Sticks & Stones


"Sticks & Stones may break my bones....but Names will never hurt me"

How many times have you been told that?
How many times have you told your kids that?

Now, think for a minute.......Is there any truth in that phrase?

The answer.....NO!

Names do hurt...words have more power than we realize.

I don't know about you, but I have been on the receiving end of those "names"
Whether to my face, or behind my back.......
and I will tell you something.
It hurts.

Sad to say, I have also been on the other side.....
I have been the one spewing names and insults against others....
and I will tell you something.
Those words hurt.

Words have power, alot of power.....
So many times, they just run out of our mouth without our thinking.

It's amazing how mere words can tear someone down,
make them feel worthless,
cause lifelong insecurities,
truly injure a soul.

Likewise, words can encourage,
they can lift the spirit,
they can heal the soul.

I want to use my words in that way.....

The Lord tells us how to speak:

²⁹ When you talk, don’t say anything bad. But say the good things that people need—whatever will help them grow stronger. Then what you say will be a blessing to those who hear you...Eph 4:29

We are to use our words to encourage....

to help....

to strengthen...

to be a blessing.

Just this past weekend, I was on the receiving end of these types of words.

I was catering the pastries for a party

My first BIG party

1500 pastries!

As I was saying Thank You to the Hostess,

 She said to me  " I read your blog"

Well, immediately I went into panic mode.....This woman was my 7th grade English Teacher,

All I could think was " she probably thinks that I had never learned a thing in her class"

I am positive that my writing is not grammatically correct.

But that feeling of panic only lasted a minute.....

Because next she said

 " I am proud of you.....Proud of who you are.....Proud of who you've become and ....Proud of who you will become"

At that exact moment, my heart was filled with gratitude... and healing.

I have always carried around the stigma of being a teenage Mom

I always figured that that is what would define me...

Shelly Ritlinger...pregnant in High School.

But when I heard those words, from a 7th grade teacher....

I realized something....

Words hold power...

I was encouraged.

lifted up.

healed.

It makes me think of how I use my words, how I wield that power...

I want to follow the Lord's teachings and use my words in a positive manner.

How will you use your words today?

I promise you one thing,

your words will either encourage or discourage

choose wisely.

I know I will.

Thank you Mrs. Ebert......

All these years later and you are still teaching me about words.

Be an Encourager Today,

Shelly

PERFECTION PRETENSE

Interesting title, right?

Let's start with a question.......

Do you let the world see you?
The real you?
All the insecurities and fears that you harbor....
Do you show that side of you?

OR.......
Are you showing the world what you think they want to see.......
What they expect to see........

You know what I am talking about...
 We all have that one person that we look at and honestly, secretly, we wish we could be them.
If only we had their life.....

They always have a smile on their face, a spring in their step....
Their hair always looks "done"....
Their kids are immaculate and well-behaved...
Their house is clean and beautifully decorated........

Etc. etc, etc,....
The list goes on and on.....

Let me tell you from experience..
 things are not always as they seem......

28 yrs ago today..
I was a 17yr old HS senior.

I was smart, well-dressed, dating the football star, doing some modeling.
To the world I appeared to" Have it all together".

28yrs ago today..
I walked out of a Dr's office with the realization that I was pregnant..
24 weeks pregnant!

That'a right, 24WEEKS!!

Not a soul knew
No One
Only Me

Until this day 28 yrs ago

For 24 weeks I had a secret,
I pretended to be someone that I was not
I showed the world the side of me that they wanted to see
I wanted to live up to their expectations

After all, I had a rep to protect

What I realize now......

I was Bearing False Witness

"You should not bear false witness against your neighbor"......Exodus 20:16

This is one of the Big Ten
The Ninth Commandment

Now, I realize it says "against your neighbor"
I know it means do not lie about your neighbor

Doesn't it also mean do not present a lie to your neighbor
How about this.....

