A Home Built from Love & Loss

Grieving is part of every blended family.

Sabrina and her new husband were both widowed when their families blended, so grieving was expected. They recognized the losses suffered in their families would take time to heal. What they have since learned is that every blended family experiences grieving―whether you are widowed or divorced. And the process usually takes longer than expected. Sabrina vulnerably shares her personal experiences and struggles, revealing her mistakes and fears that she had early on in her new marriage and with her new family. In A Home Built from Love and Loss, you’ll learn to work through different parenting styles as a stepmother or stepfather; parent kids in different ages and stages of development (hormones, personalities, and power dynamics); compassionately address chaos and hurt feelings together and independently; deal with feelings of guilt; handle initial rejection from stepchildren; glean biblical wisdom on how to do life together with grace; connect better on an emotional level with your newly-formed family while keeping traditions that have grounded your family; and honor the bereaved or divorced spouse. For anyone facing the challenges of blended families, A Home Built from Love and Loss offers practical advice and spiritual guidance to find hope in the midst of grief.

1. Opening Credits
2. Dedication
3. Introduction
4. Chapter 1: Two Funerals and a Wedding
5. Chapter 2: Loss in Death, Loss in Remarriage
6. Chapter 3: Remarriage and Wet Fish
7. Chapter 4: Myths and Fears in Blended Families
8. Chapter 5: The Invisible Family Member
9. Chapter 6: A Different Kind of Parenting
10. Chapter 7: Parenting and Guilt
11. Chapter 8: Helping Kids Process Emotion
12. Chapter 9: Home for the Holidays
13. Chapter 10: Handling Rejection: When Kids Don't Want to Blend
14. Chapter 11: A New Identity
15. Chapter 12: Broken Can Be Beautiful
16. Closing Credits