Memorial Day Tributes

My Memorial Day Tribute starts with this poem:

"It is the Soldier, not the minister Who has given us freedom of religion.
It is the Soldier, not the reporter Who has given us freedom of the press.
It is the Soldier, not the poet Who has given us freedom of speech.
It is the Soldier, not the campus organizer Who has given us freedom to protest.
It is the Soldier, not the lawyer Who has given us the right to a fair trial.
It is the Soldier, not the politician Who has given us the right to vote.
It is the Soldier who salutes the flag, Who serves beneath the flag,
And whose coffin is draped by the flag, Who allows the protester to burn the flag." .........................

- Father Dennis Edward O'Brian, USMC (often incorrectly attributed to Charles M. Province)

The other day somebody asked me what it meant to me to be an American? My answer was as follows:
I was not born an American, rather became a citizen 10 years ago, when I had lived in this country longer than I had in any other country. For me to be an American means to be free, free to choose my occupation, my place of living, free to vote and to express my opinion, free to create my life. This freedom also provides the protection from foreign invasions as well as safety while traveling overseas. This is the only country in the world which declares: In God We Trust. America was founded by God fearing people who came here leaving everything else behind, ready to make a new beginning. They built a house for God and community worship first before they built their own homes. They came to build one culture and language disregarding their own personal heritage and traditions. One Nation under God has to be our motto and is the solution for all of our problems today. If the founding fathers of this country had the humility to bow their heads in prayer to ask for guidance and direction why can’t we today? I am proud to be an American and proud of my German heritage.




Let's give tribute to others who defended the freedom of their country (Germany):

During WWII, the only visible manifestation of opposition to the regime following Stalingrad was an unexpected and completely spontaneous outbreak of anti-war sentiment among a small number of university students, organised by a group called the White Rose, centered in Munich but with connections in Berlin, Hamburg, Stuttgart and Vienna. In January 1943 they launched a campaign of antiwar handbills and graffiti in and around Ludwig Maximilians University in Munich. Inevitably, they were soon detected and arrested. The three ringleaders, Hans Scholl, Sophie Scholl and Christoph Probst, were given perfunctory trials and executed, as was Kurt Huber, a professor of music and philosophy accused of inspiring their actions, and several others.
In the spirit of freedom and bravery I also like to remember some people who stood up again tyranny. I recently watched the movie "Valkyrie." Contrary to many other historical accounts that Germany stood silently in the face of Hitler's atrocities, Valkyrie portraits, Graf Claus von Stauffenberg as a German officer heading one of the many resistances. He used his military influences and Hitler's own plan (operation Valkyrie) to get close to the "Fuehrer" and tried to assassinate him. Another strong force against the Nazis was General Friedrich Olbricht who was the master-mind behind the assassination plot, and General Hans Oster who were the driving force behind the German resistance.

Let us honor today the many great men and women who stand to protect our freedom and gave their lives for a better future by defending our God-given rights.

Liver Cleansing

Recently, I have been going more by my intuition in regards to making decisions. When a friend of mine mentioned that he had done a liver cleanse, after reading Adreas Moritz' book The Amazing Liver and Gallbladder Flush, I remembered the many natural healing books I have on my shelf. I picked up Hanna Kroeger's God helps those that help themselves. I like her simple wisdom and the natural ingredients she suggests to use. In her chapter on Congestion as the Cause of Ill Health, she suggests: De congest Your Liver. It reads:

The liver is the most effected organ when it comes to metallic and chemical poisoning. You have to clean out your liver from old debris, metals as lead, mercury, arsenic, from chemicals DDT and so on.

Every time that you have the following symptoms a liver flush is indicated:

1. When you start to ache without reason

2. When you touch your right collarbone on the knob and it is painful to touch

3. When you become disenchanted with life

4. When you find fault with your neighbor

5. When you are comfortable with dark glasses

Then, it is time to clean your liver. Buy large cans of stewed tomatoes (I had my own canned tomatoes from my garden, they were so delicious). Better make your own, but do not add any fat. Eat as much as you can, also drink tomato juice, (for the next two days).
It is amazing how hungry you become, so at bedtime of the second day you will look forward to the following cocktail:
3 ounces olive oil
2 ounces castor oil
3 ounces whip cream
Stir

Drink this before bed when you are ready for sleep and relaxed. You may chew a little piece of lemon afterwards just for taste. It is a lot easier than it sounds. At 3 or 4 a.m. you will be having a nature's call and in all your life you have not experienced so much dark and ugly smelly waste. The next morning (3rd day) have a breakfast you desire and earned.
Accumulation of toxins in the body may occur due to failure of the detoxification systems: Liver, kidney, thyroid, adrenals, and colon. Accumulation may also be due to faulty metabolism or toxic matter at large.
After being somewhat nauseated and light headed I felt energized and most of all had no pain in my body. On the emotional level, I don't feel anger or aggression any more.


