Dear Counselor:
I get lots of e-mail communication now from my church and even forwarded e-mails from my pastor. How do you handle the situation of e-mail communication? Sometimes I would like to hear a voice.
–Needing a Voice

I lost my husband suddenly last spring. We had been married for over 50 years. This time of the year was always a special time of celebration. Not only did we host the family in our home for Thanksgiving and Christmas, but also we would celebrate my husband’s birthday in December. I am wondering how I can make it through the holidays.

How do you deal with church members who say evil and unkind words about your pastor/husband?

Dear Counselor,
I teach a men’s Sunday School class and recently I approached one of our class members who appeared angry and sad as the result of recent financial and marital issues.  Several times he said that he no longer felt like living and I was not sure how to determine if he was seriously considering [...]

Dear Counselor,
We have a daughter in the fourth grade who has always been a good student.  However, recently she has had repeated absences due to “illnesses” that seem to disappear by mid-morning when she stays home from school. We have taken her to the doctor on several occasions, but there seems to be nothing wrong. [...]

Dear Counselor:
Two years ago I accepted a volunteer position in my church to lead the youth program. I took the position because our church had a real need to attract younger families with children and because my own children were getting to the age when they needed a good program.
It has been a rough two [...]