by Gayla Grace | May 29, 2018 | Blog, feelings, Guilt
“At the end of the day, I’m exhausted and still worried I’m not doing it right or even good enough,” said my stepmom friend, Cindy. “I struggle with guilt constantly and don’t know how to change that.” It’s easy to...
by Gayla Grace | Sep 12, 2017 | Blog, feelings, grief
I held my breath, waiting for words I didn’t want to hear. “I suggest you place your mother on hospice care. Her body has started to shut down.” The doctor looked at me compassionately, waiting for a reply. His suggestion didn’t surprise me....
by Gayla Grace | Jan 10, 2017 | Faith, feelings, forgiveness, peace, stepfamily relationships, Uncategorized
After my first marriage ended, I held onto unforgiveness. I had been mistreated and I justified my actions from a wounded soul. I didn’t want to consider how my unforgiveness contributed to my lack of peace and affected my daily walk with others and with the Lord....
by Gayla Grace | Nov 29, 2016 | Change, encouragement, feelings, stepfamily holiday tips
“Family traditions are a great way for stepfamilies to connect with one another. Family members come together and work toward a common goal in a non-threatening environment. Traditions can be as simple as making paper chains to count down the days toward...
by Gayla Grace | Aug 3, 2016 | acceptance, Blog, feelings, grief, stepmom support
A knot formed in my stomach as I watched my husband, Randy, take his suit out of the closet and pack it in the car. “I think you need to take funeral clothes too,” he said. “We don’t know what lies ahead.” I looked away as tears pooled in...
by Gayla Grace | Feb 4, 2015 | Blog, feelings, forgiveness, love
Words from the voice on the radio played over in my head, piercing my heart. “We must dare to love those who hurt us.” The hurt from my gaping wound lay open. A friend I thought I could trust had let me down. I didn’t want to consider that I should...
by Gayla Grace | Dec 16, 2014 | Blog, feelings, stepfamily holiday tips
My heart sank when my stepson told me he wouldn’t be home for Christmas–the only one of our five kids who won’t be present. As a stepmom for almost 20 years, I’ve walked through stepfamily pain on more occasions than I want to remember....
by Gayla Grace | Sep 4, 2014 | Blog, encouragement, feelings, stepfamily relationships
When I saw the title, “On Having a Mom and Stepmom: A Daughter’s Perspective,” I couldn’t help but stop and read the article. Written by a college student, Jamie Ballard, the article describes her gratitude toward her mom AND her stepmom. Here...
by Gayla Grace | Aug 20, 2014 | attitude, Blog, counseling, feelings, Rejection, rewards of stepparenting, stepparenting heartache
I recently began teaching a Sunday School class for 13-14 year-old girls at our church. Some days I wonder why I agreed to do it. Since our youngest son is the same age, I’m seeking to invest in his youth group and get to know his peer group. As I observed the...
by Gayla Grace | Aug 8, 2014 | Blog, conflict, feelings, Stepfamily Vacations, Uncategorized
I recently returned from a week long vacation with my extended family to the mountains. It was a wonderful time of relaxing and enjoying the beauty of God’s creation surrounding us. But it wasn’t a conflict-free, trouble-free vacation. They never are, are...
by Gayla Grace | Mar 18, 2014 | Blog, conflict, feelings, self control, stepfamily relationships
We all have them – maybe it’s your stepdaughter. Or your husband’s ex. Or perhaps it’s your mother-in-law. If you’re honest, there’s probably at least one person in your stepfamily who’s difficult to be around and creates...
by Gayla Grace | Feb 25, 2014 | Blog, feelings, patience, perseverance, stepfamily relationships
My son has strep throat. As he whined about his symptoms while picking at his breakfast yesterday, I didn’t want to believe him. My to-do list for the day didn’t include a trip to the doctor, a two-hour wait with screaming children sliming their germs...