Doing Life Together

Do you go to church? When you ask your friends this question, what do they say? Does religion influence your life on a daily basis? A number of people you might informally poll may represent a trend we are seeing across the country. People may say they are spiritual, even that they believe in God, but do…

You bring your laptops to class. It’s a given, right? And some of your classmates may actually be using them for the classwork being discussed. I often sit at the back of the lecture hall when another professor is lecturing. I can see the students on their computers while the lecture is being given. Some have downloaded…

Watching the TV commercials and Christmas movies, you could easily forget about the true meaning of Christmas. So part of the challenge during this final weekend of Christmas is to be intentional about the holiday and focus on the spiritual significance through all that surrounds us. Here are 3 strategies to help avoid the commercialization of…

I am divorced and think my ex spends way too much money on Christmas gifts for our two young kids. This is causing tension between us. It feels like a competition I can’t win. I find myself spending too much because I don’t want to look cheap. He has more money than I do. I…

What if there was a way to reduce pain and the use of narcotics? What if you could go through child birth without an epidural and work through the pain? Sign me up! Virtual reality (VR) might be an answer. Just talk to Erin Martucci. She is believed to be the first woman to use VR for…

Reader Question: Every year, we have this family conflict. My husband’s parents live about three hours away and mine are six hours away, in opposite directions. Both sets of parents want us to spend Christmas with them. How do we handle this without upsetting either family? This type of family conflict is common this time of…

Reader Question: My ex-husband has and I have divorced and he has visitation rights with our two children, ages seven and nine. The kids were scheduled to visit him over the Christmas holidays, but circumstances have changed and I would like some advice. My ex no longer goes to church and is living with a…

I was a bit taken aback when church members were fighting over the type of bread to be used during communion. Apparently the staff was accused of being gluten insensitive to those with allergies and two forms of communion bread should be offered. Gluten insensitive? In polling those in charge, the accusations hurt. No one…

I’ve heard so many stories of hurt related to family cut off in my 25 years of being a family therapist. The person who cuts off is offended and angry.  And the cut off family usually desire contact and relationship. Cut off is especially difficult around the holidays. Even though the cut off member is still alive, grief is…

Do you have a To Do list? Does it make you anxious or feel guilty? Does it seem that you will never get it done? If so, you are thinking about your To Do list in the wrong way. A To Do list should not be used as a way to measure your success or…

More from Beliefnet and our partners