<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><rss xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/" xmlns:content="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/" xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom" version="2.0"><channel><title><![CDATA[Ashley Gruman]]></title><description><![CDATA[Empowering women speakers, one engagement at a time, with love and authenticity.]]></description><link>https://ashleygrumanspeaks.wixsite.com/ashleygruman/blog</link><generator>RSS for Node</generator><lastBuildDate>Wed, 17 Jun 2026 23:24:38 GMT</lastBuildDate><atom:link href="https://ashleygrumanspeaks.wixsite.com/ashleygruman/blog-feed.xml" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml"/><item><title><![CDATA[I Don’t Want To Miss A Thing]]></title><description><![CDATA[Lately, I've been realizing how easy it is to slip into the mindset that my life is just a constant work in progress. I spend a lot of time thinking about what needs to change next. Even the good stuff can start to feel like just another step towards something better, instead of something of embracing what I have in front of me. I didn't really notice how much I was caught up in this until recently. I hoped that once my ducks were more in a row and things were more organized, I would feel...]]></description><link>https://ashleygrumanspeaks.wixsite.com/ashleygruman/post/i-don-t-want-to-miss-a-thing</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6a075b2c22114a9aa2a7d78b</guid><pubDate>Wed, 10 Jun 2026 12:00:17 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/23da55_ba2dd18392364e80b0faf22a71f95a1e~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_898,h_830,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Ashley</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[The Gift of Being an Inviter]]></title><description><![CDATA[I cannot tell you how many times I have stared at my phone debating whether or not I should invite someone to do something. Not because I didn’t want to see them, but because I was tired of feeling like I was always the one initiating. Always the one texting first. Always the one planning the get together. Always the one checking in. Always the one making the effort. At some point, I think a lot of women genuinely wonder if I stopped reaching out, would anyone notice? And honestly, that...]]></description><link>https://ashleygrumanspeaks.wixsite.com/ashleygruman/post/the-gift-of-being-an-inviter</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6a0750fb22114a9aa2a7c35e</guid><pubDate>Wed, 03 Jun 2026 12:00:07 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/23da55_c3940ec0308f4d6faf92453aa032b19d~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Ashley</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[The Summer I Stopped Trying to Make Everything Magical]]></title><description><![CDATA[Every year when May rolls around I feel crushed by the pressure of figuring out what summer will look like. Once Maycember (IYKYK) hits everything feels urgent. I cannot believe how many summer activities start registration 6 months ahead of time and I am rarely prepared enough to schedule that far out for my kids. Summer break somehow makes me feel like I need to give my kids the kind of childhood everyone seems to be posting online. The problem is that summer suddenly starts to feel less...]]></description><link>https://ashleygrumanspeaks.wixsite.com/ashleygruman/post/the-summer-i-stopped-trying-to-make-everything-magical</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6a074676e17018105dedd986</guid><pubDate>Wed, 27 May 2026 12:00:14 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/23da55_3ae0a1e843294a72b93af8d7cfb131a7~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Ashley</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[What I Bring To The Friendship Table]]></title><description><![CDATA[I used to think friendship meant being the same kind of person. People who have similar energy, capacity, and even personality. I assumed that if I didn’t match someone in those ways, then the relationship could not possibly last.  I recently was studying the book of Galations and it dawned on me that my thinking was wrong. That is not actually how God designed community to work. Galatians reminds us that we are children of God, and that we belong to Him. And from that place of identity, we...]]></description><link>https://ashleygrumanspeaks.wixsite.com/ashleygruman/post/what-i-bring-to-the-friendship-table</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6a07708b22114a9aa2a805f6</guid><pubDate>Wed, 20 May 2026 12:00:14 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/23da55_a273920c64cc442d8407d2692386a832~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Ashley</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[What do I do now?]]