Smile – It Makes You Happy

Nobody can resist a smile; smiles are contagious, they make us feel better.  Did you know that smiling can even be good for your health?

“Smiling stimulates our brain’s reward mechanisms in a way that even chocolate, a well-regarded pleasure-inducer, cannot match.”

There are both emotional and physical health benefits. Smiling is like a natural drug, it boosts the immune system, lowers blood pressure, relieves stress, changes our moods, and even prolongs life. 

“We shall never know all the good that a simple smile can do.”
~ Mother Teresa

Even if you have to fake a smile at first, practicing smiling will benefit you and give a positive signal to the brain which will give you a feeling of joy.  Continuous practice of smiling can even prolong your life.

Garrison 3 months

I just received a picture of my grandson who is now smiling so sweetly at 3 months.  Babies are actually born smiling and they will responds to you with a big grin often.  It is actually easier to smile (using less facial muscles) than to frown. 

"The powerful emotions triggered when someone important in our lives smiles at us and we smile back changes our brain chemistry.”

~ Dr. David Lewis – The Language of Success
 

Mona Lisa

Apparently, Charles Darwin had a lesser-known theory, that smiling can make us feel better.  When you feel happy you smile more, but it also works the other way around: smiling can cause us to be happy.

Have you ever wondered why the painting of the “Mona Lisa” by Leonardo da Vinci is so famous?  Everybody is mystified by her sweet smile.

We all know that it is easier to be around people who smile and are friendly.  Some people can light up a whole room with their positive attitude and sociable smiles.  Here are some more fascinating facts about smiling and its health benefits.

With a little bit more awareness we all can smile more and not only please others but to bring happiness to ourselves.

Remember Rule #6!

What is the rule #6?  -- Don’t take yourself too seriously.

Here is the story behind it.  It is told by Rosamund Stone Zander and Benjamin Zander in a book ”The Art of Possibility.”

Two prime ministers are sitting in a room discussing affairs of state. Suddenly a man bursts in, apoplectic with fury, shouting and stamping and banging his fist on the desk. The resident prime minister admonishes him: “Peter,” he says, “kindly remember Rule Number 6,” whereupon Peter is instantly restored to complete calm, apologizes, and withdraws.

The politicians return to their conversation, only to be interrupted yet again twenty minutes later by a hysterical woman gesticulating wildly, her hair flying. Again, the intruder is greeted with the words, “Marie, please remember Rule Number 6.” Complete clam descends once more, and she too withdraws with a bow and an apology.

When the scene is repeated for a third time, the visiting prime minister addresses his colleague. “My dear friend, I’ve seen many things in my life, but never anything as remarkable as this. Would you be willing to share with me the secret of Rule Number 6?” Very simple,” replies the resident prime minister. “Rule Number 6 is ‘Don’t take yourself so g–damn seriously.’” “Ah,” says his visitor that is a fine rule.”

After a moment of pondering, he inquires, “And what, may I ask, are the other rules?”

“There aren’t any.”

 

I enjoy reading this book and especially got a kick out of the rule.  For the past few days I thought a lot about the warning not to take myself too serious.  Our ego always pushes itself into first place and wants to have the ‘last word.’  When we can laugh at ourselves, it becomes easier to defuse our emotions.

Who is Your Spellbinder?

We all like stories because they catch our attention and most of all, we can remember anything told in a story much better.

I have read several of Og Mandino’s books before.  When I found the “The Spellbinder’s Gift” in my bookshelf I realized that I hadn’t read it yet.

I started reading the book and couldn’t put it down.  It is the fascinating story of Bart Manning, a retired agent to the most famous and dynamic motivational speakers of his time.  Enjoying his retirement, Bart is faced with a peculiar person on the streets of Manhattan, who has a wake-up call for him.  It motivates him to come out of his seclusion and start to pick up his business again.

At a crowded convention, he found a new client who has a spell-binding message, and he decides to present him to the world.

