Faith & Life

Strengthening the Soil

When we think of autumn, the idea of harvest naturally comes to mind. That is why gathering crops such as rice or barley is called harvesting. However, farmers do not only harvest in autumn. They also prepare in advance for the next year’s farming by plowing the fields. This is called autumn plowing, or fall tillage. Autumn plowing kills harmful bacteria and pests in the soil, removes weeds, and helps organic matter decompose. As a result, the soil becomes more fertile, allowing the following year’s crops to produce a richer harvest. For this reason, diligent farmers always carry out autumn plowing. A hardworking farmer does not merely rejoice in the joy of harvest but also prepares for the next farming…

Asking after My Mother

“I’m going to live with Mom and Dad forever!” Despite this bold declaration, I left my parents behind and moved overseas as soon as I graduated from university, settling in a country a twelve-hour flight from Korea. My parents anxiously awaited every call. Whenever they heard my voice, Mom would immediately ask whether I was feeling unwell, whether life was difficult, or whether I had enough money to live on. “I’m fine. I’ll call you again. Bye.” In truth, adjusting to a culture entirely different from Korea’s was not easy. Living mainly on bread and noodles made me long for my mom’s home cooking. Still, I wanted my parents to see only that I was doing well. At times, I…

Lee Woo-rim from Guayaquil, Ecuador

A Father’s Heart

The older child was speaking to the younger one, who had done something wrong. “You need to do what is right. Otherwise, Dad won’t love you.” Hearing this, the father called both children to him, gently stroked their heads, and said: “My child, that’s not quite true.” “But if we do bad things, you won’t love us anymore, will you?” the child asked, looking puzzled. “No. Whether you do what is right or wrong, I will always love you. But there is a difference. If you do what is right, I will love you with a joyful heart. If you do what is wrong, I will still love you, but my heart will ache.”

Going to Korea to Meet My First Love in Heaven

“When will I be able to meet Heavenly Mother?” Ever since I was baptized, I longed to go to Korea to meet Heavenly Mother. After eleven years, the wish I had quietly cherished in my heart was finally fulfilled. While I was a student, I traveled to my native country, New Zealand, and first heard the truth of the new covenant through a relative. I was amazed to learn that the Bible was true and that Christmas was not Jesus’ birthday, but what overwhelmed my soul above all was the existence of Heavenly Mother. After studying the sanctuary and the ark of the covenant and learning about God the Mother, I felt as though the Bible existed to testify about…

Selina Skinner from the 2nd Melbourne, Australia

Conviction and Reality

In 1973, Princeton University professors John Darley and Daniel Batson conducted an experiment with seminary students. The students were divided into two groups. One group was asked to prepare a sermon on the Good Samaritan, while the other group prepared a sermon on an unrelated topic. When they finished preparing, the students were instructed to walk individually to the building where the chapel was located. Each student was given a different amount of time before the presentation, and along the route, the researchers placed a person who pretended to be in distress, coughing and appearing to need help. The researchers expected that the students preparing a sermon on the Good Samaritan would be more willing to help the person in…

When We Love

Waiting becomes a joy. We recognize the person instantly, even from a distance. Everything about them seems beautiful. Joyful moments become even more joyful. Sorrow is transformed into patience. When we love. We do not insist on our own way. Stubbornness and selfish desire subside. We do not become angry but remain patient. Our words become gentler. Our gaze becomes kinder. Love changes me. Little by little, my tiny self comes to resemble the love of God, which embraces the whole universe.

A Fruit Taught Me Patience

I went out to preach the gospel at Osasco Center and met a lady near the subway station. She lived in Itapevi, about an hour and a half away by car from Osasco. She had visited many churches, but she had not attended any of them because no one taught her the Bible correctly. When she heard the truth about God the Mother, she was very interested and said, “It is testified in the Bible so clearly, but how come no one taught me this until now?” She wanted to know more about the Bible and to meet again on Sunday. A few days later, I headed for Itapevi to meet her as we had agreed. I took the train…

Jeon Myeong-hui from Sao Paulo, Brazil

I Will Remember Their Sins No More

“No longer will a man teach his neighbor, or a man his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ because they will all know me, from the least of them to the greatest,” declares the Lord. “For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more.” Jer 31:34 It is not easy to forgive someone who has done wrong to you or hurt you. Even if you manage to forgive him, you will be distressed whenever the painful memories pop up. You can forgive him maybe with your mind, but it seems difficult to completely remove the scars in your heart. What if God has forgiven us but remembers our sins? When I think about the weight of our…

Choe Hyeong-hwan from Panaji, India

Chosen by Grace

I thought I became a child of God because I was good and righteous until I saw the following words: So too, at the present time there is a remnant chosen by grace. And if by grace, then it is no longer by works; if it were, grace would no longer be grace. Ro 11:5–6 I could become a child of God not because of my actions, but because of God’s grace. We are walking the path to the kingdom of heaven thanks to Heavenly Father and Mother’s grace and love. I will always follow Heavenly Father and Mother with humility, giving thanks for choosing me as Their child though I’m lacking in many ways.

