Blended - Navigating The Blended Family Experience

Redefining Adversity w/Michcell England

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! 

What Our Kids Need - Peace During The Holidays

The average person associates family, fun and food when it comes to holidays. However, these moments can be full of strife for blended families for countless reasons. However, even in the face of those challenges, our priority should be to create peace and fulfillment for our kids during times of celebration. 

The Collateral Damage of Divorce w/Kathy Tempco

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. 

What Our Kids Need: A Parent, Not A Friend

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. 

What Our Kids Need: Children Are People Too

Our children require so much in order for us to raise them up as healthy and capable individuals. Although they've been assigned to our care, by no means are they our property. Appreciating their real-life process and giving them them a small seat at the table as their parents lead the way, can and will make all the difference in their lives. 

What's Next For 'Blended'

Episodes for Blended will be posted on the second and fourth Wednesdays of each month starting in October! 

Don't Forget To Celebrate!

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. 

Relationships - "Them vs. Us" w/Tom & Kim Walpole

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! 

Relationships - I Am Offended!

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. 

Relationships - Are You Offended?

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. 

Relationships - The Counter-Culture Relationship

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. 

Relationships - The Influence of Culture

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.  

The Influence of Culture

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.  

Relationships - Success, or Failure?

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.  

Relationships - Keep Choosing

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. 

Beliefs That Cripple Us

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. 

Step Parenting - What I've Learned

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. 

How We Got Blended - w/Margo Wallace

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. 

Step Parenting - The Long Game

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! 

Step Parenting - Being "The Other"

Battling the idea of being "the other" isn't a foreign experience to the step-parent. Feeling like an outsider looking in, and confusion concerning our roles, are just a couple of the obstacles we face that only affirm this very challenging narrative. However, as challenging as this mental foothold may be, it is possible to fulfill our role as a partner and parent with excellence despite any circumstance that may attempt to suggest otherwise! 

Step Parenting - Do Your Homework

As a step-parent hopeful or someone dating a single parent, it's necessary that we do our homework and find out if we fit for them, and they for us. Much is at stake when we enter into this process so answering those big picture questions should be a must before moving forward. 

The Weight of Opportunity

The impact that we have as parents is incredible! Whether that impact will be for their good, or to their detriment, depends on what we do with the opportunities that we're given every day. 

Handling Insecurity

Count The Cost Pt. 2: Assert Your Value

If you don't assert your value, then your value will be assigned.  Before engaging in another dating relationship, single parents should allow significant time to heal, learn from mistakes, be attentive to child(ren), and re-establish their value.  Tools that can be used to assert value: 1. Behavior: Actions identify values.  2. Communication: Clarity concerning what the expectation is and what won't be accepted.  3. Progressive Work: Being in pursuit of something and heading in a...

Count The Cost

Counting the cost is the process of honestly and unselfishly gauging whether someone is willing and able to pursue a relationship with the intent to create a healthy, functional blended family.  A single parent cannot perfectly determine whether someone is entirely prepared for that commitment and ready to do the work to make it work over time. However, there are some indicators that could provide clarity concerning readiness: 1. Behavior - actions and daily conduct over time 2. Commun...

Departing From The Ex

Ending a relationship with your child's mother/father is one of the most difficult decisions that someone will ever make. Even if that relationship is full of abuse and dysfunction. This was the decision that Margo had to make for her sake, and the sake of her young daughter. When to know enough is enough. Figuring out how to follow through with your conviction; and then facing the reality of how you got here, are all things that she had to face.

Departing From The Ex - w/Margo Wallace

Ending a relationship with your child's mother/father is one of the most difficult decisions that someone will ever make. Even if that relationship is full of abuse and dysfunction. This was the decision that Margo had to make for her sake, and the sake of her young daughter. When to know enough is enough. Figuring out how to follow through with your conviction; and then facing the reality of how you got here, are all things that she had to face.

Know Your Role

It's essential that we identify, assume, and function within a specified role. We need a standard to operate from! It is our job to hold ourselves accountable and we should invite those within our family to hold us accountable to that expectation as well. Upon realizing where we are needed, we can then determine how to be most effective!

The State of the Family

The health of the family unit is trending in the wrong direction, and blended families are even worse off.  Marriage (the pinnacle of human relationship)  - 50% of marriages end in divorce  - 75% of divorcees remarry (60% of those marriages end in divorce - the percentage increases with more marriages)  Marriage has been diluted and it is affecting all levels of relationship: - Friendships: underestimating the power of influence  - Dating: Tends to be driven by sex, status and sati...

What is family?

'What is family?'  Families need to answer this question to establish a strong foundation and direction for each individual and the family as a whole.  Society is a reflection of the condition of its families:  - Family impacts those within the family  - Those within the family impact people in their circles  - People in the circles impact their own families and circles make up the community  - The collection of communities is what makes up society  Dr. Myles Munroe message: ht...

Intro To 'Blended'

Intro to Jeremiah Born in Chicago / Raised in San Diego / 31yrs old  Interests: Jesus / Seeing people become their best  Why Blended Exists:  - Personal experience within my blended family and the lack of existent information/support available  - Both the good and the bad stories that come about as a result of the blended family dynamic  Goal Of The Podcast:  - To see blended families thriving  - Providing support, information and encouragement for anyone navigating the blended f...