The Graceful and Gritty Podcast: Doing Life God's Way: Recent Episodes
Sydney Miller
Hello and Welcome to the Graceful and Gritty Podcast! My name is Sydney; I’m a wife, business owner, lifelong learner, and follower of Jesus. I was born and raised in Colorado and live here with my wonderful husband of six years. I’m passionate about people and have a knack for business. My hope is that we can learn together about doing life with grace and grit. We’ll talk about all things life from faith and finances to business and balance. My prayer is that this will be a place of help, encouragement, honest conversation, and authentic growth. Thank you for joining me!
We all learn how to cope - in both healthy and unhealthy ways. We all have to cope because unfortunately, the outcome of being born into a broken, sinful world, means we all have to deal with sin and brokenness. Coping is overcoming in spite of the brokenness, but healing is different. Healing is a complete restoration of wholeness. We can all cope, but can we all really be healed? How does that play out in our life and into eternity? Join in today's episode to dig into those questions and more!
Just uttering the word "Submission" evokes a wide range of reactions - especially in our societies' feminist era. It's a touchy subject and one that we often feel and experience deeply. Jump in with us today as we explore what God actually says about submission, how it translates into real life, and how we can reclaim God's blueprint for His glory and for the honor and building up of our families and healthy relationships - today's episode will bless you!
The more we pursue happiness as the goal of our lives, the more elusive it seems to become. It's like trying to find that pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. We seek happiness in the things of this world, but it cannot be found there. We make fun of holiness or we find pride in holier-than-thou. Both are wrong - as we pursue holiness, the gift that God bestows is happiness! Join us in today's conversation as we explore the wholeness, purpose, and happiness that only Jesus gives.
The question in the heart of every man, woman, and child on the planet is this: "Why am I here, and for what purpose was I created?" Turns out, that's a question only the purpose-Giver can answer. In this episode, we learned that calling and purpose are two different things, how to know what they are, how to tell them apart, and some different types of calls so that we can be equipped and trained to walk in what the Lord has for us!
What even is Unique Obedience?? It's the idea that God isn't a cookie-cutter God and He doesn't often do things the same way twice when it comes to our walk with Him. There are commands and principles that we all have to follow, but then there is the relationship piece. It means that we trust Him enough to uniquely guide us in the steps that He has for us, even if they aren't anyone else's. Join us today as we dig deep in what it means to be one of one!
Pride. What theologians call the Original Sin. The thing we all wrestle with that as soon as we think we have together is right back at it again. This episode is raw, real, and my heart is that it will challenge and encourage you to walk close to the Lord!
We tackled a tough topic today - Boundaries. What are they according to us? What are they according to God? How do we navigate being obedient to the Bible in a world that actively teaches us the opposite? We wrestled with it today, but learned that boundaries are actually much more about us and God than they are about other people at all. Check it out in this episode!
We just celebrated Memorial Day - a day when we stop to remember the brave men and women that gave their lives so that we can live in freedom - those who gave it all so that we can freely worship without fear. It made me think of Jesus who gave himself because he wanted to restore us to himself. I decided to study sacrifice in the Bible and found something I've never realized before - under the Old Testament Law, there were sacrifices of animals required. When Jesus died, it fulfilled that requirement so that we are no longer under the Old Testament, but a New Testament that we call Grace. However, when I studied it, I learned that there are 7 sacrifices that we are supposed to give God today! Check out this episode to learn about what they are and how we are supposed to bring our well-pleasing sacrifices to God.
Heaven will be perfect and wonderful, but until we get there, how are we to conduct ourselves? How do we function within a broken system and answer to a perfect God? Get in with us today as we discuss what it means to be in the world, but not of it.
Relationships with friends, sweethearts, co-workers, and family is wonderful, but it can also be one of the hardest experiences to navigate all the ups and downs. Join us as we dig in to see what God says about relationships, how we're supposed to love and live, and what it looks like to forgive and heal. We're supposed to live in community, not competition and today's conversation is an open, vulnerable conversation about the real life challenges and the redeeming power of Jesus' love!
As Christians, we have an enemy - his name is Satan. And he is dead serious about the battle we are in against him for souls, lives, hopes, dreams, and futures. It's time for the Church to rise up to the battle we are called to. We're not charging hell with a squirt gun - we're charging it with the full power and might of Heaven. God calls us and equips us for battle and there is no neutral ground.
