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Relationships & Marriage Q&As

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Christian Romantically Involved With a Non-Christian

Is it okay to be romantically involved with a guy who doesn’t share my Christian faith? He asked me out on a date six months ago, and though at the time I didn’t think it was a good idea, I went ahead and accepted. Now he’s captured my heart and I don’t know what to …

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Cohabitation and Its Implications for Marriage

Is living together before marriage a good test of marital compatibility? My boyfriend and I both come from broken homes. We’ve been talking about spending our lives together, but we’re afraid of ending up divorced like our parents. How do you suggest we handle this?

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Cohabiting Boyfriend Has Been Unfaithful

What should I do about my boyfriend who recently cheated on me? We’ve been living together for the past couple of years, but I recently found out that he’s been sexting a “friend” of mine. When I confronted him, he said it’s my fault. Then he left me and our baby and is now staying …

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Cohabiting Boyfriend Is Negligent and Abusive

Do you have any answers for someone who’s stuck in a destructive relationship? I just had a baby with my boyfriend of six years. We’ve always had problems, but things took a turn for the worse when we moved in together a year and a half ago. Our plan was to share rent and other …

senior couple hand in hand walking

Cohabiting Senior Couples: Financial and Moral Considerations

Is it wrong for seniors to live together for financial reasons? My elderly father recently moved in with a woman he’s been dating for several months. When I objected, he told me that they had discussed marriage many times but ultimately rejected the idea for financial reasons. According to my dad, it’s a matter of …

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College Student Concerned About Over-Anxious Mother

How can I help my mom prepare for my upcoming departure for college? I’ll be leaving in a few weeks, and I’m afraid she won’t be able to handle it when I go. Like any good mother, she’s very protective and worries about me. But it seems to me that her worrying is getting out …

Soldier walking away

Combat Veterans and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

How can I help my husband who is having disturbing flashbacks as a result of active combat duty during his time in the military? Can you provide any helpful information concerning post-traumatic stress disorder? His condition has become much worse over the past several weeks, and our entire family is deeply worried about him. How …

Little girl in parents' bed, mom and dad in background

Concerns About Having Sex When Kids Are in the House

How can we be intimate and maintain a healthy sex life when our children are around all the time? My wife is always afraid of being “heard” or “interrupted” in the act. Again and again she rejects my advances by asking, “What if the kids walked in?”

guys hanging out

Concerns About Husband’s Old College Buddies

I have some serious reservations about the friends my husband keeps in touch with from his college days. Some of these guys are married and some aren’t. They plan frequent “boys’ weekends,” and they also organize a lot of parties for special occasions. What concerns me is what goes on at these events. On a …

happy older couple in house by big window

Conflict With In-Laws Who Drop by Unannounced

What can a young couple do about parents who often stop in for a visit unexpectedly? My husband and I are newly married, and my in-laws have a habit of making unannounced visits. We’ve asked them to call first, but so far nothing has changed. Is there a way to let them know that we …

Mom and adult daughter walking

Conflict With Parents Over Wedding Plans

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 …

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Confronting a Disrespectful and Controlling Mother-in-Law

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.

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Confronting the Infidelity of a Deployed Spouse

What should I do about an adulterous affair that my spouse had immediately prior to being deployed overseas by the military? He left recently for an extended tour of duty. Just before his departure I found out that he’s been involved with another woman. It’s difficult to communicate with him now that he’s overseas. How …

nursery with furniture no baby

Couple at Odds About Having Kids

How can my spouse and I resolve our disagreement about starting a family? I’m anxious to be a mother, but he says he isn’t ready to have children yet. My biological clock is ticking away, and the tension between us is growing. What should I do?

Hands holding Images of car, house, family on green background

Couple Disagrees About Money Management

How can I convince my husband that budgeting is important? I’m a firm believer in this method of money management, but my husband doesn’t think it will work in our situation. How do we resolve this disagreement?

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Cousin Marriage

Is it appropriate for cousins or other relatives to marry?

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Critical Wife Seeking Husband’s Forgiveness

How can I get my husband to forgive me for being so harsh with him in the past? I know I’ve been overly critical of him, and as a result we’re now sleeping in separate rooms and living separate lives under the same roof. Can you help us turn this situation around and move forward …

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Cybersex, Online Affairs, Adultery, and Divorce

In light of the words of Jesus in Matthew 5:27-30, how does a “virtual” affair differ in any significant way from a real-life affair? If it isn’t different, does my spouse’s involvement with cybersex give me grounds for divorce? I recently discovered that he’s been involved in an ongoing “relationship” via the Internet. He claims …

dad helping give toddler bath

Dad Wants to Help Stay-at-Home Mom

What can I do to help shoulder the burden my wife carries as a stay-at-home mother of two small children? I know it can be stressful attending to the needs of little kids all day long, and I’d like some practical ways to lighten her load. Any suggestions?

man in suit upset looking at watch

Dealing With a Chronically Late Spouse

How do I deal with a chronically late spouse? He’s late for everything except work. I know I’m not responsible for this behavior, but it makes me late too when we’re going somewhere together, and that reflects poorly on my reputation. More importantly, this constant tardiness inconveniences and is disrespectful to the people we invariably …