{"id":300133,"date":"2018-02-02T12:00:00","date_gmt":"2018-02-02T17:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/podcast\/%series%\/kindness-and-the-stepfamily\/"},"modified":"2024-10-07T22:41:19","modified_gmt":"2024-10-08T02:41:19","slug":"kindness-and-the-stepfamily","status":"publish","type":"podcast","link":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/podcast\/familylife-today\/kindness-and-the-stepfamily\/","title":{"rendered":"Kindness and the Stepfamily"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>guest: Ron Deal, Shaunti Feldhahn | Series: The Kindness Challenge | Shaunti Feldhahn and Ron Deal, Director of FamilyLife Blended, team up to talk about kindness and the stepfamily. Feldhahn believes that kindness is a habit we all need to embrace. When we intentionally practice it for 30 days by ignoring the negative, encouraging the positive, and practicing small acts of kindness, 89% of relationships have been improved. Feldhahn helps us pinpoint our patterns of negativity, and Deal reminds us that kindness can melt the hardest of hearts.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Shaunti Feldhahn and Ron Deal team up to talk about kindness and the stepfamily. Feldhahn helps us pinpoint our patterns of negativity, and Deal reminds us that kindness can melt the hardest of hearts.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":91,"featured_media":294104,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"","_seopress_titles_title":"","_seopress_titles_desc":"","_seopress_robots_index":"","inline_featured_image":false,"_uag_custom_page_level_css":"","episode_type":"","audio_file":"https:\/\/web.familylifetoday.com\/fl2018-02-02.mp3","podmotor_file_id":"","podmotor_episode_id":"","cover_image":"","cover_image_id":"","duration":"00:24:55","filesize":"22.81M","filesize_raw":"23915446","date_recorded":"","explicit":"","block":""},"categories":[2850,2821,2902],"tags":[4223,2585,4221,4218,4220,4222,4219,4188],"podcast_series":[7190],"cwp_profile":[3300,3204],"series":[2101],"class_list":["post-300133","podcast","type-podcast","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-character-development","category-reaching-out","category-resolving-conflict","tag-acts-of-kindness","tag-blended-family","tag-joy","tag-kindness","tag-mending-fences-between-friends","tag-praising-your-spouse","tag-relationship-skills","tag-stepfamily","podcast_series-the-kindness-challenge","cwp_profile-ron-deal","cwp_profile-shaunti-feldhahn","series-familylife-today"],"acf":[],"episode_featured_image":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1001\/2024\/09\/FLT-Podcast-Cover-2-508x508-3.jpg?w=508","episode_player_image":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1001\/2023\/02\/image-scaled.jpg","download_link":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/podcast-download\/300133\/kindness-and-the-stepfamily","player_link":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/podcast-player\/300133\/kindness-and-the-stepfamily","audio_player":null,"episode_data":{"playerMode":"light","subscribeUrls":{"apple_podcasts":{"key":"apple_podcasts","url":"https:\/\/podcasts.apple.com\/us\/podcast\/familylife-today\/id212174303?mt=2&app=podcast","label":"Apple Podcasts","class":"apple_podcasts","icon":"apple-podcasts.png"},"google_podcasts":{"key":"google_podcasts","url":"","label":"Google Podcasts","class":"google_podcasts","icon":"google-podcasts.png"},"spotify":{"key":"spotify","url":"https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/show\/0j5UaKdQOHQCuo1bt0ebEm","label":"Spotify","class":"spotify","icon":"spotify.png"},"youtube":{"key":"youtube","url":"","label":"YouTube","class":"youtube","icon":"youtube.png"}},"rssFeedUrl":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/feed\/podcast\/familylife-today","embedCode":"<blockquote class=\"wp-embedded-content\" data-secret=\"s5hisRlZEM\"><a href=\"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/podcast\/familylife-today\/kindness-and-the-stepfamily\/\">Kindness and the Stepfamily<\/a><\/blockquote><iframe sandbox=\"allow-scripts\" security=\"restricted\" src=\"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/podcast\/familylife-today\/kindness-and-the-stepfamily\/embed\/#?secret=s5hisRlZEM\" width=\"500\" height=\"350\" title=\"&#8220;Kindness and the Stepfamily&#8221; &#8212; FamilyLife\u00ae - A Cru Ministry\" data-secret=\"s5hisRlZEM\" frameborder=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\" class=\"wp-embedded-content\"><\/iframe><script>\n\/*! This file is auto-generated *\/\n!function(d,l){\"use strict\";l.querySelector&&d.addEventListener&&\"undefined\"!=typeof URL&&(d.wp=d.wp||{},d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage||(d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage=function(e){var t=e.data;if((t||t.secret||t.message||t.value)&&!\/[^a-zA-Z0-9]\/.test(t.secret)){for(var s,r,n,a=l.querySelectorAll('iframe[data-secret=\"'+t.secret+'\"]'),o=l.querySelectorAll('blockquote[data-secret=\"'+t.secret+'\"]'),c=new RegExp(\"^https?:$\",\"i\"),i=0;i<o.length;i++)o[i].style.display=\"none\";for(i=0;i<a.length;i++)s=a[i],e.source===s.contentWindow&&(s.removeAttribute(\"style\"),\"height\"===t.message?