Podcast

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon Music | Android | TuneIn | RSS | MoreWhen you think of mother-daughter relationships, the many film renditions of “Freaky Friday” might come to mind. That relationship dynamic is not at all uncommon, but maybe it’s one you’re looking to pivot from, or avoid entirely as you raise your daughter. On this episode of This Grit and Grace Life, Darlene Brock and Julie Bender welcome back Marlys Johnson Lawry, a writer for Grit and Grace Life and mom of an adult daughter. Marlys recalls the relationship she had with her mom, which was strong and dependable, but lacked some of the tender moments that Marlys desired while growing up. To change the narrative with her

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon Music | Android | TuneIn | RSS | MoreHappiness in America is dwindling, according to a 2022 Gallup survey. There are several factors that play into this trend, but perhaps the most important question is whether we’re stuck being unhappy. Do we have to just endure? In this podcast episode, Darlene Brock and Julie Bender address the state of unhappiness that’s rippling through the world right now and answer the age-old question of whether or not it’s appropriate to pursue happiness as a Christian. Together, they lay out practical steps for finding happiness and boosting your overall mood, which covers everything from being aware of the content you consume and where you’re spending your time

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon Music | Android | TuneIn | RSS | MoreWhat does it mean to follow Jesus or to say, “I am a Christian?” With the recent Asbury Revival igniting new conversations around faith, Darlene Brock and Julie Bender decided to share the highs and lows of their individual faith journeys and getting to know Jesus. Darlene grew up in a strict church environment with a lot of rules, while Julie’s Methodist church emphasized the importance of relationships and feeling connected with others in the house of God. Both took paths that brought them closer to Jesus but encountered moments of pride and self-righteousness in their faith that they later learned couldn’t prevent real-life heartache. They chat

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon Music | Android | TuneIn | RSS | More“Are you approaching people the way God would want you to?” It’s an important question posed by Darlene Brock and Julie Bender in this podcast episode. This week, they continue the conversation from the previous episode, where Grit and Grace Life writer Allison McCormick, a biracial woman married to a Black man, shared her perspective on race relations in the world today. In an honest conversation from women of faith, Darlene and Julie discuss what we can do to fight racism, including taking on some tougher assignments: setting aside your defenses and learning to listen to others. They also share our biblical responsibility to address bias, what

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon Music | Android | TuneIn | RSS | MoreThere is an undeniable tension that exists when dealing with race in our world today. So when it comes to having those hard conversations and arriving at a place of better understanding each other, many people don’t know where—or how—to start. Longtime Grit and Grace Life team writer Allison McCormick joins Darlene and Julie this week to share her advice. As a biracial woman married to a Black man, Allison details the confusion and complexity of discovering her true biracial identity and the situations her husband has had to endure. She shares what we and other Christian women can do to fight hate and discrimination, and what

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon Music | Android | TuneIn | RSS | MoreIn our nearly six-month hiatus, a lot has happened in the lives of This Grit and Grace Life‘s hosts. Darlene developed and launched Grit and Grace Life‘s sister project, Smart Living with Grit and Grace, while Julie welcomed a brand new baby girl named Reverie Bender. Like any good friends would do after being apart, Darlene and Julie spend some time catching up and discussing what else is new in Julie’s life (hint: a lot!). For our newer listeners, Julie recaps her first marriage, her sudden widowhood, getting back into the dating scene and how she met her now-husband, Donny. She also speaks to what trust looks

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon Music | Android | TuneIn | RSS | MoreWe lied! In our last episode, Darlene Brock and Julie Bender signed off with a promise to return in September 2022 after Julie had her baby. Well, life happened, and This Grit and Grace Life’s return got pushed back to January. Better late than never, right? At least we’re starting off the new year with a bang! In this episode, Darlene and Julie share some of the new changes happening behind the scenes at Grit and Grace Life and give a preview of this season’s upcoming podcast guests. We have a lot in store—you don’t want to miss it! Quote of the episode: “There’s nothing we can

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon Music | Android | TuneIn | RSS | MorePsychology Today estimates that we make 35,000 decisions per day. That means from the moment we wake up to the moment we crawl back into bed, we’re constantly assessing and weighing out thousand of choices to see which ones are most beneficial. This week, Darlene Brock and Julie Bender review the steps you need to make decisions you won’t regret, and how to abstain from judging others for the decisions they make in their own lives. Whether you’re debating your options in a relationship, in appearances, in your career, or any other area of life, the decisions you make—big or small—hold weight. If you need a little

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon Music | Android | TuneIn | RSS | MoreAs this week’s podcast guest, Brooke Raybould, says, freedom is “a loaded word.” Especially with the recent rise in debate over constitutional rights in the U.S., the meaning of freedom can get muddy. So what exactly does it mean for us, and furthermore, how can we correctly relay what it means to our kids? Brooke, who is also the face behind the beloved The Southernish Mama blog, is surrounded by the hustle and bustle of government more than many of us: Her and her family live in D.C. and her husband worked in the U.S. Congress. She joins Darlene Brock and Julie Bender to talk about her