Today's amazing episode asks powerful questions about the church's role in ministering to stepfamilies. Church Leaders: What if you (your church) were known for that consistent soft landing where kids felt safe to express their hurts about their broken families?What if you were the church that could roll out the welcome mat and say, "Come on in. We understand that life is tough for you as a blend. We may not get all your hurt, but we get that you have been hurt and we want to let you kno...
Do you know what you do more than 35,000 times per day? Listen in to today's episode to learn the 3 things that typically precede the exhaustion you often feel in your stepfamily and what you can do to regain the energy and control you crave in your blend.P.S. The answer? We make more than 35,000 decisions EACH DAY!We help stepfamily couples turn what feels impossible into Stepfamily Mission POSSIBLE! We help you understand how critical YOU are as leaders in your family to create a king...
From Widowed to Remarried, with Stepkids. A Stepmom's Story From Heartache to Victory Featuring Wanda Patrick.Blending is hard. It can take a little longer to understand that our kids and stepkids are struggling in similar ways we struggle; the challenges they face are somewhat similar to our own.Meet Wanda Patrick. Wanda understands the challenges single parents and stepparents face. When her husband died, leaving her with two young children to raise alone, she didn't get a break between gri...
Ever wonder what your stepkids are thinking?! You're not alone, stepmom. We've got you, stepdad! The reason blending families feels so hard is because creating stepfamilies IS HARD!!! From our guest: "We're humans. So it's going to be hard. I don't even fault my dad or my stepmom or my stepdad for the way they handled the situation. They handled it the best way they knew how; it just doesn't have a great outcome, but we're humans. So, it's a learning process. I hope by me speaking...
Note: This episode may be triggering. (Drug use and suicide)Did you know that if a mother has used marijuana in the past year, her child is 80% more likely to use marijuana?The stats for dads are even more shocking! A father who uses their child is 90% more likely to use marijuana.Listen to this week's episode to get equipped with the knowledge you need to prevent your kids from dabbling in dabbing. Today's episode is dedicated to the memory of Johnny Stack. May his death be a cla...
Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to START, Stepfamily! You can do this!Create a sacred space to apply on your reflections from last week (Mission #011) on what you've learned about yourself, your spouse, and your stepfamily. Then, take the first step. Feels awkward? No worries! Do it anyway. Get evidence through messy action and see what God can do!PREVIOUS MISSIONSMission #011 How To Know What God Says About Your Marriage & StepfamilyMission #010 Knowing When ...
Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to carve out 15 minutes of time each day to glean insights, as a couple, about God's call for you and your marriage!You can do this!Create a sacred space to reflect on what you've learned about yourself, your spouse, and your family. Listen for God to discern where he is calling you to next!PREVIOUS MISSIONSMission #010 Knowing When It's Time to Take A Break In Your StepfamilyMission #009 What's At The Core?Mission #008 What To Do When Yo...
Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to give yourself permission to take an intermission from your missions!Create a sacred space to reflect on what you've learned about yourself, your spouse, and your family. Where is God at work? Go there!PREVIOUS MISSIONSMission #009 What's At The Core? Mission #008 What To Do When You Get TriggeredMission #007 How To Get In The Fight!Mission #006| Mission #005| Mission #004 | Mission #003| Mission #002| Mission #001>>Bill & Jen...
Your fights are important, and your marriage is important. Now that you know what your triggers are (Mission #008), it's time to understand what lies underneath the triggers. When you establish some ground rules, you can fight better fights! Where do those ground rules stem from? That answer is critical to discern so you can evaluate the overall outcome that you want in your marriage. Guess what surfaces in your fights? Your values! Values are something that:Are at your core beingManife...
What if the way you fight could change your marriage for the better?4 Part Framework to Fight Well for StepfamiliesPlanned Fight:Identify - identify the triggerManage - manage your "Myggy" (your amygdala/lizard brain/fight, flight, fre)Determine - what is the outcome you want (that builds up your marriage & family?) step three the outcome that you really want.Post Fight, Add Step 4: 4. How did you do? What went well? What areas do you want to modify for th...