In the true Og Mandino fashion, this speaker’s message contains lessons which everybody should hear.  He is a true teacher and even healer who drives home the importance of not only hearing a lesson of truth once, but he also wants to give it as a special gift to all participants to read and re-read every day.

Here are the 7-steps Assembly Instructions For Our New Life: 

1)    Separate yourself from the crowd.

2)    Live each day in a day-tight compartment

3)    Go the extra mile!

4)    Look for the seed of good in every adversity.

5)    Never neglect the little things.

6)    Never hide behind busy work.

7)    Never allow anyone to rain on your parade.

 

I am sure there are many more spiritual principles which one could add to this list.  But as Mr. Mandino’s messenger suggests, it is important to repeat these steps often and act upon them.  Life seems to build on steps, once we take the first, the second, the third etc. we get into a current and that flow nobody can stop anymore. 

In order to get spell-bound by the right kind of message, it needs a whole lot of focus at first.  And most of all, it needs daily reinforcement, repetition, and persistence. 

Character or Personality

Character versus Personality

When we look at character versus personality we have to accept that one cannot be without the other.  Neither one is more important than the other either. While personality primarily consists of inborn traits, character is made of learned behavior.  Let’s look at them more closely:

Character

Character is typically learned from our parents, teachers and friends. This learning comes from being taught directly or from observations of others. Character relates to attitudes and values.  It is possible to change one’s  character based on different beliefs and core values.  Although, certain habits such as lying or committing crimes are harder to change, and need mainly reform through change of environment and circumstances.

Character is trained by keeping certain disciplines such as: honor, diligence, loyalty, love, etc.

Personal character virtues are:

•        Authenticity or integrity

•        Dignity

•        Self-control

•        Virtuous

Social character virtues are:

•        Honesty

•        Respect

•        Loyalty

•        Morality

Personality

We are equipped with certain personality traits or temperaments.  Some people are outgoing and talkative, while others are introverted and keep to themselves.  Another classification is whether you tend to be task oriented or prefer social engagements. This results in people having either a domineering, influencing, steady or complying personality. Some people are born leaders while others are analytical in their thinking.  I wrote once a blog about the different personality types as laid out by Dr. Robert Rohm:

Now I ask you, what is more important? -- Character or personality?  I believe both are necessary to build a successful life. Since personality is something we are all born with we can compare it with talents, while character is something we have to attain and work for. 

Traditionally, our society paid more attention to character education while today often personality is favored.  While personality seems to unfold naturally, it takes effort to attain a solid character.  We need good role models, starting in the family, and larger community like church, school and sports.

I therefore suggest that character education has to be the internal compass which can direct us to attain our ultimate destiny. At the same time we want to let our personality unfold and share our given gift with others.

We can see in our society today what lack of character education has done.  It becomes apparent mostly in the loss of moral values.  We have lots of personality, especially those with domineering traits. 

I like to end my observation regarding character and personality with a quote from Lao Tzu:

“Watch your thoughts; they become words.

Watch your words; they become actions.

Watch your actions; they become habit.

Watch your habits; they become character.

Watch your character; it becomes your destiny.”

~ Lao Tzu Chinese Philosopher 6^th century BC, wrote the Tao Te Ching (the Way).

Pygmalion Effect

You may have never heard of the Pygmalion effect but there certainly has been a lot of talk recently about the Law of Attraction.  Since the book and movie “The Secret” has been published that age-old spiritual law has received a new lime-light.  In the business world they are calling it “The Law of Positive Expectation.”

So, what’s the buzz?

Thoughts create images in your head.  Those pictures produce feelings or emotions.  The vibration of these emotions will attract similar experiences.  Here it goes: positive emotions will generate positive experiences, while negative feelings will generate negative experiences.  What does that mean? You create your own life by what you imagine in your mind.  Eventually, you build your own future.

Contrary to the popular thinking that we live in a mechanical universe, the universe exists in different forms of energy, starting with the atom.  Our thoughts are a form of energy.

Where did the Pygmalion effect come from?

