This morning I woke up with a luxurious idea: Did I ever have breakfast in bed? I do not remember.
In France it is supposed to be one of the ultimate luxuries. I am not talking about when you have to eat in bed; if you are sick and at the hospital and can’t get up.
Perhaps once when my cup was too full, someone in my family brought me a croissant and coffee? I do not remember.
When I go to the next world, I will ask my grandma to make breakfast in bed for me. She was always so good to me. I miss her a lot. After we walked all the way to Montarlot by St Étienne de Cuines, the first village in the mountains, when we arrived back home she would bake these châtaignes (chestnuts) for me in the oven, or cook them with milk. I remember the taste of them. If I ask her, she will make breakfast in bed for me.
Of course, my true love has to be there too in order for it to be the ultimate luxury.
It cannot be at 6.00 am. It has to be later, when the sun comes out and you see it appearing behind your curtains. You hear the chirping of the birds in the backyard and nobody is hurried, because you are busy taking in the sounds of nature, and all the love you are already receiving from everyone.
Food is love. My Heavenly Father made luxurious food for me. I am so happy I can enjoy all the food He made for me, the cherries and the fuji apples. Who else would you think made such a delicacy?
Luxury comes also when we mix products from the farm, baking and cooking them, like apple pie, or steak and fries.
Woah! I will have breakfast in bed someday with my beloved. I will ask my grandma to cook it for us.
When my husband was on earth, here and there in our daily life he would drop one word or one sentence that was very meaningful to me. I could chew on it for days.
I remember him saying that “HAPPINESS IS A LIFE WELL LIVED.”
How then do we create a beautiful life?
He also quoted Socrates’ constant question, “how to live the good life?” He said that the good life is accomplished if you live a virtuous life, if you live according to the virtues. This was the Greeks’ simple formula for ethical conduct.
In my experience in building a meaningful happy relationship with Dietrich, a life well lived was a life where we loved our neighbors. Service to others brought us happiness, caring for the world brought deep emotions towards each other. We knew that praying for others not only brought relief to the person prayed for, but deep joy in our soul.
Sometimes the closest neighbor was the spouse we had to love when we could not, but did. Sometimes it was the prodigal son or daughter, we thought is lost forever.
We cannot make happiness on other people’s misery. The happiness of your child comes before your own. You cannot leave your family. This would be misery instead of happiness.
In other words, what brings a couple together is not only sex, but a common goal rooted in committed love. It is being willing to make sacrifices for the betterment of the marriage and family, and every day making choices by discerning right from wrong, good from evil, sacred from profane.
So to live well means constantly making the right choices, by developing our character according to the virtues and according to God’s principles until we become each other’s true love. We can never separate from each other as happy families make a happy world.
We were not part of the “ME First” culture, but doing things together for others we were better lovers, and we gave True Love to each other. We did create a beautiful life worth living. This is our secret treasure for eternity.
Your friend, Elisabeth Seidel
PS: Here is Dr. Tyler Hendricks’ talk on Happiness. Dietrich and Tyler were colleagues at the Unification Theological Seminary and good friends. I hope you enjoy this presentation on “The Path to Happiness.”
When there was a conflict with a family member, my husband Dietrich, when he was on earth, always said: “No matter what, I always love you!”
We remember the song Whitney Houston sang with so much conviction and passion that it gave us goose bumps, because we all want to experience such a thing: “I will always love you.”
So, when Dietrich was saying (many times to myself) after the storm passed, “I always love you, no matter what!” it was a balm to the heart, a soothing sentence in the mist of hardships, that gave hope. The impossible dream became possible, when worked at every single day until our sentence became: “I will always be with you! Forever together.”
When Dietrich came back home at night, and I heard the sound of his car engine coming up the driveway, my heart was happily beating for him, because in an instant he would open the front door and hug me. Then our young children would be rejoicing to see him again and holding on to his jacket, to receive attention and love.
Harmony in the family is the basis and cornerstone of the kingdom of heaven on earth. In the family we learn and practice true love.
Whose responsibility it is? Mine? His? In a conversation this summer my daughter Diesa declared, “It is not my responsibility!”
