Is it possible to have a step-family that genuinely gets along and enjoys each other? Listen as Ron Deal joins the program to talk about the joys and challenges of blending a family and what happens when God is the foundation of the home.
“There’s curve after curve after curve in the road for blended families. This ‘trusting God’ thing is about everything in life that we face. We need to be people of compassion and mercy and grace rather than judgment.”
Susie and Ron unpack:
• The stigma attached to divorce.
• Why the church needs to stand with step-families instead of throw stones at them.
• How to carefully heal from one relationship before considering a remarriage. “Time is your friend if you’ll let it be your friend. When you slow down, you give the Holy Spirit an opportunity to bring some healing to your heart and it puts you in a better place to make decisions about your future and gives you objectivity. When you speed up, you run the risk of alienating your kids.”
• How to “crock pot” your family, instead of blend it.
• Prioritizing your marriage while balancing the needs and feelings of the children involved.
• Overcoming the “ghost of marriage past.”
What are some things to look for when you’re moving into a new relationship?
• Pay attention to two things – how you function as a couple and how you function as a family.
• Dating a person who has a contentious relationship with an ex-spouse. “When you marry a person, you marry everything that they bring with them. Be very aware of what the ripples are going to be in your life. You can’t be so focused on the individual that you miss the entire package.”
• Unresolved issues involving your children and your ex-spouse.
Key Scriptures: Proverbs 3:5-6
Featured Songs: My Lighthouse by Rend Collective; Here I Am by Jeremy Camp; Center of It by Chris August
