Faith & Life

A Life Saved by a Piece of Bread

During the First World War, a German soldier raided the enemy’s trenches, entrusted with the task of capturing enemy soldiers. An enemy soldier got caught in his hand. The enemy soldier, who got caught in the middle of the meal, gave him a piece of bread he was holding. The German soldier was hungry. So he took the bread and ate it deliciously. Then in return, he released the enemy soldier because he was grateful for the bread he had taken. Ultimately, a piece of bread saved the enemy soldier’s life.

The Seed of Positive Words

Our family shared the Family Love & Communication article entitled, “Positive Words Design Happiness” after having the Happy Home worship. It was an enlightening article about the power of words. What was impressive was about the South Korean fencer in the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics, who was able to overcome his opponent with the repetitive words, “I can do it, I can do it!” Even though the fencer was nearly defeated and the odds of him winning were slim, he amazingly was able to make a “dramatic turnabout” and win the fencing match. Around then, my 7-year-old son had struggled with his basic math skills. Because of it, we were in touch with his teacher quite often. She emphasized…

Roxanne K. Miller from New Windsor, NY, U.S.

To Become King

The education for the crown prince in the Joseon Dynasty of Korea was very strict. The prince had to be thoroughly educated because he was the pillar to become king in the future and the figure to hold the destiny of the dynasty. The education started with the antenatal training. When the queen had a child, she was prudent in her conduct. She read aloud the teachings of the sages engraved on the jade tablet, listened to the performances of the court musicians, and ate daintily as well. When the first prince was born, an institute called Boyangcheong looked after the prince and raised him. When he became four to five years old, another institute called Ganghakcheong was in charge…

Time Horizon

The horizon is the line where the earth or sea seems to meet the sky, and it is also used figuratively to mean vision or possibility in a particular field or activity. When we add the word “time” before it, we get a theory that is applied to life planning—it is called, “Time Horizon.” According to a study, the distinction between those who succeeded in life and those who failed rests mostly on how long their time horizon is. This in turn means that your road sign of life can change, depending on how long your time horizon is. Those who have a long time horizon invest their time, not seeing a tree right before their eyes but a huge…

Something More Valuable than a Gold Medal

There are not only gold, silver, and bronze medals at the Olympic Games. There is also a medal that has nothing to do with the game result and can be won even if it is not an active player. The Pierre de Coubertin Medal goes to the person who embodies the spirit of sports. The medal is named after the founder of the modern Olympic Games. There have been many gold medalists at the Olympics. However, a total of only seventeen people won the Coubertin Medal from 1964 when it was established until 2016. That’s why it can be a more honorable award than a gold medal. Lawrence Lemieux from Canada, one of the seventeen winners, participated in the Seoul…

With Mother’s Mind and Mother’s Hands

Around noon on April 25, 2015, a 7.8-magnitude earthquake hit Nepal. All of a sudden, everything began to shake, and it seemed like the sky was falling and the ground was sinking. The members who were having a peaceful Sabbath day were shocked by the violent shaking; they held on to the pillars or banisters, and some lost their balance and fell. I never knew how frightening an earthquake could be until that day. When the shaking stopped, we went out to look around. Thanks to God, there was almost no damage to the church building, and the members were all safe. However, so many places, including the downtown of Kathmandu, had been ruined; buildings collapsed helplessly, and countless people…

Tejendra Gautam from Kathmandu, Nepal

A Tree and Grass

A tree in the forest asked the grass that lied down flat on the ground, “Hey, how can you live here with such a small and weak body?” Then the grass answered, “I just keep my position.” As soon as the words of the grass were over, a strong wind began to blow somewhere. The grass swayed by the wind side to side and waited with patience. But the tree laughed at the grass and stood up stiffly to show off. The wind grew violent more and more. The tree that could not withstand the fierce wind fell down and was uprooted in the end.

Relieve Your Family’s Fatigue!

Fatigue accumulates in your body because of what you do at school, at work, or at home. If fatigue lasts long, it can have a bad effect on your body and mind; so you must relieve it each time. Among many ways to recover from fatigue, there is more powerful fatigue-reliever than anything else. It is family love. Even though you have had a hard day, you come to have peace of mind at home after talking and laughing enough with your family. Then, your stress will vanish. This month, relieve your family’s fatigue by practicing family love. While making efforts to encourage your loved ones, you will be able to blow off your fatigue, too. Tip Relieve your family’s…

Opportunity

After I entered university, I commuted to school, a round trip for over four hours. I was sad not because I was tired but because I didn’t have enough time for the gospel work while spending my time on the way. I thought I couldn’t do it anymore and decided to live alone near school. I was worried about my first time living alone, but I was happy that I could go to Zion often for gatherings, and carry out the young adult gospel activities. However, an unexpected ambush appeared. As my body felt comfortable, I became lazy. “This wasn’t what I intended . . . " My attention was drawn to friends enjoying their lives rather than focus on…

Seon Ha-na from Seoul, South Korea

While You Don’t Know

In the dramatic poem, “Pippa Passes,” by Robert Browning, a representative English poet, the main character Pippa is a poor girl who works for a silk factory in Venice. When Pippa has a vacation which is only one day in a year, she sings a song full of joy, passing four houses of people who are considered to live the happiest life in her town, one by one. Actually, these four families have been having hard times that others do not know, but when they hear Pippa’s song, they feel peace and freedom that they have not tasted up until that day. Without knowing what a great work she did, Pippa goes to sleep with regret that she spent her…

