Jessica Maxwell never intended to have a spiritual or mystical experience. However, after seeing her just-deceased father’s face in a personalized cloud formation, she began a path back to God and a spirituality that was open to learning from all religions and belief systems. This led her to a series of events that most would describe as synchronistic or even miraculous.

Initially a religious skeptic and a journalist specializing in nature and traveling to foreign locations, Jessica wanted to document her adventures and spiritual experiences so she could understand how and why they were happening to her. Eventually, she wrote about her journey in a personal memoir, Roll Around Heaven: An All-True Accidental Spiritual Adventure.

I had the chance to talk to Jessica about her life journey and why she wrote Roll Around Heaven. Using humor and heartfelt personal anecdotes, Jessica shared with me how we could have more authentic spiritual experiences throughout our daily life even if we are a bit skeptical or reluctant.

You can listen to our conversation below by clicking on the play button. For more information about Jessica Maxwell and Roll Around Heaven: An All-True Accidental Spiritual Adventure, please visit http://www.jessicamaxwell.com.

Agape International Spiritual Center, led by Rev. Michael Beckwith, will stream its Sunday services via an online video for free. For more information on how you can watch, you can click here.

The Agape service generally includes readings from spiritual texts, singing from the Agape International Choir and a talk by Rev. Michael Beckwith.

I don’t know what it will be like watching an Agape service online, but I have been to Agape’s service live before and it was truly an awe-inspiring experience.

Spiritual Cinema Circle’s volume 4 films include “Thomas and the Rainbow”, “The Philosopher Kings”, “Dandelion Dharma”, “His Good Will” and “Act As If.”

In Thomas and the Rainbow, Marie (Connie Nielsen) transforms an orphan’s life when she brings him to live in her home, an island village off the coast of Ireland. Her husband, Alec (Aidan Quinn) is disappointed when he meets the frail, shy eight-year-old. However, Marie remains committed to showing Thomas (John Bell) that you can find magic anywhere – if you really look.

The Philosopher Kings is a documentary that features wisdom found in staff members of prestigious American universities who have seen it all: the custodians. Their untold stories of tragedy and triumph are weaved in with lessons they’ve learned from surviving lost loves, hard times and shattered dreams.

Act As If is an engaging documentary about a feisty blue-collar Boston kid, Kathy Delanely-Smith, who becomes Harvard’s championship basketball coach.

In Dandelion Dharma, a distraught 20-something, stands brokenhearted in a community garden plot she once shared with her love and receives insights from a trio of older women about their relationships.

In His Good Will a young boy struggles to make ends meet in a Southern town in the 1950s. Will seemingly has nothing to offer, buy gives with all his heart.

For information on how you can watch these films, you can visit Spiritual Cinema Circle’s website by clicking here.

Michael Beckwith’s PBS special will begin airing nationally this March. In this TV special, he shares five steps to help individuals achieve greater harmony and happiness in their lives by connecting with their spiritual nature. He also teaches us how to manifest positive results, establish stronger connections with people, forego worry and negative projections and ultimately empower ourselves to enjoy life to its fullest.

To learn more, watch program excerpts and music videos, get local PBS airdates and receive free downloads, visit http://www.the-answer-is-you.com/

Jo Davidson produced a music video with photos of nature, flowers and popular New York City landmarks. It is set to relaxing classical piano music and inspirational sayings such as “Sing the song in your heart.” You can watch more music videos produced by Jo Davidson by visiting her channel on You Tube.

“Avatar” is one of the few blockbusters that delivers great entertainment while still weaving in messages that leave people touched, moved or inspired. One part of “Avatar” that hasn’t really been a topic of conversation is that its lead character, Jake Sully (Sam Worthington), is a guy in a wheelchair. This is especially interesting considering that “Avatar” is the biggest action movie of the year.

Most of the media hasn’t talked about why Cameron would have his protagonist be a paraplegic. However, in a recent interview with “Unbeaten” Producer, Tamara Henry (in photo above), James spoke about the message he was trying to convey by having a disabled person be the hero of the film. In their interview, he told Tamara,

“The breakthrough for me in writing Jake Sully’s character was the realization that his personality hasn’t changed. He’s still a warrior. He’s still a guy who will succeed.”

