This week, Sissy Goff and David Thomas with Daystar Counseling are here! Each of them have been counseling kids for over 30 years. I cannot think of two individuals that have impacted my parenting in a more practical and profound way. 

In this episode, we talk about a few of the challenges with raising our kids in a scary and sometimes dark time. From anxiety to school shootings - we’ve never felt more anxious or ill-equipped to raise children.

David shares some encouragement and tips on raising an emotionally strong boy. Sissy shares about her upcoming book to help anxious parents raise kids in the midst of our own self work. She notes that women and girls lead the statistics in anxiety. 

There are also some tender moments where they both reflect back on the most horrendous time in their own Nashville community. You will be encouraged to hear more stories of God working in and around Covenant School. I know so many are grateful for the work Daystar did to step up, comfort and care for so many families (locally and nationwide).

Quotes:

"It is easier to build strong children than to repair broken men.” - Frederick Douglas

“When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me: ‘Look for the helpers.’ You will always find people who are helping.” - Fred Rogers

Enjoy!

Courtney DeFeo

Connect with Pardon The Mess:

Christian Parenting

Pardon The Mess 

Connect with Courtney DeFeo

Resources from today’s show:

The Worry Free Parent- Pre- Order!

Raising Emotionally Strong Boys by David Thomas

Strong and Smart: A Boy's Guide to Building Healthy Emotions by David Thomas

@raisingboysandgirls 

@sissygoff 

Pardon the Mess is a part of the Christian Parenting Podcast Network. To find practical and spiritual advice to help you grow into the parent you want to be visit www.ChristianParenting.org

This week is a big week for Pardon the Mess! If you missed last week’s show, go back and hear the announcement about our new host, Courtney DeFeo. In this episode, Courtney and Cynthia talk about how this decision unfolded and the challenges of obeying God even when it’s messy and unclear.

Our show today is a super-fun conversation with Cynthia and Courtney giving a deep dive into these exciting changes. Join in as Courtney interviews Cynthia about her favorite Pardon the Mess moments. You can also hear the who, when, where, what, and why behind Cynthia’s move to a new podcast.

We are beyond excited about what’s to come! This summer is going to be packed with more great interviews about parenting in the midst of our messy lives. We will continue to laugh together and possibly cry together as we pursue our relationship with God during all of life’s challenges.

We did it!

We’ve made it to last week of our 2022-2023 prayer journal and praying our kids through the school year. 🙌🏼

I can’t think of a better way to wrap things up than to pray for our kids to walk with God. Today we’re talking very practically about ways to do that, and how the Psalms give a roadmap for weathering the ups and downs of our everyday faith.

On a personal note, I want to thank each of you for joining me each Monday this year (and the last several years) to pray. It’s been an amazing journey and hearing the ways the Lord is moving in your families has forever marked me.

I also want to let you know that after May, I will no longer be hosting Pardon the Mess. My dear friend, Courtney DeFeo, will be the new host and you’re going to LOVE her. I can promise you that 100%.

In the last two episodes, we’re sharing more details about Courtney, what’s to come on Pardon the Mess so definitely tune in.

I’m so grateful for each of you. Great days to come!

In this with you,

Cynthia Yanof

Today is a big day for Pardon the Mess! We’ve got an announcement that we’re so excited to share with you. At the end of May, Cynthia will be leaving Pardon the Mess and passing the mic to our dear friend Courtney DeFeo. Courtney is a wife, mom, author, speaker, and 100% the authentic and hilariously real friend we all need. 

Our show today is a super-fun conversation with Cynthia and Courtney giving a deep dive into these exciting changes at Pardon the Mess. You will get to know (and love) Courtney DeFeo as well as hear the who, when, where, what, and why behind Cynthia’s move.

These next two weeks will be a big celebration of where we’ve been and where we’re heading towards on Pardon the Mess. And above all, we want to be sure YOU have all the scoop on the amazing things coming your way. 

Continue to connect with Cynthia Yanof here:

MESSmerized Podcast 

FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM 

Resources from today's show: 

Love God Love Others

Classical Conversations

Pardon the Mess is a part of the Christian Parenting Podcast Network. To find practical and spiritual guidance to help you grow into the perfectly imperfect parent you want to be visit www.ChristianParenting.org

Having an inaccurate view of who we are to God is one of the enemy’s greatest weapons for keeping us discouraged, defeated, and ineffective for Kingdom purposes. 

Today we’re praying for our kids to have the heart knowledge (not just head knowledge) of who they are in Christ. We’re praying they understand at the deepest levels how they were designed perfectly in the image of God and nothing can change his great love for him. 

Join me in praying Psalm 139 over our kids and ask the Lord to shelter our families from anyone and anything that calls our value and significance into question. 

Can’t wait to pray with you!

P.S. We would be so grateful if you’d consider sharing Pardon the Mess with a friend. Encourage those you know and love to join us in praying each week by forwarding this email or sending a link to the show. Thank you! 

Emily Ley is always such a delight and today is no exception. She’s a master planner and creator with a knack for organization within the boundaries of real life. It was so fun to get a peek into her morning routine and a few ideas for keeping ourselves sane in the upcoming summer months. 

I especially loved her words on being comfortable with who we are, while also being comfortable with who we are not. And reminders that taking care of ourselves matters, and we have permission to set routines that work for us and then stick to them. 

Her new devotional is 🔥and a great way to start our days off right. 

Can’t wait for you to hear from sweet Emily. 

Resources from today's show: 

Sure as the Sunrise devotional 

All things related to Emily’s products and podcast can be found here! 

Adventures in Odyssey

Pardon the Mess is a part of the Christian Parenting Podcast Network. To find practical and spiritual advice to help you grow into the parent you want to be visit www.ChristianParenting.org

“Faith thrives in holy discomfort. The greatest moments in life can often result from some of the most uncomfortable decisions being made. Nothing worth having comes without a cost.” - Louie Giglio 

This is one of my favorite quotes and it speaks perfectly to life in the middle of the struggle. Sometimes perspective is the key to handling life’s biggest struggles and knowing that God always controls the larger picture. 

This week we’re praying for our kids to know God is compassionate towards them, fully aware they are doing life without him physically present in a world with real struggles. Let’s ask the Lord to remind them that some of our greatest God-given opportunities arise from the ashes of our hardest struggles. 

Can’t wait to pray with you!

P.S. We would be so grateful if you’d consider sharing Pardon the Mess with a friend. Encourage those you know and love to join us in praying each week by forwarding this email or sending a link to the show. Thank you! 

Lisa Whittle is joining us today and she’s an amazing speaker, podcaster, and author. We’re talking about the chasm between our head knowledge and our heart knowledge and how only God fills that gap. He knows our every worry, anxiety, and daily routine. Why does this matter? Because he loves us and so desperately wants to use us for His glory. 

Lisa also cautions us to watch out for things that mimic the real experience of God, and very practically gives us pointers on figuring out the difference in dreams versus goals for our lives. 

Heck, we even talk about our tendency to want to “payback” those who hurt us . . . and who doesn’t need a good word on that.

So glad you’re with us today. 

Resources from today's show: 

Lisa Whittle’s Book 

Adventures in Odyssey

Pardon the Mess is a part of the Christian Parenting Podcast Network. To find practical and spiritual advice to help you grow into the parent you want to be visit www.ChristianParenting.org

Life gives us lots of good days while also throwing in some bad ones along the way too. As adults we know life is hard on this side of heaven, and knowing where to turn in our hardest moments is critically important. 

This week we’re praying for our kids to know what David knew in Psalm 13—trusting God means trusting Him even on the hard days. 

As parents our knee-jerk reaction is to try and eliminate the source of our kids’ pain. But so often that same hard place is the greatest opportunity for them to know that Jesus is their only hope. Join me in praying this week that our kids turn to God instead of drugs, self-harm, or anything short of God’s best when they are facing hard times. 

P.S. We would be so grateful if you’d consider sharing Pardon the Mess with a friend. Encourage those you know and love to join us in praying each week by forwarding this email or sending a link to the show. Thank you! 

I recently attended the IF: Gathering and had the privilege of worshiping through music with the amazing Christy Nockels. I’ve always been a huge fan of her music, but in recent days I’m an even bigger fan of her heart for the Lord.

Today is super fun because we get a glimpse into the creative process behind her latest album, This is the Hour. She talks about coming to a place of complete exhaustion and how the Lord spoke rest into her life. We even have a super honest discussion about yelling at God when it feels as if life has become too much. 

I can’t wait for you to hear this amazing conversation because I know you’re going to love Christy as much as I do!

Resources from today's show: 

Christy Nockels new album

Christy Nockels podcast 

Adventures in Odyssey

Classical Conversations

Sometimes, the worst advice comes from the most well-intentioned people in our lives. I don’t know about you, but I’ve definitely given and received lots of bad advice over the years. 

Today we’re considering King David’s model for giving advice, which is simply pointing people to the Lord through our words and actions. In Psalm 31, David advises that in life’s very hardest places we are to love the Lord and put our hope and trust in him. Plain and simple. 

Let’s pray this week that we learn to use discretion in whom we allow to speak into our own lives and the lives of our families. Let’s also pray that our kids only take advice from those who have prayed about it, searched Scripture, and ultimately point them back to Jesus. Talk less, pray more. Seems like the next right step. 

Can’t wait to be with you this week! 

P.S. We would be so grateful if you’d consider sharing Pardon the Mess with a friend. Encourage those you know and love to join us in praying each week by forwarding this email or sending a link to the show. Thank you! 

Pardon the Mess is a part of the Christian Parenting Podcast Network. To find practical and spiritual advice to help you grow into the parent you want to be visit www.ChristianParenting.org

Many of us are at the stage of caring for our aging parents. If you are not, it’s probably headed your way in the not too distant years. Undoubtedly it can be a hard topic, but loving our aging parents is a really important one we’re tackling today. 

Sarah Smith joins us today to share her journey of caring for her mom who was diagnosed with early onset Alzhemiers. Sarah is honest about the challenges they have faced on this road, but also encourages us to draw closer to the Lord and trust him every step of the way.

Here’s a few of the topics we cover on today’s show:

• Being realistic in expectations

• Overcoming guilt when considering healthcare facilities

• Supporting our friends who are caring for their parents

• Allowing the Holy Spirit to guide us in patience and love

Don’t miss this important conversation with Sarah Smith. 

Resources from today's show: 

Broken Beauty

So God Made a Mother

The Dad Tired Q&A Mixtape

Over and over again we’re called to live differently as followers of Jesus. The way we defend ourselves is one example of living counter culturally and exactly what we’re praying for this week. When we are wronged the world returns the favor with equal vengeance. But the reality is that real justice only comes from the Lord, and we’re called to wait on him who is faithful, upright, and just. (Deuteronomy 32:4).

Join me in praying this week for our families in all the places where we are tempted to defend ourselves. Let’s be reminded that the Lord is looking for opportunities to be gracious to us, and only in him will we find true rest and strength from the enemies we face. 

Can’t wait to pray with you this week!

P.S. We would be so grateful if you’d consider sharing Pardon the Mess with a friend. Encourage those you know and love to join us in praying each week by forwarding this email or sending a link to the show. Thank you! 

Pardon the Mess is a part of the Christian Parenting Podcast Network. To find practical and spiritual guidance to help you grow into the perfectly imperfect parent you want to be visit www.ChristianParenting.org

If there were a contest for great names of podcasts and books, Heather MacFadyen of “Don’t Mom Alone” just might win. Heather is my dear friend and is joining us today to talk about an incredibly important topic: Occupying your God-given space. She’s written an amazing new book on this topic, and we get to hear her heart behind it first-hand today. 

This conversation is so practical when we’re wondering how to figure out where God has assigned us to work for him, and how to get past self-doubt and the dreaded imposter syndrome. (Been there, done that.)