Thinking deeply about it, we are all responsible to maintain and preserve love and harmony, and to go the extra mile, to nurture each other with love and forgiveness.
I love you no matter what means we can be mean at times but we love each other anyway, no matter what!
We can be rude sometimes, but we love each other anyway, no matter what!
We can fight and want to be right, but it does not stop me from loving you, no matter what.
This is why every time when I heard the sound of his engine driving up the driveway, my heart rejoiced and was beating for him, because I could experience true love.
True love? How does it work in practice?
This summer 2022, which I spent in France, I had many opportunities to practice Jesus’ sentence “Love your enemies.” Some days everybody was my enemy, my heart was shrinking. I could not love anymore.
I tried to get hope by reading my horoscope. It said: “Avoid all conflicts. Avoid all confrontations.” It seemed strange planets were crossing my sky.
This sentence kept coming to my mind: No matter what, I love you! No matter what, I will always love you.
As we grow and become spiritually mature, we get tired of fighting and learn to control our emotions, control our behavior. We respond and do not react. We become serene and calm surrounds us. We digest the difficult feelings. Suddenly, we are no longer rude, or impatient, unforgiving or disturbed, but we apply “I love you, no matter what.” Suddenly we are a step closer to our Heavenly Parent, closer to how we should be, closer to Jesus and to each other. And suddenly we feel happy because we could create a true love moment.
True love needs to become a lifestyle. This is how we change the world. As we build relationships of heart with our family, we need to build relationships of heart with our tribe, our people and our nation. This is indeed no simple task. I love you all, anyway.
When my husband Dietrich passed away in 2016, I felt extremely lonely, with tears in my eyes every day. How could I continue a loving relationship with my spouse after he left?
When he was staying at the hospital, I would call him first thing in the morning to wish him a good day and pray together over the phone with him. After he passed, I continued calling him first thing in the morning, pretending I was calling heaven and asking my angels for connection with my husband. I was talking to Dietrich in one way conversation. This helped me a lot to go over the grief and loneliness. I felt he was hearing me.
I also read all the books I could find at the library, about the other world, including his “Eternal Life in the Spirit World.” I learned I could continue the love we experienced on the earth because love travels everywhere, and I sensed his presence when he was visiting.
Over the years some medium friends gave me hopeful and interesting messages here and there. Some are clairvoyants (they can see pictures), others clairaudients (they can hear), others clairsentients (they can feel emotions and energy vibrations).
Spirit world does exist. We were born to live together forever with our loved ones in the spirit world after we die. But the communication has been severed, because of the fall of man as mentioned in the Bible (Genesis chapter 3).
In today’s modern world some scientists are busy inventing a “spirit world machine” where they can receive the different vibrations coming through the other side. It is the time when many inventions will be made possible because God’s providence is progressing, and among all the wars and rumors of war a better world of peace will be established and better communication for all. This makes me happy.
Now I want to share with you my latest message received from the other world.
SPIRITUAL READING
The medium started by describing an underground room with heavenly light. There was an angel sitting at the table. It was an old-fashioned check in, with an Austrian atmosphere from Tyrol. A second angel as a security guard took her upstairs.
There was a handsome man, taller than average with a beautiful smile, my husband Dietrich. He gave me a big hug, saying thank you, merci. He showed me the four-position foundation diamond shape, the beautiful foundation of the universe.
He said I am a champion of going through trials, and he gave me tools to face new challenges. He told me that even if nobody reads my stories right now, the stories will be a treasure. There are many stories to tell where I came out victorious. He asked me to please preserve all my stories and write more. Any work that he left behind please do it. Write your personal memoirs; it is very valuable, our life together.
Outside Unification Theological Seminary where Dietrich taught for many years
Then there was an open field with two houses, and he wanted to show both of them.
The first is a big house with a team of many people working together with many angels. They watch what is happening on earth. It is a very high-tech place, where he does his official public mission. The work involves looking for people who can receive a higher understanding of truth. Dietrich’s passion is to give deeper truth, with no end of understanding. He will be forever a student of truth.
