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Rita Aiken Moritz's
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   Rita Aiken Moritz is first a Christian, then a writer, poet, blogger, editor, and inspirational speaker, who often speaks at churches, civic groups, and ladies' conferences. Her life verse is Jeremiah 29:11.
     She is the founder and president of Writers Anonymous, a local group of creative poets who meet the first Thursday of every month in Pell City. Collectively, they have garnered more than 200 awards for their writing during the past year and a half.
     Rita started and continues to coordinate the Mid-Winter Writers Conference, which has been held in Pell City for the past six years.
     Rita is the author of Precious Poems: A Journey of Hope, which was published in 2013 and So You Love a Prodigal, which was published in 2016. This book has been endorsed by David Bennett, editor of HomeLife and by Jennifer Rash, editor of The Alabama Baptist.
     She has been published in Educational Leadership Journal, Indeed magazine and Open Windows. She also has a freelance contract with the St. Clair News Aegis, for which she writes weekly. She has won numerous awards for her poetry and was the Alabama State Poetry Society’s “Poet of the Year” for 2017.
     Rita has lived in Pell City for 13 years with her husband Harry. She taught in the Alabama Court Referral Program for ten years, while pursuing her love of writing.
     She is a member of the Alabama Writers' Conclave, Alabama Writers Forum, and the Alabama State Poetry Society along with poetry societies in other states. She and her husband are also the editors of the Alabama State Poetry Society's newsletter, the Muse Messenger.

 

  
 

A Precious Gift:
Author Spotlight on Rita Aiken Moritz
By Urainah Glidewell

  
  "How do you know you can't if you have never even tried?" These are the words that encourage me at the end of every email Rita Aiken Moritz has sent me over the past three years.
     Mrs. Moritz is a writer, poet, blogger, editor, and inspirational speaker who often speaks at churches, civic groups, and ladies' conferences. She is also the founder and president of Writers Anonymous, a local group of creative poets who meet the first Thursday of every month in Pell City. Collectively, they have garnered over 75 poetry awards during the past year. They have organized the Mid-Winter Writer's Conference held in Pell City for the past three years. The conference has grown in attendance and offers an array of workshops for writers of every genre and level of experience. Moritz is the fearless leader, the perpetual cheerleader, the gentle guide, and tenacious teacher of this inspired group. "I love words and the people who write them. I consider it a privilege to be able to encourage them and be a part of their success," Moritz stated.
     Rita Aiken Moritz is the author of Precious Poems: A Journey of Hope which was published in 2013. She has been published in Educational Leadership, Indeed magazine, and Open Windows, and has won numerous awards for her poetry. She has recently published her second book, So You Love a Prodigal. Inspired by her personal journey which she chronicles in her blog "A Way in the Wilderness" that reaches over 25,000 people from all over the world every month, her newest endeavor has been years in the making.
     According to her website, ritamoritz.com, the mission of Precious Prodigal is "to provide help, hope, and encouragement to the families of prodigals so those families can grow spiritually and find peace, serenity, and even joy in their lives. God uses broken things, and we believe God will use people in spite of and perhaps even because of their circumstances." In her book, Rita meets the readers where they are, in their brokenness, and walks with them through the heartbreak of loving a prodigal. With a conversational approach, she dares to address questions like: "Why my family?" and "Who's to blame?" Encouragement, hope, and a call to action are the central themes of So You Love a Prodigal. Readers are assured with simple words and Biblical examples that God is still in control, their story isn't finished, and they are not alone. "I am overwhelmed by the people who have lined up to support and promote this book," Rita stated. Her book has been endorsed by David Bennett, editor of "Homelife" and by Jennifer Rash, editor-elect of "The Alabama Baptist." Moritz has been a consummate supporter of all of those around her, encouraging and revealing in their successes, so it is natural to support and encourage her in return.
     Mrs. Moritz has lived in Pell City for eleven years with her husband, Harry Moritz. She has taught in the Alabama Court Referral Program for the past ten years, while pursuing her love of writing. She is a member of Alabama Writers' Conclave, Alabama Writers Forum, Alabama State Poetry Society, along with other state poetry societies. She and her husband are also the editors of the Alabama State Poetry Society's newsletter, the Muse Messenger.

 		  
  If you would like more information on her book So You Love a Prodigal please visit:

 		  
       She is a member of the Alabama State Poetry Society. Retirement hasn't slowed Rita down, and, among her other accomplishments, she is the founder of Writers Anonymous, a poetry group that meets monthly to share their poetry and both challenge and encourage other poets. Rita's first poetry book "Precious Poems: A Journey of Hope,"  was published in July, 2013.

 		  
       In 1993, Rita's article "Tough Love for Kids at Risk"  appeared in "Educational Leadership."  Since that time she has continued to be involved with and concerned about families that are hurting. Rita is an instructor in the North Alabama Court Referral Services, Inc. She also mentors and encourages women from a half-way house. She has continued to write poetry and other things and has published two non-fiction books entitled " So You Love a Prodigal"  and its " So You Love a Prodigal Supplemental Workbook"  and is posting to the A Way in the Wilderness Blog. She also speaks at churches and other organizations and institutions on a variety of subjects.

 		  
  GENERAL INFORMATION:  
 
  • Accreditation: Alabama Office of the Courts: Certification as Court Referral Education Program Instructor - State of Alabama; 2006 to 2017.
  • Citizenship: U.S. Citizen, born in Massachusetts.
 
