Blending a family isn’t a Hallmark montage. It’s a minefield of hurt feelings, mixed loyalties, and second-guessing...everything. Debbie Alsdorf shares hard-won “do-overs” from 36 years as a stepmom—what she got wrong, what she’d never repeat, and what actually helped a fractured family slowly become one. From Debbie's book, Beyond the Brady Bunch, this stepmom advice skips fantasy and deals with real life.

Show Notes and Resources

• Access blended resources familylifeblended.com
• Give to Familylife Blended directly 
• Watch the show, Renewed Hope for the year, on Women & Blended Families 
• Read Debbie's article, "10 Things I Would Do Over as a Stepmom" 
• More about Debbie and her ministry 

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"God hates divorce": you’ve heard it, maybe felt crushed by it. Cheryl Shumake joins Ron Deal and Gayla Grace to pull apart what Malachi 2 really says—and what it doesn’t. If you’ve felt judged, stuck, or sidelined by church talk, this conversation meets you there and pushes toward truth, clarity, and hope without easy answers.

Show Notes and Resources

• Blended family resources familylifeblended.com
• Give to Familylife Blended directly
• Blended ministry certificate 
• Start a stepfamily ministry 

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You thought you were rebuilding after sexual betrayal—whether from this marriage or the previous—but something still feels off: Distance. Triggers. Questions you can’t shake. Authors Matthew and Joanna Raabsmith get brutally honest about how betrayal trauma, perhaps from sexual addiction, porn, affairs, or other sources, affects your brain, your body, your marriage...and why quick fixes don’t stick. From their book, Building True Intimacy, Matthew and Joanna map a slower, sturdier path forward when trust feels shattered.

Show Notes and Resources

• Find a Mindful Marriage event and small group in your state 

• Access blended resources familylifeblended.com

• Learn more about The Raabsmiths 

• Look through the list of Smart Stepfamily Therapists 

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You raised them right—so why does it feel like you’re losing them? Jim Burns steps into the ache parents don’t say out loud: regret, distance, and the fear you blew it. Drawing from When Your Adult Child Strays, he gets real about what to do when pushing harder only pushes them away—and what actually keeps the door open.

Show Notes and Resources

• Email us [email protected]
• Learn about Jim, Homeword, and get his book, When Your Adult Child Strays 
• Give a tax-deductible gift 
• Ron's speaking schedule 

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Father’s Day feels weird, or even stings, when the chair at the table is empty—or when your stepkids pull back because they’re still hurting. Ron Deal talks with the widowed and remarried Brian and Debbie Doyle--about grief, holidays, and blending families with adult children. If you’ve ever worried about stepping in or stepping too hard, this conversation gives you permission to move with patience, empathy, and faith.

Show Notes and Resources

• Free blended resources 
• Look for a live or virtual small group to join 
• Iron Sharpens Iron 
• Get the Smart Stepdad or The Smart Stepmom 
• Give a donation to help strengthen blended families 
• List of Smart Stepfamily Therapist Providers 

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Mother’s Day can sting when your story didn’t turn out like you planned. Maybe that looks like wayward kids. Courtrooms. Even prison sentences. And silence where relationship used to be. Ron Deal talks with author Carol Kent about loving a son serving life in prison—and finding faith when the worst actually happens. If you’re carrying shame, regret, or heartbreak as a mom or stepmom, this conversation sits with you in it—and refuses to let despair win.

Show Notes and Resources

• Use blended resources for free! 
• Watch Carol and Gayla talk about how to cultivate a thankful heart in dark seasons on Women & Blended Families 
• Learn about Carol and her ministry 
• Donate $5.00 or more to help Jason's ministry to other inmates 
• Support the work at FamilyLife Blended 
• Enroll in the certificate program in Blended Family Ministry 

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Loss shattered you; remarriage after widowhood humbles you amid trauma, blending families, and recurring developmental grief. If comparison, unmet expectations, or past pain threaten your marriage and home, listen in. Daniel and Brittany Brooker (Refuge Widowers) share Scripture-soaked wisdom, practical strategies, and hope to redeem brokenness for God’s glory.

Show Notes and Resources

• Our events, small groups, and ministry map 
• Learn about Daniel's ministry 
• Learn about Brittany's ministry 
• FamilyLife Blended resources 
• Give a gift to FamilyLife Blended ministry 

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If you were growing up in a blended family, you knew the drill—new houses, new rules, new “normal” every few years. And now you’re the parent, wondering what stuck and what still stings. Ron Deal talks with Barna's Micah Scharchburg about growing up in family chaos—and why your story doesn’t have to define your kids’ future. If you’ve ever asked, “Did that mess me up?” or "Am I messing up my kids?" this conversation meets you right there—and points you forward.

Show Notes and Resources

• Get a Blended & Blessed All Access Pass blendedandblessed.com
• Blended resources for you 
• Learn about Barna 
• Ron's speaking schedule RonDeal.org

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Meet Matt and Kari Perkins, widowed parents who blended a family of seven after deep loss. They know you don’t “get over” loss—you grow with it. Find honest hope for grieving parents and blended families as you form a future without erasing the past.

Show Notes and Resources

• Learn more about Matt and Kari, and the Grief to Growth Pathway 
• You still have time to register for Blended & Blessed! 
• List of Christian Stepfamily Therapists 

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You’re not crazy. Blended family life is complicated—and sometimes it feels like you’re fighting battles that started long before this marriage. Old fears. Ex-spouses. Money tension. Kid loyalty binds. Ron Deal and Gayla Grace name the “ghosts” haunting stepfamilies—and why you lean out when you meant to lean in. If you’re tired of walking on eggshells, this one will feel uncomfortably familiar—in the best way.

Show Notes and Resources

• Watch Women & Blended Families 
• Attend Blended & Blessed for free this year! 
• Get the All- Access didgital pass from previous Blended & Blessed years 
• Listen to the podcast with Dr. Juli Slattery 
• Get your copy of The Mindful Marriage 

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