Single | Grit and Grace Life

Dear Single Friends: What I See When I Look at You

I have watched you, Single Friends. I have seen your days of discouragement, your seasons of loneliness. I have hurt when you hurt and desired for you all that you desire. Your road may be one without a partner, or you may be alone because the one you had left you behind. I have seen you feel so very alone. Then I look past those moments to see how you have lived, how you have loved. How you have filled the voids in life that others of us have no means to fill. You have stayed late to hold another’s grief in your arms when many of us go home. You have guided that niece when her mother is desperate for another […]

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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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Ask Dr. Zoe – How Do I Keep a Relationship Platonic?

By Dr. Zoe / Ask Dr. Zoe

‘Desiring Friendship and Ministry Partnership’ Asked: I’m in my mid-60s and have been widowed for five years. I recently met a single Christian man who is a difference-maker. I have a deep respect for him, and admire his humility and work ethic. I’m not attracted to him but I’d love to partner with him in his humanitarian work in Uganda. What are the wisest ways to develop a friendship and ministry relationship with someone of the opposite sex without appearing as if I’m pursuing him as a potential date or husband? Dr. Zoe Answered: Making platonic friends after widowhood is not any different than before marriage. I have to admit that I wonder if it’s really your heart’s desire for this relationship

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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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5 Tips for When You Want to Re-Enter the Dating World

By Shannon Degarmo / Relationships

Dating can be hard for anyone—the thought of doing it again after having a rough go of it might seem daunting. However, you have the chance to make it into a positive experience this time around. After all, we’ve become wiser with age and have certainly learned a few lessons, right? Here are a few tips that I focused on when I was ready to date again after my divorce: 1. Make sure you are healed from past broken relationships. It takes time to overcome the effects of a painful divorce. And, the best part is, you’ve got a lot of time. You can’t really give yourself fully to another person if you are a splintered spirit. Allow yourself the time it takes to walk

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what to do when you've been ghosted in dating

5 Ways to Handle Being Ghosted With Grit and Grace

By Jamie Hill / Faith

If you grew up in a household like mine, anything that had to do with ghost, ghouls, or goblins were immediately rebuked. My mom didn’t believe in ghosts per se, but she did believe in bad spirits and protecting her children from them. I only wish that my mom knew then that when I got older, I would face a different type of “ghosting” so she could have helped prepare me. To give you a greater perspective, think of the longest crush you’ve ever had; no, longer than that. Mine was exactly seven years long. I can remember logging into my Facebook account on Mother’s Day weekend 2018, and there it was, the long-awaited direct message one could only hope for. The guy

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I Said I Would Never Date Again, but Then…

By Marlys Johnson Lawry / Faith

My children have given their blessing for me to date and remarry, but my son had one stipulation: “As long as he has a yacht.” Although I’ve been deeply content as a widow and there are no boyfriend possibilities, I drafted an inventory of the basic requirements. Owning a yacht is not on my list. “You shouldn’t limit yourself to a list,” a friend cautioned. “You might miss some really great opportunities.” But, if we’re setting out to make a major decision—say, purchasing a house—then don’t most home buyers have a price point, general location, and square footage in mind? And if a great house in the right school district (with a short commute to work) presents itself, but we wanted wood

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Keep Your Love Alive: Avoid These Relationship Mistakes – 084

By Smart Living with Grit and Grace / Podcast

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon Music | Android | TuneIn | RSS | MoreMost women are looking for a healthy, secure, and romantic relationship with the man in their life. Sometimes we do things that, instead of making it better, are killing it. Now, we know that men can be relationship killers too, but we will leave that for another discussion. So, we’re asking you, are you making these common mistakes that undermine the foundation of the relationship you hold so dear? We all do them, but if we don’t have a bestie who tells it to us straight, sometimes we don’t even know that we’re doing anything wrong. In this episode, Darlene Brock (happily married for an undisclosed number

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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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Dating? What to Look for in a Man – 073

By Smart Living with Grit and Grace / Podcast

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon Music | Android | 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 The Grit

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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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Single Again? How to Know When to Date After Death or Divorce with Ashby Duval – 056

By Smart Living with Grit and Grace / Podcast

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon Music | Android | TuneIn | RSS | MoreSingle again and confused about what’s next? Are you ready for another relationship or is it too soon? Since our co-host Julie Graham is in this place we invited fellow widow and one of our most popular writers at The Grit and Grace Project online magazine, Ashby Duval, to share her story. Ashby, while pregnant with their first child, faced her husband’s unexpected passing and speaks to us with vulnerability and hope. She honestly shares her journey as she navigated grief and the world of dating once again. Darlene and Julie ask her the questions you might be asking if you’re single after death or divorce. Realizing

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Make the Most of That Third Wheel Life

By Hannah Cox / Life & Culture

It is awkward being the odd girl out. My friends are dating, engaged, married, and some are starting to have kids. Then there is me. Single like a Pringle and feeling left out. I feel more like a pain and burden than someone my friends look forward to seeing. All because I am single. The reality is that my friends have done nothing wrong. Their man should be the priority. Those relationships are more important than our friendship, and that is hard to swallow sometimes. So, what am I supposed to do? 1. Invite him along. Solo girl time will always be needed, and something to be fought for in the craziness of life. But, find opportunities to include your friend’s man.

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

By Smart Living with Grit and Grace / Podcast

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon Music | Android | 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 Grace Project

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Miss Independent: Can You Be Healthy, Strong and Dependent? – 047

By Smart Living with Grit and Grace / Podcast

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon Music | Android | TuneIn | RSS | MoreWhat does it mean to be an independent woman? Is this description only for the single, carefree women with no man or children in tow? Or does every woman need to master self-sufficiency in all our relationships? Whether we are a girlfriend, wife, or mother, it’s essential to be able to stand on our own as well as mastering healthy dependence. In this episode, Darlene and Julie reflect on culture’s definition of Miss Independent and The Grit and Grace Project’s take on being healthy, strong and dependent enough to be genuinely independent. We’re convinced we can balance it all with grit and grace. Viewing in an app?

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Single? How to Thrive in the Online Dating World with Kristin Fry – 037

By Smart Living with Grit and Grace / Podcast

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon Music | Android | TuneIn | RSS | MoreAre you navigating the single scene? Do your emotions range from fear to embarrassment at the thought of trying online dating? Author of the book “Beyond the Swipe,” Kristin Fry joins Darlene (married for a million years, her words) and Julie (a newly single widow after her 15-year relationship) to discuss navigating the digital dating waters in an honorable way. In a warm, conversational style, Fry’s book tackles a broad range of topics from evaluating profiles to first dates to maintaining healthy peer friendships even while dating. In this episode, the three engage in enlightening, encouraging and entertaining girl talk about the single scene today. Since your

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