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Eric Ballentine, Executive Director of Streets Ministries in Memphis, shares his journey through fatherhood, marriage, and ministry as someone who "jumped off the porch" at age 12 before finding his faith at 25. His powerful story reveals how his past experiences shaped his approach to raising children in a blended family and the lessons he learned about authentic manhood along the way.
• Born and raised in South Memphis, youngest of seven siblings with an extended family that includes 21 grandchildren and 23 great-grandchildren
• Developed a blended family when he married at 25, with his wife bringing a biological daughter and Eric having a son from a previous relationship
• Had to unlearn toxic masculinity and what he thought was "authentic manhood" after accepting Christ
• Found himself becoming "super dad" to many youth in ministry while potentially missing quality time with his own children
• Realized he was projecting his own childhood trauma onto his blended family dynamic, watching closely how his wife treated his biological son
• Experienced reconciliation with his oldest son after a period of estrangement, learning that sometimes being right doesn't matter if you lose the relationship
• Offers practical advice for navigating blended families including not forcing relationships and preventing children from speaking negatively about their other parent