Summary: Meet Maury, the Christian storyteller behind Grit & Wit, a publication blending faith, family, fatherhood, marriage, and humor with practical biblical encouragement. Drawing from his Tennessee farm upbringing, years as an educator, and experiences as a husband and father, Maury shares relatable stories that help readers recognize how Scripture applies to everyday life.
Welcome to Faithful Voices
One purpose of the Faithful Path Network is to help Christian readers discover faithful voices and resources they might not otherwise encounter.
Today, I’m delighted to introduce Maury, the storyteller behind Grit & Wit.
I appreciate Maury’s ability to take ordinary experiences and connect them to meaningful lessons about faith and family. Whether he’s sharing a memory from growing up on a Tennessee dairy farm, an adventure with his children, or something he’s learned through marriage, he usually weaves a little humor into the story.
But there’s also something deeper.
Maury believes our faith should influence how we live every day, not simply how we worship on Sunday. His stories remind readers that opportunities to grow in Christ often come through the ordinary circumstances of life.
And as a fellow educator, I especially appreciate how he uses storytelling to help people understand and remember important lessons.
I’ll let Maury explain how his love for storytelling became Grit & Wit and why sharing his faith eventually became such an important part of his writing.
In His Own Words
Maury the Story: The Faith and Family Behind Grit & Wit
I’ve always enjoyed telling stories. In fact, I’ve been known to have one ready for just about any occasion. Sometimes people will even give me a subject and ask me to tell them a story about it. Usually, I can come up with something. I’ve always believed there’s a good story hiding in just about every situation. Sometimes you just have to know where to look.
Several years ago, I was selected as a SCORE educator fellow, one of a small group of educators chosen from across Tennessee. Part of our work involved learning how to communicate with stakeholders, and one of the things they encouraged us to do was use stories. Stories help people understand a situation because they can picture themselves in it.
It didn’t take long before I earned the nickname “Maury the Story.”
My students probably could have told you why.
During my years as a classroom teacher, I regularly used stories to connect lessons to real life. When test time rolled around, I could remind students of a story I’d told, and they’d remember the lesson that went with it. At one point, I was encouraged to cut back on the storytelling because it was taking up instructional time. My students weren’t too happy about that suggestion. They told me I’d better not stop because those stories were one of their favorite parts of class.
Apparently, I had an audience before I ever had a publication.
I grew up on a dairy farm in Tennessee, where I learned early that some jobs needed doing whether you felt like doing them or not. We raked hay, fed calves, fixed fences, and helped wherever we were needed. Sometimes we got paid. Sometimes we didn’t. That’s part of being a family.
Now, I won’t pretend I loved every minute of it. I was a kid. There were plenty of other things I’d rather have been doing. Thankfully, my Grandmaw understood the power of motivation. Sometimes she’d promise me a trip to Long John Silver’s, where I could order whatever I wanted, if I’d help her with a project.
You’d be surprised what a kid will do for a three-piece chicken and more with extra hushpuppies instead of coleslaw.
Those years helped build the foundation of who I am today. I learned that if you’re going to do something, you ought to do it right the first time. I learned that family means showing up for one another, even when there’s nothing in it for you. And I learned that the ordinary things we experience often leave the biggest impressions. I’ve carried those lessons into my marriage, my parenting, and eventually my writing.
My wife, Karen, and I celebrated twenty years of marriage this year, although we’ve actually been together for twenty-six. We have four children, which means our house has provided enough stories to keep me writing for quite some time. Some of my favorite articles have come from our family adventures or just the things that happen in everyday life.
At least the stories I’ve received permission to share.
I grew up with divorced parents, and that experience helped shape my desire to be the best husband and father I can be. Karen has often described me as consistent, and I take that as a pretty meaningful compliment. I try to remain calm when things get stressful because my family needs me to be. Do I always succeed? Absolutely not. But I keep trying.
Being a father has also helped me understand my relationship with God in ways I never expected. There are moments when I’m frustrated with one of my children, only to realize that God probably has far more reasons to be frustrated with me. Thankfully, He’s much more patient than I am.
A while back, I was telling stories to a couple of coworkers when one of them suggested I ought to start writing them down. My brother Andrew was already writing on Substack, and he encouraged me to give it a try.
So, in April 2025, Grit & Wit was born.
I didn’t start with a grand plan to become an author or build a ministry. I simply enjoyed telling stories and thought maybe somebody else might enjoy reading them.
When I first prayed about the idea, I actually told God that I didn’t want to write heavily about faith. I figured I’d share stories about marriage, fatherhood, and life, with a few Christian undertones along the way.
A few weeks later, I published a devotional I’d previously written for my church. It received a lot of engagement, and people connected with it. As usual, God had other plans. I began writing more about faith, family, and the lessons God has taught me along the way. The stories were still there, and so was the humor, but I realized they could all work together.
That’s really what Grit & Wit is about.
I want reading one of my articles to feel like we’re sitting on the front porch, around the kitchen table, or out on the back deck with a glass of sweet tea or a cold Sun Drop. We’re just talking about life. Maybe we’re laughing about something ridiculous that happened with the kids, or maybe the conversation turns toward something more serious. I’ve always enjoyed making people laugh. A good, genuine laugh can make a difficult day a little easier. But I’ve also discovered that stories can touch people in ways we never expect.
For our twentieth wedding anniversary, I wrote about how Karen and I met and our first date. It was a fun trip down memory lane for me. Afterward, a woman contacted me and told me how much the story meant to her after losing her husband.
