FamilyLife Blended® Podcast

Preparing to blend a family can be a daunting endeavor. But you can—and should—get smart about stepfamily living ahead of time to create a strong family. Listen to Ron Deal talk with two stepcouples about what they did during their pre-married season that helped them prepare to blend their families. Show Notes and Resources JonathanPitts.net Preparing to Blend + FREE resources . Send us your quest...

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. Show Notes and Resources JessPlusTheMess.com Blended with Grit and Grace . Sunlight Burning at...

What does a healthy sex life really look like? How do you find healing if you've experienced sexual brokenness? Listen to Ron Deal's conversation with Dr. Juli Slattery on what makes a good lover, the importance of bringing God into that equation, and how sexuality is a tangible way of helping us understand God at a deeper level. Show Notes and Resources Authentic Intimacy – Dr. Juli Slattery's we...

Pro baseball player Darryl Strawberry has experienced fame, fortune, and notoriety. But he's also walked through addiction, divorce, and anguish. Today, he's far more interested in talking about Jesus than baseball as he and his wife Tracy, parents of 9 kids in their blended family, share with Ron Deal about the importance of keeping Jesus at the center to find healing and redemption. Show Notes a...

Special days give families an opportunity to honor each other, celebrate one another, and strengthen their identity as a stepfamily. Ron Deal and his guests present ideas on how to creatively take advantage of your family calendar in ways that will strengthen family relationships throughout the year. Show Notes and Resources Learn more about the Summit on Stepfamily Ministry. https://www.summitons...

Sometimes in stepfamilies, we take things out on each other that really are about someone or something from the past. We have something to say to a parent from the past, but instead fight that battle with a child—or spouse—in our present. Listen to Ron Deal talk with Shelby Abbott on how to keep unresolved issues of the past from damaging relationships in the present. Show Notes and Resources Lear...

The end of your marriage doesn't mean the end of God's favor. But when you're in ministry, it can feel that way. Drs. Bobby and Janice Love speak with Ron Deal about how to manage the spotlight of ministry and the pressure that follows when you walk through divorce and remarriage, offering personal stories and suggestions to help. Show Notes and Resources Learn more about Rev. Dr. Bobby and Dr. Ja...

What does the Bible teach about divorce and remarriage? How do we consider Truth and Grace when we apply it to God's people? Listen to Ron Deal's conversation with Dr. Rubel Shelly on a subject that's hard to understand in Scripture and often disagreed upon in Christian circles. Show Notes and Resources Get Dr. Rubel Shelly's book, Divorce and Remarriage: A Redemptive Theology. https://www.amazon....

Stepparenting is a marathon, not a sprint. And getting to the finish line with strong relationships requires a lot of grace, personal strength, and wisdom as you accommodate people's grief and feelings along the way. Listen to Ron Deal talk with Jere and Laurie Short on this important topic. Show Notes and Resources 60: Grace-filled Stepparenting https://laurieshort.com/ . Learn more about FamilyL...

Little things can create big changes in blended family homes. In this episode, Jed and Jenny Jurchenko share with Ron Deal how they created positive change in their home by taking small, positive steps to grow their most important relationships and give examples in their book, 131 Conversations for Stepfamily Success. Show Notes and Resources Get your copy of Jed and Jenny's book. https://www.amaz...

We could spend 1/3 of our lives without a paycheck since it's expected we can live into our mid-80's and beyond. How do we know if we're preparing adequately for retirement? Ron Deal talks with financial planner Greg Pettys on this topic and how to account for blended family variables. Show Notes and Resources Get your copy of The Smart Stepdad https://shop.familylife.com/p-5664-the-smart-stepfami...

How do you know if you're ready to be a stepdad? Ron Deal gives insight into the stepdad role as he talks with Bob Lepine and Dennis Rainey about this important position that can be daunting, but rewarding. Listen to his encouragement about the realities of being a stepdad and the value of stepping out in faith and relying on God's wisdom when ready to take the risk. Show Notes and Resources Get y...

Blended families that form when children are in their late teens or adult years are adult stepfamilies. We often mistakenly think these families have few adjustments to make. Listen to Ron Deal's conversation with Terry and Carol Moss, Brandon Moss, and Nina Thomas on how they've navigated multiple transitions in their adult stepfamily. Show Notes and Resources Learn more about blended family reso...

