Anybody ever flip you the finger and tell you to, “GO TO HELL”? Or when was the last time that you sent somebody there? More importantly, when was the last time you put yourself through hell?

What exactly is “hell”? Is it the Christian bible’s description of a lake of fire, ruled by The Devil, specifically created for all sinners and unbelievers (who are not saved) to burn as their eternal punishment after death? Or... is it the Webster’s Dictionary definition that says hell is, “any place or state of misery and cruelty”?

Or... perhaps hell is me--for so many years--not being able to let go of all of my personal struggles, pains and heartaches as a result of growing up as (all said in one breath with violins in the background) "a-poor-black-uneducated-ghetto-girl-who-had-to-endure-the-cruelty-of-her-sadistic-mother-and-the-molestation-by-a-family-member-while-facing-the-shameless-ridicule-of-society-for-becoming-a-young-unwed-mother-who-later-gets-married-and-has-yet-another-child-only-to-force-her-to-finally-come-to-grips-with-her-sexuality-as-a-latent-lesbian-which-causes-her-to-temporarily-lose-the-love-and-respect-of-her-first-born-son-and-family-not-to-mention-her-losing-her-mind-as-well-at-which-time-she-becomes-a-member-of-a-church-movement-that-fosters-and-promotes-the-spiritual-empowerment-of-Same-Gender-Loving-People-of-Color-which-inadvertently-leads-her-to-one-day-become-the-openly-gay-pastor-of-the-same-church-where-she-is-later-betrayed-by-the-founder-of-the-organization-causing-her-to-resign-her-position-and-embark-on-her-own-personal-spiritual-quest-sparking-a-long-and-tedious-tear-stained-yet-joyous-journey-through-the-hell-of-self-discovery-self-worth-and-self-love-only-to-be-inspired-motivated-and-divinely-ordained-to-write- this-book!" (Whew!!!)

Whatever your personal hell is, this book was created to afford you the opportunity to see, feel and experience “hell” in a different light… as a pathway to "heaven" here on earth. You see, we are taught to fear—fear things that we cannot control. Yet and still, it is ultimately those things--call them hard times, obstacles, set-backs, disasters, trials and tribulations—that we have the opportunity to show up and show out in life however we choose. It is those very times of struggle and resistance-- when we are going through HELL--that we discover our capabilities, our vulnerabilities, and believe it or not, our strengths and our personal Power.

And guess what? Not everyone is out to get you! Well…maybe some are…but not everyone:) With every hellish person who tries to commit every hellish act, we have the opportunity to see them for who they really are, but more importantly, they hold up a spiritual mirror for us to see ourselves for who we really are, as they provide us with the opportunity to create who it is that we really want to be by choosing how we decide to respond.

When you go through hell, you are literally going through a spiritual rebirth and an authentic awakening, if and only if, you choose to experience it that way. Hell is perception...just like heaven is. You can either see it as death, or you can view it as a prologue to life. Most mothers, while deep in the pangs of labor, find it hard to focus on the beauty of what is about to be born into the world. And so it is when we feel like we are going through hell. Oh, but what joy when our beautiful baby is born! Every pain, every tear, every scream and every fear was well worth it. Likewise, the “living hell” we experience along this journey called Life pales in comparison to the wonderment and the natural high of finding “heaven here on earth”!

So now, are you ready to truly live? Are you ready to live life more abundantly? Are you ready to live an authentic life, filled with passion and purpose? Then as a citizen of the world and a minister of Truth, I tell you now in love… GO TO HELL!

Rev. Freda