I also LOVE her advice on hearing from God and discerning if our plans and dreams are from God or from ourselves. You guys, please go listen—because we can’t afford to spend even one more day questioning if we’re being faithful in the place God has entrusted us and our families. 

Resources from today's show: 

Right Where You Belong by Heather MacFayden 

Adventures in Odyssey

Every Parent Wants To Know Christian Parenting Event

Imagine a world in which we decide today to trust God with everything we have and from this moment forward we live in His peace and confidence because of that decision. It’s truly hard to imagine, right? 

Instead, I’ve found that trusting God is a lifelong process of reminding ourselves how God is good and why he’s trustworthy. It’s going back to biblical truth that he’s our strength and our shield (Psalm 28:7), our hope and our future (Jeremiah 29:11), and working all things for good (Romans 8:28).

I’m guessing our anxiety and stress levels would look a whole lot better if we could fully embrace these promises of scripture.

Today we’re praying for our kids to learn to trust God just as David does in Psalm 3. We’re praying they know that God is their sole sustainer whether they are facing an army of enemies or simply a future of uncertainties. Why? Because God is trust worthy. He really is. 

Let’s pray over that today. 

P.S. We would be so grateful if you’d consider sharing Pardon the Mess with a friend. Encourage those you know and love to join us in praying each week by forwarding this email or sending a link to the show. Thank you! 

Pardon the Mess is a part of the Christian Parenting Podcast Network. To find practical and spiritual advice to help you grow into the parent you want to be visit www.ChristianParenting.org

Who read Kisses from Katie all those years ago and was blown away by a teenage girl who left her affluent life in the US to move to Uganda? That was the beginning of an amazing journey for Katie Davis Majors, who was also busy fostering and adopting 13 kids by the time she was 23. Talk about refusing to play it safe in life!

Today Katie is with us, and we’re talking about her new book, Safe All Along. She shares how the Lord called her to Uganda all those years ago, and then just recently called her back to the U.S. (and the anxiety and pain of leaving her home in Uganda that has accompanied this move). 

Please take my word for it—you do not want to miss today’s conversation. Katie’s encouragement to let our kids chase after God’s plans for their lives is amazing, including her dad’s story of hearing from God in the early days as she was preparing to leave for Uganda. 

I’m so thankful for Katie’s faithfulness to the Lord and how it has encouraged me and my family. I know you will feel the same way! 

Resources from today's show: 

Safe All Along by Katie Davis Majors 

Starved

Camp Winshape

Every Parent Wants To Know Christian Parenting Event

I read a study recently that indicates our life expectancy is 79.3 years. When you’re young that number feels like an eternity as you consider the long road of life you have in front of you. And as you age, well, you realize how fleeting time really is and how important it is to make your days count. 

This week we’re praying for our kids to live with urgency in their lives and number their days well. This happens when we realize that God is with us and for us so we have the freedom to live big, take risks, and make each day count. 

Let’s ask the Lord to help our kids grasp the significance of every day—a day they were not promised—and use these days to follow the Lord, live by his Word, and pursue the things of eternity. 

Can’t wait to pray with you!

P.S. We would be so grateful if you’d consider sharing Pardon the Mess with a friend. Encourage those you know and love to join us in praying each week by forwarding this email or sending a link to the show. Thank you! 

Pardon the Mess is a part of the Christian Parenting Podcast Network. To find practical and spiritual advice to help you grow into the parent you want to be visit www.ChristianParenting.org

What is that “thing” you know deep down you’re called to do?

What phone call are you supposed to make? What book does your heart want to write? What is the nagging feeling you’re pushing down even knowing God is calling you to step out a little further in faith? 

Rebecca George is with us today to talk about this exact subject. We’re talking about doing the very things God created us to do and addressing our hang-ups that keep us from going full-force after it. It’s such an important topic, and I’m grateful Rebecca has some practical  advice for identifying your giftings and figuring out how they line up with God’s kingdom. 

The world can be so hard right now, and those around us need hope. We can’t afford to shrink back and not do the things we’re empowered to do simply because we’re too busy, too afraid, or too insecure. 

Don’t miss this great conversation, and start praying now that the Lord will tell you what “thing” he has for you to do. I’m praying over it for you! 

Resources from today's show: 

Do the Thing by Rebecca George

Starved

Camp Winshape

Every Parent Wants To Know Christian Parenting Event

If you’re anything like me, the word “influencer” tends to leave a bad taste in your mouth. In this day and age of social media born superstars, it’s easy to discount our influence and feel like we can’t change lives because we don’t have the right platform, title, or following. 

But this week we’re taking a deep dive into this idea of influence and praying for our kids to realize that no matter who they are or how they spend their days, they have the opportunity to be a difference-maker for the kingdom.  

In a world that thrives on self-promotion and living in excess, let’s lay down those things and pray for ways our families can raise up others. Luke reminds us that “to whom much is given, much will be required” (Luke 12:48). Let’s use what we have well and point others to Jesus. 

Can’t wait to pray with you!

P.S. We would be so grateful if you’d consider sharing Pardon the Mess with a friend. Encourage those you know and love to join us in praying each week by forwarding this email or sending a link to the show. Thank you! 

Pardon the Mess is a part of the Christian Parenting Podcast Network. To find practical and spiritual advice to help you grow into the parent you want to be visit www.ChristianParenting.org

The people have spoken. 

Pastor Steve Frissell joined us last September for the very first time and you guys loved him so much that I begged him to come back again today! If you missed his first appearance, go back and listen because I promise it will reshape your thoughts on teens and dating relationships. 

Today Pastor Steve is joining me to talk about our marriages and why it’s necessary to put in the hard and necessary work to love our spouses well. We talk about the importance of finding contentment in Jesus so that we aren’t asking our spouse to fill voids that only the Lord can fill, as well as practical ways to reconnect in our marriages.  

Don’t miss this important conversation — your spouse will thank you! 💖

Resources from today's show: 

Starved

Camp Winshape

Pardon the Mess is a part of the Christian Parenting Podcast Network. To find practical and spiritual advice to help you grow into the parent you want to be visit www.ChristianParenting.org

Raise your hand if you’re overwhelmed in some area of your life. 

My fairly unscientific poll indicates that 9 out of 10 of us raised our hands. (And I’m guessing the rest of you thought the question was rhetorical. 😂)

If you’re anything like me, it’s easy to be overwhelmed by finances, family issues, parenting, and everything in between. The stress and anxiety that comes with being overwhelmed is not how God intended for us (or our kids) to live. 

My sweet friend Kay Wyma joins us today with reminders of the many names of Jesus and how they speak to our deepest needs. We consider Psalm 55 and David’s advice to “cast” our cares to Jesus. Not just hold on to the problem and pray, or half-heartedly toss it aside but still worry about it all week. No, David says to literally throw our hardest places towards God and then wait for him to faithfully respond. And so that’s what we are praying for in our own lives and for our kids. 

It’s always a great day when Kay Wyma is with us so take a few minutes and join us! 

P.S. We would be so grateful if you’d consider sharing Pardon the Mess with a friend. Encourage those you know and love to join us in praying each week by forwarding this email or sending a link to the show. Thank you! 

Almost weekly I’m asked about resources to help our teens grow in their faith. As much as I love the teenage years and all the crazy antics, I know these are also the years where time seems to be slipping away and our last ditch efforts of getting more Jesus into them kicks into overdrive. Or maybe that’s just me. 🤪

Laura Smith is joining us today to talk about our teens and everything from counseling, communication, and pointing them to Jesus very practically. She’s also written a new devotional that’s a great resource if you’re looking for ways to encourage your kids to spend time with the Lord each day. 

Laura is a mom as well as a sought-after speaker and author. I’m thrilled to have her sharing a sweet word to those of us in the throes of raising teens (or kids who will be teens before we know what hit us). 

Can’t wait for you to hear this conversation.

Pardon the Mess is a part of the Christian Parenting Podcast Network. To find practical and spiritual advice to help you grow into the parent you want to be visit www.ChristianParenting.org

When you hear the word joy, what comes to your mind? 

I’m guessing your answer is more profound than mine since I instantly start humming that old VBS song “I’ve got the joy, joy, joy, joy, down in my heart. Where?” 

Anyone else with me? 

This week we’re praying for our kids to experience joy in their lives. It seems especially important when considering how deeply our kids’ generation struggles with anxiety and depression. 

One of my favorite verses is Psalm 30:5 that says, “Weeping may last through the night, but joy comes with the morning.” What a wonderful reminder that no matter what we’re facing in this season, there is still joy to be found on the other side of it. 

Let’s take a few minutes today to consider how thankfulness, hope in Jesus, and even walking through places of suffering are pivotal to joy in our kids’ lives.

P.S. We would be so grateful if you’d consider sharing Pardon the Mess with a friend. Encourage those you know and love to join us in praying each week by forwarding this email or sending a link to the show. Thank you! 

Pardon the Mess is a part of the Christian Parenting Podcast Network. To find practical and spiritual advice to help you grow into the parent you want to be visit www.ChristianParenting.org

Mark Batterson is back, and I’m slightly giddy. 

You know how much I love his books, and when I tell you this conversation brought me new life . . . well, it’s true. I have a notecard on my desk at this very moment with some of my favorite quotes from today’s conversation titled “Batterson bullet points.” 

Pastor Mark reminds us that if God can do immeasurably more than we ask or imagine (Ephesians 3:20), we’re actually honoring him by praying bold prayers and trusting in faith for his answer. You’re going to love hearing how God has been answering the bold prayers of his church, which most recently has included buying property on Capitol Hill he only dreamed of years ago. 

Lastly, Pastor Mark shares the three words he believes are the greatest predictors of our success in life: please, sorry, and thanks. He’s so sure of the significance of these words that he wrote an entire book on their importance. Lots of practical life and parenting advice you won’t want to miss today. 

Resources from today's show: 

Please, Sorry, Thanks: The Three Words That Change Everything by Mark Batterson

The Best Worst Day Ever by Mark and Summer Batterson 

Winnie The Early Years

Every Parent Wants to Know: A Christian Parenting Digital Event

Pardon the Mess is a part of the Christian Parenting Podcast Network. To find practical and spiritual advice to help you grow into the parent you want to be visit www.ChristianParenting.org

As I think back to even my youngest years, I can pinpoint the friendships that have impacted my life. I’ve been blessed with solid, faithful friends who have prayed for me and loved me even when I’ve been somewhat unloveable. And then there have been other friendships that have been more difficult and left me with bumps and bruises along the way. 

Our friendships are important because God created us with a deep need for connection. It’s in those very connections where we are so often drawn closer to Him and better equipped to walk the hard places we will inevitably face. 

So this week we’re praying over friendships in our own lives as well as the lives of our kids. 

(insert player)

It seems appropriate in talking about friendships that I have one of my very dearest friends, Brandie Rodgers, joining us today. As long as I’ve known her (and it’s been many, many years), she’s been praying over her family’s friendships, and the Lord has faithfully provided. 

Let’s take a moment today to consider the friendships our kids need and ask the Lord to provide them. And, of course, let’s also ask the Lord to teach our kids how to be good friends to others by showing kindness, loyalty, compassion, and respect. 

Friendship is a big one—let’s pray it together!

P.S. We would be so grateful if you’d consider sharing Pardon the Mess with a friend. Encourage those you know and love to join us in praying each week by forwarding this email or sending a link to the show. Thank you! 

Pardon the Mess is a part of the Christian Parenting Podcast Network. To find practical and spiritual advice to help you grow into the parent you want to be visit www.ChristianParenting.org

Body image is a topic that has major implications in our lives, yet we tend to avoid talking about it because it’s so personal and oftentimes sensitive. 

I’m so thankful my friend Rachael Gilbert is bravely speaking into these body image issues through her new book, Image Restored. She addresses our most common body image pitfalls and, as a licensed counselor and mom, comes at it both professionally and practically. 

