Parents of 5, this couple went from ranch hands to a tiny house filled to the brim with life. Starting a new business (Creative QT), birthing their 5th child and moving to farmland all at the same time led to a discovery that what they needed was the same thing every parent needs — a little structure and organization for their family to allow for a little Creative Quality Time.
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Just a Southern boy-mom trying to add a little glitter where she can!
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Allie is a proud Marine wife and mama bear of a roaring little boy and twirling little girl. She is whole heartedly a coffee and wine enthusiast. Although she is an educator by trade, in her rare moments of free time you can find her at the beach aspiring to be a mermaid.
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Amy likes to sing '80s songs but always messes up the lyrics! She likes long, hot baths and a clean house!
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Andrea loves a great cup of coffee, and all things chocolate.
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Andrea was booted out of her senior high choir due to an over-abundance of altos, only to find out many years later that she is actually a soprano … one of the many life instances that's allowed her to see that sometimes you find out who you really are through failure.
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Angela grew up on a farm in the Midwest. She has been married to her husband Mark for 28 years. They've lived in six different states and have two beautiful children. Angela works in policy and payer relations for the laboratory industry and is living life to the fullest as a breast cancer survivor.
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Anne considers herself a late bloomer. She loves to travel the world and is a hard worker, though she sometimes dreams of being a slacker who marries into money and fritters it away.
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Annie is often found hiding from the monster that is her laundry pile while frantically searching for her car keys. Her goal in life is to be part of a flash mob and/or a back up singer and dancer for T-Swift.
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Ashleigh Marie is the founder of From Ashes Lifestyle Blogs (fromashes.org), Jesus follower, wife, and mother. Living in the Mitten State, homeschooling, and living life. Lover of decaf teas, cozy things, and llamas.
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Ashley is mother to a daughter in heaven and wife to Kyle. She is a lover and a helper. She is known to brake for squirrels, stop on the side of the road to save a turtle from becoming roadkill, and can cuddle with puppies all day long. Coffee would make her mornings so much easier, but she just can't bring herself to like it. She's a friend of grief and an ambassador of joy. She feels honored to have this opportunity to share her story with you.
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Asia’s dream is to travel the world, creating her very own “Indiana Jane” adventures. A lover of the arts, she’s often found painting, acting, and writing.
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Audrey’s favorite things are an old pair of broken-in boots, fresh cut flowers, glitter, and leopard print. She can be found chasing after her two daughters, running a few miles here and there, doing a little traveling, hosting some parties, reading a few books, and whipping up some fun things in the kitchen.
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Barbara Hill is an East coast girl at heart, and after two amazing years living in Southern California working with Propel Women and the A21 Campaign, she has relocated to the big city of Chicago, Illinois to complete her licensure as a mental health counselor. She is a coffee-loving freedom fighter, worship leader, and blogger. Connect with her on Instagram (@barbshill), Facebook and her blog, The Edges of His Ways.
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With a past in museum studies, Becki is an avid history buff and still crushes on Indiana Jones. She keeps herself busy by playing the guitar and ukulele, crocheting, and going on adventures with her dog. She loves all things pineapple and coconut, and believes you can tell a lot about a person by their shoes.
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Bethany is an average cook, coffee lover, and ninja house cleaner. She's been found dragging her boys out of Lowe's garden center from time to time for peeing on outdoor trees ... it's what boys do.
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Beverly is a Carolina girl who loves shaggin (that’s a dance) on the beach, picnics in Central Park, Broadway shows and eating fried chicken. She is passionate about family and friendships. She is a dreamer and believes whole heartedly good can come out of most situations.
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My love for my kids is like my laundry basket: never empty and never ending.
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An Australian who along with her family loves living a healthy lifestyle, a sometimes long-term housesitter or explorer of her own backyard in their campervan.
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Carolyn still wants to be a dolphin trainer when she grows up, lip-synced her way through most of high school choir, hates following recipes, and thinks her spirit animal is Lucille Ball or Amelia Bedelia. 
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Catherine Ojala was a refugee, born in Liberia and raised in Sierra Leone, West Africa. By the age of eight, Catherine and her family had been through two civil wars. Catherine now resides in Denver, Colorado with her husband Steven and son Roman.
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Catie has many sweet teeth, loves gardening (yes—inside, apartment plants do count), and gathering for “family” dinners with friends.
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Chelsea is passionate about learning to lead a healthy, mindful lifestyle. As a certified personal trainer, yoga instructor and the Content Specialist for Burn Boot Camp, Chelsea is living out her passion each and every day.
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Chelsea is an aspiring writer and watercolor artist living in colorful Colorado with her dashing husband, Michael, and their two cuddly cats. Chelsea enjoys exploring historic mountain towns with Michael. Above all else, Chelsea loves Jesus and is passionate about loving His people and furthering His kingdom by utilizing her skills and abilities.
