Call For Love Devotion - July 17: Peaks & Valleys

Roller coasters have been around since the 1500s, but the first one, by most reports, in the US was built in the late 1800s. A roller coaster consists of a small set of cars, connected like a train, that ride over a track that consists of high peaks and low valleys. In some early ones, and possibly some today, it is the momentum of coming down the steep hill into the valley that partially propels the car up the next peak. Beyond that point, the cars must be pulled up to the peak by some mechanism.

In Mitch Albom’s book, The Five People you meet in Heaven, the main character dies as he is trying to rescue a little girl who is trapped on the tracks of a similar ride. He reaches for her hands, and just as he grasps them, he dies. (Spoiler alert!) His travels through the book progress, and in the end, he comes to learn that he did indeed save the little girl but the hands he grasped were, instead, those of the girl who came to take *him* to heaven. In keeping the one girl safe, another girl had kept him safe.

Just like most things in life, the peaks and valleys, and, indeed, the entire ride, are never quite what they seem to be. At the time of Michaels’ death, I was already in a valley that I thought couldn’t get much lower. In the year leading up to his death, I had already buried 12 people close to me, and my only sister had recently developed cancer. I had no idea how I could go on living…this was all just simply too much. It felt, truly, like the “valley of the shadow of death.”

As I drove to get my sister to take her to chemo and radiation, I blasted Michael’s music constantly. One day, “Will You Be There?” broke through the fog in my soul. The rest is history, and why I find myself here writing these devotions every week.
Real roller coaster rides are fun; not always so much this ride we call Life. On a real roller coaster ride, we know we are going up a peak again; in life, that never seems so certain. In the amusement park, we pay a small price for a ride; in life, sometimes the price seems too high.

On a roller coaster, we ride with people we may never see again. But in life, the people who come with us often become lifelong friends. Just as the cars on a roller coaster have to have help to be pulled up from the valleys to the peaks, and just as it is that by helping others we often help ourselves more, so it is with the rest of life. So I’ll take the peaks and valleys, as long as I can keep the friends who’ve blessed my ride.

Are you coming along for the ride? It’s the ride of a lifetime! Wheeeeee!!!

by Diana Foley
Copyright (c) 2011

Call For Love Devotion - July 16: Peaks and Valleys

This journey with the Beloved is a series of highs and lows … what he called ‘peaks and valleys.’ He made dynamic use of this technique to enhance everything in his life. He refers to these alterations of altitude (attitude) in his music, his song-writing, his short films, his performances and his books. With this technique, he built drama, anticipation, longing, emotional engagement … and enhanced the ecstatic union he enjoyed with his audiences around the world; in the use of peaks and valleys he is a Master.

The dramatic pause clearly shown so often in This Is It … the moment of silence … the rumble of the tank (or earth mover) onto the stage … what has been described as ‘what makes Michael so unique is his timing’ by his colleague. So, it should come as no surprise to us that our individual relationships with him will conform to this pattern.

He so loved his roller coasters, didn’t he? The funny thing about roller coasters is that they, too, conform to this pattern. We have to ride the low points and the jerky, mechanical rise as our cars are lifted to the apex before we free-fall into the abyss of his love, some of us losing our stomachs somewhere about halfway down (that would be me … LOL!).

Today, for the fourth day in a row, my small ‘reality break’ (during which I unashamedly take refuge within the embrace of the Beloved for, in all honesty, he IS my reality) in the middle of my morning and afternoon work sessions has been met by the same bird awaiting my arrival at the west entrance of the building in which I work. My ‘reality break’ companion is a male cardinal, his bright red plumage interlaced with black markings on his face and crest and his exuberant warble greet me as I step outside. He appears to be extremely tame for a wild creature. On Tuesday, he swooped from a low-hanging branch to the ground less than a foot away on my path and looked back at me as I startled from the unexpected movement. I could almost hear a soft chuckle through the earphones of my MP3 player. I’ve decided to name him Michael for obvious reasons.

There are times when the euphoria of our experience of the Beloved’s presence in our lives and in our hearts is so strong that we feel inadequate to contain it … when we burst with exultation and a rubber stopper forcefully applied couldn’t stop the flow of our emotion … when everything we see and every event we witness seem to resound and reverberate with the echo of his laughter … when fingers itch to empty themselves of the message the Beloved wants to convey and they can’t type fast enough … when we wish we were cardinals and could warble our joy and sing out ‘well met, Beloved.’

Then, there are others when we are too bounded by our life circumstances and too enslaved within the tiny cells of our routines for our vision to reach any further than the end of our arms … when the words flow more slowly and the emotions seep from our faucets like the slow drip that keeps us awake at night in a steady ‘plop, plop, plop’ of brain-numbing lassitude.

In examining these, I have discovered that … at least in my life … these are the times when he sends us little emissaries … ambassadors … like my friend, Michael, in his best, Sunday-go-to-meeting red vest and black tie to remind us that we have to ride the car through the low spots and the jerky, mechanical rise to experience the peak of euphoria again.

So, I have to remind myself ... don’t be discouraged … or doubt his presence … during those valleys. It would be a whole lot smarter to take several deep breaths … and get ready to SCREAM your lungs out as the wave you are riding prepares to launch you into ecstatic orbit! Ride it secure in the knowledge that the Master Magician is allowing you that dramatic pause at which he so excels to catch your breath before he lifts you high on his shoulders again.

~ Jan Carlson
Copyright (c) 2011

Call For Love Devotion - July 15: WWMD>

Leading with Love

Some leaders lead with fear and intimidation. True leaders lead with love.

Learning that Michael's big theme was love, L.O.V.E, I needed to know HIS definition of love. One day I asked him "So, what is love?" He replied, "Love is giving. Like the old cliche, you can give without loving, but you cannot love without giving." He went on to describe the beauty and powerful impact that is created when -- say in a stage concert -- everyone is doing their task at the level of excellence. He said it creates a combination that is greater than the sum of its parts. These multiple layers of love (in the lights, the sound, the dance, the voice, the everything...) create a unique experience and it's so intense that the audience is overwhelmed. When someone does their task with excellence, giving everything they've got -- that's an expression of love. He said that they didn't know it, but they were overwhelmed by love because in most cases most people never carry out their mission with that level of excellence. It's saying, "I love you enough to do my best!"

