I found this on the Major Love Prayer site today. It needs to be shared.

Posted: Wednesday, October 20, 2010

We recently ran across this beautiful story online and want to share it. What you will read below is simply magical and is one of countless stories like it that now live in the hearts of so many across the world. It's a story of LOVE, CARING, COMPASSION and MIRACLES. Oh Michael, thank you and bless you! You continue be an inspiration to us and a shining light of hope, and will be through the rest of our days ... and beyond. We pray that we can all find it in our hearts to emulate you, even in some small way, through whatever gifts we have been given in this life. Even if our way of doing so may seem insignificant to us at the time, every act of kindness and every prayer of love leaves a lasting impact on our world and for the future. And Michael is always there to remind us. ♥

Posted in comments on oprah.com October 18, 2010 by 'SwiftHearts': -- "I recently heard of this interview airing and decided to get more information about it on Oprah's website. This is when I stumbled across this discussion and decided to share my story. I was diagnosed with a rare form of child bone cancer in 2000 at the age of fifteen. I was to start chemo therapy in August of that year. Not many people know this but Michael opened up Neverland several times each year for anyone to come and enjoy the park. Everything was free. Rides, games, food. A friend of mine who was a regular at Neverland called me one night and told me the park was going to be open for two weeks at the beginning of August that year. I asked my parents if they would take me the week before I was scheduled to start chemo. My doctors all advised against saying they feared I was too weak but I eventually talked my parents in to it. We had to drive what seemed like several miles after we went through the front gates of Neverland to get to where the actual park was with the rides. As we were driving down the winding road something came over me that I can't explain to this day. It was almost a feeling of peace.

When my family and I stepped out of the car we weren't sure if we should check in with someone or really what to do. A man finally walked over to us and introduced himself and then explained to my parents how everything worked. We signed in with our names and other information and were given matching wrist bands and told we could ride anything we wanted, eat anything we wanted, play any of the games, etc. The man mentioned that on occasion Michael would come outside and say hello to everyone there. My parents thanked the man and within minutes I was at the top of the ferris wheel with my Dad. We rode it three times in a row and then it was on to the swings. We rode the rides for hours before getting in line to get some cotton candy and popcorn. As we sat down at a table with our snacks we noticed a crowd of children running all in one direction. I stood up on the seat of the table we were at but couldn't see anything. Several minutes later the crowd began moving towards us and it was then that I saw Michael. Standing under a huge umbrella and laughing as children were pulling at his arms, legs, and hugging him.

My Mom then grabbed my hand and we made our way over to him. We introduced ourselves and my Mom told him what a wonderful time we were having. She then told him about my cancer and that I would be starting chemo the next week. When she said that Michael put one hand on my head and said, "God Bless you." When he touched me I felt the same feeling of peace and comfort that I did as I had when we drove through the gates of Neverland. He stood there and talked to us for a couple more minutes and then he left. I continued riding rides with my family and the other children but I couldn't stop thinking about meeting him. As we were leaving that night the man who we spoke to when we arrived stopped my dad and handed him a note. The note was from Michael and it was inviting the three of us to have dinner with him. Without hesitation my Dad accepted the invitation and the man then directed us to through another gate which led to the main house. I was surprised once we were in front of the house. I expected it to be this huge mansion but it wasn't. It wasn't small but it certainly wasn't huge. Several people who worked for him greeted us when we pulled up outside. We had dinner with Michael and his children that night and to this day it was the best night of my life. After dinner he asked my parents if it would be ok if he prayed with us and of course they said yes. I had never and still to this day have never heard anyone pray the way he did. At fifteen years old it made me cry.

