FamilyLife Blended® Podcast

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
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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
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Watch Carol and Gayla talk about how to cultivate a thankful heart in dark seasons on Women & Blended Families
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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
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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
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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
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List of Christian Stepfamily Therapists
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