Smart Living with Grit and Grace

Forget setting goals and drafting New Year’s resolutions. We’re making 2025 about you—more specifically, your character. Who do you want to be this year? Every season of life (new years included) allow us the opportunity to evaluate our priorities, how much we’ve grown and where we want to see ourselves in another 365 days. Is it in the same place you’re at now? Most likely...

In this season of “tidings of great joy,” what if joy doesn’t come easily to you? As women of faith, there’s an unspoken expectation that we should live in a constant state of joy, that it should be the lens with which we view our lives and circumstances. Although the Bible states we aren’t of the world, we are still in it, which means our perception of joy is often colored by the world’s ideals—n...

In this season of “tidings of great joy,” what if joy doesn’t come easily to you? As women of faith, there’s an unspoken expectation that we should live in a constant state of joy, that it should be the lens with which we view our lives and circumstances. Although the Bible states we aren’t of the world, we are still in it, which means our perception of joy is often c...

Life is better with friends. There’s just something remarkably special about finding a person (or a few) out of billions in the world who can belly laugh with you over a meal or willingly be at your side in a time of grief. Friendships are mostly easy, but healthy ones still require some work! In this Smart Living with Grit and Grace podcast episode, Darlene Brock and Julie Bender dive into...

The sibling that got away with everything. The coworker that scored your promotion. The “friend” who stopped including you in group conversations. We’re all familiar with resentment, and the mutated ball of anger, hurt, disgust and annoyance it leaves in the pit of our stomachs. Whether someone outright betrayed you or you were inadvertently treated unfairly, resentment can slowly creep into your...

The sibling that got away with everything. The coworker that scored y our promotion. The “friend” who stopped including you in group conversations. We’re all familiar with resentment, and the mutated ball of anger, hurt, disgust and annoyance it leaves in the pit of our stomachs. Whether someone outright betrayed you or you were inadvertently treated unfairly, resentment can slow...

“You’ll never know unless you try” is sound advice to soothe our doubts. But doubt doesn’t always come with ulterior motives; sometimes, it’s merely a cautionary measure meant to protect us. So how do you decipher the root of your doubt? Smart Living with Grit and Grace co-hosts Darlene Brock and Julie Bender answer that question with several actionable steps to help you work through your doubt an...

“You’ll never know unless you try” is sound advice to soothe our doubts. But doubt doesn’t always come with ulterior motives; sometimes, it’s merely a cautionary measure meant to protect us. So how do you decipher the root of your doubt? Smart Living with Grit and Grace co-hosts Darlene Brock and Julie Bender answer that question with several actionable steps to help...

It’s usually early- to mid-fall when we hear others expressing a desire to fast forward through the season and jump right into the holidays. The year has been too long, too hard, too unforgiving. Wouldn’t it be better to skip right to the Thanksgiving and Christmas festivities and brush all our complications behind us (at least until the New Year)? The fast forward button isn’t a thing—at least no...

It’s usually early- to mid-fall when we hear others expressing a desire to fast forward through the season and jump right into the holidays. The year has been too long, too hard, too unforgiving. Wouldn’t it be better to skip right to the Thanksgiving and Christmas festivities and brush all our complications behind us (at least until the New Year)? The fast forward button isn’t a...

We don’t need research studies to tell us we’re stressed (although they do, and frequently—a 2021 Gallup poll found that 41% of adults worldwide experience a lot of stress). We feel it everywhere: demanding hours and clients at work; raising kids; the news; the ever-ending list of things to do—the list goes on. Are you ready to leave stress behind? We’ve got you covered! In this...

We don’t need research studies to tell us we’re stressed (although they do, and frequently—a 2021 Gallup poll found that 41% of adults worldwide experience a lot of stress). We feel it everywhere: demanding hours and clients at work; raising kids; the news; the ever-ending list of things to do—the list goes on. Are you ready to leave stress behind? We’ve got you covered! In this podcast episode, c...

