134: Being a Stepparent: Is it a Blessing?
Are there blessings in blended family life? Yes! But perhaps not in the early years. In this 2023 Blended & Blessed presentation, Cheryl Shumake talks about how God gave her strength during seasons of weariness and rewarded her efforts with blessings.
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Recent FamilyLife Blended® Podcast Episodes
134: Being a Stepparent: Is it a Blessing?
Are there blessings in blended family life? Yes! But perhaps not in the early years. In this 2023 Blended & Blessed presentation, Cheryl Shumake talks about how God gave her strength during seasons of weariness and rewarded her efforts with blessings.Hosted by: Ron Deal00:00 00:00
133: Remarrying After Loss
Remarriage after widowhood carries unique challenges and unwanted transitions. But hard dynamics in the beginning can move toward bonded relationships & family unity with time & effort. Listen to Rod & Rachel Faulkner Brown discuss their family with Ron.Hosted by: Ron Deal00:00 00:00
132: Growing Up Blended: Navigating Loss
Our past affects our present. And when we experience complicated blended family dynamics as a child, we're forever changed. Listen to Scott Kedersha share with Ron Deal how his blended family upbringing has impacted his parenting and marriage as an adult.Hosted by: Ron Deal00:00 00:00
130: Coping With Traumatic Events
Trauma and suffering can impact families in unexpected ways. Joel and Vaneetha Risner share with Ron Deal the positive effects of loss and suffering and how it helped to ground their faith, trust God in deeper ways, and bond their blended family.Hosted by: Ron Deal00:00 00:00
129: Stepparent Vs Bio Parent: Seeing Conflicts Differently
Conflicts are inevitable on family journeys. Rodney and Annetta Whitney share their journey, confusing dynamics, and their light bulb moments with Ron Deal. Stepparent, if you feel like an outsider, keep having hard discussions and don't give up.Hosted by: Ron Deal00:00 00:00
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FamilyLife Blended® provides timeless wisdom and practical help and hope for blended families and those who love them. Join Ron L. Deal, LMFT, LPC as he and his guests discuss a wide variety of marriage, family, and relationship topics related to blended families.
Meet Our Host
Ron L. Deal, LMFT, LPC
Ron Deal is Director of FamilyLife Blended® for FamilyLife® and President of Smart Stepfamilies™. He is a family ministry consultant and conducts marriage and family seminars around the country; he specializes in marriage education and stepfamily enrichment. He is one of the most widely read authors on stepfamily living in the country.
Ron is author of the bestselling books Building Love Together in Blended Families: The 5 Love Languages® and Becoming Stepfamily Smart with Dr. Gary Chapman and The Smart Stepfamily: Seven Steps to a Healthy Family (and DVD series). Other books in the Smart Stepfamily Series include The Smart Stepdad, Dating and the Single Parent, The Smart Stepmom (with Laura Petherbridge), The Smart Stepfamily Marriage: Keys to Success in the Blended Family (with Dr. David Olson, which is based on the largest survey of stepcouple strengths ever conducted), a one-year devotional Daily Encouragement for the Smart Stepfamily, and The Smart Stepfamily Guide to Financial Planning (with Greg Pettys and David Edwards).
He is a member of the Stepfamily Expert Council for the National Stepfamily Resource Center and is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and Licensed Professional Counselor. Ron has extensive experience with the media and is the host of the FamilyLife Blended Podcast. His one-minute radio feature, FamilyLife Blended® Minute, can be heard daily on over 850 stations nationwide and online. In addition, he has appeared on dozens of national and international radio and TV broadcasts including The 700 Club, Fox News, ABC Nightline, WGN-TV News, FamilyLife Today, New Life Live, and Focus on the Family, and his work with stepfamilies has been covered by Today.com, ABC News.com, New York Daily News, Ladies Home Journal, and newspapers/blogs throughout the world. He has written numerous book chapters and articles for magazines including Focus on the Family, FamilyLife, ParentLife, Gospel Today, Christianity Today, and CrossWalk.com. He and his wife, Nan, have been married since 1986 and have three boys. Find resources and conference information at www.familylife.com/blended.