What does it mean to be a smart stepmom? Laura Petherbridge answers that question as she speaks with Dennis Rainey, Bob Lepine, and Ron Deal on how to navigate a role that can be confusing, lonely, and frustrating. She offers principles to help stepmoms feel encouraged and empowered in the important role they play. Show Notes and Resources Get The Smart Stepmom book. https://shop.familylife.com/pr...

Marriage, while typically a two-person dance, gets complicated when couples try to manage a stepfamily maze with multiple lives around them. Ron Deal talks with Dave and Ann Wilson about how to navigate stepfamily struggles that create marital stress by sharing life with other stepfamilies and holding onto God's hand, relying on Him for answers and help to persevere. Show Notes and Resources Learn...

If self-control is a fruit of the Spirit, how do we allow the Spirit to cultivate that fruit in our lives? Pastor Rob Bugh answers that question and speaks with Ron Deal on the value of self-control, particularly in blended family relationships, and how his lack of it contributed to much heartache in the early years of his blended family. Show Notes and Resources Get Rob's book: When the Bottom Dr...

Blended and Blessed® is a one-of-a-kind annual event for stepfamily couples, single parents, dating couples with kids, and those who care about blended families, with valuable teaching by trusted and respected experts. Get a glimpse of the upcoming event as you listen to fun and informative interviews from previous speakers including Ron Deal and Shaunti Feldhahn. Show Notes and Resources Learn mo...

When blended family variables create tough dynamics to parent through, we might consider giving up on those relationships. But Jim Ramos, raised in a blended family, speaks with Ron Deal about he was impacted by his parents and stepparents and the value of playing the long game in our stepfamilies. Show Notes and Resources Learn more about Jim Ramos and Men in the Arena. https://meninthearena.org/...

How do you help a child or stepchild who feels lost, or angry, or who really fights against the family? And what if their anger or hurt is justified—and you deserve it, but everyone else doesn't? In this episode, Ron Deal speaks with Danny Huerta, Vice President of Parenting and Youth at Focus on the Family, about parenting troubled children in a stepfamily. Show Notes and Resources Learn more abo...

People of faith want their family to be a Kingdom family—centered in God's Word and rooted in truth and grace. Listen to Ron Deal's conversation with Scott and Vanessa Martindale, founders of Blended Kingdom Families, on how to create a blended kingdom family and why that's important. Show Notes and Resources Learn more about Scott and Vanessa Martindale and their ministry, Blended Kingdom Familie...

Stepfamily life often includes kids with two homes. Moving between those homes is not just physical for kids, but emotional, psychological, and relational. Ron Deal's panel discussion on this episode gives valuable tips on how to create smooth transitions and a secure environment when kids move between homes. Show Notes and Resources Learn about Joel Hawbaker and his resources. https://reallifelea...

The journey into a blended family is full of bumps and bruises—for someone anyway. Unpacking those for yourself, your kids, your new spouse is part of readying yourself and your family for stepfamily living. In this episode, Craig and Gina Morgan talk with Ron Deal and unpack some of their baggage and invite you to do the same as you listen. Show Notes and Resources Get Craig and Gina's book, "Bui...

Did you know that 1 in 6 children have some form of learning disability and some form of developmental disability, according to the CDC? Dr. Stephanie Holmes is a professional counselor and mom to a child with autism and talks with Ron Deal to give tips, understanding, and perspective on raising kids with autism in a blended family. Show Notes and Resources Learn more about Stephanie Holmes and he...

Blended family Christmases with adult children don't always go so well, especially in the early years. Adult children bring their own needs, wants, opinions, and agendas to the family and when those wants clash with the wants of the parents, conflict erupts. In this powerful episode, Ron Deal speaks with Bob and Vicki Maday and two of their adult daughters about their holiday challenges and how th...

Do differences in your marriage ever make you feel disconnected? Blended family couples have so many things related to step-ness that they need to manage, the last thing you need is to be irritated with one another about differences-or drift away from each other. In this episode, Neil and Sharol Josephson speak with Ron Deal and offer valuable tips on managing and overcoming a drift in marriage. S...