Prayer

Prayer is an integral part of a relationship with God, but sometimes we don’t know what to say or how to listen. These are great reads to help you strengthen your prayer life. #gritandgracelife

Our Plans are Not Promises, But God Is Still Good

Our Plans Are Not Promises, But God Is Still Good

Whether we realize it or not, we all plan ahead of time. Making plans keeps us organized and focused on the objective ahead, whether it’s determining what to make for dinner, organizing a family vacation, or achieving goals. I keep track of everything in my personal planner; I’ll forget something if I do not write it down, and I also need to know what to expect from the rest of my day. Any interruptions beyond what’s written in my planner annoy me because they take me away from what I need or want to do. But our plans are not promises. What happens if they don’t pan out? With No Plans in Place, I Was Worried For me, the past year has […]

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when you feel weighed down god comes through

When You Feel Weighed Down, God Comes Through

“Save him, Mama! I want to saaaaave the ant!” My 2-year-old was giving me very clear orders as she bobbed up and down in the pool, engulfed in her life vest. Her eyes, the same color as the aqua water, locked onto mine in a determined challenge. I studied that unfortunate ant caught in the swimming pool. He was large as far as ants go, and he was still moving.  I brought my two hands together, creating a cup, and lifted him out of the water, setting him onto the ledge before us. He was out but still struggling to break away from the little puddle I created while scooping him up.   He continued to move but made little progress. My

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How I'm Learning to Trust God as My Son Becomes a Man

How I’m Learning to Trust God as My Son Becomes a Man

I half knew it was mistake when I made the call. My brothers had flown into town so that we could celebrate my parents’ 50th wedding anniversary. It was a special day. We gathered with friends and family at a famous local restaurant eating ribs and exchanging stories. And in that moment, I missed my boy. I’m in a New Parenting Season as My Son Becomes a Man A few weeks before, he graduated from high school. We celebrated with a big party and a day later we drove him eight hours north to work at a Christian camp. It was a whirlwind. So many endings and beginnings all smashed together. As I looked around the restaurant, my heart was happy to

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in a changing world we can rest assured that god remains the same

In a Changing World, We Can Rest Assured That God Remains the Same

It feels like we have been thrown to the bottom of life’s ocean by the circumstances that surround us. Unrest, political conflict, shifting truth, and polarization on virtually every subject have been hitting us from all sides, as if we are in an emotional tsunami without end. The feelings of uncertainty, fear, and even hopelessness ebb and flow weekly, even daily. We didn’t know it when the shift began in the spring of 2020, but the world as we have known it has been altered. I don’t see that becoming any less true in the days ahead. How to Find Hope When the World Seems Crazy Yet, I am not without hope. I have lived long enough to recognize God’s presence in

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how to be a praying parent throughout your child's life

How to Be a Praying Parent Throughout Your Child’s Life

Our daughter, Summer, brought him home from college one weekend. They watched March Madness basketball, played video games (in a competitive manner, because that’s my girl), and laughed a good deal. Later that week, we received a thank you note from this young man. And everyone knows that a thoughtfully written thank you note earns huge points with a future mom-in-law. Every. Time. I had been praying for the potential spouses of my son and daughter. That weekend, I was pretty sure I’d met my son-in-law-to-be, Joshua. How fun to bump into an answer to your prayers—in person. Making intercessory prayers for our children is a privilege. It’s a tool from God to assist us in the high calling of rearing our

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This Grit and Grace Life Podcast

Wise Words for Women in Our Grit and Grace Life – 162

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon Music | Android | TuneIn | RSS | MoreWith life traveling faster than we can keep up, many of us are facing storms that threaten to take our joy, sanity, and peace. What we all need right now are wise words for women to handle this grit and grace life. We don’t need a quippy cliché or a half-hearted platitude but real practical truths to apply as needed. To offer that, co-hosts Darlene Brock and Julie Bender take to the mic to share six insights on life that benefit every woman. Since they are taking a recording break for a few months, they wanted to leave you with these hard-won words of wisdom. After listening

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when i feel like a bad mom i pray this for my kids

When I Feel Like a Bad Mom, I Pray This for My Kids

(Listen to the audio version of this article here.) “I am not a perfect mom.” I have this thought—well, much harsher versions of it—more often than I’d like to admit. I lost my patience and yelled. I made PB&J for lunch and frozen chicken nuggets for dinner because I cannot seem to meal plan. I was on my phone too much. My house is a mess (better not post any pictures from today—yikes). I tried a “super easy” kids’ activity I found on Instagram that ended in my toddler eating the glue stick and coloring on the wall. I felt stressed out rather than present during our entire trip to the park because the kids were running in opposite directions, and all these

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Leaning-into-Worship-Even-When-You-Have-a-Hurting-Heart

Leaning Into Worship With a Wounded Heart

Normally, I am a girl who loves her worship. Set me up in the front row at church with the lights going and the praise pumping, and I will be hands up, tears rolling, scream-singing the words (because I know them all). I’ve lived enough life to truly understand the cost of His grace, the depth of my sin, and the beauty of His love, so worship could last for hours, and I would not complain. But as I sat in Bible study listening to two beautiful girls leading that day, my heart was in rebellion, willing me to resist. I was agitated. Annoyed. I didn’t want to worship. I wasn’t feeling the moment or the praise. Worship was not on my

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Episode 144 faith

This Grit and Grace Life Podcast Preview – Episode 144 Finding Your Faith

If you’re exploring the idea of building your faith or even just starting a relationship with God, you’re not alone. Many people have the same questions, but just don’t know what to do or what developing their faith looks like. Thankfully, there are no rules. In this episode, Darlene and Julie share the ways they build their faith, whether that’s by reading their Bible during their morning coffee or spending a few moments in prayer.