Here’s a few of the topics we cover:

• Signs we’re dealing with body image concerns that need addressing

• Core beliefs impacting our body image

• Ways to reframe our body image biblically

• Current health trends that are red flags for healthy body image

• Parenting healthy body image with our kids 

I hope you’ll take a few minutes to listen to this important conversation today. I also pray each of us will ask the Lord to reveal the places in our lives where we need to reframe our attitudes towards our bodies, not only for our own benefit but also for our families.   

Resources from today's show: 

Image Restored by Rachael Gilbert

imagerestoredbook.com

Every Parent Wants to Know: A Christian Parenting Digital Event

When I Talk to God, I Talk about You

Pardon the Mess is a part of the Christian Parenting Podcast Network. To find practical and spiritual guidance to help you grow into the perfectly imperfect parent you want to be visit www.ChristianParenting.org

On any given day there’s a million things we could potentially tell our kids to do or not do. Some of those things are routine like do your best work or don’t touch your brother. But then there’s the things that one day come spilling out of your mouth that nobody ever warned you about. Like “you have to wear underwear to ride your bike.” 

True story, sadly. 😂

Today we’re reading Psalm 37 and a few of King David’s “dos” and “don’ts” for biblical living. There’s great application as we pray for our kids to do the things that point them to Jesus and let go of the things that don’t.

If you’re looking for biblical life hacks, this week’s prayer time is just what you need! 

P.S. We would be so grateful if you’d consider sharing Pardon the Mess with a friend. Encourage those you know and love to join us in praying each week by forwarding this email or sending a link to the show. Thank you! 

Beth Moore is joining us today and, simply put, you just can’t miss it! I’ve admired her powerful voice in God’s Kingdom for many years and, like many of you, have learned so much from her Bible studies, books, and conferences. 

I teamed up with Steph Thurling from the Christian Parenting Podcast to chat with Beth about her new memoir, All my Knotted-up Life. This book is a vulnerable and authentic offering of Beth’s hardest places in life and how God has been faithful through it all. 

I think my favorite part of our conversation was hearing Beth’s routine each morning in meeting with Jesus. Not to mention she has a great word on dealing with church hurts and why we keep going back even when it feels easier to walk away. 

With 100% certainty I can say you’re going to love this conversation. 

Resources from today's show: 

All My Knotted-Up Life: A Memoir by Beth Moore

When I Talk to God, I Talk about You

Your Brave Song

Pardon the Mess is a part of the Christian Parenting Podcast Network. To find practical and spiritual advice to help you grow into the parent you want to be visit www.ChristianParenting.org

How do you measure your value? 

If you’re anything like me, you’ve measured it by the square footage of your house, the size of your bank account, the number on the scale, and the accolades of your kids. Yet none of these things tell the real story of who we are to Jesus—and that’s why measuring up gets us in trouble.

Today we’re praying for our kids as they struggle with this same temptation of comparison. Growing up in a day and age inundated with social media, it’s hard not to weigh looks, grades, athleticism, and talents against those around them. So we’re focused this week on praying for our kids to look to Jesus and not the world for value and identity. 

As we pray through Psalm 84, I encourage you to really consider verse 10. Take a few minutes to read this Psalm and get a jump on where we’re headed in praying for our kids. 

P.S. We would be so grateful if you’d consider sharing Pardon the Mess with a friend. Encourage those you know and love to join us in praying each week by forwarding this email or sending a link to the show. Thank you! 

If you haven’t heard of Risen Motherhood, today is going to be a great day for you! 

Laura Wifler is an author, podcaster, mother, and the co-founder of the amazing parenting resource, Risen Motherhood. She’s back on Pardon the Mess today helping us bridge the gap between the faith we pursue on Sunday mornings and the real-life parenting we face on Mondays. Said differently, she speaks into ways we can practically bring the Lord into all facets of our parenting. 

Laura is also a mother to a child with disabilities and she encourages us to have meaningful conversations with our kids about disability, empathy, compassion, and God’s overflowing love for everyone. Her practical advice on helping our friends walk these roads well is important and something you don’t want to miss. 

Can’t wait for you to hear this great conversation with Laura Wifler.

Resources from today's show: 

Like Me by Laura Wifler

When I Talk to God, I Talk about You

My youngest son, JB, is home from school today because I thought he was coming down with the same cold I’ve been struggling with all week. We kicked-off his “sick day” with a precautionary dose of Ibuprofen and breakfast in bed. By 8:10 a.m. I realized I had made a grave mistake in keeping him home. It’s been Ferris Bueller’s Day Off over here, and he’s Ferris and I’m the sickly sidekick friend trying to keep him from burning the place down. 

But in this midst of his craziness I’ve noticed how quick he is to apologize. He loses his mind, apologizes, asks for forgiveness and moves forward with his next adventure. I love that he doesn’t overthink my forgiveness, wondering if I’m still angry or somehow going to think less of him or love him differently with each indiscretion. 

It’s this same type of forgiveness (times a million) that God offers to each of us. It’s a forgiveness that extends as far as “the east is from the west” that we’re praying our kids will fully grasp and lean into with their Savior. 

Let’s take a few minutes and pray for our kids to confess their sin so they can live fully in God’s overwhelming forgiveness. And then let’s also pray for this mom who should know better than to give a gratuitous day off to a kid with more energy than the sun. 

P.S. We would be so grateful if you’d consider sharing Pardon the Mess with a friend. Encourage those you know and love to join us in praying each week by forwarding this email or sending a link to the show. Thank you! 

Pardon the Mess is a part of the Christian Parenting Podcast Network. To find practical and spiritual advice to help you grow into the parent you want to be visit www.ChristianParenting.org

I’m guessing the title of today’s show caught your eye? Definitely not a title I’ve put together for a podcast show until today! 

Yes, I recently went to see Bruno Mars with my hubs, and I can’t wait to weigh in on that a bit. But more importantly, Erica Renaud is joining us to chat about praying with our kids and how to get that rolling if it’s not a part of our regular routine.

Erica has a new book releasing soon that walks us through praying with our kids. Today she’s sharing some practical advice with us on how to physically engage in prayer with our kids, how to walk through unanswered prayer requests, and appropriate theology on prayer no matter the age.

We talk a lot about praying for our kids on Pardon the Mess, but today I’m excited to talk about praying with our kids. Don’t miss it. 

Resources from today's show: 

Pray with me: Help Your Children Engage in Authentic and Powerful Prayer

Erica Renaud

The Parent’s Guide to Social Media by Axis

The Christian Parenting Podcast

Pardon The Mess is a part of the Christian Parenting Podcast Network. To find practical and spiritual advice to help you grow into the parent you want to be visit www.ChristianParenting.org

This week we’re praying for godly families. More specifically, we’re praying for our families to be built on the foundation of Jesus. In Psalm 127, Solomon very pointedly reminds us that even our best work and greatest successes are nothing if the Lord isn’t in them. 

The key to building godly families comes in the day by day and week by week decisions of choosing Jesus instead of chasing after earthly success, financial gain, and the other things this world so often points us to. 

Jesus talked about building our foundation on rock so that the storms of life won’t destroy our homes. Let’s pray today for our families to be storm-proof so that we can share the gospel effectively to a world so desperately needing the good news. 

Can’t wait to pray with you this week!

In this with you,

Cynthia Yanof | Pardon the Mess 

P.S. We would be so grateful if you’d consider sharing Pardon the Mess with a friend. Encourage those you know and love to join us in praying each week by forwarding this email or sending a link to the show. Thank you! 

Pardon the Mess is a part of the Christian Parenting Podcast Network. To find practical and spiritual guidance to help you grow into the perfectly imperfect parent you want to be visit www.ChristianParenting.org

Did you grow up believing certain things like I did?  Things like . . . 

• You can’t swim for an hour after eating
• Cracking your knuckles will give you arthritis
• Swallowed gum stays in your stomach seven years
• Crossed eyes will get stuck that way 

These aren’t monumental to our belief systems, but it turns out they really aren’t even true. 

We all have things we’ve bought into from our culture, our internal narratives, or even our families. Although the examples above are fairly silly, there are more significant lies we may believe that can impact our parenting, our faith walks, and our identity. 

Today I’m getting personal and sharing three of the lies I’ve been prone to believe in my own life (don’t worry, they are deeper than the ones listed above). Although these lies began as fairly harmless, they snowballed into an underlying philosophy that needed to be called out and examined with a lens of biblical truth. 

Take a few minutes with me today to consider the three lies we all need to stop believing in 2023. 

P.S. If you enjoy Pardon the Mess will you take a minute to share it with a friend? There’s no better way to encourage others than to share biblical truth with them. Parenting is hard so let’s help others walk the parenting road together.

Failure fast tracks growth.

This is a principle I’ve learned very personally at various times throughout my life. In the midst of what we may perceive as a failure—God shows up and names it success.

That’s exactly why we’re considering failure as we’re praying for our kids this week. Yes, there are places where our kids will fall flat on their face from poor decisions, and we need to pray they will repent and turn back to God. But sometimes our kids simply “fail,” and often what the world calls failure is actually God’s road to Kingdom success. 

If we’re in it for the long game of parenting, we’ve got to get comfortable when our kids fail, knowing God is willing and able to use all things to grow them into who he designed them to be. 

Can’t wait to pray with you this week!

P.S. We would be so grateful if you’d consider sharing Pardon the Mess with a friend. Encourage those you know and love to join us in praying each week by forwarding this email or sending a link to the show. Thank you! 

If you haven’t been introduced to Carlos Whitaker, today’s your day! Carlos is a dynamic author, speaker, storyteller, and hope dealer who is in high demand as a podcast guest. You’re about to see why! 

Our conversation today surrounds his new book, How to Human. We’re considering what it looks like to get back to the very basics of who God created us to be. Living in a world filled with anxiety, broken relationships, and divisiness has caused us to lose touch with each other. . .  and with God. 

Tune in today as Carlos and I explore our humanity through the eyes of Jesus and consider practical ways to recalibrate our lives. 

Resources from today's show: 

How to Human by Carlos Whittaker

Human Hope podcast with Carlos Whittaker 

She is Confident in Healthy Relationships

Thirty-eight times in Ecclesiastes Solomon refers to our lives as “hevel.” Solomon is trying to paint the picture that our lives are just a vapor, here one moment and gone the next. Knowing this means we have the opportunity to stop chasing the things on earth and instead pursue God above all else and live for the eternal.

This is our prayer for our families this week. That we can appreciate the brevity of life and live intentionally and interruptible as families. We’re also praying our kids learn to live purposefully knowing their hope is in the Lord, not in wealth, popularity, or status. 

Join me this week in asking God to teach our kids to define success the way God does. Each day is a gift, so let’s use our time wisely. 

P.S. We would be so grateful if you’d consider sharing Pardon the Mess with a friend. Encourage those you know and love to join us in praying each week by forwarding this email or sending a link to the show. Thank you! 

I’ve got to be honest here–today’s show is so enlightening that I’ve been quoting Kara Powell everywhere I’ve been speaking since we taped this conversation. 

Kara is Executive Director of the Fuller Youth Institute, and based on her extensive research and knowledge she’s sharing the three pivotal questions our kids are asking. (Spoiler alert: these are some of the same questions many of us are still asking as adults.) 

Combining research and biblical truth, Kara gives us practical ways to speak into these three questions while considering the unique characteristics marking this next generation. She also has a few great ways to give our kids a “sticky faith” that follows them all throughout adulthood.

Take a few minutes to listen today, because Kara’s research combined with biblical truth is the perfect combination for answering your kids' deepest questions. 

Resources from today's show: 

3 Big Questions That Shape Your Future by Kara Powell

She is Confident in Healthy Relationships

The things we desire the most direct our days and determine our priorities. Knowing this, it’s important to get it right when it comes to what we desire and how we spend our lives fulfilling our deepest wishes.

