This Grit and Grace Life

We’re celebrating our 250th podcast episode of This Grit and Grace Life with 26 wise quotes from a literary classic: Louisa May Alcott’s Little Women.

Whether you’ve read the novel or not, there’s much to be gleaned from the conversations among its four protagonists, the young March sisters. If you need some encouragement in your relationships and goals or need to be reminded of the qualities of a confident woman, take a few minutes to tune into this episode. Darlene and Julie also share their favorite lessons learned from the This Grit and Grace Life podcast archive.

“If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking.” James 1:5

Click HERE to download a printable PDF copy of this episode’s Little Women quotes!

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How do you respond when you see a child with special needs? Most of us fall into one of two camps: We either choose to engage or we look the other way. But choosing to engage is always the right answer.

Russ and Gail Ewell will tell you the same thing. After dealing with judgment and unsolicited advice from others on how to raise their two special needs children, the couple decided the best way to inform others was to educate and integrate.

In this episode of This Grit and Grace Life, Russ and Gail explain the importance of addressing misconceptions and cutting through the discomfort around special needs and building a community around those with special needs instead. The couple created a series of inclusive programs that unite special needs and typical kids to forge friendships, grace and understanding for a lifetime, and they discuss how, in addition to inclusive programming, we can all support those with special needs.

Russ and Gail Ewell have been married for 35 years and are the proud parents of adult children with special needs. They have been leading ministry together at Bay Area Christian Church for three decades. Russ, a minister for more than 40 years, serves as the Executive Minister at BACC, where his teaching is rooted in providing hope for those turned off by tradition. Gail is the Lead Women’s Minister at BACC and serves as the executive director of Hope Technology School, a nationally recognized full-inclusion school in Palo Alto, California, which she and Russ founded together.

“You only benefit from inclusion; you don’t get hurt.” —Gail Ewell

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When it comes to battling life’s challenges, the odds are rarely in our favor. We might feel as though we’re putting forth a ton of effort into making our circumstances better, only to find we didn’t make much headway after all.

It feels like a far cry from the life God designed for us to live, but it doesn’t have to be. In this episode of This Grit and Grace Life, Darlene Brock and Julie Bender discuss new ways to approach these challenges—and they’re all rooted in the mission of Grit and Grace Life: To transform women’s lives by sharing our hard-earned wisdom, equip them with the grit and grace needed to conquer life’s challenges, and inspire a passion to follow Christ, the greatest source of our strength.

Together, they share the power of community in overcoming obstacles; tips for living proactively instead of reactively; how to depend on God for an abundant life; and more. If you’re close to feeling defeated, we encourage you not to give up yet. Reinforce your mental strongholds with the advice shared in this episode and conquer life’s challenges with the ultimate victor at your side.

“Our life is not one individual moment or place we find ourself. It does not define us… .What defines us is what we do in the process.” —Darlene Brock

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We’re likely to bounce between feelings of happiness, sadness, anger, excitement, exhaustion or any number of other emotions every day. No matter which ones you experience, they are all normal and they deserve to be listened to. Where we often go wrong, according to licensed psychotherapist Dr. Zoe, is in our reaction to those feelings—either lashing out at someone or making an impulsive decision we later regret. Even when we choose not to react by suppressing our emotions, we are entering into dangerous territory.

Learning how to control your feelings and they way you respond to them is such a critical part of life that Darlene and Julie decided to bring back a previous podcast episode—where Dr. Zoe appears as a guest—on the topic.

In the episode, Dr. Zoe shares several reasons why we fear our emotions, how we can develop emotional intelligence in ourselves and our children, and how to communicate our feelings in a healthy way with our spouse and coworkers. And yes, vent sessions count—with the right parameters!

Dr. Zoe is a passionate practitioner in the field of clinical psychology. She is licensed as a psychotherapist and divides her time between her family life, clinical practice, virtual life, and relationship coaching, speaking, writing and hosting her podcast. You can follow Dr. Zoe by visiting her site, or finding her on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter as well as her podcast, Stronger in the Difficult Places.

Submit a question to our free Ask Dr. Zoe column.

“We have a fear of social rejection. That’s really why we fear our feelings.” —Dr. Zoe

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Are your kids heading back to school?

They’ll undoubtedly learn a few math equations or how to read between the lines of a historical novel, but some of the most important back to school lessons your kids will take away from this school year are the ones that will carry them through life.

In this episode of This Grit and Grace Life, Darlene Brock and Julie Bender discuss how, as a parent, you play a critical role in facilitating how well your kids receive these life lessons. They share how to instill guidance in your kids around things like:

Some of the best lessons start at home. This episode shares how to tactfully discuss these with your child to ensure they develop the skills needed to excel in the classroom and beyond.

“There is no school equal to a decent home and no teacher equal to a virtuous parent.” —Mahatma Gandhi

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Are you putting off scheduling your next OB-GYN appointment? We get it—it can be uncomfortable, awkward, and even embarrassing to chat with the doc about issues or questions related to down there. 