Bill & Jen share 3 Key Points to Fight Well in War - Spiritual Warfare is real, y'all!Decide - Commit to fight spiritual battles with spiritual weapons (Read Ephesians 6)Focused time with you and JesusPrioritize praying together as a couple Your mission, should you choose to accept it is to commit to the fight through the power of prayer. We encourage you to spend 5 minutes daily in prayer together for your relationship as a couple, for your success as a family, with thanksgivi...
Are you a list lover or do you fly by the seat of your pants? Maybe you're somewhere in between. On today's episode, we're talking about a subject that can be a little bit tricky. If you are a list-keeper, keeping a list of offenses and frustrations and harboring unforgiveness, it might be time to scrap that list.Let's take a walk on the Jesus side and let go of that unforgiveness!PREVIOUS MISSIONS - Season 5Mission #001 Your Stepfamily HeritageMission #002 How To Prevent DivorceMission #003 ...
How do your children grieve the loss of the family that they no longer have? What do you notice about how each of your children are grieving? How about you? Have you grieved the loss that you've lived through?That loss can take many forms that then become commingled with others' expectations for how you should behave in the face of blending. Yet, there's no family like your family! Your family is beautifully unique and treasured by God.In this full length episode, Dr. David Knapp shares how c...
How do your children grieve the loss of the family that they no longer have? What do you notice about how each of your children are grieving? How about you? Have you grieved the loss that you've lived through?That loss can take many forms that then become commingled with others' expectations for how you should behave in the face of blending. Yet, there's no family like your family! Your family is beautifully unique and treasured by God.In today's episode, Dr. David Knapp shares how children n...
What do you think? Does culture inspire people to pretend you're something that you're not? It can often feel that way in blends - that we're in a role that's confusing and we're not sure where to get the answers.The answers lie in the Word of God! Listen to the biggest dose of hope from our guest, Crystal Daye. Crystal goes by many titles, including our fave - Jesus girl! Additionally, she's an Inspirational Speaker, Award Winning Author, Life Coach, Podcaster and Publishing Expert. You...
We know that resistance in your blended family comes in many forms. When we're caught up in the middle of the trial, it's easy to get distracted and get stuck. In today's episode, we invite you to come up with 3 simple, easy-peasy steps to get started in your stepfamily. If you've got one big hairy, audacious goal, you've got to break it down to get started and show "overwhelm" the door.>>>>Register for the Workshop! July 9 or July 16! Here are 5 things, in addition to...
Got a game plan for your stepfamily marriage? In today's mission, we break down how to align your goals, together! >>>>Register for the Workshop! July 9 or July 16!>>>>>Join us for the workshop July 9 or July 16! Details and registration here.>>>Download the Guide to today's episode here.PREVIOUS MISSIONSMission #001Mission #002Mission #003 is all about getting SMARTER with your goals:Specific—your goals must identify exactly what you want to ac...
Welcome to Season 5 where it's all about doing one mission at a time to create a beautiful legacy for your stepfamily!Mission #002 is all about preventing divorce/re-divorce. It involves 3 key things:AWARENESS - Action is requiredINTENTION - Daily investments in your marriageFOCUS - Key, small deposits that protect your marriage You can't do everything all the time, but you can do small things that create incredible momentum and prevent overwhelm.Your Mission, should you choose to ...
Welcome to Season 5 where it's all about doing one mission at a time to create a beautiful legacy for your stepfamily!Season 5 MissionsMission #001 Your Stepfamily HeritageMission #002 How To Prevent DivorceMission #003 How To Get SMARTER* TogetherMission #004 What Mission Are You NOT Willing to Do?Mission #005 How To Lean Into Your Losses and Move ForwardMission #006 The Stepfamily Roller Coaster of ForgivenessMission #007 How To Get In The Fight!>>>>Register for the Workshop! Ju...
Unfortunately, there is no fairy dust. However, there are tools you can use to stop the chaos in your blend, one step at a time! Listen in to today's episode to acquire the steps you need to move forward. It all starts with one decision to move forward. Are you ready?PREVIOUS MISSIONS - Season 5Mission #001 Your Stepfamily HeritageMission #002 How To Prevent DivorceMission #003 How To Get SMARTER* TogetherMission #004 What Mission Are You NOT Willing to Do?Mission #005 How T...