Tackling Life and Culture in Your Grit and Grace Life

Is Quitting the End? Or Is it Starting Over?

By Michelle Hurst / Life & Culture, Featured

Recently, I went to the local running store and let them charge a ridiculous amount for a new pair of running shoes. I used to run, just like I used to do lots of things, but lately, I have been slow to get off the couch. I quickly found my brand and style of choice. The owner came up from the back and asked me about my selection. Runners are very particular about their shoes. I told her I needed something to absorb a lot of the impact. I tell her that I overpronate just a little. I tell her that my knees creak, but I never mention the hole in my head. I tell her I’m a distance runner, not a […]

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When Did Caring for the Earth God Created Become Political?

By Kristen Bailey / Life & Culture

I’ve been obsessed with the oceans and conserving them since the first time I watched “The Little Mermaid.” Paddling out with dolphins and sea turtles just solidified my obsession with the sea. Growing up in a beach town in Florida, I studied environmental journalism. The week of Christmas, I strolled the beaches of Maui near “Pu’u Keka’a” or Black Rock. The islands of Molokai and Lanai slept in the distance with sailboats between us. A few clusters of white coral rolled up toward my feet in the sand. The crowds still hung back from visiting the islands due to the pandemic, leaving most of Maui to myself. There in the greenery that separated the walking path from the shoreline, I saw it.

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woman at the gym doing bicep curls and learning to lift heavy

Lift Heavy—Your Body Will Thank You (And Still Look Feminine)

By Amanda-Lee Pitzer / Life & Culture

I just read this post by a friend of mine, Heidi Smith: “Today is clean out my closet day—I am finally ready to let go of my ‘skinny clothes.’ Three years ago, I was doing an insane preparation and was the thinnest I’ve ever been. I was weighing my food and tracking everything. To some, that may look like discipline; now I realize that I had put myself in a prison. I was going to bed starving and having horrible blood sugar crashes. For what? Because I thought to be beautiful was low body fat? I am not naturally thin. I lift. I am active. I never stop moving. I eat healthy. But I have learned that it is okay to enjoy

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Running the Race with Grit and Grace

By Darlene Brock / Life & Culture, Faith, Featured

On Saturday, May 11th, Darlene Brock and Julie Bender, along with Grit and Grace Writer Amanda-Lee Pitzer, will be Running the Race with Grit and Grace in Middletown, Ohio. No, they aren’t running exactly; they are joining Chosen, the women’s ministry of Berachah Church, to share wisdom, laughter, and fun as we celebrate This Grit and Grace Life together. Doors open at 9:00 for check-in, light refreshments and shopping. The event begins at 10:00 and ends by 3:30. It includes brunch, shopping, and main and breakout sessions that will encourage you in all aspects of life. You get to pick two breakout sessions as well as the main events, and they include: Marriage—Building it Stronger. If you feel your marriage is steady

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Dear Gold Star Wife, I Promise It Will Get Better

By Amanda-Lee Pitzer / Life & Culture

We went to dinner at our local small-town golf club. As I walk in I realize what is going on around us, and a lump forms in my throat. I wonder if we should turn around and walk away before my kids understand the gravity of the fundraiser we have walked into. I saw his widow, another gold star wife, outside taking hug after hug as fellow Navy sailors, I would imagine, were sharing little stories and tidbits of information about the chief whose life they were celebrating. I know how she feels. She is so grateful for the love and the distraction of the pit she wants to crawl into. The one she only escapes for the sake of her children.

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This Is Why You Need an Aloe Vera Plant

By Tess Lopez / Life & Culture

Just last week, I was boiling some water on the stove in preparation for dinner. At least, I thought I was boiling water. I accidentally turned the wrong knob, so the burner next to my pot was heating up rapidly, and the handle to the pot was hovering over said burner. I mistakenly reached for the handle and…you guessed it. A fiery sensation ran up my fingers, and I jumped away from the stove, holding my sad, injured hand. Now, what’s a woman to do? It definitely wasn’t serious enough to rush to a hospital, but it would likely become painful if it wasn’t treated soon enough. I quickly sifted through any knowledge I had of home remedies. Then, bright as the

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Beauty Treatments of the Past That Will Make You Laugh and Cringe

By Darlene Brock / Health & Beauty, Life & Culture

Have you ever wondered who determined that we ladies should take small metal tongs and pull hairs out of our face, one at a time, to achieve perfectly arched eyebrows? Or who was the masochistic individual who believed the removal of hair under the arms and on each leg was a great idea for our gender? What did they have on hand to accomplish this new task? A very dull blade, or were they kind enough to provide a sharp knife? We all know that Gillette’s Venus four-blade with lotion was far from being invented that year. I imagine a smoke-filled lounge with men enjoying their cigars and glasses of bourbon as they determine beauty treatments of the past that might make

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16 Things That Live in a Woman’s Purse—For Better or Worse

By Melissa Solle / Life & Culture

I’m a 46-year-old wife and mother who wears a lot of hats, and often those hats aren’t exactly straight on my head. When I was a young teen, I never wanted to be one of those women who had a purse with them all the time. I wanted to buck the trend that a woman needed a bag to perform whatever duties were expected of her when I got to that stage of life. I fought that cultural norm hard, so hard, often to the point of massive inconvenience or causing significant discomfort to those in my inner circle. Then I became an adult and realized the benefits of a purse far outweighed the negatives—my chapstick was always at the ready, tampon—check, wallet wasn’t getting lost under the

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10 Funny Things All Women Do