There are givers and takers in life. He was a giver. He would use all of his resources - his presence, his name, his fame, his money... to help other people and encourage them in their situation. He didn't belittle them or walk away -- he saw the problem, was HONEST about it, and gave us ways to be encouraged to be strong and rise up higher. Like in the beginning to "Earth Song" he describes his passion to turn the plight of destruction into a call for world wide change: "That's why I WRITE these songs -- to bring awareness and awakening and HOPE to people." Not guilt, blame or shame.

His resources no doubt were more than many, but his example is that we give whatever is needed, whatever we HAVE, to meet the situation. Like his song "What more can I give?" I will give all that I can give, and give over and over again. Giving as a way of life - not out of obligation but out of our heart. He would plead for us all to stand up and heal the plights near and far by giving of ourselves, giving help in ways that heal, that bring comfort.

He would join people together. As much as he could single-handedly accomplish many amazing achievements, he always understood that when you join forces with others, you can accomplish even more! As is the case sometimes tho in large groups, there is dissention or disagreement. I believe he would encourage the sentiment that was put forth by St Augustine: In essentials, unity; in non-essentials, liberty; in all things, charity (Lovingkindness)." We can have differences of opinion, and different priorities, but he would remind us that we come from love and that we ARE love, and that we are all one.

He would lead by example, not just words. He led by communicating the POSITIVE... what he DID want to do. not just negative words. For me, he actually created a whole change in me by modeling movements and exercises. Almost without thinking, I followed his gestures...like a baby who imitates a wave, and realizes that they can DO this new thing. But what he was doing was ballet plie's, rond de jambs, lunges, leg lifts, and even pilates. He didn't tell me what to do and give a hard shove to the shoulders. He modeled it and invited me to JOIN HIM. He made it look so easy. He encouraged and praised every little step, using positive reinforcement. And with great patience, the effect he wanted came about, not by manipulation, struggle, guilt or shame, but by positivity, modeling, encouraging, believing and love. PATIENCE.

Patience is something so lacking. I used to think of it as a passive quality, but though watching him, I realized he had power in patience. That allowed him to let his love and encouragement germinate in people to let them develop at their pace. But I will also say, he couples 'patience' with insistence and persistence. He won't let you slide back into self-defeating ways. When I would tell him, "OK I'll try it" he would be insistent in a funny way -- with his best Yoda impersonation saying "Try? There is no try, there is only DO." He left me no wiggle room to make excuses. When he is going for a goal or is encouraging you to strive for one, he is persistent in his requests. He's not afraid to ask the best of you. I see that as being a great leader and motivator -- he KNOWS you have the best in you but you've never been called upon to really bring it forth. HE DOES. He insists on the best, and keeps asking until it's there.

He would read, study, learn, pray, change, practice what he learned -- and then practice some more. This is true of us as well. For the changes that are needed of us, we must be willing to learn what we need for where we're going. This will expand you, challenge and increase your understanding. Take that opportunity to undergo a change...for change first takes place in the mind. As Henry Ford once said: Whether you think you can or you think you can't, you're right.

So many times when he would challenge me to do something new, I felt so insecure in my talents, abilities or just self image. But he showed me the first step. He offered his extended hand in a gesture to dance and asked me, "Are you ready??" Not knowing what would be expected of me, my shy insecure self replied, "I don't know if I'm ready. Or Able. But, I'm willing." With a huge grin he pulled me in and said with a long whisper "That's all you need------------! THIS is the dance of love." He would encourage us to do new and better things...to invest more energy and faith in our motivations than our fears. It's been said that God loves us the way we are, but loves us too much to leave us that way. He models for us the strong ways that love propels us upward and onward into new realms, whole new worlds, new ways of thinking, breaking our boxes, our chains our barriers our "I can'ts". He emboldens us with his own courage to say YOU CAN MAKE IT! I BELIEVE IN YOU, SO YOU BELIEVE IN YOU!

Lift your head up high and scream out to the world
I know I am someone and let the truth unfurl
No one can hurt you now because you know what's true
Yes, I believe in me, so you believe in you

One of the biggest changes has been a global phenomenon of spiritual awakening. A social awareness awakening. A love awakening. He would remind us that all power comes from God, but that God works through people. That means that we can play important roles, even so-called ordinary people! SHOW your faith, DO good works, let your LIGHT SHINE! Fill your heart with love and light. He would challenge us to find in our souls our true capacity which has no limits. Believe more, try more, do more. He would have us reach for the highest self, the highest spiritual development, the loftiest investment in the unlimited. Highest. Biggest. Best.

THAT'S WHAT HE WOULD DO.

by Rita Bosico
Copyright (c) 2011

Call For Love Devotion - July 14: WWMD?

What would Michael do? He broke barriers and lifted us up through his music, his words, his art. His creativity and spirituality inspired millions, including me. Through Michael's gentle urging I have widened my horizon and read books on various religions, books on spirituality, and I did some soulsearching too. Looking in the mirror, I did not always like what I saw. Each day I would ask myself: did my actions and words lead to more love, peace and joy, or less love, peace and joy? And what about my thoughts? Then I realized: we are all a work in progress. If I can be understanding and forgiving towards others, maybe I need to love myself as well? Finding balance is not always easy.

Michael inspires me in so many ways: the lyrics of his songs are, at the right time, answers to my questions. The lyrics and the melody comfort me, reach out, envelop me and strengthen me in my resolve. Michaels speeches and interviews leave me speechless, and make me love him more. What an extraordinary caring, gentle, loving, but also determined and persistant man, artist, teacher, guru, doting father. Through him I suddenly understood wholly and totally pure, unconditional love. Such a wonderful, inspirational, phenomal gift to receive such insights. My love for him knows no bounds, has no beginning and no end, but must not be focused solely on him alone. My love for him opened the door in my heart so wide that now the entire world fits in there too, no matter what the differences are.