The other building is a small hut, just two rooms. It has no bathroom or kitchen, because they are not needed in the spirit world. It is very rustic, in the mountains, similar to the Austrian huts. Mountains represent the high spirit world. This is where Dietrich goes for alone time with God, where he recharges himself from the intensity of his mission.
He goes to this cabin in the mountains with pen and paper. There he meditates, converses with God. God gives him a theme and he develops it, writing down inspiration as it comes to him. He has a notebook and pencil; nothing high-tech. When he gets these understandings, he gives them to people on earth.
This cabin is his happy place, where he likes to be alone with God. It is his place to rest, a place to recharge his energy away from the intensity of work. It is a simple place, and it is enough for him. Now he lives in his mountain cabin, and likes it there, but want me to have comforts. He is preparing something very dignified for me like for a queen, and many wonderful surprises, in a beautiful place in the spirit world for when I come!
Dietrich said he knows I miss him. He misses me differently because he visits me on a regular basis. He can hear me, even when I do not hear him. He wishes he could talk openly with me and make me laugh. He suggested I practice laugh therapy. He said he misses our conversations and my feedback. He is very proud of me.
Concerning our ancestors, there are so many of them. There are lots of people coming forward, and they are bringing foods. There is lots of support around me and a lot of gratitude. They bring good things, healing, sustenance for my children, love and tenderness. A gentleman is bringing tomatoes. A lady, probably my mom, reminds me how to make the best of every situation. If you have nothing but carrots you can make a delicious soup. She was grateful for what she did have. She could make delicious dishes out of nothing. Dietrich’s parents brought wine in heavy chests, each one with a label of love from different years, very special. Dietrich gave me a huge heart of chocolates, and a good bye hug.
I remember the first time Dietrich held my hand. Just minutes after seeing me, he took both my hands into his, and said he liked me.
The second time he took my hand was a few days after our Holy Marriage Blessing, when I visited him in Barrytown. We went for a walk somewhere beautiful together with his friend, Dr. Masuda, and his new wife. Both couples were holding hands. I recall the nature being more beautiful than usual. The deer were greeting us. To walk hand in hand with my new husband was a heavenly experience; so much electricity and love was passing through our touch. Throughout our life we always held hands.
I also remember when I was in the midst of trouble, hardship, sorrow, confusion, in the midst of tears, just to know his hand was near, and I could reach out to him, gave me courage to go on. Without his hand nearby I could not persevere.
I remember sometimes feeling exhausted at night, refusing to stand another 5 minutes, or refusing to get up in the early morning. But hearing his voice praying to heaven, I felt so comforted and secure. It was music to my ears. Then I would ask him to massage me back to life. His touch transformed my depleted energy into new hope and new life. Hands have healing energy.
When my mother was spending her last days on earth at the retirement home in our hometown, my family took turns to be with her so that she was never alone. She was very scared of dying, because during her life she did not take the opportunity to love God, did not want to, or could not do it because she had endured so much pain and difficult circumstances. But somehow, she loved her son-in-law like her own son. So, Dietrich was assigned to be with her at night.
She wanted to hold hands during the day with my brother or me, her daughter. She held our hands very tenaciously. Even when she could not talk or drink anymore, holding on to our hands was the last sign of life. At night my husband would hold her hands with gratitude and deep love for his mother-in-law. He would sing lullabies to her.
When I remember the scene of my mom dying and Dietrich holding her hands singing lullabies from his sleeping bag on the floor next to her, tears roll down my cheeks. It was really comforting and beautiful. God must have been comforted by this scene as well.
Before Dietrich passed, he was in the ICU intubated because he could not breathe anymore. The doctors had to trap his hands in what looked like handcuffs so that he would not take the tube out of his mouth. The moment I came to visit I would liberate him and hold his depleted hands. And when it was his time to go, the night before our daughter Diesa, holding his hand, asked him to wait a little longer until we all came again to say good bye.
The hands of blessed couples receive the divine power of Heavenly Parent. Now that Dietrich is not here, how I long to hold his hand again.
Last night I felt drawn to the reality tv series called “Married at First Sight.”
Since there are so many singles feeling lonely and looking for love and marriage, a team of psychologists, sexologists, sociologists and marriage counselors matched six couples from a large pool of volunteers. These six couples, matched by this team of experts, were supposed to marry the moment they met each other.
