| The Grit and Grace Project

Ask Dr. Zoe – How Do I Learn From My Role in a Breakup?

‘Just Thinking’ Asked: How do you analyze past relationships in which you’ve been hurt a lot, but analyze them to see if you actually had a part or caused some of the issues? It’s hard to get past your personal bias, how can you do that? Dr. Zoe Answered: Most people never do this! We all assume that we were right and our partner was wrong. Although that feels good, there’s no growth in that. So kudos to you for looking at this. First, you must always assume that you had a part in it. Blaming the other person stunts your growth. I don’t care how small your part was, it was there. Relationships don’t happen in a vacuum. Sometimes your part […]

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5 Guys to Avoid (That Your Mother Warned You About)

By Jordan Hawkins / Relationships

Navigating the dating world at any age is difficult. We come into our own as teenagers, when many of us experience the first taste of what it is to go on a date. Perhaps your parents pick your date up and drop you two off at the movies. You hold hands and share popcorn. Maybe even share a smooch at the theater door before walking back to the parental units acting as chauffeurs. From there you blossom, each woman at her own rate, discovering what dating means to them. For the few lucky women out there, maybe college age or shortly after college, they meet their soulmate and begin a family and everything works out. Living in their version of happily ever

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TV Couples We Love to Love and Why – 077

By This Grit & Grace Life Podcast / Podcast

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon Music | Android | Email | TuneIn | RSS | MoreWe’re feelin’ the love this week! Curl up with your valentine (chocolate) as we do a deep dive into the eight duos we love to watch–on TV, that is. These couples, both real and writer-created, cross genres and generations, each with their very own unique charm. Co-hosts Darlene Brock and Julie Graham went to the tribe at The Grit and Grace Project to crowdsource who needed to be a part of this episode. As they chat about the couples chosen, they share why each of these relationships works in their very own special way. There’s a lot to be learned from these on-screen connections, so

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This Is Why I Believe in a Traditional Proposal

By Tess Lopez / Audio Articles, Relationships

(Listen to the audio version of this article here.) We live in an age now where women are breaking conventional stereotypes and finding their voice. They are quickly ascending the corporate ladder and earning prestigious positions in Congress. Others are bravely walking away from abusive relationships and learning not to criticize their body shape just to conform to the expectations presented by the media. A smaller number of women have even broken the bonds of tradition and lowered onto one knee to pop the question to their beloved boyfriend. I celebrate the monumental achievements that women have earned. I applaud them for their unceasing lack of courage and strength along the way. But no matter how many hurdles we conquer into the

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Have You Seen This New Trend? Proposing to Your Man

By Today's Guest Writer / Relationships

Even in these modern times, proposals by women are very uncommon. The tradition of waiting for your man to buy an engagement ring and surprise you is still extremely popular. There are so many resources for men on choosing a ring and popping the question. Some men have even turned to professional help to plan flashy engagements. Today, wedding planners will also offer their services as a marriage proposal planner. Think about all of those viral videos on Facebook! If women proposed more often, then there would be no need for proposal planners. It may seem like traditional engagement is the only option, but it’s not! 2019 may be the year of girls asking for his hand in marriage. Proposing to your

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Ask Dr. Zoe – Starting Over After a Failed Relationship

By Dr. Zoe Shaw / Ask Dr. Zoe

‘Starting Over’ Asked: After several years I realized I had surrendered myself to a man who was not committed to me. We never married, we have a child together whom I love dearly, but I finally came to understand that I was carrying the entire weight of keeping the family together. I have been the consistent income earner, paid the bills at the home he owned, and created a family atmosphere. I have finally expressed my disappointment only to be dismissed. I started separating myself and our child from him physically and financially. But it is so hard to separate emotionally. I have given so much for so long that I feel shortchanged, especially since I am the one that has to

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Dating? What to Look for in a Man – 073

By This Grit & Grace Life Podcast / Podcast

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon Music | Android | Email | TuneIn | RSS | MoreAre you single? The dating waters can be treacherous, but they don’t have to take you under! You’re looking for a good man. Maybe you already have a list of must-haves and deal-breakers. Or perhaps you need to make one. Does this current dating world scare you? Do you assume online dating doesn’t work? What qualities do you find in a good man? Co-hosts Darlene (who is “very married”, as she puts it), and Julie (widowed boy mom re-entering the dating scene) discuss how to find a man worth your time. To gain answers, they tapped into a great resource: the team of writers at

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This Is How You Protect Your Worth, Girl

By Hannah Cox / Relationships

Honesty is always the best policy… until you are under the fire of pressure and then it looks like the worst choice. We want to be liked. We want to fit in. We do not want to see our friends or boyfriend give us another eye roll over our standards. Fitting in is not everything. Going with the flow and compromising your values to fulfill others’ desires is not worth it in the end. Your identity is at risk every time you let a piece of your beliefs, values, and standards go, until one day you look up and you do not even know who you are. You have morphed and turned into what they wanted you to be. Be Strong in

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Grit and Grace for All the Other Women in Your Man’s Life – 068

By This Grit & Grace Life Podcast / Podcast

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon Music | Android | Email | TuneIn | RSS | More Your man has a lot of other women in his life who require attention and often demand his interaction. It could be his mom, coworkers, a daughter, an ex, friends, or a baby mama to name a few. If this relationship requires his attention, it might need yours too! Because we love our men, we want great relationships with them, but it’s impractical (and unhealthy!) to try to keep them all to ourselves. So, can you find the grit and grace to give him space to have healthy relationships with these women? Darlene and Julie share how to navigate all the other women in

