life; B.C. for before Christ and A.D. for Anno Domini.

 

The Life of Jesus as taught by Dr. Michael Balcomb, president, Family Federation for World Peace

For the last couple of months I have read over many essays and sermons on the life of Jesus which I like to share here:
 

Who is Jesus?

I purposely ask ‘who is he’ because he is still alive in the spiritual world.  Jesus is the Messiah, the anointed one, the savior, and the Son of God.  After he resurrected, he appeared to his disciples (John 20:1-29) in his eternal spiritual body which he could manifest in a substantial form because of his Divine nature.  For the first time in all of human history, we learn about the eternal spiritual world, which Jesus opened the path to paradise (Luke 23:39-43).  Because of his complete obedience to God, he gave up his life on the cross and accomplished our spiritual salvation.
 

 

Where did Jesus live?

Jesus lived in Judea the land between the Mediterranean and the Dead Seas.  At the time of his birth it was a Roman province.  Jesus was born in Bethlehem in a manger.  When the ruler Herod heard about the birth of the “King of the Jews” he sent for Jesus to be killed.  That’s why Mary and Joseph with the newborn baby had to flee to Egypt and stay there until Herod died. There is not much biblical record about the time ‘the holy family’ spent in Egypt. Author Paul Perry wrote a book about that time.  The next account of Jesus’ life is that he entered the temple in Jerusalem at age 12, (Luke 2:39-52) talking with the priests.  Again, for the next 18 year until 30, when he started his public ministry, we don’t know where Jesus lived.  During the three years of his public ministry he went all over Judea, eventually entering Jerusalem where he was captured and then executed.

 

How did the people of his time receive him?

After the incident at the temple we don’t know much about Jesus’ life until he started his public mission at 30.  There are many speculations including that he traveled to India.  The Bible only mentions that he worked with Joseph as a carpenter.  His public mission started at 30 as recorded in Luke 3:23 From then he traveled for 3 years all over Judea, teaching the Good News, the Gospel.  Initially, Jesus was welcomed by the common people.  His cousin John the Baptist testified to his mission and baptized him at the river of Jordan.  He gathered multitudes, he performed miracles, and he forgave people’s sins when he saw their belief.  The Scribes and Pharacies became jealous of Jesus’ popularity and eventually, he was handed over to the Roman authorities, and Pilate condemned him to die.

 

When did Jesus’ destiny change?

There were dual prophecies in the Old Testament regarding the mission of Jesus.  One was for him to be accepted to become the ‘Lord of Glory,’ the other one was in case Jesus would be rejected, and he would become the ‘Lord of Suffering.”  

When Moses and Elijah appeared to him on the mount of transfiguration (Matthew 17) Jesus learned of his shortened life.  The disciples who were with him were afraid because they had never seen ‘spirits’ (Moses and Elijah had passed to the other world long before).  Jesus told them not to share this experience with anybody until he would also go the spiritual world. 

Because Jesus was the Messiah, he insisted on a triumphant entry into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday.  Even though he knew he had to die, he wanted the people to know who he was and that this was the time for the Kingdom of Heaven to be built as prophesied in Zechariah 9:9 and recorded in Matthew 21:5.  He wanted to proclaim to all of Israel and the future generations what could have been.

 
 

What could Jesus have accomplish if didn’t have to die?

 

We know that Jesus forgave sins while he was preaching and witnessing to the people (Matt. 9:1-2; Matt. 9:22; Mark 10:49-52).  According to the Divine Principle, the teaching of the Rev. Sun Myung Moon, Jesus came as the second Adam.  As such he was to restore what Adam missed to do because of the Fall of Man. Adam was to become a mature man (be fruitful) and get married to Eve (multiply).  Together they were to be good shepherd over the earth (have dominion over the earth – Genesis 1:28)

Just recently there was news about The Gospel of Jesus’ Wife, discovered by Harvard professor Karen King.  She announced that archeologists had found a fragment of an ancient Christian-Gnostic papyrus in which Jesus mentions his wife and defends her before the other disciples as most worthy.  Dr. Andrew Wilson, Professor at the Unification Theological Seminary, wrote a lengthy article about the perspective of the Divine Principle on these findings.

Surely, the descriptions of lineages in the bible are a proof of the importance of lineage.  It was God’s desire to establish his pure lineage here on earth and create ideal families.  Also with Jesus’ untimely early death, he was able to bring spiritual salvation, but talked about his return in order to bring salvation to both the spiritual and physical realm and to establish the Kingdom of God on earth.

 

I like to finish with a reference to a website: “Real Deal Easter” which just recently opened up by Bob Selle.  Mr. Selle gives some very crucial guidance for anyone who is seeking a personal relationship with Jesus. 

