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 29, 2012 | Blog, Faith, Fear
This month marks the eight year anniversary of the loss of my stepchildren’s mother after a fierce battle with colon cancer. It’s always a hard month for them as they reflect on life without her. When I married my husband, I had no way of knowing such a...
by Gayla | Jul 3, 2012 | attitude, Blog, Faith, feelings, stepfamily relationships
In browsing search terms that determine how people find my blog, I notice periods of time–such as long, summer months–when stepparents reach out for help more than others. Below are some of the recent search terms listed by stepparents. Do any of these...
by Gayla | Jun 29, 2012 | Blog, boundaries, Faith, Rejection
Tears began falling down my cheeks the moment the realtor left our house. I wasn’t prepared for her insensitive comments about the home our family had enjoyed for eleven years. “It won’t sell with wallpaper on the walls. I prefer only neutral colors...
by Gayla | May 31, 2012 | Blog, Faith, Grace, stepfamily relationships, Uncategorized
I’ve been nursing a bee sting on the bottom of my foot for weeks. I ignored it at first, thinking it would heal on its own. But it hasn’t. Now, I’m annoyed at the nagging pain I feel when I’m on my feet too long. My sister suggested I...
by Gayla | May 14, 2012 | Blog, conflict, Faith, Fear, perseverance, stepfamily relationships
Over the week-end, we braved severe storms with damaging tornadoes in Central Arkansas. My family and I retreated to our “fraidy hole” more than once to seek protection from our frightful surroundings. As I listened to the blare of tornado sirens and...
by Gayla | Apr 27, 2012 | Blog, Faith, hope, stepfamily relationships, stepparenting heartache
It’s easy to trust God’s plan when the journey is easy and comfortable. But it’s much harder when the days are long and the circumstances don’t make sense. That’s the journey my husband and I found ourselves on several years ago. The...
by Gayla | Apr 24, 2012 | acceptance, attitude, Blog, Change, Faith, hope, stepfamily relationships
In honor of Mother’s Day in 2011, Heather Hetchler and I put together an e-book of encouraging stories written by stepmoms for stepmoms. We offered the book, Stepping with Purpose, to bring hope to stepmoms who often have a difficult day on Mother’s Day....
by Gayla | Apr 10, 2012 | Blog, Change, Faith, patience, perseverance, rewards of stepparenting, stepfamily relationships
Our family enjoyed a long Easter week-end with four of our five children home. As I watched our kids interact, I couldn’t help but reminisce of times past when we encountered constant bickering and conflict among them. But now, with four of our children in their...
by Gayla | Mar 20, 2012 | Blog, Faith, feelings, love, stepfamily relationships
Excerpt from Kisses from Katie: “What would cause an eighteen-year-old senior class president and homecoming queen from Nashville, Tennessee, to disobey and disappoint her parents by forgoing college, break her little brother’s heart, lose all but a...
by Gayla | Mar 15, 2012 | Blog, Faith, Grace, stepmother role
I’m posting a devotion today that I wrote for NIV devotional contest for Mom’s. Hope you find it helpful. 🙂...
by Gayla | Jan 23, 2012 | attitude, Blog, character, Faith, feelings, Finances, perseverance, Rejection, rewards of stepparenting
I had the privilege of attending the first “stepmom retreat” this week-end in Dallas, hosted by http://www.blendedandbonded.com/ with Laura Petherbridge speaking. It was a wonderful time of connecting with stepmoms from around the country, meeting stepmom...
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