Call For Love Devotion - May 31: Gratitude

Thank you for Your message of unconditional Love, understanding, acceptance and redemption.
Let those who have not seen yet, believe, and share in Your promise of redemption.
I thank You for reaching out to me with Your words of compassion and comfort.
Thank You for opening my eyes and heart to Your message of service to others.
Let not my heart be troubled so that I can be of service to You with no misgivings.
Guide me and direct me in all that I do and say so that Your glory may be manifest in me.
Help me to appreciate that my life has little purpose without Love
and grant to me an understanding heart and wise judgment
so that I can better recognize those who are troubled and in need.
Let kindness and genuine concern be my greeting to all of Your children.
Let a gentle smile be my first word spoken.
Without You I am but an empty vessel waiting to be filled.
With You, let me bring living water to those thirsty for Your Word.
Speak through me so that Your message remains clear, concise, and convincing.
Let my life be one of gratitude for the opportunity to serve with a willing and cheerful heart.
I thank You for all of Your great blessings and Love
Please allow me to use my heart to experience and share the Love that only You allow.
I ask this in Your name.

Amen.

by Siren
Adapted from a prayer by Ed Bagley

Call For Love Devotion - May 30: Choosing Compassion

Compassion. The first time this word ever came into my consciousness was when I was married to an alcoholic. I was attending a 12 step program in order to learn more about the disease of alcoholism and what I could do to help improve my marriage which was being torn apart by this disease. I ended up learning more about myself than I had anticipated going in - why I made the choices I’d made throughout my life and how those choices contributed to the circumstances I found myself in at that point on my journey. Never did I think that I would learn to have compassion for the very people who had caused me the most pain in my life!

An abusive father, peers who rejected this shy little girl, boyfriends who couldn’t make a commitment, and husbands (two of them) who were either emotionally abusive or unavailable - all make up a short list of those who brought me nothing but heartache and made me feel worthless as a human being. What I didn’t realize is that I had choices. Choices I didn’t even know existed! And part of that was learning to understand that people who abused, rejected, couldn’t commit, or were emotionally unavailable all had pain of their own they were dealing with. Who knew? And my choice was to recognize their pain and feel compassion for them, or to continue allowing myself to be hurt by them. The compassion didn’t come easily at first. Believe me, I wanted them and everyone else to know how much they had hurt me, and in order to do that, I had to continue hurting. When we are deeply wounded, the last thing we want to do is feel sorry for those who wounded us. It seems wrong somehow, like we’re letting them off the hook. But once I allowed myself to be open to another way of thinking and being, I was surprised at how healing it was for me.

When thinking about my father, I realized that I really didn’t have a clue about what his life had been like for him. There had to be something that caused him to take out his irrational and extreme anger on an innocent and helpless child! Anyone who had been raised to feel loved and cherished would not do that! (The very thought of this still makes me weep for him!) This eye-opening realization allowed me, for the first time in my life, to feel true compassion for the man whom I believed was the cause of all my troubles. It’s true that his treatment of me was wrong - compassion does not excuse inappropriate behavior. It only understands that there is more to any person than what we see on the surface. And it allows the one who feels it toward another to be released from the bonds of victimhood. I no longer see the perpetrator as an all-powerful being who holds the key to my happiness, but as simply another human being on this journey called life… right alongside me! In this reality, we are equal. I don’t have to love them or even like them, but I can feel compassion toward them for whatever their pain is without feeling responsible for causing it or fixing it. And this frees me to be all that God intended for me without being weighed down by self-pity.

So, remember the next time you find yourself making a judgment of another human being based only on what you see on the surface, you don’t really know the whole story. You don’t know the pain or the guilt or the suffering that this person may have been through - or the negative influences that have affected who they have become.

I often think about this in relation to Michael and all the people who allegedly took advantage of him or used him or treated him with disrespect because of his kindness and generosity. I remind myself, before I make any judgments about anybody, that I don’t really know the full story and it’s not up to me to decide if someone is worthy of trust or respect when it comes to Michael and everyone he had around him during his lifetime. I have learned a lot about Michael on this intense journey over the past 23 months, but I also realize there’s a lot I don’t know. One thing I DO know is that Michael would always show compassion toward those who were suffering and he always treated people with respect and dignity. Those were his highest priorities. And that is the bottom line for me where Michael is concerned. He was an impeccable example of compassion and love for all of humanity. I can only hope that I will be able to live up to his example during the remaining years of my life here on earth.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

May we find it in our hearts to have compassion for those who have hurt us or others we care about, understanding that their actions are a reflection of their pain. When we open our hearts and minds to the idea that others’ hurtful behavior is really a cry for Love, we see it from an entirely different perspective. Compassion becomes possible when we can set our own egos aside and realize that every man and every woman was once an innocent child, and only longs to be loved and understood. We are all God’s children on this spiritual journey together, connected to one another in spirit and in love. Our Source is one and the same. In this way, we are no different, really. We’ve all been given a map to follow. Some have lost their way. Some have never strayed. And others have found their way back to the path that God intended. Whenever we feel contempt toward another of your children, dear God, may we be reminded that we can choose compassion. Amen.