If you have question regarding spiritual experiences or near death experience (NDE), I like to refer to Eben Alexander, M.D.’s The Easter Question.  Dr. Alexander is the author, 'Proof of Heaven: A Neurosurgeon’s Journey into the Afterlife'

 

As I mentioned before I belief that the greatest accomplishment of Jesus is that he showed us the possibility for eternal life.  Through his resurrection and appearances to his disciples as well as many of his followers and believers over the centuries, Jesus is alive and we can have a living relationship with.  The salvation he brought us is unique.  There is no other teaching that brought that kind of freedom and enlightenment, and it shows that Jesus in all his glory and grace can give to us forgiveness and peace.
 

Who was St. Patrick?

St. Patrick is in very good company in regards to popularity with the other celebrated saints: St. Nicklaus and St. Valentine.

Many people around the country celebrated St. Patrick’s Day yesterday.  He is even very popular in the secular world with parades and parties, people all dressed in green.   While parades and parties have faded, I thought it interesting to learn more about St. Patrick. 

Patrick was born in Roman Britain at the end of the 4^th century, maybe 387.  He passed away on March 17, 461.  His parents were of high social standing but not necessarily religious.  They gave him the name Kilpatrick.  

 

There were two important visions or dreams which guided and change St. Patrick’s life.  When he was 16, he was kidnapped by Irish (Celtic) raiders who took him back to Ireland and sold him into slavery.  He herded sheep in the pasture and lived all by himself in the country.  He endured for six years, after which he freed himself and was on his way back to Scotland to be reunited with his family.  There was nobody else to talk to but God.  He developed a very deep relationship with the Heavenly Father.   In a dream, God told him to go back to Britain to meet his family.

 

"The love of God and his fear grew in me more and more, as did the faith, and my soul was rosed, so that, in a single day, I have said as many as a hundred prayers and in the night, nearly the same." "I prayed in the woods and on the mountain, even before dawn. I felt no hurt from the snow or ice or rain."

~ St. Patrick

 

At his home he had another revelation: he was to prepare for priesthood and go back to Ireland and to convert people to Christianity.   In the year 433 he was ordained as a bishop and was ready to go back to Ireland.  With the help of miracles and God’s guidance, Patrick and his new disciples were able to convert many to Christ, including Kings and tribes leaders.  Together they build many churches.  He worked hard, suffered a lot, following the path of Jesus.  Patrick went the humble course of the servant and could win the people’s hearts. He explained the trinity to the peasants using the shamrock, that’s how it became part of the St. Patrick’s Day tradition.

 

Patrick faced a lot of persecution from the Irish.  There are many legends and accounts of St. Patrick’s life.   The Irish followers integrated many of the Celtic traditions into the new way of worship, one of them being the Celtic Cross. 

The ring around the cross has its origin in the pagan worship of the sun/moon.         

It is interesting to me how a person like St. Patrick is so popular in our secular society.  He lived an exemplary life and helped many people in his time one earth.  It is one way to remember him and honor him.  I guess everybody likes to celebrate and have a good time even if the meaning behind it becomes diverted.

Chocolate’s many Flavor Notes

I am not talking about a beautiful melody you can serenade your sweetheart with on Valentine’s Day, nor am I referring to love letters, nor the money you buy the diamonds for: I am talking about the many flavors of chocolate.

Last Thursday, we had a very pleasant meeting at our Standing Room Only Toastmaster gathering this month.  Our area governor came and introduced a “Chocolate Tasting.”  We tasted different dark chocolates which are my favorite anyway.  I learned about the different aromas, textures and tastes of chocolate, its origin and how it is made, which inspired me to research some more on the background of this heavenly food.  The literal translation of the cocoa plant which is “theobroma cacao,” means food of the Gods.

 

Part of our tasting session was to detect the various flavor notes which are composed by their origin of location, the way of fermentation, and the process of roasting.  Obviously, there is no right or wrong conclusion which of the chocolates one prefers.

 

History of Chocolate

Cacao plants can only grow in tropical countries.  It requires a hot, rainy climate and will only bear fruit in countries within 20 degrees of the equator. Though it needs warm temperatures to thrive, it must be shielded from direct sun, and grows best under the shade of taller trees.

Each tree only produces about 2 pounds of bittersweet chocolate a year.  The delicate process of harvest, fermentation, and the roasting requires a lot of personal attention, that’s why cocoa is produced mostly on small farms.

Just like with wine, the unique flavor notes found in chocolate depend on its country of origin. The taste of a cacao bean, like a wine grape, depends on the soil, growing conditions and type of plant from a particular place. Local harvesting and fermentation practices also affect flavor.

From a delicacy for kings to everyone’s favorite treat, from a sacred and revered health food to a modern scientific wonder, the history of chocolate is rich, varied, and never boring.

