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! [...]

Seven Secrets to a Long-Lasting Marriage (aka The Dos): Leave (your family of origin) and cleave (cling to your mate). Pray together (Daily is best, but aim for twice a week). Spend time together (Daily visits, weekly dates). Forgive quickly and keep short accounts. Be unselfish. Consider your spouse’s needs above your own. Make marriage [...]

My newest book, a project co-authored with four fellow columnists, releases today! Happy BIRTHday to A Scrapbook of Motherhood Firsts: Stories to Celebrate & Wisdom to Bless Moms! Here’s an excerpt that I hope will spur you on to add your own views on mom-job security: Leslie’s View on Job Security As a mom, I can [...]

Yesterday we discussed the idea that a critical spirit leads to rude comments, indifference and anger in marriage. Though I write and speak about this principle regularly, it seems I need to be reminded more than the average woman. (Can you say strong-willed wife?) Even 23 years into this marriage thing. Only one time in [...]

I still remember the euphoric feeling I experienced the night my then-boyfriend asked me to marry him. I laughed. I cried. I screamed. I looked at myself in the mirror, smiling like an idiot, perhaps daring the news to not be true. I remember feeling lighter than air—my head and heart felt like they would [...]

That we age, if we are lucky enough to do it, is a given. How we age is up to us. —Marianne Williamson Everything about midlife contradicts itself. Feel free to write me if your opinion differs from mine on these common midlife realities: By the time women actually accept their bodies and feel comfortable in [...]

We read thousands of words about how to improve our marriage. We watch hundreds of chick-flicks, fantasizing that our husband might treat us the same way as the movie star guy with perfect abs, teeth and hair. We have dozens of conversations with girlfriends, griping about how our men fall short. But do we ever [...]

Everyday victories should be celebrated, well, every single day. After all, it’s the little things in life that bring the greatest joys and pleasures. Case in point: As I thought about what to eat for breakfast this morning, I remembered I bought blueberry bagels at the grocery store yesterday. Knowing I’d enjoy the smell as [...]

Today, my mom and dad celebrate 49 years of wedded bliss. Some couples are cute together. Others complete one another. But rarely do you have the privilege of seeing two people who seem so perfectly well-suited for one another than Richard and Liz Porter, my parents. They met while my dad served in the U.S. [...]

Can you stand one more holiday hint? My terrific tip is crafty, as in clever and innovative—no hot glue or grapevine wreaths required. But what it lacks in the hospitable department, it makes up for in the relational arena. I originally read about it in a Christmas issue of one of the popular women’s magazines. [...]