Our mother always took us to church when we were young, but after our father left and our parents got a divorce, she became very bitter and stopped all that. She's gone now, but I'm wondering if the time has come for me to start taking my family to church. What do you think? — Mrs. V.R.

I'm sorry your mother allowed bitterness to overwhelm her in this way. While she must have faced some very difficult days, it would've been far better for her to go through them with God's help than without it. The Bible says, "Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you" (1 Peter 5:7).

Yes, by all means do what your mother once did, and make church part of your family's life. Not only will you gain new friends there (as will your children), but you will discover what it means to follow Christ and have Him as the foundation of your family. Ask God to guide you to a church which has Christ as its center, and where the Bible is preached and taught.

But more than that, ask Christ to come into your life. The Christian faith is more than a series of doctrines or a way of life (although it is that). It is a personal relationship - a relationship with God Himself. Only one thing cuts us off from God, and that is our sin. But when we give our lives to Jesus Christ, He forgives our sins and takes them away. Our lives will never be the same.

Life is filled with struggles and temptations - but we don't face them alone when we know Christ. Ask Him to come into your life today - and He will.