Here is a link to Hulda Clark 's website, who is also a pioneer in the natural healing field. She has many good drawings to understand what is going on in the body during the liver flush.

Tribute to the Feminine Aspect of Our God

This is a picture of the "Eye of God," taken by NASA with the hubble telescope shows a nebula.

Yesterday, we celebrated Mother’s Day. Even though it is commercial or more secular holiday, we can also celebrate it from a principled point of view by honoring all of our blessed mothers and most of all, our mother God.

Genesis 1:27 "So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.”

Father Moon said in many of his speeches that the most important relationship is the one between God as our parent and we being His children. From another aspect, if we think of God as the creator, the subject, outpouring energy, creative and forceful, then the creation appears in the feminine role being responsive, objective, and soft with all its curves and grooves. In creation we can recognize many aspects of the motherly side of God. Think of mother nature as nurturing and life giving. Images of women representing mother earth, and mother nature, are timeless. In prehistoric times, goddesses were worshipped for their association with fertility, reproduction, AND agricultural bounty. The word nature originates from Latin meaning giving birth.
When we reflect on the attribute of a mother, God’s love comes to mind. In the bible,

I Cor. 13:4-7 “Love is defined as patient and kind; love is not jealous or boastful; it is not arrogant or rude. Love does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrong, but rejoices in the right. Love bears all things, hopes all things, and endures all things."

A Mother is very kind to her child. You are freer with your mother than with anybody else. It is the mother who protects you, nourishes you, consoles you, cheers you and nurses you. She is the one you first perceive. She sacrifices her all for the sake of her children.
A female executive who functions as a mother can maintain harmonious relationships and excel as an executive, because in the sensitivity of the female mode of nurturing she does not compete with men nor intimidate other women.
It is in maternity that woman fulfills her physiological destiny; it is her natural 'calling,' since her whole organic structure is adapted for the perpetuation of the species.

"My mother was the most beautiful woman I ever saw. All I am I owe to my mother. I attribute all my success in life to the moral, intellectual and physical education I received from her."
-- George Washington (1732-1799)

I just recently went to see my mother in Germany. She turned 84 on May 4, 2009. We were sharing a lot and I gained a greater respect and love for my mother during that time. My mother had a difficult life, being abandoned by her dad, who committed suicide, at the age of 3. Her mother made a life for herself and her daughter during a time when women didn't enter the workforce. They both survived WWII, but lost all their possessions during a bombing of their hometown in 1945. My parents married during the war and build an existence for themselves in East Germany. In 1961 they escaped to West Germany, just two months before the wall was build. For the love of freedom they left everything behind.
My parents had a few more years together, celebrating their 25th wedding anniversary by gathering their four children. Rather than going on a long deserved honeymoon, they invited all of us to a trip to the Alps in Southern Germany. My dad passed away in 1986, never experiencing the reunification of Germany which happened on November 9, 1989. The week I spend with her we prepared for her move to the nursing home. She decided to leave everything behind again, except for some personal belongings.
Despite all that, she still has a resiliency that is remarkable and inspiring. She has an attitude of “things will work out.” The amazing thing is I could never talk to her about spiritual matters or live after death.

This is a picture of my sister, mother and me, two years ago.

M-O-T-H-E-R
"M" is for the million things she gave me,
"O" means only that she's growing old,
"T" is for the tears she shed to save me,
"H" is for her heart of purest gold;
"E" is for her eyes, with love-light shining,
"R" means right, and right she'll always be, Put them all together, they spell
"MOTHER,"A word that means the world to me.
--Howard Johnson (c. 1915)

Restoration of the mother's role
Throughout history, God has been working his providence of restoration, to bring about a pure lineage. The mother's role was helped through the mother-son cooperation.
In the inaugural address of the Family Federation for World Peace, Mother Moon says:
Satan sowed the seed of false love within the womb of Eve, which gave birth to evil life. Therefore, God needed to purify a mother’s womb from which the heavenly son could be born. That purification period of separation from Satan had to begin at the time of conception and continue to age forty, so even though Jacob was victorious he did not meet that criteria. The great mother who assumed the responsibility to meet this condition was Tamar.
Tamar deceived her Father-in-law Judah and conceived Perez and Zerah.
On this foundation, the Holy Mother Mary emerged in the mainstream of God’s Providence. We all know that Mary conceived Jesus. She had to achieve something that could not be understood by common sense, nor easily tolerated under the laws of her times.

