FamilyLife Blended® Podcast

FamilyLife
  • 4.9 (328)
  • CHRISTIANITY
  • UPDATED SEMIMONTHLY

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.

  1. FEB 9

    183: Grief Triggers and Tender Triumphs: Happy Chaos in a Blended Family

    Grief lingers, yet love insists on living. Podcasters Justin and Kelly Walker navigate a blended family of 9 amid grief triggers and daily chaos. Hallway tributes, fire-pit conversations, and tender routines show how honoring the past fosters resilience, teaches empathy, and shapes a family that holds loss and new beginnings in a single heartbeat. Show Notes and Resources Host Blended & Blessed for FREE Get a copy of The Mindful Marriage: Create Your Best Relationship Through Understanding and Managing Yourself  The Happy Chaos Podcast Send in a donation Search Ron's upcoming events See cru.org/us/en/about/privacy FamilyLife’s Privacy Policy

    49 min

  2. JAN 26

    182: Blended and Blessed book, Building Healing through the Beatitudes

    After a scandalous start to their blended marriage, Ines Franklin and her husband Jim discovered God's grace turns broken stories into masterpieces. With raw honesty--and pulling from the richness of the beatitudes in the Bible--Ines explains core ingredients to flourishing in blended family life, with heaps of practical takeaways. What began in shame ends in her "smoothie family" of 5 kids, 10 grandkids, and redemption that shouts hope. Show Notes and Resources Order a hardback copy of The Mindful Marriage here or preorder the paperback where you get books Blended & Blessed for FREE! Look at Ron's upcoming events  Learn about Ines on her website Get a copy of Ines' book, Blended and Blessed Make a donation to FamilyLife Blended  See cru.org/us/en/about/privacy FamilyLife’s Privacy Policy

    46 min

  3. JAN 12

    181: Beauty in the Broken: A Kintsugi Approach to Blended Family Life

    Overwhelmed by blended-family brokenness? Ron Deal and Wynand Jacobs dive into the messy, unpolished reality of blended families in New Zealand. Using Kintsugi as a gospel metaphor, they explore God's power to reform shame into beauty, grief into testimony, and mistakes into stories that shine. It's a masterclass in the divine alchemy of blended family life. Show Notes and Resources Learn about FamilyLife New Zealand  Find an event on our blended map  Send a donation to further the blended ministry  See cru.org/us/en/about/privacy FamilyLife’s Privacy Policy

    37 min

  4. 12/29/2025

    180: Tinsel, Tension, Togetherness: Navigating Your Blended Family Christmas--Mike and Kim Anderson

    Holidays got your blended family feeling like a tossed salad of joy, stress, and edgy emotions? Podcast hosts and blended marriage coaches Mike & Kim Anderson bring real talk, raw truth, and restoration therapy magic. Learn how to swap pain cycles for peace, chaos for connection—and maybe, just maybe, survive a blended family Christmas with your sanity and your stepkids. Show Notes and Resources Order a hardcover copy of The Mindful Marrriage. You can pre-order a paperback version any place books are sold.  Learn about Mike and Kim  Send in a year-end gift to FamilyLife Blended  See cru.org/us/en/about/privacy FamilyLife’s Privacy Policy

    1h 1m

  5. 12/15/2025

    179: From Shock to Strength: Unplanned Pregnancy in a Blended Family

    What happens when God’s good plan lobs an unplanned pregnancy into a blended family? Jay and Tammy Daughtry chat about shock, grace, and choosing love over shame. From unfiltered Day One reactions to faith-fueled healing, they offer a blueprint for both welcoming chaos and blessing it. This episode is a must-listen for anyone ready to turn unexpected blended-family moments into hope-filled family legacies. Show Notes and Resources Ron and Nan's schedule  Learn about The Daughtrys coparentinginternational.com Unplanned Grandparenting  Give a year end gift and it will be doubled!  See cru.org/us/en/about/privacy FamilyLife’s Privacy Policy

    1h 4m

  6. 12/01/2025

    178: We Struggled to Blend. Now We Help Blended Families Thrive

    Their first Christmas nearly broke them. Five kids, two parenting styles, zero prep. But Scott and Deana Thayer didn’t quit—they built a blended family from mismatched traditions, co-parenting chaos, and grace-fueled grit. As a couple now helping blended families thrive, the Thayers share hard-won wisdom, church-sized challenges, and the “95/5” rule that saved their sanity. Blending isn’t easy—but it’s worth every messy, beautiful step. Show Notes and Resources Gift a copy of Gayla's new devotional, Beautifully Blended  Access the free Smart Stepfamily Series Look for a small group online  Blended & Blessed is April 18, 2026  Find a qualified counselor for your marriage and family  Support FamilyLife Blended  See cru.org/us/en/about/privacy FamilyLife’s Privacy Policy

    59 min

  7. 11/17/2025

    177: Gary Chapman: Keys to a Successful Marriage

    What if your marriage pivoted on three humble questions? Dr. Gary Chapman—yes, the Five Love Languages guy—gets real about early struggles, foot-washing humility, and how servant-hearted love transformed his 64-year marriage. Blended families, take heart: Far from fluff, these are faith-fueled, grit-tested keys to a successful marriage--as well as messy love, lasting connection, and conflict that doesn’t destroy. Find real talk, deep grace, and hope you can hold onto. Show Notes and Resources Order a copy of Gary and Ron's book, Building Love Together  Access blended resources and sign up for our free newsletter  Meet Ron and Nan in person at a speaking event! RonDeal.org Discover your love language, learn more about Dr. Chapman, or get a copy of his new book, A Simple Guide for A Better Marriage 5lovelanguages.com Make a tax deductible donation  See cru.org/us/en/about/privacy FamilyLife’s Privacy Policy

    40 min

  8. 11/03/2025

    176: How to Help Kids Cope with Divorce and Remarriage

    Divorce…hurts. But for kids caught in the middle, it can feel like the world has split in two. How can you help kids cope with divorce and remarriage? Summer Butler, creator of Blended: Navigating Life Between Two Homes, cracks open a healing workbook for kids juggling two homes, big feelings, and confusing rules. Hear her raw story, then discover how drawing, writing, and boundary-setting can bring clarity, comfort—and even joy. Show Notes and Resources Learn about Summer, and get her workbook, BLENDED, Navigating Life Between Two Homes www.blendedbookco.com Search for virtual groups  Get the 2025 Summit All-access digital pass  Order a copy of The Mindful Marriage  Make donation to FamilyLife Blended  The next Smart Stepfamily Therapy training  See cru.org/us/en/about/privacy FamilyLife’s Privacy Policy

    51 min
See All (182)

4.9
out of 5
328 Ratings

About

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.

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