This week we’re praying that our kids desire the things God desires for their lives. Psalm 37:4 is arguably one of the most powerful verses God has used in my life to date (I’ll share more on today’s podcast), because he taught me how incredible our lives can be when our victories, achievements, and successes line up with His.  

Join me in praying this week for our kids to dig deep to find God’s plans and desires for their lives, pursuing those things at all cost. 

Lots to pray for this week. Don’t miss it!

P.S. We would be so grateful if you’d consider sharing Pardon the Mess with a friend. Encourage those you know and love to join us in praying each week by forwarding this email or sending a link to the show. Thank you! 

Toni Collier is with us today talking about the brokenness we feel in this world and how to work through it in our own lives as well as the lives of our children.

I had never met Toni before this conversation, and we had an instant connection that I’m sure you’re going to feel too. She’s vulnerable and authentic in the hardest places she’s faced in life, and also hilariously funny and wise. Here’s a few of the topics we cover:

• Narratives we believe that keep us from healing
• Knowing the difference between being a fan of Jesus versus a follower
• Affirming our kids in the very midst of their brokenness
• Overcoming the need to appear perfect 

And a little behind the scenes tidbit: Toni recorded this conversation in her car on the side of the road because she was late after a dentist appointment. You would never know because she is on 🔥, but it made for some hilarious banter. 

Resources from today's show: 

Brave Enough to be Broken by Toni Collier

Still Coloring Podcast with Toni Collier 

Did you pick a word of the year for 2023? 

I don’t always do it, but this year I knew “pause” was my word because it kept coming to my mind whenever I would hear someone else mention their own word. The last few months I’ve felt the Lord lay it on my heart that I needed to learn to slow down and wait on him. Said differently, I need to learn to “pause” before . . . . . 

I speak

I judge

I accept

I respond

I plan

I react

I engage

I assume

Isaiah 30:18 says, in part, “blessed are those who wait on the Lord.” So if blessing comes from waiting on God, I’m pretty confident that my year of “pausing” won’t go to waste. 

This also goes along perfectly with Psalm 66 and our focus on praying for our kids to communicate well with the Lord. We’re not only praying they take all of their needs to Jesus, but also that they learn to wait on him and allow God to work in their lives before moving forward in their own plans. It’s “pausing” so that God can do the things that only God can do. 

Lots to pray for this week, so “pause” for a minute and pray with me!

As we’re kicking off the new year, it’s a perfect time to evaluate what’s working well in our parenting, and what may need a few tweaks. It’s being intentional in asking God to reveal what he wants our families to be about, and ensuring we’re doing the things that will make this happen. 

Pastor Andy Stanley and his wife Sandra are here to talk about all of this and more. Having grown children, they have an amazing perspective on figuring out what your “it” is in parenting, and charting the course accordingly. 

I can’t tell you how much I love the part of our conversation where we discuss the dangers of letting our ego impact our parenting. And then there is a good reminder that our behavior—not our words—has the greatest impact on our kids. Yikes! 

Don’t miss this and so much more from Andy and Sandra Stanley. Happy New Year!

Resources from today's show: 

Parenting: Getting It Right by Andy and Sandra Stanley

It’s a brand spanking new year and the perfect time to jump in and join us as we pray over our kids. 

We’re kicking off 2023 by praying purity over our kids, focusing on Psalm 119. I can’t imagine a more significant thing to pray for our kids than purity in all the different scenarios our kids face each day. 

Listen in as we discuss biblical purity and praying for it in our kids’ sexual relationships, what goes into their bodies, what they look at online and listen to, and the standards by which they live their lives.

But praying purity also deserves a reminder that God brings grace and forgiveness to each of us when we miss the mark. That’s the beauty of a God who loves us (and our kids) so much that he wants purity to be more about our relationship with him, than a one-time accomplishment where we either hit the mark or miss it.

Lots to pray for this week. Don’t miss it!

P.S. We would be so grateful if you’d consider sharing Pardon the Mess with a friend. Encourage those you know and love to join us in praying each week by forwarding this email or sending a link to the show. Thank you! 

As we wrap up 2022, I’m finishing the year the same way I started it by sharing a few of the things I wish I had known as a younger mom. 

I try not to live with regrets, but I also know the value that comes by taking inventory in our parenting and acknowledging the areas of growth as well as the struggles.The four things I’m sharing with you today began with an article I wrote several years ago from the perspective of “the oldest mom on the playground.” Since then, I’ve had opportunities to share these parenting truths to various groups, and the Lord has given me even greater clarity that I pray will encourage and challenge you.

I have no doubt that your social media feeds (like mine) are packed with all kinds of weight loss and exercise challenges for a physically healthier 2023. But I would also encourage you to avoid “back-burnering” (assuming that’s a word) your parenting and instead take this week to consider what’s working, what’s not, where you might need to be encouraged, and where you need to encourage others. I’ll start us off with today’s podcast on the four things I would tell my younger parenting self.

I would be so grateful if you would not only take a minute to listen, but then also share it with the other parents you’re walking alongside with each day.

P.S. As we wrap up this year, I’m praying that Pardon the Mess will reach more and more parents. One way you can help us do this is to leave a review on iTunes or wherever you listen to podcasts. It would be a great blessing if you could take just a minute and do that for me today! So grateful 💕

Resources from today's show: 

Christian Parenting Year End Giving

“Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.” Psalm 91:1

We have a negative connotation around the idea of living in the shadows. We want to avoid raising kids in the shadows because it feels unknown, overlooked, or even worse: insignificant. Yet so often what the world calls “successful” is not God’s definition of success. And living with platform and worldly significance comes at a cost we often fail to consider. 

This week we’re praying Psalm 91 over our kids, and asking God to reveal the beauty of shadow living—but only when it’s in the shadow of the Almighty. In this shadow is where we find  God’s love and protection. In his shadow is where we find a nearness to God not present anywhere else, simply due to the sheer proximity required to walk in God’s shadow.

This is our last week of 2022 to pray over our kids. Please don't miss it. 

“God permits what he hates to accomplish what he loves.” 

— Joni Eareckson Tada

The ten words above have marked me from the very first time I heard Joni Eareckson Tada speak them. And today I want to re-share one of my favorite episodes of the year where Joni is sharing her heart behind these words. 

Joni is an author, speaker, artist, and the most incredible example of loving Jesus in the hardest places that I’ve ever known. She suffers with quadriplegia, and, even so, has traveled the world sharing her hope in Jesus. 

Joni very candidly talks to us about her accident and the words she prayed just months before it happened. We get a little insight into how she’s learned to love Jesus even when life’s midnight moments of despair come creeping in.  

There’s literally no way for me to hype today’s show enough, so please, please take a minute and go listen. 

Resources from today's show: 

Joniandfriends.org

Christian Parenting Year End Giving

“Joy to the world, the Lord is come. Let earth receive her King. Let every heart prepare him room.”

Singing carols like “Joy to the World” is one of my favorite things this time of year. The nostalgia that comes with singing these beautiful words reminds me over and over again of the significance of Jesus coming to earth as a baby, paving the way for our salvation.

This week we’re praying for our kids to experience the true message of Christmas and respond with the profound joy that our favorite Christmas carols describe. My dear friend Kay Wyma joins us to talk about Psalm 98 and how Christmas impacts our parenting and changes the lives of our families.

As we enter this week leading up to Christmas, I pray we can remember to praise God no matter what we’re facing in the moment, because our eternity is settled. That’s the heart of Christmas. 

Join Kay Wyma and me as we pray for our kids. 

We hear Jesus referred to as Immanuel in the Christmas story and all throughout the Christmas season. We know it means “God with us,” but do we ever stop and think about what that means practically? 

Rebecca Carrell is with us today and has the perfect Christmas reminder of why Immanuel changes everything in our lives. She challenges us to consider how the Israelites experienced God in the desert through the daily direction and provision of following a cloud and waiting for manna to eat. 

We have the same opportunity to tap into the real presence of Jesus, who wants to guide and direct us through all we face each day. 

Take a few minutes to nurture your soul as we consider the gift of Immanuel, the God who is with us in this very moment. 

Resources from today's show: 

Rebecca Carrell

Honestly Though podcast 

Sky Ranch Camps

Oh contentment, why are you so elusive this time of year? Why do the holidays leave us searching for better presents, bigger wow moments, and flawless family interactions? 

As you may have guessed, we’re praying for contentment this week as we head into the home stretch of Christmas. We’re asking God to remind us that he knows each of our needs before we even realize them, and he’s faithful to provide in the most generous and comprehensive way that’s in our best interests. 

Join me this week as we consider Psalm 34 and what it means to “taste and see” that God is good. Leaning into this truth will help us pray for our kids (and ourselves) to acknowledge that anything and everything that’s good in this life is from God—and his provision is perfect. 

Friendships are some of God’s greatest gifts in our lives. However, they can be super complex too. 

Amy Weatherly and Jess Johnson join us today to talk about healthy friendships in our own lives, as well as parenting friendships with our kids. 

Here’s some of the great friendship topics we cover:

• The lies we believe in friendships
• Loving ourselves so we can love others
• The number of friends we have capacity for
• Facing rejection in friendships
• Guiding our kids through lasting friendships

Amy and Jess are so much fun, and I know you are going to walk away with a new appreciation for the true gift of friendships.  

Resources from today's show: 

Christian Parenting Year End Giving

I’ll Be There by Amy Weatherly and Jess Johnston 

I realize it’s December and life is crazy! But let’s take just a few minutes to slow down and pray for our kids today. 

Our focus this week is praying that our kids learn to fear God. Fearing God sounds confusing, but it’s not about living scared or fleeing from him. Instead, it’s living in such awe and reverence towards God that we’re willing to submit to him even when it doesn’t make sense. 

We learned last week that fearing God is the key to wisdom (Psalm 111:10). And in a world that thrives on earthly knowledge, our kids need wisdom from God’s word now more than ever.  

Join me in praying that our kids won’t settle for a head-knowledge of God, but instead gain a heart of awe and reverence that propels them towards their Savior. Fear God. Gain wisdom. Live in his blessing. That’s the long and short of it. 

Today we’re talking all things Christmas with Alicia Wood and Lee Cordon!

Alicia and Lee are pros when it comes to Christmas preparations and keeping our sanity this time of year. They are so much fun and you’re 100% guaranteed to be in the spirit of Christmas after today’s show. 

Here are a few of the things we cover:

🎄Gift giving ideas and how to keep it under control

🎄Making lists and preparing for Christmas early 

🎄Hosting holiday gatherings with less stress

🎄Hacks for decorating your house and wrapping gifts 

🎄Family traditions and keeping our faith central to our celebrations

This is the podcast you need while running errands, addressing Christmas cards, and doing all the Christmas things this time of year! 

Resources from today's show: 

Alicia Wood Lifestyle 

Do Say Give with Lee Cordon 

There’s a big difference between knowledge and wisdom, and this week Janet Denison of Denison Ministries is joining us to talk about praying wisdom over our kids. Psalm 111 tells us very plainly that wisdom comes by fearing God and following his word. And in a culture that is pursuing worldly knowledge at all costs, it’s a great time to pray for our kids to choose wisdom. 

And please don’t miss Janet Denison’s great insight into teaching our kids to listen for God’s voice—something I wish I would have practiced much earlier in my faith walk. 

It’s a great week to be praying for wisdom and the much-needed ability to focus on what’s unseen in a world that’s hyper focused on the temporary things that are here and now. 

Kayla Craig’s Collection of Liturgies 

Happy Thanksgiving! 🦃🦃🦃

I hope you are surrounded by friends and family today with the smell of familiar food floating through the house. There’s so much to be thankful for this year, but I’m especially thankful to be walking this parenting road together with each of you. It’s a true gift.

Today we have Kayla Craig with us and we’re discussing liturgies and how they add a richness to our prayer life. So often we overcomplicate prayer or even find ourselves at a loss for words—praying liturgies is a wonderful way to bridge the gap. 