by Charlene Burgess
Copyright (c) 2011

Call For Love Devotion - May 29

Summer has “unofficially” begun here in the states, as we celebrate Memorial Day. It’s a long holiday weekend for many, accompanied by food and festivities. The day itself has been set aside to remember those who have given their lives in service to the nation. In some of our subcultures, it involves remembering all who have died during the past year, for any reason. So pausing to remember those who have died is what we “say” we do this weekend.

What most of us really do, is eat way too much and loaf way too much and maybe party way too much. As is the case with most of our holidays, at least here in the US, holidays are often first and foremost, about food. But food preparation is a gesture of compassion. When someone comes to visit, we offer them food, to refresh them from their journey. When someone dies, often we take food to the family, so they won’t have to concern themselves with this bodily need during a time of profound grief which can be so disabling. Even the day-to-day preparation of food within a family is a symbolic way of conveying love for those we care about most.

Compassion can be interpreted to mean “to feel with another,” usually in instances of unpleasantness. To have compassion for someone means to care deeply and fully about them and their experiences, and to act upon that caring. Maybe it means, to Be There. If we think about what we need in our times of distress, that is what we should be offering others. And yes, it requires effort on our part.

The Christian Bible tells us, “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends” (John 15:13). As I write those words, I am compelled to ask myself, what, exactly, do I think is worth giving my life for? And I am reminded of all those people who have donated bodily organs so that another can live. I am reminded of the many selfless acts of compassion that I have read about, and I think that idea of self-less-ness is, for me, what compassion is all about. It is about forgetting ourselves and doing for others, whether they live in the same house or just on the same planet.

Or, what is it that I think is important to give my life TO? You know, those things like, leaving the world a better place than I found it? Like helping to heal the planet? Like caring for people? Like righting wrongs done to others, even if they don’t directly affect me?

I challenge us this week to come up with ways to extend our compassion, for people and in ways that we might not ordinarily do so.

“For what does the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?” (Micah 6:8)

by Diane Foley
Copyright (c) 2011

Call For Love Devotion - May 28

“Only as high as I reach can I grow, only as far as I seek can I go, only as deep as I look can I see, only as much as I dream can I be.” Karin Ravn

“Anyone can give up, it's the easiest thing in the world to do. But to hold it together when everyone else would understand if you fell apart, that's true strength.” Anonymous

“It is lack of love for ourselves that inhibits our compassion toward others. If we make friends with ourselves, then there is no obstacle to opening our hearts and minds to others.” Anonymous

“Compassion is sometimes the fatal capacity for feeling what it is like to live inside somebody else's skin. It is the knowledge that there can never really be any peace and joy for me until there is peace and joy finally for you too.” Frederick Buechner

“Compassion is the antitoxin of the soul: where there is compassion even the most poisonous impulses remain relatively harmless.” Eric Hoffer

The above quotes shared by Jan Carlson

Call For Love Devotion - May 25: Another Part of Me

Today is May 25, and the day for the worldwide Major Love Prayer at 2:00PM Pacific Time. It is a good day to remember that You're Just Another Part of Me. This is the basis of compassion. If we remember that we are not separate, that we each can not move forward without bringing all of our sisters and brothers along with us, compassion becomes a natural way of being. Michael knew this and shared this message with us in this song and so many others. Let's honor him by showing him that we understand.

We're Takin' Over
We Have The Truth
This Is The Mission
To See It Through

Don't Point Your Finger
Not Dangerous
This Is Our Planet
You're One Of Us

We're Sendin' Out
A Major Love
And This Is Our
Message To You
(Message To You)
The Planets Are Linin' Up
We're Bringin' Brighter Days
They're All In Line
Waitin' For You
Can't You See . . .?
You're Just Another Part Of Me . .

A Rather Nation
Fulfill The Truth
The Final Message
We're Bring To You
There Is No Danger
Fulfill The Truth
So Come Together
We're Mean Is You

We're Sendin' Out
A Major Love
And This Is Our
Message To You
(Message To You)
The Planets Are Linin' Up
We're Bringin' Brighter Days
They're All In Line
Waitin' For You
So Look The Truth
You're Just Another Part Of Me . .

We're Sendin' Out
A Major Love
And This Is Our
Message To You
(Message To You)
The Planets Are Linin' Up
We're Bringin' Brighter Days
They're All In Line
Waitin' For You
Can't You See . . .?
You're Just Another Part Of Me
Another Part Of Me . .

