Leslie Wilson | ThriveItUp!

4 Things You Must Know about Spiritual Warfare–Part 1

0 Comments 18 May 2012

Today and tomorrow I’ll feature guest posts from Mary DeMuth, author of Beautiful Battle (Harvest House Publishing, February 2012) and 12 other books. Mary is somewhat of an expert on spiritual warfare, having spent several months on the front lines while she and her husband, Patrick, and their children served as missionaries in the south [...]

Advice Column, Currents

Launch of The Bestseller Society

0 Comments 17 May 2012

Three publishing industry insiders have been working behind the scenes for the past several months in a secret author lab. Well, not really, but they’ve kept the secret since December. Thomas Unstated, Jeff Gerke and Mary DeMuth have created Bestseller Society, and they’re really excited about it. Why did they create this site? Because they got [...]

Currents, Midlife, Newspaper Column, Self

5 Ways to Improve the Ritual of Trying on Swimsuits

1 Comment 16 May 2012

Dropping from its long-held position of second place, the mammogram has moved into third place as the most painful or embarrassing of annual events for women over 40. Still in first is the dreaded gynecological exam. Apparently, having to sit in a freezing cold room for an hour wearing nothing but a large paper towel [...]

Marriage, Self

Forgiveness at Work in Marriage

0 Comments 15 May 2012

My husband and I recently started attending a class called Re-engage at our church—LakePointe Church in Rockwall, TX. After a month of attending general sessions and open discussion groups, we were placed in a closed group for deeper, more intimate discussions and relationships. Wow—has that made a difference in our outlook and level of enjoyment! [...]

Currents, Self

Reading for Pleasure . . . and Brain Cells

0 Comments 14 May 2012

After a week on the beach at South Padre Island in far, far, far south Texas, I’ve returned home with a new perspective, a fresh perspective, a renewed spirit. What a blessing to enjoy down time! The only things required of me all week included a decision about where to park my beach chair [...]

Family, Self

Mom Can’t Be Sick!

0 Comments 11 May 2012

Not long ago, I get one of those mysterious illnesses where the doctor says, “We’re seeing a lot of this kind of virus—fever, aches, sore throat.” And then three dreaded words every mother hates to hear: “Antibiotics won’t help.” My mind reels. Unspoken rants bounce through my brain. What do you mean—antibiotics won’t help? That’s [...]

Currents, Family, Midlife

The Annual Mommy Awards

0 Comments 10 May 2012

Announcer’s voice: “For too long Hollywoodhas treated the role of mother using only stereotype and/or prejudice. Think about it. Films such as Mommy Dearest, Throw Momma from the Train and Monster-in-Law typecast moms (or mothers-in-law) as unkind, unbending, unforgiving. Like fish in a barrel, moms have been easy targets. On the opposite end of the [...]

Currents, Family

You might be a mommy if . . . (2012)–Part II

0 Comments 09 May 2012

Yesterday, we borrowed Jeff Foxworthy’s technique of observing rednecks and applied it to motherhood. I hope you enjoy this second installment. You might be a mommy if . . . You’ve ever told your pediatrician, “No, you’re wrong.” You’ve ever washed a pair of jeans that were so dirty they could stand up in the [...]

Currents, Family

You Might Be a Mommy If . . . (2012)–Part I

0 Comments 08 May 2012

Comedian Jeff Foxworthy has built a career on poking fun at his backwoods beginnings. His “You might be a redneck if . . . ” sends readers and audience members into laughing fits—as they recognize their brother-in-law (or themselves) in the stereotypical behavior. Just in time for Mothers Day, I’ve compiled a few more signs [...]

Currents, Midlife, Self

Bobbie Shield–Able to Weight on God

2 Comments 07 May 2012

Most women struggle with body image at one time or another. For some, that battle starts early in life and wages war on their heart, their mind and their relationships. In the book Hollow: An Unpolished Tale (Moody Publishers, 2010), author Jena Morrow recounts one of her earliest memories. While wearing shorts, she sits in [...]