It looked a bit like my own matching and wedding.
In fact, those six couples, in my opinion, looked like excellent matches for each other. Even though this team of professionals claimed that nobody did this before, I have to say the Rev. Moon did exactly that during his life time.
With insight and intuition, by looking spiritually into our lineage of ancestors, and through our body characteristics, he would determine the best matches. But we still had our portion of responsibility to make our marriage work.
“God’s vertical love is perfected through the horizontal love of human beings, in the highest form through the husband-and-wife relationship. That model is then extended to how families relate to each other, and how nations relate to each other. The whole Kingdom of God is characterized by these loving relationships.”
When we resemble God, that is our original value, our divine value. And, as Dietrich stated, we resemble God through the love relationship of a couple in a God-centered marriage. We can only enter the Kingdom of Heaven with our spouse. This is our salvation.
Today we need to recover the family, which has been under attack since the beginning of time. If we do not have a family, we do not have much at all.
That is why singles feel lonely and want to find love, and why popular television shows like “Married at First Sight” attract many viewers.
I just finished reading the book, “Where You Go: Life Lessons from My Father” by Charlotte Pence. The title of the book is from a favorite Bible verse of their family. It is their beacon and vision:
Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God
Ruth 1:16
Ruth is telling her mother-in-law that they are family; they are one unit now. Therefore, wherever life takes Naomi, Ruth will follow.
A quote from Charlotte’s book that inspires me: Charlotte to her dad: “You are going to be a good governor.” “I will do my best.” “You will be.” “How do you know”? “Because you are a good dad.”
When she was in middle school, Charlotte gave her dad a homemade book titled “The lessons you have taught me.” Among the many lessons contained in it, here are my favorite ones:
1.The safest place to be is in the center of God s will 2.Devotions 3.If you lose your family nothing else will matter much. 4.Lead by example 5.Never shout; anger does not inspire.
I came to like Charlotte a lot because she always put her family first. She is so thankful to have the parents she has. She is so grateful for her brother and sister.
She is so thankful that her dad always dines with her mom. This means Mike Pence is not available for dinner, because he always dines with his wife. I applaud this rule to protect his marriage, and his family.
The Pence family always pray together. One of their mottos is do the right thing and go home for dinner.
Charlotte also said that Mike Pence would rather lose an election than lose his family.
On the day of his inauguration as Vice President, as Mike Pence took his oath of office his voice caught on the last words,” so help me God.” It was a declaration, an admission that he would not be able to do it without assistance.
Charlotte remembers that the founders included this essential phrase in order to ensure the oath taker asked God for help, knowing full well that he or she would not be able to do the task alone.
Thank you, Charlotte, for showing us that you have a great inspiring, strong family sustained by your faith and love. Your family circle is unbreakable because of your consistency in staying connected.
Charlotte, we love you, we love your parents, we will always be by your side because truly if we do not have a family, we do not have much at all. Families are eternal.
One of my husband’s colleagues at the end of his life, when he knew his days were numbered, decided to visit and reconcile with everyone he held a grudge against or had difficult feelings or resentment towards. Those people he did not want to speak to because anger and upset feelings would arise: Was he maltreated? Was he jealous? Did he failed to seek harmony and peace and love, to go the extra mile and go over the hurt coming from the others?
What he knew was that he was not going to take his house or savings or car with him, and he would be separated for some time from his spouse and family and friends.
He knew like a certainty deep down in his guts that he needed repentance, and most of all, to forgive and reconcile. This is why he went and visited many people. He did not want to break Heavenly laws. He wanted to be clear and free before God.
This action brought calm to his restless heart and a sense of wellbeing; no need to take heavy, ugly, spiritual baggage with him.
Myself, I fought my spiritual battles with numerous family members to achieve peace through service. I try to love my in-laws as much as my husband loves them or more. I kept reminding him to visit, to call, to free his schedule for them. One time I felt rejected by everyone, but Dietrich’s sister, Gisela, and I became best friends through working our way through differences to reconciliation. My own brother deeply hurt me. I repented and cried to God about this point.