Volunteer Service, a Special Time

One Sunday in December, around two hundred student members, young adult members, male and female adult members from the Donghae, Samcheok, and Gangneung Zions gathered together in a hilly village by Mukho Port in Donghae, Gangwon Province, Korea. We gathered to deliver two thousand coal briquettes to four senior citizens who were living alone—five hundred coal briquettes to each one of them. This village has narrow and steep stairs, which even young people find it difficult to go up and down. How much harder it must be for senior citizens! When the weather gets cold, it becomes more difficult for them to get through winter because the coal briquette provision, essential for spending winter, is not smooth. No company wants…

Hong Sun-tae from Gangneung, South Korea

They Just Have Not Realized Yet

Benjamin Zander is a prominent conductor of the Boston Philharmonic Orchestra, and a renowned orator on leadership and the value of life. This is what a child said when he performed to comfort people in a troubled region: “I’ve heard this kind of music for the first time. While listening to your performance, I remembered my brother who died last year and tears came out. That felt so good.” At that moment, he was convinced that anyone would like classical music and it is necessary for everyone and more people would love classical music. It is said that only 3% of the people in the world love classical music. But he believes that all people of the world, except 3%,…

The Most Important Thing

Rick Rescorla was a U.S. Army officer, and he served as a security officer at an investment bank in New York after his retirement. He trained employees to evacuate quarterly after the explosion in the basement of the building, and the training was done very strictly. It was so strict that people complained about disruption to work. “Life is more important than work. Training for crisis situations is essential.” Rescorla, who always stressed the need for training, died in the line of duty on September 11, 2001. When a terrorist attack was launched on the first building of the World Trade Center, an announcement was made not to leave the building in the second building. Noticing that was a wrong…

According to the Will of God

I never thought about having any other religion, under the influence of my grandmother who was a firm believer in Catholicism. When my sister and brother-in-law who were attending the Church of God told me about the truth, I was glad to know what was in the Bible, but that was pretty much it. I did not want learn further. However, my mind changed when I went to the Church of God once with my sister and brother-in-law. It seemed like the people in that place were filled with love. I also enjoyed studying the Bible. I learned about the secret of the forgiveness of sins and it answered more than enough of my question I had─why would people just…

Selenne Christine Sanchez from Los Angeles, U.S.

Focusing Illusions

When you are young, you believe you would be happy if you have what you want; when you are trying to get a job, you think you would be happy once you get the job you want; when you meet someone you love, you think you would be happy if you get married; and when you have to move often from one rented house to another, you think you would be happy if you own your own house. Focusing on one part and believing that you would be happy when such a condition is met is called a focusing illusion. But the thought, ‘I would be happy or my life would change if I just . . .’ is truly…

Page-turner

At a chamber orchestra or a piano recital, there is one person who is almost unnoticed to the audience though he stands on stage throughout the performance. He is a “page-turner.” As it explains literally, a page-turner is a person who “turns” sheet music “pages” for a pianist during a performance when it is impossible for the pianist to spare one hand to turn the pages alone. Though it seems like a simple job, not everybody can become a page-turner because a page-turner needs to be able to understand the pianist’s signals and follow the music to know when to turn the page for the pianist during a performance. A page-turner, known as “a hidden performer on stage,” does a…

Manage Family Finances through Communication

We are living in an era of consumption. On home shopping, they stimulate people’s consumption desire with the signs, “Almost sold out” or “Limited offer.” You only need one click to have an item delivered to your house. People say that they need to at least have a cup of takeout coffee that costs more than a meal. People can’t help but spend money as there is so much temptation to consume wherever they go. But we can’t have all we want to have or eat all we want to eat. Even if you satisfy your consumption desire to the fullest, it doesn’t necessarily guarantee you a happy life. If you want to obtain happiness—the ultimate goal of life, it…

Men Before Nature

The Himalayas are called the Roof of the World. Although it’s been over 60 years after New Zealand’s mountaineer Edmund Hillary left the first footprints on Mount Everest, which is 8,848 meters above sea level, in May 1953, the Himalayas are still called the Divine Realm as it is too rugged to approach. Apart from such dangers as steep ice cliff, unpredictable avalanches, crevasses (deep cracks on the surface of glaciers) hidden like mines, and altitude sickness, there is also the Death Zone over 8,000 meters above sea level, where oxygen decreases to a third due to low air pressure, the temperature drops to minus 30 to 50℃ (22–58℉), and all the exposed parts of the body suffer from frostbite.…

The Sound of Gospel Victory Resounds through Papua New Guinea

Papua New Guinea, a country that has more than 600 islands, over 800 local languages, unfamiliar animals, primitive jungles, unique culture, and biodiversity, is my home country. Ever since I received the truth while living in Australia, what I wanted to do most was to spread the blessing of salvation to my family who loved God so much back in my home country. I excitedly flew to Papua New Guinea and preached the truth, but the result was disappointing. As their pride in their faith in Christianity was great, their fixed ideas were impediments to knowing the truth. I had no choice but to come back to Sydney, retaining my sadness. As time went by, the light of hope was…

Lucille Langiri from Sydney, Australia

Mission

Oprah Winfrey is one of the most influential broadcasters in America. After a dark childhood and adolescence, she mentioned the four missions she realized, in her autobiography. One, if you have more than others, it’s not a blessing but a mission. Two, if you have pain more than others, it’s not a pain but a mission. Three, if you have something exciting more than others, it’s not a delusion but a mission. Four, if you have something burdensome more than other do, it’s not a burden but a mission. Whether she liked it or not, she regarded everything that has been given to her as a mission and has worked hard to serve. That sense of mission made her who…