After you say “I do,” there’s a lot that changes and there are new things to get used to when it comes to friends and family. Add the holidays to a new marriage, and it’s easy to feel incredibly overwhelmed. It quickly becomes obvious that friends and family influence your relationship. As a married couple,…
https://firstthings.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/people-gathered-inside-house-sitting-on-sofa-1054974-scaled-e1597247735337.jpg198450First Things Firsthttps://firstthings.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/ftf-logo-300x186.pngFirst Things First2019-11-18 14:54:592020-10-27 11:06:205 Ways Friends and Family Influence Your Relationship
What do you do when your friend is in a toxic relationship? Can you spot it? But what about you? Do you know when you’re in a toxic relationship? Most people want to be in healthy and satisfying partnerships, but sometimes we settle for less just so we can feel wanted, appreciated, or loved. We…
https://firstthings.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/the-hk-photo-company-6GQ7V2l5iPA-unsplash-scaled-e1597259229421.jpg300450First Things Firsthttps://firstthings.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/ftf-logo-300x186.pngFirst Things First2019-11-18 14:36:422020-09-30 15:24:27Am I In A Toxic Relationship?
“I have a dilemma.” An old co-worker mused as we headed back to the office after a quick lunch date, reconnecting after I had recently changed jobs. “Oh yeah? What’s that?” I asked, but the tone of his voice already raised a red flag in the form of my quickening pulse and intuition that his…
https://firstthings.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/christin-hume-610U5teI5B4-unsplash-2-scaled-e1597259377487.jpg300450First Things Firsthttps://firstthings.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/ftf-logo-300x186.pngFirst Things First2019-11-18 12:47:052020-09-30 15:13:38Am I Having an Emotional Affair?
Will Counseling Work For Me? Will beekeeping? Homeopathic remedies? Fixing your own transmission? Doing the same thing over and over again work for you? I dunno. You are unique. Going to a professional counselor might not work for you, but there are some very compelling reasons to give it a try. The better question might…
https://firstthings.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/youssef-naddam-iJ2IG8ckCpA-unsplash-scaled-e1597259560536.jpg166450John Daumhttps://firstthings.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/ftf-logo-300x186.pngJohn Daum2019-11-13 16:12:362020-09-30 15:01:28Will Counseling Work For Me?
Buying a house is one of the most stressful things that you can go through as human beings. Especially if you’re newlyweds! Yes, it’s even more stressful than planning a wedding. Not only do you have to decide on a house together, but once you do that, there’s also a *TON* of legal jargon, paperwork, and timely…
https://firstthings.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/nathan-fertig-FBXuXp57eM0-unsplash-scaled-e1597259877257.jpg300450Caroline Henryhttps://firstthings.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/ftf-logo-300x186.pngCaroline Henry2019-10-16 09:22:362020-09-30 15:36:01How to Buy Your First House Without Going Crazy
Why should you date? Wow! That’s an incredibly personal question that has different answers depending on many different factors. Are you divorced? In your 20s fresh out of school and never married? In your 30s and hoping to be married? Looking for someone to have loads of fun with? Answer This Question First… “Why do…
https://firstthings.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/couple-environment-girl-1391480-scaled-e1597331191677.jpg229450Reggie Madisonhttps://firstthings.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/ftf-logo-300x186.pngReggie Madison2019-10-10 10:28:402020-08-13 11:15:53Should You Be Dating?
Being engaged is a season of anticipation! You feel all kinds of excitement, right? You can’t wait! Before the wedding arrives, that and the honeymoon are all you can think about! (Plus, you can’t wait for all those wedding questions to stop!)
