by Gayla Grace | Jul 6, 2016 | Blog, encouragement, expectations, stepfamily relationships
I sat by my phone anxiously, watching every text that came across. My niece was having a baby, and I wanted to know the details. Was it a boy or a girl? What was the name? How big? How was my niece doing? So many questions. The answers were slow to come. And then a...
by Gayla Grace | Dec 16, 2015 | Blog, expectations, stepfamily holiday tips
The countdown to Christmas is upon us. How are you doing? Are you surviving the hustle bustle or looking for ways to flee from the chaos? Blended families have unique challenges that make holidays complicated and often stressful. But we don’t have to give into...
by Gayla Grace | May 7, 2014 | acceptance, Blog, expectations, stepmother role
If there’s one holiday that stepmoms would rather not celebrate, it’s Mother’s Day. It can be a hard day because we’re reminded of the time and energy we invest in our stepchildren’s lives with little or no reward. And if our stepchildren do try to show their...
by Gayla Grace | Apr 1, 2014 | acceptance, Blog, expectations, wedding
I’m including a guest post today from Holly Robinson, author of a new novel that comes out today, April 1st — Beach Plum Island. As a mom and stepmom herself, Holly offers some great tips on making your second wedding a success with the kids. Leave a...
by Gayla Grace | Oct 8, 2013 | Blog, expectations, outsider
My oldest daughter left for Mozambique, South Africa in May of this year, just a few days after completing her teaching degree. At 23 years old, she wanted to explore a long-term missions opportunity before she committed to a teaching job back home. She will be there...
by Gayla Grace | Sep 11, 2013 | Blog, expectations, feelings, Grace, love
If you’ve been married or living with a stepchild longer than six months, I’m sure you recognize the truth in this statement. As much as I wish it to be true, loving a stepchild doesn’t happen naturally. I talk to stepparents every day and I hear...
by Gayla | Mar 7, 2013 | attitude, Blog, conflict, expectations, patience, Stepfamily Vacations
Throwing family members together for an extended period of time can wreak havoc on even the most stable family. For a fragile stepfamily, it can be a recipe for disaster. So if you’re headed out for an adventure with your stepfamily, take along a few tools to...
by Gayla | Jan 22, 2013 | Blog, expectations, hope, patience, stepfamily relationships, stepmother role, Uncategorized
As I listened to my husband on the other end of the phone with his daughter, I knew something bad had happened. He handed the phone to me and said, “She wants to talk to you.” Through tears, my stepdaughter, Adrianne, relayed that her boyfriend of six...
by Gayla | Oct 2, 2012 | Blog, conflict, expectations, Faith, feelings, stepparenting heartache, Uncategorized
I sent my son to bed last night with consequences for his lack of obedience on a homework issue. He wasn’t happy with me and barely said good night as I left his room. But as his mom, seeking to raise a responsible young man, I knew I needed to address the...
by Gayla | Aug 15, 2012 | attitude, Balance, Blog, expectations, Prayer, stepparenting choices
Our youngest son started middle school last week as a 6th grader and has had some intimidating moments at his new school. He started off in the wrong classroom for homeroom but didn’t discover it until the teacher called roll. He left to go to the correct...
by Gayla | Mar 8, 2012 | Blog, Change, character, expectations, feelings, hope, peace, stepfamily relationships, surrender
“Mom I have mono. The doctor thinks I’ve had it six or seven weeks. He says I might need to quit my job so I can finish out the school semester while trying to get well.” My daughter’s words were distressing. A 21-year-old college student...
by Gayla | Mar 1, 2012 | Blog, counseling, expectations, hope, perseverance, rewards of stepparenting, stepfamily relationships, stepparenting choices, successful stepparenting
My husband, Randy, and I leave tomorrow to travel to Little Rock to run the Little Rock marathon on Sunday. The picture below is after last year’s race – Randy is on the left. Randy posted a faster time last year than his previous four marathon events....