“A man is a representative of True Father, and a woman a representative of True Mother. If a husband neglects his wife, therefore, this means that he neglects True Mother. If a wife tells a lie to her husband, this means that she tells a lie to God.” ~ The way of God’s will

This mother's day we want to remember all the mothers today and throughout history. Mother's have sacrificed and suffered a lot. Not until the position of the first mother, Eve, has been restored can mothers fully enjoy their role and be the true expression of God's femininity.

“The mother's heart is the child's schoolroom." -- Henry Ward Beecher (1813-1887)

Germany – Reflection of a Recent Visit

My visit to Germany this time was for the sole purpose of celebrating my mother’s 84th birthday. As it turned out the same week a room became free at the nursing home, and we prepared her for the move. Many of the things my mom has kept for years reminded me of my childhood. It stirred some deep memories about the beginning of our family in East Germany. My family had always hoped and longed for reunification of the two Germanys . In fact, that was our favorite pastime to dream about what if… we had the same choices people had in the west to travel, or choosing our jobs, or just to have a choice between a few pairs of shoes instead of just one. Or we didn’t have to stand in line for hours to buy some bananas, oranges or chewing gum. We always had the basics for living but even as kids we welcomed second hand clothing a family sent us from the west because of better quality.
Like many other Germans I have been avoiding my past. I became an American citizen in 1999. I always liked visiting with my family back home but otherwise I didn’t miss it much. Not until my daughter started taking German in college and falling in love with the German culture did I have any other thoughts. Looking at some photo albums with my mom reminded me of the some of the pains of my youth. We left East Germany in 1961 just two months before the wall was built in Berlin.

From then on we were refugees. I changed school about six times during my teenage years and therefore had the hardest time to make friends again. We were always outsiders, even though we all spoke the same language, my classmates thought I was a Russian spy, ha, ha. On the deeper social level, all Germans carry the burden of guilt and shame of the Hitler era and the aggressions of WWII.

Just before I left for my trip I met a young man from Germany, Dominick. He was doing volunteer work with the Little Brothers Friends of the Elderly here in the U.S. instead of serving in the German Army which is mandatory in Germany. He told me that the World Cup 2006 which was hosted by Germany brought an unexpected boost in moral for the country. Germany didn’t win the soccer tournament. None-the-less, the World Cup was considered a great success for Germany in general. For the first time since WWII, Germany also experienced an increase in patriotic spirit and participants waved the German flag.

How to let go of the past? How to let go of guilt and shame? We can’t just forget it. Forgiveness is a process of letting go. Unfortunately, I don’t find much spirituality in Germany. The two main churches, Catholic and Protestant, conform to the increasing socialism in Germany. I was not surprised that presidential hopeful, Barack Obama, was so welcomed in Germany when he visited there last year. The churches are like museums rich with historical treasures but does God live there?

What about the unified Germany? Traditionally, the German culture is built on steadfastness and mutual consensus - not exactly qualities you need in today's global changing market. Germany has to learn to be more flexible, fast, creative and aggressive. Today, East Germany’s mass unemployment, unhappiness and depression are a heavy burden. Old communist ideas and even Neo Nazism found fertile grounds for their ideas. It has been twenty years since that memorable day, November 9, 1989 when the wall was opened in Berlin. It has been sixty years, since West Germany was founded as a free country.

Then, on October 3, 1990 East and West became again one country.
But is Germany really reunited? Not yet. Huge amounts of money have been spent to bring East Germany up to Western standards. The infrastructure has been updated to world class levels. But the economy is simply not speeding up. Many East Germans have left their homes for the West and better jobs. Often their mindset still contains the past indoctrinations of entitlement and victim hood. A great challenge is now also the big Islamic population, mainly Turks living in Germany since the economic boom of the sixties.
It will still take a while till all the wounds of the past will be healed. Now, Germany needs an internal unification. Each individual has to come to a resolution, to let go of the past, forgive whatever has been done wrong and possibly is still done wrong. On the collective level, myself included, I have to forgive and let go for what happened. Only then can I find peace with myself and my German heritage.