https://firstthings.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/SarahWeddingCrop-2-e1597331811776.jpg164400Sarah Hamhttps://firstthings.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/ftf-logo-300x186.pngSarah Ham2019-10-10 10:21:272020-10-27 11:21:227 Things You Need to Know Before The Wedding
You love your spouse, but maybe you don’t really like in-laws. You heard but didn’t heed the warning: “Remember, whoever you marry, you also marry their family.” After a few years of marriage (or less), you soon realize saying “yes” to forever with your spouse really did mean saying “yes” to forever with their family,…
https://firstthings.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/haley-phelps-twoahjAsoO4-unsplash-scaled-e1597336867111.jpg183450First Things Firsthttps://firstthings.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/ftf-logo-300x186.pngFirst Things First2019-10-09 11:49:332020-10-27 11:21:46What to do When You Don't Really Like Your In-Laws
You’re in love with your total opposite. Is this your true love? Can your relationship last forever? Do you guys stand a chance? You’ve heard “opposites attract” and you’ve definitely felt that attraction, but you can’t deny how opposite you are either. (Your friends and family constantly remind you…) Then, maybe in quiet moments, the…
Have you ever had a friend who completely began to ignore you when they started dating someone? Or a friend who began acting differently once they were in a relationship? How did that make you feel? Angry, irritated, frustrated? However it made you feel, we all say that will never be us until… it is.…
https://firstthings.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/vladimir-kudinov-eQQDRilCZEM-unsplash-scaled-e1597343704117.jpg190450First Things Firsthttps://firstthings.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/ftf-logo-300x186.pngFirst Things First2019-09-30 08:47:502020-08-24 13:00:13The Dos and Don'ts of Dating (And Not Dating)
There’s been a steady decline in marriage rates over the past few decades. Some studies blame the decline on gender ratio discrepancies and millennials just not being interested in marriage. But a 2019 Cornell University study published in the Journal of Marriage and Family (JMF) says otherwise. According to the study, the root cause might…
https://firstthings.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/pablo-heimplatz-OSboZGvoEz4-unsplash-2-e1597344058675.jpg294440Julie Baumgardnerhttps://firstthings.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/ftf-logo-300x186.pngJulie Baumgardner2019-09-30 06:30:002020-08-13 15:03:30What Women Want in a Mate
What, exactly, were you expecting when you got married? Did you expect marriage and your spouse to make you happy? Are you on the verge of stepping across the line into the world of marriage with your beloved? What do you expect when you get there? Are you expecting your “happily ever after?” If you’re…
https://firstthings.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/477b895e-3212-4a65-b3c1-7c4d47af2505-scaled-e1597345434859.jpg174450Chris Ownbyhttps://firstthings.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/ftf-logo-300x186.pngChris Ownby2019-09-26 09:02:182020-09-30 15:39:06What If My Marriage Doesn't Make Me Happy?
“When will I be old enough to date?” – the question many parents dread. You've known it was coming, but you also realize you are crossing over into a whole new world with lots of moving parts, plenty of which you cannot control. You may reply sarcastically, “When you’re 30!” Or, you may try to be a bit more realistic and really wrestle with the right age for your child to date, which may be different depending on the child.A study published in The Journal o…
https://firstthings.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/natalie-parham-yPvuYrJ7FGc-unsplash-e1597345544610.jpg175450Julie Baumgardnerhttps://firstthings.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/ftf-logo-300x186.pngJulie Baumgardner2019-09-23 00:00:002020-08-13 15:10:38When Should Your Teen Date?
Learning how to lead in a new marriage is hard. Trust me. I’ve got the scratches to prove it! “WILL!! YOU’RE PUSHING ME UNDER A TREE!!!” It was at this moment I realized my husband and I should not have gotten in the same canoe on this family trip. You see, my husband (the most…
https://firstthings.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/bob-orchard-9v4FScFlTDg-unsplash-scaled.jpg13652048Caroline Henryhttps://firstthings.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/ftf-logo-300x186.pngCaroline Henry2019-08-19 08:49:312020-10-27 11:22:54Learning How to Lead (and knowing when not to) in A New Marriage
There is pretty much nothing more exciting and scary than thinking about crossing the threshold into your freshman year of college. Your parents won't be telling you what time to get up or that you need to study. You can stay out as late as you like with whomever you like.
