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 ours...
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 lin...
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...
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...
We're celebrating our Anniversary with you, the blender fam! You guys sent in some questions and we chose to touch on eight of them for each year that we've been married. Some good stuff in this one!
Humility and authority work closely together for the sake of strengthening relationships and providing the means to function effectively in all that we do. When they are in full operation within our homes, health and prosperity are commonplace. This is no bluff! Humble authority is a treasure worth seeking and the jackpot is undeniable once you get your hands on it!
Listen in as I open up a Blended Family Support facebook page and share my two cents on some of the posts! Whether my advice was effective or not, it was a little too much fun!
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 ...
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.
Creating culture in our homes can be done with or without intention. The former is in our best interest! The family huddle is a tool that we exercise in this home that allows for us to achieve security, expectations, and hope! I strongly belive that this is something that we can benefit from in each of our homes.
Even as men, we tend to misunderstand the male perspective! We can pursue things such as the woman of our dreams, a family, and career, with great intention. All-the-while lacking the ability to communicate what we need from our loved ones along the way. Understanding his perspective is vital for himself and the health of the family unit!
A whole and healthy family absent of resistance is a dream we often aspire toward. Reality may consist of coming to a point of asking ourselves whether we made the right decision to pursue this relationship. It's okay. Most people come to this crossroad! You can be dilegent in your efforts to answer that question and arrive at the best outcome for yourself, and everyone else involved.
As parents, our authority isn't just something we use to correct our kids and enforce peace within our homes. Our authority is also vital for the sake of providing protection, security, and an example of what they can aspire toward among so many other things. Yet, we often make the mistake of compromising our authority without even knowing it. Listen in on a great conversation between the parents of the Wallace household!
None of us are exempt from difficulties. However, the way that we interpret those difficulties will leave us either stagnant, or stronger once our trial has passed. Michcell is a perfect example of an individual that wouldn't settle for the hand that she was dealt. Instead, she learned to redefine the very experiences that tried to rob her of the joy and fulfillment that she now has!
If divorce is hard on the adults, then we can safely assume that its consequences are incredible for the children involved. During this episode, Kathy Tempco recalls her experience as a child subject to her parents making this very decision. She candidly discusses some of the missteps of her parents, along with what this trying and confusing time had reaped in her own life.
As parents, we want to avoid the friend-zone at all costs! Our kids need us to fully assume our roles in their lives, as their parents ,so that they can realize their potential and purpose. If we don't function in their lives as we should, then fulfilling their potential will becomes a much more difficult task.
Episodes for Blended will be posted on the second and fourth Wednesdays of each month starting in October!
The power of celebration cannot be overstated! Spending all of our energy and focus on maintaining or preparing for the trials to come tends to work against us in the long run. Instead, we should create a culture of celebration so that we can both see the progress being made, and the incredible potential that our families are just beginning to tap into.
During this episode Tom and Kim relay their experience of working to blend their families while facing opposition from an ex spouse. Despite learning how to navigate these challenges on the fly, the health and well being of their marriage and children have remained the highest priority! Listen in on how they've gracefully overcome the odds!
You aren't the only one that is offended, trust me! If we aren't experiencing it today, then it's likely that tomorrow has something special in store. It's all about how we overcome the threat of offense and avoid the unimaginable outomes that we think are so far from our reach.
The blended family can provide the perfect soil for the seed of offense to not just grow, but flourish. This makes hesitating to ask the question 'am I offended' especially dangerous.
The divide between what culture values and healthy relationships, is only growing! Believe me, it's worth going against the grain for the sake of our relationship and the ripple effects that our bond will produce within our homes.
Whether we like it or not, culture has had a say in our idea of what relationships are, and the way that we should operate within them. Its influence has reaped division in our relationships and unfortunate outcomes. It's time to replace these unfulfilling beliefs with truth, along with the things that will ensure the success of our relationships.
Describing our relational outcomes as either a success or a failure is almost impossible apart from the emotional consequences. That same difficulty can be applied to the relationships that are present in our lives today. However, assessing what was and what is, has to be part of our process if we have any desire to be better, and/or expect better for ourselves.
The power of two individuals that come together on a mutual front can be powerful. However, this outcome is only possible as these individuals get past emotional/hormonal inspiration and function in a way that's consistent with their commitment. The impact that we have within our relationship and in our families is often times determined by whether we can continue to choose intimacy with our partner, or settle for something less.
Whether we are told something over and over, or we are simply exposed to a specific phrase over time; we can adopt these sayings as our own personal beliefs and end up suffering as a result. It's important for us to acknowledge and challenge these beliefs for our sake personally, and for the sake of our family.
The blended family and its quirks provide plenty of opportunity to grow and improve within our respective role, and as a person. This is especially the case for step-parents, and I can say that from experience! We tend to need a pep-talk and to be reminded about the things that really make the difference, so listen in on a couple of things that I've learned that continue to prove themselves useful.
Creating a blended family is a process that requires great intention. This attention to detail should exist well before dating, during a relationship that's gaining momentum, and even 10 years into a marriage relationship! Listen in as Margo recounts her experience as a single parent that wasn't going to settle for anything less than what was right for herself and her young daughter.
A step parent has the incredible opportunity to make lasting change in lives of those that they impact directly! This is achieved by operating with focus and intention on a daily basis, but just as importantly, staying on course to bring about the long term outcomes that fuel our efforts. The issues of today pale in comparison to the rewards that lie ahead of a step parent that operates with both grace and authority!
