“I feel badly for my kids and stepkids during the holidays,” Amber, a stepmom explained. “They are shuffled between homes, unfamiliar traditions, and new stepfamily members. I can tell it’s stressful for them. I wish there was something I could do to make it easier.” Amber recognizes the complexities and tension the holidays can stir…
Month: November 2023
What’s the Hidden Key to Transforming Your Marriage?
Getting married is not the finish line. It’s the starting line. We are talking about the realities of marriage. Now, what the secular world view of Marriage tells you, when you get to this place of dissatisfaction with your spouse, trade him in. You can do better. The problems you are having in your marriage are because you married the wrong person. You’ve tried to change him, you couldn’t. Or he’s been trying to change you and he couldn’t. Maybe you’ve had children, and you don’t have the same views on how to parent. Your family did it one way and that’s how it should be done. And we all know the issue of money and the disagreements that come from that. Marriage is a lot. It’s not for the faint of heart. If you’ve been married for 2 years, 10, 20, or 30, you have worked out countless arguments. It’s the reality of marriage. It is two imperfect people trying to figure out how to do life together.
Is It Lesley Approved?
Recently I followed the advice of a well-respected massage therapist in town who helped me cure a “trigger finger” on my right hand. As a pianist and vocalist, I was really beginning to suffer. The therapist told me that she soaked her hands four nights a week in castor oil because of the properties in it that reduced inflammation. She told me that she would not be able to continue her work without it. I covered my hand with it that night and placed a surgical glove over it. The next morning, the swelling was 70% gone! Now, after a few nights of the same treatment, I can safely say that my Trigger Finger is 98% healed.
Is Your Marriage Becoming What You Dreamed Of?
This post is part 5 of my series on marriage. While it can be read on its own, I encourage you go back and read the four prior to this one. In them, I share with you how I feel God is calling me to talk about marriage. Again I’m a Bible-believing Christian and I…
Did You Know Cranberries Float?
Mary Clare, my oldest granddaughter who is now 9 and has been making cranberry relish for years, recently reflected: “Oh yes, that’s the best part of making cranberries because they float even though you don’t expect them to.”
Are You Making These Three Mistakes with Your Marriage?
I believe God created marriage! I believe that within the structure and boundaries of marriage God transforms us to be who he designed us to be and transforms our spouse to be who God designed him to be. If this is true, which by faith I believe it is, listening to the world and getting instruction relying on the world’s ever evolving and changing views about marriage, can you see how destructive it is. It’s two different things! We are being deceived!
Perfect Thanksgiving Dinner
Invite family and friends over, make the old-fashioned turkey dinner and top it off with the perfect pumpkin pie. This menu offers all the parts you’ll need without being so full of vegetables, pies and extra work that you’ll have to start on it a week ahead. Additionally, I’ve included the timetable here so even a novice cook can have everything come out on time.
Discover Real Secrets to a Thriving Marriage
What I am doing in these first few posts on marriage is laying the foundation. I am trying to lay it out in simple terms. I believe these are the foundational truths of marriage. For me, as I’ve journeyed through marriage and hit rock bottom at times, coming back to the basics and God’s truths has always been the answer. Whether it’s pride, unforgiveness, a hardened heart, self-loathing, getting caught up in people pleasing, wanting to throw in the towel, you name it, I’ve probably experienced it. 30+years is a long time!