Do not bear false witness...at all

When we present ourselves as something we are not..
We are bearing False Witness...

When we only let the world see the "perfect side"
we are not able to show them God's Grace

I was so afraid to show the world that I was "human"
so afraid, that for 24 weeks, I hid a pregnancy

When I walked out of that Dr's office...
I felt like a 500lb burden was lifted from me....

I had only  one regret.... I wished that I had told someone sooner.

I spent so much time and energy trying to keep up appearances, that I had missed out on the Grace that God had waiting for me.

I no longer Bear False Witness.
I do not pretend.
What you see is what you get...

I have scars and shortcomings
but they are my testimony

Today. 28 yrs later....
my story has allowed me to show others how God works..
How He loves His children
How He has a plan...

If I continue to show the world only what I think they expect...
Only what I think will impress them....

Not only am I bearing false witness...

I am denying them the chance to see God at work in my life

I want to be THAT kind of witness
The kind that when people see me.
they not only see the "real me"
they see that God is at work in my life.
Perfecting all the things that are not perfect.
Loving me regardless.
Using my faults and failures to glorify Him.
To allow others to see His abilities.
With Him there is no Pretense.
He is perfect.

Let go of that Perfection Pretense and let the world see you. flaws and all,
Then the world can see the Grace of God.


BE YOU,
Shelly

ps   I love you Tara Jean

OVERCOMER!!


Happy New Year!

I don't know about you, but I love new beginnings!
My son-in-law, Jerod preached that "every beginning has an end and every end a new beginning"

I love that!

I was really happy to ring in 2013, a new beginning.
I was sitting in church on Sunday with such a full heart.
My husband was playing his guitar for worship,
My son-in-law was leading,
My someday Son-in-law was on drums,
Tara does prayer and welcome.
Standing next to me.......
Taylor was praising the Lord...
Isaiah was praising the Lord.

I thought " I am blessed way beyond what I deserve"

That was going to be my next post, this post....

Then came Monday

Here's a quick recap:
My uncle was taken by ambulance to the hospital
My grandson Joshua was sick ( fever, cough,etc.)
Isaiah was sent home from school ( stomach flu)
Taylor had to leave and go back to Tulsa (1300 miles away)
My aunt hit a dead deer in the  middle of the road , on her way to work....

For some reason, that overwhelming feeling of gratitude that I had experienced on Sunday was gone....
Long gone....

I found myself starting to panic.
I could physically feel that anxiety, I felt nervous, jittery and totally unable to deal.
I wanted to scream, I wanted to cry. I really wanted to disappear, run away.

Do you know what I am talking about, have you been there?

In just 24hrs, my perspective totally changed.....
I went from thinking "How can life get better than this"
to
"How can I get away from this day?"

Well, running away is not an option...
and denial is a nice place to live, but it doesn't solve the problem.

I was overwhelmed, depressed, worried and anxious. I kept thinking "I can't do this"

You know something... I was right, I can't do this

But My God can.......

“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”...John16:33

So, you see. I am blessed. Yes it was a crazy day and to be honest, the week hasn't gotten much better.
But I am blessed because all of these issues that are overwhelming to me, that feel like they are going to consume me.... they have already been overcome. They are things of this world and...as the scripture says.... He has overcome the world.

 They will fight against you but will not overcome you, for I am with you and will rescue you,” declares the Lord...Jeremiah 1:19

As a Christian, I am not promised a life of ease... a life without challenges.....
What I am promised is that the Lord will fight for me and the Lord will rescue me....
I WILL NOT be overcome....

I am designed to be an OVERCOMER!!!!

If 2013 has already presented you with a boatload of adversity....let it go and remember to take heart...
He has overcome the world... including those situations!!

I have declared that this year, 2013, I am going to focus on the blessings of God. I am going to let go of the anxiety, the fear, the worry and I am going to be an Overcomer!!!

Why don't you join me... Let's make 2013 the best year yet!!


Happy 2013!
Shelly