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.

They grow strong because two adults decide, over and over, to stay anchored. Progress in a blended home is usually quiet. It looks like choosing unity. It looks like consistency. It looks like leadership. If you’re doing the right things and wondering why it still feels slow, good. That means you’re building something real, not something fragile. Healthy blended families aren’t built on feelings. They’re built on commitment, clarity, and the daily decision to protect the marriage first. Stay steady. What you’re building matters.

They fall apart because no one is willing to lead. Most couples think the goal is peace. It's not. The goal is order. Peace is a byproduct of order, not the other way around. In blended families, “keeping the peace” usually means: - Not correcting a child when you should - Letting resentment stack up quickly and quietly - Avoiding hard conversations because they're uncomfortable That’s not peace. That’s deferred damage. Leadership in a blended family looks like this: - Choosing clarity over comfort - Making decisions that protect the marriage first - Saying what needs to be said before bitterness takes root Scripture is clear on this, whether people like it or not: “For God is not a God of confusion, but of peace.” — 1 Corinthians 14:33 (NASB) Notice the order: not confusion → peace, not “avoid tension → hope for peace.” If your home feels tense, chaotic, or emotionally exhausting, don’t ask: "What did we do wrong?” Ask: “Where did we stop leading?” Blended families don’t need softer boundaries. They need stronger ones, applied with love and consistency. That’s how trust is rebuilt. That’s how safety is restored. That’s how peace actually shows up. If this hit close to home, you’re not broken. You’re just being invited to lead again.

Blended family peace doesn’t come from trying harder to keep everyone happy. That’s the myth that exhausts marriage. Peace comes from order. A marriage-centered home is not unloving. It's stable and grounded. Stability is what children actually nee, even when they resist it. When the couple bond is weak, kids feel it, and expose it. When the couple bond is strong, kids lean into it, even if they complain first. Scripture never tells husbands and wives to build the home around the children. It tells them to become one and lead together. That doesn’t mean ignoring kids. It means refusing to let emotions run the house. If your home feels tense, chaotic, or divided, ask this honest question: “Is our marriage leading… or reacting?” Sunday is a good day to realign the order. Strong marriage first. Happy Souse, Happy House. Clear leadership second. Peace follows. That’s not harsh. That’s faith.

Most men don’t need more information. They need alignment. You already know what you should be doing: - Get up when you said you would - Lead instead of avoiding - Speak clearly instead of staying quiet - Protect the marriage instead of “keeping the peace” - The real problem isn’t knowledge. It’s drift. Drift happens when: - You let your emotions run the day - You let your kids outrank your covenant - You wait to “feel ready” before acting Saturday is a gift. Not to sleep in… but to reset the order. Ask yourself this morning: - Where have I been passive this week? - Where did I choose comfort over leadership? - What’s one conversation I’ve been avoiding? Then do the man’s work: Pick one thing and handle it today. Not perfectly. Not dramatically. Just faithfully. “Be on the alert, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong.”— 1 Corinthians 16:13 Strong men don’t drift. They course-correct. And with the right cup Coffee helps. Stepping up does the rest.