Women Can Find Purpose in this Grit and Grace Life

This Grit and Grace Life Podcast Preview – Episode 97 Get It Girl! How Self-Respect Can Change Your Life

By Our Grit and Grace Life Videos / Purpose

In a society where we see so much of others’ prim and perfect lives (hello, social media!), we’re often led to wonder where we went wrong. We might see our shortcomings more than our successes, and we may have had people in our lives who loved to point them out. It’s no wonder that healthy self-respect is hard to find these days. Whether you know it or not, you deserve more. You’re worthy of the best life has to offer, and if you want others to respect you, you need to respect yourself first. In this podcast episode, Darlene and Julie discuss how to find your confidence and why you need to carry yourself with self-respect in all areas of your life.

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This Grit and Grace Life Podcast Preview – Episode 92 Are You the Proverbs 31 Woman? Should You Be?

By Our Grit and Grace Life Videos / Purpose

Ahh, the Proverbs 31 woman. We’ve all heard of her—a beautiful, hardworking wife and mother, who spends her days managing her household and curating nutritious meals for her family, all while dressed in luxurious purple silk. She seems like a fantasy, a perfect woman, and there seems to be so much pressure among Christian women to fit in that mold. What if you don’t feel like a Proverbs 31 woman? Maybe you’re a single mom, or you work from home. Do you fit in this category, and should you try? In reality, God has called us each to a different path that may not be identical to that of the lovely lady in the Proverbs, but she exists in each of us

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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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Donate to The Grit and Grace Project Darlene Brock

Become a Grit and Grace Partner (video)

By Our Grit and Grace Life Videos / Purpose

Donate Click to donate now! All Grit and Grace Life Videos ©The Grit and Grace Project, Inc® Grit and Grace Life is a community designed with one purpose: to pour into the lives of women. We began this project because we believe in the strength of women… their innate Grit + Grace. We are here to build that strength, to encourage and inspire as women face challenges they may never have seen coming. As a non-profit organization, though, we rely on others’ donations to continue our mission and growing this community of women. Watch this video to learn more about the heart of what we do.

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4 Inspiring Women You Need to Follow on Instagram Right Now

By Meaghan Dawson / Purpose

We all do it. We all get lost in the scroll from time to time. Zoning out to an Instagram world filled with loveliness is a welcome relief from the push and pull of life. It’s easy to get swept away by the carefully crafted world of both social media influencers and mere mortal posters alike. And why shouldn’t we? Instagram is one of our favorite social media platforms for good reasons. It’s visual, driven by beautiful images that can uplift and inspire even our darkest days. It’s easy, allowing us to cultivate our experiences and manage our content with less sponsored posts and unwanted rhetoric than other social media platforms. And it’s fun too. On Instagram you can interact with celebrities,

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When a Strong Woman Is Quitting, But Not Failing

Do You Want to Be an Overcomer? The Way Out Is Through

By Rachel Hagstrom / Purpose

I’m a sucker for a story about an “Overcomer.” I am a woman who is attracted to and allured by the tales of those who persevered in the face of adversity. The discovery of inner grit, finding hope amid hardship, grace mired in trials…these are the type of stories that ignite in me a deep love for humanity. During my adolescence and youth, I was told about the Overcomers: my relatives, both living and passed, who had “been through hell and high water.” The saying wasn’t figurative when it came to my grandma—one of the most resilient of my family—considering she had endured six floods in her life. To me, Gram was the most glamorous woman I had ever seen. She held

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What It's Like on the Sidelines of Domestic Abuse

What To Do From the Sidelines of Domestic Abuse

By Allison McCormick / Health & Beauty, Purpose

I think of my sister often. Not because she’s passed away or we are estranged. I think of her because she showed me the face of courage. She taught me what it meant to be brave. When his hand slapped and beat her—she focused on her baby’s future. When he kicked and stomped her—she kept her eyes on the promise of a better day. When words cut deeper than her scars—she maintained empathy. She chose love. She endured the abuse of a mentally ill, drug-addicted husband—trapped by the fear of losing her daughter and her family. Battered and bruised, she survived. There’s More to It Than Meets the Eye I was five when my sister married, she was 17. He was her

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Finding Purpose in the Simple Moments (video)

By Our Grit and Grace Life Videos / Purpose

One of the biggest questions in life—and one of the biggest searches on our website—is discovering our purpose. We’re inclined to think our purpose is tied to who we are or what we do, but it’s often much simpler than that. Jodi Shultz, a writer at Grit and Grace Life, explains that it’s possible to find our purpose in the little moments. She uses the phrase, “Love the one in front of you” as a guiding principle in searching for her daily purpose. Here, Jodi lists all the ways you, too, can meet the needs of those around you.

