Family Matters

Why is it taking me so long to grow as a Christian? I've been a believer for a while, and I have to confess that my lack of spiritual progress has really got me down. When I was born again, I thought life was going to be beautiful from that moment forward, but several years later I'm still not the person I want to be. I don't feel God's presence the way I did at first. I know in my heart that fear and selfishness are holding me back from loving other people as well as I should. What's wrong with me? Am I truly saved or not?

Will my pet be with me in heaven? I'm really sad right now because my dog just died. We've had the same dog ever since I was a little kid, and I can't even imagine life without him. I asked my mom if I'd see him in heaven and she told me to go ask my Sunday school teacher. I asked my Sunday school teacher and he said no, heaven is for people, not animals. That really upset me. Do you think my Sunday school teacher is right?

Is it normal for a parent's relationship with a child to take on a different tone during the teen years? I was always close to my daughter in the past, but things aren't the same since she became a teenager. I can't connect with her anymore – she's always texting or talking to friends on her cell phone. I feel as if I've lost something precious. What should I do?

What do you think of Christians who adopt a "survivalist/off-the-grid" mentality? Who sell their homes, move to remote desert or mountain locations, stockpile food, grow their own crops, live like "pioneers," and strive to be as independent of the "system" as possible? I know several people who are moving in this direction. I don't completely disapprove-after all, I'm sure we'd all be better off if we eliminated some of our modern luxuries and learned to live more simply. Still, I can't help wondering if this is really the way God wants us to behave as His witnesses in the world. What do you think?

Should we be considering the possibility of taking my aging mother into our home while we're still in the process of raising three kids? We have two teens and a primary-schooler. We don't really like the idea of placing my mom in a nursing home, but we also don't want to alter family dynamics too much at this temperamental stage in our children's development. What kinds of challenges do you think we might be facing?

Is there any legitimate place for the arts within the biblical worldview, or is it simply a frivolous and "worldly" pursuit? How can we tell good and godly art from bad art? Our daughter is an art student at the university, and we're worried that she's just wasting her time and energy. More importantly, we have deep concerns about the moral aspects of what she's doing – her Life Drawing class regularly requires her to sketch the nude human figure from a live model! How do you feel about that?

Should we attend a family gathering where a same-sex couple are planning to be present? My sister-in-law is currently married to her partner. We love both of these ladies but have made it clear that we don't support their lifestyle. There's a huge family reunion next summer and my husband wants us to go. I want to go too, but we have three children, and I don't know how it will affect them. What should I do?

Should we attend a family gathering where a same-sex couple are planning to be present? My sister-in-law is currently married to her partner. We love both of these ladies but have made it clear that we don't support their lifestyle. There's a huge family reunion next summer and my husband wants us to go. I want to go too, but we have three children, and I don't know how it will affect them. What should I do?

Should we attend a family gathering where a same-sex couple are planning to be present? My sister-in-law is currently married to her partner. We love both of these ladies but have made it clear that we don't support their lifestyle. There's a huge family reunion next summer and my husband wants us to go. I want to go too, but we have three children, and I don't know how it will affect them. What should I do?

How can I help my adolescent son deal with his anger? It's easy to tell that he is very angry about something, but I have a sense that he's trying desperately to squash his feelings and keep a lid on his emotions. Try as I might, I can't get him to talk about it. What should I do?