do you really have weaknesses, or are they actually strengths?

Several years ago I heard a song that I liked. I was telling Mandy (my sig other) about it today and she had never heard it so I started searching online about it. It turned out that I was inspired by the creator of the song.

John Paul Larkin was born in 1942. He became a famous Jazz musician and the creator of a new type of music and singing. He was never extremely well known in the U.S. but in other country's he was very well known, however even in the US he had a #1 hit.

The interesting thing about John is that he was born with a severe stutter. Later in life news interviewers would say that he could hardly speak one sentence without repeating something 6-7 times. John began paying Jazz piano and was well known for his playing. He decided to add singing to his performances and got standing ovations.

In 1995 and 1996 his albums outsold Bon Jovi and Michael Jackson.

The interesting thing about this is that John could not speak without stuttering so he would "scat" sing and he was known as Scatman John.

John said of his stuttering "this was a process of "turning my biggest problem into my biggest asset."

John was diagnosed with lung cancer and died in 1999. Johns attitude toward the cancer was "Whatever God wants is fine by me... I've had the very best life. I have tasted beauty."

Something that most would say is a stumbling block made this man wealthy and famous. His perseverance and positive attitude created a chance for him to help many people in this world, which he did. He received many awards for his service.

I believe that whatever we are struggling with can be turned into a blessing with the right attitude and vision and with the help of God. After all he says that he will turn weak things into strong things.

As of today John's (Scatman John) "Ski Ba Bop Ba Dop Bop" greatest hit can be found at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mpHLEm9-0bg

PS. One quote from John in the song "scatman's world" he says "Scatman, fat man, black and white and brown man, tell me about the color of your soul." - I enjoy what that thought empowers.

Want to know how to gain all knowledge and understanding.

I have always enjoyed reading and learning from other peoples knowledge and understanding. I have always felt that this is a positive trait of mine that. I have always believed that this makes me smarter and more rounded and gives me a better life. I also have always believed that it increases my spiritual connection with God, UNTIL NOW1!

Several years ago I read these wise words by Albert Einstein.

"Reading, after a certain age, diverts the mind too much from its creative pursuits. Any man who reads too much and uses his own brain too little falls into lazy habits of thinking."

I thought I somewhat beleived it and also thought that I somewhat understood it. UNTIL NOW!

It's obvious that Einstein could not read anyone elses work to increase his knowledge, because he was one of the greatest physical minds alive. He had to obtain his knowledge from another source than books.

So, what source does all knowledge come from and contains more truth than books?

the bible is full of verses such as "Christ in whome are hid all treasures of winsdom and knowledge." Col 2:3

the Book of Mormon states "...Spirit dwelleth in me, which giveth me knowledge, and also power according to my faith..." Alma 18:19

President David O. McKay of the Mormon church said "In our worship there are two elements: One is the spiritual communion arising from our own meditation; the other,
instruction from others. . . . Of the two, the more profitable . . . is the meditation. Meditation is one of the most secret, most sacred doors through which we
pass into the presence of the Lord.


Jack Canfield said that of all the principals that make you successful meditation is the most important one.

So along these lines Earnest Holmes , founder of Religious Science mvement, was talking about the best philopophy's in the world and he said "by what process of mentality did they arrive at their profound conclusions? We are all compelled to recognize that Spirit alone was their Teacher; they were indeed taught of God."

So today I was sitting in my small mobile office that I call work and I was reading and I had this thought that was a summation of all the above thoughts.

All knowledge comes from God. God knows all things. God gives us knowledge through his spirit to our spirit. God can teach us all things and bring all things to our rememberance. God knows more than any book I can read. God's knowledge is more true than any book I can read.


So how much would it profit me to read God's knowledge instead of man's attempt to record what he thinks God's knowledge is? Would it be better for me to get my knowledge straight from the source of all life????

If I put away all my books that I love so much, and instead of getting my learning from man I spent my time in meditation and spirit would God teach me all things? Would he teach me in pure unfiltered knowledge?

I beleive that the answer to this question has to be yes. Once I decided that God will be my teacher, and once I submit to his truth, and once I follow him with all my heart, and once I dedicate my learning time to him. I beleive that he would teach me any subject from math to spirit, to sound investments.

Why would he not?

Is this what Einstine was talking about? Does there really come a point when we have enough knowledge to go to the source (God) and ask him to contnue our instruction and learning?

Meditate on this for a while and see how you feel.

My 2 stumbling blocks will be;
1) I love reading my books for many reasons and it will be hard to put them down.

2) actually dedicating time to meditate instead of other activities.

If I decided to remove these obsticals from my life, knowledge of all just may be in the near future.

Where do "I" end?

Reading tonight I had this thought. Does the shape or form of my spirit stop at the edge of my body? Does my skin hold my spirit inside like a water tight bowl? Or, does "I" extend beyond the confines of this mortal vehicle?

I also considered how far my spirits influence can be felt and can feel in return. if this extends beyond my body then does my spirit itself extend with the influence?

So if my "i" is larger than my body then exactly how large am I? One inch? Ten feet? 100 miles?

The closest galaxy to ours is 2.4 million light years away. The universe is infinite. Do "i" extend that far? Am I 2.4 mil light years wide? And if so it would stand to reason that I am actually infinite or limitless in size.

Is that possible? Or is it possible for my influence to travel 2.4 million light years and be felt by others?

The sun's influence travels long distances and is still felt by all on earth. Am I the same?

I think so. I know I feel others influence from a distance at times. Distance is no barrier to spirit. So i literally influence the ever expanding infinite universe 2.5 million light years away and beyond. I wonder, when I pray, when I do something good, when I raise my spiritual level can other spirits tell and feel this influence from all corners of the galaxy? I believe that they can. I believe that when I grow it actually warms others lives and they can feel and notice this growth internally. I also believe there is no limit on the distance this influence can travel. Be it 2.4 million light years or more. After all, how many light years away does God live from us? And we still feel his influence.

Wow God really is amazing and so are we.

We are like an internet connection always on and stretching to all space limitless connection to all who choose to log on and connect with us.