In Greek mythology, there was a talented sculptor named Pygmalion.  He wasn’t very successful in his love life, but he had a great imagination.  When he found a beautiful piece of ivory, he saw the form of an attractive young woman before his eyes.  He started carving and chiseling and in a short time he had created the statue of lovely young lady.  At once, Pygmalion was taken by her beauty, to the point that he put clothes on her and jewelry.  He even gave her a name: Galatea which means sleeping love.

As it is was tradition in Greece, Pygmalion went to the temple of Aphrodite, the goddess of love and beauty, and prayed for a wife just like the statue he had carved out of the piece of ivory.  When Aphrodite heard his plea, she went to see the statue of Galatea.  She was very pleased with her since she resembled the goddess. 

When Pygmalion came home from his worship, he found Galatea alive.  He fell in love with her, and they got married.  From then on, the couple went to the temple together and brought gifts of thanks to the altar of Aphrodite.  She in return blessed them with happiness and love.

And we remember the story for the lesson: whatever we expect with deep passion and imagination, it will come to pass.

The Pygmalion effect was made popular by George Bernard Shaw who wrote a play called “Pygmalion.”  It became also the known as “My Fair Lady,” a musical, where Professor Higgins takes a common flower girl from the streets of London and trains her to “become a lady,” speaking, dancing and behaving like a woman of high status.

 

The Power of Positive Expectations

In the 1960’s Robert Rosenthal has done experiments where he told one teacher that he had great expectation from a group of school children because of some data.  Throughout the school year, these children had great performance in all areas of study, because of the support and encouragement of the teacher.  At the end of the school year the teacher learned that the children had been randomly selected, and was surprised how well they performed.  In another experiment, high grade students were treated with no special attention and expectation.  At the end of the school year their grades showed only average results.

This seems to prove that the teachers' expectations about a student's achievement can be affected by factors having little or nothing to do with his or her ability, and yet these expectations can determine the level of achievement by confining learning opportunities to those available in one's track.

Self-Fulfilling Prophecy
Robert Merton, a 20th century sociologist, actually coined the term of self-fulfilling prophecy. In his definition, in the book Social Theory and Social Structure published in 1949, the prophecy or prediction is false but is made true by a person’s actions. In the modern sense the prophecy has neither false nor true value, but is merely a possibility that is made into probability by a person’s unconscious or conscious actions.

The self-fulfilling prophecy has also deep implications in regards to our health.  The well-known placebo effect can fit into this area which shows the power of our mind and how attitude and suggestion can influence us for better or worse.

The best steps to take advantage of the 'law of expectation' is to keep a positive attitude and stay focused on facts, and most of all trust our gut feelings in case somebody wants take advantage of our ‘innocence.’

How to Empty Your Cup

When I was thinking about emptying my cup, I remembered a story I had heard about.  Apparently, it happened in the Orient, since it involved a Zen master and a student.  The student came for advice from the master.  As it is tradition in the Orient, the master prepared tea and served it to the student.  When he was pouring tea into the pupil’s cup he continued pouring even after the cup was full to the brim.  At first the scholar didn’t say anything, but after a while he couldn’t be quiet any longer.  He mentioned to the master that the cup was overflowing.  Then, the master said: “You are like the cup.  I cannot give you any advice if you don’t empty your cup.”

 

I even found a short video depicting this teaching:

 

“Empty your cup so that it may be filled; become devoid to gain totality.”

~ Bruce Lee

 

Remembering this story made me think of my experience of the last couple of months.  As I am looking into my past, I became aware of how much my cup was already full.  Obviously, our cup is filled with everyday experiences and memories.  But our mind is also occupied with ideas and thoughts which are dragging us down.  And our heart if crammed with emotions like regret, resentment and fear which don’t allow us to move forward.

 

 “Neither do people pour new wine into old wineskins. If they do, the skins will burst; the wine will run out and the wineskins will be ruined. No, they pour new wine into new wineskins, and both are preserved.”

~Matthew 9:17

 

What are we to do to empty our cup?

