Power of Prayer

Back in 2015, Shasta Lake was nearly empty. Dr. Tae Yun Kim is so in touch with nature that she always expressed her sadness when she saw it. She said that her heart was hurting because the land was suffering.

Dr. Kim prayed for the rain to stop the drought, put snow on the mountains and refill the lakes.

Since then, it has rained so much!

There are so many benefits from the rain…

And now, look at Shasta Lake and Mt. Shasta!

This shows the power of prayer.

When I was growing up, even though I grew up Catholic, I didn’t really understand praying. I usually prayed to God and asked Him why my life was the way it was, why I didn’t feel loved, why I was miserable.

Through Dr. Tae Yun Kim‘s teachings, I have learned about praying and talking to God, not complaining or whining, but to give thanks and to ask for God’s help.

Now we are all praying for Sunshine!! We love the rain and all the blessings it brings…and now we are ready for the blessings of the Sun!

Imagine the power of prayer if we all pray for good things to happen in our lives and with the people around us.

Check it out… say a prayer and see what happens!

He Can Do, She Can Do, Why Not Me!

You Are Creative Energy!

My spiritual teacher, Dr. Tae Yun Kim, teaches that we all have creative energy within us.

Also, she has been emphasizing about how God gave us food as a blessing. (Reference Genesis 1:12-13)

So it is important to not waste food. (Remember the stories of starving children in Africa?)

Anyway, I had the opportunity to make lunch for a work crew of 3 people.

I wasn’t sure what to make…

My friend mentioned how easy a casserole is to make but I’m a kitchen newbie! Casserole sounded way complicated….

But running out of time, I did a quick search on Google for easy casserole recipes using macaroni elbows (found in the pantry!)

I didn’t find one that I really liked. So instead, I just winged it.

I had some leftover spicy galbi hot dogs… Some roasted goguma (고구마) potatoes, some leftover cut up vegetables that weren’t used last night… The macaroni elbows and a jar of organic marinara sauce. Oh, and a nearly empty bag of mixed cheddar cheese.

As I boiled the macaroni with garlic & salt, I mixed up everything else… And came up with this:

After the macaroni boiled… just slightly al dente, I started to put the casserole together.

In the pans, I did a layer of macaroni, a layer of the chunky vegetable sauce and a layer of cheese….

Here it is in the oven:
I was unsure if the veggies would cook… Or if I would burn the cheese….or,… So I just watched it.

Though most of the recipes said 30 min, I kept checking because I didn’t want the cheese to burn. Usually, when I start something boiling or put something in the oven, I walk away to do something else…but become engrossed in what I’m doing and lose track of time… and then bingo…over boiling pot or burnt food in the oven. So these days, I just watch the food as it cooks 🙂  …I took the casseroles out at 20 min….

I put the lunches together then thought, maybe I should taste it first?

So I did….

And guess what? It actually tasted good!

And it took me less than 40 min to put it together and cook it!

Great Grandmaster Tae Yun Kim is totally right! The creative energy is there. We just need to tap into it.

If I can do it, ANYONE can do it!

He Can Do, She Can Do, Why Not Me!!

Have a GREAT DAY!

The Beauty of Morning Fog

Just wanted to share some photos I took this morning…

When I saw this view, it looked like a painting to me… The “steeple” and the willowy trees against the fog with the mountains in the distance…

This scene seemed mysterious to me… An old barn in a pasture… The fog differentiating the different distances of the trees….

I love low flying clouds against a mountain…. Makes me feel like I’m in ancient Korea….(of course not with all the power lines 😎)

This one reminds me of a lesson that Great Grandmaster Tae Yun Kim teaches… That no matter how cloudy or foggy it may be, the sun is there, shining brightly, waiting for the right moment to break through the clouds.

In our lives, sometimes our situations may seem dark and cloudy… But Dr. Tae Yun Kim explains that we all have the power within us. It’s our choice what we do in our lives. If things don’t seem to be going right, maintain a positive attitude and you will see how you can be in control of your life. Don’t let your environment dominate you.

