Grit 'n' Grace: The Podcast for Highly Sensitive Christian Women

The year is winding down (can I hear a Hallelujah?!) which means that it's time to evaluation and celebrate. Amy and Cheri do a year in review, discussing what they've done well and not so well in losing who they're NOT, loving who they ARE, and living their ONE life well. Listen in for lots of giggles and some high impact moments too!

So many of us struggle to know what to say and do when someone we know is hurting. That feeling of helplessness can multiply when it involves the loss of a child. In this second episode with Rachel Lewis — author of Unexpecting: Real Talk on Pregnancy Loss — she helps us all to become more grief literate. Rachel not only explains practically how we can help others in their grief but also how to manage our own better. This is an episode that we all need in a pain-stricken, broken world.

It's a loss that's so common that it's often tragically overlooked. Whether you've personally miscarried or love someone who has, you know the unspoken pain of losing a child. Rachel Lewis, author of Unexpecting, tenderly leads us to a deeper understanding of healthy ways to deal with grief triggers, physical changes, and the dismissiveness of others. Rachel also gently instructs us to bring healing, not more hurt, into others' pregnancy loss. This important episode is not to be missed.

Calling can seem like something that's mystical. Something that's given only to the special people. But calling is for all of us... if we can overcome feeling disqualified. Cheri and Amy discuss being used by God despite their failings and give practical practices that set us up to follow God into our assignments. (Also, find out what set Amy on an oppositional defiant path this week!)

So often, we can feel disqualified by our flaws. Jodie Niznik, author of Crossroads: a Study of Esther and Jonah for Boldly Responding to Your Call, assures us again that God uses very ordinary, very flawed people. Using Esther and Jonah as biblical examples, Jodie encourages each of us that we have a significant place — warts and all! — in God's story.

What if peace comes with practice? That was the question that set Kay Wyma, author of The Peace Project: a 30-Day Experiment Practicing Thankfulness, Kindness, and Mercy, on a path to find the key elements that lead to peace. Kay shares the way she stumbled into the some counterintuitive truths for battling anxiety, and then she dives into the brain science (squeeee!). This fun episode will leave you with powerful, practical tips to practice yourself into peace.

In our contentious culture, there are dozens of triggers every day. One of our buzz words is uttered (or typed), and we go from sipping coffee to armoring up for war. How can we find peace when we feel so embattled? In today's interview with Amberly Neese, author of Common Ground: Loving Others Despite Our Differences, we learn lessons for loving others well ... even when we disagree with them.

It's easy to get so caught up in the roller coaster ride of pursuing amazing that we miss the blessings of slow growth and intentional focus. Cheri and Amy discuss the lessons they've learned (some the hard way!) about trying to make up for lost time and chasing dreams of being spectacular. It turns out that "average" is a life of many gifts! Listen in and celebrate with us.

Choosing farm life was a difficult shift for Jennifer Dukes Lee, author of Growing Slow. But over time, as she watched the seasons of planting, growing, harvest and fallow, she began to see the benefits of internal seasons too. Sharing wisdom from creation and personal experience, Jennifer lays out the compelling reasons that we need to reconsider our go-faster-lives.

What would it be like to have an easy companionship with God? One like you have with your best friend? It's possible! Instead of fearing Him as a taskmaster, we can know God as our tutor. Instead of fleeing Him in a panic, we can walk in God's presence. We can take off our masks and enjoy our Maker. Tune in as Amy and Cheri discuss their growth in God, unveiling the joy of living closer to Him.