 

è Empty Your Mind Daily

Repentance and letting go is like emptying a waste basket.  Life is a struggle and we experience it every day, especially in our own mind.  We play and repeat movies, conversations and other incidences over and over in our mind.  It takes great discipline to stay in the present moment and stop all that chatter. 

Repentance is an old religious practice but it is very effective.  When we empty ourselves before God, we don’t have to worry about things anymore.  When we surrender to God, we can be free.

Jesus said, “Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at Hand.” ~ Matthew 4:17

 

è Discharge negative emotions

There are many different therapies and techniques to release negative emotions.  I like using the Emotion Code which has helped me to let go of old baggage.

 

è Listen, really listen

To listen is to hear with once heart and mind.  It also is to listen to the small voice inside of ourselves.  This voice is connected directly to our creator, the source of our existence.  It also connects us deeply to another person.  In fact, to really listen one has to be empty of once own ideas.  “If you want to learn, you have to shut up, and LISTEN for a change."

 

I am exploring continuously how to empty my cup.  I am watching my little granddaughter who is 13 months old.  She has no concepts, no worries; she is without any prejudice; she may fall down one moment, and the next she is happy and running again.  She may cry in one instant, but she forgets quickly. No wonder, Jesus said, “Be ye like the little children” (Matthew 18:3).  

 

Live is a struggle because we have forgotten who we are.  When we continuously empty our cup we have a chance to fill it with the authenticity of our true self.

Let’s empty our cups often to receive all there is to receive.

 

Coming to America

Contrary to the movie “Coming to America” my arrival in America was not a comedy.  Rather, I came as part of a group of missionaries who were to participate in public crusades to introduce the American Public to the Rev. Sun Myung Moon from Korea.

It was on June 21^st 1973 that our PanAm flight arrived at JFT airport in New York.  We were greeted by an enormous thunderstorm which delayed our arrival for over an hour.  When our plane finally dived through the clouds cover and New York City appeared, we were certainly glad to get off the plane.  We were welcomed by a group of members who loaded us and our luggage into several station wagons to drive us to a church property north of New York.  The rain came still pouring down and in that way New York didn’t make its best impression.  When we finally arrived at our destination, a place called “Belvedere” the rain had stopped, and we could move easily into our quarters.

How did I come to value Christianity?

I was raised in the Lutheran Church that is I went through a period of training that ended with my confirmation.  I chose the following passage from the Bible as my guide:

 

“The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps.”

~ Proverbs 16:9
 

After my confirmation I didn’t have a deep faith but I always felt that I was guided by an invisible hand.  That’s why when I met a member of the Unification Church I discovered a whole new view of life, faith and values.  I truly came to value my Christian heritage and expanded in my knowledge that my life was not just my own but rather belonged to God.

 
True Christian values give us:

·       Personal responsibility

·       Equality of man and woman, fairness between races, and tolerance of other religions

·       Spiritual freedom to pursue technological advancement, innovations, discovery, exploration, which lead to prosperity.

·       Forgiveness – Jesus taught how to pardon trespasses

 You may say, what a minute, does Christianity implements these values?  Maybe—maybe not.  That’s why I got to appreciate Rev. Moon’s teaching.  In one section of the DivinePrinciple, we learn about the three great blessings:

“Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it; and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the air and over every living thing that moves upon the earth.”

~ Genesis 1:28

That is the essence of Jesus’ teachings, too.  We are to become mature individuals who partner between husband and wife to give birth to a family. With that spiritual discipline, we can then take care of the environment and can create a peaceful world.  Rev. Moon’s teaching makes so much more sense to me than any of the interpretations of the various denominations. 

What were my greatest obstacles coming to a new country?

When I arrived in America I couldn’t speak any English, even though I had participated in English language classes before my arrival.  I knew a few sentences like ‘how are you?’ ‘I am fine,’ ‘come,’ and just a few other words. 

I had made a determination despite my lack of English to only “converse” in this new tongue which to me sounded like people chewing gum while speaking.  My greatest advantage was that I participated in lecture presentations which I had heard before in German and could therefore understand its meaning and basic content.  On the other hand I learned the language just like any child learns new words and sentences; by repeating them over and over again.  I had several people make fun of my “speaking” because often I would translate words and they would make no sense in the new circumstances.

