Ten Alternatives to a Romantic Valentine’s Day

We all know that Valentine’s Day can spark some intense emotions. Some people don’t care at all while others feel deeply saddened and alone. We also know it’s possible to feel alone on Valentine’s Day while married!

In recovery, we are not always feeling romantic. Romantic lovey-dovey feelings can only flourish in a relationship that has trust.

If you are feeling super lovey-dovey but you don’t trust your loved one, might be time to check your feelings! That’s a good indication you’ve gone gaga over someone underserving of your love and attention. That’s not to say they couldn’t be one day, but right now they are not.

Marriage, Sex & PornographyLeahFebruary 12, 2019Grey Ministriesvalentine's day, valentine, non-romantic date ideas, date ideas for a hard marriage, ideas for dates when you don't like your spouse, valentines day date ideas to do with kids, things you can do on valentines day that aren't romanticComment

Fresh Face: What's In Your Bathroom?

Holey toledo.

[suspenseful music- duh, duh, duh, duh….]

Ahhhhh, the horror!

I knew my bathroom was going to be a mess but I had no idea that there was so much “stuff” in there, that placed on the floor, I would no longer be able to walk. My bathroom is not massive, but it is also not small! It should have been large enough to contain the essentials.

Fresh 2019, LifestyleLeahFebruary 4, 2019Grey Ministriesbathroom organization, restroom organization, becoming a minimalist, how to start becoming a minimalist, washroom organization, minimalist lifestyle, millennials living as minimalists, minimalism, freshminimalism, how to make boundaries as the wife of an addict, books videos bible studies for wives of addictsComment

Fresh Fashion: The End Results

A short post to show the fruit of our hard work! We would love to see YOURS!

Use our hashtag #freshminimalism so we can see what you did in your home, too!

I also did my husband’s and children’s closets.

Before cleaning out my closet, I felt like I never had anything to wear. I didn’t like the majority of my clothing and a lot of it was uncomfortable. I could hardly fit anything into my closet it was so cramped!

Fresh 2019, LifestyleLeahJanuary 28, 2019Grey Ministriesminimalist lifestyle, minim, minimalism, becoming a minimalist, freshminimalism, one year to minimalism, how to start becoming a minimalist, millennials living as minimalists, organization tips for minimalists, support group for Christian wives of addicts, issues for wives of addictsComment

Girl, Clean Out Your Mind

Wouldn’t it be great if cleaning out our mind was as easy as cleaning out our closet?

Negative thoughts? Toss ‘em!

Feelings of judgment or hate? See ya!

Resentment? You’re outta here!

While it might not be as easy as throwing a blouse into a donation box, we can decide whether we are going to wear that thought, keep it hanging in the closet for another year or get rid of it.

Ask yourself- what thoughts do I have that lead me to experience negative emotions?

Mental Health, Fear and AnxietyKara BenefieldJanuary 24, 2019Grey Ministrieshow to declutter your life and mind, mental health and the christian woman, is mental health a sin, christian girl self care, Christian women and self-worth, what does biblical self-care look likeComment

Fresh Fashion: Building a Capsule Wardrobe

I did capsule wardrobes for all my children… while I was supposed to be making one for myself. I did tell you not to do that :) I’m working on my own and started my husband’s capsule as well.

The children’s wardrobes were much easier because theirs needed to only last for a season (not the next twenty years!) but I tried to make sure I had a lot of pieces that would easily transition into the spring and summer and hopefully, will still fit next fall. For my older son, I tried to buy items I thought would last long enough for my younger son to wear them after. That may mean I spent a bit more on some things but that cost can be divided between two children.

Fresh Fashion: How to Create Your Everyday Uniform

Can you think of at least five, awesome outfits you like wearing and feel good in, down to the accessories, right now?

Today is all about “creating your uniform”.

As we get older, our personal style evolves and changes. What worked for us before doesn’t keep working. Like the short shorts we might have worn in high school or the club clothing from college. You may not still have these items in your closet, I don’t, but it can leave us in a style wonderland, not sure where to turn to “go home”.

