Family Matters

I've just discovered that my spouse has been cheating on me. As you can imagine, I was devastated when I first learned of his infidelity, and I still haven't recovered from the shock. I have not confronted him yet and have no idea what I'm going to do. Can you give me some direction?

I've just discovered that my spouse has been cheating on me. As you can imagine, I was devastated when I first learned of his infidelity, and I still haven't recovered from the shock. I have not confronted him yet and have no idea what I'm going to do. Can you give me some direction?

Should my girlfriend and I get married before I graduate from university? We're both mature Christians and we've both made a commitment to sexual purity before marriage. We've been dating about five months, and after much prayer, we've decided to get married in two years. Our parents approve of our plans, but mine disagree about the timing. I am nineteen years old and in my first year of studies, and they think we should wait until I finish my degree. My parents have always been strict and controlling, and I feel that this is basically an issue of their personal preference. What do you think?

How can I make peace between my husband and our teenage daughter? Every day when he picks her up from school he either starts a fight or delivers a lecture about how she's not measuring up academically. Then she calls me, angry or in tears. Grades have always been a problem for our daughter, and I understand that we need to do everything we can to encourage her to stay on top of her schoolwork. But at this point her dad is just making her feel like she's not "good enough." Can you help me?

Are repeated emotional affairs biblical grounds for divorce? On several occasions my husband has become emotionally involved with other women in ways that have been seriously destructive to our marriage. The most recent incident involved a lady with whom he'd been emotionally intimate in the past. I'm tired of his betrayals, and though we've been in counseling together for some time, I see nothing in him to indicate that there's any hope of change in the future. What should I do?

How can I motivate my two lazy teenagers? They won't help me around the house, and they consistently wait until the last minute to do their homework. As a single parent, I usually don't have the energy to make them get down to work. Is there a way to break this negative pattern?

Is there a connection between birth control and abortion? My wife and I would like to have a family someday, but for a number of reasons we don't feel ready yet. During our two years of marriage we've sought the Lord's guidance and have never questioned our decision to postpone childbearing through the responsible use of birth control during this early season of our marriage...

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?

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 do. I'm in pretty deep, but unless he makes a commitment to follow Jesus I don't think I can marry him. At the same time, if there's a chance that he may accept Christ, I don't want to break things off and throw away the most wonderful relationship I've ever experienced. What should I do?

Should we be concerned about a child who doesn't like to take risks? My husband thinks he should be pushed harder and forced to face his fears. I feel we should give him time to develop confidence at his own pace. What's your perspective?