Why did I come to the USA?

When I left Germany in 1973 it was a divided country.  It was my youthful desire to contribute to world peace.  America was the super power with an enormous influence throughout the world.  I later on learned that Rev. Moon’s teachings contributed to the downfall of communism.  During the many speaking engagements, where we invited thousands of people throughout this country during the 70s, 80s and beyond, Rev. taught not only on the significance of Christianity but also on the invalidity of communism I am deeply grateful to the Rev. Moon for his contribution to the reunification of the two Germanys, and I just hope and pray that his home country of Korea can also be reunified shortly.  In his biography “As a Peace-loving Global Citizen”  he writes about his journey from the countryside of Korea to emerge on the world stage, being misunderstood, persecuted, and ridiculed.  He never wavered from his mission, a path which had been blessed by God.  Rev. Moon passed away last year at the age of 92 but his legacy and teachings will remain with us forever.

As I celebrate my 40^th anniversary of coming to America, I have some regrets.  I am not sorry that I came to this country.  Every time I come back from visiting Germany I love to hear “Welcome Home” from the immigration officer.  I am just very unhappy with the ways this country is run right now.  I see that the basic Christian values are pushed aside and that the very foundation of this country is shaking.  People are asking, “Where is God in all this?”  We have been rejecting God, taking prayers out of our public schools, marriages and families are falling apart without God as the center, our country is run by politicians who are more interested in getting votes than leading this country in a constructive way, and the churches are infiltrated by immoral behavior. 
Above all, the media is totally bias to the liberal agenda that the average citizen cannot understand. What happened to those Christian Values?  Have we completely lost our love of God?  One Nation Under God?  Every time I say the Pledge of Allegiance (yes, in my Toastmasters club we recite it every meeting), I feel a tingle go down my spine and I feel proud to be a citizen of this country.

Why does Evil Exist?

In the light of what happened last week at the annual Boston Marathon we do have to ask, why does evil exist?  Nobody wants to be evil.  Some people believe that God uses evil to accomplish his purpose.  Some people say: “Money is the root of all evil."  That’s certainly a cliché if I hear one.  When I looked through bible verses I couldn’t find anywhere that God created evil.  At the end of creation,

“God saw all that he had made, and it was very good. And there was evening, and there was morning--the sixth day.”

~ Gen. 1:31.
 
One thing is for sure, we know that evil exists.  We cannot just deny it or wish it away.  I don’t think we can answer this question from a human standpoint.  Evil has existed since the beginning of time.  Therefore, that’s where we have to start looking.  According to Wikipedia, evil is extreme immorality; they also consider ignorance, selfishness and neglect.  Evil is certainly aggressive.   I don’t think we can answer this deep question without looking at spirituality and the stories of the Bible. 

It all started in the family of Adam and Eve.  Evil is first mentioned in Genesis 2:9: the tree of life stood in the midst of the garden and also the tree of knowledge of good and evil.  Both of these trees are symbols for Adam and Eve.  After Adam and Eve grew older, Lucifer saw that he was not #1 anymore in the garden and became jealous of Adam.  He also understood that Eve was to become Adam’s wife, and so he thought to tempt her and tell her the first lies: “You will not die, for God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God knowing good and evil” - (Gen 3:1-5).   It was upon Adam and Eve to decide if they wanted to be good or get involved in evil.  Therefore, it was Adam and Eve who allowed evil to come into existence.  When Cain killed his brother Abel it became manifested in the physical realm. Only through the Fall of Man and the Divine Principle, taught by the Rev. Sun Myung Moon, can we learn about the symbolic meanings and the real story of the origin of evil and the birth of the Devil or Satan.  God DID NOT create Satan; he became Satan when he turned against God’s will and beguiled Eve and then Adam.  God DID NOT create evil, he cannot relate to evil because it is not part of him.