Fresh 2019, LifestyleLeahJanuary 17, 2019Grey Ministriesminimalist lifestyle, millennials living as minimalists, minimalism, becoming a minimalist, freshminimalism, one year to minimalism, how to start becoming a minimalist, organization tips for minimalists Comments

Fresh Fashion: Stop Stress Shopping! Create a Wardrobe Inventory

If you’re on this journey with me to “cut out the clutter” from your closet and make room in your brain for living life- you should be down to less clothing by now.

So today, I want to talk about,

“Does this item of clothing make sense for my life?”.

Before blogging, I was a hairstylist. I did hair for almost ten years, but left after God slammed the door in my face! Yup. He told me to quit and I didn’t. You can read the whole story in my upcoming book, “No One Brings You a Casserole When Your Husband Goes to Rehab”.

Fresh 2019, LifestyleLeahJanuary 14, 2019Grey Ministriesminimalist lifestyle, millennials living as minimalists, ministry, minimalism, becoming a minimalist, freshminimalism, one year to minimalism, how to start becoming a minimalist, organization tips for minimalists Comments

Fresh Fashion: Treat Your Body Right

Everyone’s body type is different.

If you don’t know your body type, let’s start there.

I like this test to determine your body shape because it uses both the bust and shoulder measurements to find your true, overall shape. She gave each shape it’s own celebrity name, which is actually genius, because we can now go see what types of things that person wears and mimic it!

Fresh 2019, LifestyleLeahJanuary 10, 2019Grey Ministriesminimalist lifestyle, millennials living as minimalists, minimalism, ministry, becoming a minimalist, freshminimalism, one year to minimalism, Christian women's ministry, how to start becoming a minimalist, organization tips for minimalists, body type for women, dressing for your bodyComment

Fresh Fashion: Clean Out Your Closet

Welcome to #freshminimalism!

Why is that hashtag not used already?! It’s beyond me. Thank you, Jesus. It was obviously meant to be. If you missed our introduction post, you can read it here.

When times are tough and money is scarce, this process of “cleaning out the closet” may seem a little bit silly and even vain, but creating an environment where we feel good and are not overwhelmed with “stuff” is so helpful; clutter in the home leads to clutter in the mind.

Fresh 2019, LifestyleLeahJanuary 6, 2019Grey Ministriesminimalism, capsule wardrobe, winter capsule wardrobe, cleaning out the closet, tips for spouses of addicts, how to declutter your life and mind, closet capsule basics, where to begin making a capsule wardobe Comments

BAH-HUMBUG! Have you Misplaced your Hope?

We’ve all seen the live-action version of the movie, The Grinch? Do you know the part where Cindy Lou Hoo sings “Where Are You Christmas?” It pulls on your heart strings a little because it’s easy to relate. Trials can change who we are as a person and transform our perspective if we allow it.

FaithKara BenefieldDecember 23, 2018Grey Ministriesfinding peace with a mental illness diagnosis, family members of addictsComment

Fresh 2019: An Introduction to Minimalism (and how it applies to addiction!)

2019 is the year of FRESH for Grey Ministries. You may have noticed (but probably didn’t) that each year, I’ve adopted a new theme:

2016 was, “Be Still”
2017 was the year of hope
2018 was all about those boundaries
2019 is going to be FRESH! Not fresh like attitude, not the Fresh Prince of Bel Air (I mean, but our lives did get flip-twisted upside down) but fresh as in clean. Fresh air. Fresh smell. Fresh perspective.

Fresh 2019, LifestyleLeahDecember 16, 2018Grey Ministriesminimalism, minimalist lifestyle, becoming a minimalist, how to create a capsule wardrobe, clean out your closet tips, organization tips for minimalists, how to start becoming a minimalist, one year to minimalism, simple living, millennials living as minimalists, freshminimalism, christian girl self care, christian wife of an addict blogComment

How to Love Your Friend if Her Man is in Active Addiction

First and foremost, “A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for a time of adversity.” (Proverbs 17:17 NIV) If your friend’s husband is in active addition, this is definitely a time of adversity. This is going to be one of the hardest things she ever goes through. Supporting her and letting her know you’ve got her back is probably the thing she needs the most right now. Don’t just tell her you’re praying for her, but actually do it. Get on your knees and pray that God will give her strength and guidance because she’s going to need it. While you’re at it, pray for her husband too.

Family, Understanding AddictionKara BenefieldDecember 2, 2018Grey Ministriesfamily members of addictsComment