What's better than coffee with a friend? Coffee with a friend sharing how God worked in each of our lives to bring us to Himself through Jesus' sacrifice on the cross! Tune in to be blessed, encouraged, and hear how the Lord brought both of us to where we are today.
Today I'm thrilled to make a big reveal and I get to introduce you to Christina, my weekly co-host for a series we're calling Life and Coffee! I'll still be doing solo episodes, but Graceful and Gritty is growing and we're adding in some more great content! Christina and I are good friends and we found ourselves spending a lot of time together talking about the things of the Lord, so a natural extension is inviting you into those conversations. Our heart is that you will be blessed and encouraged by a couple of friends sharing our hearts, lives, and learning over a cup of coffee. This episode is a brief introduction, and in the next, we'll share our salvation testimonies, so check it out!
There is no one good but God. We know this, we're taught this, we think we understand this. But often, what we really translate that into is this: no one is good until they meet Jesus, and then we are good and if we become more good, God will bless us and use us more. At the end of the day, it's a saved by faith, live by works mentality, and it will only take you so far. It may look good on the outside, but on the inside, there is still no one good but God. But here's the thing - God does not use us because WE are good, He uses us because HE is good! And if He had to wait for a good person to use, nothing would ever get done. So if you are living in your works, or if you are waiting to serve God until you are good enough - then this episode is for you!
I just got back from a trip to Arizona to spend time with my family. As I was packing my suitcase, it made me think of what God says about packing light, traveling through life as a stranger in this world, and investing in eternity. Join me as we learn about what the Bible says about setting aside weight, running our race faithfully, and showing up as ambassadors of the Kingdom of Heaven.
This is the final episode of the Voice of the Holy Spirit series! We've learned all about how to hear and recognize the voice of God, but it does us no good if we don't obey it. Today's study goes into the command we have to obey, the consequences if we don't, and the floodgates of blessing that open when we decide were going to obey before He even says anything. I pray this is a blessing and encouragement!
The Holy Spirit isn't the only voice that speaks to our spirit. But we can know beyond any doubt how to test for the truth and be absolutely confident that we recognize His voice.
I am so excited to share this 3 part series with you on the Voice of the Holy Spirit! We're going to dig deep into the Word of God to learn how to recognize God's voice, separate it from all other voices, and then to obey. In part one, we build the foundation for what the Holy Spirit does and how we recognize when He speaks to us.
When we look back on all God has done in our lives, we can't help but be awestruck by His faithfulness, grace, mercy, and goodness. It's easy to get distracted or focused on the here and now, the hardship, the challenges. But when we take time to be reminded of the impossible work God has done in our lives, it gives us a testimony that we should want to shout from the rooftops!
Jump in with me as we look at the life of Elijah and how he goes from the highest highs to the lowest lows. God isn't afraid of the hard questions, the feeling that we're done and have nothing left to give. He's there in that still, small voice reminding us of our calling and His faithfulness.
Welcome back - Thank you for your constant support and encouragement! Today's episode is an invitation into the journey of being purified by the work of the Holy Spirit. This year has been full of hard things, but I've come to realize it is refining work that has made me love and trust the LORD so much more. It's messy, it's hard, sometimes it's terrible, but God's goodness has never been so clear.
We've all heard it, "Winners never quit, and quitters never win." And in some settings, there is validity to that saying. However, there are some times when winners do quit. It's done with council, intention, courage, and boldness, but it is done. Jump in with me today as I share some times when quitting was the right thing, and how those lessons can help you answer to the high calling to service that God has for you!
Have you ever wondered why some people just seem to get unbelievable opportunities? The same rules just don't seem to apply to them? They're chronically lucky? Turns out there's a reason - they have made themselves exceptional, so it's easy for them to get exceptions. Join in today's episode as we go over the 10 simple principles that those people follow - and how you can apply them to become an exceptional person.
Hello to all my problem-solvers! The ones who automatically jump in and want to help bring solutions to all the challenges they come across. So often we find ourselves inundated with too many problems for too many people and not enough time to solve them all. The reality is, we aren't supposed to. And the second reality is that most of us don't want to actually solve problems because it's much more comfortable to talk about the issues or just think about the solutions without putting action behind it. As I've grown, I've learned that there are three tests to determine how serious we are, and how serious others are about actually changing the outcome. Join me for today's episode as we dive deep into what those three tests are and how they help us get effective and clear - not just for others, but also for ourselves.