We're Takin' Over
This Is The Truth, Baby
Another Part Of Me

Submitted by Brenda Jenkyns

Call For Love Devotion - May 24: Peace, Love, Healing, and Compassion

Oneness of Life and Light,
Entrusting in your Great Compassion,
May You shed the foolishness in myself,
Transforming me into a conduit of Love.
May I be a medicine for the sick and weary,
Nursing their afflictions until they are cured;
May I become food and drink,
During time of famine,
May I protect the helpless and the poor,
May I be a lamp,
For those who need Your Light,
May I be a bed for those who need rest,
and guide all seekers to the Other Shore.
May all find happiness through my actions,
and let no one suffer because of me.
Whether they love or hate me,
Whether they hurt or wrong me,
May they all realize true entrusting,
Through Other Power,
and realize Supreme Nirvana.

- Namo Amida Buddha
(Traditional Buddist Prayer)

Submitted by Siren

Call For Love Devotion - May 23: That Woman

That woman…
Walking down the street alone after dark
Tattered clothes
Layered for warmth and convenience to carry
Her other belongings piled on her back
Or hanging from her arms dragging behind
She can barely walk under the weight of her load

There’s nobody else around for blocks, except me
On my way home to my comfortable space
I feel guilty somehow
Why me?
Why am I “worthy” of this luxury and not her?
How do You choose, God?
And if not You, then who decides?
What is our fate, our life’s journey, our destination?
Is it just chance, luck of the draw, or simply circumstance?

Oh, Great One
Conductor of souls
Composer of this symphony of life
You Who have choreographed this dance of Creation
What makes one life more blessed than the next?
Why am I so fortunate when others must suffer so much more?
I have a home
I eat every day
I sleep on a warm soft bed in a cozy little apartment
Modest by most standards but blessed nonetheless
I have a job
I pay my bills
And I don’t have to beg for my next meal

That woman…
Walking down the street alone after dark
She begs every day for a morsel of food…
to stay alive!
For what?
To sleep in some alley on a cold rainy night
And wake up the next morning to beg again…
just to survive!
What kind of life is that, and what keeps her going?
What unimaginable strength she must have inside
To carry on each day and into the night
Does despair ever win?
Does hope ever die?
Is hope even within her scope of thinking?

I feel so helpless
What can I do?
I spent most of my life detached somehow
I didn’t even notice
That woman…
Walking down the street alone after dark
She was there
But I was not
I turned away and pretended she didn’t exist
Now that I see, what is my part?
How do I make a difference
To that woman…
Walking down the street alone after dark?

I lift my head to look at her
I nod, I smile, I say hello
I acknowledge her existence
At least it’s a start

That is my part
To pay attention
Don’t turn away and pretend she doesn’t exist
Understanding her pain, her struggle to survive
May give me the courage to take the next step
More than a look, a nod, or a smile
Will stir her heart and lighten her sorrow

Maybe next time I’ll be able to say
What is your name?
May I help you somehow to carry your load?
Come in out of the rain and allow me to take your coat
Dear woman…
Walking down the street alone after dark

Seeing God in her, I gain respect
This child of God has met many challenges
that I couldn’t even imagine
Who am I to judge and look the other way?
Compassion moves me to share my light
And do what I can to make her life just a little bit brighter
To carry her through the night
and give her strength to face the next day

To me
With my comfortable life, it doesn’t seem like much
But to her
It may be the very thing
that makes her feel her life is worth living
Not only that…
When I do my part
It makes Love real
For that woman…
Walking down the street alone after dark
And that’s all that really matters

05/22/2011
Copyright © 2011 by Charlene Burgess

Compassion...
Compassion lives in the night and day
Compassion is Love's best way
Compassion brings together great and small
Compassion is the light which unites us all.

Compassion is the highest expression of human love, and a keynote of our spiritual evolution. As Compassion flows from our hearts, Balance is gained, and Harmony among opposites is achieved. Compassion, Balance and Harmony create Freedom and Liberation, and from this place and space, Compassion unites us all.
~ Author Unknown

Prayer of Compassion from Mother Teresa:
Lord, open our eyes
that we may see You in our brothers and sisters.
Lord, open our ears
that we may hear the cries of the hungry,
the cold, the frightened, the oppressed.
Lord, open our hearts
that we may Love each other as You Love us.
Renew in us Your spirit.
Lord, free us and make us one.
Amen

Artist Heidi Hansen, formerly homeless, painted this artistic representation of hope after homelessness. The original painting bears her dedication “When we reach our darkest moments, we can choose to act out our despair, or do something extraordinary.” This piece was one of 28 of her paintings which she donated to be sold at an art auction to benefit a homeless shelter and to raise awareness of homelessness in Vancouver, Washington. Hansen is a survivor of domestic violence and mental illness who received services from Open House Ministries and Share, Inc.

Call For Love Devotion - May 21

Eternal Father,

We admit that we don’t always perceive our world from the Eternal view … thank you for healing our shortsightedness.

