The question about whether the Universe is guiding our lives has remained a mystery throughout all the ages. While scientific explorations have enabled us to venture far into space, we have come to recognize a vastness that is well beyond our human imagination. In spite of these enormous achievements, we have not come upon other life outside our small planet Earth. As the only known life-supporting planet in the universe discovered thus far, we should consider ourselves as unique and even special. This then raises the question whether we are the creation of a divine plan and if we are meant to serve a greater purpose. While we are limited to recognizing a physical world that exists around us, this book looks beyond the physical and into the possibility of a spiritual existence within the universe. Much of the world's population believes in a higher being, a divine creator, a God. This very idea provides us with a spiritual foundation from which we can venture into the silent, but by no means, lifeless realm of the universe. While we may be unaware of our purpose for being here with any degree of certainty, it should not deter us from attempting to explore this issue. By assuming that we each have a purpose to fulfill, should we be curious to know who out there determines this for each of us? How are we guided along this path and what is our connection with these unseen forces? The author attempts to explore this mystery based on both past and current practices within society. By sharing from his own unique life's experiences, he points to a possible spiritual intervention in our own daily lives. While certainly not everyone may agree with the author's assumptions, it should, however, leave the reader with a good deal of cause for thought.

It is 1943 and the big war in Europe is now in its fourth year. The Allies have begun to take the fight to Germany, and bombing raids on German cities are now an almost daily and nightly occurrence. As cities are being destroyed, panic-stricken survivors are frantically searching for relatives to find shelter with. Refugees, driven out of recently occupied Russian territories in the east, are now arriving with only small pieces of luggage as their only possessions and they are in desperate need of places to stay. Our small house, which we already shared with another family, soon nearly doubles its occupancy as desperate relatives in need of shelter kept arriving. All eligible men are away fighting at one of Hitler's many fronts. The overwhelming need to support this effort has left the country drained of nearly everything and has forced mothers alone to protect and provide for their families during this most difficult period of history. Fear, hunger, and the struggle to survive have become a way of life. As children we did not always understand the serious time in which we lived, however, we learned to assess the fear from the expressions on our mother's faces, especially so during the frequent air raids. Often it was their despair that we quietly observed while they struggled with the constant inability to adequately provide for their families. In late1943, my family received the news that Dad had recently become a prisoner of war.By late1944, it became clear that Germany was losing the war. Fear that Russian troops would reach our area ahead of American or British forces became the real concern now. Just days prior to Germany's capitulation, our occupation occurred, and this event would forever remain in my memory and directly affect much of my young life. The events, as described, were real and have been written as seen through the eyes of a young boy. Following our liberation, we came to realize the enormous atrocities that had occurred and learned of people whose suffering had been far greater than ours, and to those people I wish to offer my deepest respect.

The question about whether the Universe is guiding our lives has remained a mystery throughout all the ages. While scientific explorations have enabled us to venture far into space, we have come to recognize a vastness that is well beyond our human imagination. In spite of these enormous achievements, we have not come upon other life outside our small planet Earth. As the only known life-supporting planet in the universe discovered thus far, we should consider ourselves as unique and even special. This then raises the question whether we are the creation of a divine plan and if we are meant to serve a greater purpose. While we are limited to recognizing a physical world that exists around us, this book looks beyond the physical and into the possibility of a spiritual existence within the universe. Much of the world's population believes in a higher being, a divine creator, a God. This very idea provides us with a spiritual foundation from which we can venture into the silent, but by no means, lifeless realm of the universe. While we may be unaware of our purpose for being here with any degree of certainty, it should not deter us from attempting to explore this issue. By assuming that we each have a purpose to fulfill, should we be curious to know who out there determines this for each of us? How are we guided along this path and what is our connection with these unseen forces? The author attempts to explore this mystery based on both past and current practices within society. By sharing from his own unique life's experiences, he points to a possible spiritual intervention in our own daily lives. While certainly not everyone may agree with the author's assumptions, it should, however, leave the reader with a good deal of cause for thought.

It is 1943 and the big war in Europe is now in its fourth year. The Allies have begun to take the fight to Germany, and bombing raids on German cities are now an almost daily and nightly occurrence. As cities are being destroyed, panic-stricken survivors are frantically searching for relatives to find shelter with. Refugees, driven out of recently occupied Russian territories in the east, are now arriving with only small pieces of luggage as their only possessions and they are in desperate need of places to stay. Our small house, which we already shared with another family, soon nearly doubles its occupancy as desperate relatives in need of shelter kept arriving. All eligible men are away fighting at one of Hitler's many fronts. The overwhelming need to support this effort has left the country drained of nearly everything and has forced mothers alone to protect and provide for their families during this most difficult period of history. Fear, hunger, and the struggle to survive have become a way of life. As children we did not always understand the serious time in which we lived, however, we learned to assess the fear from the expressions on our mother's faces, especially so during the frequent air raids. Often it was their despair that we quietly observed while they struggled with the constant inability to adequately provide for their families. In late1943, my family received the news that Dad had recently become a prisoner of war.By late1944, it became clear that Germany was losing the war. Fear that Russian troops would reach our area ahead of American or British forces became the real concern now. Just days prior to Germany's capitulation, our occupation occurred, and this event would forever remain in my memory and directly affect much of my young life. The events, as described, were real and have been written as seen through the eyes of a young boy. Following our liberation, we came to realize the enormous atrocities that had occurred and learned of people whose suffering had been far greater than ours, and to those people I wish to offer my deepest respect.