(1e3<(r=parseInt(t.value,10))?r=1e3:~~r<200&&(r=200),s.height=r):\"link\"===t.message&&(r=new URL(s.getAttribute(\"src\")),n=new URL(t.value),c.test(n.protocol))&&n.host===r.host&&l.activeElement===s&&(d.top.location.href=t.value))}},d.addEventListener(\"message\",d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage,!1),l.addEventListener(\"DOMContentLoaded\",function(){for(var e,t,s=l.querySelectorAll(\"iframe.wp-embedded-content\"),r=0;r<s.length;r++)(t=(e=s[r]).getAttribute(\"data-secret\"))||(t=Math.random().toString(36).substring(2,12),e.src+=\"#?secret=\"+t,e.setAttribute(\"data-secret\",t)),e.contentWindow.postMessage({message:\"ready\",secret:t},\"*\")},!1)))}(window,document);\n\/\/# sourceURL=https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-includes\/js\/wp-embed.min.js\n<\/script>\n"},"uagb_featured_image_src":{"full":["https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1001\/2024\/09\/FLT-Podcast-Cover-2-508x508-3.jpg",508,508,false]},"uagb_author_info":{"display_name":"kfairris@familylife.com","author_link":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/author\/kfairrisfamilylife-com\/"},"uagb_comment_info":0,"uagb_excerpt":"Shaunti Feldhahn and Ron Deal team up to talk about kindness and the stepfamily. Feldhahn helps us pinpoint our patterns of negativity, and Deal reminds us that kindness can melt the hardest of hearts.","meta_box":{"show_notes":"","transcript_url":"https:\/\/transcript.familylifetoday.com\/fl2018-02-02.pdf","transcript_content":"<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> If people were describing you, how long would it take before the word, \u201ckind,\u201d showed up? Shaunti Feldhahn says she realized, recently, that even when she didn\u2019t mean to be unkind, there were times\u2014\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Shaunti:<\/strong> I had not realized that\u2014when my daughter procrastinated \/ didn\u2019t do her homework\u2014or my son \/ he\u2019s 14 years old. He has learning issues. He\u2019s a <em>great<\/em> kid \/ he works really hard; but we\u2019ll work for an hour or two on some project, and then he\u2019ll forget to turn it in. It\u2019s like, \u201cBuddy!\u201d You know, my voice rises, and I have that exasperation: \u201cHow could you do that?!\u201d I don\u2019t realize that what I am saying, at that moment, is \u201cYou\u2019re an <em>idiot<\/em>.\u201d \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> This is <em>FamilyLife Today<\/em> for Friday, February 2<sup>nd<\/sup>. Our host is Dennis Rainey; I\u2019m Bob Lepine. Are there times when you\u2019re being unkind without even realizing it? We\u2019ll talk about that today with Shaunti Feldhahn. Stay with us. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>1:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tAnd welcome to <em>FamilyLife Today<\/em>. Thanks for joining us. As long as we\u2019re spending time talking about kindness this week\u2014and how we can become more kind in our marriages, and our relationships with our kids, and in extended family relationships\u2014we thought it would be a good idea\u2014not only to have Shaunti Feldhahn, who has written the book, <em>The Kindness Challenge<\/em>\u2014but we also ought to add to the mix today our friend, Ron Deal; because one of the places where unkindness can emerge is in blended and stepfamily relationships. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong> No doubt about it. Ron, welcome to the broadcast. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Ron:<\/strong> Thank you. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong> You\u2019re seeing some of that within blended families; aren\u2019t you? It\u2019s a natural setup to be unkind; isn\u2019t it? \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Ron:<\/strong> Well, anytime, you get frustrated\u2014anytime, you feel set apart or pushed out, feel rejected, feel like you\u2019re an outsider and you\u2019re powerless\u2014well, that\u2019s just <em>ripe<\/em> for unkindness coming to the surface. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>2:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tOf course, we want to do the opposite of that; because unkindness always makes things <em>worse<\/em>, never better. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong> And what many of our listeners don\u2019t know is, at least, a third of all the new marriages and families that are being formed involve forming a blended family. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Ron:<\/strong> Right; exactly. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong> So, these needs we\u2019re talking about here, Shaunti, around your book are very, very practical. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Shaunti:<\/strong> Big deals; yes! \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong> And you\u2019re helping folks be able to relate to each other within this formation of a relationship that has all kinds of dynamics. You\u2019re giving people a challenge called the 30-Day Kindness Challenge. Explain what that is. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Shaunti:<\/strong> So, it\u2019s basically\u2014whether you\u2019re a blended family, a stepfamily, or a nuclear family that\u2019s still together\u2014I mean, it\u2019s a habit that needs to be built that we often don\u2019t even realize we need to build, but it\u2019s a very big deal. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tThe way that we do it is\u2014this 30-Day Kindness Challenge is\u2014you pick a person that you want a better relationship with. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>3:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tNow, maybe, in this case, it\u2019s your stepdaughter; right? It\u2019s the teenager in the house who has got the attitude; and you\u2019re like, \u201cOkay; I really want a better relationship with this person.