Blended families face unique battles: guilt-paralyzed bio parents, stepparents feeling threatened, ex-spouses overstepping. Ron Deal and Gayla Grace unpack traps that sabotage marriage and parenting—erase/replace mindsets, unilateral fixes, defensiveness—and show how co-parents can lean in, communicate intent, and send “no-threat” messages. When couples unite around kids, check in before ex-decisions, and prioritize long-term child good, hope, stability, and even transformation become possible.

Show Notes and Resources

• Resources for blended families familylife.com/blended
• Save the date! Blended & Blessed® is happening April 18, 2026. Find details at blendedandblessed.com
• Ron Deal & Gayla Grace on common blended family traps
• Get the Smart StepMom book on FamilyLife's shop.

• Thanks to the Christian Standard Bible for sponsoring this episode. Learn more at CSBible.com.
• Follow us on all social platforms: Facebook | Instagram | YouTube
• Find resources from our podcast at shop.familylife.com.
• Download FamilyLife's app!
• Help others find FamilyLife. Leave a review on Apple Podcast or Spotify.
• Check out all the FamilyLife's podcasts on the FamilyLife Podcast Network

See cru.org/us/en/about/privacy FamilyLife’s Privacy Policy

Grandparents and parents face heartbreak when kids walk away from faith—or when rules block spiritual talks. Dr. Crawford Loritts and Larry Fowler (Legacy Coalition) show how leaning in with persistent love, humility, gratitude, and creative prayer keeps relational doors open. Through stories, apologies, and benchmarked traditions, they reveal how small, consistent faith-filled actions can shape family legacies—even amid fractures, resistance, and messiness.

Show Notes and Resources

• Legacy Coalition is a ministry equipping Christian grandparents. Go to
  legacycoalition.com
• The Legacy Grandparenting Summit is an annual conference for Christian grandparents
  legacycoalition.com/summit
• Save the date! Blended & Blessed® is happening April 18, 2026. Find details at blendedandblessed.com

• Thanks to the Christian Standard Bible for sponsoring this episode. Learn more at CSBible.com.
• Follow us on all social platforms: Facebook | Instagram | YouTube
• Find resources from our podcast at shop.familylife.com.
• Download FamilyLife's app!
• Help others find FamilyLife. Leave a review on Apple Podcast or Spotify.
• Check out all the FamilyLife's podcasts on the FamilyLife Podcast Network

See cru.org/us/en/about/privacy FamilyLife’s Privacy Policy

Grandparents aren’t spectators—they’re hope-givers with the power to shape eternity. Dr. Crawford Loritts and Larry Fowler show how intentional grandparenting changes family legacies: sharing faith stories, praying boldly, modeling surrendered lives, and passing God’s truth across generations. Walk alongside them as they turn hard pasts into godly futures and show how every moment with grandchildren can echo through eternity.

Show Notes and Resources

• Legacy Coalition is a ministry equipping Christian grandparents. Go to
  legacycoalition.com
• The Legacy Grandparenting Summit is an annual conference for Christian grandparents
  legacycoalition.com/summit
• Save the date! Blended & Blessed® is happening April 18, 2026. Find details at blendedandblessed.com

• Thanks to the Christian Standard Bible for sponsoring this episode. Learn more at CSBible.com.
• Follow us on all social platforms: Facebook | Instagram | YouTube
• Find resources from our podcast at shop.familylife.com.
• Download FamilyLife's app!
• Help others find FamilyLife. Leave a review on Apple Podcast or Spotify.
• Check out all the FamilyLife's podcasts on the FamilyLife Podcast Network

See cru.org/us/en/about/privacy FamilyLife’s Privacy Policy

When life tips over, how do you keep trusting God? Pastor Erik Reed, author of Uncommon Trust: Learning to Trust God When Life Doesn't Make Sense, shares his family’s journey through unimaginable loss—his son’s medical tragedy, kidney transplant, and death at 15—and the daily, vulnerable faith that carried them. This episode doesn’t offer easy answers, but it shows how Scripture, surrender, and community beat a path toward wholeness.

• Show Notes and Resources
  • Get your copy of Erik's book, Uncommon Trust: Learning to Trust God When Life Doesn't Make Sense at your favorite bookstore.
  • Save the date! Blended & Blessed® is happening April 18, 2026. Find details at blendedandblessed.com
  • Thanks to the Christian Standard Bible for sponsoring this episode. Learn more at CSBible.com.
  • Follow us on all social platforms: Facebook | Instagram | YouTube
  • Find resources from our podcast at shop.familylife.com.
  • Download FamilyLife's app!
  • Help others find FamilyLife. Leave a review on Apple Podcast or Spotify.
  • Check out all the FamilyLife's podcasts on the FamilyLife Podcast Network

See cru.org/us/en/about/privacy FamilyLife’s Privacy Policy

Bitterness eats the soul like poison. Anxiety paralyzes even the strongest. Pastor Erik Reed takes listeners inside the unfiltered journey of forgiving the surgeon who ruined his son’s kidneys—including panic attacks and, in his bones, trusting God in difficult times. Walk with Erik through the Valley of the Shadow—from anger and fear to freedom and uncommon trust.