I had written about a happy memory in my marriage, and somehow it brought encouragement to someone grieving the loss of hers. That’s something I won’t soon forget.
I’ve been blessed to grow up in church, and my faith has remained a constant throughout my life. I’ve served in youth ministry, taught Sunday School, led Bible studies for years, and even preached a few sermons. Through all of it, I’ve come to appreciate the way Jesus taught people through stories. He met them where they were, using familiar things to help them understand eternal truths.
I try to follow that example in my writing.
I believe Scripture should make a difference in our everyday lives. The Jesus we worship on Sunday is the same Jesus who is with us on Tuesday when the car won’t start, the kids are arguing, or the day simply isn’t going as planned. Our faith shouldn’t be something we put away when we leave church.
That belief eventually led to my first two books, Faith With Work Boots On, a seven-week study through James, and Built to Last, a six-week journey through Ephesians. Both grew out of devotionals I’d written years earlier for my church. I added stories from my own life and practical ways readers could apply Scripture to the things they face every day.
My newest book, Waiting for the King, takes that same approach into the Christmas season, helping families prepare their hearts for the birth of Jesus. It just includes a lot more family traditions and Christmas memories from my life. I’m probably the most excited about it.
I’d love to see Grit & Wit become my full-time work someday, Lord willing. But I also believe there are things God does through us that we’ll never fully understand this side of heaven. I think we encourage and bless far more people than we realize, often through things that seem pretty ordinary to us. A story, a conversation, a kind word, or simply being there when someone needs us can make a difference we’ll never know about.
If there’s one thing I hope people remember about me someday, it’s not how many articles I’ve written or how many books I’ve sold. I hope they’ll be able to say that Maury lived what he believed.
And if you’re looking for someone who has marriage, parenting, and following Jesus all figured out, you’ve probably come to the wrong place. I’m still learning, still making mistakes, and still finding plenty of reasons to laugh along the way.
But if you enjoy a good story, don’t mind a little humor, and believe faith ought to make a difference beyond Sunday morning, I’d love for you to join me at Grit & Wit.
There’s plenty of room.
From Faithful Path Living
One of my favorite things about Maury’s story is that he didn’t begin writing with a grand plan. He simply enjoyed telling stories, and the Lord opened opportunities for those stories to encourage others.
His experience reminds me that we don’t always know how God will use what we share. Sometimes an ordinary family memory becomes encouragement to someone walking through grief. Sometimes a humorous story helps someone recognize a biblical truth in a new way.
Sometimes, the most meaningful testimony we leave behind isn’t something we’ve written at all, but the way we’ve lived. I especially appreciate Maury’s desire that people remember him as someone who lived what he believed. That’s a wonderful goal for all of us.
I’m grateful to welcome Grit & Wit to the Faithful Path Network and introduce Maury through Faithful Voices.
Discover Grit & Wit
Through Grit & Wit, Maury D. Wood, II shares stories about Christian living, marriage, fatherhood, family, and the lessons God teaches through everyday experiences.
His writing combines humor, personal stories, and biblical encouragement, inviting readers to consider how faith shapes life beyond Sunday morning.
Read Grit & Wit →
Explore Maury’s Books
Maury has also written Bible studies and devotional resources that help readers connect Scripture with everyday life.
Faith With Work Boots On
A seven-week Bible study through the book of James, exploring how faith should shape how we live.
Built to Last
A six-week journey through Ephesians that combines biblical teaching with personal stories and practical application.
Waiting for the King - Coming Soon!
A Christmas devotional resource designed to help families prepare their hearts for Jesus' birth through Scripture, family traditions, and meaningful reflections.
Faithful Path Network
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Grit & Wit?
Grit & Wit is a Christian publication written by Maury, a Tennessee storyteller, educator, husband, and father. Through personal stories, humor, and biblical encouragement, he explores how Christian faith influences marriage, parenting, family relationships, and everyday life.
Who is Maury the Story?
Maury is a Christian writer and former classroom teacher who earned the nickname “Maury the Story” because of his love for storytelling. Raised on a Tennessee dairy farm, he draws from his experiences in education, marriage, fatherhood, and church ministry to share relatable stories that connect everyday situations with biblical principles.
What does Grit & Wit write about?
Grit & Wit focuses on Christian living, marriage, fatherhood, family life, and applying Scripture to everyday experiences. Maury’s articles often combine humor and personal stories with reflections on faith, relationships, and lessons learned along the way.
What books has Maury written?
Maury’s books include Faith With Work Boots On, a seven-week study of James; Built to Last, a six-week study through Ephesians; and Waiting for the King, a Christmas devotional resource for families. Each combines biblical teaching with personal stories and practical applications.
How does Grit & Wit connect faith with everyday life?
Maury uses relatable stories about family, work, marriage, parenting, and ordinary experiences to illustrate biblical principles. His goal is to help readers recognize that following Jesus should influence their daily decisions, relationships, and actions, not just their Sunday worship.
Discover More Through the Faithful Path Network
Mimi’s Faith Journey is part of the Faithful Path Network, created to help Christian readers discover biblically grounded writers, publications, ministries, and resources while helping Christian creatives connect with the people they hope to serve.
If you are looking for more Christian encouragement for marriage, family, and raising the next generation in faith, explore our Marriage & Family category.
Explore the Faithful Path Network to discover more faithful voices for Christian living.
Faithful Path Network
Helping Christians discover biblically grounded writers, publications, ministries, and resources.
Faithful Voices is a feature of Faithful Path Living and the Faithful Path Network, created to introduce readers to Christian publications and resources worth discovering.