This year has had its challenges! After stepping back for a bit I look forward to what's ahead for the listeners of Blended and those that will soon be part of the community! Back to posting podcast episodes on the 2nd and 4th Wednesday of each month and blogs will be available on the 1st and 3rd Wednesday of each month via our navigatingtheblend.com page. Stay tuned! 

Tyler Jones is a product of the blended family! While Tyler may be a man of character, faith and well accomplished professionally, he has not forgotten the moments that shaped him. The opportunity to exercise hindsight concerning his experiences is a blessing for parents so that they're reminded of the value that they possess. Tyler also reminds those that grew up in the blended family that they weren't alone, and that despite the challenges, we can identify our values and pursue better for ourselves and our families. 

Thrivent Values Worksheet

Those of us within the family unit can foster health and connection, or we can achieve the opposite. Sometimes we have to protect our family from ourselves! As parents learn to assume ownership and kids are continually supported, in spite of the challenges they present, we can cultivate something amazing in our homes. We should protect our loved ones from 'outsiders', but it's the 'insiders' that really need our attention!

If you'd like to connect for coaching or support, then please use the link below: https://calendly.com/renewyou-live/30min

Carolyn is a prime example of a new wife and step-mother making it work! She's been in those roles for just over a year, so she's in the midst of learning on the fly as well as executing the plans that they have for their family. While no blend is perfect, her early success in family may be attributed in part to her investment to health! As the COO (chief operating officer) and co-founder of Tiny Organics (tinyorganics.com), Carolyn is providing ready-to-eat meals for babies and toddlers. Listen in on the steps she's taking to create a foundation for their family! 

Follow & contact Carolyn O'Hare:  @tinyorganics (Instagram) @car0hare (Instagram) https://www.linkedin.com/in/carolynmohare www.tinyorganics.com

Our families are threatened by 'Outsiders.' That's anybody outside of our immediate family unit. We may care for and appreciate these individuals, however, our family must remain the priority. Listen in so you can use some of the criteria that determine whether we can allow someone to be intimately involved in our family, or if we may need to create some distance so that we're not compromised. It's not an easy discussion, but it's necessary! 

If you'd like to connect for coaching or support, then please use the link below: https://calendly.com/renewyou-live/30min

Melissa Miller has an enriched perspective in part due to her roles as a wife, a mother to biological children, and those that they've adopted! During the episode she spoke into the importance of preparation before making decisions, working together within a marriage, and how not to lose yourself in the midst the list of life's demands. 

Whether you want to understand your partner, or you're trying to understand where you stand as of now and how to move forward with your faith, sanity and health in tact, this one will serve you well! 

For more of Melissa's content you can order her book:  "Restful Anticipation: Finding Contentment in Seasons of Waiting" 

or the book in which she co-authored entitled:  "What Other Moms Never Told Me." 

You can also tune into the podcast that she co-hosts along with her husband Brandon Miller entitled: "Home Run At Home" 

Information withheld can be detrimental on both a personal level, as well as within our relationships. If what we bring to the light allows for us to live freely, then what are the consequences of what we keep in secret? If we want whats best for the sake of our families, then we also want transparency and the freedom tha tcomes with.