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Cherrie is an author, speaker, and life coach. She is passionate about sharing her story with other women and offering hope and purpose through the stormy seasons of life. Cherrie and her husband, Mack, are recent empty nesters living it up on their new adventure and loving their imperfectly beautifully blended family of five kids and five grandkids.
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Christi still dreams of running away to join the circus. She wants to be the girl on the flying trapeze ... doesn’t every single mother of three?
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Author, Business Woman, Host, and Certified Business Coach are just some of the hats Cristy wears while pursuing her passion for equipping women with the knowledge to run and grow a business.
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Courtney Dow, MEd, CRC, is the Director of Out of Darkness—a non-profit organization of the Atlanta Dream Center. She's a native of Atlanta, GA and a graduate of Auburn University with a Master’s in Rehabilitation Counseling. Dow previously worked at the International Labour Organization, a department of the United Nations, before joining the NightLight International team in 2005, where she worked until November of 2016. Courtney has assisted victims of sex trafficking from the United States, Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, Burma, India, Uzbekistan, Ukraine, Turkey, and Uganda. In 2012, she received Auburn University's Young Alumni of the Year Award and was featured in the “Young Influencers List: Fifty change makers on the rise” in The Catalyst Leader: 8 essentials for becoming a change maker by Brad Lomenick. Courtney desires to see people who are in bondage to the abuse of their past set free.
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DaiJona is a dance coach, mentor, daughter and college graduate. She is the girl who believes life is about taking chances, growing, and being the best version of yourself. It’s always the small things that truly make her heart smile.
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Dawn enjoys movies, books, podcasts, and pretty much any story with an underdog. She loves finding beauty from ashes and helping people discover hope in desperate situations.
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When Delaney’s not spending hours watching Youtube videos or playing with her two nephews, she’s fantasizing about splitting a cheeseburger and a side of fries with former One Direction member Harry Styles.
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Dorena Williamson is a preacher's kid, pastor's wife, mom to four, and veteran of cross-cultural ministry. She has written a series of children's books, co-leads Nashville's Be the Bridge group, and is a stylist at Evereve.
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Elise is a wife, mother, teacher, and writer from Melbourne, Australia. She is passionate about empowering and inspiring women to be brave and courageous in their everyday life! Her personal motto is: "Maybe she's born with it, maybe it's caffeine."
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Emily is a Midwestern girl sweating in the South with her hubs of one year and cat, Felicia. She’s a musician (she plays 10 instruments!) and singer and loves making people laugh. When she’s not writing she's planning meet-ups, volunteering, or playing board games with her hubs. She's also a huge fan of air conditioning.
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Frances is an attorney, university administrator, adjunct professor, and occasional yoga instructor, doing life with her husband, blended family, and two chocolate labs on a lake near Macon, GA.
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Geinene loves thrift finds and dumpster diving, has always wanted to go on a great North American road trip in a souped up RV, and can use power tools like a boss.
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Gina knows that she doesn't look 38, so she will take it for as long as she can! She lives in Ohio and is a new writer.
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Hannah is a wife to Andrew, a mom to 3 busy boys (Maddox, Paxton, and Zaiden), loves all things health & wellness, and group fitness coordinator & instructor at the local Y. Above all, she is saved by grace and strives to love like Jesus.
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Jasmine Zanetti is a wife, mom and professional from Miami, Florida. As the middle child of three, she comes from a multiethnic melting pot of a family. Her personal life mantra is “The love we keep forever is the love we give away…”
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Jennifer is a wife and mother of three who's pounding out her first fantasy novel and recording a new album. She lives for the messy, exhausting thing called motherhood.
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Jodi is the wife of a pastor, mother of 5 and "mom,” "mama dukes" or "mum" to teens who are not near their own mothers. She loves interior design, DIY projects, cooking, baking and playing volleyball, pickle ball and tennis.
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Jordan doesn't know a stranger-- and never will; constantly finding a way to connect with everyone she meets and uses these experiences to influence her writing. She loves all things southern--from cooking to football to the outdoors.
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Joy wants to live life to the fullest and aspires to help others do the same. Telling her she can’t do something only makes her want to show you that she can. Though she's determined, she's also a sucker for anything sentimental. Did she mention she loves popcorn?
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Mother of Emily, Johnathan, and Kendall, lover of God and all things nature. An accountant by day and women's ministry leader/event planner throughout the week. I enjoy meeting new people and hearing about their life!
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Karen DeVault is a story teller and published author. She has been featured in Chicken Soup for the Soul and Guideposts. As a columnist for Women to Women Michigan Magazine, she tells inspiring and humorous stories of her outdoor adventures, from mule riding in the Grand Canyon to swimming with manatees.