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3 Ways to Be an Independent Woman

By Hannah Cox / Purpose

I’ve had a change of heart regarding what it means to be an independent woman. I can be proud of my singleness and my ability to function without a large number of friends in my life. I can be proud of being an only child and growing up entertaining myself and being my own best friend. At the same time, I’m bombarded with messages about what an independent woman is: she doesn’t need a relationship, she can take care of herself, and she uses people for her own purpose. It’s confusing in light of my experience. And it’s confusing in light of what God says: we are made for relationship and community. So, which is it, dependence or independence? My answer is

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Ignite Your Confidence by Doing - Rachel Hagstrom

How to Ignite Your Confidence by Doing (Video)

By Our Grit and Grace Life Videos / Purpose

As a woman walking through this #gritandgracelife, do you struggle with confidence? You are not alone! A writer at Grit and Grace Life, Rachel Hagstrom, shares her tips on growing your self-confidence. — Looking for more encouragement? Don’t miss: 100 Things a Grit and Grace Woman Believes How Do I Know What Defines Me? To the Mom Who’s Lacking Self-Confidence: Do This 3 Ways Positive Self-Talk Can Improve Your Life Bible Verses From the Grit and Grace Team on Self-Worth What Every Woman Needs to Know About Body Image Don’t miss these popular articles: Dear Wife of the Badge, You Are Strong A Modern Day Esther: Finding My Voice Through a Hero in the Bible This Is a Window Into My Widowhood

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Why You Really Need Self-Love Now (Video)

By Our Grit and Grace Life Videos / Purpose

What is self-love? Is it important? Should we be extending it to ourselves? If so, how? ? Listen here as Julie Graham, Brand Ambassador at Grit and Grace Life, explains why she believes self-love is one of the biggest problems women face in this generation. — Looking to boost your self-confidence? Start here: 10 Ways to Boost Your Confidence Bible Verses From the Grit and Grace Team on Self-Worth Now Is the Time to Ignite Your Confidence 5 Things to Do When You Don’t Recognize Yourself 10 Behaviors Found in the Inspired Woman Put on Your Big Girl Panties and Get to Work (On Yourself) 3 Ways Positive Self-Talk Can Improve Your Life Don’t miss these popular articles: The Grit and Grace

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Now Is Not the Time to Quit Your Daydream

By Joyell Nevins / Purpose

The man in blue caught my eye: a friendly cop plastered on a billboard, encouraging would-be policemen to train and apply for the sheriff’s office. “Perfect!” I thought, planning to tell my sister Kara. Kara had always dreamed of becoming a woman in an investigative unit. She had her heart set on the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI), but surely local police was a great way to start. And then I remembered—Kara passed away in a drowning accident just a month before. She was 33 years old. There is a plethora of awful things surrounding Kara’s death, including her darling 3-year-old who won’t get to have her mom in her life. But what hit me that day was the travesty of lost

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How I Made Beauty From Ashes and Burnt Toast

By Meaghan Dawson / HerStory, Purpose

I have been many things in my 40 years. I’ve tried on many different hats. I have been a fashion-forward retail worker in New York City and an avid runner who defined herself by her race times and lap splits. I have been a stay at home mom, priding myself on my perfect children, successful husband, and well-crafted athleisure attire. I was a homemaker, a make-it-from scratch smug cook who relished in making my own baby food and feeding my family straight from the farmers market. And this was long before being “organic” was a thing. I was constantly searching for something, an identity, my sense of self. I didn’t realize it at the time, but it was a function of low self-esteem.

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what to do when you've been ghosted in dating

How My Little Black Dress Made a Powerful Impact

By Elisa Johnston / Purpose

This time of year my Facebook feed is always showing me memories where I am wearing a black dress. An overlook in Idaho, at the Golden Gate Bridge, on the playground, at that party—in all of these pictures I am wearing that black dress. There are pictures on the beach, in the snow, when I was healthy, while I was sick, and others where I have newborn spit-up on my shoulder. Heck, I have a whole month of pictures where I am flaunting bright red hair like the mermaid, Ariel (still disappointingly finless, but in that black dress)! My black dress is ordinary, but it does extraordinary things. For starters, it represents over $75,000 raised to help bring freedom to victims to

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Be God’s Hands and Feet to the Homeless

By Allison McCormick / Faith, Purpose

The local television station flashed an extreme weather announcement at the bottom of the screen. They encouraged us to cover our plants and to take our animals inside. Frigid temperatures were expected overnight; too cold to be outside. This was such an ironic message—it was too cold for animals to be outside but a segment of the homeless population endured these extremes nightly. Women and women with children sleeping in doorways, living in cars, or subsisting in makeshift camps. No shelters for women and children, no reprieve from the cold, no safety from those that would prey on the helpless. A local church heard about the desperate need and agreed to sponsor an emergency shelter that year. Providing some 100 unique women

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Now Is the Time to Ignite Your Confidence

By Rachel Hagstrom / Purpose

I can be real with you, right? I felt a little like an imposter when I first started writing this piece about self-confidence. Two seconds after I signed up to write it, the thought “Hmm, I’m probably not the right girl for the job…” entered my mind. Here’s why: To start, I have a history of caving into the bully voice far too often. Is there a similar voice you hear when a new opportunity arises? For me, it’s the one that tells me I’m disqualified, defective, and not enough. When I’ve listened to it in the past, I’ve ended up missing out on some pretty spectacular opportunities. Furthermore, I am a SAHM who—probably on a daily basis—doubts if I’m truly cut

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Dandelions in December: Unique Jewelry for Your Journey

By Tess Lopez / Purpose

Scrolling through Sheila Dresbach’s Etsy page, Dandelions in December, is a bit like stepping outside and really opening your eyes for the first time. The Asheboro, North Carolina-based artist specializes in inspirational jewelry, pressed-flower jewelry, and keepsakes. She curates a colorful assortment of flowers, like delicate Queen Anne’s Lace, brilliant pink peonies, and even small stalks of wheat. After gently pressing them to preserve their color and shape, she’ll artfully secure them between the glass panels of a frame or pendant as a soft reminder of the beauty that can be found in nature and in life. A Small Business with a Purpose “I named my business Dandelions in December because I was going through a rough time with my husband’s job

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