  EDUCATION:  
 
  • C.E.U.'s as needed annually to maintain annual Alabama Office of the Courts Certification.
  • Alabama Administrative Office of the Courts Training: Court Referral Program Instructor.
  • Self-taught programs and procedures for internet web design.
  • College courses in Substance Abuse Treatment and group counseling techniques as well as undergraduate core classes in English, Math and other required classes.
  • Work-related training including "constructive 360 degree feedback,"  conflict resolution, communication skills, written and oral presentation, and communication, personal computers, spreadsheets, plain language, speaking, problem solving and writing adult training.
  • Betz Business College: Presidents List; 4.0 GPA; graduated with highest honors.
     
  
  PUBLICATIONS AND AWARDS:  
 
  • First Place in Poetry Competition at the 2018 Southern Christian Writers annual conference.
  • Named "Poet of the Year, 2017"by the Alabama State Poetry Society
  • "So You Love a Prodigal - Companion Workbook"  published in 2016
  • "So You Love a Prodigal" published in 2016 "Precious Poems: A Journey of Hope,"  published in July, 2013.
  • One of three featured Poets for a community-wide " Night of Poetry" on April 21, 2012.
  • The Greenville (AL) Standard Newspaper. A local newspaper that in 2011 published some of Rita's Poetry.
  • The Grapevine. Quarterly Christian magazine. Poetry appeared in several issues.
  • Educational Leadership. Article: " Tough Love for Kids at Risk"  November, 1993.
  • 360 Degree Feedback. Assisted in the development of and participated in the production of this training film on how to give and receive constructive feedback.
  • Was invited and appeared in a television presentation of my poetry.
     
  
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This page was last revised on February 27, 2020 by our Webmaster,
and is maintained by RitaMoritz.com from our office in Pell City, Alabama.

  
     
 

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Accountability, adversity, affirmations, Alanon, angels, armor, armour, arrogance, bail, Believing God, bitterness, blame, brothers, building, burden, carrying burdens, chaos, Chekhov's gun, chrysalis, church, circumstances, comfort, compassion, complaining, content, contentment, control, counseling, death, Desperation, devotions, discouragement, Divorce, doing what’s right, dysfunction, dysfunctional, eagle, emergency, enabling, encouragement, enemy, envy, Examine your heart, exhaustion, faint, Faith, family, fear, forget, forgetting, forgiveness, forgiving myself, forgiving yourself, free will, friends, Friendship, Giving, Giving God first place, God, God’s Sovereignty, God’s love, gold, gossip, gratitude, grief, grieving, grumble, grumbling, help, helping, Hezekiah, honesty, hope, humility, hurt, hurting, integrity, jumping to conclusions, letting go, loss, love, love mercy, loving mercy, Loyalty, lying, manipulation, Marriage, martyr, meditations, meme, mental-health, mercy, miserable comforters, mount on wings as eagles, mourning, overcoming, poetry, poison, Powerful, Praise, prayer, press on, Precious Prodigal, prodigal, prodigal’s elder brother, quiet time, reaching out, Recovery, rejoice, relationships, religion, remember, remembering, repentance, resentment, Sacrifice, salvation, self care,self will, self-esteem, self-pity, selfishness, Serenity, Serenity Prayer, Service, Serving my generation, setting limits, sharing, sibling rivalry, siblings, sisters, sleep, Sovereignty of God, spirituality, Storms, strength, Survival, taking care of yourself, tale-bearing, thinking, thoughts, trust, trusting God, Unbelief, valley,Waiting, Waiting on the Lord, Why me?, Worry,

Accountability, adversity, affirmations, Alanon, angels, armor, armour, arrogance, bail, Believing God, bitterness, blame, brothers, building, burden, carrying burdens, chaos, Chekhov's gun, chrysalis, church, circumstances, comfort, compassion, complaining, content, contentment, control, counseling, death, Desperation, devotions, discouragement, Divorce, doing what’s right, dysfunction, dysfunctional, eagle, emergency, enabling, encouragement, enemy, envy, Examine your heart, exhaustion, faint, Faith, family, fear, forget, forgetting, forgiveness, forgiving myself, forgiving yourself, free will, friends, Friendship, Giving, Giving God first place, God, God’s Sovereignty, God’s love, gold, gossip, gratitude, grief, grieving, grumble, grumbling, help, helping, Hezekiah, honesty, hope, humility, hurt, hurting, integrity, jumping to conclusions, letting go, loss, love, love mercy, loving mercy, Loyalty, lying, manipulation, Marriage, martyr, meditations, meme, mental-health, mercy, miserable comforters, mount on wings as eagles, mourning, overcoming, poetry, poison, Powerful, Praise, prayer, press on, Precious Prodigal, prodigal, prodigal’s elder brother, quiet time, reaching out, Recovery, rejoice, relationships, religion, remember, remembering, repentance, resentment, Sacrifice, salvation, self care,self will, self-esteem, self-pity, selfishness, Serenity, Serenity Prayer, Service, Serving my generation, setting limits, sharing, sibling rivalry, siblings, sisters, sleep, Sovereignty of God, spirituality, Storms, strength, Survival, taking care of yourself, tale-bearing, thinking, thoughts, trust, trusting God, Unbelief, valley,Waiting, Waiting on the Lord, Why me?, Worry,