Not only did Michael inspire me spiritually, he waited until the time was right to push me out of my creative comfort zone. Now I am exploring new avenues of creative expression, in which music is the creative force behind all my various forms of expression. Born in love and then shared with others in the hope that it inspires others, comforts them or reaches out in an experience undergone in a similar way. We are all connected, and Michael, through his devoted love, is showing us the connections.

Yet, all of this is nice but still mostly theory. What about doing something? Really making a difference? Leaving the planet a better place!

After reading Char's devotion and seeing the video at the end of it and hearing Michael speak the words: "If one person help just one child, just helpone child, they'd done so much. If you can do that, that would be beautiful" . Then I knew what it is I wanted to do. So I did something that enables a child in a country far away to go to school, get three meals a day and when she has become the nurse she wants to be, she can touch the lives of others, give them hope, comfort, the faith to heal. Like the ripples in a pond, all that we do, has an effect on others. Giving hope to someone else, gives me joy and Michael showed me the way.

by Elmira van Galen
Copyright (c) 2011

PS. The video I am referring to is this one "Michael Jackson - Heal the World Spoken Version" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v​=ocPb4mFIwXg - The words quoted start at 4:34

Call For Love Devotion - July 13: WWMD?

In any given situation we can imagine what Michael would do.
In the area of work, he would work hardest and longest.
In the area of play, he would play with total abandon.
In the area of love, he would transcend time and space to give his love unconditionally and forever.
In the area of creativity, he would think without limits and believe anything is possible.
In the area of giving, he would give the most.
In the area of learning, he would ask questions, listen, remember.

In other words, he would always give all of himself to anything he was doing.
What Michael would do, is break the barriers, stretch the boundaries, create new vision, think BIG!
It's what he always did.

He is asking us to fill those beautiful, spinning, dancing sparkly-sock filled shoes.
He wants us to be the most we can be.
He wants us to imagine the possibilities.
He wants us to be filled with joy and laughter.
He wants us to love each other.
He wants us to do what he would do.
If we aren't sure what that is,
He will tell us
If we listen

by Brenda Jenkyns
Copyright (c) 2011

Call For Love Devotion - July 12: WWMD?

"What Would Michael Do?" I admit, this is a TOUGH question, and it's probably even tougher to live up to. Jesus said "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you." Sadly, despite all the goodness Michael gave to the world, he was met with disrespect and hatred. Until June 25, when he finally received his Glorious Reward. I'm gonna quote Michael's son Prince at the Grammy's in 2010: "Through all his songs, his message was simple: Love." But, as we've all experienced, it's difficult to love. However, I think that's what Michael would have done. When you have to be around a person that is unpleasant, remind yourself that God loves that person dearly, and try your best to be kind to him/her. Difficult? Absolutely. But it's what Michael would have done! He was always trying to help in any way that he could, in any situation. And that's what we should try to do: Donations to charities, visits to hospitals, praying for people, lighting a candle for a loved one – doing an act out of unselfish love. Mother Teresa said: "Kind words can be short and easy to speak, but their echoes are truly endless." Honour Michael Jackson today by sending an email, letter or text message to someone special to you and write something sweet, and know that your kind words have entered someone else's heart and WILL make a difference.

by Lene Jacinta Martinussen
Copyright (c) 2011

Call For Love Devotion - July 11: WWMD?

What would Michael do? He would just DO. Putting his heart on the line, he was never one to sit idly by and watch the world self-destruct without trying to DO something about it, nor would he watch the children of the world suffer without giving his ALL to make a difference in their lives. No matter how much life may have gotten him down at times - and we all know about the worst of those times - “he always came back with more love” (Kenny Ortega, This Is It). He may have needed time to heal and time to reflect, but he didn’t let any of it stop him from doing what he knew he was sent here to DO!

Lately, I’ve been feeling as if Michael is leading me, gently and clearly toward the next level of this journey. There have been many times over the last 2 years that, in my grief, I have felt as if I didn’t want to remain on this earth without Michael here. Or at the very least, I didn’t want to continue with my life as it was - the same old job, the same routines of daily living that no longer held any meaning for me. Everything seemed so pointless, so mundane, so worthless really compared to this new adventure I had been catapulted into. He was taking me places I had never been before. He was offering me escapism to the max and I was ready to go with it 100%! If I did not have financial responsibilities and other commitments in my life, I would have left this place without hesitation and found a shack on the beach to spend the rest of my days in bliss with Michael, my computer (or pen & paper), the sounds and smells of the ocean, Mother Nature in all her glory, and my heart forever devoted to just loving him and writing about it! But I knew deep inside that this experience was leading me toward something even bigger than that (it’s hard to imagine anything bigger than loving Michael Jackson!!)

In many of the poems he has given me, the words often speak of fulfilling his mission. This calling is about so much more than spending my days in the eternal bliss of his magical love! On a much deeper level I knew that I had been chosen for this mission for some reason beyond my comprehension - chosen to receive his light, his love, his message, his inspiration to be all that I was meant to be in this lifetime, his passion and his courage to step out in faith to DO the right thing… no matter what. To DO something to make an impact in this world during my time here. To stop existing and start living - to the full extent of my God-given gifts - the way Michael did. He always DID… without fail.

His music has inspired me, spoken to me from his heart. And that voice… oh my, that voice, with all its emotion and expressions and personalities - that voice has sung his beautiful and passionate melodies that have touched me in the deepest, most elusive regions of my soul. With that voice, he has vibrated and energized every cell of my being. His light has penetrated every dark corner that ever existed inside of me - made me SEE what was there and lose all fear of what I thought was lurking there. No big deal!! What have I been so afraid of all my life? And why did it take me so darn long to get that there was nothing to fear and that I could DO so much more with my life than I ever dreamed possible?

