Blended families come in all shapes and sizes. Each family is unique with its own complexities. Chris and Yodit Brooks share their stories growing up in a stepfamily and wisdom they've gained from raising their adopted and biological children.
Holidays can be a stressful time juggling visitations, planning activities, and managing feelings. Emotions in blended families are often magnified during Christmas. Gayla & Ron offer practical ways to promote positivity so your holiday can be enjoyable.
It's the most wonderful time of year! Wait ... is it really? We want Christmas to feel magical. But too often, we feel disappointment, stress, sadness, & loneliness. Listen to Ron Deal's conversation with Bob Lepine on how to find lasting joy this season.
Your relationship with your college kid may change as they grow. So here are five things they may need on Christmas break.
Need a low-stress way to keep the holiday fun while still focusing on the meaning of Christmas? We’ve got you covered with this family Christmas countdown.
Holiday Traditions to Decorate “Inside” This Year The holidays can be a busy and stressful time. There are meals to plan, parties to attend, and lists to check twice. But to help you and your family also create a more meaningful, connected holiday season, we created this helpful resource, Holiday Traditions to Decorate “Inside” This […]
Part of me can turn Grinchy over the holidays. And my husband, if I’m not careful, becomes my Roast Beast. Wondering how to stop fighting?
Psalms for Christmas: Prepare Him Room Anyone else feel the need for Christmas? For peace and hope worth celebrating in a depressed, divided, anxious world? This Christmas, the Psalms still speak. Bestselling author Dane Ortlund unpacks the unwavering, unfading promises of Christmas in ways we need them most. Hosted by Shelby Abbott, FamilyLife’s “Psalms for […]
Hoping to sneak in some romance over the holidays? Romance isn’t always in the grand plans, but in the simple, intentional moments. So we’ve planned 31 days of simple activities and intentional conversation starters to keep you and your love connected. Fill out the form below to snag your FREE calendar today! Privacy Policy Terms of […]
Grab your free FamilyLife Christmas Countdown! Have the kids already started chiming, “How many more days until Christmas?!” Hand them some safety scissors, tape or glue, and this FREE paper-chain download to put the Christmas countdown duty into their sweet little sticky hands. Each day, we’ve provided one simple activity (like Scripture readings, snacks, or […]
Christmas Coloring Sheets Need to keep the kids entertained over Christmas break? We’ve got a meaningful and mess-free way for them to be creative on those frosty winter days. Bring the manger story to life for them with our Christmas coloring sheets. Print out each sheet and have your kids color the characters. Worship the […]
The countdown to the magical, most anticipated day of the year has begun. During this month of festivities, we experience long held traditions around a tree. We long for warmth and romance in the sparkling light. We anticipate new memories with seldom seen loved ones. Every year December continues to draw us home for the […]
A Very Blended Christmas: Unwrapping the Gift of Peace Does co-parenting, coordinating schedules and dinners, and the overall stress that comes with blended family territory at Christmas have you feeling the holiday blues? You aren’t alone. We created our free e-book, A Very Blended Christmas, to help you find the gift of peace this season. […]
22 Ways to Reach Out Over the Holidays We all know that creating a plan for serving as a family can get shoved to the back burner in the busyness of life. As we jump back into Christmas, it’s a battle to create intentional time, both together as a family and in the communities we […]
Among the hectic schedules and between-home dilemmas, stepfamilies can have fun memory-filled holidays, too. It just takes some extra work.
It’s likely your holiday season will include tense moments. Don’t fret. Holidays can be joyous and memorable even if they’re not perfect.
There are plenty of things vying for our attention during the holidays. Toxic thoughts don’t need to be one of them.
As much as we hope we’ll become idyllic people during this idyllic season, our struggles refuse to take a holiday.
It’s hard to get romantic in your mother-in-law's living room, kids snoring around you on sleeping bags. Still, sneaking in sex over the holidays is doable.
God gives us eternal treasures, so let’s take time to notice during the season of stuff.
Enjoy the holidays! Don’t just “survive” them. Holidays and stress go hand in hand. It’s especially challenging to navigate the hectic schedules of the season in a way that satisfies everyone’s health and safety concerns. Juggling all of these things can make it difficult to pause and remember the full meaning of the holiday season. […]
Three helpful hints I use to navigate the holidays in my blended family.
Here are a few ways to make spending during the holidays less stressful.
If you find yourself longing for a purer, less commercialized version of Christmas, then you might want to try our experiment yourself.
Slow down and truly experience this special season centered around family, joy, giving, and most importantly—Jesus.
This time of year, it’s easy to get caught up in the emotions of “how we used to do it.”
Is this your year to make a change and replace some time-stealing activities with something more meaningful?
Is it time to consider doing something different this year?
Here are seven ideas for traditions you can begin to draw your family closer to God.
They thought Connor Deal couldn’t handle a solo in the church Christmas production. They were wrong.
