It’s not always easy having what is termed a “blended,” step- or nontraditional family, where some of the family members are not related but have “blended in” from other places. For example, these might be families where a divorce or death has occurred, and now there is a stepmother or stepfather present, or stepchildren. 

However the situation evolved, the fact remains that a number of obstacles can threaten these families. Perhaps there are hurt feelings — the biological father resents the stepfather, or the stepdaughter thinks the biological daughter gets too much attention. 

But there are a number of ways to have a Godly blended family, one that thrives because it is rooted in Christ and actively and intentionally works to use Christian values and principles.

I am a part of a blended family that strives to be, above all, a Christian blended family. I am married to a wonderful man, Matt, who is the stepfather to my two children, and I am the stepmother to his two children. Today they are 13, 14, 15, and 16 years old, and when we first married they were 6, 7, 8, and 9.

I can attest that achieving a Godly blended family is not only possible but has been a genuine blessing to us in many, many ways. And for those of you not part of a blended family, these apply to traditional families, too.

Here are seven ways to have a Godly blended family:

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The father’s acknowledgment of his own weak faith and desperate plea for help is an important lesson for us today, for many of us struggle with faulty belief and trust in the only One who can possibly save us. And we can gain much from this lesson by turning to the Lord with prayers that God help us in our own faith struggles.

Today, when we face difficulties, we too might fear jeopardizing our position if we take a stand for our faith. But when we’re called to have courage and stand up for what is right, and we go about it in a way that is honorable and true like Esther did, we can be encouraged.

There are so many changes involved with growing up, and so many milestones. Whether it’s going to high school or college, getting a driver’s license, or dating, worries abound. But I try to remember that my worry won’t do anything to help. God provides for all of my needs and theirs as well.

It’s important to remember that God created humans in God’s image. Therefore, each of these personality types is, in essence, part of God’s master personality. God is all of these things and more, and together we all comprise one big multifaceted person — that is, the body of Christ.

I jokingly call myself a “recovering type-A personality,” but it’s not such a joke. By nature, I’m a fast-paced person, always on the move, on the go, driven, and achievement-oriented. I’ve been this way since childhood, and while it’s a blessing in some regards, it means I’m horrible at one very important thing: learning to rest.

Give me down-time and I’ll do my best to fill it with tasks and chores – and this creates a lot of spiritual, emotional, and physical tension within me. (Seriously: I have to put “relaxation time” on my schedule to make it a priority.)

But in the last few years, God has laid an important truth on my heart: Rest is a gift. And I’m starting to cultivating the concept of rest as a spiritual discipline.

If you’re like me and need to intentionally carve out more time for rest in your life, I offer the following six tips for embracing rest as a spiritual discipline.

You might have heard the Nicene Creed in church as part of a worship service, or been taught the words in a confirmation or Sunday school class. But what is the Nicene Creed, and can praying through it help us grow stronger in our faith?

Indeed, praying through this powerful affirmation of who God is — Father, Son, and Holy Spirit — can enable us to focus on our core beliefs in a world filled with chaos, foster unity, and develop into stronger and more focused Christians.

Here, let’s explore how to pray through the Nicene Creed.

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My friendships are going to look unique, not like what everybody else has. I need to stop expecting things will look a certain way and instead just accept things as they are. Maybe my friends and I don’t dress up and take selfies by the beach, or kick up our heels at a spa, but we have a good time, and I care about them. That’s what matters.

It’s good to go to church, to set aside a sabbath and worship the Lord, to gather with other believers so the Holy Spirit can move through the body of Christ and ignite the world through us. The early church is lifted up in Acts 2:42-47 as an example of the good way the Spirit worked through the fellowship of the believers, and this is a positive and important thing. 

People offered burnt offerings as a way to atone for their wrongdoings, to show appreciation for the Lord, and because they saw it as a way to appease God, whose wrath they feared. They hoped it would serve as a symbolic representation of their wholehearted apology for any and all things they had done wrong or would potentially offend the Lord, whether intended or not.

While the star of David doesn’t appear in the Bible nor is it advocated as an “official symbol” of Judaism, it is a meaningful representation of a faithful people and the oldest monotheistic religion in the world.

It’s common knowledge that the teenage years can be a hot mess for many families. These kids are a walking, talking whirlwind of chaos and change on so many levels. Their hormones are out of control, their biological instincts to procreate and seek independence are starting to kick in with a vengeance, they seem often hardwired to go to bed late and wake up even later, and that phrase teenage rebellion? It’s a cliché for a reason.

But the pandemic exacerbated troubles that have been brewing for a long time, and now we all have an increased awareness about mental health and young people. The number of suicides are up, and teens struggle with living their private lives in a very public sphere thanks to social media, something that can haunt them for years to come.

Often there is no easy solution when our teens are going through tremendously difficult times. 

Psychiatric medication doesn’t always work. Counselors are not always the best fit, and heavy-handed discipline — or it’s reverse, a too-permissive parenting style — can backfire

The important thing to know is that God is walking with you, your family, and your teen while you navigate this difficult season.

Here are eight things that can help when your teen is having trouble.

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If you’re a parent and grandparent worried about disturbing the people around you by bringing a potentially noisy child into worship, relax. It’s good for them, it’s good for you, and it’s good for the people around you.

There are dozens of times the number 40 is mentioned throughout the Bible, as well. For instance, Isaac was forty years old when he married Rebekah (Genesis 25:20). The Israelites wandered 40 years in the wilderness before they entered the Promised Land, something Moses said God orchestrated “to humble and test you in order to know what was in your heart, whether or not you would keep his commands” (Deuteronomy 8:2).