Melissa Dyer | The Grit and Grace Project

how to leave your job with a good reputation

3 Ways to Leave Your Job With a Good Reputation

After leaving my job two years ago, I recently learned that I’ve gone the entire time without burning any bridges. There is a touch of irony in how I came by this information. I live in South Florida, and there are a few ways we celebrate Christmas that are unique to our locale. One of those unique ways is our annual holiday parades—we decorate boats. Fortunately, for my family, we also live in close proximity to a bridge that serves as one of the many milestones on our local parade route. This exquisite little detail makes for a perfect family friendly holiday tradition. As a large excited mob, we annually crest to the top of this nearby bridge and view the decorated […]

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Beginning Faith Walking This Life With Grit, Grace and God

This Is How You Can Start Your Self-Development Journey Now

By Melissa Dyer / Purpose

Recently, I was scrolling through my IG feed and happened upon a post about yearly planners. The timing was perfect. I’ve been using a planner a friend gifted me and several journal-type notebooks to keep me in line this year but realize this is less than ideal moving into the future. My life has changed. My needs have changed. My growth areas have shifted. However, before I invest in a snazzy personalized planner, I better have a game plan. Whether you’re an entrepreneur with no one dictating your goals, a mom who’s responsible for umpteen departments without any corporate perks for being spectacular, or an empty-nester who won’t settle for complacency, developing a personal growth plan is a necessity. Every day, you

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These Bible Studies Will Help You Grow Your Faith

By Melissa Dyer / Faith

This summer I turned 45, which was a bit of a big deal. I had some accomplishments I desperately hoped to achieve in celebration of this milestone, one of which was publishing my first book. I’ve spent the better part of the last two years writing, editing, and honing my message, wrestling my stories down to the ground and looking for their transcendent meaning. That’s why I was a bit surprised by the publisher’s “note” at the top of my manuscript. “Thanks for sharing your spiritual memoir with me.” I had spent months agonizing over a concise yet sensational way to explain what my book was about. A spiritual memoir never made the list. But once she labeled it as such, I

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10 Simple Things You Can Do to Raise Quality Kids

By Melissa Dyer / Motherhood

I didn’t grow up with one of those amazing mothers who knows all and solves all. Quite the contrary, unfortunately. I also did not have grandmothers, aunts, or other women in my life who could fill in this gap. Therefore, I needed to fill this gap. I read up and listened in, acquiring bits and pieces of wisdom from other mothers who did come from those kinds of families. Because the very best wisdom is passed along when it’s tried, tested, and relevant to you. Books are great for laying thorough groundwork, but relationships are the place where you can get the affirmation and application you need the most. The one thing I did know was this: I wanted to raise quality humans.

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There Is Clarity to Be Found in Your Trials

By Melissa Dyer / Faith

While I wouldn’t advertise this on Facebook for fear of the comments, there are some benefits the epic quarantine of 2020 brought on for me, both practical and spiritual. Our busy family remembered how to linger at the dinner table, play games together, and enjoy our own home. These are some practical benefits. The spiritual ones took longer to process, but once I plunged deep into the uncharted waters, I found my way. Surprisingly, this strange season distilled unparalleled clarity in my faith. Where I once assumed that a change in my immediate circumstances would relieve the aching in my heart, I’m now a little wiser. The same painful trial I was enduring before the coronavirus remains. And even though I experienced

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This Is How Mom Can Save the Day When Plans Change

By Melissa Dyer / Motherhood

From the “Love My Senior” Facebook profile frames to the “Drive-By Birthday Party” article on Patch.com, disappointment is lurking around every corner. While I was walking (a healthy 6-feet-apart and then some) with my neighborhood friend, she shared some of the other disappointments to the mix: canceled bridal and baby showers, weddings, anniversary trips, etc. The emotional buoyancy we acquire through the natural rhythms of milestone celebrations seems to be elusive right now. That is if we fail to make contingency plans. Maybe the celebrations might look a bit different than we had planned, but that doesn’t mean they need to be skipped entirely. I’m in this with you. My son is 18, a high school senior who has not committed to

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