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Advice

Carolyn Hax Her syndicated column is billed as advice with attitude and a grounded set of values.		Carolyn Hax

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If you've missed reading Dr. Joyce Brothers and the Rev. Billy Graham in the newspaper, their columns are now available online.

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Encourage boyfriend to face marriage fears
Carolyn Hax: A reader writes: "It is no secret that my boyfriend doesn't want to get married in the near future. He's made comments that he wants to marry when he's old so that he doesn't have to be married long."

Learning disability need not be a barrier to Bible study
A reader writes: "I have the same problem, but recently my niece gave me a set of CDs with the Bible in spoken or audio form. It's helped me greatly, and maybe it would help this person, also."

It's OK to love stepchild less than biological child
A reader writes: "I have been part of a blended family for about six months, and I am getting worried about my relationship with my husband's daughter."

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2008
Lack of trust is a sign of things to come
Carolyn Hax: A reader writes: "I have a stained-glass crescent over my fireplace. It's on loan from a former girlfriend. New girlfriend has put her foot down and won't come to my house until I replace it with something else."

New building might be just what church needs
A reader writes: "My husband and I are upset because our church is talking about a campaign to raise an enormous amount of money for a new building. The first Christians didn't even have church buildings, did they?"

Does friend know what police work entails?
A reader writes: "While my friend and I are in sales at a large department store, we always are intrigued when we talk to the store detectives. My buddy is now saying he's going to be a policeman. Isn't that a very dangerous job?"

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2008
Your holiday plans are not open to discussion
Carolyn Hax: A reader writes: "I wish people would stop suggesting that spending a day other than Thanksgiving or Christmas Day with family is going to miraculously make everyone happy."

Where did the devil come from?
A reader writes: "Where did the devil come from? Or has he always been around?"

What is passive-aggressive behavior?
It's a phrase we toss around whenever someone doesn't do what we think they should: "Oh, he's just being passive-aggressive."

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 2, 2008
You must live with your answer to racism
Carolyn Hax: A reader writes: "My parents called to warn me about an elderly uncle. He's in his 90s. Apparently nothing is holding him back now, and his conversations are peppered with racist filth."

Pray that God will soften brother's heart
A reader writes: "Does God ever give up on some people?"

This boyfriend sounds like a fair-weather friend
A reader writes: "My boyfriend is a great guy, and we have managed to live together for a year now without much conflict. The problem is, he wants to do only the things HE likes, and he never wants to do things I like."

MONDAY, DECEMBER 1, 2008
Draw a boundary with boyfriend over your job issues
Carolyn Hax: A reader writes: "I'm marrying my boyfriend in six months. He recently decided to apply to graduate schools, some on the opposite coast. He also thinks I should look for a new job."

Advent begins celebration of Jesus' birth
A reader writes: "What is the 'Advent season'?"

From high school to college: Adjusting to a whole new routine
A reader writes: "I have been at college for several months now, and I think I am beginning to panic. I was a decent student in high school but now I can't seem to get motivated to do very well here."

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 29, 2008
Tell sis you have your own gift ideas for baby
Carolyn Hax: A reader writes: "My sister got married last year and she and her husband were blessed with a baby this year. At Christmas he will be the center of attention, and delightfully so. She has already started hinting about what 'the baby wants.'"

Help mother-in-law find a routine in nursing home
A reader writes: "About six months ago, we reluctantly helped my husband's mother settle into a large nursing home not too far from our city. She has managed to make a few friends there, which is great, but I notice when I visit that there are certain patients who seem to be angry and impatient...."

Find time to read the Bible every day
A reader writes: "For many years my grandmother has read through her Bible once a year, and now she's trying to get me to do the same. I don't want to offend her, but how can I explain to her that I just don't have time for something like this?"

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 28, 2008
Consider girlfriend's whole history before acting
Carolyn Hax: A reader writes: "Last New Year's, my girlfriend got a little toasted. She proceeded to flirt with a guy at a table next to us. How do you handle such a situation as it happens?"

Missionaries are needed more now than ever
A reader writes: "We moved to a new town several months ago and started going to a new church. We like it for the most part, but they spend a lot of time talking about foreign missions."

Wife worried about husband's gun hobby
A reader writes: "I always told my husband he should get a hobby, but I never thought he'd take my advice. Ever since he bought his first gun, he's been like a different person."

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 2008
Coming clean is the best policy
Carolyn Hax: A reader writes: "Recently, my new office showed me vacation pictures and I realized that her husband (who has a different name) was a guy I had, um, hooked up with numerous times."

Thanksgiving is perfect opportunity to reflect on God's many gifts
A reader writes: "My wife and I have decided that when our family comes home for Thanksgiving this year, we're going to give each of them a piece of paper and ask them to list all the things for which they are thankful."

If family's obesity bothersome, stop handing out cookies
A reader writes: "I am friendly with a gal down the street who has three kids and a husband and father living in her home. They are all obese and have a lifestyle that seems to glorify food and eating."

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 26, 2008
A simple answer to weighty office issues
Carolyn Hax: A reader writes: "I work in a relatively small office, and one co-worker keeps a LARGE supply of candy on hand. The basket appears after several of us commit to follow a diet."

Even in the face of tragedy, we can turn to God for comfort and hope
A reader writes: "We had a tragedy in our community recently when three teens were killed in a car accident. I've heard people say that God must have taken them because their time had come, but how could that be, since the accident was their fault?"

What do you know about a cut-back lifestyle?
What do you know about the challenges of the cut-back lifestyle?

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 25, 2008
It's important to keep talking to husband
Carolyn Hax: A reader writes: "I'm six months into my first marriage, adjusting to being a stepmom, at an unhappy crossroads about what to do when I grow up, and am pretty down. Any advice on how to push through this?"

Respect daughter's choice to find her life
A reader writes: "I'm really worried about my daughter's future. She's made such good decisions in the past, but now it seems like she's heading in a terrible direction."

Now that Christ has come, Old Testament laws no longer apply
A reader writes: "My friend (who doesn't believe in God or religion) tells me that if I really believe the Bible, then why don't I follow all the laws in the Old Testament?"

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 2008
Affair a huge flaw in 'supermom's' armor
Carolyn Hax: A reader writes: "I'm trying to figure out how to quit something that has become like a bad habit for me. The problem: I've been having an affair for the last year and a half."

Man should answer questions about his faith
A reader writes: "I have a neighbor who keeps asking me questions about my faith that I can't answer. His questions are sincere, but where can I find some answers to give him?"

Woman worried about being a single mom
A reader writes: "My baby is almost 2 years old now. I am so worried about being a single mom. Can a single mom do a good job, or is it hopeless?"

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 22, 2008
Manners are crucial when raising money
Carolyn Hax: A reader writes: "This may create a lot of backlash, but here goes: I know last month was Breast Cancer Awareness Month, but I am really tired of all the pink ribbons and fundraisers."

Find dating style you won't immediately sabotage
A reader writes: "I am a divorced mom in my late 40s. I have two kids in high school, and although I haven't dated much since their father remarried, I am interested in meeting someone, perhaps on the Internet."

God wants us to be faithful in whatever tasks He gives us
A reader writes: "When I was young, people told me that God put us here for a purpose. I asked God to show me what it was, but I'm in my 80s now and I can't say I've ever done anything special."

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