I’ll leave you with a list I wrote a few years ago of the top 10 ways to determine if your Thanksgiving was an epic fail. 

1.) When sharing what they are thankful for, your first guest responds, “Thanksgiving rotates to a new house next year.”

2.) Your mother-in-law questions why your “homemade” pumpkin pie has a Costco imprint across the top.

3.) Despite dieting all year, you’re still asked to play linebacker in the annual family football game.

4.) When the conversation gets slow around the table, you nervously share your annual income and who you voted for in the last election.

5.) Several relatives tentatively decline your Christmas invitation pending ancestry results.

6.) When guests ask how they can help after the meal, your husband accidentally responds, “Why start now?”

7.) Grandpa grabs the Gas-X before agreeing to a game of Twister with the kids.

8.) After replacing the batteries on the meat thermometer, you decide “done” is a relative term.

9.) You receive multiple copies of the book Parenting with Love and Logic as hostess gifts.

10.) The Turkey Trot isn’t a family 5K but rather a reminder of how fast people exited your house after the meal ended.

All kidding aside, I hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving.

Resources from today's show: 

To Light Their Way

Jones & Parker Case Files

The Songs Tell the Story

It’s the week of Thanksgiving and Psalm 16:2 gives us the most basic truth in these seven words: “Apart from you I have nothing good.” What a great starting place as we celebrate Thanksgiving by remembering that every single thing we have is from God. 

Kayla Craig joins us today to pray thanksgiving over our kids. She also encourages us to consider the value of praying liturgies. A liturgy is simply a written prayer that helps us connect with God. I just started using liturgies as part of my prayer life, and it has been so impactful that I want to share a little bit about that with you today. 

My prayer this week is for our hearts and minds to be filled with the gratefulness that comes only from knowing the generosity and abundance found in Jesus. 

Don’t anyone panic, we’re not skipping Thanksgiving! 

But we are chatting with Ruth Chou Simons about advent and why the posture of our hearts as we enter the holiday season matters. Ruth is hilariously practical and talks about her scrapbooking skills (or lack thereof) and her propensity to lose sight of what matters this time of year… if her perfectionist ways take over. 

Ruth reminds us that there’s an opportunity to experience Jesus even during a time of year packed with family, parties, and preparations.

She also has the most BEAUTIFUL advent book available now—a 25 day journey leading up to Christmas. I’m going to be using this book all of Advent and would love for you to join me. 

Today’s a fun conversation about holidays, family, and maintaining a posture that invites Jesus to be near in the middle of it all. 

Resources from today's show: 

Jones & Parker Case Files

The Bible for Teen Girls

Emmanuel

Ruth Chou Simons

The times of waiting in my life have hands down been the places where I’ve learned the most about God. Knowing this, I’m excited to be praying this week for our kids to learn to wait well. Waiting patiently on God is a hard thing to grasp when you live in an Amazon-style, instant gratification kind of world.

Psalm 40 is our key Psalm this week and David suggests that when we are waiting on God to act, we are to wait actively and expectantly. Instead of sitting around in despair and hoping for the best, we’re to be crying out in urgency for God’s deliverance. 

So often, the key to waiting in the most difficult places we face means simply remembering God’s faithfulness in the past, turning only to him for deliverance, and finding a posture of dependence and trust. 

Join me in praying for our kids as we consider what it means to wait well on God. 

For the first time ever we have Lauren Chandler on Pardon the Mess!

Lauren is a worship leader, author, mom of three, and wife of Pastor Matt Chandler. I love this conversation because it’s all about Thanksgiving traditions, favorite recipes, and enjoying family this time of year. 🦃 🦃 

She has an amazing heart for praising the Lord and gives us practical ways to foster a lifestyle of praise and Thanksgiving (even when life gets complicated). She also shares about her husband’s brain tumor revealed years ago on Thanksgiving day, and how that still impacts her today. 

Take a few minutes to join us in preparing your heart and home for Thanksgiving! 

Resources from today's show: 

The Parent’s Guides to Social Media by Axis

Praise Him!

Launch with Jamie Ivey & Lisa Whittle

David had an affair, murdered a man, and spent almost a year ignoring his wrongdoing before finally confessing his sin. Psalm 51 reveals his heart after such a significant moral failure, and his words are beautiful as he asks God to cleanse, restore, and continue to use him.

Our kids will sin too. This week we are praying they recognize it and repent, just as David did all those years ago. God cares so much about our right-ness with him that he sent Jesus to bridge the chasm between our sin and God. He’s the sacrifice that allows us right standing before God, even when we’re so prone to sin. 

Join me this week in praying that our kids will have accountability in their lives (a Nathan) that will point out their sin. Let’s also pray they never feel defined by the places where they get it wrong, but instead know that Jesus is ready to give them a clean heart and full restoration—if they will simply ask.

Nothing makes you question the boundaries in your relationships like the holidays. Am I right? 

Lysa TerKeurst is with us today to talk about relationships and the boundaries we often fail to put in place. The result?  Chaos in some of our more challenging relationships. Like most of us, I haven’t thought a lot about boundaries and definitely not from a biblical perspective. But thankfully Lysa has so much wisdom in this area, talking us through the practicalities of setting healthy parameters and why that’s so necessary. 

If you struggle with guilt, people-pleasing, and fear in your hardest relationships, this show is 100% for you! 

Resources from today's show: 

Good Boundaries and Goodbyes

Lysa TerKeurst

Risen Motherhood Deluxe

The Songs Tell the Story

I think the twenty-third psalm just may be my favorite psalm of all. I used to think of it as just a funeral type psalm, or one for hard times—but now I realize how many nuggets are packed in there as we pray this over our kids. 

I’m reminded that God is the provider for all things, and he’s oftentimes providing things we don’t even know we need. There are also verses giving us encouragement for the hard times and reminders of our ultimate hope—eternity with Jesus.

Just as sheep learn to follow their shepherd by knowing his voice, we’re praying this week that our kids do the same. I have a feeling you’re going to love Psalm 23 in a whole new way. 

A Penn State study indicates that 91% of what we worry about never happens. 

I don’t know about you, but this statistic holds true in my own life having worried about countless things that (thankfully) never actually transpired.

Louie Giglio is no stranger to fear and anxiety and comes today with a great word on how to deal with the inevitable worries we all face. He debunks the idea that we are “born worriers” with no control, and identifies the four lies that typically feed our anxiety.  

Don’t miss the end of this episode where Louie talks about reconciling our suffering with God’s goodness. It’s so, so good!

A discussion on being still seems especially relevant this time of year as we’re gearing up for the holidays while enjoying all the fun things of fall. Psalm 46 reminds us that being still allows us to better know Jesus. The Hebrew for “be still” means “to be weak, or let go, or to release.” 

Who couldn’t use some of that this week? 

We’re praying specifically that in a world that praises hard work and high achievement, our kids can be still and find peace from the grind of striving, performing, and controlling. After all, God’s strength is made perfect in our weakness (2 Corinthians 12:9), and we will know him best when we loosen the reins and allow him to cover our deficits.

If Jesus used the words “be still” in Mark 4 to calm a storm and all creation instantly obeyed the very sound of his voice—I’m guessing we’d be wise to do the same. Let’s pray together for our kids today! 

Jonathan Pitts is back and he’s no stranger to Pardon the Mess. He’s an author, speaker, podcaster, and father to four daughters. Jonathan lost his wife, Wynter, suddenly to a heart condition in 2018—and he’s been learning how to wait on God in the hardest places ever since. 

Today Jonathan shares his journey of walking through grief and disappointments with God. Spoiler alert: He’s also recently remarried an amazing woman, Peta, and is candid about the challenges of blended families and showing grace when it’s the last thing you want to do. 

But I definitely don’t want you to miss Jonathan’s word on “moving on,” and the guilt oftentimes associated with good times that follow the hard. Jonathan always reminds me that struggling well is possible when we’re seeking Jesus along the way. 

Resources from today's show: 

Jonathan Pitts

Otter B Thankful

So often we think of persecution as something that only happens in the places where faith in Jesus can cost you your life. But persecution is actually something all of us will experience if we’re seeking Jesus and trying to live godly lives (2 Timothy 3:12). 

Today we’re praying for our kids to live big enough in their convictions to experience persecution, while also leaning on God to get them through it. Whether it’s in the middle of hard and dysfunctional relationships, in lost job opportunities, or even in places of being overlooked or disqualified while pursuing the Lord—God promises peace and hope for the persecuted. 

Let’s pray together for all the dark and difficult moments our kids will face, asking God to remind them that “no weapon fashioned against us shall succeed (Isaiah 54:17).”

This week we’ve got Max Lucado with us—and yes I go fan-girl and it’s super weird.

But if you can get past that, Pastor Max has an amazing word on the role of the Holy Spirit in our lives and why it matters. Here are some of the topics we cover:

• Why is the Holy Spirit so foreign to us?
• What kind of power does the Holy Spirit have?
• How does the work of the Holy Spirit look practically in our lives?
• What are we missing out on if we don’t take time to explore the Holy Spirit?

And to top it all off, he reflects on being a rebellious teen (I know, right?) and gives some solid advice for when our parenting road gets tough. 

There’s so much I could say, but let’s just leave it at this—it’s MAX LUCADO today and you just can’t miss it.

Resources from today's show: 

Help is Here: Finding Fresh Strength and Purpose in the Power of the Holy Spirit

The Telos Bible

We’re praying the Psalms over our kids this school year and this week our focus is on the words we speak. And let me tell you this, nobody puts their foot in their mouth more than me. I’ve learned first-hand the power of words, oftentimes in rather unfortunate circumstances. 

In Psalm 19, David prays that the words of his mouth and meditations of his heart will be found pleasing to God. He understood the significance of our words and the weight they hold, but also the role our hearts play in it. That’s a great parenting application—to pray for our kids to be so filled with the God-things that it naturally flows to their words. 

God cares about our words greatly, evidenced by how often it’s mentioned in Scripture. Let’s pray this week that our kids will have a reign on their tongues and use words for Kingdom impact this school year. 

Amanda Pittman is with us today and she has a VERY important message on living in confidence. A lack of confidence runs the risk of keeping us from doing the God-ordained things in our lives because we think we aren’t good enough, or gifted enough, or ______(fill in the blank) enough. 

We chat about why this matters not just for our own lives, but also how our confidence (or lack thereof) impacts those around us. She identifies some of the confidence crushing narratives we believe and practical ways to overcome them. 

I really, really loved talking to Amanda about parenting our kids in a way that builds their inner-confidence, teaching them to live with conviction rather than focusing on their insecurities. 

This is a powerful conversation on living out the abundant life God has for our lives and our families. I know you’re going to love Amanda Pittman as much as I do. 

Resources from today's show: 

Stand in Confidence: From Sinking in Insecurity to Rising in Your God-Given Identity

Confident Woman Co.

The last several years I’ve prayed that my kids will live interruptible lives. I’ve prayed for it because for so long, I was completely unwilling to have my own life interrupted. I like things to be planned out, organized, and on my schedule. So much so that I wasn’t open to the things God was calling me to that might “mess up” my best laid plans. 

But now knowing what I know, most of God’s greatest plans for my life have come in the form of interruptions. And we see these same God-ordained interruptions in the lives of Noah, Mary, Abraham, and so many other biblical heroes. 

The Psalm we’re praying this week says that God “thwarts the purposes of his peoples” in favor of his own greater plays. Why? Because his plans stand firm and impact generations to come. 

So join me in praying interruptibility over our kids this week, so that God’s plans will trump any plans we make that are less than his very best. 

Let’s be honest. There’s not a one of us that doesn’t often feel like the Simon Cowell of our family having to correct, instruct, redirect, and . .  . sometimes criticize. We don’t call it criticism, but so often it feels that way for us (and definitely for our kids too). 

