Family Matters

Do you think it's a good idea for husbands and wives to have regular activities apart from each other with their friends of the same sex? My husband feels a deep need to get together with his guy friends a couple of times each month, but I'd rather spend most of my time with him. I get out with some girlfriends a couple of times a year, and this seems to be more than sufficient for me. What are your thoughts?

Is there anything I can do to help my expectant wife deal with the severe mood swings she's been experiencing? She's about three-quarters of the way through her pregnancy, and lately she's been terribly depressed. It's beginning to take a real toll on our relationship. I've heard a lot about post-partum depression, but is it normal for a woman to be feeling blue before the arrival of a baby?

What can we do to encourage our adult son to grow up? He's made some very poor choices in terms of lifestyle, jobs, living arrangements, and friends. After raising him in the Christian faith, we're deeply disappointed. At the same time, we can't help feeling guilty and wondering where we went wrong. Is there anything we can do to reverse the situation without overstepping appropriate boundaries?

Have you ever heard the parent say that the job of parenting is the walk in the park, probably not, because even those who are parenting a compliant, easy-going child can find it challenging at times? And so when we hear from a Mom whose at the end of her rope because she’s parenting a strong-willed child, we try to offer as much encouragement and support as possible. We are speaking more about this in this episode.

Should I consider remarrying my ex-spouse for the sake of our child? We are both Christians, but we recently got divorced. Over the past few weeks I've become increasingly concerned about the impact of this family breakup upon our preschooler. What do you think I should do?

Should children be allowed to have smart phones or mobile devices? Our oldest has started driving and all of our kids are constantly on the move. My spouse thinks they need phones in order to stay better connected with us. Do you think this is a good idea?

A family that has suffered the devastating effects of alcoholism, drug abuse, sexual abuse, or any other addictive behavior will likely be affected far into the future, if not forever. As Christians, however, we believe that God can heal brokenness and broken relationships because He is the restorer of our souls (Psalm 23). In this Family Matters episode, we’ll talk about rebuilding relationships after addiction, and what is to be expected in the process.

Stepfamilies, or as they are now called, Blended Families are becoming more and more common in society. The occurrence of two families becoming one naturally has challenges that will need to be overcome. Depending on the history of relationships, size of the joining families, and ages and stages of the children involved, the blended family can take on many different facets. In this Family Matters episode, we’ll take a look at one situation in which a daughter and step-father are having problems in their relationship with one another.

Marriage is a divine institution created by God, and there are so many beautiful and life-giving benefits from committing to a partner in marriage. Unfortunately with the increase in divorce over the last number of decades, the view of marriage has been tainted for many. It’s extremely common for a child of a divorced parent to become skeptical about the value of marriage. We’d like to offer biblical as well as researched perspectives on the importance of marriage in this Family Matters episode.

Should there be any concern when a boy shows interest in the arts over sports, or if he prefers to engage in quiet activities rather than boisterous play? Stereotypes and culture have put standards in place that can short-circuit a child’s ingrained abilities. We’ll discuss this topic from a biblical perspective in this Family Matters episode.