Barbara Hill | The Grit and Grace Project

A Fake Smile Will Not Cure Depression, So Do This Instead

I’m sure most of us have been to a carnival or fair where they reserve some of the most “fixed” and frustrating games around. And for some reason we always want to play them because we think the outcome might be different this time. I recently learned the official name for a particular game that I would normally try to describe by saying, “you know, it’s the game with the wooden board that has a bunch of holes with things popping up, and you try to smack them back down with a wooden mallet, but then they just pop up somewhere else?” Well, apparently the official name for this game is called, “Whac-A-Mole,” and it was invented by Aaron Fechter in 1976, […]

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For the Girl Who’s Forging New Friendships in a New City

By Barbara Hill / Life & Culture, Relationships

How many of us have sheepishly walked into a social event as the “new girl,” our hearts beating out of our chest as we cling to our phones for some semblance of comfort and security? One of my good friends and I had a conversation recently around this topic of making new friends, and how difficult and oftentimes awkward it can be. When I moved from my hometown on the East coast three and a half years ago, and drove across the country to build a whole new life in California, I was struck with the reality that I literally knew no one here, and no one knew me. It was simultaneously exhilarating and terrifying. From moving coast to coast, to then

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Holding Out for a More Powerful Yes

By Barbara Hill / Faith

It’s been a busy season to say the least. It’s not uncommon that Friday arrives and I can’t even remember how I got there. It’s like when you’re so deep in thought while you’re driving that you get a case of auto-pilot amnesia or something (totally just made that up), and can’t even remember how you got to your destination. I’m sure all of us have experienced busy seasons, or just busy lives, and like me, you discover how difficult it is to be present in the moment because of being distracted by the thing you need to do next. I’ve always been the type of person that wants to “do it all”. I want to think that I have some special

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4 Ways You Can Join A21 in the War on Human Trafficking

By Barbara Hill / Life & Culture, Purpose

For many of us living in the United States, the idea of human trafficking happening in our corner of the world seems hard to believe. Sadly though, this issue is just as pervasive here in the U.S., as in places like South East Asia and Eastern Europe. Human trafficking touches every part of the globe, from small villages in Africa, to major cities like Bangkok or London, and upper middle class cities in America. We may have watched Liam Neeson in the movie, Taken, busting down doors to rescue his daughter who was captured and about to be sold into the sex trade, and wish we could channel that heroism and go fight some bad guys. Well, I’m sure for most of us

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3 Big Do’s and Don’ts of Skin Care You Need to Start Now

By Barbara Hill / Health & Beauty, Life & Culture

In the last six years of being a licensed Esthetician (which, just to clarify is not to be confused with a statistician or Obstetrician…yup, that’s happened), I have heard some pretty interesting skin care routine stories from clients. I’ve heard everything from clients washing their face with acetone, to using hand sanitizer on their face throughout the day, because they were convinced it would help with their acne (to which I then considered referring them to me for counseling services). All that to say, I thought it might be helpful to share 3 brief do’s and don’ts as it relates to the world of skin care, and some best and not-so-best practices. 1. DO: Always wash your face at night. If you were going

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Grasping for Control? A Counselor Explains How to Stop

By Barbara Hill / Health & Beauty

At one time or another I’m sure we’ve all found ourselves to be the dreaded backseat driver—wincing with each turn and offering unsolicited advice about the speed limit or the direction that the (clearly incapable) driver was taking you. Or how about that team work project you were assigned to? You weren’t so confident in your co-workers abilities so you decided to just do the whole thing yourself. You tell yourself: “I’ve seen them in work meetings dozing off, or scrolling mindlessly through their Instagram feed, so I’m not about to get passed up on that promotion just because I’m forced to work on team loser.” Or maybe you’re the mom of four, and your husband never makes the lunches right, so instead of accepting his much needed help, you relieve him of his lunch

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