Shift the Outsider In
September 2, 2016
00:00
“I’m such an outsider, how do I get in?”
Whether it’s feeling like a social outcast in junior high or not fitting in at church, nobody likes to be an outsider. Stepparents start their blended family journey as outsiders. They have to find belonging and acceptance. Say you’re going to play softball, but the stepparent isn’t very athletic. They’re going to look foolish and feel like they don’t belong. Instead choose an activity they can do well with the kids. Shift the outsider in because they need to connect and build memories.
Featured Offer
The 2024 Summit on Stepfamily Ministry
The 2024 Summit on Stepfamily Ministry will be hosted at The Hope Center in Plano, Texas. This two-day event on October 10 & 11 will equip you and your team to minister more effectively to blended families.
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Have you ever felt like you married the wrong person? Well, I say, you did.
When people tell me they married the wrong person, I say we all married the wrong person. You really didn’t know what you needed when you chose who you chose. Now, assuming you want to become who you need to become to love who you chose, by God’s grace, you’ll discover you married the right person. They were the wrong person for who you were, but the right person for who you are becoming in Christ. You picked better than you knew—someone who could love someone like you.
September 1, 2016
“I can’t help it, Ron. That’s just how I feel.”
As a counselor I’ve heard those words—and that excuse—countless times. But according to the Bible, what we think should determine how we act. Be transformed by the renewal of your mind, says Romans 12:2, then you’ll know what is good, acceptable, and perfect. What informs our thinking is God’s wisdom. Mistreating someone who hurts you, engaging in pornography, or bad mouthing family members are driven by feelings. Not God's truth. Want a stronger family? Let God’s wisdom determine how you act.
August 31, 2016
Sometimes, kids and parents just don’t listen.
After dating a 70 year-old man for three months Tina’s mom, age 67, announced she was getting married. Tina, her siblings, the grandchildren and his family all asked the couple to slow down, but they wouldn’t listen. Hey, if your child was making an expensive impulsive decision you’d want them to listen to you, right? Take the pulse of your family and trusted advisors. If the consensus
August 30, 2016
If you’ve ever been to a foreign country you know just what I mean. Have you ever been an outsider? In a biological family everyone is an “insider” with the privileges of being part of the family, and children naturally respect their parent’s authority and trust them. In a blended family, someone is an outsider. Stepsiblings are outsiders to each other and stepparents are outsiders to their children. This makes the stepparent’s authority easily challenged. To become a healthy blended family merge outsiders with insiders. The more you know, the better you love.
August 29, 2016
You know what a hybrid is, right? It’s when two things are combined.
August 26, 2016
“I see you judging me because my family isn’t ‘normal’ but just like you, I didn’t choose my family.”
August 25, 2016
Yes, stepfamilies are different than biological families, but God’s principles still apply.
August 24, 2016
I mean, come on. What’s so special about faith, hope, and love?
August 23, 2016
“Hey, if your kids and I can’t naturally get along then maybe we shouldn’t have gotten together in the first place. It shouldn’t have to be this much work.”
August 22, 2016
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Featured Offer
The 2024 Summit on Stepfamily Ministry
The 2024 Summit on Stepfamily Ministry will be hosted at The Hope Center in Plano, Texas. This two-day event on October 10 & 11 will equip you and your team to minister more effectively to blended families.