\u201d Maybe, it\u2019s your spouse\u2014maybe, you have a great relationship; you just want to make it better. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<br>The challenge is for 30 days\u2014is you do three things every day. First, you say <em>nothing<\/em> negative about them\u2014either <em>to<\/em> them or <em>about<\/em> them to somebody else\u2014nothing negative \/ nothing unkind. There is so much that we need to unpack about how much we can be negative and unkind without ever realizing it. We identified seven different patterns of unkindness that tend to come out pretty easily, but you withhold that for 30 days. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tThe second thing you do for 30 days is\u2014you find something you can sincerely praise: \u201cWhat\u2019s something you can sincerely affirm about this teenage stepdaughter of yours who is driving you nuts?\u201d There\u2019s got to be something to affirm. Every day, you tell that person that thing; and you tell somebody else what it is that\u2019s wonderful about them.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>4:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tThen, the third thing\u2014every day, for 30 days, is to do a small action of generosity \/ a small <em>action<\/em> of kindness. Like, maybe, your teenage daughter is complaining; but really, you sense she just needs somebody to listen to her for a few minutes. So, you take those few minutes out of that day\u2014and you just sit and you listen; you engage, and you ask questions. Would you rather do something else?\u2014yes; but it\u2019s an action of generosity to do that. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tWhat we found is\u2014if you do those three things for 30 days\u2014we found that <em>89 percent<\/em> of those relationships improved, which is <em>huge<\/em>. The main reason for that is because you\u2019re not really changing the other person as much as you are changing you. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Ron:<\/strong> And who doesn\u2019t respond well to kindness? I mean, let\u2019s say you have that frustrating relationship with a spouse or a stepdaughter\u2014or whoever it might be\u2014and you go out of your way to do this over, and over, and over, and over. It\u2019s the old phrase, \u201cKill them with kindness\u201d; you know? It does\u2014\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>5:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Shaunti:<\/strong> Who\u2019s not going to respond well to that; you know? \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Ron:<\/strong> Grace is attractive. We\u2019ve said that on this broadcast many times before. Grace is attractive. You move <em>toward<\/em> it; you know? If I am that stepdaughter, and I\u2019m having a hard time with my stepparent, over a period of time, it\u2019s hard to deny their kindness toward me. That just softens my heart. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> I want to go back\u2014because you kind of rushed past it\u2014the seven different patterns of negativity. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Shaunti:<\/strong> Yes. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> What are those? \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Shaunti:<\/strong> Each of us has, at least, one pattern that just tends to come up in our lives in different ways. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> Some of us might have more than one? [Laughter]\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Ron:<\/strong> I was going to say\u2014 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Shaunti:<\/strong> I was just going to say\u2014yes. [Laughter] \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Ron:<\/strong> \u201cWhat happens if I have more than one?\u201d [Laughter]\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Shaunti:<\/strong> I recognized, at least, two \/ maybe, three of these in myself\u2014\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> Okay. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Shaunti:<\/strong> \u2014I have to confess. It\u2019s really, really crucial for us to identify <em>our<\/em> pattern of negativity so we can withhold it \/ so we can <em>catch<\/em> it when it happens. Then\u2014like I did this with my, at the time, 16-year-old daughter. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>6:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tI had <em>no idea<\/em> how often I got exasperated with her. That is <em>my<\/em> pattern of negativity; so for example, exasperation, irritation, pointing out mistakes. I had not realized that\u2014when my daughter procrastinated \/ didn\u2019t do her homework\u2014or my son \/ he\u2019s 14 years old. He has learning issues. He\u2019s a <em>great<\/em> kid \/ he works really hard; but we\u2019ll work for an hour or two on some project; and then he\u2019ll forget to turn it in. It\u2019s like, \u201cBuddy!\u201d You know, my voice rises, and I have that exasperation: \u201cHow could you do that?!\u201d I don\u2019t realize that what I\u2019m saying, at that moment, is \u201cYou\u2019re an <em>idiot<\/em>.\u201d \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tNow, would I ever, <em>ever<\/em>, use those actual words with my sweet, sensitive 14-year-old son? Of course, not; but that\u2019s what I\u2019m saying when I get exasperated. