I have been living with my in-laws since we got married. My husband is the only son and when we got married he asked I was fine to stay with his parents since he has a duty to care for them. They are elderly and my father-in-law has dementia. Now that we have two young kids, I would like my own home and space. I do not get along with my mother-in-law as she is intrusive and feels that since the home is theirs, she can do what she likes, including coming into our rooms. I have spoken to my husband many times but if we move out, there is no one else to help care for his parents. I am frustrated because I not only have to care for my two kids, I have to care for two elderly people who do not appreciate what I do for them. At the same time, I want to submit to my husband as he is the head of the home.
Worried that my daughter is gay
I suspect my young adult daughter is gay and she has a girlfriend who stays over regularly. She has stopped going to church and feels that Christians are very narrow-minded and judgemental. She is supportive towards the LGBT community and attends events like Pink Dot. I am considering if I should ask her directly about her sexual orientation to remove my doubts. At the same time, I know that the truth may devastate me, and I am not sure if I can handle it. Should I leave the matter and just commit to God, or should I proactively speak to my daughter and share the Christian stance on same-sex relationships?
Remarrying after divorce
My brother has been a divorcé for 7 years after his ex-wife was found to be unfaithful to him. He met someone a year ago in church and they are planning to marry next year. I’m not a believer (my brother and his wife-to-be are) but I am curious: Is it wrong for him to remarry? Does the Bible consider it adultery?
My wife’s OCD is destroying us
My wife exhibits symptoms of OCD. She spends many hours cleaning our home and has a fear of germs. When she goes out, she wears two masks and constantly sanitises her hands. The pandemic made her symptoms worse. Recently, she refused to let me into the home after work unless I changed into a new set of clothes. She refuses to see a psychiatrist. I survive by giving in to her demands for cleanliness but it has come to a point where I feel I cannot go on. I love her but her condition is destroying our relationship and affecting my mental health badly, to the point that I am considering leaving the marriage.
Ten marriage myths you may have fallen for
Fake news has become so prevalent that even reputable news outlets must check their sources and their sources’ sources. Some falsehoods, however, are hard to uncover as they may contain a grain of truth, seem rather logical or may long have been taken as truth. I call them myths. Over my decades as a marriage counsellor, I have uncovered some marital myths.
One in Christ
Worship band CityAlight was in Singapore for a one-night only Worship Night, “One in Christ”, on 30 September 2023 at The Star Theatre. The Worship Night, and Workshops held on the Sunday after, were co-organised by Trinity Annual Conference (TRAC), Adam Road Presbyterian Church (ARPC) and Redemption Hill Church (RHC).
God is in the valley with me – A trauma survivor shares her story
This is the true story of Jane (not her real name), who worships at a Methodist church. She shares this raw account of her traumatic life as a victim of verbal, physical and sexual abuse in the hope that it will help any reader who is facing the same ordeals. We have used a pseudonym to keep Jane’s identity a secret. Reader discretion is advised.
Even though my illness was a trial to you
As you know, it was because of an illness that I first preached the gospel to you, and even though my illness was a trial to you, you did not treat me with contempt or scorn. Instead, you welcomed me as if I were an angel of God, as if I were Christ Jesus himself. Galatians 4:13-14 (NIV)
A miracle of healing and resurrection
It was early spring and the temperature was unusually cold for this time of the year.
Sadly, we had received a request to arrange a funeral for Sister Z, an 87-year-old church member. She had been suffering from liver failure and the doctor told her family that she had only a few days to live.
Understanding the connectional church
As a former Malaysian, I served in the West Malaysia Chinese Annual Conference under the Methodist Church in Malaysia as a part-time journalist for their bi-monthly publication, Southern Bell. I also had a work stint in Hong Kong for about five years and served in one of the oldest Methodist churches in Hong Kong—the famous red brick church at Hennessy Road.
It’s unfair that my brother is doing well when he does not know God
Why does it seem that things are going so well for my brother even though he doesn’t have God in his life? He has a stable job, enjoys his time going out with friends and has found a life partner (albeit a non- Christian), while I spend most of my free time on church activities and have yet to find a life partner. It seems unfair to me.
Growing love that transcends countries and cultures
One statistic that recently caught my eye is the number of transnational marriages registered in Singapore in 2022. Such marriages, between a citizen and someone hailing from another country, account for about one out of every three unions. This means that of the nearly 30,000 marriages last year, 10,000 were transnational.
Must old friendships end when new friends appear?
I have a close friend from secondary school whom I used to hang out with a lot. Recently, she seems uninterested in spending time with me and has started spending more time with her colleagues. She told me that I need to look for new friends. I feel hurt because I thought we were friends and we had supported each other through several difficult times in our friendship. I do have other friends, but I don’t understand why some friendships have to end just because new friends appear.