All Articles for Stepfamily Living

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.

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.

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?

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

Hey, sounds like family to me.

"Are you part of the main family or just sort of stuck on the side?"

"Are you part of the main family or just sort of stuck on the side?"

Drowning in a sea of emotions? You're not the only one.

Ron, my family is living proof that dysfunction breeds dysfunction.

Maybe it's time you reached across the aisle.

Have you ever tried to talk someone into loving you?

Did we just make our kids part of a blended family?

You know what? Well-intended bad advice...is still bad advice.

We just had to stay committed to getting through those early years.

Hit debt with a snowball.

So, if both parents die who gets your kids?

A pre-nup. You want us to do a pre-nup?

A pre-nup. You want us to do a pre-nup?

Be careful. Don't turn a stepfamily problem into "Us vs. You."

Ok, folks, let's be careful with our words.

Every house, has its own blueprint.

No, the bridge was always there. She just finally crossed it.

Sometimes you have to step through the wilderness with trust and raw determination.

Sometimes you have to step through the wilderness with trust and raw determination.

Patience is definitely a virtue.

Have you ever thought, "Maybe I'm being too negative"?

The two-step is not just a dance in Texas.

The two-step is not just a dance in Texas.

Ok, stepfamilies. It's time to step down...your expectations, I mean.

In some ways discipleship is simply taking off and putting on.

No, we can't have you at our church because your background and past might infect everyone else.