We know that our vision is often obscured by our own feelings of inadequacy or ideas of justice … thank you for educating us in Your mercy.

We wear the blinders of human frailty, but delude ourselves that we have all the answers … thank you for teaching us that asking the right question is the pinnacle of wisdom.

We inflate ourselves with the pride of judgment and criticism … thank you for teaching us humility.

We can’t hear Your still, quiet voice through the din of our busy-ness and industry … thank you for sending us messengers who speak our tongues and sing our dreams and dance our fantasies, showing us the way to go with their lives well-lived in Your service.

We acknowledge that our world doesn’t recognize Your gift … thank you for blessing us with eyes to see and ears to hear and the will to witness and testify to your Love for us. For you so loved the world that you sent us not one … but two … of your Beloved Sons to shine radiant light into all the dark places in our hearts and bring your Truth into our reality.

May the Spirit of Truth enfold us in her voluminous wings. May She spread her wings to envelope all who make their living by deceit; who advance their agendas with gossip, speculation, innuendo and lies; who bear false witness against their neighbors for profit or who bolster their careers and profit from the downfall of others. May the soft touch of her feathers ignite the flame of Truth and thaw the coldness within their hearts, leading them from the darkness of their iniquity into the sunlight of Your Grace.

Thank you for transmuting what we view as shameful waste, in our imperfect understanding, into the seeds of a better and more healed future for our children and our planet through the alchemy of your L.O.V.E. Thank you for watering those tender seedlings with our tears and baking them in the crucible of Your Plan as seedlings become old growth forests, restoring the human race to Your beautiful Garden of Eden where we will, at long last, end our exile in Your embrace.

We view death as an ending, a parting … thank you for teaching us rebirth awaits all who pass that way, that loss is not forever, that pain bears precious fruit and that we are not alone in our grieving.

We praise You and thank You for your Perfect Plan for us, even as we often fight against its promptings ... thank you for healing our faithlessness and teaching us the perfect peace of surrender.

In the name of Your Beloved Son, Jesus, and in the memory of your Beloved Son, Michael, we pray.

Amen

by Jan Carlson
Copyright (c) 2011

[Jan’s note: The legendary phoenix is a symbol for resurrection, rebirth, revival. In the alchemical tradition, it also represents the base metal transmuting within the crucible of purification into precious gold. I chose this graphic as an appropriate accompaniment to this Conversation. “The phoenix rising from the ashes is you creating you.”]

Call For Love Devotion - May 18: You Are Not Alone

When I think of comfort in times of loss, this song is the one that fills my heart with hope and love. I have used it to help me through the initial loss of Michael from this physical place, by imagining him singing it to all of us, to his Mother, to Elizabeth. I have thought of it as God singing to Michael in his times of need, God singing to me and me singing to my children when they have needed comfort. We are all connected and can not be lost from one another. I feel the truth of this when I hear Michael sing, You are Not Alone.

"You Are Not Alone"

Another day has gone
I'm still all alone
How could this be
You're not here with me
You never said goodbye
Someone tell me why
Did you have to go
And leave my world so cold

Everyday I sit and ask myself
How did love slip away
Something whispers in my ear and says
That you are not alone
I am here with you
Though you're far away
I am here to stay

But you are not alone
I am here with you
Though we're far apart
You're always in my heart
But you are not alone

'Lone, 'lone
Why, 'lone

Just the other night
I thought I heard you cry
Asking me to come
And hold you in my arms
I can hear your prayers
Your burdens I will bear
But first I need your hand
Then forever can begin

Everyday I sit and ask myself
How did love slip away
Something whispers in my ear and says
That you are not alone
I am here with you
Though you're far away
I am here to stay

you are not alone
I am here with you
Though we're far apart
You're always in my heart
you are not alone

Whisper three words and I'll come runnin'
And girl you know that I'll be there
I'll be there

You are not alone
I am here with you
Though you're far away
I am here to stay
you are not alone
I am here with you
Though we're far apart
You're always in my heart

you are not alone
I am here with you
Though you're far away
I am here to stay

you are not alone
I am here with you
Though we're far apart
You're always in my heart

For you are not alone...
Not alone ohh
You are not alone
You are not alone
Say it again
You are not alone
You are not alone
Not alone, Not alone
If you just reach out for me girl
In the morning, in the evening
Not alone, not alone
You and me not alone
Oh together together
Not not being alone
Not not being alone

Submitted by Brenda Jenkyns

Call For Love Devotion - May 17: Peace, Love, Healing and Unity

God, I turn to You with all my heart.
I joyously realize Your absolute presence.
I see You everywhere

In all places, all people, and all that is.
You breathe life and Light into my very soul,
You who are Infinite Love.
I feel Your presence

You live in me.
Thank you for the Divine Spark within.
You have said "Ask and it shall be given."
I come to You now in gratitude and Love
For Your assistance that is ever present.