Recently, I have felt something stirring inside of me that has been missing the last couple of years - a sense of hope and purpose related to my work. An awareness that my job may very well be the vehicle through which I can fulfill this mission from Michael is making itself known. It is becoming increasingly clear that everything I need to accomplish the work he wants me to DO is already in place - it was just waiting for this time to reveal itself and for me to be ready to recognize it and embrace it. The tools, the resources, the support, the people, the system… they’re all there - just waiting to be energized for this mission of ours to make the world a better place! I didn’t want to see that at first. I wanted to wrap myself and Michael in a cocoon, all comfortable and warm and cozy, and never come out until it was my time to leave this world. But, deep down I knew better. And Michael has not given up on me. He has had infinite patience with my roller coaster emotions (maybe he’s even enjoyed the ride a bit!) But he’s getting down to business now. Oh, he’s still sharing his Love in the only way he knows how - in a BIG way! Michael’s Love will never be diminished with time. It will continue to grow inside each of us as we live out his dream for us. Each step of this journey holds new adventures, and he will continue to take us places we’ve never been before, sharing his bliss, his joy, his magical love with us every step of the way. And as we DO as Michael would DO, never giving up our vision and hope for a brighter tomorrow and a better world for the children, we will be forever embraced in his Love and gratitude for all we are doing to carry on his mission and fulfill his dream!

My friend, Siren, recently posted the following quote on her blog, Siren’s Muse (http://sirenlovesmj.blogspot.com/2011/07/matrix.html) . This is an answer she received from Michael after she asked him for guidance on a decision she was contemplating regarding her own life:

“Please don’t give up. I know it’s not easy. With knowledge comes responsibility. If you want to make a difference, you can’t run away and hide. This is not about dedicating yourselves to Me. It’s about dedicating yourselves to one another. The only way to make that change in the world is to be in it. I’m counting on you… on each of you. I know you won’t let Me down. It’s why I chose you… all of you. I Love you… more.”

When I read these words from Michael, I felt as if I had heard them or read them somewhere before - like Michael had given me this same message at some point on my journey with him. I don’t remember where or when, but I feel certain he must have whispered these words to me in a dream or maybe he painted them in the sky? Now, that’s a whole other story!!

Sit back, relax your mind, and listen carefully to Michael’s words in this video. It’s wonderful to hear his voice talking about his vision, his dream for helping people (especially children) all around the world. What he is saying is that he will never stop doing what he was called to DO. I believe that’s true, even now. And in saying that, he is asking us to DO the same!

by Charlene Burgess
Copyright (c) 2011



“Whatever is happening in your life right now, dedicate it consciously to the furtherance of love's purposes on earth.” ~ Marianne Williamson

Call For Love Devotion - July 10: WWMD?

Siedah Garrett tells the story of looking into her rearview mirror one day and noticing the “woman in the mirror,” which gave her the idea for the song Man in the Mirror. In thinking about the topic for this week, I know I have to look in the mirror and think HARD about how to change myself so I can do the things I have to do with LOVE.
I have a meeting coming soon, that I am not looking forward to. The old “dragon-slayer” in me keeps wanting to rear its ugly head. How can I “gently” slay a dragon? Even if it really needs to die a horrid, bloody, and painful death?
All kinds of platitudes come rushing into my head: everything from “A soft answer turneth away wrath,” to “you catch more flies with sugar than you do with salt.” (who actually wants to catch flies anyway?!) “Don’t burn your bridges.” The “ethic of reciprocity” exists in some form in religions the world over: Do unto others as you’d have them do unto you.
One of the best gifts we have been given is TII, where we actually get to see Michael “at work,” doing the dirty “nuts and bolts” stuff of putting together a concert. Papers have been written, analyzing (and recommending) Michael’s leadership behaviors and style.
OK, I get the message. But how to put it into action? It’s so easy to say, harder for me to do. I have to think of the power of my thoughts. I *can* change my thoughts about this experience. About the dragon. Maybe it’s not a fire-breathing dragon after all. Maybe it’s a gnat. Or maybe it’s an experience, a gift designed to help me grow, to be a better person, to further develop my talents, and those of the others involved. And maybe if I take the focus off of myself and put it on the others in the situation, I can approach this, and other similar opportunities, with the appropriate attitude: One that conveys the LOVE I know I am called to share and to BE.

by Diana Foley
Copyright (c) 2011

Call For Love Devotion - July 9: What Would Michael Do?

I have been so impressed with all the devotions that have been placed here on Call For Love and I thank each and every contributor to this effort to remain grounded while we soar into spiritual realms that many of us never knew we were capable of achieving.

Some topics for upcoming weeks have been suggested. The one I have gravitated most towards is: What Would Michael Do? In my past experiences with Michael Joseph Jackson, I have learned to pay attention to those ‘gravitational’ pulls towards ideas for further investigation or books to be read or causes to which to donate. In these spiritual leadings, I have never been disappointed. That remains true in the decade I like to call ‘my Michael Phase’ (1992-2002), in the two years since he ascended (a time when I ‘fell again’ and continue to fall afresh every day) … and for the foreseeable future.

The words were spoken by Dr. Patrick Treacy on the anniversary of The Day The Earth Stood Still at the Gardner Street Elementary Michael Jackson Auditorium as the conclusion to his speech in celebration of his friend. It’s a question many of us are grappling with on a weekly … or daily … or hourly … basis.

I think Michael, himself, answered the question for us in This Is It as well as in almost every award acceptance speech he delivered, song he sang, short film he envisioned and then made into reality, performance he danced and book he wrote. I don’t think the answer will come as a surprise to anyone. What would Michael do? He would, very simply:

LOVE!

For those of you who know me, this devotion is going to be very brief (an almost unheard of occurrence in my writings … LOL!) It consists of one word. How’s that for brief?

I will offer no proof of that statement. You are all aware of his life and the many instances he spoke that word … with his words, with his actions, with his songs, with his performances.

What I am going to ask you all to do is take a few moments today and close your eyes. Shut out the world clamoring for your attention. Turn off the faucets of chatter that flood your minds in a never-ceasing stream of consciousness.

Now, take your favorite audio clip of Michael Jackson from any stage he ever graced and hear his voice yelling, “I love YOU!” Please place that audio clip in your mind! Hear it! Feel it! BE IT! Sit quietly for a few minutes in that all-encompassing love. Feel it again … hear it again … be it again … just let his beautiful spirit wash you squeaky clean!

