Author Archives: HopefulGirl

‘My girlfriend and I recently split up,’ said the Facebook message. ‘She’s keen to stay friends, but I’m not so sure. I don’t want to lose her from my life, but I’m still hurting from the break-up and find it painful to be around her. What do you think, HopefulGirl – can you really stay friends with an ex?’

‘This guy and I are interested in each other romantically,’ said the email. ‘However, he has a history of drugs, gambling, crime and even a spell in prison. He became a Christian during his sentence, which he says gave him the motivation to change his life. He seems to have turned over a new leaf, but should I be concerned about his past?’

‘I find Mothering Sunday really tough,’ confided my friend. ‘I’m happy for those who’ve been blessed with children, but I’ve spent my whole life yearning to be a mum, and a service celebrating motherhood is just a painful reminder of my grief.’

Valentine’s Day is a special day for lonely hearts to express their interest in someone, and for couples to celebrate their love. Most of us enjoy an excuse for a bit of romance. But what if you’re in the early stages of a relationship, or you’ve only been on a few dates and don’t yet know where it’s going? Awkward.

Are you new to online dating, and wondering how to get the most from it? Or perhaps you’ve been using a dating website for a while but you’re not having much success and you need to kickstart your approach? Here are our top five new year dating resolutions to get you on the road to love…

‘This is my second Christmas since my divorce – which, by the way, I didn’t want,’ said one of my readers. ‘It’s also the first Christmas when my children will be spending the day with their father and his girlfriend. I’m absolutely dreading it – I don’t know what to do with myself. How do people get through this?’

‘I’ve decided to join a dating website,’ said the Facebook post. ‘However, I’m shocked to learn that some Christian websites charge members a fee! If it’s a ministry to the church, they shouldn’t ask for money, should they?’

‘I want to save sex for marriage,’ began the email. ‘My boyfriend is a great Christian guy in many ways, but he’s pressuring me to sleep with him, and my resolve is weakening. I’ve had non-Christian boyfriends who were very respectful of my decision to abstain. What should I do?’