Receive my prayer as an offering of faith

That what I ask for has already been given and received.
I believe in the power of LOVE
I release this intention into Your hands.
I surrender to Your will.
May Your Divine Design now manifest
Let Divine Love be revealed.

Today I join with my brothers and sisters
As we speak to You in unity.
Our hearts joined and overflowing with Divine Love,
By Your grace, let this Divine Love infuse and heal us and the Earth

Spark our faith, hope and love into new action this day.
Our lives fill with gratitude, wonder and awe.
We receive the blessing of Your perfect love and wisdom.
And with this prayer we now embrace the call You gave us

To be spiritual beings,
In service to each other
and to You.

Amen

~ Submitted by Siren
(adapted from a prayer by Lynne Woodland)

Call For Love Devotion - May 16: The Endless Grip of Longing

Deep longing
Unfulfilled

Never goes away
It remains in the heart
Perhaps held at bay
Only to surface
On another dark day
The journey to wholeness
May seem endless
When you’re feeling hopeless
Lost and forgotten
Your dreams have escaped you
What now is your purpose?

Deep longing
Unfulfilled

Be gentle with yourself
When in its grip
Be kind
Take your time
And try to understand
This pain will guide you
To a new place and time
Where a light is hiding
Waiting to be found
It was placed in you at your birth
It is the expression
Of your beauty
Your gift
Your true worth

Deep longing
Unfulfilled

Grief and sorrow over what is lost
Must be honored first
Whatever the cost
The tide of emotions
Inevitable pain
Creates a void
Leaves a space
For something else
To take its place
Trust that the answers will come
Filling that space
That hole in your soul
Your Godself awaits
Joy and passion
Will find expression
Igniting the light
That’s been hiding within

Deep longing
Unfulfilled

Always remember
The emptiness inside
Make a vow right now
To never forget
Not to dwell
Or stay in the darkness
But to find compassion
And share your light
When others are held
In its endless grip

Deep longing
Unfulfilled

Comes full circle
Its purpose revealed
When Love is shared
Given away
This Gift of self
Dims the pain
Glowing heartspace
Returns to you
Sustained by Love’s everlasting embrace
Its promise yields

Deep longing...
Fulfilled

07/11/10
Copyright © 2010 by Charlene Burgess

"One thing I've learned, as a good friend once told me, 'God doesn't waste a hurt.' I don't believe God causes hurtful things to happen to us; in fact, I believe He's right there with us in our darkest hour crying as deeply as we are over our pain and suffering. I do believe God provides opportunities for us to find and receive His Love in the midst of our deepest sorrow. And He also brings us to healing solutions and discovering ways we can use our experience to help others." ~ C. Burgess

Call For Love Devotion - May 15

In thinking about grief, I turned to one of the darkest songs in Michael’s catalog: Stranger in Moscow. It is so hauntingly beautiful yet communicates such agony that I think its mood is perfect for a time of grief.
Just the sounds of the rain and the music call to mind the most agonizing feelings. Any of us who has suffered a loss can identify readily with the dismal picture painted by the song. I searched in vain for the joy, that one little sparkle that is often there. It didn’t appear. Just as, when we lose someone, we try so hard to find something redemptive in the situation. Those around us do, too: the platitudes come in droves: “at least they didn’t suffer,” or “they aren’t suffering any longer,” or “they are in a better place” (feel free to fill in your own favorite right about now!). People who say such things mean them as a source of comfort, when a source of comfort is not to be found.
We feel helpless to comfort someone in such pain. We want to do anything…anything to take away their pain…to make them feel just a little bit better. It causes us pain to see those we love experiencing hurt.
Another platitude we hear is “every cloud has a silver lining.” But I think, in the midst of grief, sometimes it may be important to just allow ourselves to be embraced by the cloud for a while. Physicians once gave sedatives to the family members of someone who had died, so they wouldn’t feel the pain. But we’ve come to learn that feeling the pain, surprisingly, is a good thing: it reminds us that we are alive and that we know how to love.
Kahlil Gibran wrote:
"Your joy is your sorrow unmasked. And the self-same well from which your laughter rises was oftentimes filled with your tears…The deeper that sorrow carves into your being, the more joy you can contain...you are suspended like scales between your sorrow and your joy. Only when you are empty are you at standstill and balanced."

The song fades away at the end, perhaps telling us that pain does not often go away suddenly but disappears gently.
Oh, and I found the sparkle in the song: it’s the voice of the singer.

~ Diana Foley
Copyright © 2011

Call For Love Devotion - May 14: The Day the Magic Died

"My idea of magic doesn’t have much to do with stage tricks and illusions. The whole world abounds in magic. When a whale plunges out of the sea like a newborn mountain, you gasp in unexpected delight. What magic! But a toddler who sees his first tadpole flashing in a mud puddle feels the same thrill. Wonder fills his heart, because he has glimpsed for an instant the playfulness of life.

