Search

Family Q&A

girl in class with pencil and calculator other students in background

Choosing a College

Can you give me any advice about selecting a good college or university?

teen guy sitting on forest road pondering

Teen Sees Nothing Wrong With Premarital Sex

What’s the problem with having sexual intercourse before marriage? I’m an intelligent, responsible and mature high school student, and I can’t see why having sex with someone I love is wrong. Most of the arguments I’ve heard against my position are religious in nature and I just don’t buy them. What’s your response to that?

Two men walking side by side

Addictions: Choosing an Accountability Partner

As a recovering addict, how can I find someone to walk with me through the difficult beginning stages of the healing process? Do you have any advice on choosing an accountability partner and what this relationship should look like? I’d really appreciate any suggestions you can offer.

Elderly couple sitting on park bench

At-Home Alternatives for Elder Care

Is a nursing facility the only option for my mother? Her health has been in decline for a long time, and it’s recently become clear that she can no longer live on her own. She doesn’t want to move, and I don’t like the idea of putting her in some kind of “institution.” What are …

Hand holding cards near poker chips

Christians and Social Gambling

How does God view social gambling between friends? My buddies and I enjoy getting together for a game of poker now and then. Everybody who knows anything about the game understands that it’s just not the same if it doesn’t include a real risk of some kind, however small. How do you feel about Christians …

older woman holding hand over face and forehead

Depression in the Elderly

Is there anything I can do to help my aging mother when she gets blue and down in the dumps? She used to be a very positive person, but now she can barely speak to us when we visit her in the nursing home where she’s been living for just over a year. Is depression …

man holding up his arms at sunset over water

Finding Freedom From Addiction Through Faith in God

How can I trust God enough to be released from drug and alcohol abuse? I once heard a Christian speaker who had suffered from addictions describe how he found healing when he turned his life over to God. I’ve prayed for this, but I guess I’m not trying hard enough or don’t really know what …

hands with gloves scooping out bowl of soup

Including Charities in a Will

Is it a good idea to have provisions in my will for charitable bequests?

woman's hands holding pregnancy test

Pregnant, Scared, and Overwhelmed

Can you help me deal with the roller coaster of emotions I’ve been on since finding out that I’m going to have a baby? I feel scared, alone, and completely overwhelmed. So far I haven’t shared this with anyone.

letter tiles spelling out "OCD" for obsessive-compulsive disorder

Seeking Help With Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

Do you have advice for someone who might be obsessive-compulsive?

grandfather and college aged granddaughter

Using Tithe Money to Help Aging Parents

Would it be wrong to use part of our tithe to pay for a nursing facility for aging parents? We’re finding out what the term “sandwich generation” really means. Just as our kids are entering college we’re faced with providing some kind of care for my wife’s mom and dad. What do you think we …

upset child with blank stare

Adoption and Attachment Issues

Can you give me some basic information on parent-child attachment? How does it develop and why is it so important? We’re planning to adopt a 4-year-old from Eastern Europe. We’re excited but also nervous about the challenges we may face. I’m especially anxious about Reactive Attachment Disorder.

boy pointing nerf gun at camera

Boys and Guns

How should I respond to my son’s fascination with firearms? At thirteen years of age he’s already made himself an expert on anything that shoots – everything from pistols to semi-automatic rifles to bazookas. He doesn’t own any real guns. But he does have an airsoft rifle and a paintball gun, and I think he spends too …

girl on couch reading Bible

Child Is Afraid of the Devil

How can I calm my child’s fears of Satan? Over the past few months my five-year-old has become obsessed with this subject. She’s always asking questions about the devil, and she seems terribly afraid of what he might do to her. She goes to Sunday school, and we pray and read the Bible together every …

Teacher talking to young children in school uniforms

Christian Parents Uncomfortable With School’s “Diversity Training”

How should we respond to pro-gay curriculum in the public schools? The administrators of our child’s elementary school have announced that they will soon be implementing a course of study in “tolerance” and “diversity training” for students in the lower grades. While we expect and have always encouraged our children to respect everyone – including …

girl crying head in hand

Coping With the Challenge of Parenting Adolescents

Do you have any advice for parents about how to survive the teen years? I’m really getting worn down by the constant conflicts, mood swings and challenges to my authority. What should I do?

school bus in small town

Dealing With a Child’s Fear of the School Bus

How can we help our child overcome his terror of the school bus? The school is too far away for him to walk, and my wife and I both work, so it isn’t feasible to drive him back and forth every day. What can we do?

mom and adult daughter on blanket on beach

Deciding to Let an Adult Child Move Back Home

Before we agree to allow our adult child to move back in with us, are there some key things we ought to consider or any safeguards we need to put in place? Our thirty-year-old daughter has just completed drug rehab and we’re giving careful thought to the option of letting her come back home until …

mom working on couch while daughter jumps on it

Evaluating a Possible Diagnosis of ADHD

How can I tell if my child really has ADHD? She is struggling in school, and her teacher has told us that she exhibits some of the symptoms of ADHD. I have serious concerns about the over-diagnosis of this condition and the over-medication of many kids today. Do you think I should take the teacher’s …

mom and baby with smiling doctor

Finding a Family Doctor

Do you have any advice on how to go about finding a doctor for our family? My husband and I have young children and we’ve just moved to a new town.