></title><description><![CDATA[There was an odd phenomenon that happened to me once all of the kids were finally in school. For years, motherhood has been loud. Needed. Structured. Someone always needed a snack, a ride, help tying shoes, help finding shoes (seriously, where are all of their shoes??), help with homework, help regulating emotions, help with everything. My days were built around other people’s needs, and somewhere in the middle of that, I had to learn how to function inside the constant motion. And then one...]]></description><link>https://ashleygrumanspeaks.wixsite.com/ashleygruman/post/what-do-i-do-now</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6a062bf47f9a7d9d12299e98</guid><pubDate>Thu, 14 May 2026 20:27:27 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/23da55_e0fb789acb6c425c93be42f3612112e7~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_640,h_960,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Ashley</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Importance of celebration]]></title><description><![CDATA[There is something in us that longs to celebrate. We celebrate birthdays and milestones, holidays and big wins. But somewhere in the middle of busy schedules, responsibilities, and the constant pull of comparison, celebration can start to feel like just one more thing to manage instead of something we actually experience.  The Bible paints a picture of friendship that is deeply connected to both joy and presence. In Romans 12:15, we are told to “rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with...]]></description><link>https://ashleygrumanspeaks.wixsite.com/ashleygruman/post/importance-of-celebration</link><guid isPermaLink="false">69e0fd3094a0b98ef05ec852</guid><pubDate>Thu, 16 Apr 2026 15:16:09 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/23da55_4565ab0bedfe424cb5564998c4d31fb5~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Ashley</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Faith in the middle of unexpected mess]]></title><description><![CDATA[There’s a kind of faith that feels natural when life is steady. When the plans are working, day to day routines feel manageable, and everything seems to be falling into place, trusting God doesn’t feel complicated. But then life shifts, and suddenly, you find yourself in a season you didn’t choose. For me, it has looked like recently having to caregive for someone I love. It has looked like rearranging schedules to prioritize hospital visits, interrupted daily plans as I provide a different...]]></description><link>https://ashleygrumanspeaks.wixsite.com/ashleygruman/post/faith-in-the-middle-of-unexpected-mess</link><guid isPermaLink="false">69d9154a61f85fcf9f7be6ca</guid><pubDate>Fri, 10 Apr 2026 15:33:33 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/23da55_6cb5ab6d30354f2f9d257202b74f6c45~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Ashley</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[A summer worth building]]></title><description><![CDATA[As the days grow longer and the calendar begins to fill with end of school celebrations, vacations, sports, and social gatherings, it is easy to feel the pressure. Suddenly, everyone seems to have a perfectly curated summer, color-coded calendars, bucket lists, and endless activities for their families. And if we are not careful, we can fall into the trap of comparison. Romans 12:2 says,“Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.”  So this is...]]></description><link>https://ashleygrumanspeaks.wixsite.com/ashleygruman/post/a-summer-worth-building</link><guid isPermaLink="false">69c43098653657f03d5d6cbd</guid><pubDate>Wed, 25 Mar 2026 18:59:40 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/23da55_a1697c660403431d9b17c2b4ee5046e9~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Ashley</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Looking forward to spring]]></title><description><![CDATA[“You will go out in joy and be led forth in peace; the mountains and hills will burst into song before you, and all the trees of the field will clap their hands.” Isaiah 55:12  After months of stillness, of gray skies and quiet branches, the world begins to stir again. The air softens. Light lingers a little longer in the evenings. Buds appear where there was once nothing but bare wood. And slowly creation begins to sing again. Isaiah paints a picture that feels almost too beautiful to be...]]></description><link>https://ashleygrumanspeaks.wixsite.com/ashleygruman/post/looking-forward-to-spring</link><guid isPermaLink="false">69baaee856684a890eabbe1f</guid><pubDate>Wed, 18 Mar 2026 14:09:40 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/23da55_ea4ac66a6859476c8c6b11aa55deb642~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Ashley</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Being gracious in a world that isn't]]></title><description><![CDATA[Reflecting on Isaiah 30:18 “Yet the Lord longs to be gracious to you; therefore he will rise up to show you compassion.For the Lord is a God of justice.Blessed are all who wait for him!” — Isaiah 30:18 (NIV) Grace can feel out of place in the world we live in. Scroll through the news or social media for just a few minutes and you’ll quickly notice how rare it is. Our culture often rewards quick reactions and sharp opinions. People are quick to criticize, quick to judge, and slow to extend...]]