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Ron:<\/strong> This reminds me of the time when my kids were young. My wife came to me and said, \u201cRon, you\u2019re a great dad, and you follow through really well; but when you\u2019re punishing our children, you should see your face.\u201d \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>7:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tMy face said what your tone said, \u201cYou\u2019re an idiot.\u201d \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Shaunti:<\/strong> Yes. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Ron:<\/strong> I was really hurting my children, and I had no idea; but it was in my eyes \/ it was in my expression. I hated that day that she pointed that out to me, and I loved that day because I needed to know that about myself. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> Exasperation. What else? \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Shaunti:<\/strong> So, another one is sarcasm. [Laughter] \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Ron:<\/strong> That\u2019s my spiritual gift, by the way. [Laughter] \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Shaunti:<\/strong> I was just going to say\u2014you raised your hand. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tActually, I was doing a pastoral interview with a pastor of a major church. That\u2019s a common thing\u2014where I\u2019ll go in, and Sunday mornings, they\u2019ll interview me as the sermon time. He says in front of his whole congregation\u2014which they thought was hilarious because they knew what he was like\u2014\u201cSarcasm is my spiritual gift\u201d; you know? [Laughter] \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tAnd let me tell you\u2014this is one of those things where it\u2019s fun \/ it\u2019s funny\u2014you know, everybody likes joking. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>8:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tWhat we don\u2019t realize is that\u2014for people, where it\u2019s actually a bit of a pattern \/ like it\u2019s kind of a thing\u2014we don\u2019t realize that what we\u2019ve built in the heart of the people around us is this little [nervous laughter]: \u201cWas he serious? Did he\u2014is there a little bit of truth under that?\u201d What happens is\u2014that person starts to build a bit of a <em>wall<\/em>. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tNow, what we found is\u2014that if everybody in the room, listening to the sarcasm\u2014if everybody \/ the person who is the target and everybody listening\u2014knows that there is 100 percent goodwill between everybody, then, it\u2019s just funny; but if it happens too much, then, that starts to introduce that question. Then, if there is <em>not<\/em> 100 percent goodwill, that\u2019s when the little question occurs. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong> Well, I want you to finish your list of seven. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Shaunti:<\/strong> I don\u2019t have to get to all of them\u2014but yes. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong> Yes; I don\u2019t have a problem with sarcasm, but I want to find out which one is Bob\u2019s. [Laughter] \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Ron:<\/strong> That\u2019s a great illustration of sarcasm. [Laughter]\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> I think he was just being sarcastic. [Laughter] \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>9:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tWhat\u2019s number three? \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong> Yes; give us the others. I really want to\u2014I want to evaluate: \u201cIf we all have a pattern,\u2014\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> Yes. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong> \u2014\u201clet\u2019s talk about it.\u201d \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Shaunti:<\/strong> So, another one\u2014this is a big deal in our culture today. We were talking about <em>why<\/em> our culture has gotten so mean and so unkind. Another big one is catastrophizing. I didn\u2019t even know that was a word before; but catastrophizing is basically thinking to one\u2019s self: \u201cOh my goodness, if this happens\u2026\u201d or \u201c\u2026if this doesn\u2019t happen, it\u2019s going to be a <em>catastrophe<\/em>.\u201d \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tWhat happens is\u2014you, on social media: \u201cOh my goodness, if this person gets elected, it\u2019s going to be a catastrophe\u201d; \u201cOh my goodness, if my daughter goes to prom with that boy, it\u2019s going to be a catastrophe\u201d; \u201cOh, my goodness\u2026\u201d\u2014and you know what? Maybe, it is going to be a catastrophe. The problem is\u2014confronting that\u2014we often become remarkably unkind as we try to confront something; because we\u2019re so passionate about it as opposed to: \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>10:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t\u201cYou know what? I might disagree,\u201d or \u201cI might have to keep an eye on my daughter. I might have to install an app on her phone; but you know what? It\u2019s okay. I\u2019ll be on top of it. Call me.\u201d \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> When everything becomes a hill to die on, all of a sudden, unkindness will go up; right? \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Shaunti:<\/strong> <em>Totally<\/em> up. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> Yes. