| The Grit and Grace Project

We’ve Been Dating Forever and He Still Hasn’t Proposed? (video)

By Our Grit and Grace Life Videos / Relationships

Dr. Zoe, a licensed psychotherapist and regular contributor at Grit and Grace Life, answers the question: “What do I do when we have been dating forever and he still hasn’t proposed?” This is a tough situation to be in. You love him and you can envision forever with him! But it’s been months … or years … and he has yet to get down on one knee and ask the big question. Maybe you’ve already hinted around at your desire to be married, or even approached him about it directly, to no avail. This situation will place you at a crossroads. Although you love him, you have to decide if you want to be a forever girlfriend (or even a forever fiancé). […]

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Is Your Man a Never-Fiancé, Forever-Fiancé, or The One?

By The Grit and Grace Team / Relationships

Does your desire for marriage feel unmatched by your boyfriend? If you’ve been dating more than six months you likely know if he’s the one you want to be moving toward that cherished commitment with. If it’s been more than a year, you should be having conversations about your future (and if marriage is in it)! Maybe you’re engaged but your fiancé is dragging his feet on setting a date and falling into the “forever-fiancé” category. You’re not alone. These never-fiancé or forever-fiancé situations are more common for the twenty-first-century-relationship than we’d like to admit. Here at Grit and Grace Life, we believe a strong woman’s desire for marriage is noble and healthy! So what’s a girl to do when she and

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Why Hasn’t Your Boyfriend Proposed or Set a Date? With Dr. Zoe Shaw – 140

By Smart Living with Grit and Grace / Podcast

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon Music | Android | TuneIn | RSS | More You’ve been dating your boyfriend forever, and it doesn’t look like he’s ever going to propose. You’re ready to take the next step, but what if he’s not? He may tell you there’s no rush, you love each other, and everything is good just like it is. Or, that your relationship doesn’t need that piece of paper to be a real commitment. Maybe you are engaged, but that wedding date remains in the elusive distant future. You’re not alone! So, how long should you wait? Dr. Zoe Shaw joins co-hosts, Darlene Brock and Julie Graham, to answer these questions and more. She offers us six signs that he’s

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These 10 Red Flags in Dating Should Make You Run

By Johanna Vann / Relationships, Best Of

Listen, I know I’m a little late here, but the other day I started watching The Hills. Before you click off, let me explain! There was literally nothing on T.V. that night, and it popped up on my Hulu recommendation list, so I just went for it. Plus, I was just looking for some background noise as I worked on a home improvement project, so the contents of the program didn’t matter that much to me. Well, I started the series from the very first episode. You remember what happens, don’t you? Lauren Conrad has just moved to L.A. to go to fashion school and to intern at Teen Vogue. Meanwhile, her BFF Heidi Montag has just dropped out of said fashion

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An Intimate Look at Your Sex Life With Dr. Miller OB-GYN – 135

By Smart Living with Grit and Grace / Podcast

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon Music | Android | TuneIn | RSS | More It’s time to get “down and dirty,” or, in other words, have an honest discussion about sex! We’ve brought Dr. Holly Miller (board-certified OB-GYN) back to the show for a real conversation about sexual and reproductive health. Darlene and Julie ask questions you might secretly be wondering and are perhaps even afraid to ask your GYN. So, ladies, we’re “going there,” with questions like: -How do you know if you’re ready to have sex with your partner? -How do you talk about his (or your) STI? -Should intercourse have pain? What do you do if it does? -How do different contraceptives work? -Do you have low

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In a Long-Distance Relationship? 5 Ways to Keep It Strong

By Phylicia Fraser / Relationships

If there’s anything that I’ve learned from my experience in a long-distance relationship, it’s that it is probably one of the most difficult things to which you can commit. I’m sure you have heard the common warnings and constant sayings that long-distance relationships are a terrible idea and they never end well. Let me be the first to say that’s not necessarily true. I met my current boyfriend online, and we’ve been in a long-distance relationship for a while now. That being said, I do have to agree that long-distance relationships are not easy and they’re also not for everyone. If you’re going to give it a shot, you have to commit—just like any other thing that you put your heart and

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Is Marriage Just a Piece of Paper? Or Is It Something More?

By Darlene Brock / Relationships, Best Of

It appears a lot of women are waiting for their man to propose. They have been a couple for a while, and she finds herself wondering where their relationship is going. Is what they have enough? Their dating relationship, which started as an exhilarating sprint, has turned into a 100K marathon, one where the finish line never appears. Many men today are simply not getting down on that knee (or however you envision it) and asking the all-important question: “Will you marry me?” While I watch the single women around me who are dating and wondering about their future, I know this extends far outside of the world in which I reside. Further evidence comes from this very website, Grit and Grace.

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Ask Dr. Zoe – How Can I Break Gender Roles in My Relationship?

By Dr. Zoe / Ask Dr. Zoe

‘Yolanda’ Asked: Do you have any tips on how to break gender roles. My husband and I both work yet he literally expects me to prepare 3 meals a day for him. If I don’t have dinner ready he is annoyed rude and disappointed. Although I am just as busy as he is he will not lift a finger around the house and expects me to do all the cooking and cleaning. I’m just as tired as he is, if not more and don’t know why I’m expected to do it all just because I’m a girl. Dr. Zoe Answered: Married men who do more housework have more sex. True fact. Apparently enough women are struggling with this issue, that researchers have

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Doubt Your Influence? We Don’t and Here’s Why – 124