 

Books on Chocolate

The food of the Gods “Theobroma cacao,” has been written about from all different angles.  Cacao is used in all forms of cooking, baking and sweets.  Cocoa by itself is bitter and almost chalky but with added milk, sugar and (cocoa) butter, it becomes irresistible.  The chocolate industry has created many different types of chocolates from white, to milk and dark chocolates.  Additionally, candy contains anything from nuts, coconut, fruits, liqueurs, or even peppery spices.  In the recent years chocolate has been advocated as health food, especially dark chocolate with a cocoa content of more than 35-95% because of its high antioxidant content.

 

"It's not that chocolates are a substitute for love. Love is a substitute for chocolate. Chocolate is, let's face it, far more reliable than a man."

~ Miranda Ingram

 

Chocolate in Romance

Chocolate is by many standards considered an aphrodisiac; that’s why chocolate is popular as gifts for Valentine’s Day. For that occasion hearts are wrapped in red and pink foils.

 

Health benefits of Chocolate

Chocolate is considered a superfood which means if you only have that one food, you could survive for quite some time on it.  It is rich in antioxidants, fiber, trace minerals and nutrients beneficial to heart health, antidepressant, and stress-relief.

 

Harvest of Cocoa beans

Here is a link to a video that show the process of harvesting cocoa pots.

Here is another video link to how chocolate is made or an account of how the process works.

 

Did I stir your curiosity to go out and buy some chocolate or participate in a chocolate tasting?  Or better yet, get some candy for someone you love and share it together to savor the different flavor notes.  Maybe you will discover that there is more to chocolate than the bars in the check-out isles.  Enjoy the simple bars and delight in the various flavor notes and maybe you will detect which notes are combined in your favorite choice.  Remember, dark chocolates are meant to be savored for their deliciously bitter underlying citrus, caramel, or tobacco like notes.

 

New Year’s Intentions versus New Year’s Resolutions

My role at the first toastmaster's meeting of the New Year was table topics.  It means that I have to come up with some questions, ideas, words or statements to solicit each member present to give a one- to two-minute answer.  Usually, the toastmaster sets a topic for the meeting.  Sure enough, Elaine, the toastmaster for the evening, started talking about the New Year and asked if we had made NewYear’s resolution. 

I shared that it was our church community’s tradition to send balloons with a wish or a positive statement attached to it into the sky.

When it was my turn in the meeting to present my table topics on New Year’s resolutions, I was surprised that nobody in the audience made New Year’s resolution.  Several people explained that the reason being that most people don’t go through with them; abandon them by February and then feel guilty about it. 

That made me question, what is wrong with resolutions; and what we can do instead? 

 

Resolutions are abandoned primarily because they set us up to fail. We force ourselves willfully to let go of certain habits.  Resolutions typically focus on what we shouldn’t do or what is wrong.  When things get tough, or we get off track, it is easy to just ditch them altogether.

We acknowledged that most humans resist change.   It is true that most resolutions are to decrease addictive behaviors like alcohol/or drug abuse, smoking, gambling, or unhealthy relationships or eating habits.  When we focus on problems the internal resistance goes up automatically.  Therefore, it makes more sense to focus on a positive outcome which means to formulate an intention.

 

“Intention is a force in the Universe, and everything and everyone is connected to this invisible force.”

~ Dr. Wayne Dyer

 

When setting an intention, we focus our attention on the “what” without being attached to the “how”.  Intentions are driven from within. They involve stating a desire and creating a clear mental picture of the direction we want our life to take based on how we feel in the present moment. They create a purpose, an aim, to direct our decision making.

By getting the feedback from each person at the meeting, I determined that from now on I will not make anymore New Year’s resolutions.  Rather I formulate my desire in form of a positive intention and feel myself into what I deeply yearn for.  That way I am becoming the person I am meant to be.  Isn’t that what we are all longing for?

What do Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer and Jesus Christ Have in Common?

We all know the beloved Christmas song about the famous reindeer Rudolph.  We celebrate the greatest Holy Day for the birth of Jesus the Christ.  What do a reindeer and the savior have in common?  Let me explain where I am coming from.

 

My husband and I spend Christmas Day with the in-laws of our son in Kentucky.  On our way home, we were listening to Christmas songs, and I tried to sing the lyrics to keep focused on the road.  We had heard “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” already several times on our road trip, when right after “O Come, All Ye Faithful”  came through the radio.  I started to reflect on the meaning of both and suddenly realized that the popular song of the famous reindeer had a very deep meaning behind. 

Its original creation came from Robert L. May, a 34-year-old copywriter who wrote the story for Montgomery Ward Department store in 1939.  A little while later, May’s brother-in-law, Johnny Marks wrote the music to the beloved Christmas song which is now the 2^nd most beloved Christmas song after White Christmas.

 

As the song goes:

You know Dasher and Dancer and Prancer and Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donner, and Blitzen but do you know the most famous reindeer of all?

