Teresa Christian | The Grit and Grace Project

10 Ways to Be a Great Boss and How to Manage Your Team

Congratulations! You finally made it! After all your hard work you have been awarded the opportunity to be a manager of other people, a boss. Now you can actually say “like a boss” and it’s genuine to who you are. Other men and women are going to look to you for answers, guidance, encouragement, and the occasional lecture on course correction. Whether it’s one or two people, or many people, you are their supervisor—they work for you. So what do you do now? Perhaps you’ve had great bosses in the past that have mentored you and now you feel confident that you can do the job. Maybe you had horrible bosses and want to do better than they did. But what does […]

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Children’s Books That Your Child Will Treasure Now and Later

By Teresa Christian / Motherhood

One of my happiest early memories is of reading with my mother. She didn’t send me to kindergarten, but instead taught me to read and write at home with the children’s books we had in every corner of the house. I specifically remember reading Alice in Wonderland with her, and it’s a memory I will always treasure. My mother instilled in me a love for reading that I thankfully passed on to my daughters. Children should be encouraged to read as early as possible. Parents and caregivers can do this by reading to them when they are very young and helping them learn to read as they become ready. Reading should be made exciting and fun, not just a homework chore to

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Focus On Today and Tomorrow You’ll Be Glad

By Teresa Christian / Life & Culture

Sometimes we get mixed messages. On the one hand, we are told to prepare for the future. On another, wisdom says not to worry about tomorrow. I think it’s fine to plan for the future and not neglect our responsibilities, but what about today? Are we living today? I’ve begun a new way of eating recently that is grounded on eating healthier just for today. Let that sink in. When it comes to food, I’m learning not to fret about tomorrow’s food options or all the weddings I’ll be attending over the next several weeks and the delicious reception food and wedding cake that will be served. I’m just focused on eating better today. It has actually made quite an impact on me,

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If You Want to Be Civil and Polite This Is How It’s Done

By Teresa Christian / Life & Culture

It’s all over media these days…we have, apparently, reached the limits of civility. The end. No one knows how to be kind, graceful, or socially correct. Polite society as we previously knew it has ended. Or so some would have us believe. But is it really the end of civility? Have the American people really completely transitioned into an impolite and bullish bunch? Perhaps it’s time to revisit simpler times, the days of chivalry, manners, and, as the French say, la politesse. Join me as we journey to the bygone world of all things polite, appropriate, and well, just plain nice. It begins with words. Think before you speak. Are your words true, necessary, and kind? Do they speak life and affirmation? The

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How to Get Your Dream Job

By Teresa Christian / Work & Money

Do you want to be taken seriously in your career as an up-and-coming professional? Maybe you’ve just graduated college or are entering the workforce after being home with the kiddos for several years. Perhaps other circumstances have landed you here at this point in your life, but regardless of why you’re here, you may be or should be asking, “How do I make the best impression?” First impressions are huge, especially in an interview or at your first meeting for a management position. Here are a few tips from a Human Resources professional that may answer your questions. 1. Dress appropriately! Leggings are not pants, crocs and flip flops are not professional footwear, short skirts/dresses need to be reserved for date night,

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Dear Parents of Millennials: It’s Time to Stop It

By Teresa Christian / Work & Money, Best Of, Motherhood

Dear sweet, sweet parents of Millennials (those precious little snowflakes born around 1980-2000, give or take a year or two) As the parent of two Millennials myself, and a Human Resources professional, I have a few words of advice for you: Let. Them. Go. I routinely read in HR career magazines and blog stories about how parents step in on behalf of their children. We’ve been doing that their entire lives, and it seems that it’s too difficult to quit. Here are examples I recently read. A father called his son’s employer to ask that his son be given a pay increase. A mom called to say that her child was sick and unable to come to an interview. Another parent called

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heal a hard mother daughter relationship

Do You Know the Father Who Never Fails or Gives Up?

By Teresa Christian / Faith

My father was an amazing man. He worked hard on the railroad as a foreman, but still had time for his kids in the evening. I remember as a family of eight all of us sitting around the table after dinner and talking for sometimes an hour or longer. He supported our teams and talents, loved our mother, and loved his Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. He preached, taught, and sang, with all his heart. I saw in my dad a glimpse of God’s love for me as His child. There were times when dad lost patience with me or had to discipline me because of my disobedience, but I never doubted his love for me. Just like God. How many times

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Teaching Your Daughter How to Stand Out from the Crowd

By Teresa Christian / Motherhood

As our daughters were growing up, my husband and I decided early on that we were willing to make some difficult decisions about parenting. All the drama, boyfriends, sassiness, and some fashion trends were not what we wanted for our girls. So, we decided to get on the same page and do our best to help our girls stand out from the crowd. It isn’t easy being “those” parents! I remember riding in the car with my daughters and another young girl who, at around six years old, was talking non-stop about boys. After a few minutes of listening to her talk about how she hoped this boy liked her and how she liked him and on and on, I decided to

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Let Go of Perfection and You’ll Make More Progress

By Teresa Christian / Health & Beauty, Purpose

“Strive for progress, not perfection” has been something of a motto for me over the past year. I spent most of my life trying to be perfect and falling extremely short of the goal. I can’t say exactly at what point I decided to give up on perfection, and it still sneaks up on me sometimes and threatens to choke the joy out of life. Do you suffer from a secret, or even perhaps overt, obsession with perfection? I feel your pain and hope to offer some words of wisdom and relief. Here are 5 ways to strive for progress, not perfection. 1. Look around you; no one is perfect. All those posts on social media that show a seemingly sweet life never give