></description><link>https://ashleygrumanspeaks.wixsite.com/ashleygruman/post/being-gracious-in-a-world-that-isn-t</link><guid isPermaLink="false">69ae16dad66894c6d6f9dcc7</guid><pubDate>Wed, 11 Mar 2026 12:02:35 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/23da55_4c950ef5d2514c5f9e79a18912b17367~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Ashley</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[The Gardener]]></title><description><![CDATA[As followers of Jesus, we are called to bear fruit. Not just any fruit, but fruit that reflects the character and love of Christ. Sometimes, it’s easy to get caught up in helping, serving, and giving without pausing to consider where that fruit is really coming from. Jesus reminds us in John 15:5, “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.”  The fruit we bear is not about our effort or performance. It is...]]></description><link>https://ashleygrumanspeaks.wixsite.com/ashleygruman/post/the-gardener</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6995edb17b02767d8661b8b1</guid><pubDate>Wed, 18 Feb 2026 16:56:53 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/23da55_3b1e1aa3effa45568f0f69776f783932~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Ashley</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Created on purpose]]></title><description><![CDATA[There are days when life feels like one long to-do list. Dishes to wash, emails to answer, kids to shepherd, work to finish, responsibilities stacked high. In those moments, it’s easy to wonder if what we’re doing really matters or if we’re doing enough . Then Ephesians 2:10 quietly interrupts the noise: “For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” This verse doesn’t shout. It doesn’t rush us. It simply reminds us who we...]]></description><link>https://ashleygrumanspeaks.wixsite.com/ashleygruman/post/created-on-purpose</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6984c92c889819a51f0ccb30</guid><pubDate>Thu, 05 Feb 2026 16:48:01 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/23da55_ba7eecb2519643d09289703a3037dc82~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Ashley</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Fruit for the hungry]]></title><description><![CDATA[Lately, it feels like the air around us is heavy. Here in Minnesota, conversations feel sharper. Tensions are closer to the surface. It doesn’t take much for things to turn sideways online, in the grocery store line, even around tables where we used to feel safe. Many of us are tired. Some are angry. Some are hurting in ways they don’t know how to name. And in the middle of all of this, this keeps coming back to me: Fruit is not for the tree. Fruit is for the hungry. A tree doesn’t eat what...]]></description><link>https://ashleygrumanspeaks.wixsite.com/ashleygruman/post/fruit-for-the-hungry</link><guid isPermaLink="false">69783a746e1e6fddb81abe4a</guid><pubDate>Wed, 28 Jan 2026 13:00:44 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/23da55_0f23a0d98cc347618c6180f1a5e391e0~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Ashley</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[The slow season]]></title><description><![CDATA[Life moves fast. Calendars fill up. Deadlines loom. It’s easy to feel like we’re behind, like every moment has to be productive, planned, or purposeful. And yet, sometimes God invites us into slow seasons . These are stretches of life that feel quiet and maybe even a little… empty. At first, slow seasons can feel strange or even disappointing. We wonder: Am I missing something? Should I be doing something different? But here’s the thing: slow seasons are not voids. They are sacred spaces....]]></description><link>https://ashleygrumanspeaks.wixsite.com/ashleygruman/post/the-slow-season</link><guid isPermaLink="false">69555621810abc75244a37e9</guid><pubDate>Wed, 21 Jan 2026 13:00:23 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/23da55_a1b371d075f54d43afe873c678aaedf1~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Ashley</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[When a promise feels too big to carry alone]]></title><description><![CDATA[There are moments when God places something in our hearts that feels far bigger than our understanding. A calling. A promise. A season that doesn’t yet make sense. Scripture reminds us that even Mary, who was chosen to carry the Savior of the world, felt the weight of that reality. Luke 1:39 tells us, “At that time Mary got ready and hurried to a town in the hill country of Judea.” She didn’t isolate herself. She didn’t try to carry the promise alone. She ran to Elizabeth.That detail has...]]