Ken Wilgus is with us today talking about the real truth on critical parents and critical kids. We dig deep into issues of boundaries and respect, both of which are the hidden gems if we’re trying to avoid this issue.  Ken is a licensed psychologist and always a fan favorite because of his practicality and willingness to lay it out there in areas we don’t love to discuss.

We also talk about the real truth behind overscheduling our kids as well as why we continue fighting parenting battles not worth fighting. 

I’m so glad you’re exploring the “real truth” with us this fall, it’s always more fun when we’re all in it together!

Resources from today's show: 

Dr. Kenneth Wilgus

Feeding the Mouth That Bites You

There’s a lifetime worth of banter in Christian circles around the question of being “good enough.” This week we’re laying it down and considering Psalm 27 as David speaks into this question while hiding out because his life is in jeopardy.  

He calls God his light (hope), his salvation (rescuer) and his stronghold (deliverer). Nowhere does he evaluate his own value or abilities, but over and over again he refers back to God’s. Yet maybe the greatest words he writes, and those we can be praying for our kids, are his heart’s desire to “dwell in the house of the Lord forever.”

I’m praying this week for our kids to flip the “not good enough” script and trust that God is more than enough for all they face today and each day. Join me in praying for your kids and trusting God to fill the gaps where our parenting skills inevitably fall short.

I hope you’re enjoying our real truth series as much as I am. 

If I’m honest, most of the real truth topics we’re covering are areas of my life that could use a little bit of attention, and I’m guessing you’re dealing with the same things too! 

Today is no exception as we visit with Gary Thomas, the King of Marriage. I mean, perhaps “King of Marriage” is not exactly in his bio, but when you write books like Sacred Marriage and Making your Marriage a Fortress, you’re pretty much royalty where I’m from.  

We’re talking today about the many things threatening our marriages and how we prepare today for what may be a struggle tomorrow. If for no other reason, you can’t miss today because Gary has the best encouragement for pursuing emotional attachment with our spouses even when life happens and there’s barely a moment to spare. 

We also have a great discussion on finances in our marriages, which pretty much lives in the top ten of problems married couples face.

I’m so thrilled to have Gary Thomas back with us today, and I know you’re going to love him!

Resources from today's show: 

Making your Marriage a Fortress

Helping Moms Raise Confident Daughters

We’re off to a great start in praying for our kids this school year and I’m so glad you’re doing this with me! Week one (last week) we prayed for our kids’ salvation, which is hands down the most important thing we can pray for them. 

This week we’re praying for a blessed life. But there’s a hitch! We want to know God’s version of living blessed instead of relying on the world’s definition. Psalm 1 is our focus passage and we’re given a very practical visual on the way that sin progresses. We’re reminded of the theme all throughout the Bible that God blesses obedience and judges disobedience, and a blessed life requires following God’s word. 

Join me this week as we talk about the road to a blessed life and what that means as we pray for our kids. Oh, and be sure and share this with your friends! It’s such an honor to pray together for our kids to know and love the Lord.

Is your husband child a gamer? (Just kidding.)

Is it hard for you to relate? 

Do you wonder if there’s any redeeming value in it? 

Have you wondered what the Bible would say about gaming? 

Are you lacking a framework for determining what’s appropriate and what's not?

If you responded “yes” to any of the above, today’s your lucky day! 

Drew Dixon is the cofounder of Love Thy Nerd, and has been speaking + writing about video games for over a decade. Today he’s answering the questions we’re all asking on behalf of our kids that love video games… perhaps a little bit too much. 

His new book Know Thy Gamer: A Parent’s Guide to Video Games is a great resource on gaming, and I so appreciate him bringing practical advice today on parental controls, free to play games, and loot boxes (I didn’t know either). 

If you live with a gamer or know someone who does, this is a great way to expand your knowledge base on the real truth about gaming. 

Resources from today's show: 

Drew Dixon: Love Thy Nerd

Mentioned on the show:

ESRB.org

Common Sense Media

It’s week ONE of our 2022-2023 Monday prayer podcast, and this is where the journey begins to pray our kids through the school year!

This year we’re following the Christian Parenting prayer journal, Key Psalms to Pray Over Your Kids. If you haven’t grabbed your copy yet, now’s a great time to do just that. 

I love the Psalms because it’s 150 songs, poems, and expressions of faith from real-life people who teach us how to pray, what to pray, and when to pray. And hidden in these vulnerable, pretense-free words, we learn the keys to being still, following our shepherd, seeking wisdom, fearing God, living with contentment, and so much more.

So today begins our journey through the Psalms, focusing on Jesus as our Salvation. There is nothing that can save us or our children but God. And because our sin separates us from him, he sent Jesus to pave the way through his death on the cross for our reconciliation to God for all eternity. 

Our greatest prayer as parents (and what we begin with this school year) is that our children will confess their sins and accept Jesus as their Lord and Savior. I can’t think of anything more significant to pray for this week. 

So don’t miss out as we kick off this series. And please, share this with your friends, small group, Bible study, or anyone else that is ready to pray for our families together!

A huge thank you to First15 Worship for the amazing instrumental music!

Kirk Cameron won over our teenage hearts on Growing Pains many years ago. And I hate to be the one to do this to you, but it’s been over 37 years since that show premiered. So now who's feeling old? 🙋🏼‍♀️

Since that time, Kirk has given us a crash course on what it looks like to stand for the principles of our faith, including some amazing projects centered on social media, marriage, and family. His latest project is a movie coming out in theaters this weekend called Lifemark. He and the Kendrick Brothers tell a beautiful story about choosing life and the significance of adoption. And I can’t wait to take my family to see it. 

Kirk and his wife Chelsea (his girlfriend in Growing Pains) have adopted four children, and I love how their biblical beliefs have guided their family values. Kirk gives some solid advice today for living out our faith authentically and boldly, and even throws in the top three parenting principles he and Chelsea have used in leading their family. 

Don’t miss any of this good stuff today! 

Resources from today's show: 

Lifemark

Helping Moms Raise Confident Daughters

Step right on up if you have a teen that’s starting to date or if the sheer thought of it makes you break into a cold sweat. 

There are so many questions behind the topic of dating and how to best shepherd our kids when they start down this road. Thankfully, we’re tackling it this week with Steve Frissell, an Executive Pastor at Bent Tree Bible Fellowship in Dallas, Texas. 

Steve and his wife have been married for 26 years and the story he shares of their high school dating mishap is not one you will soon forget. They have six children now and Steve has an incredible word on balancing truth with grace when walking our kids through dating. He also shares ideas on conversations we need to have with our kids and thoughts on purity culture if you grew up in that era like so many of us. 

When I tell you that this is a podcast you need to hear—well, this is a podcast you need to hear. 

And just in case you missed it last week, the next few months we are going to be digging deep into the “real truth” behind common issues we face in our spiritual lives, parenting, and just in life generally (like dating). 

Here are a few coming your way the next few weeks:

• Real truth in marriage with Gary Thomas
• Real truth in anxiety with Louie Gigglio
• Real truth on gaming with Grant Dixon 
• Real truth about the Holy Spirit with Max Lucado

I can’t wait for you to hear today’s conversation with Steve Frissell!

Resources from today's show: 

Steve Frissell on Instagram

Riverbend Friends

A Parent’s Prayer Guide: Key Psalms to Pray Over Your Kids

Today begins a new series that I’m so excited about on Pardon the Mess. 🥳

We’re going to dig deep into the “real truth” behind common issues we face in our spiritual life, parenting life, and just in life generally. We’ve been working super hard behind the scenes to get the perfect guests to encourage and instruct us in some important areas, and here’s a preview of what’s coming up: 

• Real truth about the Holy Spirit with Max Lucado
• Real truth about teen dating with Steve Frissell
• Real truth in marriage with Gary Thomas
• Real truth about anxiety with Louie Gigglio

And (drum roll please), we’re kicking it off this week with Brittany Ann to talk about the “real truth” on being godly women. Brittany is an author, blogger, speaker and has a great word for us on upping our spiritual game. Don’t worry, this isn’t one of those conversations that will leave you feeling guilty or not good enough—it’s just a great reminder on small changes we can make to experience big dividends in our walk with the Lord. 

I can’t wait for you to hear this conversation with Brittany Ann today, and be sure you’re tuned in the next few months as we hit some really important “real truth” topics! Oh, and share us with your friends that could use some encouragement—that would be a huge gift all around.  

Resources from today's show: 

Called to Act Conference, September 13-15, 2022

Fall in Love with God’s Word

Riverbend Friends

A Parent’s Prayer Guide: Key Psalms to Pray Over Your Kids

If you love football and want to be inspired to live each day with purpose, you’re going to love today’s show with the Dungys. Tony Dungy is a football legend, playing for many years in the NFL and then coaching professionally with the Colts and Buccaneers. He’s a Super Bowl champ and now works as a football analyst for NBC. 

Tony and his wife Lauren have been outspoken in their faith every step of the way as the Lord has given them opportunity after opportunity to boldly share their story. They join us today to talk about living with ‘uncommon influence.’ We discuss what it looks like to listen for God’s voice and move forward in the things with eternal impact that he has for our lives. 

And for those of you wondering, yes we did talk a little bit of football and he has a great Peyton Manning story. We also get a great word on youth sports, and there ain’t a one of us that couldn’t use that. 

The Dungy’s love for foster care and adoption will encourage you, and I have a feeling you’re going to walk away inspired by these sweet people and their commitment to living big for Jesus. 

Resources from today's show: 

Uncommon Influence

Riverbend Friends

A Parent’s Prayer Guide: Key Psalms to Pray Over Your Kids

I remember as a kid having a range of emotions the night before school started. I would lay in bed with questions swirling like… 

Did I pick the right back to school shoes? 

Will my friends still like me? 

Is Mrs. Smith as mean as everyone says?

Will my favorite lunch table have enough seats? 

Will the coach yell at me again for being the slowest to run the mile in PE? (oh wait, maybe that’s just me)

Whether or not our kids are willing to admit it, they are facing some of the same back to school jitters that we did. Even harder are some of the safety concerns they face that undoubtedly weigh on them this time of year. 

Mia Mbroh is with us today and as a licensed counselor, she’s worked in private practice as well as in school settings. She’s helping us navigate some key areas of concern including school safety, friendships, bullying, and academics.

She has a good word on how our families can rewrite the narrative when it comes to what matters in school and how we will represent our faith this year. 

Take a few minutes to listen to Mia’s great words for back to school, and then share it with a friend. 

Also, we’re gearing up our Monday prayer podcasts in September so be sure to grab a copy of A Parent’s Prayer Guide: Key Psalms to Pray Over Your Kids if you haven't already!

Resources from today's show: 

Be sure to check out A Sticky Story by Mia Mbroh. You can get your copy by emailing her directly at mia@miambroh.com. 

NIV Teen Study Bible

A Parent’s Prayer Guide: Key Psalms to Pray Over Your Kids

Boys… whatcha gonna do with them? Just kidding. 

But they really are unique creatures and if you’re raising one or more, you know that finding ways to help them communicate and express their feelings in a healthy way can be challenging. 

David Thomas is a Pardon the Mess favorite, and he’s with us today discussing the importance of raising emotionally strong boys. Don’t miss his insight into why our boys suffer from higher rates of suicide, addiction, and pornography abuse—oftentimes because they haven’t learned to deal with their emotions in a healthy way. 

Here are a few highlights:

• Modeling healthy communication with our boys 
• The three “R’s” of emotional health 
• How anxiety and depression present in boys
• What healthy relationships look like for boys
• When pulling away is okay… and when it’s not 

David’s new book, Raising Emotionally Strong Boys is a must-read. Check it out and all the other great resources offered through Daystar Counseling!

Resources from today's show: 

Raising Emotionally Strong Boys: Tools Your Son Can Build on for Life

Raising Boys and Girls

NIV Teen Study Bible

A Parent’s Prayer Guide: Key Psalms to Pray Over Your Kids

I’m so happy to have Sean McDowell with us again today! We’re talking about practical ways to equip our kids to intellectually defend their faith. Sean is an author, speaker, and well-known apologist in today’s culture (just like his dad, Josh McDowell). 

