Dear Awkward, My wife is late for almost everything we do. I am the type that believes, “If you’re not 10 minutes early, you’re 10 minutes late.” Marital discord has become a consequence. Any advice? JimDawg Growing up, my mom set our kitchen clock ahead fifteen minutes to help us leave the house on time. …
One Prayer God Never Wants You to Pray: For iBeleive
A few months ago, a reader emailed me a message that’s haunted me ever since. Her husband had been unfaithful several times and, from what I could tell from a short message, showed no sign of repentance. She struggled with trust issues, she said, and asked if I would pray God would help her trust …
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Dear Awkward: Do I forgive or speak up?
Dear Awkward, Several years ago, our family got involved in fostering children with significant medical needs. The nudge to do so came from the teachings of our church…to love God and to love people. But, the very church family who encouraged us to jump in did not throw the life-preserver we expected. Fostering got hard. …
Dear Awkward: How Do You Stay Sane with a Mentally Ill Person?
Dear Awkward, How do you deal with toxic or mentally ill people who have harmful behaviors and stay sane? You have no choice but to deal with them—they’re your family or your boss. How do you get them to seek the help they need? Or, to understand they have an issue? JP Dear JP, I …
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Anxiety in Relationships: Does this person threaten me?
I’m doing a five-part series on questions to ask about your closest relationships to figure out if they might be the root of some anxieties. You can see the whole series here. A friend of mine was sexually abused in high school. Her abuser kept her from ending their “relationship” for two years by regularly threatening …
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You Can Be Weirdly Whole in the Worst Relationships
I’m acquainted with two families right now with bad marriages. What makes me ache is that (at least from my very outside, limited perspective), I don’t think there’s a villain in either situation. I see four lovely people who love God and want to love each other well; thoughtful, awesome people who happen to be …
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On Being Gentle: For #WholeMama
When my oldest daughter was a toddler, her favorite thing to do after lights-out was to stroke my arm. I have a variety of moles; she’d rub them like little worry beads. In my head, I felt honored by her touches. They were (mostly) gentle, and meant that my very body was a comfort object. …