Family Matters

I've had significant problems in the area of talking meaningfully with my spouse. This in turn is creating serious difficulties in our marriage. We've been going to counseling, and I've been trying hard to be more open and available to my wife, but she says she's ready for a divorce. How can I learn to communicate more effectively? Is there anything I can do to save our relationship?

How do we manage our deep sense of failure as parents after learning that our son is being held back a year in school? How do we help him understand why he didn't pass his grade level? What should we do if the other kids start to tease him about it?

With an ever changing economy, and the job market being a cut throat arena, it's becoming more and more common for men to lose their jobs and find themselves unemployed for various lengths of time. Providing for our families is an in-built desire for most men and we will talk further into the Biblical Worldview of Men and Unemployment on the next Family Matters.

How does God respond to intercessory prayer? I haven't seen much fruit from my faithful prayers on behalf of a wayward child, and I'm just about ready to give up. Am I missing something? Should I be looking elsewhere for the answers I need?

Do you believe that God still performs miracles today? Christians who believe in "signs and wonders" say that we're supposed to be doing the same works that Jesus did, "and even greater works than these" (John 14:12). Others claim that the era of supernatural intervention came to an end at the close of the New Testament period. What's your perspective?

Will I be reunited with my spouse in heaven? He passed away this year, and I've been struggling to adjust to life without him. A friend recently tried to encourage me by saying that I could expect to see my husband again in heaven. But then another friend just as quickly burst my bubble by pointing out that, according to Jesus, the relationships we have on Earth won't exist in heaven. Since then I've been extremely disheartened and depressed. What's your perspective on the issue of marriage in the life to come?

Is it okay for a young Christian girl to look up to the "Disney Princesses" – for example, Cinderella, Snow White, Jasmine, Belle, and Mulan? My daughter is so infatuated with these characters that she has covered the walls of her room with their pictures. This makes me nervous since I'm not sure how it all lines up with truly biblical ideas of femininity and godly womanhood. What's more, I don't think it's healthy for her to go through life waiting for "Prince Charming" to come along and sweep her off her feet. What do you think?

Why is God so "hit-or-miss" in the way He responds to our petitions for His miraculous intervention? When my son was born with a heart defect and needed open-heart surgery, our prayers were answered miraculously. But when my husband was diagnosed with cancer, his condition deteriorated steadily in spite of the constant intercession of family, friends and our church community. He died after battling the disease for less than a year. I don't understand this. What does it all mean?

How can I make sure my kids don't get caught up in the opioid epidemic? I've been reading about it, and I'm worried. These particular drugs – especially the prescription varieties – seem to be widely available and easily accessible, even on school campuses. What I really need to know is why teens and preteens start (and continue) using drugs. And what steps can I take to protect my children against the dangers of substance abuse?

Why is God so angry in the Old Testament and so loving in the New? A non-Christian friend has used this question to plant a seed of doubt in my mind. He argues that the scriptural picture of the Lord's nature and character is inconsistent and self-contradictory. This has really got me thinking. Christians are always saying that God never changes. Where is the biblical support for that idea?