Park Ji-won from Toronto, Canada

Giving Time to Save Life

A three-year-old son of a man living in Germany had leukemia. The man had to go to the hospital for his son’s treatment, but he could not quit his job because of the medical expenses. For a while, taking his leave of absence, he went to the hospital. However, he used all his leave of absence, so he was worried that he might lose his job as he requested unpaid leave. Then his company officials and colleagues helped out. The employees voluntarily worked overtime on behalf of their colleague. More than 700 employees worked overtime for two weeks, making their work hour 3,264 hours and 30 minutes. Each person worked about five hours more to fill in for him with…

Filial Piety Is…

Recently, my right wrist hurt. I thought it would be healed soon that I had no regard for it. But the pain worsened as days went by. I was just enduring pain, wearing a wrist brace and doing hot towel massages. My two daughters, who are junior high school students, started helping out with housework probably because they felt bad to see my pain. After eating, they did the dishes and alternately cleaned the house. Even my youngest son, an elementary school student said, “Mom, let me wash your hair. You should avoid using your sore hands.” As for cleaning the bathroom that got dirty, I couldn’t even conceive the idea of starting it. I said to myself, “I need…

Jang Sun-hyang from Seoul, South Korea

You Can Communicate with Your Child

It is almost never quiet in a home with a child. Once a child begins to understand the meaning of what people say and express his opinions, the wrestle between his parents and him begins in earnest. Although a child is so lovely, when he acts so stubbornly and throws a tantrum, his parents might feel like leaving everything behind. Perhaps, it is natural for a child to act up. Since he too is a human being, he wants certain things and thinks in his own way. Although a child is immature mentally and physically and needs someone to guide him, you shouldn’t look down on him just because he is young; rather, you need to help him think and…

Ride the Wave of Laughter!

On hot, humid summer days, we naturally long to dive into the cool ocean for relief. But did you know there’s a wave you can ride anytime? It’s the wave of laughter. People often say, “I feel so refreshed,” when their worries lift and their hearts feel lighter. In much the same way, laughter brings a refreshing sense of relief. When we laugh out loud—“ha ha”—our hearts feel freer and more relaxed. Laughter eases tension, reduces stress, and refreshes both body and mind. This month, try creating a refreshing wave of laughter in your home. Joy and happiness will roll in like waves, filling your family’s hearts. Tip Reminisce about happy memories together as a family Make your family laugh…

Be All the More Eager to Make Your Calling and Election Sure

When I was faced with an unexpected situation during my overseas mission, I felt bad about myself. I felt incapable of doing any task and become low-spirited, thinking, ‘If it were another member, she would have done it much better than I did.’ However, after reading this cheerful verse, I never get frustrated at myself any longer. “Therefore, my brothers, be all the more eager to make your calling and election sure. For if you do these things, you will never fall, and you will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.” 2 Pe 1:10–11 God has called and chosen me. It is not by my own effort or ability that such…

Gong Ju-hui from Medellín, Colombia

How to Overcome a Tsunami

When a tsunami is generated, where should a ship escape to if it is already out in the sea? People generally think the ship should quickly go toward land where there is a port, but it is safer to go out into the open sea as far as possible from land. That’s because the closer it is to land, the shallower the water gets that the waves become dramatically high. But in the offing, the waves do not rise high. In fact, when a tsunami hit Fukushima in Japan in March, 2011, the ships that fled to the port were swept away, broken and sunk by the waves, but the ships that went far to the offing were able to…

If You Desire Eagerly . . .

“. . . If you want to do something, desire it eagerly.” I had spent a long time as a fruitless branch although I had always fed on the nourishing sap from God who is the vine. I wanted to deliver God’s words to my family and friends, but I had no courage to preach to them and I just thought that they might not be God’s children. When I saw other brothers and sisters receiving the blessing of bearing fruit abundantly, I deliberately tried to look away from myself who was lacking in boldness and prayer as well, and I used to comfort myself with the belief that I would be blessed with fruit someday because I kept God’s…

Ji-ye Lee from Daegu, Korea

Three Percent of Salt That Will Purify the World

Not long ago, we conducted a street cleanup in Junggwan-eup, Gijang, Busan. The day before we were supposed to do the cleanup, it started to rain at night, and it didn’t stop until the next morning. We were worried about the bad weather, but thankfully the rain stopped at 9 a.m. and the sun started to shine. The cleanup started and we joyfully cleaned the trash hidden between buildings and the areas that sanitation workers couldn’t reach, and also cleared weeds that covered the trees and the waste in the sewers. We moved in perfect order with the tools in our hands such as mops, tongs, and trash bags as if we were one body. I was reminded of the…

Kim Suk-gyeong from Busan, Korea

100 Percent Faith

Elijah and 850 idolaters gathered on Mount Carmel. It was the last battle to distinguish the true God from the gods they served. What Elijah did at that time moved me greatly. “With the stones he built an altar in the name of the LORD, and he dug a trench around it large enough to hold two seahs of seed.” He arranged the wood, cut the bull into pieces and laid it on the wood. Then he said to them, “Fill four large jars with water and pour it on the offering and on the wood.” “Do it again,” he said, and they did it again. “Do it a third time,” he ordered, and they did it the third time.…

Gu Jeong-min from Durban, South Africa

What I Have

Whenever I compared myself with other people, I felt that I owned nothing better than they did. At such times when I felt a loss of confidence, a verse woke me up. “I am coming soon. Hold on to what you have, so that no one will take your crown.” Rev 3:11 God’s word, “Hold on to what you have,” made me realize that I owned precious things more than other people. Father and Mother protect us as the apple of Their eyes, and our brothers and sisters share joys and sorrows with me. The heavenly blessing has been given to me, but not to everyone though he wants it. I was ashamed of myself for having compared myself with…

Kang Yeong-suk from Busan, Korea

When Do You Give Up?

Someone asked a famous salesman, “Does someone like you get rejected by a customer, too?” “Certainly! I haven’t had a day of rejection since I started work.” “Then how many times do you get rejected before you give up?” The salesman replied, “I don’t give up before the other gives up.”