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Shaunti:<\/strong> This right here is one of <em>the<\/em> main reasons why you see on your Facebook<sup>\u00ae<\/sup> feeds and your social media\u2014this is why you see these amazing, wonderful, Christ-following people say things that are <em>remarkably<\/em> unkind, cruel, harsh toward someone they disagree with, like: \u201cI cannot believe you just said that!\u201d; \u201cI cannot believe you just posted that really mean meme\u201d; or \u201cI can\u2019t\u2014how did that come out of you?\u201d \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tThis is where the body of Christ has to recognize Jesus does not give us an out in our ability to be kind. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>11:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tAs a matter of fact\u2014just as a quick note\u2014as I was looking at\u2014you know, The Golden Rule; right?\u2014\u201cDo unto others as you\u2019d have them do unto you.\u201d We all teach our kids this. All over the world, people talk about The Golden Rule. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tWell, you know what? Where Jesus says this\u2014this is the Sermon on the Mount, where He is <em>actively<\/em> talking about a situation just like this one, where there is active\u2014say, injustice\u2014toward you, or somebody is being <em>mean<\/em>, or there\u2019s something really wrong happening; and it\u2019s really <em>unfair<\/em>. That\u2019s the <em>exact<\/em> situation He\u2019s talking about. When He says those words, in context, it means, \u201cI want you to take that person, who is being unjust, unkind, mean, cruel to you\u2014I want you to treat them in the kind, and generous, and grace-filled way you wish they were treating you.\u201d \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Ron:<\/strong> That is so powerful. That is so powerful. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tYes; of course, this happens in all aspects of life; but I\u2019m thinking specifically of a discouraged stepparent\u2014who is feeling rejected, and feeling pushed out, and powerless\u2014and how easy it is for them to withdraw into unkindness rather than love the way they would want someone to love them. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>12:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tAnd I\u2019m thinking of ex-spouses who are co-parenting children together\u2014\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Shaunti:<\/strong> Yes. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Ron:<\/strong> \u2014and you do have a negative history there. It is so easy to catastrophize everything that other household does into, \u201cHere we go again,\u201d\u2014more negativity. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tFrom time to time, I get to intervene in those situations. I am constantly reminded how hard it is for people to stop thinking poorly of the other home and to consider that\u2014maybe \/ just maybe, they are trying and, maybe, they are making an effort to improve\u2014\u201cNo, I don\u2019t want to give them that. I don\u2019t want to give credence to that. I need to stand on guard.\u201d But kindness says: \u201cDrop that guard! \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Shaunti:<\/strong> Absolutely. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Ron:<\/strong> \u2014\u201cKill them with kindness,\u201d\u2014if you will\u2014\u201cand watch and see if the relationship doesn\u2019t improve.\u201d \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> Well, Ron, in a stepfamily, the network of significant, meaningful relationships is <em>larger<\/em> than it is in an intact family. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>13:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tWe care about what more people think about us and how they interact with us. That\u2019s why there is more potential for conflict to occur. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Ron:<\/strong> Right. It\u2019s like\u2014that you put a pin on a board, and you have strings attached to it that go in a hundred different directions. You have to attend to all of those different relational strings. It\u2019s taxing \/ it\u2019s difficult; but if kindness\u2014if you just made that your one effort toward everybody that you are connected to\u2014eventually, those ripple into influencing those other people. <br>\u00a0\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tHere\u2019s the thing\u2014I want people to catch about what Shaunti is saying. Kindness is your influence over people\u2014\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Shaunti:<\/strong> Exactly. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Ron:<\/strong> \u2014you can control. You really can change who they are, in the long run, just by overwhelming them with kindness. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong> One of the things Jesus talked about was loving your enemy. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Ron:<\/strong> There you go! \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong> I mean, every person listening to this broadcast has an enemy. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>14:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tYou may not have spotted him or her yet; but you are in a relationship\u2014it may not be a blended family \/ it may not be a divorce that has caused your blended family\u2014but you know somebody who has been unjust, unfair, hurt or wounded you deeply; and you\u2019ve got to choose how you\u2019re going to respond to them over a long haul. