Hello friend, I'm Gayla!
I love the roles I'm privileged to play as a wife, mom, stepmom, Gigi, sister, and friend. Professionally, I'm a speaker, author, monthly livestream host, and content provider/specialist for FamilyLife®
Most importantly, I'm a follower of Jesus Christ who turns to God's Word and the Holy Spirit to find answers for life's questions.
I've been married to my best friend, Randy, for 30 years. We are a big, messy, blended family with five adult kids (I'm mom to three and stepmom to two), two sons-in-law, two daughters-in-law, and two adorable granddaughters.
Professionally, I'm a speaker and an author. I'm a full-time staff member with FamilyLife®, an international organization dedicated to spreading God's Word through the family as we seek to make every home a godly home. I regularly speak at their live events, in addition to podcasts, livestreams, and audio broadcasts. I also speak at women's retreats and conferences.
I'm the author of three books, including my most recent, Beautifully Blended: 101 Devotions to Encourage Couples in Blended Families.
My Ministry Beginning
My passion for strong marriages and healthy relationships developed as a result of a messy divorce during my early adult years. I returned to school to study human behavior and earned a master's degree in Psychology and Counseling, driven by a desire to help others build resilient families that endure over time.
I remarried into a blended family and pursued my passion for fostering healthy relationships within my new, complex family. But, our first decade of marriage was far more challenging than we had anticipated—blending our families didn't happen easily, and former spouses created conflict all too often.
Over time, Randy and I learned how to parent together and work as a united team. We gained the respect of our stepchildren and began to accept each of them unconditionally. Love for one another grew, tension with our ex-spouses eased, and our marriage matured. Our family isn't perfect, but love has won out.
I'm passionate about helping other couples create harmony in their marriages and build strong family relationships, whether in traditional or non-traditional homes, because of the bumpy road I've walked. I write and speak from my own hard places with a desire to point others toward God and discover His comfort, wisdom, and peace for every season.