Grit 'n' Grace: Good Girls Breaking Bad Rules

In this special year-end bonus-sode, Amy and Cheri welcome back Grit 'n' Grace's most frequent and beloved guest, Kathi Lipp — co-author (with Cheri) of the new devo: An Abundant Place: Daily Retreats for the Woman Who Can't Get Away. In this candid conversation about connecting with God in the everyday ordinaries of our often-overwhelmed lives, Kathi reminds us that "Our minds and souls don't have to be bound by our location." Join in for a time of laughter, reflection, and planning for abundance, right where you are, right now.

Comparison. It's so easy to slip into it. Before we're even aware, we want her story, her talents, or her body. The lines between healthy growth and the obsessive pursuit of better get blurred, and we're back in the comparison trap, stripped of joy and feeling less than. Heather Creekmore, author of The Burden of Better: How a Comparison-Free Life Leads to Joy, Peace, and Rest, gives us one sure step out of the destructive habit of comparison. Listen in today to receive the gift we all want!

When life as you know it — as you dreamed it — ends, it can lead to a deep sense of hopelessness. That's what our guest, Tracie Miles, author of Living Unbroken: Reclaiming Your Life and Heart after Divorce, felt in the early days of her marriage ending. But she didn't stay there. God helped her to move forward, and she's sharing her story so that we can experience the healing that she has received. We can live unbroken, even when the last thing we ever expected becomes part of our story.

Can it be? Thanksgiving is almost here, and Christmas is on the way! This is the year for joy to abound more than ever. Jill Baughan, host of the "Find Joy ... No Matter What" podcast, gives us small, daily exercises that can change everything about how we relate to all the bumps and twists coming our way in the next month. Make sure to listen in to this delightful episode. You'll find your heart readjusted and rested.

Some folks seem wired for joy, carrying sunshine in their pockets everywhere they go. But what if your natural wiring leans more toward "cloudy" or if your circumstances have blown in some storms? Speaker and author Jill Baughan reassures us that we can find joy ... no matter what! If you're struggling to dredge up joy right now, this episode is filled with practical wisdom and quirky, laugh-out-loud moments. (Portrait with a monkey, anyone?!)

It's been a tough couple of years for everyone, but the fresh start that January offers is on its way. This is the year to step into the trifecta that God has for us. Yes, we can (1) glorify God, (2) love our people well, and (3) have a joyful life all at the same time! Tune in today for a conversation with women who have stepped into the life that they were created for. Their aha moments and practical steps will leave you inspired to see 2022 as the year for you!

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.

We believe in Jesus, becoming a part of His family, and then what? A less-than life is what this week's guest, Shellie Rushing Tomlinson — author of Finding Deep & Wide — lived for years. She knew there was more, but she wasn't sure how to tap into it. Through hilarious stories, Shellie shares what she's learned about the life she first heard about in Sunday School as a little girl, the deep and wide life.

It can be scary to come out from behind our carefully crafted facades. Living in freedom makes it so, so worth it, though. Today, as Cheri and Amy reflect on their interview with Barb Roose — author of Breakthrough: Finding Freedom in Christ — they share facade-crushing truths they've learned in pursuit of true freedom in Christ. You may find that there's something better than being a super-Christian!

It's a common human failing to add extra layers on our faith in order to feel good about our relationship with God. Unfortunately, that destructive habit leads to bondage rather than the freedom for which we long. From the book of Galatians, Barb Roose — author of Breakthrough: Finding Freedom in Christ — shares six freedom principles in this episode that will take your breath away and breathe freedom into your walk with God. Freedom may be elusive, but it's not impossible!

Building a habit can have a bad rap unless the end-goal is a pleasure. Knowing God, our highest pleasure, is a goal that can keep us motivated! Today, Cheri and Amy knock obstacles to spiritual growth out of the way and reveal the winsome ways that God keeps them growing.