After he finished praying I opened my eyes and looked to each of my parents who were in tears as well. Michael was gracious enough to give us a tour of some of the things we weren't able to see earlier in the day. He showed us the arcade and the movie theater. The movie theater at Neverland was not your typical theater. Not only were there seats like a real theater, there were also beds for the children who were too sick to sit up. After showing us around we said goodbye to Michael and thanked him for everything. Imagine my Mother's surprise when she received a call from him several days later! We assumed he had obtained our number from the sign in sheet that we filled out upon arriving at Neverland. He asked her how I was doing and she told him I would begin chemo on Monday. He then gave her a number in which to reach him directly and asked her to please call him and let him know how I was doing around the middle of the week. She agreed. I went that Monday morning to the hospital prepared to begin chemo. When the doctor walked in the room he asked both of my parents to sit down. The three of us feared he was going to say the cancer had spread. They had run blood work and some more scans on me two days prior which is typical prior to beginning treatment.

When the doctor began to speak he looked at my parents and said, "I don't know how to tell you this. I don't know how to explain this but Danielle no longer has cancer. There are no signs of it on any of the scans we just took." My Mom, my Dad, and I sat there and just stared at him and finally my Mom burst in to tears. We left the hospital and the first thing my Mom did when we got home was call Michael. I was embarrassed because she was crying on the phone but then she handed the phone to me to speak to him and it was obvious he had been crying as well. Through the years Michael remained in touch with my family and would call us several times a year on the phone to say hello. He would sometimes send us gifts and cards. I have been cancer free for ten years now. I can't explain what happened when I went to Neverland. It's defies explanation. I want people to know that I am not the only one who visited Neverland very sick only to become well after my visit. There are hundreds, if not thousands of us. Our stories were never made public because Michael didn't want that. He was a wonderful man. I have never met anyone who cared so deeply about not just children but people in general."

As I watched the light fly away, float, into the dark evening sky, I felt a sense of peace I hadn’t felt the rest of the day. It was beautiful, shiny sparkly and splendidly bright, like a golden orange yellow moon, or a big bright apple lightening up the sky. It flew so fast, disappearing into the clouds, never to return. I watched it hide behind the clouds and knew it was found by you and all the stars hiding above the grey silver sky. I thought about how much love you must receive on this day and it made me smile. I knew I was ok because I have you in my heart. You are not lost, your love is not lost, and your music is not lost. You are alive in all of us loving and remembering you. Honouring your memory and legacy. I thought about the small seeds that are planted in all of us. I thought about how mine have grown so much because of your love. I thought about the seeds turning into beautiful flowers. I thought about how I owe it all to you. It turns out that on your birthday you are giving me the greatest gift. Thank you Michael for giving it your all and then some. I love you most. Happy birthday.

Never-ending love

Petra

x

Dear Michael,

The 29^th of August will be a day of celebration for me. I remember a year ago, the first one without you here, how I made a conscious decision to make at least THAT day wonderful and a celebration of your life, not your passing. It was hard, but I got myself together and made it a wonderful day. Sure, there were tears, but they were tears of joy and pride. I felt so much love on that day and I know you felt it too. I remembered how honoured I was to have had you in my life at all, what a blessing it had been. How much you gave of yourself and what you had meant to me throughout my life. I focused on love. I sent you a balloon, attached with a note. As I watched it rise in the evening sky, never to return, I smiled inside knowing it would reach you in heaven. This year I will do the same. I love you Michael. Happy birthday.

All my love

Petra

x

your prayers

and your love

They reach me

in heaven,

I tell you for sure

I promise you this,

that one day you’ll see,

how wonderfully splendid, it all is for me 

Until that day

hold your heads high,

Keep me in your hearts,

I keep you in mine

Spread to the world

A love so divine

Give them a feeling of

your heart and mine

Teach them that love

is all that there is,

Truth’s at the core,

surrounded by bliss

© Copyright 2010 Petra Gustafsson All Rights Reserved. No Reproduction Without Permission Of Owner.

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Someone really special was taken from us on June 25th 2009. It broke many of our hearts and today the grief is still fresh and raw in our minds, like it only happened yesterday. It’s hard to believe it’s been a year, where did it go, what happened, who else died, other events? It’s all a blur, nothing really felt significant enough to be registered after June 25^th, life was put on hold and it was hard to breathe at times. Seasons came and went, occasions that we’re usually happy ones, like Christmas or birthdays, tinted by sorrow. 