Avatar’s message about the unbeaten spirit of paraplegics is empowering to not only disabled people, but to everyone. It’s also refreshing to hear that James Cameron was inspired and even had a breakthrough by making this a unique aspect of Avatar’s main character.

Wayne Dyer will showcase his latest book, The Shift, on QVC this weekend March 5-7th. During the show, you will have an opportunity to call in and talk to Wayne about his new book.

In his newsletter today, Wayne writes about The Shift and says, “As we contemplate leaving the morning of our life, where ego has played a commanding role, and entering the afternoon (and evening), where meaning and purpose replace ambition and struggle, we may encounter occurrences that accompany this new direction. It’s almost a universal law that we’ll experience a fall of some kind. Yet these falls or low points provide the energy we need to move away from ego and into a life of meaning and purpose.”

In celebration of the release of Wayne Dyer’s new book, The Shift, Hay House is offering you the chance to win a trip to Maui to see Dr. Dyer live. If you purchase the book from QVC and give them you’re order number, you will be automatically entered to win. For more information on this offer you can click here.

Wayne Dyer’s QVC television special will air on March 5th at 10 pm PT, March 6th at 1 am ET, 8 am PT, 11 am ET and March 7th at 4pm PT and 7pm ET.

Have you ever been fired, failed or told you weren’t good enough? Most people who have achieved enormous success have been, but went on to accomplish great things because they refused to listen to their critics or let their “failures” inhibit them from carrying out their life purpose. Below is a list of some of history’s most dynamic leaders who went on to prove the so called “experts” wrong….

Lucille Ball was dismissed from drama school because she was told she was too shy.

The Beatles were turned down by a recording company and told their guitar music is on the way out.

Ulysseses S. Grant was a failed soldier, farmer and real estate agent and at 38 years old he went to work for his father as a handy man.

Michael Jordan was cut from his high school basketball team.

A teacher told Thomas Edison he was too stupid to learn anything and he should go into a field where he might succeed by virtue of his pleasant personality.

Walt Disney was fired from a newspaper because he lacked imagination and had no original ideas.

Abraham Lincoln failed in business twice, had a nervous breakdown and was defeated in 8 elections.

Crazy Heart is the story of Bad Blake (Jeff Bridges), a fifty-seven year old chain-smoking alcoholic, country music singer trying to overcome his personal demons and find some sort of redemption in his life. On the surface, this plot sounds like a cliche country music song with a predictable ending. However, the movie has its own unique twists and turns that left me surprised and deeply moved.

Bad is informed by a doctor that his self-destructive lifestyle will lead to an early death. His lifetime of poor choices has caused several failed marriages, terrible decisions while drinking, and deteriorating health. Still, Bad has a big enough heart that he makes you and his fans care about him.

While performing at a small bar in Santa Fe, Bad meets newspaper journalist Jean Craddock (Maggie Gyllenhaal), who wants to interview him for a local newspaper. Despite Bad’s reckless behavior, Jean and Bad begin a relationship. Bad’s professional career also takes a turn for the better when he reconnects with a former touring partner (Colin Farrel) who wants Bad to write songs for him. Bad has been given a second chance in his life and we watch wondering if he is going to take advantage of it and turn his life around or if he is going to blow it and continue with his self-destructive behavior…

This is why Crazy Heart really makes you think and prompts you to ask some tough questions about decisions you’ve made in the past, choices you can make in the future and second chances. We can never know if or when we might be given a second chance. Crazy Heart encourages us to be prepared and ready for it when the time comes.

Additionally, most of us have reached a point in life where either through bad luck or poor choices, we’ve experienced some significant hardship. However, I believe we are also given second chances. Crazy Heart asks us what are you going to do when you are given your second chance in life. You can either choose to let it slip away or “pick up your crazy heart and give it one more try” as the title song of the movie suggests.

…Also, if you like country music, the soundtrack to Crazy Heart is great….

