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...
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...