Have a wonderful day!

Spring is Springing!

I love seeing the signs of springtime…

My martial arts teacher, Dr. Tae Yun Kim teaches about color.

“God loves color! How do I know? Look all around you and see the color that God has given to us!” Dr. Tae Yun Kim exclaims.

So true.

My 2 favorite seasons are Spring and Fall.

The colors are the most vivid then.

But I also love winter…. Especially when there is snow…

I sent these photos to a friend and he commented that it looks so lonely…

I was surprised!

I see so much color in these snowy photos… They don’t feel lonely to me… They feel peaceful and breathtaking.

Isn’t that interesting? This is a wonderful benefit of training with Dr. Tae Yun Kim, Great Grandmaster.

Before I started training, I, too, would’ve felt loneliness in those photos. But that’s because that is where my mind and heart were at the time.

But my life is filled with so much color now… That all I see is beauty everywhere.

What do you see?

The Groundhog was Right!!

Ok, so I never really paid much attention to Mr. Groundhog on Groundhogs Day….. But this year he was right!

It’s March 5th and it’s SNOWING!!!

Ok, call me a kid….But having lived in California for 24+ years, I didn’t see any snow whenever I looked out the window or walked outside.

Look what greeted me this morning! 

Wow!

Some people think snow is a nuisance…and wish for sunshine.

But if you never see snow, this is Heaven!

Great Grandmaster Tae Yun Kim tells a story about a beach where a man is playing a flute in the evening hours. The sounds of the flute filled the air.

In a nearby villa, a woman who was feeling very lonely, sitting near her window, hears the flute and feels a warm sense of peace as the melody wafts through the air.

Next to the villa, is another house where a man has had a long, hard day and was trying to sleep. The sounds of the flute were like fingernails on a chalkboard and he yelled out the window to stop making all that noise!

Did the flute music change?

It was the attitude that was different. No matter what is going on around us, or what we are doing, it is our Attitude that makes all the difference in the world.

Great Grandmaster Tae Yun Kim teaches about attitude because it is one of the most important things we can have. One of the 6 principles of mental conduct that Great Grandmaster Kim teaches at her martial art school, Jung SuWon, is to have a positive mental attitude.

Having a positive mental attitude gives you a positive perspective on life so give it a shot!

And have a great day! 🙂

Health & Healing

Did you hear that the groundhog saw his shadow so we are going to have 6 more weeks of winter?

That means more chances to catch a cold or the flu…or worse!

I read this amazing passage in a book, The First Element: Secrets to Maximizing Your Energy by Dr. Tae Yun Kim.

“Healing Involves All Your Bodies

So far, I’ve been trying to make it clear that all your bodies are impacted by what goes on in each one of them.  We’ve discussed in previous chapters how your physical body displays the visible picture of this collective activity.  We see our physical body, of course; but since we don’t “see” our emotional, mental, and spiritual bodies in the same way, we are inclined to treat all our physical symptoms without working with our other energies in our other bodies.

An overweight person, for instance, typically thinks that a physical diet will change the physical body. And it will – maybe – but until the emotional energy is discharged, the physical body will not remain changed.  Here are some other situations which appear to by physical problems, but which have their roots in other bodies. Do you find yourself saying something like:

Since I moved to my new house, I’ve had insomnia.
Since I met Sally, I’ve had terrible bladder problems.
Since my wife got pregnant, I’ve started having migraines.
Since my mother-in-law moved in, I’ve had this rash.
Since my business has been doing well, I’ve developed an ulcer.

Since many common health problems have their roots in your “unseen” bodies, let’s look at them more closely to see where and how you can experience better energy.  This is something you deserve.  Your birthright is health and wholeness, so let’s work together to achieve this!”

So, health isn’t just about physical symptoms or sicknesses. Body, Mind and Spirit – they are all intertwined!

So the next time you feel “sick” or out of balance, look at what is going on in your life at that moment…something you are trying to avoid doing…or someone you are trying to avoid seeing…or maybe you feel like you can’t do something, but you don’t want to admit it? Whatever it is, sometimes when you are “sick”, you need to free your mental, emotional or spiritual blockage and you can be healthy and whole again!