By Darlene Brock / Health & Beauty, Life & Culture

I obviously have spent a whole bunch of years being a female, well actually my entire life (no surprise there). But something I have realized is that we are a funny bunch, aren’t we ladies? There are some things we do and say that are unique to us. I’ve done them, and I know if you admit it, you have too! So I’m just going to step up and confess to some of the funny things all women do. 1. When we ask, “How do I look?” There is only one acceptable answer. 2. We remove our bra the moment we get home. Then spend the next few minutes scratching the indentations caused by said bra. 3. When disrobing for a doctor’s visit, we

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How to Move On From the Loss of a Dream in a Healthy Way

By Dr. Zoe Shaw / Purpose, Life & Culture

I recently sat with a client who was devastated over the loss of a dream. This door was clearly closed in his life and there was no real chance of him ever achieving it. There is very little in life that is as painful as the loss of a dream. His inability to move past this loss cost him his entire family. I wish he had come to me sooner. He was grieving so hard that he couldn’t even see the amazing blessings he had in front of him … until they were gone. What do you do when you just can’t get over a loss? Life is tough sometimes. I have never heard a success story that didn’t include failures along the way. Relationship breakups, loss of

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10 Tips for Tackling Menopause with Grace

By Melissa Solle / Life & Culture

I recently entered the much despised stage of life: second puberty. More commonly known as menopause. This is a stage of life that most women go through with varying degrees of symptoms and frustrations and lengths of time. Do I want a taco? A salad? My husband’s head on a platter? It changes often and quickly. Sometimes I just want to be left alone. Other times I want all my people around me. I want to eat the carbs, but I want to stay in the same size pants, which is, for the record, impossible. I have yet to find a diet or miracle food to prevent the dreaded menopause belly, otherwise known as muffin top. I exercise, I eat right (most

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I Did a Social Media Detox and Learned Why We’re Always Reaching for Our Phones

By Caroline Beidler / Life & Culture

One day after my 8-year sober birthday, I decided to do a social media detox for a month (or as long as I could). In the beginning, there really wasn’t any end game in mind. My motivation: I realized that somewhere along the way I started caring what people think. And this started to affect how I felt about myself. Oh, and also: I was spending way too much time checking my phone. I wish someone could have taken my picture and posted it as I contemplated what it meant to erase the Facebook and Instagram apps from my phone. I held my finger on the screen and the icons did that little dance, that shaky “please don’t delete me” dance. This

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7 Ways to Get the Most Out of Now

By Dr. Zoe Shaw / Purpose, Life & Culture

Change. It is a certainty. It never ceases to amaze me how life can completely change in the blink of an eye. It invigorates me and leaves me a little terrified at the same time. We often go about subconsciously believing that we will live forever—that time is always there. The mind is amazing how it can trick us in that way. But we rarely fully experience the present, even though it is the only thing that is certain about our time here on earth. Experiencing the sudden death of my father and the traumatic birth of my daughter (born with a rare genetic disorder) heightened my awareness of how life can turn on a dime. I’m sure many of you have had similar life curve balls. Yet, we know

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Representation Matters: Searching for Mental Health Support for People of Color

By Torrie Sorge / Life & Culture

I was stunned when I read the news story. I remembered her winning Miss USA 2019, not because of her articulate answers or platform, but because her physical features mirrored my own. At the time, I was just beginning to embrace my curls and she proudly wore hers with confidence. As I read through the breaking news story, once again, I saw myself in Cheslie Kryst. Her struggle with anxiety and depression echoed my own. I rarely share about the time I sat, razor blade in hand, contemplating if I should live or die. Would anyone care if I were gone? Or the time I called my mom at 3 a.m. to pick up our infant son because I couldn’t have him

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The 9 Best Ways to Choose Happiness

By Marlys Johnson Lawry / Life & Culture

I was glamping in an elegant Airstream in a land of sunny skies, craggy mountain ranges, and saguaro cacti—Tucson, Arizona. The trailer next to mine was a cool, vintage model and stenciled on the back was this thought: “Today, I will be happier than a bird with a French fry.” Which begs the question: Can we choose to be happy? Based on my experience, I believe happiness is a choice. And if a choice, then perhaps the old adage, “Practice makes perfect,” comes into play: “Note to self: Anything you have ever wanted to be good at, you’ve had to practice. If you want happiness, practice being happy. Keep these handy tools in your backpack to help along the way: gratitude, observation, presence,

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How to Teach Your Child Not to Hold Prejudices

By Dr. Zoe Shaw / Life & Culture, Motherhood

Why does it feel so uncomfortable to talk about race and racism in this country? Deep down in our gut, we know something just isn’t right and that makes us squirm. Humans strive for internal consistency, and when it’s not there we become uncomfortable. A part of our mind knows that we are all one family: the human race. The other part knows that we harbor some racism, stereotypes, prejudice, or discriminatory thoughts. Yes, we do. This makes us uncomfortable. When we become uncomfortable, we actively avoid situations and information likely to increase it. So, it’s normal to feel that way. I invite you to feel it now and keep reading anyway. There is something called multigenerational transmission process, which just means

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18 Recipes for the Best Super Bowl Party on the Block

By Meaghan Dawson / Life & Culture

It’s no secret to anyone who knows me that I am not a big sports fan. I couldn’t tell a touchdown from a jump shot from a home run. I tried faking it for years because I’m married to the biggest sports fan ever, but recently decided to give up the ghost and let my true non-sports fan flag fly. Luckily that’s not why he loves me, and 15 years in I guess it’s a little too late for him to bolt over a silly game anyway. But there is one thing I love from the wide world of sports, one event I look forward to every year… The Super Bowl. Clearly I don’t look forward to it because of the game.

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