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tI know, when I was preparing for these interviews with you, Shaunti, I was looking at your book. God just convicted me of a relationship that is present tense. I thought, \u201cYou know, this morning when I get up\u2026\u201d\u2014and I got up early\u2014I sent that person a kind email, thanking them for something. I have no idea how it was received, but I know I felt better because\u2014\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Shaunti:<\/strong> Exactly. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong> \u2014I didn\u2019t hurt the other person. I wasn\u2019t trying to wound them back or hurt them in return. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> You know, we can sign you up for a whole 30-day challenge\u2014[Laughter]\u2014where, every day, you\u2019ll get an email that prompts you on how to respond. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong> Anger management? Is that what you\u2019re talking about, Bob? \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>15:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> No; the Kindness Challenge\u2014we\u2019ve got this 30-day challenge going on. Shaunti has put this together. People can go to FamilyLifeToday.com. They can sign up; and every day, they\u2019ll get an email that prompts them with an action point on how they can demonstrate kindness \/ how they can think kindly about the person that they select\u2014a spouse, a child, a friend. Go to FamilyLifeToday.com and enroll. We\u2019ve got a lot of people who are enrolling in this because I think there are a lot of us who are recognizing, \u201cThis is an area where I could grow \/ where I could develop.\u201d \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong> And Shaunti, as human beings, when we get hurt, we have one of two responses\u2014either we retreat and withdraw or we erupt like a volcano. No one enjoys sitting at the base of a volcano with hot lava being spewed all over them. Kindness puts out the hot lava; doesn\u2019t it? \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Shaunti:<\/strong> Oh, completely. You know, it\u2019s interesting\u2014another thing that kindness does\u2014\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>16:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t\u2014we sort of joke\u2014but it\u2019s a super power. Like it\u2019s literally like, you know, the Marvel movies\u2014you know, with the super power. Kindness really does all these supernatural things\u2014put out lava. It completely changes the temperature of an awkward, tense, hostile situation. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tThat is just as miraculous\u2014the ability to soften someone else\u2019s heart, for example\u2014is just as miraculous as\u2014if you think about it\u2014the Israelites walking out into the desert and finding breakfast in the morning. Like we don\u2019t think of it as a miracle, because we\u2019re not seeing blind eyes being opened or whatever; but it is\u2014it is a miracle of the heart. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Ron:<\/strong> You cannot change somebody else, but you can make it harder for them to stay the way they are. Kindness\u2014\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Shaunti:<\/strong> Oh gosh, that\u2019s a great line! [Laughter] \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Ron:<\/strong> Kindness just helps\u2014makes it more difficult for them to stay spewing lava. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Shaunti:<\/strong> We actually found\u2014and this is something that is so applicable, not just to nuclear families \/ biological families, but is <em>so<\/em> applicable in stepfamily relationships. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>17:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tWe actually found that one of the common things that has happened, when someone has erected a bit of a wall around their heart\u2014which I know is the case in some of the stepfamily relationships I\u2019m aware of, especially with the kids\u2014there is often a wall up against the stepparent, for example, or even the biological parent. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tWhat happens with this targeted kindness\u2014<em>targeted\/targeted<\/em>\u2014you know, being kind and not just withholding the negativity, but also saying the positive and saying the affirmation \/ doing the little action of generosity\u2014what happens is\u2014it literally melts through that wall. It makes it\u2014now, they can put those bricks back up and brick that hole up again and put those defenses back in place; but then, kindness melts through it again. Their heart is touched \/ they didn\u2019t want it to be\u2014that\u2019s just the power of kindness. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tPretty soon, at some point, most people\u2014now, not all\u2014it wasn\u2019t 100 percent \/ it was \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t89 percent\u2014but most people, at some point, just let that wall drop; because it\u2019s too much trouble to keep it back in place.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>18:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> Well, the reason there is a wall, in the first place, is because we\u2019ve got to build protection; and if what you\u2019re getting is kindness, regularly, you start to go, \u201cI don\u2019t want to be protected from kindness.