Have you ever listened to someone or met someone that inspired you? The way they live their life stirred something in your soul, made you dream for more? I have - and some of them literally changed the trajectory of my life. Jump in with me today as we dig into what defines an inspirational leader, what characteristics they possess, and the greatest challenges that stop people from becoming that in their own right.
Sometimes our lives can get thrown into upheaval and we have to find an entirely new rhythm. That takes time, trial and error, and lots of practice. I know this because my life has been upended in the last several months due to ongoing mystery health issues, and it's been tough to adjust. But I am learning so many good things! And I'm being forced to think, grow, and solve problems in different way than I ever have before, and that's exciting. So today's episode is just a chat of some of the things I've been learning along the way - hopefully they can be a help and encouragement to you as we go through this wild adventure called life together.
What is the foundation for your faith? Can your faith be questioned, tried, and put to the test? Is your soul absolutely settled? If it's not, it can be! When I was 15, someone asked me why I believed what I did, and I didn't have a good answer. As a matter of fact, I had a bad answer. But that single moment launched me into a journey of seeking for Truth and a foundation that was unmovable. It transformed my entire life and has allowed me to weather the storms and still remain absolutely confident and steadfast in the promises of God's Word. I'd be honored if you'd listen!
No one is coming to build the life of our dreams for us. Nobody is coming to fix our problems and help us thrive - and nobody else can want the best life for us, we have to want it for ourselves. Join me in today's episode as I talk through challenges, unexpected hurdles, unwanted growth, and the wonderful opportunity we each have to decide to bring our big dreams to life.
Today's episode was literally years in the making - you don't want to miss it! My husband and I shared some of life's hard-earned lessons about what it means to simply exist, or to truly live in the fullness that we are created for. This is well worth your time, and I hope you enjoy listening to it as much as we enjoyed recording it together.
Today's episode is really transparent and personal with my struggle with pride - and how we have to make a decision to settle, or to call it out and recognize that we can grow, become more like Christ, and embrace the journey of becoming who God calls us to be with all its ups and downs. So listen in and my prayer is that it will be a blessing and encouragment!
Truth isn't a popularity contest - as a matter of fact, it tends to cause a lot of division and hatred and retaliation. So many people stay quiet, avoid conflict, and try to keep from offending as many people as possible. The goal is to be liked instead of to be truthful. And that attitude is the attitude of decay. Today's episode is an intense look into the absolute Truth who is Jesus Himself and how He commands us to stand firmly, speak fearlessly, and love truth fully.
My husband joins me in today's episode as we dive deep into the responsibility of stewardship and what it means to us as our focus for 2023. Transparent, honest, and vulnerable - this is one you don't want to miss!
I don't know about you, but it can be nerve-wracking to be fully myself - I'm quirky, goofy, and sometimes awkward. I don't always know what to do or say, and I want it to be just right, so I just freeze and don't do anything at all. Or I wait until I feel it's just right - but sometimes that's too late. We expect to be able to be all things to all people all the time, and it just seems impossible. Perhaps it's because we are even unknowingly pursuing the wrong thing. Join me today as we talk through what it means to be fully yourself and stepping into the role God has planned for you since before time began!
God didn't create us for a dull, stressful, depressed existence. He is the greatest Author of all time and carefully and lovingly crafted a grand adventure for each one of us. He calls us to live in courage, peace, and joy in a world that is desperately short of all three. As we launch into this new year, let's do it with the spirit of fulfillment and purpose in a way that only children of God can!
How do we make the right decision in uncertain times? I'm so glad you asked! It just so happens that the Bible has an answer for that. We can be confident, careful, wise, and make best decisions now - even if we don't know what the future holds. Join me for today's simple lesson!
Sometimes we fixate on leadership because it's relevant and trendy. And although leadership is absolutely important - great followership is equally as valuable and important and something we don't think about often. Today we'll pull a story from the life of Jesus that demonstrates what it takes to become a great follower, and we'll study why it's so important.
So often I meet people who are living with unfulfilled hopes and dreams, life happens, and we get stuck. But most of our stuck isn't caused by external circumstances - most of it is caused by our mindset and choices. Because what we want most is what we do and not what we say. Join me in today's conversation as I share some basic principles that will help us bring our actions and what we want most into alignment!
Habits are the building blocks for our lives. They set our day-to-day rhythms and ultimately determine our direction. So to say that habits are important is an understatement. Today we're going to spend some time learning about how habits work, why our brain forms them, and how we can use them to our advantage in order to create the life we want to live. Join today as we jump right in to learning!
