Smart Living with Grit and Grace

There’s no escaping this truth: we all have a past. How we let it shape us, well, that’s up to us. Will we decide to take the drama, trauma, hurt, and heartache and allow it to harden us? Or, will we learn from our struggles and choose to face them with both grit and grace? It takes grit to face the hurt that may feel constant. It takes grace for ourselves (rejecting shame and guilt) and grace for...

There’s no escaping this truth: we all have a past. How we let it shape us, well, that’s up to us. Will we decide to take the drama, trauma, hurt, and heartache and allow it to harden us? Or, will we learn from our struggles and choose to face them with both grit and grace? It takes grit to face the hurt that may feel constant. It takes grace for ourselves (rejecting shame and guilt) and grace for...

Women love to plan. Some of us had our whole lives planned out as little girls, writing our stories down with brightly colored pens in flowery little journals. Our guest, singer/songwriter JJ Heller, understands this well and took it to heart. In light of our new reality due to COVID-19, she wrote a song reflecting on all the plans that have come undone. Traveling and trips canceled, Easter celebr...

Women love to plan. Some of us had our whole lives planned out as little girls, writing our stories down with brightly colored pens in flowery little journals. Our guest, singer/songwriter JJ Heller, understands this well and took it to heart. In light of our new reality due to COVID-19, she wrote a song reflecting on all the plans that have come undone. Traveling and trips canceled, Easter celebr...

Easter happens every April (whichever Sunday they spring it on us!), but the lessons we learn from Jesus’ life as he walked this earth should impact us every day! Whatever month you listen to this episode, these insights from the risen King will affect your right-here-right-now existence. Darlene and Julie shed light on seven incredible lessons from Jesus’ life that will not only inspire but encou...

Easter happens every April (whichever Sunday they spring it on us!), but the lessons we learn from Jesus’ life as he walked this earth should impact us every day! Whatever month you listen to this episode, these insights from the risen King will affect your right-here-right-now existence. Darlene and Julie shed light on seven incredible lessons from Jesus’ life that will not only inspire but encou...

We’re looking to each other a lot these days, for hope, encouragement, and even advice, and we're all experiencing life with some level of anxiety and mounting pressure. These days can challenge our faith or strengthen it, often a bit of both. Looking for inspiration, Darlene and Julie interview Jen Ledger, solo artist and drummer with the multi-platinum, world-touring rock band, Skillet. Jen shar...

We’re looking to each other a lot these days, for hope, encouragement, and even advice, and we’re all experiencing life with some level of anxiety and mounting pressure. These days can challenge our faith or strengthen it, often a bit of both. Looking for inspiration, Darlene and Julie interview Jen Ledger, solo artist and drummer with the multi-platinum, world-touring rock band, Skillet. Je...

Are you feeling anxious, with heightened levels of fear as we all grapple with new concerns that we didn’t see coming? Everything that brings the feeling of security has become uncertain: our health, finances, jobs, even our daily routine. It’s normal to be affected by all of this! But, we know that what is certain in this life is uncertainty. We also realize that we have an opportunity to turn to...

Are you feeling anxious, with heightened levels of fear as we all grapple with new concerns that we didn’t see coming? Everything that brings the feeling of security has become uncertain: our health, finances, jobs, even our daily routine. It’s normal to be affected by all of this! But, we know that what is certain in this life is uncertainty. We also realize that we have an opportunity to turn to...

Women are so resilient. Even when we face challenges that could potentially take us out entirely, as is the case of our guest Molly Stillman, we tap into our deepest grit. With countless roles and seasons, we are continually reinventing and re-shifting. We give ourselves and others the necessary grace needed to gain strength and wisdom on the other side. Molly faced the death of her mother as a te...

Women are so resilient. Even when we face challenges that could potentially take us out entirely, as is the case of our guest Molly Stillman, we tap into our deepest grit. With countless roles and seasons, we are continually reinventing and re-shifting. We give ourselves and others the necessary grace needed to gain strength and wisdom on the other side. Molly faced the death of her mother as a te...

