PODCAST

The Grit and Grace Project

Darlene Brock & Julie Bender from GritandGraceLife.org

Smart Living for strong women and those who want to be.

religion & spirituality christianity

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Ask Dr. Zoe – My Friend Exhibits Hurtful, Toxic...

The Grit and Grace Project ·

2025/04/14

‘Meg the Muse’ Asked: Dear Dr. Zoe, My friend of 17 years behaves in strange, hurtful ways and I don’t know whether these things could indicate some sort of personality disorder or trauma. She gives the silent treatment, pushes her friends away, accuses other people of being out to get her or of disrespecting her boundaries without saying what those boundaries are, love bombs people and then cuts them off, holds grudges, cries and is embarrassed easily, has unrealistic standards

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If You’re In a Drought, Open Your Umbrella

The Grit and Grace Project ·

2025/04/13

Last summer, my birthday wish was rain. Sixty-seven days had passed without so much as a raindrop, and 47 of those days reached temperatures 100 degrees and up. Each morning, we opened our weather apps and hoped the meteorologists had made a mistake and that maybe, just maybe, showers would fall and refresh the land. But the morning of my birthday showed nothing different. Just clear skies and temps nearing 100, yet again. I stared out my bedroom window, lamenting the shriveled-up tomato plants,

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5 Clever and Cheap Ways to Decorate for Easter

The Grit and Grace Project ·

2025/04/11

The change of season and warming weather and Easter holidays often bring along a renewed motivation for spring cleaning. I certainly love a home refresh for spring, especially when it comes to celebrating Easter. With any holiday, though, it’s so easy for spending on home decor and holiday accessories to spiral out of control, and by the time Memorial Day runs around, a quick look at the bank account turns into frantic wondering, “how did I spend that much on my Easter party?” Over the years I’ve

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Recognize Your Emotional Triggers So They Don’t...

The Grit and Grace Project ·

2025/04/05

I never would’ve believed it if I hadn’t experienced it. Our bodies store trauma through associations with dates, places and seasons. For some, the holiday season is their trigger season. Personally, as the weather transitions from summer to fall, even if it’s the furthest thing from my mind, I sense my trauma sneaking up on me in unexpected ways like headaches, negative self-talk, bad moods, lethargy—you name it. But even as these seasons approach, we can find ways not only to survive, but thrive

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How to Age Gracefully in a Culture Obsessed with Beauty

The Grit and Grace Project ·

2025/04/02

The day I turned 40 didn’t hit me the way I thought it would. I felt young, so I thought, “Why let a number bother me?” Busyness defined me, but I had energy to sustain it all. I didn’t feel like I was “over the hill.” Now that I’m almost 45, that feeling has slightly shifted. The number does bother me. It’s funny how five years can make a difference. Suddenly, I feel older. My body gets tired more quickly. Stress hits me in strange ways. My brain reaches capacity more quickly than it did in

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16:58

Don’t Be a Fool: 5 Mistakes to Avoid – 275

The Grit and Grace Project ·

2025/04/01

We have no tricks up our sleeves with this April Fool’s Day podcast—just wisdom to guide you along your grit and grace life. (But it might be foolish if you choose to skip this episode!) The mark of a foolish person is one who carries on with life without learning to discern the different between fact and fiction, wisdom and folly. Even automobile magnate Henry Ford suggested as much: “The only real mistake we make is the one from which we learn nothing.” Darlene Brock and Julie

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The Places You’ll Go! Must See Travel Destinations in...

The Grit and Grace Project ·

2025/03/30

“Oh, the places you’ll go.” I’m sure you’ve read that book by the incredible Dr. Seuss a time or two, perhaps for your enjoyment or that of the littles in your life. You may have embraced it as a child, dreaming of all the unique and exciting things you wanted to see. After reading to your children, I’m sure you have offered this: “The world is a special place, and it’s yours to explore.” But has life distracted you since the reading? We often

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Can You Raise Your Kids and Care for Your Parents...

The Grit and Grace Project ·

2025/03/28

If you look at birth rate trends, you’ll see that the average age of first-time parents has been on a steady trend upward. For some new parents, this means that their own parents are at a higher age than anticipated and in need of care. If this sounds like you, you’ve been nicknamed the “Sandwich Generation.” This applies to new moms and dads that are sandwiched between taking care of their kids and their own parents at the same time. There are many factors to consider when caring for a loved one,

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Why Trying to Be Perfect Is a Waste of Time

The Grit and Grace Project ·

2025/03/26

You’re trying to be perfect and you wonder if you’re doing it right. The way you stack all the things into your day and hope they don’t topple. The way you climb into bed exhausted and get up early to repeat everything. What if you’re wasting your time? Prioritizing the wrong things? Saying the wrong yeses and noes? Your life is full, and also not. But you don’t have time to get that honest. There’s a dishwasher to empty before you pack lunches, start dinner, switch the wet sheets over to the

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15:20

If Your Kids Are Online, How Do You Protect Them from...

The Grit and Grace Project ·

2025/03/25

Pornography is one of the most prevalent forms of addiction—something that can sneak into your home, under your nose, unnoticed. And those who are most susceptible to the dangers? Your kids. Think about it—if there’s a TV or internet in your home, porn is there too. And as your child uses either of these (think research for a school projects), it’s inevitable they will stumble across pornographic content as some point. With children’s and teens’ natural curiosity at work, how

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Have You Embraced Your True Identity?

