"You aren't a human having a spiritual experience, you are a spirit having a human experience."

I don't remember the exact quote or who said it, but I like it.

I can feel my soul and my body as being very distinct. I tell my little kids, "Your body is telling you that you need to go potty!" - - as if it's a separate thing doing the talking. And our bodies do talk to us, if we'll listen.

It is mostly bacteria and flesh (which cycles out continuously.) You do not have the same body you did a year ago, yet your soul is intact . Weird, huh? What part of you keeps your memories, your talents, who you are?

I think of the relationship very much like a symbiosis. Our bodies evolved over millions of years, our souls came from Heaven. Our bodies take care of linking us to this mortal world. They process food, keep the heart pumping. They take care of our primal needs, like creating the next generation, and exhibit more primal behaviors, like anger.

It is when our spirits, or souls, can learn to control our bodies that we can really be happy. It's when our bodies are in control that we bring ourselves misery.

I remind my kids when they are making poor choices, "Who is in control, you or your body?" You might ask yourself the same thing when a decision is to be made.