Rudolph, the red-nosed reindeer
had a very shiny nose
and if you ever saw it
you would even say it glows
all of the other reindeer
used to laugh and call him names
they never let poor Rudolph
join in any reindeer games
then one foggy Christmas eve
Santa came to say:
"Rudolph with your nose so bright
won't you guide my sleigh tonight?"
then how the reindeer loved him
as they shouted out with glee (yippee)
"Rudolph, the red-nosed reindeer
you'll go down in history."

Rudolph, the red-nosed reindeer
had a very shiny nose
and if you ever saw it
you would even say it glows
all of the other reindeer
used to laugh and call him names
they never let poor Rudolph
join in any reindeer games
then one foggy Christmas eve
Santa came to say:
"Rudolph with your nose so bright
won't you guide my sleigh tonight"
then how the reindeer loved him
as they shouted out with glee (yippee)
"Rudolph, the red-nosed reindeer
you'll go down in history"

 

As the story goes, there were the eight reindeer which teased and persecuted Rudolph because he was different.  He was a misfit with a red nose and the others bullied him and called him names.  During all this time he became a strong reindeer, fulfilling his nature-given purpose.  He waited bravely for his glorious moment when Santa Claus himself chose him to become the leader of the reindeer sleight to light the way to deliver the gifts to all the children for Christmas.

 

Here is my take on the similarities: 

Jesus was an outcast, an eccentric and a rebel, while Rudolph was shunned by his fellow reindeer and excluded by their games.  Both were born in a stable, in humble circumstances.  Jesus developed his leadership and internal determination to save mankind by communicating with his heavenly Father who helped him to love the unloved: lepers, tax-collectors, prostitutes and sinners.  Rudolph was given the chance to lead the sleigh-team because of a snow storm on Christmas Eve.  Both led with their internal light, their shining example.  Their glorious moments came when in time of dire need where nobody else could help.

 

In a way the story of Rudolph is the story of our lives, we struggle through life with disappointments and ups and downs.  We all have a red-nose story because we are all different from the others who may tease us for being too tall, too fat, too smart, too weak.  We tend to belief in our weaknesses more than in our strength.  When Robert May made up the story he pretty much told the story of his own life, growing up being bullied because of his weak and small stature and encountered many unfortunate situations in his life.  He feared for his little daughter Barbara to have a future of poverty and poor health (his wife had just died of cancer).  He worked on the story for a long time to give to her as an original present, and then even presented it at a Christmas party at Montgomery Ward.  It became an instant success.  His behavior was like the ending of his book: Rudolph was bashful, despite of being a hero. 

 

Both Rudolph and Jesus believed in their strength despite the persecution and ridicule and they became victorious.  That’s where their similarities end because Jesus gave up his life, saying: “Yet Not as I will, but as Thou will”. (Matthew 26:39)

 

 

I like to finish this blog with an excerpt from a sermon by the Reverend Sun Myung Moon who had many personal experiences with Jesus during his life (1920-2012).  This is an excerpt from a sermon given on October 11, 1959, entitled The Situation of Jesus:

 

“Jesus was supposed to walk to the end of the path of suffering while he was on earth.  He had to walk to the end of the path, no matter how difficult it might be.  He was born in a barn.  No matter how difficult and miserable a person’s situation may be, no one was born in a barn.  The providence of salvation begins from the lowest point.  Jesus was born in this lowest of situations and did not receive love while he was growing up.  Christians should understand this clearly.  In the thirty years of Jesus’ life, there were many sorrowful events.  Although Jesus was born into Joseph’s family, to Joseph he was a stepson.  He was a stepson of no blood relation to him.

The children born between Joseph and Mary looked down upon Jesus.   Think about it.  Jesus was a stepson.  Jesus was a miserable person who was mistreated even by his younger brothers and sisters.  He did not have parents he could depend upon emotionally, and he did not have a family where he could find a place of rest.  That was not all; yet Jesus grew up under the direct instructions of Heaven.  Because Jesus possessed a heart of hope for the future, even in such circumstances, he looked at the people, the nation and the world.

Why didn’t Jesus resent the situation he was in?  It was because he understood God’s heart.  He knew that the Father he believed in and worshipped had walked a bitter path for four thousand years.  He knew that he had the mission to take responsibility for and restore through indemnity all the mistakes of his ancestors who had repeatedly wronged God.  Therefore, he could not be resentful toward those who opposed him.  Because he had the same heart as God, even when he was dying on the cross, he blessed the people who opposed him.  Christians today think that Jesus came to die.  It may seem simple because they only look at the outcome.  However, they do not understand the situation of Jesus up to his death.  They do not understand the heart of God as He looked down at the dying Jesus.”

 

The reason we love Jesus is that he understood other’s situations, lived for them and redeemed them.  That's why we call him Savior.  That’s why we celebrate Christmas and celebrate his birth.

 

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!