Not because people are busy, but because most people don’t want accountability. People shy away from the work. And in a blended family, that mistake can be expensive. The wrong friends will: • Undermine your spouse • Normalize disrespect • Encourage escape • Call dysfunction “self-care” or "boundaries" The right friends do the opposite. The right friends protect your marriage. The right friends speak truth. The right friends value covenant over comfort. Scripture is blunt about this: “He who walks with wise men will be wise, but the companion of fools will suffer harm.” Proverbs 13:20 (NASB) Your kids are watching who has access to your marriage and family. Your spouse feels the push even when you don’t notice it. And your marriage will drift, or strengthen, based on who you bring in. Choose friends who: • Honor your marriage • Respect your spouse • Tell you the truth • Are building something, not running from something Loneliness is hard. But the wrong friends are worse. Guard your circle. Your family depends on it.

Before the weekend hits, do this one thing: 👉 Speak one clear, specific word of appreciation to your spouse about how they lead your family, not feelings based, facts based. Not “thanks for everything.” Not “you’re amazing.” Something like: “I really appreciate how you stayed consistent with the kids even when it was very uncomfortable.” Why? Because respect fuels love and unity. And unity beats feelings every time. Do it today. No excuses.

They struggle because adults refuse to come together. Different parenting styles aren’t just annoying, they’re reckless. One house is structure. The other is vibes. One parent corrects. The other protects. And the kids? They don’t need therapy, they need parenting. Scripture is painfully clear on this: “If a house is divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand.” Mark 3:25 (NASB) When a blended home runs on competing authorities, children learn one thing fast: How to play mom and dad. Unity doesn’t mean you agree on everything. It means you agree on base thing, like who leads, how correction works, and what obedience looks like. “Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.” Ephesians 6:4 (NASB) Notice what Scripture doesn’t say: It doesn’t say “follow your feelings”🤢 It doesn’t say “let the kids decide” It says discipline and instruction. Discipline without unity breeds chaos. Unity without discipline breeds entitlement. And entitlement is one of the fastest ways to poison a home. “For God is not a God of confusion, but of peace.” 1 Corinthians 14:33 (NASB) If your parenting styles clash, don’t ask “What works for the kids?” Ask “What reflects order, authority, and peace under God?” Blended families don’t need softer rules. They need leadership.

I want to challenge one sentence that I've seen damage remarriages. “You knew what you were signing up for.” When people say that, what we really mean is: “This is how I am.” And underneath that is this belief: If you love me, you should just accept it. But marriage is not an acceptance contract. It is a transformation covenant. Remarriage especially. You don’t get to freeze your flaws in place and call it your personality. You don’t get to defend patterns that hurt unity because they were visible before the wedding. Growth is not optional in remarriage. And if we’re honest, sometimes we use that sentence to avoid the harder work — humility, change, and surrender. If you’ve ever said it, ask yourself: Was I protecting the marriage…or protecting myself? There’s a difference. The faster you can become self-aware, The faster you and your spouse can become one. ♥️

But what they really want is comfort. Scripture is straight about this: milk is for infants. Meat is for the mature.(Hebrews 5) Milk says: Encourage me. Meat says: Correct me. Milk wants feelings. Meat wants character. You cannot lead a marriage, a blended family, or a household on milk. Leadership requires discernment, discipline, restraint, and responsibility, and those only grow when you chew on hard truth. If every challenge feels offensive, every boundary feels hard, and every standard gets in the way, you’re not being persecuted, you’re being underdeveloped. Strong families are led by men who can digest meat. Not because it tastes good. But because it builds strength. The question isn’t just “Are you saved?" It’s also “Are you grown?”