Sounds easy…but it isn’t. Often, you will need to find a spiritual teacher or guide who can help you to sort things out. It is much easier to see an issue in another person than in your own self.

I happened to find my spiritual teacher, Great Grandmaster Dr. Tae Yun Kim, in the mountains of Fremont, California and my life has transformed!

Check out my way earlier blogs to learn more about my life 🙂

Enjoy your day!

Looking for a Good Martial Art School

Bruce Lee… Jackie Chan… Jet Li…Tony Jaa…

I love martial art action! Back in the late 70’s/early 80’s, I used to watch Black Belt Theater every Saturday afternoon…it was back to back B-rated movies of the greats…Bruce Lee…Jackie Chan before he was “Jackie Chan”…and a whole slew of unknowns….

Back then, I was 10-11 years old…a small Korean girl who was born in America. I didn’t speak any Korean but for some reason, I was fascinated by the martial arts. Of course, growing up in a small dinky town in the middle of Tennessee…there weren’t any martial art schools nearby…and besides, my mom would have NEVER allowed me to start training.  (boys aren’t going to like girls who train!)  She nearly freaked out when I started training in Taekwondo in college!

Anyway, so I’ve been interested in Martial Arts since I was 10.

When I went away to college, I decided to try Taekwondo for P.E. credit!  It was a great way to start and be introduced to the world of martial arts.

But, if you are not in college, you may not have this opportunity.

I had trained in college and when I was studying in France, I trained at a gym there. On my off term from college, I trained at a school in Cambridge, MA. So I got to see and experience different teachers, different schools.

Fortunately, I found a martial art school only a year after I graduated from college, Jung SuWon Martial Art Academy, founded by Great Grandmaster Dr. Tae Yun Kim. I learned a LOT when I visited this school for the first time.

Here are some steps you can take and what to look out for!

1. Check your local yellow pages or google to see how many martial art schools are in a 20 mile radius from your home or work.
2. Look at their ads first – seem geared more towards kids? towards flashy acrobatics? or do they emphasize more spiritual and mental aspects?
3. When you first walk into the school, do you feel anything? Does it feel warm & inviting? Is everything neat and orderly?
4. Are the other students smiling and talking with each other when they are in the lobby?
5. Are the students focused on training when they are on the training floor?
6. Are the students’ uniforms clean and looking good?
7. Meet the instructors, how do you feel about them? Are they personable and easy to talk to?
8. Check out the bathrooms… You can learn a LOT from bathrooms 🙂 – are they clean & tidy? are there showers and/or lockers? are all the supplies well stocked?
9. Are the kids running around wildly and out of control?
10. Does everyone seem happy?

Every martial art is different from each other. The physical moves may differ, the commands/terminology may differ, but all martial art schools should project the same/or similar tenets and philosophies…based on honor, discipline and respect.

I learned the most from Great Grandmaster Kim because her school and her art form were so different from anything I had done before. Not the actual movements, but with the philosophies and practices.

I had become disillusioned with the belt ranking system in college when I saw one Master promote students who never even came to class much, but had paid their $45 testing fee. To me that meant the belt color didn’t mean anything.

Paying a fee for testing is standard in all martial art systems. But when I found out at Jung SuWon was that if a student wasn’t ready to test, they weren’t allowed to test…not even if they brought the fee money with them!

I was impressed with that. That meant that Jung SuWon wasn’t just collecting testing fees for students who weren’t ready to move to the next rank.

The most important thing about choosing a good martial art school is that you have to feel good about the environment and about the instructors.

Every school is not for every person. So the best thing you can do is to visit the school, try out a class if it is allowed, and meet the instructors.

You’ll know if that school is right for you… you will feel it inside. As Great Grandmaster Tae Yun Kim teaches, trust your Silent Master (your sixth sense).

Check it out!

Strength from Music Lyrics

Have you read the lyrics to Justin Bieber’s song “Never Say Never”?