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Jen Ledger podcast preview

Skillet’s Jen Ledger Shares Her Faith, Her Fear and Her Strength

It’s hard to imagine Christian rock band Skillet’s own star vocalist and drummer, Jen Ledger, having any fears while she’s banging out the beat for the group’s hit songs. But like all of us, Jen has her own anxieties, fears of not being good enough, and yes—stage fright. Tune in to episode 44 where she recalls her history with the multi-platinum group, and how she looked to her faith for strength during a period of self-doubt and embarking on her new solo project.

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Just Because She Carries It Well Doesn’t Mean It Isn’t Heavy

Just Because She Carries It Well Doesn’t Mean It Isn’t Heavy

“It feels as if most areas of my life are very uncomfortable,” I thought as I carefully shut the door of my 19-year-old Dodge Durango. It makes a terrible creaking noise and I’m kind of afraid it might fall off the hinge onto my feet whenever it swings. The car has over 200,000 miles on it, and I feel a sheepish guilt each time I strap my 2-year-old and 1-year-old into it. The AC is wimpy at best, but it’s better than our Hyundai Elantra that my husband drives which just blows hot air. Did I mention we live in SW Florida? I’m pretty good at overlooking frustrations and reframing disappointments to focus on what I’m learning and gaining. But sometimes the

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I’ll Never Forget the Time I Overshared at Church

When You’re Desperate to Know the Reason for Your Pain

Friends. I write this with a very heavy heart. Pain. Confusion. Rejection. I want to talk about all of that today. I am not here to make light of any situation. I am not here to try to bring perspective to your problems or circumstances. I will save that for a later day. I am here to say it is okay to be broken. It is okay to hurt. It is okay to be angry. It is okay to feel confused. It is okay to ask questions. The Bible never promises us that once we give our life to Christ we will no longer deal with pain. The promise is not if you love God you will have more good things happen,

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This Is How a Good Friend Prays

There’s a story in the Bible about four men who brought their paralytic friend to Jesus to be healed. So many people were gathered to listen to Jesus teach that the men could not get their friend into the house to see him. Even though the doors were blocked and the crowd was in the way, it didn’t stop them from getting the man to Jesus. In fact, they went to the roof. These men not only took time to bring their friend to Jesus, but now they were digging a hole in the roof to lower him down right to the Lord. Can you imagine? What did Jesus do when he saw their faith? He met the man’s immediate need for

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how to pray for all those in education right now

How to Pray for All Those in Education Right Now

There is a popular tagline among teachers these days that reads, “Teaching is my superpower. What’s yours?” We get it printed on coffee cups and t-shirts and display the thought proudly. I suppose, now, everyone in the country deserves a t-shirt, but I’ve always thought it to be a privilege to be able to do something that so many people claim they could never do. I hear all the time, “I could never be a teacher because I would—”(I’ll let you fill in the blank). We’ve all seen the hilarious memes and videos of parents leaving messages for their teachers begging for forgiveness and demanding school to go back. I believe those sentiments are real and I feel their pain! The last

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Religion vs. Relationship What Will Grow Your Faith More

Religion vs. Relationship: What Will Grow Your Faith More?

We all have our own unique story. For better or worse, our childhood often shapes and forms the way in which we see the world and our place in it. Often, when it comes to our faith practice, we seem to fall into one of two camps: religion or relationship. But can we experience both simultaneously? Can one inform the other? I think so. When I was young, my parents were part of a church plant. Meaning, they and another group of like-minded friends started a church. I am not sure that I knew it then, but looking back, I see that through my parents’ commitment to this church and the time we spent there, I was learning that I was not

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How to Pray (When You Feel Like You Don't Know How)

How to Pray (When You Feel Like You Don’t Know How)

Growing up, my family believed in God but didn’t attend church. I thought that when you prayed you had to address God formally and the only “prayer” I knew was: Now I lay me down to sleep I pray dear Lord my soul you’ll keep And if I die before I wake I pray dear Lord my soul you’ll take I prayed that a lot lying in bed at night as a child, but honestly, I didn’t even know what it meant. It just sounded like something one should say before going to bed. Especially since I grew up with anxiety, abuse, and a lot of uncertainty. Have You Ever Felt Like You Don’t Know How to Pray? Being the oldest of

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What Happened When I finally Heard God Whisper

What Happened When I Finally Heard God Whisper

I used to think that only super special and holy people got to hear from The Almighty. You know, the ones that live exemplary lives, with full knowledge of Scripture and holes worn in the knees of their jeans from the many hours in their prayer closets. I also thought that only preachers and pastors that speak eloquent messages that shoot straight to our hearts could hear from God. Yes—those were the extraordinary ones that got to hear the divine whispers from our Lord, but definitely not me. I’m just a simple girl who loves Jesus; you won’t find me listed in the “special” or “holy” category. The holes in my jeans aren’t worn in by hours of prayer. They’re there because

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