HEY MIKE! My parents and I fight a lot, and they’re always on me about the tiniest things. What should I do?
— J.H., Asheville, N.C.
Constant blowups, zero freedom, no privacy — it gets exhausting. I’ll bet you even feel like you’re on your parents’ “Most Wanted” list.
Know what? You are.
It’s safe to say that you really are wanted by your mom and dad and that they really do love you. As strange as it sounds, that’s probably why you’ve been clashing with them lately.
I’m sure it’s hard for them to accept that you are growing up and don’t need as much care now as you did when you were a toddler. What’s more, some teens just aren’t ready for more freedom. They still act like — well, like toddlers.
How about you? Are you giving your parents a reason to get off your case and to start trusting you more?
I suggest you give some thought to the conflicts and the reasons your parents seem so overprotective, then talk to them. Keep in mind that raising a teen like you is an awesome responsibility. God has given your parents a five-part “job description”: It’s up to them to protect you, train you, provide for you, nurture you toward maturity and discipline you. And God has given you a job description, too. It’s your job to obey them. (See Ephesians 6:1.)
HEY MIKE! I used to live in South Carolina where I had a lot of friends. But my parents pulled up our roots and relocated us to Montana. Now I don’t know anyone. I feel so much pain inside. Any advice?
— B.Y., Bozeman, Mont.
“The best way to have a good friend is to be a good friend.” That’s an old proverb, but it’s still true today. Follow these tips toward new friendships:
Risk reaching out. Don’t be afraid. Invite an acquaintance to your house or a youth-group event.
Look for the lonely. There’s always someone looking for — or needing — a friend.
Always ask. Questions give a guy a chance to talk about himself. Listen to get to know him.
Start with a smile. Friendliness puts people at ease and lets them open up.
Practice patience. It takes time to build a solid friendship.
Be realistic about rejection. Not everyone will like you. Don’t take it personally; your personalities just didn’t click.
HEY MIKE! What is truth, and can I know it with certainty?
— Name Withheld
What profound questions. Answers could fill volumes of books, but let’s see what we can do in a few hundred words!
I contacted Alex McFarland — Focus on the Family’s apologetics expert and author of Stand: Core Truths You Must Know for an Unshakable Faith. (Hey, he wrote a book on truth!) Here’s what he had to say:
Many people assume that truth is something we create for ourselves, but the Christian view is that truth is something outside of ourselves. Truth is discovered, not personally determined.
Truth is what corresponds to reality. We can dream up most anything in our minds, but truth is what exists in the real world. The words absolute or objective are often used to describe truth. Truth is what is real and actual, existing independently of popular opinion, circumstances or the passage of time. In other words, something can be true whether or not you know it.
Honest thinkers throughout history (including America’s founding fathers) spoke of self-evident (or undeniable) truth. So the next time someone says, “There is no such thing as absolute truth,” respond by asking, “Is that statement true?”
The point is, truth exists, and you can know it. Denying this is like saying, “The truth is, that nothing is true, and I’m not so sure if I can be sure about this.”
Even before His conversation with Pilate (see John 18), Jesus Christ had addressed the subject of truth. In John 14:6, Jesus said, “I am the way and the truth and the life.”
The Bible observes that despite outward appearances, not every one really seeks truth. (See Romans 1:18-2:16 and 2 Timothy 3:5.)
Truth is more than a something, it is a Someone. A sincere heart that seeks truth will discover more than just “knowledge of” but also “relationship with.” A genuine quest for truth — if faithfully followed — will lead one to a person: Jesus Christ. 