By Smart Living with Grit and Grace / Podcast

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon Music | Android | TuneIn | RSS | More Women have incredible influence. Whether we realize it or not, embrace it or not, or even like it or not, we have the power to affect others’ lives for good or for bad. Our life impacts those closest to us, in our homes and our social circles. We even influence across the internet, which reaches all around the world. This fact shouldn’t scare us (although some healthy fear could be appropriate here). Instead, it should inspire us to live a life worthy of imitation in all things—from family to faith to what we do for fun. In this episode of This Grit and Grace Life, Co-Hosts Darlene Brock

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How to Embrace Love in Every Season With Debra Fileta – 123

By Smart Living with Grit and Grace / Podcast

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon Music | Android | TuneIn | RSS | MoreJust as nature cycles through seasons, so do our relationships. No matter what type of relationship you are in, there are four stages that it will cycle through that spiritually and psychologically mimic the four seasons we see in nature. In This #GritandGraceLife podcast episode, hosts Darlene and Julie chat with Debra Fileta who dives into theses four stages and explains how each stage is vital for building a deeper relationship, how we can find hope in knowing we will never get stuck in one stage, or “season”, and how to successfully navigate through each one. Debra Fileta is a Licensed Professional Counselor specializing in dating, marriage

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What Your Teen Needs to Know About Dating

By Melissa Solle / Motherhood

Do you remember decades ago when you were in high school and how the week of Valentine’s Day always brought so much anxiety and anticipation (or loathing)? The high school I went to would sell flowers that week to be delivered on Valentine’s Day during homeroom—some would be sent anonymously and others would have a sentiment from a friend or an admirer. Every year girls (particularly girls) would wonder the entire week if they would get a flower. Cue the early 1990s version of The Bachelor, “Would you accept this rose?” Every year I was no different. I usually had my eye on a cute boy, hoping they had their eye on me. My friends would do the same. (Psst, if your daughter

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Ask Dr. Zoe – My Fiancé Ignored My Feelings—Should I Stay?

By Dr. Zoe / Ask Dr. Zoe

‘Nikki’ Asked: We moved to a new city 3 years ago for my fiancé’s career and I am not happy with the area. We are not near family or friends… all are hours away. I have expressed that I am unhappy and he too is not but says it’s where we need to be. Should I consider moving back on my own since he is not considering my feelings and happiness? Dr. Zoe Answered: I never condone acting as if you are married before you are. Rarely does anything good come from this. I started to answer as if you were married, then re-read the question and realized that you weren’t. If he were your husband, I would tell you that your

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Is It Time to Break Up With Your Guy? This Is How to Do It

By Darlene Brock / Relationships

Haven’t we all looked for a way out of a bad relationship? Maybe you’re dating that guy who will never really commit or realizing that if he does commit, the thought of “til death do us part” with him makes you break out in a cold sweat. Maybe you’re not ready to sign on to the baggage he carries through your door. So, what’s a girl to do? In all things love, music makes an entrance even in this breakup scenario through the insightful lyrics of Paul Simon: The problem is all inside your head she said to me The answer is easy if you take it logically I’d like to help you in your struggle to be free There must be fifty ways

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10 TV Couples That Make Us Believe in Love Again

By Julie (Graham) Bender / Relationships

Awww, love…are you loving love or loathing it? Maybe you’re recently single, always single, or unhappily coupled-up. Or maybe you’re in your dream sitch, heartstrings tied neatly in a happy, little bow… Do me a favor and put all of that aside so we can take a few minutes to let our fave TV couples inspire us to believe in a lovely love again. Because who doesn’t need to escape into fantasy land sometimes by way of couples who (seem to) have (most of) it all together? Let the love fest begin… Susan & Gordon Let’s start at the beginning. Maybe the first couple you remember. Susan & Gordon Robinson from Sesame Street. Ahh, memories. What thumb-sucking preschooler wouldn’t love a schoolteacher married

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Ask Dr. Zoe – Why Do Strong Independent Women Scare Men?

By Dr. Zoe / Ask Dr. Zoe

‘Tat2nurse13’ Asked: Why does being a strong independent woman scare off men? Dr. Zoe Answered: Oh, I love this question! But, your statement isn’t completely true. Historically, it has been proven that the more successful and independent a woman is, the less likely it is that she will find a life partner, but things are a-changin, honey! And yes, it may still be a bit harder for a strong, independent, successful woman to find love, but it’s not because she’s scaring off men. She’s probably attracting the wrong ones. Most men are not intimidated by strong, independent women. The men who are, are men who want to dominate and control women—and he’s not the guy you want anyway. Most men are not

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Ask Dr. Zoe – Are These Pre-Wedding Jitters or Marriage Red Flags?

By Dr. Zoe / Ask Dr. Zoe, Relationships

‘Ginny Girl’ Asked: My fiance told me a few things that hurt me really bad a few days after the engagement. I gave him a few weeks time, patiently tried to convince him in my way, even went on a day’s trip to make him feel more relaxed thinking he’s probably having his jitters because we were quite fine before the event I felt and I just couldn’t understand why his behavior changed suddenly. I told his parents about this. They intervened too and tried to convince him to stay but still he was only getting worse with time and I finally decided to let my parents know of his dilemma because it worried me to see them run around preparing for

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If You Wait for Marriage, Will Your Sex Life Be Boring?

By Dr. Zoe / Best Of, Relationships

So, a client got me thinking. He was discussing waiting until marriage to have sex. He expressed his respect for that choice, but also his concern as a dating, single male. He said, “What if I marry her and then find out that we are not sexually compatible?” I can certainly understand his concern. Some people would say, well, if you have never had sex before, you won’t know any difference and it won’t matter. But the majority of people who are abstinent are re-committing to abstinence (some coming out of marriages). They’ve had prior sexual experiences and are worried about sexual compatibility because, well, they actually will know the difference. So, I decided to do some research into this issue, realizing it is one that many couples are facing. In part, the idea

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