There will always be before and after when it comes to Michael, life will never be the same since his passing, it’s written in our hearts, a change has come and it echoes throughout the world. We all know it, we might feel it in different ways, but its still there, undisputed, a change has come. Wanting it or not. Most days, I have to admit, I wish this change hadn’t come, that it was just back to normal, Michael’s heartbeat still in this world, pushing us to make it a better place. But life doesn’t work that way, it continues pushing us forward. Change is all we can rely on, it’s all we know for sure. Change is a given. No matter how hard we fight it. We all change. This past year more then ever before, it was the year I lost my childhood hero, my big brother, my spiritual teacher, my ambassador for love and peace, my hope for making this world a better place, a piece of my heart. In the instant Michael was gone, a shift occurred and life as we knew it, gone. Maya Angelou said it best “In the instant that Michael is gone, we know nothing”.

For what do we know? Since Michael left, very little. It shook my foundation to the core, made me feel like an orphan, question life and the belief in a God of some kind. How could he/she/it have taken our most precious Michael away in this time of need? Why now? Isn’t the world in a crazy state of mind, is he not needed here right now? Then it hit me, he is still needed here, but from where he now is he can do much more, so much more. Maybe that’s why he had to leave at this time, to really help us? Teach us through his physical absence to take our selves seriously, take a look at ourselves and for once, make that change? To really see the Man in the mirror, take a closer look, not just sneak a peak? I know this has been stated many times in different ways, but I believe it’s true. 

Facing the fact there is something bigger out there, must be followed by the conclusion it knows what it does, we are not left in dire straits, that would be preposterous for us to believe.

The belief in a higher power must be accompanied by the faith that nothing happens by chance, or mistake. It’s all carefully planned. If it’s indeed almighty, there can be no other way. There’s no God doing things semi well, is there? So if no mistake is done, where does that leave us? Our loss? Well, there must be something to it. And I choose to believe it has a meaning, I know it does. I guess this is really a trial of our faith, for me it is at least. 
I find myself asking, what did Michael believe in, when he was here, like us? What made him strong, what, or who did he credit all of his talent? The answer is simple, God. We have all witnessed him saying over and over again how he felt guilty sometimes putting his name on his masterpieces, praising someone else for it, a higher power, God. It falls right into my lap, it’s created in space, was a common thing for him to say. Well, that’s where we must find our strength.

For what Michael believed in I must too. I feel it strongly, he showed us the way, and he was more open to it than most people on this planet. He showed us time and time again that we are not alone. He even sang about it. There are so many clues left in his music for us to pick up on, so many insights, so much wisdom. We can all still learn from it and it will always be there. It will keep us strong; help us remember when times are hard, what he truly stood for, what he believed in. We can use that belief to strengthen ourselves, pick us up when feeling down. Help us keep the faith and continue forward despite missing Michael. For that we do, every day. Not a day has gone by that he hasn’t been on my mind. I guess it’s really like that, you don’t know what you’ve got till it’s gone. Never has it been truer. Just a year ago, I never foresaw this scenario, a world with out Michael, unthinkable, like today. But here we are, in the midst of it, trying to come to terms with the fact that life has indeed changed. No matter how hard we try to fight it, or what our feelings are about it. This we don’t get to choose. It just is. And well, we’re left to deal with it. 
Michael may be gone from physical but his love is still shining down on us and will continue to do for as long as we live. He hasn’t left us; he’s just disappeared from our physical eyes for a while. And until we reunite again we will keep missing that someone really special. 

For Michael Joseph Jackson,

Thank you for your never ending inspiration and love Michael, I love you most.

06/23/10 - Copyright © 2010 by Petra Gustafsson]

But through it all a light has emerged from the deepest part of my soul telling me, this is not it, love is all there is and we are all one. And I owe it all to you. Thank you my angel, I love you most.

Petra