I never thought that I could walk through fire

I never thought that I could take the burn

I never had the strength to take it higher

Until I reached the point of no return

…

I will never say never

I will fight till forever

Whenever you knock me down

I will not stay on the ground

Pick it up pick it up pick it up and never say never

When I was in college, many years ago, I remember listening to very depressing songs all the time. I was very much into the “woe is me… my life sucks” attitude.

I wanted to be loved. I wanted to be a part of a team, part of a family, to have lots of friends. But I wasn’t willing to expend the energy to go out and make it happen for myself. Somehow I felt like it should just happen. And I was always blaming other people, the world, and God because I felt like my life sucked. Somehow, it was never my fault. It was just easier to blame the world.

That was a very long time ago.

When I met Dr. Tae Yun Kim back in 1991, I started to see a whole different world. A Positive world. A Happy world. Something I was not used to at all.

I have learned many very valuable lessons over the past 26 years. One of the most powerful lessons is that I create my own reality. I create my own destiny. I can’t rely on another person, on someone else to make it happen for me. I have to be willing to step forward and to take charge of my own life. If I want to be surrounded by happy, positive people then I have to project a happy, positive attitude. What a novel concept!

It didn’t happen right away. It took some time for me to actually get that message to sink deep into my heart. But it’s there now!

Now I love listening to positive music with positive messages in the lyrics. Like “Never Say Never”.

The lessons that Dr. Tae Yun Kim has taught me aren’t complicated, rocket science, astrophysics type lessons. They are actually quite simple concepts to understand. But when you’ve lived a lifetime completely opposite to those concepts, it takes a little time to rewire your patterns and habits. Fortunately, I can say that I’ve been successful at the re-wiring project :).

I am really grateful that I have had the opportunity to learn from such an incredible and wise teacher!

Blessing of Rainbows

Have you seen multiple rainbows in one day?

Today, I saw 8 rainbows!

Here is the 8th rainbow of the day:

It was super amazing!  In Korean, you can say, 신기하다!  (shin-gi-ha-da)

I have always loved rainbows. I never knew why. But I’ve always liked them. I used to draw them a lot… and LOVED when I saw one. I used to want to go “rainbow hunting” and take pictures of them all around the world!

After I started training at Jung SuWon, I learned from my Master, Dr. Tae Yun Kim, that a rainbow is a blessing from God because it was God’s promise to Noah!

“I have set my rainbow in the clouds, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and the earth. Whenever I bring clouds over the earth and the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will remember the covenant between me and you and all living creatures of every kind.” Genesis 9:13-14

“Like the appearance of a rainbow in the clouds on a rainy day, so was the radiance around him. This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the Lord.” Ezekiel 1:28

I really appreciate that Dr. Kim taught me about this. NOW I know why I love rainbows! I had never thought about the origins of rainbows, but it makes perfect sense!

And now I love rainbows even more!

I have even seen rainbows around the Moon! I saw this when I was with Dr. Tae Yun Kim and it was indeed a miracle and amazing!

Whenever I see one, I feel God’s presence… like He is talking to me with the rainbow. I feel very blessed whenever I see a rainbow and it always makes me smile!

Life is Such a Precious Gift

definitely feeling the pressure of TIME… No more time to waste! gotta do it NOW!!!

Words of Wisdom

Excerpt from The Silent Master: Awakening the Power Within:

Dr. Tae Yun Kim writes:  Life is such a precious gift.  But we tend to treat every day as though life is never going to end, like we have an unlimited amount of time to find the happiness we want.  As a result, instead of challenging our fears right now, we go on day after day, year after year, making excuses for our failure to accomplish our true desires.  Good intentions don’t seem to be enough to make big changes in your life.  All you have to do is think about all the New Year’s resolutions you’ve made in the past, and you realize how good intentions alone aren’t sufficient to introduce changes.  Making real and lasting changes requires that you make a commitment and take constructive action!

Unfortunately, we tend to get comfortable with our fears and limitations.  Think about…

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