The power of prayer is never stronger than in the heart of a stepmom. Faced with overwhelming odds and impossible situations, she seeks comfort and wisdom, courage and solace, and she finds it in the Lord God. She sees tough challenges all around, but she sees her Lord always closer, always holding her tight, helping her build the life she wants. This Book of Prayer will guide you, Stepmom, through your fears and doubts, help you deal with anger and despair, strengthen you with honesty and understanding, and connect you with the joy and gratitude that is a part of your life despite all interferences. You'll find here the safe return to the sacred place the Lord provides, so that you can be the stepmom you want to be and the daughter of God you were born to be. A stepmom needs a warm hug every day, and it's here in these pages. Start your journey of strength and peace here, today. You're not alone. Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult, but with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing. (1 Peter 3:9)

Each member has their own unique place in a family. Ron Deal explores the myth of the "blended" family offering practical, realistic solutions for stepfamilies.

The stepmother's role often is ambiguous and underappreciated, and frequently it carries unrealistic expectations. The book answers women's concerns and questions, including: How can I be a caretaker and a key emotional connector in the family if the children don't accept my influence? How shoud I cope with children who are confused about their family and torn between loyalty to their biological mother and me? When should I step back in conflicts and when should I insist that my husband stand up for me? In addition it addresses the spiritual and emotional climate of the home, providing perspective and guidelines to help stepmothers and their families thrive.

These devotions provide companionship, encouragement, understanding, and biblical insights from a veteran stepmom. This trusted resource will help you gain strength, wisdom, and comfort as you navigate the rocky terrain of creating a blended family. You will learn how to: Trust a loving God when the kids do not. Find unity in your new marriage and parenting through grace and understanding. Explore your worth in Christ amid rejection. Gain confidence in the stepparent role as you take on the armor of God. Persevere through challenges and obstacles toward healthy, thriving relationships. Each devotion begins with Scripture along with an encouraging thought for the day and closes with prayer.

Annarino explores the increasingly common yet rarely examined connections between stepmothers and stepdaughters, offering candid real-life stories of these relationships.

While resources abound for stepmothers, stepfathers are often left to travel a difficult road without clear directions. Ron Deal offers advice for men navigating the stepfamily minefield, including how to connect with stepchildren, being a godly role model, how to discipline, dealing with the biological dad, and keeping the bond strong with one's new spouse. He gives perspective on what the kids are going through and why things don't work the same as in a biological family. The Smart Stepdad provides essential guidelines to help stepfathers not only survive but succeed as both dad and husband.

As a young bride, Jennifer Smith couldn’t wait to build her life with the man she adored. She dreamed of closeness, of being fully known and loved by her husband. But the first years of marriage were nothing like she’d imagined. Instead, they were marked by disappointment and pain. Trapped by fear and insecurity, and feeling totally alone, Jennifer cried out to God: What am I doing wrong? Why is this happening to us? It was as if a veil had descended between her and her husband, and between her and God—one that kept her from experiencing the fullness of love. How did Jennifer and her husband survive the painful times? What did they do when they were tempted to call it quits? How did God miraculously step in during the darkest hour to rescue and redeem them, tearing down the veil once and for all? The Unveiled Wife is a real-life love story; one couple’s refreshingly raw, transparent journey touching the deep places in a marriage that only God can reach. If you are feeling disappointment or even despair about your marriage, the heart-cry of this book is: You are not alone. Discover through Jennifer’s story how God can bring you through it all to a place of transformation.

Prayers to guide your journey of raising kids in a complicated world. In an age of distraction and overwhelm, finding the words to meaningfully pray for our children--and for our journey as parents--can feel impossible. Written with warmth and welcome, To Light Their Way gives voice to your prayers when words won't come. Filled with more than 100 modern liturgies, this book guides you into an intentional conversation with God for your children and the world they live in. From everyday struggles like helping your child find friends or thrive in school to larger issues like praying for a brighter world rooted in peace and truth, these pleas and petitions act as a gentle guide, reminding us that while our words may fail, God never does. At the core of To Light Their Way is the deepest of prayers: that our children will experience the love of God so deeply that their lives will be an outpouring of love that lights up the world.

In Stepparenting the Grieving Child, Diane Ingram Fromme shares the assumptions and presumptions, steps and missteps that occurred within her own stepfamily. Diane faced the key challenges any new stepparent to grieving children experiences, including helplessness to know how and when to offer comfort, awkwardness to identify the times and ways to memorialize the lost parent, and outsider blues--not only feeling uncomfortable in her own home but also in her own skin. With personal examples, insights from other stepfamilies, and knowledge gained through experience and research, Diane provides information relevant to anyone who supports grieving children. Diane's straightforward approach will help you: Gain a more relaxed mindset toward stepparenting through grief Learn meaningful ways to include and memorialize the lost parent Help the natural parent claim his or her role in the grieving family In Stepparenting the Grieving Child you'll find hope, strength, and inspiration for the journey ahead, no matter where you are now.

There were three things food writer Robin Davis promised she would never do: she would never move back to Ohio, she would never get married, and she would never join an organized religion. Never say never—today, Davis is a recent transplant to the Midwest wife and stepmother, and converted Catholic. In Recipe for Joy, she shares her stories of food, faith, and family life, and discovers that “food” is the language she can speak when stepping into unfamiliar territory. Recipe for Joy tells Davis’s story of recognizing God’s plan, doubting it, and then discovering why God’s plan is her newfound path. The stories in Recipe for Joy are grouped by themes based on the courses of a meal, and each chapter ends with a recipe inspired by the theme. Recipe for Joy reveals that food and faith can go hand in hand and that God uses people (and some really good meals) to bring us into a closer relationship with God.