"When I see the clouds whisked away from a snow-capped peak, I feel like shouting, “Bravo!” Nature, the best of all magicians, has delivered another thrill. She has exposed the real illusion, our inability to be amazed by her wonders. Every time the sun rises, Nature is repeating one command: “Behold!” Her magic is infinitely lavish, and in return all we have to do is appreciate it.

"What delight Nature must feel when she makes stars out of swirling gas and empty space. She flings them like spangles from a velvet cape, a billion reasons for us to awaken in pure joy. When we open our hearts and appreciate all she has given us, Nature finds her reward. The sound of applause rolls across the universe, and she bows."

Michael Jackson ~ Dancing the Dream ~1992~ Page 50

My heart has been caught up in the concept of Magic for the past couple of weeks. How do we define it? It defies definition. As soon as you try to examine it too closely, it disappears like a puff of summer wind.

As adults, our lives are caught up and glued to some very un-magical activities like putting food on the table and gas in the tank, getting the kids up and dressed for school and making sure they have clean clothes to wear. The belief in magic is a very ‘childish’ thing and our society wants to make sure that we don’t have time to notice the magic that surrounds us in everything we do.

Whenever my heart is caught up in a concept, I write about it … and this week is no exception. This magic thing has me by the shorthairs and won’t let me go until I spill my guts on the subject. So, I’ve written a poem about it:

The Day the Magic Died

Magic is a nebulous concept
It shifts and reforms
Just beyond the comfort of definition
Weighed and measured
It is found wanting
’Til its absence is sorely missed
On the day the magic died

Magic is a newborn’s smile
When the doctor says, “It’s gas”
We know a smile from gas my friend
You don’t even need to ask
Magic is a cloud formation
That reminds of someone known
Floating high above our heads
When all our faith has flown

A breath of life
Flutters on a breeze
Delighting our senses
With gossamer wings
Stained glass tracery of perpetual motion
Until pinned against black velvet
Examined under a microscope
On the day the magic died

How does one define it?
Encapsulate it?
Is it illusion?
Or just confusion?
Unseen but surely felt
It hovers in the periphery of our vision
Gliding, spinning, it remains motionless
At the center of our decision
On the day the magic died

We grasp
Try to hold it still
But it vanishes like smoke
We want it
But reject it still
It’s alien, foreign
To the logical mind
It makes us laugh
It makes us sing
Until the day the magic dies

We love it
But refuse to admit
We need it
It just doesn’t fit
Attempts to group it
With similar kind
Fail and we are left
Bereft
On the day the magic dies

How to rekindle
That lost hope
How to untie
The fraying rope
We bind around our dreams
While burying them deep
Beneath the soil of our
Mundane, pedestrian lives
We keep them safe
While within we weep
For the day the magic died

Magic danced our dreams
Enlivened our souls
Breathed our most secret thoughts
Broke all our molds
Refused
To be defined by our roles
Moonwalked over
Around and through our boundaries
Enchanted
Enthralled
And humbly accepted our applause
Until the day the magic died

Do you remember
Where you were
On the day the magic died?

Since that day
The colors are faded
Our lives are experienced
As somehow more jaded
Less innocent
More sad
Less playful
Were we mad?

How could we reject magic
Wherever we found it
As well to reject the air we breathe
For magic is just another name for life,
For love
And life cannot be buried
Love is not confined in marble crypt
Magic lives forever
In our hearts
When we remember love

Magic is the mustard seed
He planted in our hearts
Magic is his smile we see
When we’re told we have to part
Magic is his laugh we hear
Through the tears we shed in vain
Magic is the song he sings
To chase away our pain
For magic cannot die!
That's what makes it MAGIC!

He tells us over and over again
That we are not alone
He reaches out his hand for us
He waits to take us home.

by Jan Carlson
Copyright (c) 2011

Call For Love Devotion - May 12

We have so much love in this world,
and we have so much love in our hearts,
and sometimes we forget.
Sometimes we think there isn't enough,
or there is just a small amount.
So we hoard what we have,
or we are afraid to let it go.
We are afraid to let it out.
But those of us who are willing to learn,
realise that the more love we allow to flow out from us,
the more there is within us and the more we receive.
It is endless and timeless.
Love is really the most powerful healing force that there is.
Without love we could not survive at all.
If little ting babies are not given love and affection,
they wither and die.
Most of us think we can survive without love,
but we cannot.
Love for ourselves is the power that heals us.
Practice as much as you can.

by Louise Hay

Submitted by Elmira van Galen

Call For Love Devotion - May 11: I'm Committed to My Art

"I believe that all art has as its ultimate goal the union between the material and the spiritual, the human and the divine. And I believe that that is the very reason for the existence of art and what I do. And I feel fortunate in being that instrument through which music flows.... Deep inside I feel that this world we live in is really a big, huge, monumental symphonic orchestra.

