The Words of the Miyake Family
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The Words of the Miyake Family |
On September 19, the Blessed Children (BC ) Blessing Department hosted a marriage-education workshop at the Unification Theological Seminary. The idea was to help prepare “Blessed Children,” those born to parents who themselves obtained “Blessed Marriages,” for the Blessing of Marriage.
Around 40 participants, including parents and children, arrived on the evening of September 19, when they were given an introduction to the purpose of the Blessing as the key to creating happiness between couples and within families. However, this process should not be confused with modern societal standards, meaning it doesn’t lie in finding the right mate for yourself but being the right mate for your future partner.
The second day touched on understanding the meaning of the Blessing through the Divine Principle and how much that applies to our lives. A significant point that was made by our excellent presenter, Rev. Phillip Schanker (Vice President of Education, Family Federation) was the importance for Blessed Children to understand what kind of foundation we are standing on so that we can receive the Blessing. This caused us in turn to appreciate the sacrifices and investment of the True Parents and our own parents for all that they’ve done for us. We ended the day offering repentance and renewal through any issues we’ve dealt with in the past as well as victories claimed in our spiritual lives.
The last day helped us comprehend how to prepare for the Blessing itself, especially that it consists of focusing on our own growth and development to become that right person. We were fortunate enough to hear from elder BC Blessed Couples with children (Chunghee and Sonja Bissell and Naokimi Ushiroda), who shared how much they themselves have prepared for their Blessings and the insights they’ve gained through their experiences. Morning services by Reverend Kazushi Mito and Naokimi Ushiroda about the goal of creating ideal families and understanding our identity as Blessed Children helped begin our mornings with spiritual nourishment and guidance.
This weekend has been meaningful for both the parents and children who’ve attended. Issues were resolved through the help of Reverend Schanker, Reverend Inguk Seo (Director of the BC Blessing Department), and the assistance of Jim and Hiromi Stephens (Co-directors of the Blessed Family Department). Testimonies near the end revealed how this workshop has been a good steppingstone in Blessing preparation as well as helping us gain further insights and clarity into the essential meaning behind it, given by God. As completion certificates were awarded, participants were left with greater conviction in what the Blessing means to us and how we can grow to become that right person for our future spouses.