• Show Notes and Resources
  • Get your copy of Erik's book, Uncommon Trust: Learning to Trust God When Life Doesn't Make Sense at your favorite bookstore.
  • Save the date! Blended & Blessed® is happening April 18, 2026. Find details at blendedandblessed.com
  • Thanks to the Christian Standard Bible for sponsoring this episode. Learn more at CSBible.com.
  • Follow us on all social platforms: Facebook | Instagram | YouTube
  • Find resources from our podcast at shop.familylife.com.
  • Download FamilyLife's app!
  • Help others find FamilyLife. Leave a review on Apple Podcast or Spotify.
  • Check out all the FamilyLife's podcasts on the FamilyLife Podcast Network

See cru.org/us/en/about/privacy FamilyLife’s Privacy Policy

When prayers feel like they’re bouncing off the ceiling and life goes sideways—what then? Pastor Erik Reed shares the gut-punch story behind his book, Uncommon Trust—a 15-year fight for his son’s life after a devastating medical mistake. This isn’t tidy faith talk about trusting God. It’s the gritty road from “God will fix it” to “but if not.” If your faith feels white-knuckled and shaky in suffering, this conversation meets you there.

Show Notes and Resources

• Get your copy of Erik's book, Uncommon Trust: Learning to Trust God When Life Doesn't Make Sense at your favorite bookstore.

• Thanks to the Christian Standard Bible for sponsoring this episode. Learn more at CSBible.com.
• Follow us on all social platforms: Facebook | Instagram | YouTube
• Find resources from our podcast at shop.familylife.com.
• Download FamilyLife's app!
• Help others find FamilyLife. Leave a review on Apple Podcast or Spotify.
• Check out all the FamilyLife's podcasts on the FamilyLife Podcast Network

See cru.org/us/en/about/privacy FamilyLife’s Privacy Policy

Think AI is harmless? Think again. Today’s chatbots don’t just answer questions—they offer friendship, romance, even “love.” And the AI dangers aren’t loud… they’re subtle. Easy affirmation. Zero challenge. Total secrecy. On FamilyLife Today, Dave and Ann Wilson talk with Ron Deal about how AI dangers threaten marriages, kids, and faith. Before “Google God” replaces real connection, learn what’s at stake in your home.

Show Notes and Resources

• Attend a Weekend to Remember marriage getaway: Register today at WeekendToRemember.com
• Join the Blended & Blessed one-day event/livestream: register today at blendedandblessed.com
• Get your copy of The Mindful Marriage by Ron and Nan Deal on our shop

• Thanks to the Christian Standard Bible for sponsoring this episode. Learn more at CSBible.com.
• Follow us on all social platforms: Facebook | Instagram | YouTube
• Find resources from our podcast at shop.familylife.com.
• Download FamilyLife's app!
• Help others find FamilyLife. Leave a review on Apple Podcast or Spotify.
• Check out all the FamilyLife's podcasts on the FamilyLife Podcast Network

See cru.org/us/en/about/privacy FamilyLife’s Privacy Policy

Lonely? There’s an app for that. AI companions promise instant connection, zero conflict, and someone who always says the right thing. No eye rolls. No baggage. No growth either. On FamilyLife Today, Dave and Ann Wilson talk with Ron Deal about how AI companions are reshaping marriages, parenting, and emotional intimacy. Before a chatbot becomes your safest relationship, find out what’s really at stake.

Show Notes and Resources

• Save over 40% on all getaways thru 3/31! Register now at Register now at WeekendToRemember.com
• Join the Blended & Blessed one-day event/livestream: register today at blendedandblessed.com
• Get your copy of The Mindful Marriage by Ron and Nan Deal on our shop
• Set sail on the Love Like You Mean It Marriage Cruise! Now through 3/31/26, use promo code CruiseMadness27 and enjoy exclusive savings on your stateroom.

• Thanks to the Christian Standard Bible for sponsoring this episode. Learn more at CSBible.com.
• Follow us on all social platforms: Facebook | Instagram | YouTube
• Find resources from our podcast at shop.familylife.com.
• Download FamilyLife's app!
• Help others find FamilyLife. Leave a review on Apple Podcast or Spotify.
• Check out all the FamilyLife's podcasts on the FamilyLife Podcast Network

See cru.org/us/en/about/privacy FamilyLife’s Privacy Policy