by Gayla Grace | Feb 12, 2016 | Blog, boundaries, stepfamily relationships
I didn’t realize I was in an emotionally abusive marriage. But I was. Married at 23-years-old to a man chasing the dream of success as a medical physician, I was along for the ride. But all too soon, the ride got very bumpy. Arguments turned into...
by Gayla Grace | Jun 10, 2015 | Blog, boundaries, stepfamily relationships, stepmom help
I used to believe that my needs should come last. I’d stay up late to finish laundry or rise early to put a meal in the crockpot before heading to work. If you peered into our home, you’d see resentment from an unrealistic routine that boiled over into...
by Gayla | Feb 19, 2013 | attitude, Blog, boundaries, co-parenting, conflict, loyalty conflict, successful stepparenting
I’m addressing a question today I received from a reader. How do you cope as a stepmom when you’re dealing with a biological mom who is belittling to you and doesn’t want you in her children’s lives? The stepmom role becomes harder when the bio...
by Gayla | Aug 9, 2012 | Balance, Blog, boundaries, love, stepfamily relationships
My stepson moved from Conway, AR to Austin, TX this past week. After graduating from college, he opted to explore the big-city scene of Austin as a single person. He spent a few days at our house during the transition. The weeks prior to the move, we were in contact...
by Gayla | Jun 29, 2012 | Blog, boundaries, Faith, Rejection
Tears began falling down my cheeks the moment the realtor left our house. I wasn’t prepared for her insensitive comments about the home our family had enjoyed for eleven years. “It won’t sell with wallpaper on the walls. I prefer only neutral colors...
by Gayla | Mar 13, 2012 | Blog, boundaries, conflict, stepfamily relationships, take care of yourself
As I was listening to my friend complain about the disrespectful behavior from her stepson, I couldn’t help but think, “Why haven’t you established some boundaries that would allow you to take care of yourself instead of putting up with his...
by Gayla | Sep 14, 2011 | Birth order effects, Blog, boundaries, co-parenting, conflict
In my post last week on boundaries, I said I would post about creating healthy boundaries with your ex-spouse. So I’m re-posting from a previous blog post that gives some examples of what healthy boundaries look like. These boundaries...
by Gayla | Sep 6, 2011 | Blog, boundaries, co-parenting, stepfamily relationships, stepparenting choices
When I married my husband, Randy, I told him my ex-husband would not be a problem because he would eventually drop out of our lives. He had struggled with drug and alcohol addiction for years and although he was a medical doctor, he was a most unstable...
by Gayla | Apr 7, 2011 | Blog, boundaries, Faith, Rejection
Tears began falling down my cheeks the moment the realtor left our house. I wasn’t prepared for her insensitive comments about the home our family had enjoyed for eleven years. “It won’t sell with wallpaper on the walls. I prefer only neutral colors...
by Gayla | Mar 17, 2011 | Blog, boundaries, Change, Faith, stepmother role
clker.comI have a dear friend who had a gut feeling that her stepchild was being mistreated by his mother’s boyfriend. Her stepson had made several comments about happenings at his mom’s house that were concerning. So, she and her husband hired a...
by Gayla | Mar 10, 2011 | attitude, Blog, boundaries, conflict, Grace, love, take care of yourself
Angry. Humiliated. Disgruntled. I left our church choir rehearsal with a flood of emotions circulating through my mind. As a piano accompanist, I had been belittled in front of the choir. It wasn’t the first time it had happened but I vowed it would be the last....
by Gayla | Jan 19, 2011 | Balance, Blog, boundaries, take care of yourself, Waiting
Our greatest fear as individuals and as a church should not be of failure but of succeeding at things in life that don’t really matter.” Francis Chan I’ve always admired Tony Dungy. As head coach of the Indianapolis Colts, he was the first African American coach to...