Women have incredible influence. Whether we realize it or not, embrace it or not, or even like it or not, we have the power to affect others' lives for good or for bad. Our life impacts those closest to us, in our homes and our social circles. We even influence across the internet, which reaches all around the world. This fact shouldn’t scare us (although some healthy fear could be appropriate her...

Women have incredible influence. Whether we realize it or not, embrace it or not, or even like it or not, we have the power to affect others’ lives for good  or  for bad. Our life impacts those closest to us, in our homes and our social circles. We even influence across the internet, which reaches all around the world. This fact shouldn’t scare us (although some healthy fear could be appropr...

Just as nature cycles through seasons, so do our relationships. No matter what relationship you are in, there are four stages that it will cycle through that spiritually and psychologically mimic the four seasons we see in nature.  In This #GritandGraceLife podcast episode, hosts Darlene and Julie chat with Debra Fileta who dives into the four stages every relationship cycles through. She explains...

Just as nature cycles through seasons, so do our relationships. No matter what type of relationship you are in, there are f our stages that it will cycle through that spiritually and psychologically mimic the four seasons we see in nature.  In This #GritandGraceLife podcast episode , hosts Darlene and Julie chat with Debra Fileta who dives into theses four stages and explains how each stage is vit...

We are a podcast for strong women and those who want to be, right? But what does it mean to be a strong woman? What defines a woman as powerful, secure, tenacious? What are practical things strong women do? Here’s what we think… A strong woman knows she can’t do it all. A strong woman asks for help.  A strong woman doesn’t play games.  A strong woman says what she means.  A strong woman can be tru...

We are a podcast for strong women and those who want to be, right? But what does it mean to be a strong woman? What defines a woman as powerful, secure, tenacious ? What are practical things strong wom e n do? Here’s what we think… A strong woman knows she can’t do it all. A strong woman asks for help.  A strong woman doesn’t play games.  A strong woman says what she means.  A strong woman can be...

  We need to talk about sex trafficking. We assume it’s not a problem that is occurring in our backyard, or even in our country, and that couldn’t be further from the truth. Whether you like it or not, it’s happening in every community across the United States—even in yours. It doesn’t always look the way we think it would. A victim could look like a middle-class teenager at your kids high sc...

  We need to talk about sex trafficking. We assume it’s not a problem that is occurring in our backyard, or even in our country, and that couldn’t be further from the truth. Whether you like it or not, it’s happening in every community across the United States—even in yours. It doesn’t always look the way we think it would. A victim could look like a middle-class teenager at your kids high sc...

Let’s talk about self-love. We all struggle to some extent with it, from doubting ourselves, to battling insecurities, and feeling unworthy. We know these are things we need to let go of, but the problem lies in the fact that we have no idea how. When we search for how to cultivate more self-love, the suggestions we find are just silly. Will getting a massage or buying ourselves another pair of sh...

Let’s talk about self – love. We all struggle to some extent with it, from doubting ourselves, to battling insecurities, and feeling unworthy. We know these are things we need to let go of, but the problem lies in the fact that we have no idea how. When we search for how to cultivate more self-love, the suggestions we find a r e just silly. Will getting a massage or buying ourselves another...

In this episode of This Grit and Grace Life, we chat with Dr. Holly Miller on women’s health issues you need to know about but are probably too embarrassed to ask. Dr. Miller is a board certified OB-GYN, wife of 20+ years, mother of four, and dedicated to ensuring you know everything you need to about your feminine health. This episode is filled with questions that women tend to run from… When do...

In this episode of  This Grit and Grace Life , we chat with Dr. Holly Miller on women’s health issues you need to know about but are probably too embarrassed to ask. Dr. Miller is a board certified OB-GYN, wife of 20+ years, mother of four, and dedicated to ensuring you know everything you need to about your feminine health. This episode is filled with questions that women tend to run from… When d...

As women, have you ever noticed how we hold men and women to different standards? In This Grit and Grace Life podcast episode, hosts Darlene and Julie have an insightful and thought-provoking conversation on the different expectations we have for each gender.   When it comes to our relationships with women, we often tend to be way more “judgy” and condescending, are quick to hold grudges, and dwel...