I have been getting the question a lot lately, what on earth is Talitha Cumi?  It has nothing to do with photography, or me for that matter-but rather a mantra of sorts I keep in my head.

SHORT ANSWER: It means Little girl (or Damsel) get up.

Long answer has more to do with why I am using it as my blog title.  That said...I am both a spiritual and religious person, but never want to shove that down people’s throats who didn’t ask for it.  So...I do not mean to offend anyone, it is simply a way for me to remember there is more to life than me.  Also, while the sermon meant something to me, I am not a preacher, and I probably didn’t to the best job of explaining...but it’s my blog, and it meant something to me...so...thats all that matters now isn’t it?  Plus, you asked....so there.  If you aren’t interested, quit reading. HA!

LONG ANSWER:  I don’t know if life has ever knocked you down so hard that its just easier to stay down.  Maybe this happens a lot in life, and I have just been privileged enough to avoid it until lately.  Let me be clear: I have an amazing life, I have people who love me, food to eat, roof over my head, wonderful friends, amazing job.   I know life challenges all differently, and lately, my life has been challenging me.  While challenge is a good thing, if you take enough hits...sometimes...it just feels better to lay there for a while and feel the pain. 

So...TALITHA CUMI......after parting ways with my old job, I was traveling through South Carolina to shoot a wedding and I noticed a healing service at an Episcopal church I visited while on the road. I had hit the point of job transition, where it is simply an emotional roller coaster, and you don’t know what you are going to be feeling any given hour, much less day.  (Really it puts the imbalance of a teenager to shame). I headed that way and the sermon touch a nerve so deeply I took notes on my iPhone-I know God was providing me substance for the next chapter in my life. 

The Rev. preached on Mark 5:21-43(see below), and how this passage was all about having faith. He provided examples from the passage of Faith’s Warning, Faith’s Welcome, and Faith Working.

        Faith’s Warning Mark 5:36: When Jesus says “Do Not be afraid, just believe”-Jesus is linking Faith to Fear.  It is the same emotion..just  hooked to positive outcomes or negative outcomes.  You have to assume something is going to happen either way...(think about sitting in a chair..you either think the chair is going to crush under you-fear....or will support your weight-faith).  Choose Faith over Fear.  Everything can either have a positive or negative outcome...choose to believe the positive.

Faith’s Welcome: Mark 5:39-40: When you step out in faith, you aren’t necessarily met with welcome.  Jesus was met by the mourners laughing at him when he approached the house with the dead girl.  He continued on, having faith that he could heal the girl, no matter how many people laughed at him.

Faith’s Working: When Jesus says: Talitha Cumi(Koum) or “Little Girl, I say to you, get up!”  When the girl was healed and got up, Jesus said to feed her-which proved his faith was working because you can’t feed phantoms-she was alive and healed. 

All of my Marketing and business based friends are in an uproar because I am not using my brand to go along with my business.  Its ok, Im not nervous about that.  As my understanding, a blog is supposed to be relevant to what is going on in your life at that time.  While I understand the importance of building on a brand and marketing plan and that will be a part of my biz, I am keeping this as my blog title to remind myself above all, I’m building my business on faith. 

I feel certain I am in the right place in my life.  I have Faith that God will give me exactly what I need.  It has been cool going out on my own and seeing the path he has created for me.  Many months I may have nothing on my books  for the entire month...but then the end of the month comes and I have made exactly what I needed to make for my business to work.  That is not a coincidence, or anything I am doing.  He is teaching me to rely on him, and on those days I just want to stay on the ground and wallow in my pain-I tell myself, “Talitha Cumi-little girl, get up”. 

Mark 5:21-43 (New International Version)

A Dead Girl and a Sick Woman

 21When Jesus had again crossed over by boat to the other side of the lake, a large crowd gathered around him while he was by the lake. 22Then one of the synagogue rulers, named Jairus, came there. Seeing Jesus, he fell at his feet 23and pleaded earnestly with him, "My little daughter is dying. Please come and put your hands on her so that she will be healed and live." 24So Jesus went with him.

   A large crowd followed and pressed around him. 25And a woman was there who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years. 26She had suffered a great deal under the care of many doctors and had spent all she had, yet instead of getting better she grew worse. 27When she heard about Jesus, she came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak, 28because she thought, "If I just touch his clothes, I will be healed." 29Immediately her bleeding stopped and she felt in her body that she was freed from her suffering.

 30At once Jesus realized that power had gone out from him. He turned around in the crowd and asked, "Who touched my clothes?"

 31"You see the people crowding against you," his disciples answered, "and yet you can ask, 'Who touched me?' "

 32But Jesus kept looking around to see who had done it. 33Then the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell at his feet and, trembling with fear, told him the whole truth. 34He said to her, "Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering."

 35While Jesus was still speaking, some men came from the house of Jairus, the synagogue ruler. "Your daughter is dead," they said. "Why bother the teacher any more?"

 36Ignoring what they said, Jesus told the synagogue ruler, "Don't be afraid; just believe."

 37He did not let anyone follow him except Peter, James and John the brother of James. 38When they came to the home of the synagogue ruler, Jesus saw a commotion, with people crying and wailing loudly. 39He went in and said to them, "Why all this commotion and wailing? The child is not dead but asleep." 40But they laughed at him.
      After he put them all out, he took the child's father and mother and the disciples who were with him, and went in where the child was. 41He took her by the hand and said to her, "Talitha koum!" (which means, "Little girl, I say to you, get up!" ). 42Immediately the girl stood up and walked around (she was twelve years old). At this they were completely astonished. 43He gave strict orders not to let anyone know about this, and told them to give her something to eat.