A Home Built from Love and Loss: Coming Together as a Blended Family

"When I entered the church sanctuary, I expected bright, beaming faces, joining me in the joy that those lonely years were now a distant memory. Instead, I was greeted with a host of red, puffy eyes. Tissues were everywhere as I passed each row. It felt more like a wake than a wedding."As Sabrina McDonald walked down the aisle for the second time, there were tears of joy for the happy couple, but there were also tears of sadness. Sabrina's wedding to Robbie was another reminder that two of their loved ones were missing.After Sabrina's first husband died in a tragic accident, remarriage wasn't really on her radar. But when she met Robbie, himself a widower, she knew that the Lord had provided a godly man who could help raise her children. Sabrina and Robbie entered their marriage brimming with hope, but reality soon set in.After more than a decade together, Sabrina and Robbie have learned that blending a family is never easy. Whether you are widowed, divorced, or married to someone who has been, Sabrina wants you to know that grieving is part of every blended family. And the healing process often takes longer than you expect.With honesty and vulnerability, Sabrina reveals the mistakes she's made and shares the lessons she's learned about dealing with grief, family traditions, parenting kids from different ages and backgrounds, working together as a couple, and forming a new identity as a blended family.Though the journey isn't easy, A Home Built from Love and Loss is a beautiful reminder that it's worth it.