"…The same new miracle intervals and biological rhythms that sound out the architecture of my DNA also governs the movement of the stars. The same music governs the rhythm of the seasons, the pulse of our heartbeats, the migration of birds, the ebb and flow of ocean tides, the cycles of growth, evolution and dissolution. It's music, it's rhythm. And my goal in life is to give to the world what I was lucky to receive: the ecstasy of divine union through my music and my dance. It's like, my purpose, it's what I'm here for."

~ Michael Jackson 1992 Ebony/Jet Interview


Dearest Michael,

Thank you for inviting all of us to be a part of your Symphony of Love. We only need to look to you as our conductor, our maestro, and we will know when and how to play and sing our individual notes. We know our only responsibility is to play our own note as clear and true as we possibly can. As individual notes, we are beautiful in our own right, but when we sing and play together as one, we really shine, and our individual beauty is enhanced by one another beyond anything we could ever dream of.

We thank you for being with us, and encouraging us to remember who we really are. Please help us to set an example for those who are just behind us on the path, as we also reach out to those in front of us for a hand up along the way. Please help us to remember that our job is not to tell others how to play their notes, but rather to applaud their efforts and know that each one of us is as special and unique as the next. The symphony can only be it’s best when all of it’s notes are playing their parts in harmony. At the same time, we take comfort in knowing that if we feel we can not play our note for a time, or if we must play it only very quietly, the rest of the Symphony will carry us along until we feel strong enough to join in. In this way we can all achieve what you have shown us is possible – the ecstasy of divine union.

Love you forever,
Your many dedicated notes

Written by Brenda Jenkyns
Copyright © 2011

Call For Love Devotion - May 10: Peace, Love, Healing and Unity

By Your grace I come to You
with all that I am and all that I ever hope to be.
I am born of Your Love.
You alone satisfy my soul.
You in me and I in You;
You are the path of healing for my soul.
By Your grace I come into Your presence
with simple, trusting assurance,
certain of Your Love for me.
In Your presence all fear and insecurity melt away
and deep hurts become healing memories.
In Your presence I am strengthened and filled with hope.
I breathe the breath of heaven deep inside my spirit.
Your heaven flows through me.
May the Light of Your glory be present within me.

I Love You.

- Author unknown
Submitted by Siren

Call For Love Devotion - May 9: Love Is the Answer

When all the world
Seems filled with gloom
It’s soul consumed
With tragedy and disaster
Remember…
Love is the answer

When hate fills the space
Where love was once commonplace
When words sting
Instead of sing
Remember…
Love is the answer

When others don’t understand
Why you’ve taken My hand
Your new light reveals
Their darkness concealed
Remember…
Love is the answer

When hard times descend
Upon foe or friend
When eyes that once sparkled and shined
Become blind
Remember…
Love is the answer

When land and sea
Send out a plea
Mother Earth cries out
Destruction all about
Remember…
Love is the answer

When the children are forlorn
Their little souls tattered and torn
Abused, neglected
Hopeless and dejected
Remember…
Love is the answer

For only Love can turn darkness to light
Blindness to sight
Giving hope to the hopeless
A friend to the friendless
New vision and a dream
Can be all that they seem
When we remember
That Love is the answer

04/03/2011
Copyright © 2011 by Charlene Burgess

Call For Love Devotion - May 8

Healing: Get out of the Way!

The human body has an incredible power for healing. I have personally witnessed many occasions of healing over the course of my life, yet never cease to be amazed. Recently I was witness to an incredible healing of my own, in which my body took care of a situation in 8 days that normally takes 3 to 4 weeks. I didn’t really do anything special to effect that result, just took my medicine and let the rest take care of itself. I got out of the way.

What did Michael have to say about healing? Heal the World! We are not used to “healing” anything, because our bodies take care of that for us. We can’t do much to heal ourselves, except get out of the way and let nature take its course. That “getting out of the way” is very important, and very hard for us humans to do: we want to DO SOMETHING. We are so used to being in control of our lives, even when they seem out of control. So we want to control the healing, too. Remember the saying, Don’t just stand there, DO SOMETHING! We think we are not being helpful if we are not consciously doing something.

But real healing is not something we can “will” into being. Real healing requires rest and allowing the healing processes that already exist, given to us by our Creator, to do what they do best. If we get too busy “doing something,” our body is using energy to do that “something” that it should have available for healing. So the natural healing process is actually delayed.

Michael said, “Heal the world.” He also said, “we are the world.” Maybe we need to think about healing ourselves first, so that we can then be more fit to help the rest of the world.

