FamilyLife Blended® Podcast

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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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Vaneetha Risner knows the raw grief of unwanted divorce and betrayal. She gets church shame, lost identity, lingering triggers. Yet God has turned lament into deeper trust. This was never the plan, but it has forged faith. And it offers hope for yours.
Show Notes and Resources
Register for the live Blended & Blessed event in Oklahoma City
Listen to episode 130: Coping With Traumatic Events
Learn about Vaneetha and get a copy of her book, This Was Never the Plan: Walking with God Through the Heartache of Divorce
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