I don't know about you, but I struggle to rest - to be still, mentally calm, not stressed or worried. I'm constantly on the move and have things going on - but we are made for more than going from agitation to problem to challenge. We are built to rest - often and intentionally. And when we align ourselves to the blueprint God created us to live by, then the rest, worship, and blessings that follow will transform our life. I certainly don't have it all figured out, and I fail at it a lot, but God has invited us into a better way, so join me as we learn to answer that call He has placed in our hearts!
What is a champion and what makes them able to accomplish the incredible things that they do? Whether it's Muhammed Ali, the world's boxing champion, David defeating an indomitable giant named Goliath, or an Olympian that took the gold after 16 years, all of them have the same principles in common - principles that we can identify and apply to achieve our goals and dreams too. In today's episode, we'll dig into the 5 core characteristics that champions always exhibit and learn how to apply those tools.
This week I had someone ask me about how to heal from trauma - where do you even begin, what are the tools available to not just survive hard things but to truly heal and thrive in the wild and beautiful life God has given us? So today we're going to learn about the training and equipment we can use to be Overcomers - we'll learn that although trauma is part of life, it doesn't have to be the story of our life. Listen in to today's episode and become an Overcomer!
What is your first response when someone attacks your character? Mine is to defend myself - to prove the other person wrong and restore my pride that's masquerading as honor. But God teaches us a different way. A way that is more impactful, holy, and will put things in a proper perspective. Today I'm simply sharing some real life struggles that God is using to try to teach me about keeping my focus in the right place and responding in the right ways - even when I don't feel like it.
I have what the cool people call a "micro-farm" - not big enough to be official, but it provides a ridiculous amount of entertainment and learnings, and hopefully some fruit, vegetables, and fresh eggs here soon! Not only is it fun, but I'm also learning some great lessons about life and living that I'll share with you here today!
Absolute honesty - one of the most stressful parts of putting together a podcast is actually the episode description! I'm laughing at myself writing this but it's true. Today's episode is all about stress - because we really want to hear more about the thing that we all experience at an insane level in this time...But if we all experience it, how do we identify it, how do we get better at carrying it, and how do we build disciplines into our lives to respond to it from a Biblical perspective? Tune in to hear that and more as we work to do life God's way with grace and grit.
This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app
Are you ever exhausted, overwhelmed, depressed, or feel like you're just spinning your wheels? I do at times. But we aren't supposed to live like that. God teaches us that there are seasons and a time for everything. So how do we learn to recognize and enjoy each season emotionally, mentally, spiritually, and not just physically? Today we're having that conversation - how to recognize the drive our culture pushes for and builds our worth around, the unhealthy cycles we perpetuate, and how to clear space and understand, enjoy, and be fully present in the season God has us in right now.
This week has brought fresh horror with the mass shooting in Texas. This nation is reeling under the weight of ever-increasing violence and the grief and havoc it brings. I'm not here to bring a political message or to solve it. We aren't big enough for that job - but God is. And He has been calling rebellious nations back to Himself since nearly the dawn of time. He's been picking up the broken pieces of our disobedience from a personal level to a national level. He's the only place we have left to turn - because our nation is a failed experiment on doing government, life, and family without Him.
We dream of finding true love, we watch it on the movies where they go riding off into the sunset to live happily every after, we long for the person that we can do life with to build a family and a legacy with. But how can we tell the difference between toxic love and true love? What are the markers of strong, healthy relationships? How can we be aware of those things and apply them? In today's podcast we dig into all those questions and look at what the differences are between toxic love and true love and how to discern what is real and what isn't - even in the chaos of this world.
So often we tie our worth to our career, education, or the titles we carry. It's easy to feel like we're not worthy or valuable if we don't carry the titles that are most important to us. We don't see our mundane life as an incredible adventure in allowing God to use us wherever we're at. So how can we change that? How can we shift our understanding so that it aligns with what God says about us? So, the question isn't what do you do, or what is your title? The question is - who are you being? And are you being the person God has called you to be wherever you are planted? Join me in today's chat to hear what I've been learning!
In today's episode we're wading right into the middle of the chaos that the leaked memo from the Supreme Court caused in suggesting that the Roe v. Wade abortion case could be overturned. It's creating meltdowns everywhere from Pastors who are pro-choice to women who have been deeply affected by abortions to politicians who are screaming about the fall elections. So - who's side are you on? The Right, the Left, not sure? Well today we're going to go straight to the Word of God - because the Life-Giver is going to have the best answers for this mess.
