All Articles for Blended Family

As parents and stepparents, we want to raise our kids well, but we often feel inadequate. In this episode, Ron Deal talks with Ginger Hubbard about parenting the heart of our children and motivating them to become God-pleasers, not people-pleasers.

Are you in the early years of blending a family and you wonder if life will ever get easier? Listen to Ron Deal & Gayla Grace talk about the honeymoon season that follows hard relationship-building years and the rewards that come as familyness begins.

Is God calling you to minister to blended families, but you feel inadequate? Ron Deal explains how to earn an online ministry certificate as you glean from blended family experts with 7 hours of engaging video content, handouts, and bonus resources.

Non-traditional families are now considered traditional. As churches, how do we meet changing needs & serve them well? Listen to Ron Deal's conversation with three senior pastors on why and how to love all families, despite the narrative of their past.

Our bonus episode offers another question and answer format with Ron Deal and Gayla Grace to address those hard-to-navigate circumstances in your blended family with solutions that offer nuggets of wisdom and practical suggestions.

Do you have stepfamily questions for the experts? We have answers! Listen to Ron Deal and Gayla Grace address everyday issues that our listeners have asked with practical answers.

Do you struggle to find unity as a couple or need help setting boundaries with an ex-spouse? Maybe you want a few tips on navigating the teen years with your stepdaughters. Listen to Ron Deal's conversation with Kirk McGregor on these common topics & more.

Veteran stepcouples have a wealth of knowledge on best practices for stepfamilies. Listen to Ron Deal's conversation with Sandi Patty and Don Peslis, married in 1995 with a blended family of 8 children, on wise solutions to common issues stepfamilies face.

Do you need help growing unity and character in your stepfamily? Our convenient online course, Well-Blended, can help! Listen to Ron Deal and Dave & Ann Wilson talk about how it can help you build robust, resilient relationships in your unique stepfamily.

Are you steering your kids toward Christ while the other home steers them toward the world? Ron Deal talks with Kara Powell & Gayla Grace about how to manage value differences between homes and how to answer 3 important questions every teenager is asking.

When remarriage occurs after the death of a spouse, the stepcouple faces emotional minefields in relationship-building. Ron Deal talks with Bill & Evelyn Thompson, who both lost a spouse prior to remarriage, on how to blend a family after significant loss.

Sometimes in stepfamilies, we take things out on each other that really are about someone or something from the past. Listen to Ron Deal talk with Shelby Abbott on how to keep unresolved issues of the past from damaging relationships in the present.

Critical relationship skills are needed in every important relationship, particularly in stepfamily life. Ron Deal talks with a dynamic mother-daughter duo on practical ways of gaining a larger toolbox of wisdom and skills for strengthening relationships.

As a stepdad, you take on a heroic challenge in choosing to parent someone else's child. Gil Stuart talks with Ron Deal about his video series, Unsung Heroes, and how vulnerability, courage, & humility helped him create lasting relationships as a stepdad.

Krista Smith-Larson is a blended family mom who produces games that help draw out matters of loss and stepfamily transition in order to bring about hope & healing. Listen to her dialogue with Ron Deal & learn about games that can benefit your stepfamily.

The benefit of "fun" is often overlooked when we consider how to build healthy stepfamily relationships. But Ron Deal's podcast guest, Dr. Jim Burns, says it's an important piece that can help connect relationships. Listen to their conversation about why and how intentional play can benefit your family.

God loves the work of refining our character. We become more like Christ as we learn how to love, forgive, show kindness, and be family to one another. Ron Deal talks with Summer Butler & Gayla Grace about the value of God's refining fire for stepmoms.

When a relationship feels fragile, it's tempting to stop speaking the truth.

Okay, if you have any relationships, anybody you care about, I want to give you a principle that will strengthen those relationships. Are you listening?

Compared to other siblings stepsiblings have less conflict. That may not be as good as it sounds.

Laughter is contagious, right? Well, so is a smile.

Have you ever met a rich person who was miserable?

Should dating and engaged couples talk about money?

Did your mom ever tell you to "Act your best"?

Is self-care the same as selfishness?

Ron, how does autism affect a stepfamily?

Kids in stepfamilies lose control over many aspects of their lives. Ron Deal talks with two stepsiblings about their adjustments to stepfamily life and how parents can give children a voice and open lines of communication to bring harmony to their home.

How do you help a lost or angry child who battles against the family? Ron Deal speaks with psychologist Danny Huerta on troubled kids in a stepfamily.

Blended & Blessed is a marriage event specifically designed for blended family couples. This podcast episode features a dynamic speaker from our 2021 event, author Laurie Short, with nuggets of wisdom and real-life stories from her stepmom journey.

But Ron, I don’t want to date someone who has kids." Well, good. I don’t want you to either.

Have you ever thought about how dysfunctional the families of the Bible were?

Here’s a fun fact for you. In the early years of a blended family the level of stress is typically very high.

Here's a not so secret quality of strong families. They have fun together.

Are you waiting to be wanted by someone you care about in your blended family? It's a hard reality for many in the early years. Listen to Ron Deal's conversation with Cheryl Shumake on how to persevere through the waiting during the wilderness years.

Now I know you've heard me say some crazy things but this one takes the cake. Learn to endure disharmony in your home.

Accommodating someone's preferences out of love for the Lord is an act of faith.

Caution: Love without caution.

Do you seek to build happy memories with those you love? Have you considered the impact of intentional play in your home? Listen to Ron Deal's conversation with Dr. Jim Burns about why and how to use "fun" to connect relationships in your stepfamily.

It's the most wonderful time of the year!" But if you're in a stepfamily, the holidays can get complicated pretty fast. Ron Deal offers some perspective, and gives counsel for how to navigate Christmas in a stepfamily.

Children need healthy relationships with both parents after divorce, which requires good co-parenting. Listen to Ron Deal's conversation with Dr. Mary Jeppsen on how co-parent anger dramatically impacts a child and how former spouses can keep conflict at a minimum and cooperation at a maximum in order to co-parent well.

We can't always see what God is doing. Ray McKelvy tells of his walk with God, meeting his wife, and his estranged dad being invited back into his life. He learns that his real story was much more than he thought.

Ray McKelvy tells his story about not knowing his real father and being the man of the house. Another father figure stepped into his life, only to then separate from his mom, and the devastation that left him searching for his identity.

Preparing to blend a family can be a daunting endeavor. But you can—and should—get smart about stepfamily living ahead of time. Listen to Ron Deal talk with two stepcouples about what they did before marriage that helped prepare to blend their families.

When it comes to insurance, which beneficiary do you want to beâ€"primary or secondary?

Remarriage after widowhood creates unique struggles. Listen to Ryan and Jess Ronne, parents and stepparents to 8, share with Ron Deal about how insecurities can create conflict in a new marriage after widowhood and how they found beauty from ashes as they worked through their struggles and insecurities.

Preparing for marriage to begin a blended family comes with unique dynamics. Ron Deal, Director of FamilyLife Blended, talks about addressing not just the joining of two hearts, but those of the whole family.

Are you engaged or just beginning a blended family? Ron Deal, Director of FamilyLife Blended, discusses how couples can prepare their families to blend with intentionality and joy.