Nuggets of Encouragement for YOU as a Stepparent

As part of the book launch for my newly-released book, Stepparenting With Grace, readers submitted their favorite quotes from the book. It was fun to see the varied themes and encouragement sprinkled throughout the book that readers chose.

Here are a few favorite quotes straight from the book:

“I couldn’t force my stepchildren to allow me in their inner circle. But I could commit to take care of myself in the midst of it… On hard days, I invited God’s presence into my loneliness. I found courage to move through rejection by reminding myself that God loved me unconditionally.”

“Stepchildren carry a lot of power in remarriage. They can easily divide a relationship when allowed that advantage. Frequent dialogue between a couple is imperative to maintaining unity. Sparks might fly at times, but that doesn’t indicate failure. Disharmony is normal, particularly during the early years; but we must attack the problem, not our partner, in the midst of it.”

“We teach our children how to treat us through how we respond to their behavior.”

“We can trust God, even when we don’t understand His plan.”

“To live in contentment requires that we allow our minds to be controlled by the Spirit, not our fleshly desires.”

“We live in a fallen world with imperfect people. When others fail us, we have to forgive and move on. The Lord Jesus Christ remains faithful.”

“We need God’s help to love and accept differences with our stepchildren, particularly when they go down roads we wouldn’t choose. Different personalities create desires unlike ours. We can’t dictate the beat our stepchildren march to; instead, we must allow them to follow the music they hear.”

“God’s love can transform relationships. It’s perfect, all-encompassing, faithful, enduring, redeeming, sacrificial, grace-filled, unconditional, and so much more. It offers mercy when we fail; it gives hope to keep going.”