></description><link>https://ashleygrumanspeaks.wixsite.com/ashleygruman/post/when-a-promise-feels-too-big-to-carry-alone</link><guid isPermaLink="false">69553dcefbc9403dda731cb0</guid><pubDate>Wed, 14 Jan 2026 13:00:26 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/23da55_bce7b10e4209495ea92dd9e2f9f6eb3c~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Ashley</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Voices In The New Year]]></title><description><![CDATA[As we enter into the beginning of a new year, it’s worth pausing, not to rush ahead, but to gently look back. Before we set goals, choose a word, or make plans, we are invited to do something far more sacred: lay down every lie we carried through 2025 . The quiet ones.The loud ones.The whispers that followed us into motherhood, friendships, callings, and closed doors. You’re not enough. You ’re not really loved.Y ou’re not called. You’re not capable. Those voices may have sounded convincing...]]></description><link>https://ashleygrumanspeaks.wixsite.com/ashleygruman/post/laying-down-the-lies-as-we-step-into-a-new-year</link><guid isPermaLink="false">69553064810abc752449cdec</guid><pubDate>Wed, 07 Jan 2026 13:00:45 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/23da55_0839cfeffc384a189eb0043660ca1320~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Ashley</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[The Thrill of Hope: Walking Together in Light]]></title><description><![CDATA[In a world that often feels weary and rushed, it’s easy to lose sight of hope. Yet the story of Jesus’ birth reminds us that light can break through even the darkest night. Hope didn’t arrive quietly or from a distance it came boldly, as a Savior, stepping into our fears, our longings, and our everyday lives. The angel’s message to the shepherds rang clear and unstoppable: fear not, for good news of great joy has come! For women walking together in faith, this truth is especially meaningful....]]></description><link>https://ashleygrumanspeaks.wixsite.com/ashleygruman/post/the-thrill-of-hope-walking-together-in-light</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6941de52031fac87aaa2a137</guid><pubDate>Mon, 22 Dec 2025 14:03:53 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/23da55_5b33c9f0290f443d80983be79eaf3f9e~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Ashley</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Written for You, Not Anyone Else]]></title><description><![CDATA[It starts quietly. A scroll through social media. A conversation with a friend. A glimpse into someone else’s life that seems to be unfolding exactly the way you hoped yours would by now. And suddenly, joy slips away. Comparison has a way of doing that. It whispers lies that distort reality and distract us from the goodness God is weaving into our own stories. It convinces us that if someone else has what we want, then somehow we’ve been forgotten. But nothing could be further from the truth....]]></description><link>https://ashleygrumanspeaks.wixsite.com/ashleygruman/post/written-for-you-not-anyone-else</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6941d8a24d149c1676cfd371</guid><pubDate>Wed, 17 Dec 2025 13:41:29 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/23da55_9b1fa440bada47ce81e403244941ec71~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Ashley</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Protecting Peace in Our Homes This Holiday Season]]></title><description><![CDATA[The holidays have a way of bringing out the absolute best and worst in people. Between family expectations, full calendars, and emotional undercurrents, peace can feel like something we have to fight to keep. But maybe that’s exactly what we’re called to do. Romans 12:18 says, “If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.”  That little phrase,“as far as it depends on you” , reminds us that peace is both our responsibility and our limit. We are called to...]]></description><link>https://ashleygrumanspeaks.wixsite.com/ashleygruman/post/protecting-peace-in-our-homes-this-holiday-season</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6915db4e5adfcc03a40a1845</guid><pubDate>Thu, 13 Nov 2025 15:56:30 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/nsplsh_624a506e32375246673059~mv2_d_5472_3648_s_4_2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Ashley</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Interrupted on Purpose: Loving Our Kids and Our People Well]]></title><description><![CDATA[The other day I was sitting with a friend, coffee in hand, finally having one of those good, real conversations that moms crave. You know, the type of cup filling get together where you feel seen and understood. And right as I was getting into the thick of it, I felt a tug on my sleeve. “Mom, mom, MOM!” I’ll be honest. My first reaction was frustration. I was in the middle of something .  But as I looked at my child’s little face, I felt the Lord’s gentle nudge: this is the point. Motherhood,...]]></description><link>https://ashleygrumanspeaks.wixsite.com/ashleygruman/post/interrupted-on-purpose-loving-our-kids-and-our-people-well</link><guid isPermaLink="false">68d9962acb09911e236ed69b</guid><pubDate>Sun, 28 Sep 2025 20:33:20 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/nsplsh_f934c4cc32644fa5ba3e194a6f8088af~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Ashley</dc:creator></item></channel></rss>