What’s going to happen to people who have never had an opportunity to believe in Jesus? Will they simply be condemned? All my life I’ve been taught that faith in Christ is the only path to a saving relationship with God. I still believe this, but the older I get the harder it becomes to …
Family Q&A
Is it possible that God hates me? In Malachi 1:2-3 the Bible says that God “loved Jacob but hated Esau.” This really upsets me. For one thing, if God hated Esau, how do I know He doesn’t hate me? For another thing, if God is Love, as the New Testament says in I John 4:8, …
How can I find the right person to become involved with in a dating relationship? I’m a Christian high-schooler who is anxious to please God, but my past experiences with members of the opposite sex haven’t been very positive. What can I do to avoid this in the future?
How can I get over the anger I feel about being forced to leave my school, my friends, and my entire life behind as a result of my family moving to a new city when my dad was transferred? My parents keep telling me to snap out of it, but I can’t. In fact, there …
I’ve just become a victim of rape. I desperately need help and don’t know where to find it – what should I do now? So far, I haven’t told anyone. I’m ashamed to admit this to friends and family, and I’m afraid I’ll only make a bad situation worse if I go to the police. …
Are there resources available to help elderly people afford the rising price of health care? My mother has died and my dad is retired and living alone. He has a number of medical issues, and he’s desperately afraid that his money won’t hold out if he’s hospitalized or forced into a nursing home. How can …
What are the tell-tale signs of alcoholism? I’m worried about my husband, but I’m not sure if I have grounds for insisting that he do something about his drinking. When football season comes around, it’s five months of him and his friends sitting in front of the TV drinking beer. That doesn’t happen every night, …
Do you have any suggestions as to how I can come alongside someone who is grieving the loss of a spouse? A dear friend’s husband just died. My spouse and I would like to be available to comfort her in any way we can. How can we best support her during this time of loss?
What do you think about references to wizardry, sorcery, spells, and magic in storybooks, films, TV shows, and various other forms of entertainment? It seems our children are being bombarded with this, not only in Harry Potter, The Lord of the Rings, and The Hobbit, but even in relatively innocent Disney movies. To complicate matters, …
What do we need to do to make our home as safe and comfortable as possible for my elderly mom? She’s not coping well on her own, so we’re arranging to have her come and live with us. Can you offer any suggestions, especially when it comes to preventing falls?
Do you think there’s something wrong with a senior citizen who doesn’t enjoy the freedom of the so-called “golden years?” After decades of looking forward to retirement, I find the promised carefree lifestyle isn’t quite what I expected. I worked hard to attain this goal, and now I’m struggling with discontentment. What do you suggest …
How do I know when it’s time to take on more personal responsibility for the physical well-being of my aging parents? They’re getting older, and I can already see that I’m going to have to assume a larger portion of their care in the very near future. What can I expect as they age?
How can I know if my child has Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD)? I’m an adoptive parent of a high-risk child. I’m beginning to think that some aspects of her behavior might be explained by SPD. In particular, it seems that some of her otherwise unexplainable outbursts and meltdowns might be triggered by sensory overload. How …
Would you agree that homeschoolers need to branch out and study subjects other than the Bible? My spouse and I have decided to begin home schooling our children. In researching various curriculum options, we’ve encountered some groups who advocate teaching kids strictly from Scripture to the exclusion of other academic texts or disciplines. We are …
Should we be concerned about our oldest son’s abusive behavior towards his siblings and our household pets? We’re constantly getting on his case about hitting his younger siblings, and lately he’s also been hurting the cat and dog. I used to think he was just aggressive or hyperactive, but now I’m not so sure. Is …
Should a church youth group be social or spiritual in focus? We’re involved in a heated dispute about this at our church. There are two schools of thought. One group thinks that a high school youth group should be primarily spiritual in emphasis, focusing on Bible study, prayer, and outreach or service projects. The rest …
How can we prevent our seven-year-old son from becoming a bully? I’ve noticed that he can be very pushy and often tries to dominate other kids. He always wants to be the “winner” — it’s as if he has a need to prove himself. When provoked, he retaliates fiercely and has hurt other kids in …
How do I handle a kid whose behavior ranges from telling me to “shut up” to slamming a door on her younger sister to trying to steal money from my wallet? My daughter is the classic “defiant child.” She hates school, has trouble getting along with friends, and frequently disobeys her teacher. I’m worried about …
How do we discourage sibling rivalry and introduce a more loving and cooperative atmosphere into our home? I know this behavior is normal up to a point, but I can’t help feeling that there are moments when it verges on becoming seriously destructive. What can my spouse and I do to teach brotherly love?
How can we assess whether or not our child is ready to start school? Can you suggest any basic guidelines?