"Talitha koum!"

I am on a journey that I am sure many of you out there are on, or have been on, and I wish that someone would have shared their experiences with me when I started. Actually to be quite frank - I most likely would not have listened, or at least changed my path - but I would like to think that at least a tiny amount on it might have made it through my very thick bull headed skull.

I'm going to start near the end and then catch you up a bit. I'm at what I call the turning point in my life, at least I hope it's the turning point - I really need one of those right about now. So what the heck does Talitha koum mean. Well it means: "Little girl, I say to you, get up!!" This one phrase, along with a God timed conversation from a woman I respect more than most have been one of the most pivtal, and life changing things in my life.

So what brought me to this place.

I had gotten myself into what can only be described as "The Pit of Dispair", not unlike the same pit in "The Prince's Bride". For those of you unfamiliar with the movie - shame on you, you missed out on a fanominal movie. But a recap nonthe less: the hero gets knocked unconsious and when he awakes he is in an underground tourture chamber greeted by a nasty looking albino (not that all albinos are nasty - it's just that this one was). When the hero asked where he was the albino answered in a grisly, spooky voice "The Pit of Dispair" The hero soon has the most tourtourus of torture performed on him by the villan of the movie. He has found a way to take away years from your life - and not in way that removes wrinkles and grey hairs - no, he takes away the years from your mind. This leaves the hero "mostly" dead as we later come to find out - only to be awaken by "true love".


My "Pit of Dispair" started a little different than that of our hero. While he was knocked unconsious I willingly stepped into mine. Actually, looking back you can say that I sought mine out. I know what you're thinking, what fool would look for ways to tourture herself? This one, and if I do say so myself - many of you who are reading this right now. Those of you reading are probably in many different phases right now. You might find yourself deep in the pit, unconsious to where you are. You might be awake to your surroundings, and asking where you are and how you got there. Or you could be in the thick of the torture that surrounds you either by choice or by something outside your grasp.

There might even be others who are on their way into their own pit. My advice to you - if you will take it is to run. Run to God, and surround yourself with those who love you enough to kick your be-hind off the path you are headed. You need to surround yourself with those who will speak the truth into your life even at the risk of a momentary loss of your friendship.

See, that is too often the problem with friends these days, and it is completly our own doing. We (and when I say we - I really mean me, but know there are people out there in the great beyond who can relate) surround ourselves with people who make us feel good. They compliment, smooze, and curry favor with us, or the other way around and we are the smoozers because by being connected to that person it elevates our status. Most friendships in this day in age are superficial and as fragile as a butterfly in the hands of Shrek. It seems to me that there are very few "pure" relationships left. Relationships built on substance, grown through years of famine and plenty. The kind where you can be both brutally, blood drawing, to the core of the issue honest with each other, but in the same breath be completly and utterly confident enough in them to be as vulnerable as a newborn baby lamb.

This type of friendship has all but been wiped out in this day in age - in the age of now, new, better, bigger, and more. It seems that noone knows the meaning of hard work, either in the work place (which is a whole other bunny for me to chase at another time) nor in friendships. A good friendship is something that does not happen overnight, it must be cultivated and cared for, looked after, fertilized and prayed for daily. People, or maybe I'm just talking to myself now, don't take that kind of time for anything, let alone other people. Most times (again I may just be speaking about me) people will drop friendships for others with more influence, or the other might have spoken some truth into our lives and it was a little too much for us to take, or even as simple as our feelings were hurt, and instead of going to that person to work through it - it was easier to run away. (A little bit of personal confession right there in a big way!!). My advice is when someone speaks something into your life that hurts like the dickens, and when your gut tells you to begin to resent them for "daring" to speak to you that way, even though you know deep down it is the truth, but they aren't perfect either - I urge you to do the most unnatural thing imaginable. Stop! Stop thinking about all the comebacks you can use as daggers against them. Stop feeling sorry for yourself. Stop - don't turn and run away. I urge you, if someone spoke some hard TRUTH in your life to run to them. If they have the balls (excuse my language) enough to speak the truth, than they have the compassion enough to help you through this time. Do not run from, run to.

But I digress . . ..

A quick shout out to my nephew!!!