Help From the Intentional Living Center
Three Essentials for Blended Families
by Dr. Randy Carlson But your marriage can thrive with some hard work and attention to your relationship and to defining the different roles that need to be played. Here are three essentials to help you be successful:Get expectations out on the table.
Start by learning as much as you can about your spouse’s past and, specifically, what really went wrong in previous marriages. Be honest about your own past relationship problems, and make sure those issues have been dealt with. Then put those things behind you and look ahead.Parents take the lead.
The biological parent must be the primary enforcer of discipline with their children. The other spouse is to be supportive of the biological parent, not argumentative or disagreeable in front of the children.Clarify new roles and develop a shared vision.
Stand closely shoulder-to-shoulder in developing this vision. There are going to be many forces coming against you. Be unified in love and hope for your future. Plus, one characteristic I’ve often observed in a strong marriage is that the parents actively impart their faith in God to their children. I encourage couples to explore their spiritual lives openly and boldly.Today’s Guest
Michelle Borquez

Today’s Intentional Living Center Resource
Get Out of Your Own Way
Comedian Flip Wilson used to say, “the devil made me do it!” And it’s so true that Satan is our adversary. Yet, we’re our own battle, our biggest challenge. Explore the book of James with Dr. Randy in this full-length audio teaching. You’ll discover that there are three steps to getting out of our own way- Renewing of our mind
- Renewing of our hearts and
- Renewing of our behavior.