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Kate likes to keep things real and writes about family, decor, and organizing on her blog housemixblog.com. She and her husband, Marcello, and have three kids. Kate is from the Midwest and Marcello is from Italy, but they call southwest Florida home. At their house there is lots of pasta, It-lish (speaking in half Italian and half English), dancing, yelling (usually the good kind), and general chaos.
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Katie is married to the man of her dreams and has two incredible little boys. She loves photography, Etsy, cupcakes and encouraging other women on this crazy ride of motherhood. She drives her kids around in a minivan, which has been her dream since third grade.
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Katie Sue is a suit-and-heels attorney all week and an overalls-and-sandals aficionado as soon as the weekend rolls around. She lives in Northern California with her husband Josh and her two cats Butch Cassidy & the Sundance Kid.
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Kelsey was a basketball player turned pageant queen but is now a professional packer and mover living out of her pink suitcase. She loves making friends anywhere and breaking shy people out of their shells. If you can’t find her, chances are she's lost in one of her multitude of books.
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Kendrick is a Southern girl who loves to laugh, travel, and spend time with friends and family. She is a career woman, currently working in Corporate Retail. She’s a planner to the nth degree, which is precisely what makes her adoption story so interesting…
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Kim is a nature-loving, latte-sipping single mom of three. She lives in a charming town just outside of New Orleans. She’s been a nurse for 13 years and loves what she does. She’s also passionate about reaching single moms with encouragement and inspiration. Kim is joyfully living a life of blessed chaos!
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Kitti thrives when making new friends with refugees, teaching them the art of coffee, and continuing to raise her tribe of kids and grandkids.
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Kristi Neace is an author, speaker and Founder of Badge of Hope Ministries. She and her officer husband have three grown children, a wonderful son-in-law and daughter-in-law, a fantastic grandson and another one on the way. She resides in Missouri.
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Linda is a beauty school drop out (sing along if you’re a Grease junkie) raised as an army brat, loves home cooked meals, and telling stories of how she survived a crazy tornado.
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Lisa’s mission is to equip and encourage every woman with the resources and motivation she needs to get her home organized.
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Loren fell in love with film production while growing up on music video sets in Nashville, TN. She thinks with some serious balance, and lots of coffee, you can do it all. This has led her to a nomadic life from California to North Carolina working for a few months at each stop in film production for major studios (she even made a cross country road trip with a toddler in tow and enjoyed mostly every minute). When she is not on a production, she enjoys sidewalk chalk, adventures in the park, and just playing as much if not more than her son!
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Lucy is a Mom of two who has a passion for creative play and spending as much quality time with her family as possible. Working part-time for Creative QT and juggling family life makes her well qualified to share insights on maximizing time together over surviving the unavoidable kid clutter. She also enjoys using her training as a teacher to help parents engage in meaningful play and STEM-based learning activities with their kids.
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Lynn is a former prom queen and tractor pull champion who knows every word to Taylor Swift’s songs and dreams of going on a European river cruise.
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Madeline is a recovering people-pleaser and reformed perfectionist, who helps women learn to host their own parties and events with sanity and budget intact. Head to Where Is The Damn Corkscrew for comprehensive how-to guides, checklists galore, and loving sass sprinkled throughout.
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Maggie Bowling is a mom of 4 living in the wilds of suburban Atlanta, looking for excellent guacamole and trying to face down middle age with class. 
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Maggie loves food and cooking! Her desire is to show others that you don’t have to be trapped by the fear of body weight, how fancy your plate looks, or how expensive “healthy food” can be.
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Marlys is a Chai tea snob who would rather lace up hiking boots than go shopping.
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I'm a 4th grade elementary school teacher, dog mom to a very stubborn, but adorable, beagle and I live with my best friend since 6th grade. I love board games, strawberry ice cream, and fresh flowers.
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Monique Jackson King is a believer in all things that make the heart smile! She has always felt a tug at her heart to write and spread love and hope through her words. However, it wasn't until she experienced a sexual assault that resulted in the conception of her daughter, followed by a series of subsequent "tough" circumstances that she rose to the challenge to find healing through her pen.
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Nicole is a licensed marriage and family therapist in the state of Connecticut where she lives with her husband and one year-old son. When she is not counseling or chasing her lively toddler, she enjoys writing about topics that combine faith and life and connecting with readers on her blog: nicolezasowski.com and her Instagram account: @nicolezasowski.
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Born and raised in Miami Florida, Phylicia is all about being sassy but at the same time being classy. She’s a full-time student at Florida Gulf Coast University where she studies Communication. Aside from being full time student she’s also an Undergraduate Admissions Representative and Tour Guide for the university.