https://firstthings.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/priscilla-du-preez-XkKCui44iM0-unsplash-e1583852252475.jpg6391280Julie Baumgardnerhttps://firstthings.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/ftf-logo-300x186.pngJulie Baumgardner2019-08-19 00:00:002020-09-30 15:50:04Tips for Getting Through Your Freshman Year of College
What happens when the one you love isn’t your dream guy? Well, there might be The One, but then there’s also the one you actually marry. “The One” is where things are going really great, you’re into him, and he seems to check a lot of the boxes. He’s cute, your heart races when you…
https://firstthings.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/513d82d1-75cb-48cb-965f-fe8a00fca077-scaled-e1601576010276.jpg177550First Things Firsthttps://firstthings.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/ftf-logo-300x186.pngFirst Things First2019-08-13 12:40:302020-10-01 14:13:47When The One You Love is Not Your Dream Guy
Okayyyyy ladies… Let’s talk about dating & The One. Does The One actually exist? You probably grew up believing that one perfect person exists who you had to fall in love with and marry. They are our Soulmate, aka, The One. And there is this fear that we won’t end up with the one we’re…
https://firstthings.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/hian-oliveira-rDPoVyPRebo-unsplash-scaled-e1601576172188.jpg222550First Things Firsthttps://firstthings.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/ftf-logo-300x186.pngFirst Things First2019-08-13 11:09:132020-10-01 14:24:35Why The One Doesn't Really Exist
Have you heard that question, “What are you going to do with your life?” Probably a million times. I was lucky enough to grow up knowing my great-grandparents and though I can’t recall many words of wisdom they gave me, I do remember that in my senior year of high school my great-grandfather used to…
https://firstthings.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/matt-ragland-02z1I7gv4ao-unsplash.jpg9601280First Things Firsthttps://firstthings.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/ftf-logo-300x186.pngFirst Things First2019-08-06 11:44:592020-10-01 14:29:5315 Lessons For Those Entering College (From Someone Leaving)
In July 2019, the 2019 State of our Unions: iFidelity: Interactive Technology and Relationship Faithfulness report revealed some interesting findings. These findings were about marital health and relationship attitudes/behaviors, both online and in real life, in America. The study dives deep into the impact of technology on faithfulness. According to the report, the internet has…
The average college student will graduate with about $37,000 in student loans, but few students really think about repaying that money after graduating. In fact, many new college students haven’t thought much at all about money management, much less paying off student loans at the end of their four years. Results from a survey of…
https://firstthings.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/brooke-cagle-g1Kr4Ozfoac-unsplash.jpg8531280Julie Baumgardnerhttps://firstthings.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/ftf-logo-300x186.pngJulie Baumgardner2019-07-22 00:00:002020-10-01 14:49:51Money Basics for College Students
5 Ways Friends and Family Influence Your Relationship
After you say “I do,” there’s a lot that changes and there are new things to get used to when it comes to friends and family. Add the holidays to a new marriage, and it’s easy to feel incredibly overwhelmed. It quickly becomes obvious that friends and family influence your relationship. As a married couple,…
Am I In A Toxic Relationship?
What do you do when your friend is in a toxic relationship? Can you spot it? But what about you? Do you know when you’re in a toxic relationship? Most people want to be in healthy and satisfying partnerships, but sometimes we settle for less just so we can feel wanted, appreciated, or loved. We…
Am I Having an Emotional Affair?
“I have a dilemma.” An old co-worker mused as we headed back to the office after a quick lunch date, reconnecting after I had recently changed jobs. “Oh yeah? What’s that?” I asked, but the tone of his voice already raised a red flag in the form of my quickening pulse and intuition that his…
Will Counseling Work For Me?
Will Counseling Work For Me? Will beekeeping? Homeopathic remedies? Fixing your own transmission? Doing the same thing over and over again work for you? I dunno. You are unique. Going to a professional counselor might not work for you, but there are some very compelling reasons to give it a try. The better question might…
How to Buy Your First House Without Going Crazy
Buying a house is one of the most stressful things that you can go through as human beings. Especially if you’re newlyweds! Yes, it’s even more stressful than planning a wedding. Not only do you have to decide on a house together, but once you do that, there’s also a *TON* of legal jargon, paperwork, and timely…
Should You Be Dating?
Why should you date? Wow! That’s an incredibly personal question that has different answers depending on many different factors. Are you divorced? In your 20s fresh out of school and never married? In your 30s and hoping to be married? Looking for someone to have loads of fun with? Answer This Question First… “Why do…
7 Things You Need to Know Before The Wedding
Being engaged is a season of anticipation! You feel all kinds of excitement, right? You can’t wait! Before the wedding arrives, that and the honeymoon are all you can think about! (Plus, you can’t wait for all those wedding questions to stop!)
