Relationships & Marriage Q&As

How can I encourage my wife to be more thoughtful about money? Our family has really struggled recently. I was laid off from my job two years ago and have finally found full-time employment. My wife worked a couple of part-time jobs, but we still have a lot of bills to pay. And no matter …

How do I deal with the reality of having lost all physical attraction for my severely overweight husband? I’ve tried to be encouraging and understanding. I’ve made healthy meals for us, offered to exercise with him, and listened empathetically to his frustrations for years, but he hasn’t shown interest in doing anything to change his …

Am I justified in being upset about my wife’s ongoing friendship with a former boyfriend? We’ve been married for three years, and they have maintained a close relationship the entire time. She refuses to cut it off even though she knows it’s hurtful to me. Am I being unreasonable?

Do you have resources for a military spouse who’s struggling desperately with feelings of loneliness? I honestly believe that loneliness is the source of most other issues military families experience: alcoholism, addiction, divorce, even suicide. I knew I’d be lonely during a deployment, but now I know it happens other times, too; for the past …

Is a civil marriage ceremony valid in the eyes of God? My spouse and I were wed in this way. At first I had no problem with it, but recently I’ve begun wondering: are we really “spiritually” married? I felt strongly that the Lord was present when we repeated our vows before the judge in …

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, …

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 …