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From writing for magazines to hands-on help, Rachael has a passion for healthy relationships and leading couples to them.
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Rachel would love to have 75% of her home as a kitchen. She's won a "bad dance" contest—not once, but twice—the first time by falling into a cake.
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Saffron won’t be kept down, she’s a survivor that lives to embrace the unknown of tomorrow!
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Sarah once spent an entire summer living out of her car as she covered 8,000 miles of road for a blogging experiment.
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SarahBeth is a coffee-obsessed country music junkie with a love for others and her sweet little boy. She lives life to show others that offering up the pieces of a broken life can once again come together in the most beautiful of ways. Her passion for writing and speaking, as well as her jewelry line, the What Was Broken Collection, reminds women that they are bigger than their struggles and their past. Their story is beautiful, and they can wear it well.
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Shannon made her way from Michigan to San Diego to Southwest Florida back to Michigan again, where she lives with her husband, twin boys and adorable daughter who rocks an extra 21st chromosome. When she is not with her family, tending the house, or behind the chair doing hair (she's a hair stylist), yoga, reading and drinking lots and lots of coffee are what fill in the rest of her time.
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Shannon DeGarmo knows what it means to be a bounce back woman. At age 26, she woke to the sick realization that her husband was living a double life. Within months, he was in prison and she was suddenly a single woman with two young children, a mortgage, no job, and no college education to fall back on. Shannon’s poignant story is one of denial and betrayal, followed by personal discovery and renewal. On a road filled with despair, she experienced the power of faith in God and herself that allowed her to believe that her very best days were ahead. In a remarkable comeback, she sold her house, moved in with her parents, returned to college, and earned her bachelor's degree in teaching and master’s degree in education, while navigating raising her two wonderful children. She is happily re-married, and finds purpose and joy in encouraging women to discover their true identity and divine destiny through the same faith in God that rescued her.
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Sharita is an introvert highly addicted to earl grey tea and essential oils. Though struck with the wanderlust gene, she's also prone to travel adventures off the beaten path.
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Sharyn is a Registered Dietitian and business owner! While health is one passion, the other is being a wife and mom to her husband and two young daughters in their home base of Seattle, WA.
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When she isn’t working her own business, chasing her toddler or waddling around very pregnant she is helping her husband with his custom woodworking and leather making business. Shay lives in a historic 100 year old home, enjoys antiquing, loves DIY projects, being in the ocean and spending time with her family.
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Stephanie loves eating sushi, searching for pugs during her runs in the park, and learning to grow into the woman she's made to be.
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Susan cherishes the beauty of the Smoky Mountains, the bloom of a Dogwood tree, and the taste of her mother’s pound cake. She betrays her roots by taking her tea “unsweetened.”
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Taylor was born and raised in South Carolina, and after a few years in Raleigh, NC now calls the beautiful city of Greenville, South Carolina home. She met her husband, Neal at the University of South Carolina and they have been married for almost four years. They laugh a lot, stay up way too late every night (it's basically college all over again but with a husband and no homework) and have a miniature poodle, Jet, who thinks he is a human child. If she had it her way, the food pyramid would primarily consist of tacos, chocolate ice cream, and breakfast food (She know's what you're thinking and the answer is yes, she WILL be your personal trainer). She loves mornings, reading a good book she can get lost in, and spending quality time with her husband, friends, and family. She can quote way too much of the TV show The Office, and her favorite movie is When Harry Met Sally. She's passionate about men, women, and children across the globe experiencing freedom, and is the founder + owner of Milk & Honey Market, an online fair trade boutique.
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Tina is a single, tie-dye sporting, tenacious lover of adventure and the outdoors, torn between the mountains and the ocean.
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Valli is a military bride who writes about raising kids with cochlear implants, military life, and other things from the heart.
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Active Military Service member, Single Mother, Photographer, Fitness Enthusiast fueled by caffeine, altruism, grit, and grace. 
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Whitney is a wife, mama of three, worship leader, extrovert, and writer. She also loves reading, running, music, community, mountains, and Jesus. Oh, and list-making.
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The Grit and Grace Project will periodically have guest contributors who are willing to share their challenging stories. When they do, we are thankful, but we are also aware that sometimes this can open them up to comments that will potentially cut at the tender skin of healed wounds. When we have one of those writers, it is our choice to keep them anonymous. Personal stories shared are excellent teaching tools, and their corresponding lessons can still be learned while never knowing a name.
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Some of our favorite articles for strong women and those who want to be.
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Occasionally The Grit and Grace Project has a guest writer who has written a new and fresh article on a subject we want to tackle. So we just have to share with you, even if they are reticent to put their name on it. Enjoy today's guest writer!
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