I can’t improve on that feeling. Sorry!

by Jan Carlson
Copyright (c) 2011

Call For Love Devotion - July 8: Caring For Our Children

I once heard an old woman lament "There ain't a man alive over 12 years old." I didn't believe her.

As I've grown older, I get it now. She was right. The ages between birth-12 are so critical to our wholeness that often if there's a trauma or an abuse or lack to that stage, no matter the age of the grown up, people still try to heal and fulfill their inner child.

I know that love and acceptance affect a child's self-esteem. When I study Michael's life and listen to his workds, he wanted what a child had a right to want: a father's love. He wanted to please his father and have his father be proud of him. He wanted to be loved as his father's son. As "Michael"... not as a commodity. Someone whos love was not dependent on how perfectly you performed.

No matter how altruistic our desires may be to have our child succeed, it needs to be rooted in what THEIR purpose is, not our own unfulfilled needs or our desire to see our children reflecting on us.

I saw an intesting headline on a financial magazine: How to make your child a millionaire. Really? Not saying it's a bad goal, but.... how about making them feel like a million bucks?

Michael's father drove him and his brothers to succeed. But what Michael still longed for at the end of the day was the elusive love of his father. That hole was never filled. He only had a manager, a trainer, but not someone he knew as "Dad".

On the contrary, my father DISMISSED every dream I had and KEPT me from pursuing and extraordinary goals and just live a mediocre life, never reaching for the stars. He wanted me to have "security". A J-O-B. And that's exactly what I have.

And all I have is a long list of dreams I wish I'd attempted. I was convinced into thinking that I wasn't good enough to win... not as an entertainer, or even a photopgraher. One day I was staring at one of my cousins who has been a stunning beauty since birth. One day I suggested that they give modeling a chance. "No, no...." said the father. "I wouldn't want her to get there and get hur when she fails." I thought to myself... 'what makes you automatically think that she'll FAIL?? What if she succeeds??'

I am reminded that succeeding and failing are part of life. Living in the middle is a grey existence. Pres. Teddy Roosevelt said it best here: "It is not the critic who counts: not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles or where the doer of deeds could have done better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly, who errs and comes up short again and again, because there is no effort without error or shortcoming, but who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, who spends himself for a worthy cause; who, at the best, knows, in the end, the triumph of high achievement, and who, at the worst, if he fails, at least he fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who knew neither victory nor defeat."

"Citizenship in a Republic,"
Speech at the Sorbonne, Paris, April 23, 1910

Love your children and ask God what they're supposed to be and how you can facilitate them in their dreams. One daunting notion that came up after Michael's passing was that they might become vulnerable to being exploited by Joseph who might see them as 'The Jackson 3'. Michael's words came clear and strong for his family: "They're not us" meaning the Jackson 5. He also said "They're not the new me." They are themselves.... Prince. Paris. Blanket.

There should be no expectation of the children to be copies of the parent. I see preachers do it, teachers do it, athletes do it. They place expectations on their kids to be just like them.

Love your children for who they are. There's a heartfelt song about this by JJ Heller called "What Love Really Means". See if you hear Michael singing this:

He cries in the corner where nobody sees
He’s the kid with the story no one would believe
He prays every night “Dear God won’t you please...
Could you send someone here who will love me?”

Who will love me for me?
Not for what I have done or what I will become
Who will love me for me?
‘Cause nobody has shown me what love
What love really means, what love really means

You know, I think of the kids in orphanages feeling lonely and abandonned and unloved who could sing that song. Like a puppy in a shelter longing to be adopted. But this same emotion is not extreme cases only -- we ALL carry this need.

Sometimes even if we love a child from our hearts, we don't know how to show it. There's a guide for showing love to children and teens in ways that truly get the message received. It's called 5 Love Languages. They are: Words of Affirmation, Quality Time, Receiving Gifts, Acts of Service, and Physical Touch. Remember that every child is different. What works for one child may not work for another. So how do you find out what means "love" to your child?

1. Observe how your child expresses love to you.
2. Observe how your child expresses love to others
3. Listen to what your child requests most often
4. Notice what your child most frequently complains about.
5. Give your child a choice between two love language options and see what they choose.

Start speaking their 'language'.

In light of this week being the 2 year marker of Michael's memorial, I found a poignant poem from Maya Angelou that is most apt for the theme of loving our children. I hear Michael's song "Have you Seen My Childhood" woven in its words:

“Go and Hug Your Michael Today”
By Maya Angelou

Yesterday I cried watching the Michael Jackson memorial. I cried for a little
black boy who felt the world didn’t understand him. I cried for a little black
boy who spent his adulthood chasing his childhood. And I thought about all the
young black boys out there who may too feel that the world doesn’t understand
them. The ones who feel that the world does not understand their baggy jeans,
their swagger, their music, their anger, their struggles, their fears or the
chip on their shoulder. I worry that my son, may too, one day will feel lonely
in a wide, wide world.

I cried for the young children of all colors who may live their life feeling
like a misfit, feeling like no one understands their perspective, or their soul.
What a burden to carry.

As a mother, I cried for Katherine Jackson because no mother should ever bury a child. Period. And I think about all the pain, tears and sleepless nights that
she must have endured seeing her baby boy in inner pain, seeing him struggle
with his self-esteem, and his insecurities and to know he often felt unloved
even while the world loved him deeply. How does it feel to think that the
unconditional love we give as mothers just isn’t enough to make our children
feel whole? I wonder if she still suffers thinking, “what more could I have
done?” Even moms of music legends aren’t immune to mommy guilt, I suppose.

When Rev. Al Sharpton (“who always delivers one” awesome “funeral speech”) said to Michael’s children, “Your daddy was not strange…It was strange what your Daddy had to deal with,” I thought of all the “strange” things of the world that my children will have to deal with. Better yet, the things I hope they won’t
ever have to deal with anymore.

And as a mother raising a young black boy, I feel recommitted and yet a little
confused as to how to make sure my son is sure enough within himself to take on the world. Especially a “strange” one. To love himself enough to know that even when the world doesn’t understand you, tries to force you into its mold or
treats you unkindly, you are still beautiful, strong and Black. How do I do
that?