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This Is What “To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before” Taught Me

By Hannah Cox / Life & Culture

I am a huge fan of romantic comedies and am happy to see that they are making a resurgence in our world. We all need some good feelings and heart melting moments right now; life is hard. To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before did not disappoint me. For those who have not been on Netflix or missed the buzz about the book, To All the Boys is centered on Laura Jean Covey. Laura Jean has deep wild crushes and to deal with the unrequited love she writes love letters. There are five letters, ranging from camp crushes to the boy next door, who is her best friend and just so happens to be her sister’s boyfriend. Early in her junior year of

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Remarriage—5 Tips for How to Make it Work

By Darlene Brock / Relationships

In the words of Samuel Johnson, remarriage is, “The triumph of hope over experience.” Hope should remain that a healthy second marriage can be found. To do that, here are a few tips to ponder before taking that next, fateful step. 1. Don’t hang on to past emotions. Whether you are widowed or divorced, there are emotions you are left with that must be dealt with. A new marriage will have its own set of relationship challenges to work out, so the addition of old problems with the new ones will only make things more difficult. 2. Be honest with yourself. Whether widowed or divorced, you must be willing to look at your past relationship and assess your role. We all can improve

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What Happened When I Decided to Romance My Man

By Susan Tucker / Relationships

Here’s a confession: I love romance. I could watch Mr. Darcy walk across the misty field at dawn a million times, and I will swoon each and every time. As Elizabeth waits breathlessly for him to draw near, I find myself holding my breath too. And when he stutters, “I love, love, love you…” I swear my heart skips a beat. While my husband may not regularly sweep me off my feet in Darcy-esque fashion, he does still woo me and win me in a myriad of ways each day. Whether it’s an unexpected text message, a lingering hug, or an above-and-beyond effort to help around the house, I feel regularly romanced by my companion of 22 years. However, romance is a

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When Will I Be Ready to Date After My Husband’s Death?

By Julie (Graham) Bender / Relationships

When my husband passed away suddenly, I knew fairly quickly I would want to date again. For some, that might seem odd. You see, I love marriage. So much so that I even began an online community for wives (and wannabe wives) where I would encourage them to pray daily for their husbands, and it became much bigger than I ever intended. It still encourages me today, even now that I am a widow… My daily live stream called #PrayingForYourHusbandDaily was a place where I would chat a little about some area of marriage where I might be struggling or just thinking about, and then I would lead a few minutes to pray for our husbands and ourselves as wives. I led

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Ask Dr. Zoe – Dating a Recovering Addict

By Dr. Zoe Shaw / Ask Dr. Zoe

‘Dating a Recovering Addict’ Asked: I have a friend who is getting serious with someone who’s a former addict. He has been through rehab more than once, but this last time seems to have been successful. He’s healthy and dedicated to his long-term recovery. I want to be supportive of my friend, and I know that people can change with hard work and commitment, however, are there some things that my friend can do to protect herself in this new relationship? Are there questions she should be asking him? Are there warning signs she should be aware of? I want to believe and hope for the best, but I also want to realistic. Dr. Zoe Answered: You are a wonderful friend to

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Relationship Truths Found in the Bachelorette

5 Bachelorette Truths That Will Make You Glad You Watch

By Darlene Brock / Life & Culture

Millions of us will tune in to watch as one man’s heart is broken and another wins the prize. The season finale of The Bachelorette is almost here. We find ourselves in emotionally charged conversations, pitting the merits of Californian outdoorsman, Garrett, against the athlete from Colorado, Blake, over our second cup of coffee. Bets placed in office pools and online forums lay odds on who will be the recipient of the final rose. When I think about it, I do get somewhat uncomfortable. Do I want to see a grown man crumble on prime time TV? Maybe not, but tune in I will. As I have watched this season, I have realized that there are real-life lessons to be learned from

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A Therapist’s Practical Advice for Blended Families with Dr. Zoe Shaw – 050

By This Grit & Grace Life Podcast / Podcast

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon Music | Android | Email | TuneIn | RSS | MoreSince nearly 50% of new marriages are remarriages, it should come as no surprise that many women are blending families. It doesn’t take long after making those marriage vows to discover combining families can be complicated. It can also be beautiful. How? We brought in our most reliable expert, psychotherapist, and relationship counselor, Dr. Zoe, to share a balanced and a realistic view of how to blend these separate families into one unit with equal parts grit and grace. Darlene (married mom of two adult daughters) and Julie (widowed single mom) ask the often searched for questions that are frequently found at The Grit and

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6 Easy Ways to Spice Up Your Relationship Right Now

By Megan Miller / Relationships

I know what you’re thinking, but I’m not talking about the bedroom. I’m talking about the Groundhog Day cycle you find yourself in! I’ve noticed that my marriage feels most dull when I’m short on self-care, and I haven’t had quality time with my husband. Try some of these ideas to get you out of autopilot and into a passionate partnership. Switch Roles Maybe it’s time he cooks dinner, and you walk the dog? Whatever designated jobs you’ve assigned to one another, switch it up! You may surprise yourself with compassion and be able to relate better at the end of the day. Invest in His Passions Sometimes I flip on ESPN or Sportscenter during the day, so I can talk to

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