Once we let go of the need for self-punishment, we make room for God's grace and mercy. This punishment shows up as resentment and anger or other negative emotions or in the worst case as physical dis-ease (disease). All are appearances of the EGO, our past perceptions and beliefs which allowed us to keep captive and enslaved . Only in the presence of God can we recognize our true nature and identity and have no more need for self-punishment.

With the merit of the age a new freedom has been gained, a freedom which goes beyond country borders or ethnic boundaries.

Chicken Little or Is the Sky Really Falling?

He also said to the multitudes, "When you see a cloud rising in the west, you say at once, 'A shower is coming;' and so it happens. And when you see the south wind blowing, you say, 'There will be scorching heat;' and it happens. You Hypocrites! You know how to interpret the appearance of earth and sky; but why do you not know how to interpret the present time?"
Luke 12:54-56

As the story originally goes, chicken little was walking along one day. Then an acorn fell on his head, and he thought it was newsworthy to go tell the king about it. Along the way he gathered a whole bunch of friends and influenced them to come along.

There are many "Chicken Littles" out there. Just watch the news and because it is broad casted all over the country or even worldwide, it goes easily out of proportion. We have to remember though, that most of the reports are just some reporters opinion.

On the health level it is now the "swine flu", before it was SARS, and before that mad cow disease, along with all the other 'incurable' ailments. Then there is the economy and the bailouts, and the falling stock markets, and then there are the climate changes, sometimes they are talking about 'global warming', just a few years ago it was the coming 'ice age.' They also talk about the terrorists and the attacks. It seems that we are always the victims, having to defend ourselves against the environment, or at last against the enemy.

When I grew up in Germany during the 60th and 70th, there was a popular song played on the radio:
Am 30. Mai ist der Weltuntergang. Wir leben nicht mehr lang, wir leben nicht mehr lang ...
(Translated: On the 30th of May the world is going to end, we won't live much longer then, we won't live much longer then ...
Note the word: Weltuntergang (World's end). Making fun of the end of the world goes along with todays news, which are just playing into everybody's fears.

So, especially during the spring season, when there were wild storms and dark skies during the daytime, I got really frightened. To top it all off, my brothers and sisters made fun of me.

"It is a lesson which all history teaches the wise, to put trust in ideas, and not in circumstances."
~ Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882, Essayist, Philosopher and Poet)

Internally, I didn't have much hope either. I was searching for purpose and meaning in my life. I certainly couldn't find much hope in the hippie movement, drugs never appealed to me either. I studied different philosophies, read Freud, Jung and Nietzche and got only more disillusioned. Finally, my search became more spiritual and it connected me to the Holy Spirit Association for World Christianity.

That is a big goal, I thought, and I tried to find some holes in the teaching of the Divine Principle. After studying the principles for several months, I became more and more convinced that I had found not only meaning and purpose for myself but also solutions for many of the world's problems. When we focus on negatives things, they will expand. With some practice and certainly in time, we can work together and with God's help bring about the change we are looking for.

May I suggest that we indulge ourselves in more positive media. The TEAM has a wide arrangement of stories, lectures and presentations like the one of a true American, former congressman Bod McEwen.


This is only the beginning of a great talk "The Economic Crisis and the Truth About of Freedom," giving at the TEAM convention in Louisville, Kentucky, October 2008. Bob gives a clear perspective on how we can simplify very complex issues.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J-MctwbaLcA (2)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RQuW1ALNz3s (3)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0OvjSLC1R8c (4)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TOiu_lAwb6M (5)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L3cbBqtFtQw (6)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YTjVo95kva8 (7)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sRFAUnJvrbo (8)

Each section of the video has charts and pictures which create not only a very entertaining presentation but also a history lesson, an economy class and a philosophy teaching.

"The Britisch Ugly Duckling" Susan Boyle

Overnight Sensation or Living an Authentic Life?

If you haven’t heard about Susan Boyle’s outstanding performance on Britain’s Got Talent show, you probably live out in the boondocks or have no access to the internet. The first I heard of it on Orrin Woodward's blog.

I have watched her rendition of “I Dreamed a Dream” from the Les Miserables several times and I can’t help being moved to tears. It is not just her singing although she has a beautiful voice, and it is also not her courage to sing in front of a big audience which made me wonder. It all came together when our pastor Joseph Schrattenegger at the Ohio Family Church in Columbus showed us the video during Sunday service.



