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.

the show of life

More and more I am realizing that life is so similar to a movie.

If I imagine myself at the movies watching a show I would not get upset or stressed or uncomfortable when negitive things happen in the movie. I would not get uncomfortable because these things are not real. They are a movie. I can get up and walk out of the movie any time I please.

I also know that in 2 hours the entire thing will be over nothing I saw really deeply affects me.

I am really starting to understand how this is just like life. We are living in a movie. we are so connected with this movie that we put more "stock" in it then we should. We call this movie "real life."

so basically we can judge everything that happens to us, or we can just observe everything that happens without judgment but just with the knowledge that we are watching a movie.

So when someone cuts you off, or you have a hard time at work, or you have to talk to a non English speaking customer service agent, or unforeseen circumstances pop up we have 2 choices.

Choice A) My life sucks, look what happened to me. I am so pissed/stressed/upset. I can feel the knots in my belly. I need to call and vent about this to someone.... etc.

Choice B) That was in interesting movie.

Not that I would use those exact words in describing events that take place but the point is that its "just life." Its just an event. If it rains it has nothing to do with you, its just clouds with too much moisture leaking down on the earth.

I guess I can sometimes take life too seriously and think that the things that are happening deserve a reaction from me. In actuality reaction to negative probably creates more negative, but just noticing and releasing the feeling is very liberating and makes life much happier.

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.