\u201d \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Ron:<\/strong> There is more emotional safety there\u2014risking becomes easier \/ trusting the other person becomes easier. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> Right. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Shaunti:<\/strong> Then, that means you kind of have to go beyond the 30 days. You have to be true to what you\u2019ve, now, built as an expectation to them. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> That\u2019s right. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong> Yes. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> Yes; I think we need to say, \u201cIf you go through the 30-day challenge, and you go, \u2018Well, that\u2019s done; now, I can go back to the <em>regular<\/em> way of treating somebody,\u2019 it\u2019s probably not going to help your relationship.\u201d [Laughter] \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong> Well, what we\u2019re talking about here is enjoying life the way God designed it to be enjoyed. First Peter, Chapter 3, is a passage that we open, Bob, at the <em>Weekend to Remember<\/em><sup>\u00ae<\/sup> marriage getaway, especially in the conflict message that we give to couples; and in that, we quote this passage. Listen to what it says here: \u201cWhoever desires to love life and see good days\u2014\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>19:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Ron:<\/strong> \u201cI\u2019m in for that.\u201d \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong> I am too. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Ron:<\/strong> \u201cI want some of that.\u201d \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong> I\u2019ll second that motion. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Ron:<\/strong> \u201cTell me how to get there.\u201d \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong> \u2014\u201clet him keep his tongue from evil and his lips from speaking deceit. Let him turn away from evil and do good,\u201d\u2014there\u2019s the kindness\u2014\u201cLet him seek peace and pursue it.\u201d Then, it concludes, \u201cFor the eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous and His ears are open to their prayer; but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.\u201d \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> And I think you bring up a great point there. When we are being kind\u2014when the Holy Spirit is producing the fruit of kindness in us, because it is a spiritual fruit\u2014we are on God\u2019s agenda, at that point. We are moving in the direction of the Spirit. God\u2019s Spirit joins us in that, and empowers that, and expands that. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>20:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tWe\u2019re not in opposition to what God is doing, at that point \/ we\u2019re in concert with what God is doing, and there is power in that. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Shaunti:<\/strong> Think about, as a parent\u2014whether in a stepfamily or any other type of relationship\u2014think about the <em>power<\/em> of teaching your children to enter into what God is doing in that way and have <em>them<\/em> try doing this as well with their siblings\u2014instead of squabbling, for example\u2014and <em>watch<\/em> as they build that skill set. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tIt really is\u2014I hate to say\u2014it is a skill set. We think we are already kind; we\u2019re not. We need to build a new skill set. As they do\u2014and they <em>see<\/em> how God moves in their heart and the heart of their siblings, for example. I mean, there is almost nothing better that you can teach your kids, from a practical standpoint. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> So, you know that there are parents, listening, who are going, \u201cMy six-year-old doesn\u2019t have an email address yet, but can I sign them up for the 30-Day Kindness\u2026\u201d [Laughter] \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>21:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tSeriously, is this\u2014\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Shaunti:<\/strong> No; I\u2019m not kidding; yes. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> \u2014something teenagers can do?\u201412-year-olds can do? \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Shaunti:<\/strong> We have found it does work as young as five. Now, obviously, they\u2019re not reading the emails. You are getting the emails, and you are adapting. Whatever that example is of the day\u2014because it\u2019s all about doing these three things every day for 30 days: \u201cDon\u2019t say anything negative\u2026\u201d So, it\u2019s all about adapting. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tSo, it\u2019s, you know: \u201cWhat? I heard you call your sister the \u2018S\u2019-word. How about, we, instead, find something good about your sister?\u201d You\u2019re going to have to adapt it, but you know what? Somebody\u2014who\u2019s about 10, 11, 12\u2014they can totally do it without hardly even adapting it at all. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> Some parents are going, \u201cI\u2019m not signing up, but I am signing every one of my teenagers up for this thing <em>today<\/em>.\u201d [Laughter]\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Shaunti:<\/strong> That\u2019s exactly right. