| The Grit and Grace Project

This Is What You Need for a Life Long Love

You Need to Do This for a Lifelong Love

By Ashley Johnson / Audio Articles, Relationships

(Listen to the audio version of this article here.) The other night my husband and I sat on the kitchen floor and talked until 1 in the morning. The TV wasn’t on—or maybe it was—I can’t remember… We told stories about our day and rolled our eyes over the annoyances. We discussed our individual jobs and the vision we have for what we hope to accomplish. We talked about the funny things our kids are saying and doing, watched a couple videos of them, and laughed so hard. I told him about something that has been on my heart and cried because I knew God answered my prayer. He smiled and said he’d been praying that for me too. I’m not being […]

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7 Castles That Will Make Your Fairy-Tale Wedding Dreams Come True

By Tanja Maduzia / Life & Culture

Have you always dreamed of tying the knot in a fairy-tale castle? Perhaps the current situation with traveling restrictions has inhibited your destination wedding goals. Here’s a bit of great news: castle weddings are possible stateside—as it turns out, there is no need to cross the Atlantic to find a big-day location fit for royalty. These historic buildings, with their grand facades, intricate stonework, and sweeping surroundings, rival their European counterparts, delivering romance without the need to touch down on distant shores. An added bonus? Family and guests won’t need their passports or the added cost of international travel. With locations dotted all over the North American map, it’s even possible to find a drive-to destination. Check out this list of venues

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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 I Started Praying for Your Husband Daily

By Julie (Graham) Bender / Faith

I have a heart for marriage. Always have. Since I was a little girl (without a mom, dad, or any example of it to look to), I always desired it and understood its great worth. Then I married young. 21 to be exact. And I was married 11.5 (hard) years to Paul before I was widowed, unexpectedly while separated from him. I’m about to marry (Or should I say, “remarry?” I feel like I need to learn the terms here. It’s all so weird under such different circumstances this time!) my true gift from God to me and my 6-year-old son. So, it’s with that context that I say this: marriage is a beautiful calling… one that cannot be entered into lightly,

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4 Simple Ways to Care for Kids After Divorce

By Ashley Vancil / Motherhood

One of the hardest parts about divorce with children is trying to stay on level ground. Let’s be real, divorce is never easy, but when there are children involved it makes things a lot more complicated. The thing we need to remember, though, is that our kids aren’t divorcing when we do. They didn’t choose this path. It is where they were placed and finding a way to make that transition easier for them should be the main goal for everyone involved. Having young children, I have realized that through this process they crave and need the same things from both sides: security, communication, and love. Pretty simple, you would think, but so many factors play into making it happen. Going between

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Behind the Music With Colton and Annie Dixon – 137

By Smart Living with Grit and Grace / Podcast

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon Music | Android | TuneIn | RSS | More Have you ever heard it said, “Life imitates art?” American Idol’s Colton Dixon might tell you, “Life creates art.” He and his wife, Annie, join Darlene and Julie for a casual chat about how much of his new music was inspired by life, their experiences as a couple, and the challenges they have faced. You will hear how they met, how they rely on each other during changes in his career, and the most terrifying—being pregnant with twins during a pandemic. The couple shares the personal stories that inspired the music on his new self-titled EP Colton Dixon—including chart-topper, Miracles and why his first love song, Can’t Quit

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We Moved 1,138 Miles to Save Our Marriage

By Deborah Meyer / Relationships

Over the holidays, my family of five relocated from a suburb in Saint Louis, Missouri, to a small town just outside Fort Myers, Florida. Why move 1,138 miles? The surface level answer is easy: my parents. But, if I’m being honest, the real answer goes deeper and requires a thorough explanation. You see, 2019 was filled with positive and negative memories. I am pretty optimistic, so I tend to accentuate the uplifting news and leave negative for another time. Nonetheless, struggles are an inherent part of life. Here’s a personal struggle from last year … my marriage. Our Strained Marriage My husband Bryan and I started last year in counseling. We argued constantly and couldn’t seem to get on the same page.

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Praying for Your Husband Daily (video)

By Our Grit and Grace Life Videos / Relationships

Did you know that our Brand Ambassador, Julie Graham, does a video series called #PrayingForYourHusbandDaily? This series was a large part of her first marriage, and she’s bringing it back in honor of her recent engagement. In an article where she talks about creating this special series (which you can read here!), Julie admits that the videos transpired out of a difficult marriage. She understood that her marriage was destined to be a sacred and unbreakable bond worth fighting for; so with its challenges came an invitation for God to help sustain it. Taking her series live on Facebook to encourage others in a similar situation, Julie built an online community of women who desired God’s hand on their own marriages and

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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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An Open Letter to the Coronavirus Bride

By Molly Dockweiler / Life & Culture

An open letter to the bride who is postponing her wedding due to the CDC’s recommendation: First, I really hate that this is a thing. Second, I feel you. I am you. While today my wedding is on the outskirts of the 8-week window of seclusion, the news is constantly changing and I feel as though I might not be in the clear for much longer. I’m not sure what to do, and no amount of worrying has seemed to help. I’m just sad—sad for you, sad for me. And I think that’s okay. While deciding whether to cancel, postpone, or stick it out and hope for the best, please give yourself the space to be sad about a dream that won’t

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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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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 – 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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How Grit and Grace Are Carrying Me Through Infidelity

Finding Grit and Grace Through My Husband’s Infidelity

By Author Anonymous / Faith

I sit on the rigid, metal chair in the dismal clinic and wait. The air reeks; it is a stale alliance of disinfectant and rubbing alcohol. No one here smiles. Soon, the nurse will call my name and have me follow her into what I assume is another uninviting room where I’m to have my blood drawn. Then, it’ll be mailed off and tested by strangers wearing lab coats and latex gloves. “Why can’t they offer some sort of reassuring setting for the brokenhearted—infused waters, spa music, aromatherapy… something?” I think, “Don’t they know the hell some people are enduring that brought them here in the first place?” I am numb, raw, and well, scared-you-know-what. It’s not the clinic’s fault I’m here,

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Maintaining a Healthy and Happy Marriage When the World Is Working Against It With Kristi Hendriks – 113

By Smart Living with Grit and Grace / Podcast

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon Music | Android | TuneIn | RSS | More We are living in a culture where everything is way too fast paced, where we somehow always over-schedule ourselves, and where we are constantly comparing ourselves to everyone else’s highlight reels in our social media feeds. It’s a hard culture to navigate! And when you add marriage into the mix, it can become extremely difficult to maintain one that is both happy and healthy. Sometimes it feels like all these things that make up today’s world are eroding the foundation and stability of our marriages. So how do we thrive in our marriage, or simply keep it in tact, when it feels like everyone and everything

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

By Dr. Zoe / 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? Or should I wait for marriage” 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

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