What to do When You Don’t Really Like Your In-Laws
You love your spouse, but maybe you don’t really like in-laws. You heard but didn’t heed the warning: “Remember, whoever you marry, you also marry their family.” After a few years of marriage (or less), you soon realize saying “yes” to forever with your spouse really did mean saying “yes” to forever with their family,…
We’re Total Opposites! Can Our Relationship Work?
You’re in love with your total opposite. Is this your true love? Can your relationship last forever? Do you guys stand a chance? You’ve heard “opposites attract” and you’ve definitely felt that attraction, but you can’t deny how opposite you are either. (Your friends and family constantly remind you…) Then, maybe in quiet moments, the…
The Dos and Don’ts of Dating (And Not Dating)
Have you ever had a friend who completely began to ignore you when they started dating someone? Or a friend who began acting differently once they were in a relationship? How did that make you feel? Angry, irritated, frustrated? However it made you feel, we all say that will never be us until… it is.…
What Women Want in a Mate
There’s been a steady decline in marriage rates over the past few decades. Some studies blame the decline on gender ratio discrepancies and millennials just not being interested in marriage. But a 2019 Cornell University study published in the Journal of Marriage and Family (JMF) says otherwise. According to the study, the root cause might…
What If My Marriage Doesn’t Make Me Happy?
What, exactly, were you expecting when you got married? Did you expect marriage and your spouse to make you happy? Are you on the verge of stepping across the line into the world of marriage with your beloved? What do you expect when you get there? Are you expecting your “happily ever after?” If you’re…
When Should Your Teen Date?
“When will I be old enough to date?” – the question many parents dread. You've known it was coming, but you also realize you are crossing over into a whole new world with lots of moving parts, plenty of which you cannot control. You may reply sarcastically, “When you’re 30!” Or, you may try to be a bit more realistic and really wrestle with the right age for your child to date, which may be different depending on the child.A study published in The Journal o…
Learning How to Lead (and knowing when not to) in A New Marriage
Learning how to lead in a new marriage is hard. Trust me. I’ve got the scratches to prove it! “WILL!! YOU’RE PUSHING ME UNDER A TREE!!!” It was at this moment I realized my husband and I should not have gotten in the same canoe on this family trip. You see, my husband (the most…
Tips for Getting Through Your Freshman Year of College
There is pretty much nothing more exciting and scary than thinking about crossing the threshold into your freshman year of college. Your parents won't be telling you what time to get up or that you need to study. You can stay out as late as you like with whomever you like.
When The One You Love is Not Your Dream Guy
What happens when the one you love isn’t your dream guy? Well, there might be The One, but then there’s also the one you actually marry. “The One” is where things are going really great, you’re into him, and he seems to check a lot of the boxes. He’s cute, your heart races when you…
Why The One Doesn’t Really Exist
Okayyyyy ladies… Let’s talk about dating & The One. Does The One actually exist? You probably grew up believing that one perfect person exists who you had to fall in love with and marry. They are our Soulmate, aka, The One. And there is this fear that we won’t end up with the one we’re…
15 Lessons For Those Entering College (From Someone Leaving)
Have you heard that question, “What are you going to do with your life?” Probably a million times. I was lucky enough to grow up knowing my great-grandparents and though I can’t recall many words of wisdom they gave me, I do remember that in my senior year of high school my great-grandfather used to…
How Technology Use Impacts Faithfulness
In July 2019, the 2019 State of our Unions: iFidelity: Interactive Technology and Relationship Faithfulness report revealed some interesting findings. These findings were about marital health and relationship attitudes/behaviors, both online and in real life, in America. The study dives deep into the impact of technology on faithfulness. According to the report, the internet has…
Money Basics for College Students
The average college student will graduate with about $37,000 in student loans, but few students really think about repaying that money after graduating. In fact, many new college students haven’t thought much at all about money management, much less paying off student loans at the end of their four years. Results from a survey of…