#76 Love God, Love People, and Be Yourself

Today, I interview Ruth Stitt. Growing up in Connecticut, Ruth notes that she was one of the fortunate ones. Her parents encouraged her and her siblings to explore the world and learn as much as possible. There was lots of travel, education, and trying new things. She was the youngest of three siblings, and the older two grew further and further away from her during school years. Because of this gap, Ruth was often the only child at home, watching her parents' marriage dissolve and unfortunately becoming her mother's confidant, listening to her vent her frustrations as she poured another drink. Ruth did well in school, but she did spend her teenage years embodying the stereotypical hippie child: the pot, the long hair, the vegetarianism, and the love for music. She ended up in New York, attending college and getting a music degree. During that time, her dearest friend made a shift in her own life. She went from lost and addicted to, somehow, a faith-filled Christian. Ruth watched this transformation before her own eyes and slowly began to feel things shift inside her. She had begun attending the famous Riverside Church for reasons she's still unsure of. She began studying the Bible and soon fell in love with God. Her family couldn't relate to her seemingly sudden transformation, and she couldn't understand why it had taken her so long to make such a discovery. She had to learn new ways to use her voice to share her faith without over stressing her relationships with people of different beliefs. As time passed, Ruth began ministry, found her husband, and started her family. She became a counselor and minister, and for more than thirty years has been working with diverse populations to bring help and hope. At this stage of life, Ruth is focused mostly on writing and music, and speaking to individuals and groups about the Scriptures and how they come to life in our daily experiences. She thanks God every day for His goodness in her life. ___________ Ruth Stitt has been a licensed therapist for 30 years, while also performing as a jazz musician, raising a family, teaching, and volunteering in a variety of churches and parachurch ministries. She has been a blogger for the last four years, and recently released her first self-published book, Scripture Comes to Life: Reflections on Biblical Wisdom in Everyday Experience. Having recently retired from full-time clinical work, Ruth is now enjoying the life of a writer and musician in the beautiful hill country of central Texas. Find Ruth here: https://scripturecomesto.life/ https://scripturecomesto.life/books/ https://www.instagram.com/ruth.e.stitt/ https://www.facebook.com/ruth.f.stitt/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/ruth-stitt/ ____________I'm your podcast host, Dr. Doreen Downing, and I help people find their voice so they can overcome anxiety, be confident, and speak without fear. Get started now on your journey to your authentic voice by downloading my Free 7 Step Guide to Fearless Speaking: https://www.doreen7steps.com.    Support the showI’m Dr. Doreen Downing and I help people find their voice so they can speak without fear. Get the Free 7-Step Guide to Fearless Speaking https://www.doreen7steps.com​.