Grit 'n' Grace: Good Girls Breaking Bad Rules

Developing new and better habits sometimes feels like too much work. But often the work of change is worth it. Jen Pollock Michel, author of A Habit Called Faith, calls us into habits that will deepen our relationship with God. This life of faith is better than any other we've imagined, so tune in today to hear more!

Limited. That's the way most of us would describe our understanding of the spiritual growth curve. Today, Cheri and Amy discuss what they've been learning about the stages of spiritual growth from Kristie Gaultiere, co-author of Journey of the Soul: A Practical Guide to Emotional and Spiritual Growth. God wants us to know Him in ways deeper than ever before! Listen in today to get a hope-filled view of our struggles and a glimpse of the spiritual riches beyond the walls we all hit.

When we watch a baby grow, we understand that there are developmental stages, but we often expect our souls (and others') to arrive full-grown! Kristi Gaultiere, co-author of Journey of the Soul: a Practical Guide to Emotional and Spiritual Growth, introduces us to the spiritual formation of our souls. It's a joy-filled concept that will allow you to enjoy your soul's steps as well as extend grace to those behind you.

We're told that we're a new creation in Christ, but do we believe it? Do we live like we are? Too often Christian women feel that we need to work to make it true. Today, you can lay down all the effort of trying harder and pick up the peace that you've been given. Cheri and Amy process the revolutionary freedom found in living the truth about our new life.

Angst-y describes the way most of us live our Christian life. Angst over our sins and mistakes. Distress over the ways we fall short. Despair that our trying harder never seems to get us where we want to go spiritually. What if we don't have to live that way? Today, Andrew Farley, author of The Perfect You gives us the secret to overcoming angst with peace. This interview is revolutionary and not to be missed! "I know we use Bible words like righteousness and holiness. But a lot of Christians feel dirty and distant." ~Andrew Farley

After slumping into a COVID wardrobe rut, Cheri and Amy needed some help from Shari Braendel of Fashion Meets Faith to get their groove back. Today they discuss their transformation from a 24/7 yoga pants trend to a dive into spring. This fun fashion episode will lift your spirits, give you some laughs, and it just might inspire you to start a transformation of your own. You can look your most beautiful with a plan on a budget!

It may seem counterintuitive to include fashion in a series about spiritual disciplines. It's not a stretch, though, as today's guest, Shari Braendel of Fashion Meets Faith explains. Tune in today for loads of fun, tips about picking the colors that make you shine, and spring trends that will delight every girly soul.

What do you do when you're drowning in the bitterness stoked by hard circumstances? Most of us don't want to stay there but aren't sure how to swim to higher ground. Heather Dixon, author of Renewed: Finding Hope When You Don't Like Your Story, gives practical help from both her own difficult story and the biblical story of Naomi. Just when you're about to give up and go under, there's hope to hang on to!

It's hard to come up with strategies for keeping your head above water when it's already up to your neck! In this episode, Cheri and Amy process the amazing insights they gained from author Sheri Rose Shepherd — author of Beyond the White Picket Fence: What to Do When Your Life is Dismantled — through their unique lens. You can lose some things that lighten you, love some things that buoy you, and live your one life well... even in the midst of crisis.

We've all experienced heart break. But what do you do when devastating circumstances crash over you, one after the other, like waves on the shore? Sheri Rose Shepherd, author of No More Picket Fences, has lived through a simultaneous diagnosis, divorce, and season of sickness with her mother. She has the authority to encourage women whose lives have been dismantled, and she pulls out all the stops in this riveting episode.

What is it about receiving permission? Permission often gives us the confidence and courage to step into what we've always longed to be. Bethany Howard, author of Permission Granted, shares thoughtful and creative ways to be your fullest God-created self. Don't miss listening today because you're going to get a unique dose of poetry reading that will set your soul soaring!

Since the beginning, names have had significance. The meaning of our name is often a blessing spoken over our birth. As Melissa Spoelstra, author of The Names of God, shares, God's names have more transforming power than any other. Listen in today as she explains how knowing His names grows our grit and helps us through hard times. This episode will be balm to your soul!

Barb Roose, author of Surrendered: 40 Devotions to Help You Let Go and Live Like Jesus and one of Grit 'n' Grace's favorites, shares how to let go of all the residual angst from 2020,. Otherwise known as "the year of extra," there's a lot to release! In an interview infused with practical help, Barb leads listeners to let go of control and surrender to God's hope and peace.

Menopause: you had questions. we got you answers! In this riveting conversation with Amy's gynecologist, Nurse Practitioner Julie Keeler, you'll hear the medical/physical side of menopause. Julie helps us better understand our body's changes, navigate a heightened set of emotions, address sleep disturbances, and more. Women of all ages will appreciate the real talk on an often-ignored topic!

Joy is a gift that we all aspire to own, but circumstances sometimes make it feel elusive. Through two years filled with trials, Suzie Eller, author of Joy-Keeper: 6 Truths that Change Everything You Thought You Knew About Joy, revamped her personal definition of joy and honed ways to maintain it. Make sure to join us as Suzie outlines the joy-stealers in our lives and gives us ways to vanquish them with a deeper, grounded joy.

How do you respond to the word evangelism? Does it evoke excitement and joy? Or does it spark guilt and dread? Cheri & Amy discuss their past experiences-- the good, the bad, and the very, very ugly. Based on the model in B.L.E.S.S.: 5 Everyday Ways to Love Your Neighbor and Change the World, by Dave and Jon Ferguson, they also process the paradigm shift that they experienced in seeing evangelism in a new way. No more converter guilt for them ... or you!

Do you suffer from "converter guilt"? It's the feeling of failure when you desperately want people to know Jesus, but you've failed to share the Gospel ... again. It's a terrible feeling that most of us have experienced, but today you can be released! Dave and Jon Ferguson, brothers and co-authors of B.L.E.S.S.: 5 Everyday Ways to Love Your Neighbor and Change the World share solutions in this episode that will empower you to help people around you back to God.

If you're looking for that last-minute, perfect Christmas gift, we've got it for you! Our favorite creative, Kristie Christie, joins us today to help us with creative gift-giving that has the impact of a lifetime.

Our dear friend Mary Snyder joins Grit 'n' Grace today. With humor (lots of funny in this one!) and southern charm, Mary shares stories that will move you and spur you to action.

Animals, especially our pets, are so much more than just something to cuddle. Pets enrich our lives and create growth in delightful ways. Listen in as Amy and Cheri reminisce about their fur-babies and the lessons they've learned from them. There's lots of laughter (drunk dog, anyone?) and some tears shed too, but you won't be able to walk away without memories of your own furry friends flooding to the surface!