Below is a letter written to James Cameron, director of Avatar, from the filmmakers of UNBEATEN Movie. It has been reprinted on Spiritual Media Blog with permission from Tamara Henry, one of the producers of Unbeaten. Avatar and Unbeaten demonstrate the type of positive impact that movies are capable of having on people as you can see in the letter written to James Cameron below….

“James, Great to see you tonight at the Hyatt…and yes, I am guilty of sending you several emails.. I have saved the BEST email for LAST!! Please understand that I am a passionate film maker on a mission, as you are… that being said, here is what my producer and I propose:

We would be honored if you and Mr. Landau , Stephen Lang and Sam Worthington would join us May 14,15 at the Walter Reed Medical Facility in Washington DC to receive the UNBEATEN AWARD (see attachments) This award exemplifies the “Unbeaten” spirit which you certainly embody. I understand that you have been given award after award after award and more to come. This award is different. Its not about film per say.. it is about you being the first film maker to embrace the Disabled Veteran in a positive light and the joy and hope that you have brought for millions trapped in a wheel chair.

Unbeaten at the Avatar Premiere: http://docs.google.com/View?id=dgjrw95j_813gg44rhg3

Movies like ‘Coming Home” and ‘Born on the 4th of July” while showcasing the disabled vet, do not raise the profile of the Veteran like you have and certainly does not have the lead character as the ‘Hero” and show him as a positive role model like the Sam Worthington character in Avatar. It is impossible in words to tell you what it was like for both of the disabled men from our film when Sam not only invited them to the Premiere, but sought them out for photo ops and spent 30 minutes in deep dialogue about disability and Sam’s character in the film. He was just terrific!! Class act!!

I realize for the majority of film goers that seeing Avatar was a special effects extravaganza and film as it has never been seen before. For the millions of disabled in America and around the world, it was and will continue to be a journey of hope and enlightenment that one of “there own” is the lead character in the biggest movie in the history of cinema. THAT IS THE “UNBEATEN” message.. never give up, never give up….never, give up!!

Greg Strom, my producer had also put together and AVATAR MOBILIZATION PROJECT that I emailed to you last month…the project will embrace MILLIONS of disabled Americans and Greg and I would like to get a meeting with you and Jon after the Oscars. After all of the awards are over, and all of the money is in the bank, the message of Avatar has this amazing opportunity to morph into something even higher than you may have realized. It can now move into the future by being not just an entertainment vehicle, but a vehicle for healing and the greater good for the disabled. 100% of films end after the lights come up..AVATAR and the AVATAR MOBILIZATION project, NEVER HAS TO END!!!!

I have no idea of knowing if when you were writing this film that you could foresee the good that it might do, but because of my work with the disabled over that last few years, it is more than clear to me and EVERYONE who is sitting in a wheel chair of the potential of healing for the disabled.! You have done an amazing thing..for that, you are to be congratulated and it is my great hope that you will recognize my passion as a film maker and the quality of WWW.UNBEATENTHEMOVIE.COM . I believe there are 2 copies at your home..when the smoke clears, please watch it.. it is a ‘film makers” film!

Please really, really consider coming to Walter Reed. There are 558 Disabled War Veterans living at the hospital, and over 12,000 men and women with missing limbs have come through Walter Reed since the beginning of the war 8 years ago.. 12,000!!!! You will be an inspiration up on stage in front of these men, and the amount of good will and hope that you will be bringing with you…well, once again, there are no words. Thousands of people have one an Oscar.. NO ONE has yet to win the UNBEATEN AWARD!

We will have invites out to President Carter, Clinton, Bush 1,2 and Michelle and Barack Obama. We have also reached out to Colin Powell and several high ranking Congressman and Senators. There will also be a screening of UNBEATEN on Capitol Hill in April for many high profile politicians. We are very excited about the future of UNBEATEN and the healing power of this film and it would be our profound pleasure to bestow the UNBEATEN AWARD to you.. It is not just a coincidence that UNBEATEN came out almost the exact time as Avatar! It took me almost 4 years to get it finished.

We look forward to hearing from you and working with you. LAST EMAIL!!!

Regards

–
Steven C. Barber
~ Filmmaker ~
www.unbeatenthemovie.com