For a change, let’s get out of the way.

by Diane Foley
Copyright (c) 2011

Call For Love Devotion - May 7: Prayer

Eternal One,

You have taught us through the lives and words of many messengers that we are your children. Those same messengers have exhorted us to love each other as we love ourselves and to treat others as we would want to be treated. As your children, we have to admit that we don’t often treat your beloved messengers kindly. Their radiance frequently hurts our eyes and, in our ignorance, we fear it or are jealous of it, eventually dousing it. The contrast between their lives lived in your Light and ours too often lived in darkness is too stark. Thank you for not giving up on us. We thank you for continuing to send into our midst those who, just by breathing, enlighten our minds and illuminate our hearts with their blinding brilliance.

Such a messenger is Michael Jackson, Lord … breathtakingly beautiful … enormously God-gifted … divinely inspired … endlessly compassionate and loving. With his unquenchable desire to heal us and our world, he was a gift for which we were insufficiently grateful when he walked among us. Please accept our gratitude for his life and for his example, now, Lord. Thank you for allowing us to witness his star as it blazed across our sky in shining, sparkling brilliance. To those of us he left behind, his star flamed out too soon. We thank you for instilling in us faith that all is proceeding according to Your Plan. We thank you for allowing him to continue to enlighten us … to inspire us … to speak to us … to remain close to us, even as we mourn his absence.

Eternal Mother, many of Michael Jackson’s followers are hurting. They continue to reel in disbelief that our Beloved One could be snatched from our arms without preamble … without warning … without saying goodbye. Many are floundering in anger at those who persecuted him during his time with us and resentment against those involved in any way in taking him from us. Some dream of vengeance against the man (or men) that ended his life much too soon. We pray that the healing balm of your love, which was so well-personified by him throughout his life, may coat their hearts with the health of forgiveness. We thank you for giving solace to the inconsolable, faith that he continues to live in Your love to those who doubt and determination to follow in his footsteps to those paralyzed by his absence so that they may shine their lights, as he shone his, and focus on healing themselves and the world.

We thank you, Heavenly Father, for the reversal in the tide of negativity that dogged your beloved son’s steps while he was bound in his physical incarnation. Recent testimonies by his influential friends begin, at long last, to present a more accurate portrait of him. Michael always said, “Lies run sprints while the TRUTH runs marathons.” We pray that this reversal continues and we thank you for allowing TRUTH to, finally, win the marathon.

We pray these things in the name of Your Beloved Son, Jesus … and in memory of His beloved messenger, Michael Jackson.

Amen


Copyright © 2011 by Jan Carlson

Call For Love Devotion - May 2: Pathways to Peace

Peace begins in the heart of each individual. When you center yourself in divine love and focus your thoughts on peace, you create a sacred place within your heart, dedicated to experiencing and expressing the love of God. As you then begin to let divine love radiate out from you to those around you, you take the first step in generating peace in your life and in all circumstances. When you extend your thoughts of love and peace to others, you create an atmosphere of peace that embraces and unites every heart.

Be a Peacemaker

Think of the great peacemakers throughout history, including Michael Jackson. How are they able to inspire people to follow a path of peace? How has Michael inspired us to be here today on this mission of spreading love and peace to others in his name?

The answer lies within—the great peacemakers of the world remain centered by turning within to “the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding” (Phil. 4:7). The world responds to their inner glow of peace. You may create your own glow by thinking peaceful thoughts, speaking words you'd like to hear, and treating everyone with kindness and compassion, just as Michael always did.

Have you ever noticed the ripple effect created just by smiling at someone? Try this experiment. Smile at people and see how many smiles you receive in return. You'll be amazed at how far kindness can travel in just a short amount of time. Your inner peace is reaching out to others and the ripples of love and understanding are spreading outward in a never-ending circle.

Now visualize the peace of God encircling Michael’s family, extending out to all those who were closely involved in Michael’s life, and beyond that to all of his fans around the world. You are a part of that peace because you're on a spiritual journey—a pathway that includes peace in your day-to-day living. Just as with any journey, you can pack for the trip. Carry with you an attitude of peace, enfold yourself in God's love, and always, always have generous amounts of concern and caring ready to share with others.

When you pray, remember to enfold everyone in your faith-filled thoughts. Even those who may evoke anger and resentment - especially those. Envision each person divinely guided in finding the way to live with integrity in love and peace and truth with others. Although distance may separate you from these people, prayer bridges the gap toward unity and harmonious relationships. To love in God's way is to let it flow freely, not withholding it from anyone.

Make a covenant right now to dedicate your prayers and your thoughts to the fulfillment of love and peace in all you do.

05/02/2011
Copyright © 2011 by Charlene Burgess



Click on the link below to view a guided meditation video, "Song of Peace":
http://www.unity.org/prayer/guidedMeditations/songOfPeace.html

"We are peacemakers, one in the love of God.
With hearts united, we establish harmony and peace in our lives and in the world."