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong> I just want our listeners to know\u2014we\u2019re not talking about a random act of kindness. God stepped out of eternity\u2014\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<br><strong>Bob:<\/strong> Yes. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong> \u2014to perform a random act of kindness, but the ultimate loving kindness in sending His Son, Jesus Christ, to prove <em>His<\/em> lovingkindess for us. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>22:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tThis is all about the nature and character of God and what ought to be in every family that professes to follow Christ in their families. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> Well, we all need help and coaching when it comes to kindness. That\u2019s where the FamilyLife 30-Day Kindness Challenge comes in. We are sending out emails over the next 30 days; and if you sign up today, we\u2019ll start you with Day 1 of the kindness challenge. It will go for the next 30 days for you. Those of you who signed up a couple of days ago\u2014you\u2019re on Day3 of the kindness challenge. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<br>Every day, you\u2019ll get an email from us that will prompt you on how you can demonstrate kindness today. The challenge is do this for 30 days and see if it doesn\u2019t have an impact in your marriage, in your relationship with your teenager, with a coworker\u2014I mean, it can apply anywhere\u2014\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>23:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t\u2014but I\u2019m thinking about strained relationships with in-laws or with extended family members. Take the 30-Day Kindness Challenge, put it to work, and see what happens. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tGo to FamilyLifeToday.com to sign up to get the daily email for the next 30 days, and join us on this challenge. You can also get a copy of Shaunti\u2019s book, <em>The Kindness Challenge: 30 Days to Improve Any Relationship<\/em>. Order from FamilyLifeToday.com, or call to order\u20141-800-FL-TODAY \/ 1-800-358-6329. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tOne more thing\u2014we have our first <em>Weekend to Remember<\/em> marriage getaway of this season happening this weekend in Napa Valley, California. It\u2019s a sold-out event. Lots of couples are getting together this weekend for the first of more than 50 getaways we\u2019ll be hosting this spring. Would you pray for these couples as they spend a weekend focusing on their marriage in Northern California? \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>24:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tIf you\u2019d like more information about upcoming getaways, go to FamilyLifeToday.com. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tNow, I hope you have a great weekend. I hope you and your family are able to worship together in your local church this weekend. On Monday, Barbara Rainey will join us, and we\u2019ll talk about the days that lead up to Easter. Why is that so much different than the days leading up to Christmas, and what can we do to make Easter more significant in our homes? I hope you can be with us for it. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tI want to thank our engineer today, Keith Lynch, along with our entire broadcast production team. On behalf of our host, Dennis Rainey, I\u2019m Bob Lepine. Have a great weekend. We will see you Monday for another edition of <em>FamilyLife Today<\/em>. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<em>FamilyLife Today<\/em> is a production of FamilyLife<sup>\u00ae<\/sup> of Little Rock, Arkansas; a Cru<sup>\u00ae <\/sup>Ministry. Help for today. Hope for tomorrow.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tWe are so happy to provide these transcripts to you. However, there is a cost to produce them for our website. If you\u2019ve benefited from the broadcast transcripts, would you consider <a href=\"http:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/donate\">donating today<\/a> to help defray the costs?\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tCopyright <sup>\u00a9<\/sup> 2018 FamilyLife. All rights reserved.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<a href=\"http:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/\">www.FamilyLife.com<\/a>\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t\t1\n\t\t\t\t<\/p>","theme_header_position":"","post_header_is_sticky":"","is_header_overlay":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/podcast\/300133","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/podcast"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/podcast"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/91"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=300133"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/294104"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=300133"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=300133"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=300133"},{"taxonomy":"podcast_series","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/podcast_series?post=300133"},{"taxonomy":"cwp_profile","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/cwp_profile?post=300133"},{"taxonomy":"series","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/series?post=300133"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}