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...
Why Christians Need to Open Up About Our Struggles
Guest Post by Gina of GinaMPoirier.com "Can I talk to you, Gina?" Uh oh. I hate conversations that start with that question. My campus ministry leader at the time caught me off guard. "Sure…" I said (even though I didn’t really want to). "Well, it just seems like you don’t need much help. Like you already know everything. But I’d really like to offer some suggestions." She caught me. How did she know I wasn’t doing as well as I was trying so desperately to portray? The truth was, I was drowning. Loaded down with schoolwork, working part-time, trying to facilitate a small Bible study group of my peers—some of whom were dealing with some challenging situations. And I was a pretty new Christian, so it’s not like I had tons of wisdom or experience to draw learn more...
How to Celebrate National Husband Appreciation Day 2019
Guest post by Gina of GinaMPoirier.com National Husband Appreciation Day. Yep, that's a thing and it is happening April 20th, 2019 this year, to be exact. When I first heard about it, I'll be honest, I thought it sounded kind of silly. I mean, do we need an excuse to appreciate our husbands? Aren't there enough random "holidays" on the calendar? But the more I think about it, I have to ask—why not? There is so much "man-bashing" going on these days in the news and in popular culture. Can't we share some good news too? I don't think I'm alone in saying that my husband is a good man who is 100% devoted to God and his family. It's important to me that we establish a family culture that honors him and builds him up instead of tearing him learn more...
Three Warning Signs That Social Media Is Hurting Your Faith
Guest Post by Gina of GinaMPoirier.com “What are you doing, Mom?” My son caught me in the act. I was scrolling through my Facebook feed. This wouldn't have been a bad thing...if I hadn't just promised him that we were going to spend some time together, undistracted. I'll be the first to admit it. I love social media. It's fun. It helps me connect with people. Sometimes it helps me escape for a moment from the stresses of life and laugh a little bit. But then it starts to get in the way. It pulls my attention away from my kids and my husband. I don't listen to them and spend as much quality time with them when I'm distracted by my phone. In other words, when I don't have a handle on my social media use, it can hurt my relationships with the people I learn more...
How to Pray When You Feel Distant from God
Guest post by Gina of GinaMPoirier.com Have you ever given God the silent treatment? I have. It hasn't been intentional. But prayer just felt forced and unnatural. I felt distant and didn’t know what to say. So I said nothing. Yet by not going to him in prayer, I was essentially ignoring him. There are a lot of reasons you might feel distant from God, and then not pray to him as a result, including: Feeling disappointed or angry Avoiding your feelings Being out of the habit of prayer Feel ashamed or guilty Not know what to say or how to focus The good news is that when you feel this way, it doesn’t mean that he actually is distant: But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ. – learn more...
Are You at Risk for Christian Burnout?
Guest post by Gina of GinaMPoirier.com Before I became a Christian, I was what you might call a perfectionistic high achiever. I pursued high grades, college scholarships, and whatever awards and accolades I could get my hands on. But as I matured and saw how empty these selfish ambitions were in and of themselves, I started yearning for a different direction in my life. Enter Jesus. I fell in love with him and his church when I was 19, and started pouring my life into more “spiritual” pursuits. But as it turned out, the perfectionist in me didn’t really go away. I continued not only to pursue excellence in my schooling and career, but I also drove myself hard to be an excellent Christian. I led Bible studies and small groups, organized and volunteered learn more...
