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Will Your Efforts Ever Be Good Enough?

Blended - Navigating The Blended Family Experience

Have you ever felt as if your efforts were all for nothing? Have you ever gotten so low that you've even questioned your own value within your family? For most of us, we want to have a positive and lasting impact on those around us, but it often feels as if this hill is far too steep to climb. Evidence of our good works making change for the better can be hard to find at times, but that doesn't mean we're not moving the needle. It may be time to let go of that picture in your mind of what family and relationships should look like, and take hold of a faith that can shift your perspective and...

Episode 100!! - w/The Wallace Girls

Blended - Navigating The Blended Family Experience

My daughters join me to celebrate the milestone of 100 episodes! Considering I wouldn't be where I am without them, it's about time they made their stamp on the podcast! Each of the 100 messages have been personal as they've highlighted what we've learned and the things that we're in the process of walking through. Grateful for the growth and where our family stands today. More to come!

Fighting (Resolving Conflict) In Front of the Kids

Blended - Navigating The Blended Family Experience

Do you fight in front of your kids? Well, you should! You may need to redefine what it means to 'fight' with your significant other and some of the rules around what is and isn't within bounds may need to change as well. Nonetheless, much can be learned from a dispute handled the right way. Our kids don't need to be exposed to any and every dispute, but they should witness the way that we handle and resolve conflict. Realizing that disagreement isn't the end of the world is a blessing that they carry into their relationships for years to come!

What I Don't Like About My Spouse - w/Margo Wallace

Blended - Navigating The Blended Family Experience

Margo and I have a long list of the things that we love about one another, but we're not going to pretend that there's a list of things that we don't like. In fact, her words are "the most unattractive thing that you do" to be exact! I had no idea that sitting accross from one another and exchanging things that we aren't necessarily a fan of was a relationship goal of mine, but here we are. Grateful that we've grown to the point where this can take place without insecurity or a desire to take personal jabs taking over. We spend most of our time celebrating one another and sharing the things...

Dealing With Chaos In Your Blended Family

Blended - Navigating The Blended Family Experience

Anybody dealing with a little bit of chaos right now?? It's so easy for the things that are happening around us to incite responses that can resemble frustration, confusion, anger, axiousness or depression. But do we have to keep going through these cycles? Is our respsponse automated based on the chaos around us, or can we determine whether our peace will remain intact? I can assure you that we have tools at our disposal to combat the craziness!

What Our Kids Need: Children Are People Too

Blended - Navigating The Blended Family Experience

Our children require so much in order for us to raise them up as healthy and capable individuals. Although they've been assigned to our care, by no means are they our property. Appreciating their real-life process and giving them them a small seat at the table as their parents lead the way, can and will make all the difference in their lives.

Celebrating 11 Years of Blending!

Blended - Navigating The Blended Family Experience

You don't make it to 11 years of marriage without some legitimate tests. While the idea of divorce wasn't something we entertained, we were definitely tempted to believe the thought that we'd be miserable because of all that came with our family. But, God!! Today, we can see the fruit of our efforts and the blessings on the other side of much heartache. Things are not perfect, but there is no question that our commitment to doing the right thing has made all of the difference. This moment of gratitude has allowed us to recall what we've been through, how we've overcome, and its stirred up some...

Pride Is The Downfall of Your Family

Blended - Navigating The Blended Family Experience

Pride takes down families. Simple as that. It is as deceptive as it is destructive. If we were to closely examine the issues related to marriage and divorce, as well as other relational conflicts, pride wouldn't be too hard to find. Unfortunately, we all deal with it to some degree. Humility, on the other hand, is what strengthens bonds and makes way for the wisdom that we need to overcome even the most significant relationship issues.

Are You Using Your Biological Child As An Escape?

Blended - Navigating The Blended Family Experience

As a stepparent, you may be tempted to prefer your biological child over your step child. This can show up in the form of comparison, inconsistent execution of discipline, or the outright shunning of your stepkid(s). There are plenty of reasons or excuses that we may use to get to this point, but this outcome is not uncommon! Correcting course so that we're not depending on our bio kids to affirm our identity or soothe our bruised ego is a necessary step.

Who Comes First When Blending Your Family? (Part 2) - w/Margo Wallace

Blended - Navigating The Blended Family Experience

We've addressed who it is that we prioritize during singlehood and the early stages of blending. It's time to talk about what comes first when things get serious. Getting this right for our family has not been easy, but it is without question one of our greatest achievements!

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