Jess & Ty's storyHey Fam! I’m Jessica (Jess) Pickens. I’m a wife, mom, Gigi, daughter, sister, entrepreneur, and most of all, a woman of faith. My life has been a journey of resilience long before I ever stepped into the role of wife and mom in a blended family.
I was born with serious health issues, grew up biracial during a time of deep prejudice, and was raised in poverty by my single mother. As a young woman, I wrestled with insecurity, depression, and addiction. For a season, I also found myself navigating life as a single mom. Those years were filled with hurdles that could have broken me—but instead, by God’s grace and sheer determination, they shaped me into the woman I am today.
In 2002, I met and married the love of my life, my husband Tyrone (Ty) in less than 90 days of “officially” meeting each other (yes, I know - CRAZY right!). Together, we blended four children into our new family literally within a few weeks of meeting, and had two more children together within the first three years of our marriage. This meant we created a household of eight - with all six kids living with us full time- and a serious crash course in blended family life, in less time than a lot of people spend between dating and engagement!
We met in church, participated in pre-marital counseling, and had a lot of support. But the truth is, we had no idea what we were getting into. Our counseling never touched on the unique challenges that come with blending families, and our church had no “blended family ministry,” classes, or conversations. As a result, we went through seasons where we nearly gave up — even contemplating divorce at one point. But through lots and lots of prayer, counseling, and commitment, we chose to fight for our marriage and our family. Today, we’re over 22 years strong — still learning, still growing, and still leaning on God every step of the way.
Out of our journey came Blended Family Matters Academy and our podcast, Pickens’ Realities & Blended Family Truths. We don’t share from a perfect place — we share from a real place. Our mission is to support, strengthen, and empower blended families with both practical and spiritual tools that foster unity, prevent division, and build homes filled with peace, stability, and love that lasts for generations.
meet the Pickens familyWhile I may be the one doing most of the writing, speaking, and leading Blended Family Matters Academy, none of this would be possible without my family. My husband Tyrone has been my best friend, my ride-or-die, and my partner in every sense of the word. Together we’ve raised six incredible children — our original four from ages five to nine when we married, and then our two “babies” we had together (starting from scratch, smile). From toddlers to teenagers to now young adults — and even full adults with children of their own — each one has walked their own unique path and carried their own perspective on what it means to grow up in a blended family. And let me tell you, as you might imagine, it hasn’t always been easy. There were years of adjusting, clashing, healing, and learning how to love past the hurt.
Our kids are living proof that blended families can make it. They’ve carried scars, yes — but they’ve also grown into strong, resilient, compassionate people. Today, several of them participate in our podcast, sharing their own voices and stories, because this journey isn’t just mine and Tyrone’s — it belongs to them too.
We are not a picture-perfect family. We are a real family — flawed but forgiven, sometimes messy but still moving forward, and always choosing each other again and again. We’ve laughed together, cried together, argued and made up, forgiven and kept pressing on. That’s what makes our story powerful — it’s not a fairytale, it’s a testimony.
And it’s our prayer that by sharing not just the victories but also the valleys, your family will find hope, courage, and the reminder that you don’t have to do this alone. If God can redeem and strengthen us, He can do the same for you.
“Blended family life can be messy. But messy doesn’t mean impossible. No matter how hard it gets, if we say we believe in the Lord and His Word, then we’ve got to stand on that. I know, I know—it’s not always that easy. I got you. But at the end of the day, make the choice, my friend…do the work, and trust the process.”
‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord. – Jeremiah 29:11”