The Grit and Grace Project ·

2025/03/23

OK, ladies, I’m going to be painfully transparent. I know this will sound shallow but I am wrestling with a decision: Do I cut it off or let it grow? I’m talking about my curls. They have reached my shoulders, that not-so-sure-about-what-to-do length, and I am running out of creative ways to keep the frizz under control. When I was little, I wore my hair in two braids down around my waist, but a summer filled with swimming resulted in a pixie cut. Evidently, pool chlorine irreparably damages hair

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Here Are the 10 Commandments to Be a Great Stepmom

The Grit and Grace Project ·

2025/03/22

If someone had told me that I was going to be a stepmom at 21 years old, aka a bonus mom, I would have laughed in their face. Not because I hated kids or because I was rude, but simply because working to become a great stepmom wasn’t a part of my plan. Funny how life works like that, isn’t it? You see, when I was younger, I was convinced—without a doubt—that I was going to be a traveling nomad. Laugh all you want, but it’s true. I’d always loved traveling, exploring new places, immersing myself in a

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When Menopause Blues Turns Into Depression, There’s Help

The Grit and Grace Project ·

2025/03/19

Menopause arrived early and chronic depression became my wake-up buddy. Almost daily. I learned how to deal with the occasional blues earlier in life. Hiking or cycling always worked wonders. Creativity helped dispel the gray fog, whether planting flowers, or trying a new recipe, or knitting a gift. And of course, drafting gratitude lists and looking for ways to reach out to someone else in need—all these things helped me manage situational depression. But this was different. Instead of bouncing out

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21:36

If You Want to Pray More – 273

The Grit and Grace Project ·

2025/03/18

Want to pray more but not sure where to start? Prayer is a wonderful, powerful privilege that gives us instant connection to the God of the universe. But, if we’re honest, it can also feel a bit daunting. Historical images of prayer, both literal and figurative, give off the impression that our communication with God should be deeply rooted in religious formality. You know the kind: kneeling with our heads bowed and hands delicately clasped together. Not only is that kind of prayer often

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19:11

If You Have Trouble Speaking Up for Yourself – 272

The Grit and Grace Project ·

2025/03/11

The one thing most people fear more than death? Public speaking.¹ There’s something about standing in front of another person (or multiple people) and sharing our thoughts, ideas, and feedback that makes us want to shrink until we evaporate. But sometimes, neglecting to speak up for yourself can have harmful repercussions. Here to help you see past your fear this week is Darlene Brock and Julie Bender, who get to work excavating the possible reasons why speaking up is so terrifying. Maybe

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Ask Dr. Zoe – Grieving Divorce

The Grit and Grace Project ·

2025/03/10

‘Running Turtle’ Asked: My marriage broke up about 7 months ago. In the last few days, we’ve been seriously discussing divorce. I’ve been grieving the last 7 months, but these conversations have brought on new, almost overwhelming waves of grief, how do I cope? Dr. Zoe Answered: Dear Running Turtle, I’m glad you used the word grief because that’s exactly what you are doing—grieving. Grief sucks always, but it is a necessary and healthy process when dealing with your loss

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Speeding Through Life? It May Be Time to Brake

The Grit and Grace Project ·

2025/03/07

I was pulling out of the driving, likely in a hurry to a practice or meeting I was already late for, when my daughter panicked and told me to stop the car. I hit the brakes, expecting her to tell me she had forgotten something or that I was about to back into the garbage can (again). Instead, she wanted out to rescue my son’s old go-kart we had placed on the curb. She pleaded with me that we couldn’t possibly part with this small go-kart that no one has driven in at least a half dozen years and

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18:47

If Hope Feels Beyond Your Reach – 271

The Grit and Grace Project ·

2025/03/04

How is your future looking right now? If what you’re envisioning feels bleak, let us offer some encouragement. Hope often flies right out the door as soon as life starts to unravel differently than we planned. Your kids drop out of college. Your spouse is distant. You haven’t been promoted at work in years. When reality doesn’t match the vision, what can we look forward to? In this episode of Smart Living in Small Bites, Darlene Brock and Julie Bender unpack ways to find hope in

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Could Your Child’s Relationship with God Start With You?

The Grit and Grace Project ·

2025/03/02

My mom came to stay with us for a few days when we brought our firstborn home from the hospital. We named her Summer. The day my mom left and my husband returned to work, I found myself home alone with a newborn. I felt so overwhelmed and unprepared. And so I did what other first-time moms might do in this situation. I cried. This little bundle was my alone responsibility for those hours until my husband returned from work. She fully trusted me to take care of her and, like you, I wanted to be the

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You Don’t Have to Make an Income to Contribute to...

The Grit and Grace Project ·

2025/02/28

All my life, I wanted to be a mother. It’s just something I knew, deep down, I was meant to be. I also knew that I would have to work outside the home, because if I stayed at home all day with kids, I would go crazy. To me, I didn’t think I could be fulfilled or feel important if I wasn’t working full-time. It’s kind of funny sometimes how life proves a person wrong. After my first two daughters were born, I thought I had a system all figured out. My husband ran a restaurant at the time, so he was

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The Grit and Grace Project

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