Today, I am taking back “childhood” as an inalienable right for every brown
little one. In a world, that makes children into booty-shaking, mini-adults long
before their time, I’m reclaiming the playful, innocent, run-around-outside,
childhood as the key ingredient in raising confident adults. Second, I will not rest until my little black boy, MY Michael, knows that his broad nose is beautiful, his chocolately brown skin is beautiful, and his thick hair is beautiful.

And nothing or no one can ever take that away from him.

“Now aint we bad? And ain’t we black? And ain’t we fine? -Maya Angelou

Today I pray for Prince, for Paris, and for Blanket. That they will always know that they are deeply loved and cherished for who they are. For themselves. Loved because they're here. With a purpose and a dream. May we encourage them in their dreams. They are to be loved for who they are, and not what they will become. Not to force someone else's expectations on them, but to give them the freedom to become who they are meant to be...not just to see them as 'Michael Jackson's kids'.

Prince, Paris, Blanket... we love you for you.

by Rita Bosico, M.Div., M.A.
Copyright (c) 2011

What Love Really Means
http://youtu.be/EqWf-XehllA

Have you seen my childhood. Michael Jackson described the song "Have You Seen My Childhood" as the most intimately personal and autobiographical of his career.
http://youtu.be/lFAmwsiz8Ls

Go and Hug Your Michael Today
http://elev8.com/world/better-​living-world/cherylhudson/maya​-angelou-says-go-and-hug-your-​michael-today/

The Five Love Languages of Children
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v​=ktMP8Ij3BIc

The Five Love Languages of Teenagers
http://youtu.be/iFl68IdjN4Q

Call For Love Devotion - July 7: Caring For Our Children

When I was very young - 7 or 8 years old I made my first scrapbook of my ideal husband: men who really loved children, so I cut out pictures, advertisements mostly, of a father looking adoringly at his newborn baby, or fathers playing and horsing around with their children. I wanted a man who really, truly loved children as much as I did and who wanted to have lots of children, like I did. Fate is strange sometimes and life can turn out entirely differently than you hoped for, but it's always for a good reason, that I believe in with all my heart. So, while I didn't become a mother or find the man I had been looking for, I gave my love to the children I babysat for during many years.

When I babysat for many children, I would read them bedtime stories from their favorite books, over and over again, no matter how often they wanted to hear that same story, and fall asleep in that comforting realization of familiarity. Often though, I would just as easily make up a story, asking the child what is was they wanted to hear a story about. The story would be born from the precipes of my mind, letting my imagination run wild, and a new story would unfold each time, meanwhile tired heads leaning on my arms, sucking their thumb and nearly dozing off....

Once I babysat for two children, during a couple of months, every saturday. The girl always wanted to "play house" and her younger brother wanted to play with his cars. Both of their parents were physicians, who were very busy, which didn't leave much time for the children. So when I arrived, they outdid each other in trying to tell me their stories, talking louder and quicker to gain attention. As a result the boy had developed a stutter. When they both, in their excitement, tried to tell me their stories at the same time I said "Listen up guys, i want to hear each of your stories, so why don't we tell our stories taking turns. When Allison talks, Neil and I will listen, and when Neil talks Allison and I will listen, okay?' Each child could then take all the time he/she needed for their own stories, and within months the boys stutter was gone.

Another time, fast forward to years later, I was babysitting my oldest nephew, who was then only 3 months old. His mom, my sister-in-law, kissed him goodbye and off they went, his parents. My nephew started to cry from that moment on, and no matter what I tried; a bottle, a clean diaper, strolling around, singing softly, getting him to burp, nothing worked. I was getting desperate myself and felt tears of frustration welling up. What to do? Then I had an idea: I put him in his parents bed, on his mothers side and for some reason I cannot explain I drew circles with my finger in his tiny hand. Within 5 minutes he fell sound asleep. When his parents got home I told them what I had done and finally came up with. My sister-in-law looked at me and then exclaimed "but, how is that possible? You did the exact same thing as I do", but she had forgotten to tell me about, just in case.

What is the point in these shared anecdotes?

When we harbor and cherish our childlike qualities, that inner child that lives inside us, we can easily connect with the children around us, and react from the heart to what is needed in that moment. Giving a child the confidence to be what they want to be, to be cherished, valued and loved as they are, is a great gift, together with boundaries: rules that are to be abided by, thus giving a sense of security, being protected and cared for.

Even now, I love to make a funny face to a crying child in the supermarket, giving it some attention, which surprises it so, that the child forgets to cry. To be able to make that difference, gives me joy. Being one with children, seeing the world through their eyes is so endearing and refreshing!!

by Elmira van Galen
Copyright (c) 2011

Call For Love Devotion - July 6: Caring For Our Children

June 21, summer solstice, longest day of the year. To me, always a special day, but this one was extra special to me. We had spent the day at Neverland. It had been our dream, Mimi's and mine, to take a copy of our book to the gates of Neverland. We had intended to do it on Michael's birthday in 2010. Due to many unforeseen circumstances, we had been delayed until now. On this special day, I sat and read Ever After on a rock, and left it, with notes to Michael from Mimi and me, tucked behind a vine on the wall by the gate. It had been a perfect day. We had cried and laughed. Met people from China, Denmark, and one online friend who lives in Solvang, who showed us around the town, and is the guardian of the gate when all of us have to be at home in our own countries and towns.

I felt as though love was flowing out of the ground at Neverland. It was in the air. In my mind's eye I could see a fountain of love rising from inside Neverland and flowing out to permeate the air for miles around. At one point I was overwhelmed with the desperate need to do more for Michael, to honor him and serve him. Nothing seemed to be enough to give back for what he has done for me.

We were driving home to Mimi's house, an hour and an half away. I was sitting in the back seat and leaning forward to tell a story of a dream that I had in the summer of 2009, just after Michael was gone, at a time when I was learning about him and who he really was. (This dream is here on my blog in an earlier post.) We did not have any music on, as the IPOD was dead and was being charged up. Right in the middle of my story of my dream, a song started playing by itself. It was a song I had never heard before and Michael's angelic voice was singing "I have this dream. Which I believe. We are children of a distant family. Every child that is born, needs to believe that he belongs. I have this dream."

