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In this excerpt from a longer podcast called ‘Another Name for Everything’ Richard Rohr responds to listeners questions on some of the most pressing themes of his book, The Universal Christ. In conversation with Paul Swanson and Brie Stoner, Richard responds to listener questions on spiritual practice, including some that relate to separation and divorce….

This morning, three children opened their Christmas presents in front of their Mum and Dad. For most parents, this thankfully won’t feel like an extraordinary event. However, for my ex-wife and me, this was the latest milestone in what has been a remarkable journey. Last Christmas, we were barely speaking to each other. My 9…

Are you thinking of setting up a course? We are always looking for volunteers to set up new courses in their area. It is most often run by churches although it has also been run by community groups in lounges, pubs and even in a bakery! This year, Restored Lives has been working with Familias,…

At the Restored Lives course, we dedicate a whole week to discuss forgiveness because it is such a difficult topic. Guests ask themselves “should I forgive my ex?” read on to find out more about this tricky subject. Should I forgive my ex? One of the things we talk about at the Restored Lives course…

My mum is French which makes me half French. Now some say that the French are better at parenting than us. Indeed, there is a book about this very topic called ‘French Children Don’t Throw Food’ – a fascinating read. Whether you agree with the book or not – personally, I think that a societal…

Birthdays are hard once separated or divorced. It can feel just like any other day and not special at all. Especially if you have young children. There’s no one there to take your children to get you a gift, card and cake. Or to make sure it’s wrapped and a surprise. Or to organise waking…

Change from fault-based divorce is good for families and society   It may sound like a paradox but today’s news that the laws for divorce are being changed and moving away from a fault-based system is a very good thing for families and society as a whole. The current system is a confrontational process that…

Tomorrow is Mother’s Day. As I’ve written before, I find this day bittersweet. This is my tenth Mother’s Day alone now. I suppose I’m a veteran now? If that’s a good thing? When my marriage ended I definitely assumed by now I’d have met the man of my dreams and be settled again. Maybe another…

Mother’s Day can be fraught For those of us that are divorcees, Mother’s Day can be a fraught celebration. Perhaps you have no access to your children, perhaps you feel overwhelmed having to care for your children alone (read Kathy’s blog about Mother’s Day as a “single” mum).  Perhaps you are grieving for the children…

Lone parenting can be so hard.  You can often feel alone and that the entire burden of bringing the children up is your responsibility alone. My ex husband cannot often make the children’s special events or school parents evenings.  It is so hard not to get resentful.  I will send him a diary invite in…