I was very moved by the interview Napoleon Hill had with the Devil way back in the 1930s.  He wrote a book about it: Outwitting the Devil which just recently became published.  He rightfully understands that the Devil is not the devilish creature with a pitch fork but rather a spiritual being who can talk.  Even if Mr. Hill made up the stories of an evil entity he talked to for hours on end, his answers and the conversations are very revealing to the deception and the betrayal we all experience at times and blame on each other.

 

Michelle Longo O’Donnell wrote a book called The God we’ve Created.  She describes how men have projected their own ignorance into GOD.  Since man has both aspects – good and evil – inherited, we picture God that way and blame our own shortcomings and sins on HIM. 

Men have been the losers throughout history.  Mainly, we didn’t know that there was another being involved which was hiding by avoiding the truth.  That’s why we NEED the Messiah as our defender.  He is like the lawyer who protects us from all the lies and contortions by reaffirming the truth and giving us encouragement to live a truthful life.  The Messiah is also the one who demonstrates for the first time how to live a righteous life by fulfilling the purpose of God’s will.

What is the Nature of Evil?

* self-interest, focusing on EGO

* feeling a lack of love, jealousy

* feeling alone, abandoned

* denying (ignorance thereof) existence of evil

* believing in lies and false propaganda  

* focusomg on resentment and bitterness

* having lack of self-love, low self-esteem

* seeing self as victim

* being stuck in self-pity

* seeking division and causes turmoil

* causing pain and hurt others

* bullying and terrorizing others

* enslaving others

* willing to kill

 

“Why do you boast of evil, you mighty hero?
Why do you boast all day long,
you who are a disgrace in the eyes of God?
 You who practice deceit,
your tongue plots destruction;
it is like a sharpened razor.
 You love evil rather than good,
falsehood rather than speaking the truth.
 You love every harmful word,
you deceitful tongue!

 Surely God will bring you down to everlasting ruin:
He will snatch you up and pluck you from your tent;
he will uproot you from the land of the living.
~ Psalm 52:1-5

 

 

What is the Nature of Good?

* practice self-love

* being compassionate

* being grateful

* living for the sake of others

* practicing serving

* being aware of the greater world

* recognizing unlimited potential

* having a good attitude

* listening to the small voice inside

* focusing on love and truth

* believeing in healing

* having conscience focused on God

* comforting others

* seeking unity with others

* having faith in mankind

"Compassion will cure more sins than condemnation."

~ Henry Ward Beecher

 

I believe that we are living during a special time in human history where we can empower ourselves more than ever before.  There is a benefit for this age like never before.  We have to become seekers and not only be satisfied by what others believe or what others tell us, especially the media, the government or any powerful organization. I hope and pray that this article can inspire you to seek the truth, to seek the living God and you will find a peaceful new world.

How to Live a Sanctified Life

Recently, in our church, we were encouraged to write down a repentance list.  Recognizing ones mistakes of the past is the first step to make a new beginning. That was to be done more deeply than a New Year’s resolution.  I had to look into my life more deeply and honestly because it was done in preparation for Foundation Day.  Foundation Day is the beginning of a whole new era for peace and unity not only for the members of our congregation,  but co-insides with the many predictions for a New Age, The Cosmic Shift, and the Second Coming.

 

"But sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts..."

~ I PETER 3:15

 

The meaning of sanctify literally means "to set apart" for special use or purpose, that is, to make holy or sacred. Don’t most religious people live a sanctified life?  We are all unique individuals, with a universal purpose to pursue fulfillment, happiness, and peace.  So, let me ask you: how to live a sanctified life?

 

How do sanctified people look any different on the outside?

Generally, they don’t look any different than most people whom you work, live and play with.  If you are spiritually sensitive, you can detect a sacred glow in people who are happy, peaceful or had a mystical experience.

 

à I watched a woman named Anita Moorjani who had a near death experience and came back with a beautiful radiance when she tells about her incident in Heaven. She received an awareness about her existence as a human being.  In the process of deciding to come back to her body, she was healed from cancer.    

