Guest post by Gina of GinaMPoirier.com. Have you ever looked at your life during a period of hardship and wonder how in the world things ended up that way? Maybe it wasn't your fault. You were faithful and checked all of the items on your to-do list. And yet, there you stood, your hopes dashed, with little hope and no exit strategy. That's the story of being human sometimes, and that's what makes great women of the Bible's stories so relevant. They're real. They're painful. They're unabashedly ugly, without sugar coating. Who Was Abigail in the Bible? Abigail's story in 1 Samuel 25 is one of them. As a young married woman, Abigail in the Bible was not living her happily ever after. Instead, she found herself in a seemingly impossible, terrifying learn more...
How to Keep Your Marriage Close When Going Through Trials
Guest post by Gina of GinaMPoirier.com. When I vowed to stick with my husband Marc “for better or for worse,” I didn’t exactly know what I was signing up for. We were both 23 at the time, optimistic and faithful that things would work out no matter what. But as optimistic and faithful as we were, nothing prepared us how to go through the “for worse” times. That was something we had to discover as we went. We had one of the more difficult seasons in our lives to work through earlier this year. It included saying goodbye to a dying grandparent, processing the shock of losing a friend in a motorcycle crash, continuing to have no progress as we wait in a years-long adoption process, discovering the loss of thousands of dollars after our bank account had been learn more...
Struggling with Mom Guilt? Here’s How to Stop It
Are you struggling with mom guilt because you don't feel like you do enough with and for your kids? Here's how to deal with mom guilt in a godly way. Guest post by Gina of GinaMPoirier.com I'll never forget the day my firstborn started crawling. I picked him up from the babysitter after work and took him home. He had been close to the milestone for a few days, and suddenly it just clicked. My husband and I were full of new parent glee as he proudly paraded around the living room on his hands and knees. The next day I gave the sitter a heads-up about his new mobility. "Oh, he was doing that all day yesterday," she replied. "I thought you knew!" I felt like I'd been sucker-punched. I had missed it. Because I had to work. Talk about mom learn more...
6 Bad Habits That Will Seriously Harm Your Marriage
Guest post by Gina of GinaMPoirier.com American evangelist David Wilkerson once said, “Love is not something you feel. It’s something you do.” Likewise, it’s the things you do (or don’t do) that can make your spouse feel unloved. This was a hard lesson early in my marriage, and frankly, continues to be one. Even if we’re practicing good habits regularly, it is all too easy to derail our relationship by succumbing to bad ones. After more than twelve years of marriage, we still have our bumps. But we’ve gotten better at identifying our unhealthy patterns, and more importantly, repenting from them. If I were to give my younger married self advice, I’d say to watch out for the 6 bad marriage habits I'll explain below... By the way -- If you're learn more...
6 Must-Have Habits for a Healthy Christian Marriage
Guest post by Gina of GinaMPoirier.com When we were newlyweds nearly 13 years ago, my husband had some really firm expectations. In particular, he insisted that we would go on a date every Saturday night. Not that I was opposed to the idea (I mean, who would be?), but was it really necessary to make this practice non-negotiable? Especially at the time, when we didn't have kids and spent most of our evenings together anyway? Looking back, I am so thankful for his wisdom and his dedication to setting good habits in our relationship, from the very beginning. Since then, a lot has changed: kids, careers, friends and location—in addition to the ups and downs of everyday life. But our marriage has held together firmly, in part because of the habits we've learn more...
How to Set Biblical Boundaries as a Christian
Tired of constantly clashing with friends/family who have no boundaries? Here's how to set boundaries as a Christian. Guest post by Gina of GinaMPoirier.com Do you have a family member, friend, co-worker, church leader or even a spouse who is stressing you out with their lack of boundaries? They might be well-intentioned, but when it comes down to it, their words and/or actions are hurting you. As a hypothetical example, let’s say your mother-in-law has impossibly high expectations whenever you come over. You inevitably hurt her feelings almost every time you visit. She vents to your husband, who feels stuck in the middle—and then you feel hurt that he won’t stand up for you. It’s not fair to you because she expects you to read her mind! Related: How learn more...
