Can you help me understand what it means to build a family life that is truly founded upon Christian values? My spouse is always talking about the importance of having a “Christ-centered home,” but I don’t really know what that means. I grew up in a family where people’s actions rarely matched their religious words, …
Relationships & Marriage Q&As
How should we handle a potentially explosive disagreement with my parents over our upcoming wedding? They’ve expressed strong objections to our serving wine and having dancing at our reception. My husband-to-be and I are financially independent, and we’d be willing to cover the wedding expenses ourselves. But this wouldn’t really solve the problem, since my …
How can my spouse and I make major decisions together with the least amount of conflict and misunderstanding? As a young couple just starting out, we want to practice good communication skills that will help us build a successful lifelong marriage. Where do we begin?
How can we enjoy Christmas when we have to spend so much money on presents? We’re stressed about finances all year, but it gets worse during the holidays. Any suggestions?
What’s your opinion of online dating? I’m in my mid-twenties and have developed a friendship with a young woman I met on the internet. She lives in another state and we’ve talked quite a bit on the phone since then. We’ve both expressed an interest in exploring this relationship further, but so far we’ve never …
What can I do about my wife’s obvious distaste for my old bachelor buddies? We’re still newlyweds, and we have a great relationship – all except for the fact that she doesn’t get along with my friends. This has often led to arguments and tension between us. Is there a way to solve this problem?
Can a man and a woman who come from different racial or ethnic backgrounds have a successful marriage? Can you point out any good reasons why they shouldn’t try to build a life together?
How can my wife and I agree on how much money we should be donating to our church? She thinks tithing is just a “starting point” — that dedicated Christians should give more than ten percent. I have no problem with giving when we have enough to spare, but I don’t see any reason to …
Is it wrong for a married person to have a friend of the opposite sex? While my spouse was away on a week-long missions trip, I enlisted a male friend from work to come over and help me care for our eighteen-month-old daughter. In the process, we ended up watching movies together or working on …
Should my boyfriend and I live together to save money for our wedding? As we’ve discussed the matter, it has occurred to us that sharing an apartment before the wedding – just as a temporary measure – might be a practical step for us financially. The plan is for my boyfriend to have his own room while …
Do you have any suggestions for dealing with a spouse who becomes emotionally agitated and irrational whenever we experience even the slightest disagreement? We’ve got a good marriage, but she’s hypersensitive and feels threatened by conflict of any kind. This has created a situation in which differences are simply dropped and never really dealt with. …
How do we deal with a sibling who refuses to participate financially in caring for an elderly parent? My mom is in her late eighties and now needs assisted living care. She has limited income, and her assets are insufficient to cover the cost. My oldest sister and I are going to be tightening our …
How can I get my spouse to open up and talk with me? We’ve been married for almost two years, and I don’t understand him any better than I did before our honeymoon. Any advice or suggestions?
Would you recommend separation for married couples who feel that they’ve come to the end of their rope?
Should I let my husband to put sexually suggestive photos of me on his cell phone as a substitute for pornography?
How can my spouse and I work through our many unresolved conflicts? At this point we’re practically living separate lives, and the problem is only getting worse. Should we simply agree to disagree about our differences?
Now that I’m over 18, should I still submit to my mom and dad? The Bible says that children should “obey” their parents (Ephesians 6:1; Colossians 3:20). But when do I become fully independent of their control?
As newlyweds, what can my spouse and I do to ensure that our relationship will go the distance and weather the storms that life is likely to throw at us?
How should I respond to my spouse’s mother when she disapproves of my parenting style and speaks to me disrespectfully in front of my husband and our children? I’ve put up with this for years, but I’ve reached my limit.
I’ve had significant problems in the area of talking meaningfully with my spouse. This in turn is creating serious difficulties in our marriage. We’ve been going to counseling, and I’ve been trying hard to be more open and available to my wife, but she says she’s ready for a divorce. How can I learn to …