 

"Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart"

~ PSALMS 37:4

à I observe my granddaughter who is nine months old.  She shows me every day what is takes to enjoy life.  She makes the most delightful and enchanting baby sounds.  She also tries to please me by making funny faces or coming to me when I call her.  I cannot help but be amused and uplifted by.

 

à I study people who are content.  Most people today are so much in a hurry; everything has to happen instantaneously or we give up or become angry.  In order to be present, one has to be observant, enjoy the moment and savor everything with all five senses.  Like smelling the flower, hear the birds, taste the chocolate, touch the surface, and see the sunset.

 

What do sanctified people do?

That’s probably the easiest way to detect a sanctified person – by their action. 

 à Sanctified people seek God’s point of view.  We are all created in relationship to somebody or something.  In God’s eyes there is no division between race, nationality, or religion.  God created a beautiful universe for our enjoyment and satisfaction to use for food, clothing, shelter, and entertainment.

 

à Sanctified people take ownership over their lives by being responsible for their spiritual development.  They pray and practice mindfulness and focus on what is happening in the present moment.  They are also good stewards over their physical environment, their finances, and their time. 

They also follow core values and live by absolute principles.

 

à Sanctified people seek fellowship with others by congregating to play and/or worship together.  They are also committed to create harmonious God-centered families where children learn to love, serve and be grateful.  Everything in the universe exists in relationship.  It is our responsibility to learn and understand how to get along as the family of man.

 

Where do sanctified people live?

We all live in this world side by side.  Once we recognize that there is not only this physical world we exist in but there is also the invisible spiritual realm, we become aware that our life here on earth is only temporary.  Compared to eternity, our lives here on earth are very short (60 to 100 years).  Obviously, it doesn’t matter which city or country we live in.  Even though sacred geometry or Feng Shui can help us find better dwelling places.

 

à Create a holy temple – Our body is the dwelling place for our eternal spirit.  Once we are born here on earth, we are to live a pure and God-centered life.  Those who believe in Jesus want to follow his example of sacrifice and service to others.

 

à Create a healthy body – It is our responsibility to keep our bodies healthy and strong.  Current research shows that we are not completely dependent on our ancestral heritage regarding our genes.  We can even influence our DNA by changing our thinking about health and evolve our brains.

 

à Create a healthy environment – Feng Shui is a Chinese system of divination to determine where to live, how to arrange furniture in the home and how to avoid disharmony in everyday life.   In the Western world we use divination to locate water wells, use kinesiology to detect imbalance in the body through muscle testing or a pendulum to get answers from the deeper psyche of man.  One we learn more about the invisible spiritual world we can take advantage of the fact that everything is made of energy which is measurable even though we cannot see it.

 

“No one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God’s seed remains in them; they cannot go on sinning, because they have been born of God.”

~ 1 JOHN 3:9

 

Why are sanctified people blessed?

In the Sermon on the Mount we find Jesus’ moral teachings, the Lord’s Prayer and the Beatitudes.  

 

à Study the scriptures – Reverend Sun Myung Moon encouraged us to read the scriptures every day.  He himself held Hoon Dook Hae everyday, even studying his own sermons.  When he was younger he studied the bible to the point where it was worn and the pages were falling out.  The word of God is our spiritual food.

 

à Free from sin – Sin means separation from God.  Through the Fall of Man we lost our relationship with God.  All throughout history God has been working to reconnect man to Him.  The various religions were the vehicle to teach men about God and eternal life.

 

"For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife,
and the two shall become one flesh."

~ Genesis 2:24

à Marriage as a sacrament – Marriage is the union of one man and one woman.  It is God’s purpose for us to create a harmonious family and through this experience joy and peace.  It is in the family where we experience the basic relationships and learn to love, accept and appreciate each other.  It is the most secure place to safeguard education, prosperity and wealth for all involved.

 

We all have to make choices in our lives every day.  We can live our lives by default and just ‘go with the flow’ or experience a sanctified life.  Sanctification means to be intensely focused on God’s point of view.  Isn’t it time that we include it into our lives?  

 

“May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through.  May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

~ 1 Thessalonians 5:23