Sean and I talk about the confusing messages our kids are facing and how these messages are different from the ones in the past. We also talk about how to teach our kids to be bold in speaking up for their faith… with compassion and grace. 

There’s so much you don’t want to miss on today’s show with Sean McDowell—he’s a big deal and you’ll love all he has to say about apologetics, preparing our kids intellectually, and his new book that is a great resource for our teens! 

P.S. If you haven’t purchased our new prayer journal, now is a GREAT time to do that. We’re kicking off in September so grab your copy now! 

Resources from today's show: 

A Rebel’s Manifesto

A Parent’s Prayer Guide: Key Psalms to Pray Over Your Kids

Is your face melting off from the heat? We used to just call this ridiculous weather “Texas in July.”  But the odds are if you’re in the United States or Europe, you’re doing a little bit of sweating right alongside us. Not to mention, if you have kids home this summer and you didn’t plan enough activities, there’s some sweating involved with that too. 

Thankfully we have Scarlet Hiltibidal with us today. She’s an author, speaker, and mom who knows what it’s like when you’re trying to be everything to everyone. She found herself feeling like “the worst person in the world” after years of hustling, striving, and trying to prove to God and everyone else that she was good enough. 

Today she shares with us how important it is to come to terms with our status as sinners, and how to pivot from striving to chasing after the right things—the eternal things. She also gives us practical ways to defeat the lies we struggle with and stand on the truth we find in Jesus. 

Can’t wait for you to hear from Scarlet this week! And then stay tuned because we have some awesome shows coming your way to prepare us for back to school. Stay cool! 

Resources from today's show: 

You’re the worst person in the world

Signals: How Brain Science and the Bible Help Parents Raise Resilient Children

A Parent’s Prayer Guide: Key Psalms to Pray Over Your Kids

A friend recently mentioned to me a podcast, Java with Juli, that has completely changed how she approaches the topic of sexuality with her kids. Fast forward to today, and Juli Slattery is joining us to talk about sexuality as it relates to our marriages, parenting, and so much more.

Now most of you know that talking about sex makes me squirm. So if for no other reason, you need to listen today because words are said in this show that have not been said in the 300+ podcasts I’ve released of Pardon the Mess. 😬

Here’s a run down of what we’re covering:

• Developing a deeper intimacy with your spouse
• Discipling your kids on the subject of sex
• Must have conversations with your kids around sexuality
• Discussions for when your kids struggle with pornography
• Messaging our kids are hearing from the current culture

I would say this is probably a podcast to listen to solo before throwing it out for the whole fam on the way to the beach. You’ll thank me later!

Please, please take time to listen to this important podcast and then share it with others as we work to improve our conversations in our families around sexuality. 

Resources from today's show: 

Juli Slattery’s resources:

Authentic Intimacy Ministry

Java with Juli Podcast 

God Sex and Your Marriage book

Finding the hero in your husband

A Parent’s Prayer Guide: Key Psalms to Pray Over Your Kids

I hope everyone had an amazing 4th of July! We spent the last week in Boston on vacation and it was amazing, exhausting, and everything you can imagine from spending a week with your kids in small spaces. That makes today’s podcast especially timely (for me at least).  

Today we have the privilege of hearing from Sissy Goff, a fan favorite when it comes to understanding our kids. Sissy is the Director of Child and Adolescent Counseling at Daystar Counseling in Nashville, Tennessee, and a dear friend to our show.

Sissy is unpacking some important topics to consider during the summer months, and a few issues that are probably cropping up in your home as well as mine. 

Here’s a few of the things we discuss:

• Why our kids trigger us and how to manage it
• What our kids need from us this summer
• How to instill confidence in our kids
• Ways to help our kids with friendships
• Teaching responsibility 
• Ideas on entitlement and discipline

I’m so grateful you’re with us this week. You’re going to love what Sissy has to offer.

P.S. I’m so excited that our 2022-2023 prayer journal is out! Grab your copy now so you’re ready to hit the new school year running when it comes to praying for our kids. We will be praying the Psalms over our kids and it’s going to be amazing! 

Resources from today's show: 

More from Sissy Goff:

Instagram 

Raising Boys and Girls

Raising Boys and Girls Podcast 

A Parent’s Prayer Guide: Key Psalms to Pray Over Your Kids

This week as a part of our “best of” Pardon the Mess interviews, David Thomas is with us to talk about all things related to our boys. 

Picture this: you’re picking up your son from the first day of school after waiting to hear all about his day. Even as he’s closing the car door you begin asking the most critical of questions like... How is your teacher? What friends are in your class? Who did you meet? Did you talk to any girls? What did you have for lunch? Are you tired? Why are you so quiet? Were the kids mean to you? 

Apparently unaware of the millions of questions swirling in your mind, your son simply responds that his day was “good.” I feel your pain (like really feel your pain), and David Thomas from Daystar Counseling in Nashville does, too. 

David talks with us about our boys’ developmental stages: explorer (0-4), lover (5-8), individual (9-12), wanderer (13-17), warrior (18-23). We also discuss the best ways to communicate and connect with our boys, which apparently does not involve barraging them with questions the second they get into the car (my bad). 

So glad you’re with us today. 

Resources from today’s show:

Raising Emotionally Strong Boys by David Thomas

Helping Moms Raise Confident Daughters

Every Home for Christ

We’re using the next several weeks to release some of the “best of” Pardon the Mess interviews. With over 300 episodes and lots of new listeners, we don’t want any of you to miss a thing. 

Today we’re re-releasing our conversation with Jennie Allen on the lies we believe about friendships.

Jennie shares what she now knows about friendships, what they are, what they aren’t, and what impedes us from the God-given deep connection we so desperately need.

Here are some of the great topics we discuss when it comes to finding your people:

• The different roles our friendships play 
• What to look for in friends 
• Putting yourself out there 
• Choosing a fire pit over Netflix  
• Noticing who is already around you 
• Decisions in our careers, neighborhoods, and family that impacts friendships 

Don’t miss this much-needed conversation on the importance of our friendships and reminders that finding community is not impossible with a little bit of intentionality. 

Resources on today’s show:

Find Your People: Building Deep Community in a Lonely World

Helping Moms Raise Confident Daughters

Every Home for Christ

I hope you’re enjoying summer and hopefully getting a little extra time with your kids!

The next few weeks we’re going to be sharing some of the “best of” Pardon the Mess interviews. Hard to believe we’ve released over THREE HUNDRED episodes! With so many new people joining along the way, we want to be sure you didn’t miss some of our favorite interviews. 

Today we’re re-releasing our conversation with licensed psychologist Ken Wilgus, and he is talking with us about parenting teens. 

If you don’t have a teen yet, no worries, because you can never prepare too early for navigating the treacherous waters of adolescence (just kidding—kind of).

Dr. Wilgus shares his ideas behind “planned emancipation,” the strategy of preparing our kids for adulthood by carefully and progressively letting go of our control in key areas of their lives.

We talk about this in the context of giving freedom in the music they listen to, the friends they pick, and even the state in which they keep their rooms.

Glad you’re with us today!

In this with you, 

Cynthia Yanof | Pardon the Mess 

Resources from today’s show:

Feeding the Mouth that Bites You book

Feed the Mouth that Bites You podcast 

Helping Moms Raise Confident Daughters

Every Home for Christ

Imagine having seven children and living in an RV. I know, I can’t either. Stephen and Amanda Miller are doing just that and today we get a sneak peek into their lives! 

In his new book, Art of Getting it Wrong, Stephen reminds us that our failures are not final, and that it’s in those same failures where we learn to live courageously. It’s so easy to think our worth is equal to the sum of our successes and failures, but Stephen and Amanda help us dispel that notion and encourage us to follow God’s lead. 

We also talk about adoption and finding God’s calling in our lives, and the Millers detail how God is using YouTube and their millions of downloads (literally) to point people back to him. 

Thankful to each of you for joining us and can’t wait for you to hear from the Millers! 

Resources from today's show: 

The Art of Getting it Wrong

The Miller Fam YouTube

Helping Moms Raise Confident Daughters

Every Home for Christ

Hey Friends,

I often get questions on books I would recommend for our kids and honestly, more often than not, I draw a blank. 

That’s why today’s bonus episodes of Pardon the Mess are dedicated to some of our very favorite authors and the children’s books they have written. These are books you can trust and your kids will love. Below you’ll find overviews of the books as well as links to the podcasts where we get the behind the scenes scoop with the authors. 

Let’s start with our younger kids (ages 4 to 8) and a conversation I had with Tricia Goyer and Amy Parker about their wonderful book, The Grumbles: A Story about Gratitude. Gratitude is a much needed quality in our kids, and this book (and our conversation below) provides great reminders for summertime.

Another great book for our littles is Claire and Anna Avidon’s, I Can Do Hard Things. These two ladies chat with us about refinement, perseverance, and encouraging our kids to take the hard road when God calls us to it. 

For our older kids (think ages 8-12), there’s a great devotional by Sarah Humphrey and Amy Parker called Solomon Says Devotional: 100 Days of Wisdom from the World’s Wisest King. Based on Solomon’s life, the book offers amazing lessons on peer pressure, finding your voice, living in confidence, and so much more. Sarah gives lots of wisdom in our conversation, so don't miss it. 

My last recommendation in this bonus episode is for girls ages 8-12, and it’s all about friendships. The ladies from The Ruth Experience remind us of our need for deep friendships  and the importance of being present, not setting up artificial boundaries, and being willing to invite others into our lives. Their book, 100 Daily Acts of Friendship for Girls is a great one for helping our girls navigate friendships. 

I hope these resources are a huge help to you! Grab a book and guide your kiddos well this summer. 

Resources from today's show: 

The Grumbles: A Story about Gratitude by Tricia Goyer and Amy Parker. 

I can do hard things by Anna Avidon and Claire Avidon. 

Solomon Says Devotional: 100 Days of Wisdom from the World’s Wisest King by Sarah Humphrey and Amy Parker 

100 Daily Acts of Friendship for Girls: A Devotional by Julie Fisk, Kendra Roehl, and Kristin Demery. 

Hey Friends,

I often get questions on books I would recommend for our kids and honestly, more often than not, I draw a blank. 

That’s why today’s bonus episodes of Pardon the Mess are dedicated to some of our very favorite authors and the children’s books they have written. These are books you can trust and your kids will love. Below you’ll find overviews of the books as well as links to the podcasts where we get the behind the scenes scoop with the authors. 

Let’s start with our younger kids (ages 4 to 8) and a conversation I had with Tricia Goyer and Amy Parker about their wonderful book, The Grumbles: A Story about Gratitude. Gratitude is a much needed quality in our kids, and this book (and our conversation below) provides great reminders for summertime.

Another great book for our littles is Claire and Anna Avidon’s, I Can Do Hard Things. These two ladies chat with us about refinement, perseverance, and encouraging our kids to take the hard road when God calls us to it. 

For our older kids (think ages 8-12), there’s a great devotional by Sarah Humphrey and Amy Parker called Solomon Says Devotional: 100 Days of Wisdom from the World’s Wisest King. Based on Solomon’s life, the book offers amazing lessons on peer pressure, finding your voice, living in confidence, and so much more. Sarah gives lots of wisdom in our conversation, so don't miss it. 

My last recommendation in this bonus episode is for girls ages 8-12, and it’s all about friendships. The ladies from The Ruth Experience remind us of our need for deep friendships  and the importance of being present, not setting up artificial boundaries, and being willing to invite others into our lives. Their book, 100 Daily Acts of Friendship for Girls is a great one for helping our girls navigate friendships. 

I hope these resources are a huge help to you! Grab a book and guide your kiddos well this summer. 

Resources from today's show: 

The Grumbles: A Story about Gratitude by Tricia Goyer and Amy Parker. 