I could not believe my ears. It was the most beautiful song I had every heard, and it was about his dream for children, which was exactly what my dream had been about. Tears poured down my cheeks, I was vibrating all over, and my heart felt as though it was opening again, as it had two years ago when I had first been struck by Michael's love. It seemed to be an answer to the plea I had made earlier, telling me that Michael's dream and mine are in line, and I am doing what he wants me to do.

During the remainder of the week in California, I Have This Dream came up on our random selection numerous times. It was the song that was playing as we drove out of the gates of Forest Lawn for the last time, and headed for the airport to come home.

At home once again, the song is still haunting me, and I tried to find the lyrics online. The words I found were different than the ones I had heard. They express a beautiful sentiment.

some people say
I live in a fantasy
because I see the world
differently
visions come to me
in my sleep
I closed my eyes
to see what God is showing me

close your eyes
and imagine with me
see the wonder
in every living thing
if we can live
the way it is in my dreams
love will take us to a place where
god can be seen

this is my dream

I have this dream
this i believe
the world a place for all humanity
if we could take love to it's highest level
more than the world has ever seen
I have this dream

let's put Gods love on display
angel of love come my way
it's really up to you and me
one world together in harmony

in my dream I see heaven
and the face of the one perfect being
I see people turning into angels
and God giving them their wings

I have this dream
this I believe
the world's a place
for all humanity

if we could take love
to it's highest level
more than the world has ever seen
I have this dream

Michael, my love, my inspiration, my maestro, I promise that I will do my best to see your dreams come true. I will use any abilities I have, to help to teach a new generation about you, your message, and your love. And every child that comes into my life, will know that he belongs. I share your dream.

by Brenda Jenkyns
Copyright (c) 2011

Call For Love Devotion - July 4: If We Only Just Listen

The Plea

Parents take heart
Don’t lose hope
You can make a new start
Love and kindness are a part of God's dream
for a brighter tomorrow
You have the power to make things right
The children need your help
Simply be your very best selves
The truth of what you were meant to be
Remember your childhood, innocent and bright
Return to your heart, stay in the light
And keep singing your beautiful love song

We must admit where we’ve been wrong
We’ve lost sight of what’s right
We’ve all been fooled
We don’t know what we want, we only think we do
That’s why we need children to show us the way
To help us remember
Guide us back to our hearts
To that place and time before our childhoods went astray

This is the time to bury our pride
Pay attention to God’s littlest angels
They have much to teach us
In their innocence, they are wise
Their little souls are closest to God
Their light is still shining brightly
If we crush it now, their spirits will die
We can’t allow this to be!

Please don’t belittle, ridicule or strike
Good discipline is not about fear
They deserve our respect
So they won’t run and hide or choose violence
When the schoolyard bully comes ‘round to jeer
This world needs their love
Their future is in our hands

Remember this…
Pay attention to their souls
God’s wisdom is in them
If we only just listen

The Promise

Children take heart
Don’t lose hope
We can make a new start
Love and kindness are a part of God's dream
for a brighter tomorrow
We have the power to make things right
But we need your help
Simply be your beautiful selves
The truth of what you were meant to be
Innocent and bright, happy and whole
Stay in the light
And keep singing your playful melody

Please, please don’t hide your light because of us
We admit where we’ve been wrong
We’ve lost sight of what’s right
We’ve all been fooled
We don’t know what we want, we only think we do
That’s why we need you to show us the way
Help us remember
Guide us back to our hearts
To that place and time before our childhoods went astray

You are God’s littlest angels
You have much to teach us
In your innocence, you are wise
Your little souls are closest to God
Your light is still shining brightly
If we crush it now, your spirits will die
We won’t allow this to be!

We promise not to belittle, ridicule or strike
Our discipline will not instill fear
You deserve our respect
So you won’t run and hide or choose violence
When the schoolyard bully comes ‘round to jeer
This world needs your love
Your future is in our hands

We will remember this…
To pay attention to your souls
God’s wisdom is in them
If we only just listen

01/01/11
Copyright © 2011 by Charlene Burgess

"Storyteller" by David Nordahl

Call For Love Devotion - July 3: Living the Legacy

They all seem so mundane. Separating the clear glass from the colored glass, and both from the metal. Taking the garbage out to the compost pile, to add to my husband’s “chip and shred” pile. Stacking the old newspapers carefully for recycling. Picking up the stray piece of litter on the parking lot. Things we do every day, to help protect the planet.
In 1997 I bought a new car when I completed my education, as a gift to myself. I drove that car until just last year when I traded it in on a hybrid car. It feels so good to know I am using so much less gas.
There is so much to Michael’s legacy, that it’s hard to select just one aspect. But I am particularly partial to caring for the planet. I may not live IN the trees, but I sure don’t want to live without them, either. When we were searching for our present home, I told the real estate lady that the house had to have trees. I wouldn’t even look at a house if there were not enough trees in the yard: why inconvenience the present owner when I knew that, no matter what the inside of the house looked like, if there weren’t trees, I really wasn’t interested?

I knew our present house was just right when I saw the trees. The lovely lilac bush on the far side of the house sealed the deal for me. I grieved for days when a huge tree living much too near the house had to be taken down, because its roots were attempting to grow into the basement. Our back yard is full of trees, which means it is also full of birds and squirrels. I recently purchased an elaborate bird feeding system, which is installed outside the window of the room where I work. We provide water and all kinds of food for the birds, and they honor us with their presence. Of course, this means also providing food for the squirrels, because otherwise they go after the bird food…once they even knocked down the suet holder and dragged it across the yard after taking the suet from it.