That’s why we’re bringing back this episode of This Grit and Grace Life with guest Dr. Holly Miller, a board certified OB-GYN, to answer all the hard OB-GYN questions you need to know about feminine health but are probably too embarrassed to ask about. 

This episode is filled with questions that women tend to run from, including:

When do we see a gynecologist?

Whether you’re busy or scared something is wrong and you don’t want to face it, you need to go see a gynecologist. It’s that simple! Neglecting your health is no way to handle potential issues you may be facing. We know after listening, you’ll feel comfortable and confident scheduling your next appointment!

What else you’ll learn:

Dr. Holly Miller completed medical school at Loyola University Stritch School of Medicine and a residency in Obstetrics and Gynecology at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago. She’s currently an OB-GYN physician in Florida. Outside of the office, Dr. Miller enjoys reading, running and spending time with her husband and four children.

Find more from Dr. Miller by visiting her practice website here.

“It’s extremely important that women of all ages have a relationship with a doctor, specifically a gynecologist.” —Dr. Holly Miller

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How do you measure your self-worth? Is it determined by a respectable title at work or the approving nods ands compliments you receive on an outfit? Is it measured by how similar your home looks to your favorite influencer’s or your own personal follower count on Instagram?

This week, Darlene Brock and Julie Bender get together to offer a single resounding answer to all those questions: No. Your self-worth isn’t determined by any of these things.

And yet, the culture we live in upholds this pervasive idea that our worth is dependent on what we do or how put-together our lives appear, when in reality—in God’s reality—it’s who we are that matters.

If you struggle, like Julie did, with feeling like you’re not enough or even too much for others, listen to this episode to learn where your worth comes from and how you can walk boldly in who you are. The world doesn’t dictate your self-worth. Remember—God has a plan for you, and you’re on the road to who you’re becoming. Give grace to yourself on the way there.

“Stop shrinking to fit places you’ve outgrown.” —Darlene

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You may have seen the movie “Unsung Hero” and learned a little about the childhood and career of Christian singer and songwriter Rebecca St. James. But we thought we would revisit an earlier episode of This Grit and Grace Life podcast when Rebecca joined the show to chat about another important part of her life: dating and finding “the one.”

Landing your forever-after prince isn’t always so clear-cut. We wonder whether he’s out there, how long it’ll take to find him, and if we’ll even recognize him when the moment arrives. We can even get so frustrated with the wait that we might be tempted to settle for a good man but not the right man. But is it worth waiting for the right one?

Rebecca insists it is. She shares the ups and downs of her own journey through dating and how she ultimately found her husband (and knew he was “the one” almost instantly). She, Darlene, and Julie also discuss what character traits to look for in the right man, how you can stay committed to the values you set for yourself without settling, and whether you’re giving too many husband privileges to a boyfriend who won’t commit.

“There was this soul connection where it’s like he has the same spirit, same values, same heart, same true, core desires in life.”

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When we get married, we have dreams, hopes and goals for what our lifelong union with our new partner will look like. But that idealistic view doesn’t always match reality. Instead, we may find ourselves wondering why our man is so different compared to how he used to be at the beginning of the relationship or to the doting husbands we see on social media. Maybe we find ourselves in constant conflict with him, never finding common ground. Both of these issues can slowly and painfully drive your marriage into the ground.

Comparison and conflict are major, yet common, issues in marriage. Our very own co-host, Julie Bender, experienced them in her relationships. In this podcast episode—and in her book, soon to be releases as part of our “Smart Living in Small Bites” book series*—Julie walks through her difficult upbringing, her first marriage to Paul and the challenges they faced during their 11 years together, his unexpected passing and her experience dating and marrying her current husband, Donny.

Julie shares what to do when marriage is hard, revealing the comparison traps and the signs that indicate serious, underlying issues with communication and honesty and offers practical, fresh ways to resolve them. You and your spouse need to set your pride aside and be ready to work hard to protect and save your marriage. It may not be easy, but it will be worth it.

*Our “Smart Living in Small Bites” book series is our latest endeavor here at Grit and Grace Life.We’re creating and publishing a series of subject-specific guidebooks—written by our team of writers with direct experience in those subjects—that you can use to walk (and work) through your own challenges, at your own pace. Keep an eye out for this book and others in the series later this year.

“There’s no effort that you put into your marriage that isn’t going to bear fruit.” —Julie Bender

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With Memorial Day upon us, co-hosts Darlene Brock and Julie Bender are honoring service members’ sacrifices by encouraging us all to step into every area of life the same way those military men and women did—with bravery.

But what does that look like to be brave at work? In our relationships? In motherhood? In this episode, Darlene and Julie identify instances that might give us pause and why it’s critical to push through them. Our character and integrity are often at stake in these situations, so we must be willing to get comfortable with being uncomfortable—whether others think we’re uncool or overprotective or too Christian—to protect them.

Bravery isn’t easy, but it’s worth the things that matter.

“But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Do not fear, therefore, you are of more value than many sparrows.” —Luke 12:7

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