From Genesis to Revelation we learn of God. He has many names - but one of the most precious to me is Jehovah-Jireh: Provider. I look back at my life in awe of God's fingerprints in the smallest details. How he cares not just about the big things, but the little things - the quiet things that are precious to us that perhaps no human will ever know. God sees, knows, and cares for you more than you can possibly imagine. Join me for today's podcast as we do a dive into provision, perspective, and the humbling, overwhelming, calming knowledge that God's care for us is just as infinite as He is.
Success looks different for each one of us - we all have unique goals, dreams, and aspirations. But regardless of what success means to you - there are some universal principals that you can apply to help you achieve everything God has for you. Today we're looking at 5 keys that you can use regardless of what season, age, or focus you have in life in order to fulfill your purpose and do the work you are called to do.
Life is filled with mountain and valley experiences. Mountaintop moments are wonderful and rejuvenating, they are victories won and dreams come true. Valleys are those overwhelming trials and hurts that come our way. Sometimes the valley seems to be too much to bear - the problem too big or the hurt too deep to overcome. But the Bible gives us the tools and training to get to the other side. This is more of a Bible study on three different valleys in the Word of God - what they picture, how they apply to our lives, and the eternal springing hope that we can find when we follow God's blueprint to find hope - even in our darkest valleys. I hope today's conversation encourages you the way studying it out and preparing it encouraged me!
Join us this week for the good, the bad, and the ugly. Drew jumps in with me again today to share what we learned (mostly the hard way) about what balance is, what balance isn't, and how it's drastically helped us get our priorities in order. The Bible teaches us there is a time for everything, and we need to learn how to allocate that time in a way that brings glory to God, and along the way, it brings a lot of health and joy and focus to our lives!
Relationships are the foundation for our life. Our relationship with God, relationship with friends, spouses, and family. Strong relationships do not happen on accident - they happen through honesty and intentional, purposeful work. They happen through communication and courage. Join me today, and listen to my husband and I have an open, vulnerable conversation about what it takes to make it work. It's long, it's honest, and I truly believe it will bless and encourage you as you seek to build deep, true, meaningful relationships with the people God has put in your life.
How do we trust God when we can't hear Him, or feel Him? How can we trust God when we feel forsaken, or when we're going through the greatest trial of our lives? Let's dive into the Word of God to see what God promises, and then see whether or not He keeps those promises. We can trust God's best!
Trust is hard, and it gets broken all the time - last episode we talked about where God tells us to place it. Today we're talking about how we're supposed to respond when it gets broken.
Trust is hard. Especially when people let you down, disappoint you, break confidence, and betray you. Trust is hard when life gets crazy and you're not sure where to turn. It's even worse when it's not put in the right place - when you trust the wrong person and it goes terribly wrong. But the good news is, there's a place to turn. Where you are guaranteed that trust will not be broken. God has kept His every promise, and He still does to this day. In spite of incredible uncertainty in our world today, we can rest in the supernatural peace that comes from placing our whole trust in God and His promises.
We live in a society where confidence is considered a virtue - confident people must be happy, healthy, rich, etc. But really, we don't live in a time where people have loads of confidence - we live in a time where people can portray loads of confidence on social media, but are afraid of relationships that aren't shallow for fear of being judged or disliked, or worst of all - maybe people will discover that we aren't perfect and we don't have it all together. Where are we supposed to find confidence, and how are we supposed to show up in community together? Join me today as we talk through what God has called us to do and who He has called us to be.
We are designed to learn for our entire lives, to grow and become who God created us to be. But how do you intentionally become a lifelong learner, and what are the marks of someone who has built that into the fabric of their lives? Join me today as we talk through how to learn and apply new things as we strive to serve and glorify God in our lives!
Welcome to The Grateful and Gritty Podcast! My name is Sydney, I'm your host. I'm a wife, business owner, lifelong learner, and follower of Jesus. I'm passionate about people and have a knack for business. My hope is that we can learn together about doing life with grace and grit. We'll talk about all things life from faith and finance to business and balance. My prayer is that this will be a place of help, encouragement, honest conversation, and authentic growth. Thank you for checking it out!
Today's episode is not easy. It faces what is happening in our country right now through the truth of God's Word. It shows us where the problem lies, and lays out the blueprint for reconciliation. With the help of the Holy Spirit, may we have the courage to follow God's plan for healing.