I rescued plants from the yard where I had grown up. There was a beautiful antique pink rosebush that spreads everywhere. I trimmed some branches and brought them to my present home. Mom would always say, Just stick them in the dirt! So I did. That rosebush is now much taller than me, and each May it blesses us with beautiful, fragrant, pink roses. In fact, I planted it near a fence (to cover the fence!) and our neighbors enjoy the roses too.
We rescued Day Lilies, Iris, and many other plants. We started grapevines from vines that originally had been grown by my grandfather. We may not be expert gardeners, but we enjoy watching all the plants grow, bear fruit or flowers, and die back in the fall and winter.
I think each of us has our own ways of living the legacy…some of us have more than one way. What matters is that collectively, we do it. What we do in our little corner of the world may be "mundane," but it matters. We can Heal the World. We must, because We Are the World.

by Diana Foley
Copyright (c) 2011

Call For Love Devotion - July 1: Living the Legacy

Over the course of time, grief takes on different aspects – mourning, crying, being reflective, being quiet, detached, angry, frustrated, feeling helpless, wondering what to do now, how to go on when your own life is turned upside down. Then comes the loving tributes, the love letters, poems and pictures of our expressions of love and appreciation gushing from depths of our soul that we didn’t even know we had. Others find a resolution that they will be a warrior for him to defend him in the media and society. Or to be a healer for his wounds. Or a person who dresses like him or imitates his moves, looks, or sound. Or a person who can keep summarizing who he was, is and how we are involved together in this most unusual journey.

There is an aspect of celebration as a way of remembering. We want a good grasp on the story so that we can tell it to THIS generation, and the ones to follow. Correcting misconceptions and outright lies. Telling the WHOLE story, not just the media bias that is sensationalized for sales. We need to remember. We need to tell the story. We need to LIVE the story as well. That’s why we have holidays and monuments. Lest we forget.

We all had a was. A way of doing life. A routine. A purpose. Maybe even a goal we were looking to achieve. I know I was. But then June 25th came, and lots of events changed my whole purpose in life. I was thrust into a new purpose. How do I reconcile my ‘was’ with my ‘is’? How do I live the story? There’s a Hebrew word ‘zacar’. It means ‘to remember’. Remembering is a way of loving. Why do we need to remember? Because we are prone to forget. Or that those who follow us will not know the story – we want to keep on telling the story to those who don’t know.

What we remember is Michael’s impact on our world. A legacy is something that is handed down from a predecessor; it’s what we have inherited from them, their gift.

Living the legacy is a way to keep carrying on his impact. To learn his message and incorporate it in a way that is genuine to our own lives and how we are being PROMPTED to respond. Some resonate with the message of focusing on the planet’s well-being.... or children’s needs, or animal welfare, or issues of racial equality, and love among all people. In a word – his message is love.

There is the legacy of his unparalleled success as an entertainer – the unique music, lyrics, dancing and singing. The music that is yet to come. We live the legacy by finding our place in the message. Doing what WE can do – and it may become your new IS. Your whole new purpose. Or it may be a parallel sideline to everything you already do.

One of the things that struck me so hard one day was seeing a vinyl decal on the back of someone’s truck: “Elvis Lives”. I cried almost in rage saying that I was not willing to let Michael be reduced to a vinyl decal...he was bigger than that! But I understand that the way I live my life reflects what he’s taught me and how he's changed and inspired me. If you want to know what he’s taught me, you can read my eulogy on my FB page.

The media asked “What is his legacy?” His music. His way of life and making a change in our own lives to ‘make the world a better place’ in every way possible. Living a life as a giver, not a taker. Perpetuating his reputation, supporting his children – his legacy, and living in a way that shows him in an honorable light. Not just to revere his memory but to carry on his work. Now.

Early on, I was struck by the similarities of Michael’s life with one of the parables of Jesus. This one in particular came to me when I started to realize the global phenomenon that kept growing as more people were expressing how they were consumed by this one person who had changed their life:
24 Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. (John 12:24)

MULTIPLY. Think for a moment of how many people have been thrust into action, carrying on Mike’s caring and generosity in ways they never did before. This has been a change from ONE person... to millions. Millions of people carrying on his work. There’s a saying that ‘the blood of the martyrs is the seed of the church’... in other words.... whenever there has been unjust suffering or a cruel strike of something innocent and precious, people instinctively rise up and GET SERIOUS about the message determined not to have those people’s death be in vain. Instead of it being a defeat, it only causes the group to swell in determination.

For 50 years we had one magnificent person! Now look what has happened. Tons and tons of people carrying on his legacy of love. Millions of ‘Michaels’. There’s been a new awareness of who he is and what we have LOST. But also an awareness of what we GAINED. The legacy we inherited as part of this generation that had him and lost him. We will not squander the gift.
There has been such a spiritual awakening in so many people on a global scale that it is raising the vibrations of the love on earth. How’s THAT for a legacy! One seed was ‘planted’ but has not died... only given life to many multiples – spreading the same message, rising to our full potential, letting the inspiration that thrilled us in awe motivate us to shed our insecurities and be the influence of a ‘major love’ through prayer, our attititude, words and deeds. The message is bigger than our individual names or personalities. That’s why attention-seekers, grabbers or whathaveyou are like poison in this regard. The dividers, the ones who engage in vicious arguments and unloving behavior in the ‘fan base’ who cause irreparable harm is simply so contrary to Michael’s legacy. He was a man who exuded love. Any behavior otherwise is not only embarrassing, it simply does not belong and only serves to weaken the message and cause further harm of Michael’s reputation as we are the ones who now represent him to society at large. Again, I say it is POISON when such activities happen. Poison is the antithesis of love. Love does not tolerate this poison, for one drop of poison spoils the greater good.

Living the legacy means taking the best he offered, and being like that ourselves.
Encouraging the best out of others.

Living as an extreme giver, practicing “extravagant generosity” – no matter what our income

Believing in our own gifts, as well as believing in others’ as well – and telling them so

Living from the heart and soul... not just the wallet or our minds

Striving for the best of the best, because doing something with excellence is an expression of love

I was at Forest Lawn to celebrate and remember and show honor to him. Marty In LA has a super Michael Jackson music radio show on ustream Mondays and Fridays. He videoed my friend Shirley and myself about what we should remember Michael for. I talk about the legacy of love here:



And here is a commercial with Michael saying “Love is my message”


Show the love; live the legacy.

by Rita Bosico
Copyright (c) 2011