Sep 18, 2018
Brian Mayer talks about how important community and reaching out to others is when it comes to remarriage and blended families. We hope you enjoy today’s episode. For more information and additional resources please visit our website at http://www.theremarriedlife.com
Today's Goodies
- Being in community with others who have experienced or are currently experiencing a remarriage and blended family can be so important to the health of your own marriage and family.
- Often we try to work on our remarriage and parenting in a vacuum when it may be necessary to ask for help. There really is no need to try to do it alone especially when blended of families is so difficult. You may be aware but remarriages that involve children on one or both sides end in divorce about 66% of the time.
- Let’s talk about the importance of community.
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- Amish – Barn Raising is a great example of the community coming together to produce a vital asset for the family. To build a barn, one family typically would not have enough ability to produce the labor necessary to build a barn so an entire community would pitch in to help. Often this task can be completed in one day with the right amount of help.
- The concept of insurance was built on the need for a community of people to pool monetary resources in order to help the few who may experience a loss due to fire, and water or other disaster. By contrast, one person would not be take on the cost to build a home on their own.
- Multi-generational homes are another example where grandparents, parents, and children all may live together. In many cases, childcare or rearing may be to some degree with the parents and grandparents especially if the parents have careers that may cause them to travel or work long hours.
- The bible also talks about the importance of gathering together in the book of Hebrews. “And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.” Hebrews 10:24-25. This meeting together causes us to encourage and be encouraged to keep pushing to keep persevering through the trials of life.
- When it comes to assembling with others this is so very important in the life of a blended family. In fact I would say it is even more vital for remarrieds due to the difficulty that is faced with blended properly. So what are some ideas to get support.
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- Find one family who is also remarried and has kids of similar ages. Connect with that family by doing things together in 3 ways. Those ways include connecting as an entire family unit, connecting as couples to share ideas and get support and finally share babysitting and/or having older children be able to spend the night with other kids that are going through the same issues.
- Check out a website like meetup.com which may have a group in your area for remarried couples and/or blended families. Use search terms like remarriage, divorce, blended family, or stepfamily to help in your search. If you find a group that works, then check it out. Most group leaders don’t look for a commitment right away, so just ask and don’t be afraid to check it out.
- Finally, the Remarried Life Facebook Group is an excellent way to connect with others who are working on remarriage and blended family journeys. Facebook groups are an excellent way to easily connect and ask questions. So face to face meetings have the ability to deepen a connection, facebook groups have the ability to create support that while may not be as deep make up for it with ease.
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- Find the Remarried Life Facebook here in the show notes. Click on the link below to join. The show notes are located at www.theremarriedlife.com/session59
- You can also do a search in Facebook for The Remarried Life. Look for the black roof and orange trees in the logo.
- Make sure you say Hi to me after you join!
- Let’s make it a point to help each other the stop continued increased divorce rate for those that have been remarried at least a 2nd time.