Family conflict started at the beginning of history and multiplies to this day. The one who includes God, our Heavenly Parent, will have a better chance to resolve conflicts. We will have the power to forgive all: Koreans and Japanese, French and Germans, blacks and whites, and others.
God will give us direction, grace and power and forgiveness, as long as we are seeking Him. In God we trust.
May God bless you and your family. Your friend Elisabeth
On one occasion my husband Dietrich had to be hospitalized, because of different health issues. My daughter Diesa, to whom her dad is her hero, decided to fast seven days for his complete recovery. This is a long time to go without food, only water. One has to prepare mentally for that. It is a big enterprise for the body to adjust, and the mind to decide why we are fasting, and what will be the desired result.
On the last day of the fast, to show their support, Jessa and Nurie, two of Diesa’s friends, joined her in her offering. That very day Dietrich totally recovered.
Nurie, Jessa, and Diesa – friends forever
Diesa with her dad
I will always remember the support given to us in time of need and difficulty. Friendship is beautiful, as is the special love between father and daughter.
On another occasion, as Diesa was preparing to go to Haiti for a special program for young women, she flew to Vienna, Austria, with her brother Christopher to spend Christmas time with us. Two days before Christmas, their father had a stroke, turning our life around. Diesa stayed an extra two weeks with us before flying directly to Haiti. Again, she fasted three days for her beloved dad.
Dietrich recovered, but it was painful, long, arduous recovery. But he did recover.
I believe fasts, prayers, good deeds, restitutions, help the healing of body and soul, bringing credits to our spiritual accounts.
We might be sick because of physical causes, but also through inheritance from past generations.
I realized my mom’s suffering from anxiety was passed on to me. She had a tough life. Her first child was stillborn. It was during World War Two and the midwife was drunk, she told me. So, as she was carrying me, she must have been full of anxiety.
I remember my medical doctor Dr Teubl telling me we might inherit problems from past generations, but we can heal everything during one generation.
I believe also that love heals everything. My husband was for me a healer of my soul. He was also a healer to my dad. He was also a healer for many people during his lifetime.
The fasts, prayers, and love people bestowed on Dietrich added years to his life and made him feel better, treasured, and healed.
Let’s heal each other of our burdens so that the world becomes a world we truly love, and let’s love each other with the love which come from our Heavenly Parent.
My cousin Michele from Paris married a black American man after World War 2. Her beloved at that time was stationed in France as part of the American forces.
The photo below shows Michele at age 19 when she met her future husband, Belton, in Paris in 1955.
I remember her dad, Pierre my favorite uncle, was a bit shocked that his only and unique daughter was leaving her country and her family to go and have a new life in America with someone from another race.
True love is colorblind. I believe my cousin and all my friends who are from interracial marriages are healing the wounds created by centuries of pain, slavery, misfortune, injustice and the like. If love abides with these couples, truly their children are stunning. They are special in God’s sight. They are most beautiful, because it was the love of their parents that created them. Because they overcome it all. The pain became forgiveness. Love does not dwell in the weaknesses of the other, but covers the imperfections and the resentment.
Myself, I married a man of German descent, the enemy of France. The priest in my hometown, Father Durieux, said to me:
“I had 14 brothers and sisters and my grandparents were living with us up in the mountain. That was a huge table of 19 people over dinner. The Germans came and burned our house. This was the first time I saw my father cry. One German soldier said to him, witnessing the scene, ‘I am ashamed to be a German.’”
This soldier repented for his country. He was so sorry that this beautiful family of 15 kids were left with nothing. My husband also repented publicly in my hometown for the crimes of his ancestors.
I am also so sorry to see the anger and unrest everywhere in America today. We also need to repent for things left unsolved. This is the time where we make the wrongs right. We say: “We are sorry, please forgive us, we love you.”
It is the same in the family, especially if our marriage is for healing our nations. We say to our partner: “I am sorry if I hurt you, please forgive me. I love you.”
I remember her dad, Pierre my favorite uncle, was a bit shocked that his only and unique daughter was leaving her country and her family to go and have a new life in America with someone from another race.
Today all my love goes to these most special families who are healing the divide. World peace through ideal families. Is it not so?
Dietrich F. Seidel 