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My Big ‘Ole Beautiful Blended Family

By Teresa Christian / Relationships

Once upon a time, a lady met this fellow. She had three kids (two girls and a boy). He had three kids (two boys and a girl). She was divorced; he was widowed. Her kids were all younger than his. The woman and man married and bought a house with five bedrooms and a large yard. Life was never going to be the same for this bunch—a blended family who had all experienced a lot of life already, but were about to begin a new adventure with many twists and turns and ups and downs. The woman is my stepmom, and the man was my father. Over the years, people who knew our story often referred to us as the “Brady Bunch” because

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Stop Saying These Things to People Who Are Grieving

By Teresa Christian / Relationships

Most of us have experienced grief on some level—whether it be a death, a serious health condition, or even the loss of a pet. There are many reasons to grieve and all are legitimate. And, we all grieve differently. Sometimes in an attempt to say something meaningful or comforting, people will say things to us that frankly makes us want to smack them, because the things they say are no comfort at all, but can be insulting, ill-timed, or just plain ridiculous. Since none of us wants to be that person who says those things, I’ve compiled a list of things I’ve heard over the years that we should avoid saying. Remember, if you can’t find the right words, its best to

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Do You Have Core Values in Your Parenting?

By Teresa Christian / Motherhood

Great parenting requires a great foundation. Being intentional and consistent in your parenting choices takes more grit than you can imagine if you don’t have children, and more than we can muster some days for those of us who have kids! It also takes a fair amount of grace—for your children and for yourself. A component of consistent parenting is developing the core values by which you will raise your family. Whether you are aware of it or not, most of us have already developed core values and practice them. Your experiences as a child, your parents (or lack thereof), the places you’ve lived, your education, friends, and beliefs have all influenced your core values. Thankfully, they are not always set in stone,

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How to Live out of Your Strengths, Not Weaknesses

By Teresa Christian / Health & Beauty, Purpose

Knowing who you are is something most of us strive for all the time. While watching the 2016 Summer Olympics, I was struck by a common theme—all of those athletes lived and worked within their strengths. They knew what they were best at and honed those skills and abilities. We should learn to do the same. How many times have you been jealous of someone else’s skills? Your sister-in-law cooks like a gourmet chef. Your neighbor’s house is immaculately decorated. You have a friend who is great at gardening. Your sister has your dream job. It’s enough to get a full-blown pity party started! It’s possible that too often you’ve been told to focus on your weaknesses. You want to be great on the balance

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How the 5 Love Languages Can Change Your Relationship

By Teresa Christian / Relationships

After 30+ years of marriage, you think I would have figured out a long time ago what is the best way to interact with my husband. But apparently I’m stubborn and sometimes selfish and would much prefer to keep doing things the way I’ve always done them, yet expect different results (wait … isn’t that the definition of insanity?). I tried every method I could think of to attempt to get Mike to act how I wanted him to, only to wind up frustrated and confused. How many times have you done the same thing? Your way makes sense to you, so why shouldn’t it to your guy? If communicating with him through text seems convenient, shouldn’t he realize you’re pushed for time

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God knows your life, your needs and the hair on your head

My False Eye and Clear Perspective on Life

By Teresa Christian / Health & Beauty

I have a prosthetic eye. Now, here are answers to frequently asked questions about having a prosthetic eye: 1. Yes, I can take it out. No, it doesn’t bleed or hurt when I do. I only remove it for occasional cleanings. 2. No, I do not/will not take it out for people to see. 3. I have a custom eye created about every five years. In the simplest term, custom means having a mold created specifically for my eye socket and then hand painting the prosthesis to match my eye color. It’s really a fascinating process that takes several days. 4. No, I don’t have any weird custom eyes (cat or snake eyes, bloodshot eye, different color, etc.). It is always a

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Sometimes “Lazy” is Really Giving Yourself Grace

By Teresa Christian / Health & Beauty

Do you ever suffer from a laziness hangover? I thought about the unfortunate condition this morning as I was walking through my office. I was feeling alert and ready to attack my day, and then I recalled the prior night’s activities … or perhaps I should say lack of activities. I’ve never had a hangover from alcohol, but I think I’ve heard enough about them to get a general idea of what happens. The tiredness, the disconnectedness, the sinking feeling in the pit of your stomach, the regret (I understand there could be lots of vomiting, too…). Oh, the regret! Why did I make those choices? Why didn’t I do something? Anything! I came home from work the evening before, feeling tired but

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10 Tips For How to Enjoy a Fun Visit With Your Grandkids

By Teresa Christian / Relationships

Successfully raising our own children often leads to the joy of being a part of our grandchildren’s lives. While my children were growing up (whether we were living in Tennessee or Florida), it was very important for our family to be near the grandparents. We wanted our children to grow up around them and to enjoy making memories with them. Now our grandsons live about four miles from our house, and my husband and I get to spend a lot of time with them. We don’t take that for granted! What does a fun day with the grandchildren look like? Should we really spoil them rotten? Let them eat whatever they want and have a negotiable bedtime? Yes, and no. Here are some

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