Why Some Christian Women Get a Gray Divorce After Decades of Abuse Why would a Christian woman divorce just weeks before her 40th anniversary? That question confuses many people...
First-person stories
When Divorce Is Personal: What Greg Smalley’s Story Reveals About Church Double Standards
How Churches (and Focus on the Family) Treat Divorcees—And How the Smalleys Treated Their Daughter What Greg Smalley’s Article Reveals About Divorce, Compassion, and Double...
Critics Push Back: Answering Objections to How Gary Chapman Talks About His Wife, Karolyn
Critics Push Back: Answering 7 Objections to How Gary Chapman Talks About His Wife, Karolyn Dec 13, 2025 — When I published my recent article examining how marriage educator Dr....
The Surprising Way Dr. Gary Chapman Talks About His Wife, Karolyn — And Why It Matters
The Surprising Way Dr. Gary Chapman Talks About His Wife, Karolyn — And Why It Matters For decades, Dr. Gary Chapman, author of The Five Love Languages, has been held up as the...
Weekend to Remember: Honest Stories from Real Attendees
Weekend to Remember: Honest Stories from Real Attendees This is my second collection of positive and negative firsthand, anonymized reviews from Christians who attended Weekend...
I Wish I’d Left Sooner: What Parents Learned About Divorce and Kids
“I Wish I’d Left Sooner”: What Parents Say About Timing Their Divorce When Kids Are Involved One of the hardest questions parents in destructive marriages ask is: “Should I wait...
When “Restoring Hope” Meant Losing Safety: Patricia’s Story and the Hidden Cost of Christian Marriage Therapy
When “Restoring Hope” Meant Losing Safety: Patricia’s Story and the Hidden Cost of Christian Marriage Therapy Patricia went to Focus on the Family’s Hope Restored marriage...
Christians: Life After Divorce — Real Stories of Challenge, Healing, and Hope
I asked people in my private Facebook group for divorced Christians: "How has life changed?" Background: For nearly 30 years, I have been leading Christian divorce recovery...
How to Help a Friend in an Abusive or Destructive Marriage (Without Pressuring Her to Leave)
How to Help a Friend in an Abusive or Destructive Marriage (Without Pressuring Her to Leave) If someone you love is in a destructive or possibly abusive marriage, your instincts...
Focus on the Family’s TikTok on Single Moms: A Harmful Soundbite
Critique: Focus on the Family’s TikTok on Single Mothers and “Brain Trauma” Several people reached out to me about a troubling 60-second TikTok clip from Focus on the Family...
Yes, Dr. Gary Chapman, Divorce Can Lead to Personal Happiness
Yes, Dr. Gary Chapman, Divorce CAN Lead to Personal Happiness Dr. Gary Chapman, author of The Five Love Languages says: "Understand That Divorce Will Never Lead To Personal...
He Never Hit Me: Signs of an Emotionally Abusive Marriage
HE NEVER HIT ME: SIGNS OF AN EMOTIONALLY ABUSIVE MARRIAGE I interviewed Cindy Burrell who is the author of the book, "Why Is He So Mean to Me?" and a writer on the topic...
How To Tell the Kids About The Divorce
HOW DO WE TELL THE KIDS ABOUT OUR DIVORCE? Note: This article is for difficult divorces, not for amicable divorces. Why Telling the Kids Together Doesn’t Always Work Many...
“Why Didn’t You Just Leave?” 50 Abused Wives & Husbands Explain
50 Abused Wives and Husbands Answer the Question: "Why Did You Stay So Long?" People wonder why abused women and men stay with a dangerous spouse for so long. I asked...
Why Did I Stay So Long When I Had Serious Grounds for Divorce?
Why did I stay so long when I had 100% serious biblical grounds for divorce? I asked this question in my private Facebook group, and here are some of the answers I received...
Dating After Divorce When You Have Trust Issues
How Do You Date Again When You Have Trust Issues? Many of us are loving, kind, forgiving, and generous people. These wonderful traits make us excellent friends and excellent...
Should I Keep My Married Name After Divorce?
PROS and CONS: Keep Your Married Name After Divorce? Or No? In June 2021, there was an informal poll in my private Facebook Group: Life-Saving Divorce for Separated or Divorced...
Did You Keep Your Married Name After Divorce? 40 Women Share Their Choices
POLL: Did You Go Back to Your Maiden Name or Keep Your Married Name After Divorce? Or Some Other Option? Quick answer: Women choose every option: Keep a married name for their...
25 Things to Do With Your Wedding Dress After Divorce
What Did You Do With Your Wedding Dress or Tuxedo After Divorce? I ran an informal poll in my private Facebook Group: Life-Saving Divorce for Separated or Divorced Christians....
Emerson Eggerichs’s Book Enables Abuse—Leading to Divorce
Summary: 25 reviews of Emerson Eggerichs's book Love and Respect by people who read the book. Most found it to be harmful. Many women say the book made their husbands feel...
Male Victims of Marital Abuse: David and John’s Stories
Male Victims of Marital Abuse: David and John’s Stories We don’t talk enough about male victims of marital abuse. But men can be chronically manipulated, emotionally abused,...