Are you feeling a little aimless at the moment? Perhaps you’re in a season of life that has you questioning your purpose. If that sounds frighteningly familiar, don’t fret—even the seasons that feel purposeless have a purpose! In this episode of Smart Living with Grit and Grace , Darlene Brock and Julie Bender discuss how to find confidence when you’re transitioning into a new st...

Are you feeling a little aimless at the moment? Perhaps you’re in a season of life that has you questioning your purpose. If that sounds frighteningly familiar, don’t fret—even the seasons that feel purposeless have a purpose! In this episode of Smart Living with Grit and Grace, Darlene Brock and Julie Bender discuss how to find confidence when you’re transitioning into a new stage of life. Starti...

Do you have a tendency to repeat reminders to those closest to you? Perhaps you feel like you’re constantly asking your husband to get off the couch or urging your kids to clean their rooms. While your intentions are good, your delivery may be perceived as nagging. In this episode of Smart Living with Grit and Grace , Darlene Brock and Julie Bender dive into the prickly topic of nagging. It&...

Do you have a tendency to repeat reminders to those closest to you? Perhaps you feel like you’re constantly asking your husband to get off the couch or urging your kids to clean their rooms. While your intentions are good, your delivery may be perceived as nagging. In this episode of Smart Living with Grit and Grace, Darlene Brock and Julie Bender dive into the prickly topic of nagging. It’s somet...

Are you tired of waiting? Maybe you’re waiting on a future spouse to walk into your life, sitting in fast food lines that feel anything but, or pining for that dream job opportunity to fall into our laps. We’re all excitedly—and usually impatiently—waiting for something. Why do all the good things in life take so long? One could argue those things wouldn’t be very good to begin with if they didn’t...

Are you tired of waiting? Maybe you’re waiting on a future spouse to walk into your life, sitting in fast food lines that feel anything but, or pining for that dream job opportunity to fall into our laps. We’re all excitedly—and usually impatiently—waiting for something . Why do all the good things in life take so long? One could argue those things wouldn’t be very good to begin...

The moment we’ve all been waiting for has finally arrived—the Smart Living in Small Bites book series is officially live and available for purchase now on Amazon! If you have experienced (or are still walking through) a challenging life circumstance and wish you could talk with a friend who has been there and understands, look no further. Each book in the series is written by a woman who has exper...

The moment we’ve all been waiting for has finally arrived—the Smart Living in Small Bites book series is officially live and available for purchase now on Amazon! If you have experienced (or are still walking through) a challenging life circumstance and wish you could talk with a friend who has been there and understands, look no further. Each book in the series is written by a woman who has...

Exciting changes are in store for This Grit and Grace Life podcast! If you’ve been with us for a while, you know we launched a new endeavor called Smart Living with Grit and Grace last year and will be releasing an eponymous book series this month (keep your eye on your inbox over the next few days!). Now, we’re rebranding the podcast with a new look and feel—and a new name! In this ep...

Exciting changes are in store for This Grit and Grace Life podcast! If you’ve been with us for a while, you know we launched a new endeavor called Smart Living with Grit and Grace last year and will be releasing an eponymous book series this month (keep your eye on your inbox over the next few days!). Now, we’re rebranding the podcast with a new look and feel—and a new name! In this episode, Darle...

We’re celebrating our 250th podcast episode of This Grit and Grace Life with 26 wise quotes from a literary classic: Louisa May Alcott’s Little Women. Whether you’ve read the novel or not, there’s much to be gleaned from the conversations among its four protagonists, the young March sisters. If you need some encouragement in your relationships and goals or need to be reminded of the qualities of a...

We’re celebrating our 250th podcast episode of This Grit and Grace Life with 26 wise quotes from a literary classic: Louisa May Alcott’s Little Women . Whether you’ve read the novel or not, there’s much to be gleaned from the conversations among its four protagonists, the young March sisters. If you need some encouragement in your relationships and goals or need to be remin...

How do you respond when you see a child with special needs? Most of us fall into one of two camps: We either choose to engage or we look the other way. But choosing to engage is always the right answer. Russ and Gail Ewell will tell you the same thing. After dealing with judgment and unsolicited advice from others on how to raise their two special needs children, the couple decided the best way to...