Susan Boyle on Britains Got Talent 2009!! Incredible Voice!! @ Yahoo! Video

I believe what is so precious is that Susan lived an authentic life. Although she has been persecuted and mocked for her somewhat homespun appearance, her life has been that of a winner. In the book “Born To Win” by Muriel James and Dorothy Jongeward describe a winner as having different potentials. Achievement is not the most important thing. Authenticity is. The authentic person experiences self-reality by knowing, being, and becoming incredible, responsive person. Authentic people actualize their own unprecedented uniqueness and appreciate the uniqueness of others.

You are a winner, Susan.

A winner’s timing is right. Winners respond appropriately to the situation. Winners know that for everything there is a season and for every activity a time:
A time to be aggressive and a time to be passive,
A time to be together and a time to be alone,
A time to fight and a time to love,
A time to work and a time to play,
A time to cry and a time to laugh,
A time to confront and a time to withdraw,
A time to speak and a time to be silent,
A time to hurry and a time to wait.

Pastor Joseph talked at length about how seemingly overnight sensations worked all their life without much recognition. "Overnight" really means working hours, days, weeks, and even years in the “dark” without anybody knowing. It is their consistent effort and hard work, their willingness to pay the price no matter what, which eventually will pay off.

Winners believe in themselves when nobody else does. Winners care about the world and other people. Winners make the world a better place for all of us.

He talked about how seemingly overnight on November 9, 1989 the Berlin Wall fell and communism was dispelled. If we look closer into history it took a long time in the making with many unknown heros sacrificing their lives in prisons or being killed in the process.

Pastor Schrattenegger drew the most astonishing parallel to the life of the Messiah. Mocked and rejected, misinterpreted by the media and misrepresented by the religious world, working tirelessly to spread the message of God, he has no concern how he is perceived by “the majority.” He is only looking to do the will of God. He is waiting for the moment when the tide will turn and people will recognize him as an authentic human being who lives according to a higher standard of truth, love, and life.

I believe that’s why I am so moved by Susan Boyle. She unassumingly performed her song. Like The Ugly Duckling in Hans Christian Anderson's fairy tale, she finally discovered her true identity. She has been singing since she is 12 yrs. Old. She kept her dream alive for all of these 35 years waiting for her chance. Apparently, she made one recording before of Cry Me A River, unknowing to anybody. Now, her time came and she was ready.

That is the miracle.

There is No "I" in TEAM

TEAM stands for "together everyone achieves more."

We celebrated Easter yesterday. Reflecting on Jesus and his life I realized that he is the greatest teamplayer. Through his example he demonstrated his surrender for the higher purpose and his Heavenly Father. He was concerned for the future of his team of twelve disciples while they were shaken up by doubts, denials, betrayals, etc.

Even at the Garden of Gethsemane he spoke these fateful words: ... not my will but your will be done ( Luke 22:44).

Insteat of holding our regular sunday service, our church community decided that whoever wanted can go and participate serving the elderly with http://cincinnati.littlebrothers.org/ on Easter sunday morning. My husband and I were assigned to visit with three ladies and deliver Easterbaskets and a warm meal. Other volunteers had worked all morning to put together baskets with snacks, drinks, eggs and a life plant. We also delivered a warm meal to those who lived at home. We spend time visiting with the ladies and entertained them for a while, mostly listening to their life stories. It was a good practice to take the "I" out of the picture since we were there to serve the elderly.

There is no "I" in TEAM

By definition, a 'team' is a group of people working together for a common purpose. From this definition has come the well worn phrase, hung by the coffeepot in employee lounges of organisations all around the world. The TEAM values the togetherness of individuals, with all their individual strength, skills and experiences. This dynamic does not allow alot of personal ego. Rather it focuses on each helping each other and is the perfect way to success for any team.

The TEAM relies on individual contribution. If any one member of the team does not cooperate, the productivity of the whole team suffers. Each individual member is required to get out of their comfort zone, for the whole group to move on to greater tasks.

Just in time, I received a link today to an article in the Washington Times, on the effects of excessive self-esteem, which is the opposite of serving others. This article, written by John K. Rosemond is titled "High Self-Esteem For Kids Is A Sham." Mr. Rosemond admits that the whole idea of boosting self-esteem in children was made up by psychologists to give "something" to modern day parents who are not willing to learn from their elders but rather trust theoretical scientists. His conclusion is that children with high-trumped self-esteem are not willing to serve or surrender their ego. Go figure.

As Jesus demonstrated, living for the sake of others, is the highest virtue. We all need to learn this kind of lifestyle and whom not to learn it best from than our own parents?

To learn more about the educational aspect of the TEAM system, please visit: http://the-team.biz/.