by Gayla Grace | Feb 18, 2020 | encouragement
The Last Lecture “We cannot change the cards we are dealt, just how we play the hand.” Professor Randy Pausch spoke these words in The Last Lecture, a talk he gave at Carnegie Mellon University. He had just learned his pancreatic cancer, diagnosed a year...
by Gayla Grace | Oct 15, 2019 | Uncategorized
Happy Anniversary My husband and I celebrate 24 years of marriage this week! In the beginning, I wasn’t sure we would make it to our next anniversary. With God’s help, Randy and I learned how to navigate the turbulent waters of stepfamily life in a...
by Gayla Grace | Sep 3, 2019 | Blog, forgiveness
Over the years, I’ve spoken to numerous stepmoms dealing with rebellious stepchildren. I’ve dealt with it in my own home. When my stepson was an adolescent, he would lash out at me. Some days I wasn’t sure there was hope it would change. And there would be...
by Gayla Grace | Aug 13, 2019 | Blog, take care of yourself
They needed help. Several years ago, I spoke with two stepmoms who were covered up with too much to do and too little time to do it. They were trying to do it all by themselves. With kids at home and constant household duties, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed and...
by Gayla Grace | Jul 30, 2019 | Blog, stepfamily relationships
There are times that our thinking gets distorted or blown out of proportion. Our youngest child graduated from high school this spring and has left for college. An empty nest brings many changes. AND many memories of when Nathan was home. Almost a decade ago I was...
by Gayla Grace | Jul 16, 2019 | Blog, stepfamily relationships
“My real mom would be fine with it!” he said. Being compared to the “real mom” is not a fun thing. Yet it happens. That doesn’t have to be the end of the story with our stepchildren, though. It’s been almost a decade since it...
by Gayla Grace | Jul 2, 2019 | Blog, stepfamily relationships
I love the beauty of Summer. Flowers planted months before begin to show their delicate blooms. The effects of planting, fertilizing, and watering can be enjoyed as perfectly shaped flower petals emerge. It’s a process that requires work and patience. But the...
by Gayla Grace | Jun 18, 2019 | Blog, Waiting
It seems we have to wait for so many things. We wait on God to answer our prayers. We wait on test results to come back from the doctor. We wait for winter to end so spring can begin. We wait on a good relationship to form with our stepchildren. And on and on. But...
by Gayla Grace | Jun 4, 2019 | Blog, stepfamily relationships
Routines can be good but sometimes we have to change them up! School is out in many places across the country. If your school year hasn’t ended yet, it will soon and your normal routine will change. Several years ago I was sick with a stomach virus. My diet...
by Gayla Grace | Apr 30, 2019 | Blog, Trust
The Empty Nest Season After parenting for almost three decades, my youngest son—Nathan (an “ours” child), graduates from high school this month and my husband and I will begin empty nest. It’s an eery feeling. I was three months shy of 40 years old...
by Gayla Grace | Apr 9, 2019 | Blog, grief
She said, “I was excited…” I noticed Amber’s melancholy state when I met my friend for lunch. “I was excited about a new beginning in marriage,” she said, “but now I find myself sad more often than happy. I’m not sure...
by Gayla Grace | Mar 19, 2019 | Blog, Uncategorized
She Wants Super Stepmom Status As a stepmom for more than two decades, I’ve had countless conversations with other stepmoms desperately trying to achieve Super Stepmom status, as though there’s an end-of-the-year award. She cooks her stepchildren’s...