I can do hard things by Anna Avidon and Claire Avidon. 

Solomon Says Devotional: 100 Days of Wisdom from the World’s Wisest King by Sarah Humphrey and Amy Parker 

100 Daily Acts of Friendship for Girls: A Devotional by Julie Fisk, Kendra Roehl, and Kristin Demery. 

Are you overwhelmed with technology?

Do you wonder how to keep your kids safe while also teaching them to use it responsibly? 

Have you wished for a biblical perspective on digital safety that goes hand in hand with the practical? 

For me it’s yes, yes, and yes.

Today we have Chris McKenna with us and he’s the founder and CEO of Protect Young Eyes. We’re talking about a digital trust framework for our families and practical tips for keeping our kids safe. He’s giving us ideas on router filters, appropriate ages for kids to have phones, and important conversations to have while they are still under our roof. 

Today is a big drink of water for those of us thirsty for technology answers!

Resources from today's show: 

Gabb

Gryphon (routers in general)

The PYE App

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It’s hard to believe that way back on September 13th of last year we began praying our kids through the school year and that today is our last day! 

We’ve prayed for our kids to have connection, purpose, salvation, humility, and countless other attributes of our faith. Many of you have been with me each step of the way as we’ve asked the Lord to stand in the gap of our parenting while also drawing our kids to him. I’m so grateful.  

This week is our very last week of the school year, and Bunmi Laditan is joining us to wrap it up. Please, please don’t miss this last week because Bunmi is amazing and you will love her. Also we are finishing up our year talking about why we pray for our kids, how to do it well, and how to respond even when we don’t see the answers we are praying for.  

Bunmi has a new book out this summer on prayer, and it would be a great way to pray for your kids the next few months before we kick things off again in September. Speaking of the next school year, (drum roll please) we’re praying the Psalms over our kids, and I cannot wait to see how God uses this study to lead our families closer to him.  

So thank you for praying with me this school year. Thank you for always sharing these podcasts with your friends and small groups. And thank you for allowing Pardon the Mess to speak into your parenting each week. I’m truly blessed to walk the road with each of you who want to love the Lord well in your parenting.  

P.S. The prayer journal for the 2022-2023 school year will be available starting in July. Listen to Pardon the Mess on Thursdays for more information on how to grab a copy for you and your friends. 

Resources: 

To learn more about Bunmi Laditan, check her out here! 

Happy Summer!

I hope you’re having a great ending to the school year and ready for a fun-filled summer! I know that summer can bring a mix of emotions for most of us, so no guilt as we navigate these days well with our kids. 

Today Lisa Appelo is with us to discuss grief and how to walk our kids through it. This is so important for when our own kids are grieving, but also for when those around us are walking hard roads and need support. 

Lisa lost her husband suddenly and has led her seven children through this enormous loss for ten years. She shares some critical principles of living through grief such as being authentic, making a safe space for your kids to mourn, and giving grace as each person grieves differently. 

There’s a whole lot of wisdom packed into today’s podcast—so listen to it, take a few notes, and share it with someone who might be struggling in a hard place today. 

So grateful for you!

Resources from today's show: 

Life Can Be Good Again: Putting Your World Back Together After It All Falls Apart

More from Lisa Appelo

Talk About from Awana - Try one month FREE with promo code: PTM

The Biggest Story Bible Storybook

There are no words at a time like this and, if you’re like me, the news feels almost suffocating this morning. I want to take a minute to lead us in a special time of prayer for our friends in Uvalde as well as for all of our students.

Take a minute to listen to this special edition podcast and join me in praying for Uvalde and our schools. 

Also, I wrote an article several years ago after the school shooting in Florida that I want to share with you. It’s equally relevant today, and I hope it’s a renewed call to action in praying for our children and schools. 

We are not powerless in school shootings

We are down to the last two weeks of praying through our 2021–2022 journal, which is really hard to believe! Yet it also seems fitting to be praying for patience as we’re staring down the barrel of summer and preparing for lots of extra time with our kids the next several months. 

It’s not lost on me that very few of us feel like we’ve mastered patience when it comes to our kids, which is why I’m thankful for my good friend Noel Pearce joining us today to work through it. We will not only pray for our kids to be patient with their siblings, friends, teammates, and parents, but also that they develop the discipline of waiting patiently for the Lord. 

Pray with us this week, and then don’t miss next week as we close out the school year praying God-sized dreams over our kids! 

“God permits what he hates to accomplish what he loves.” 

— Joni Eareckson Tada

The ten words above have marked me from the very first time I heard Joni Eareckson Tada speak them. And today Joni is sharing her heart behind these words and much more on a show you definitely don’t want to miss! 

Joni is an author, speaker, artist, and the most incredible example of loving Jesus in the hardest places that I’ve ever known. She suffers with quadriplegia, and, even so, has traveled the world sharing her hope in Jesus. 

Joni very candidly talks to us about her accident and the words she prayed just months before it happened. We get a little insight into how she’s learned to love Jesus even when life’s midnight moments of despair come creeping in.  

There’s literally no way for me to hype today’s show enough, so please, please take a minute and go listen. 

Resources from today's show: 

Joniandfriends.org

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The Biggest Story Bible Storybook

The word “submission” oftentimes has a negative connotation in our culture and is probably not any of our go-to prayers for our kids. But submission is exactly what we’re praying this week because submitting to the Lord means placing ourselves under his authority—and that’s a big component of accepting Jesus and living for him  

My good friend Stephanie Martin joins us today to talk about how she prays for her family, and, as always, gives us a few laughs along the way. We also have a good discussion on how to submit our will for our kids to God, and we all know that’s not easy most days.  

Join me in praying this week that our children submit to God through obedience to his word, a lifelong commitment to worship, and a desire to live to the higher standard to which they have been called. Can’t wait to pray together!  

Attention❗️: If you have children born between 1997 and 2010, today’s podcast is especially for you! 

We’re talking about all things Gen Z, and even if your kids aren’t technically a part of Gen Z age-wise, please take a few minutes to listen to this fascinating conversation with Grant Glover. He does an amazing job breaking down how Gen Z views the world as the first generation of kids with 24/7 access to technology. We get a peek behind the curtain on their inner-narrative and the loneliness so often associated with this age group. 

His insight on raising kids in a post-Christian culture and how that impacts their feelings about church is so, so good. And although I love this entire conversation with Grant, you have got to hear the very end where he shares the one thing that has had the greatest impact on him staying the course in his faith. 

This is a podcast that is going to stick with me for a long, long time. I know you’ll agree! 

Resources from today's show: 

Off the Clock with Grant Glover

Talk About from Awana - Try one month FREE with promo code: PTM

The Biggest Story Bible Storybook

My mom (aka Dorothy) is joining us on the show today to talk about humility, and I promise you don’t want to miss the chance to hear Dorothy share some wisdom.  

It’s easy to skip over humility when praying for our kids because we live in a world that thrives on self-promotion and performance. But the Bible is full of warnings about pride and reminders that we are called to live each day with humility. It’s a foundation of our faith because it’s difficult to know your dire need for the Lord if you don’t have the humility to acknowledge it.  

We will also talk about the importance of teaching our children to put others first, seeking to build them up and not just working for their own self-interests. That’s a big one when it comes to social media and raising kids who use it with humility and grace. 

Join me and my mom today as we pray for humility for our kids! 

Jen Wilkin is a speaker, podcaster, author, and someone who really knows how to study the Bible and lead others in doing the same. I am thrilled to have her joining us today to talk about the “why” and the “how” behind studying the Bible. 

Bible literacy matters not simply because it’s how we know God (which is a big one), but it also matters in our parenting because our kids need to learn to measure cultural truth with biblical standards. 

As summer approaches it’s easy to lose our routine and also the discipline of spending time with God. Let me encourage you to get a plan in place now so that doesn’t happen.  A great way to do this is to gather friends and do a Bible study like Jen’s in community. 

Don’t miss these practical yet significant words on studying your Bible.

Resources from today's show: 

God of Freedom

Famous at Home

The Biggest Story Bible Storybook

Kay Wyma is joining us today to talk about purity and thoughts to consider as we pray for our kids. Praying purity definitely means we’re praying for our kids to pursue it in their dating relationships, internet searches, music choices, clothes, and pure groups. However, we also know that purity is rooted in our identity, and when we know our worth it makes purity less about checking a box and more about trusting our Savior.  

I love how Kay reminds us that through the blood of Christ we are all clothed in righteousness, and that nothing our kids have done (or that has been done to them) can take that away. There’s a whole lot of soul issues around the notion of purity, and I’m grateful Kay is joining us today to break it down in ways we probably haven’t considered before.  

It’s hard to believe we’re in our last month of praying through the school year! Finish strong and join us in praying today! 

Do you ever struggle with the deep pain we feel in our lives and how to reconcile that with God’s loving character? I am guessing the answer for all of us is a resounding yes—I think we’ve all been there at some point or another. 

Alexandra Hoover is on Pardon the Mess today to help us set up a framework of seeing God both in the hard places and the highlights of our lives. She shares her own Ebenezer-stone moments and walks us through a process of finding our “starting stone” as a beginning place for remembering God’s faithfulness. 

This is such an important topic for each of us as believers who will inevitably face pain on this side of heaven, but it’s equally important for our kids. If we can begin to lay these foundational stones of God’s faithfulness in their lives, it will help them remember his goodness in the storms they will face in the future.

You’re going to love Alexandra Hoover!

Resources from today's show: 

Eyes Up: How to Trust God’s Heart by Tracing His Hand 

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A Great Calm

There’s no question that we (as parents) have the greatest influence on our children in the early years of their lives. However, more and more they will begin leaning on people outside of our home, and that’s why we’re praying for Godly mentorship over our kids this week.  

Lisa Clark is a dear friend who has mentored me in so many ways, and she’s on the podcast today sharing her thoughts on what mentorship is, what it’s not, and why it’s so important.  And let me say, she gives us a lot to consider when it comes to praying for our kids to be godly mentors to others as well.  

Can’t wait for you to hear these great words from Lisa Clark today as we pray for our kids' mentors. And don’t miss a little bonus at the end of the show as she gives her best parenting advice.  

Today, for the first time ever, we have Ann Voskamp on the show!

I doubt there’s much need for a formal introduction, but I’ll try to give you a few highlights. Ann is a New York Times Bestselling Author, speaker, wife, and mom of 7 kids who lives on a farm with a mass of pigs. She has the most amazing voice and speaks unique truth as someone who has raised a college kid while simultaneously changing diapers. Sounds familiar. 😳

But I really love her vulnerability in sharing some of the hard places she’s faced and how it has changed her perspective and how she lives out her days. One example is learning to live from a perspective of grace in her parenting and her marriage, and it’s a word we probably all need to hear. 

If you’re walking some difficult roads (or know someone who is) please take time to listen to Ann’s powerful message on finding the miracle in the middle of the obstacle. Lots of good truth today that I know the Lord will use to speak into your life. 

Resources from today's show: 

Waymaker

Parent Prayer Challenge

Otter B Hopeful

“Always forgive your enemies; nothing annoys them so much.” — Oscar Wilde 

Clearly this isn’t good doctrine, but it’s pretty funny and also relatable. 

This week we’re praying for our kids to be quick to forgive others because that’s a central message of the gospel. We’ve been forgiven over and over by the Lord so we’re commanded to forgive others in order to stay in step with the Lord and not harbor bitterness. 

As we consider forgiveness we will look at the life of Joseph who gives the ultimate perspective on forgiveness in Genesis 50:20: “You intended to harm me but God intended it all for good.” He trusted God’s authority over all places in his life (even the very hardest) which allowed him to freely and lovingly forgive those who hurt him most. 

Take a few minutes today to pray forgiveness over your kids and consider the deeper questions of why we forgive, how we forgive, and how do we point our kids towards the freedom that comes from the hard places of forgiveness.

Not only is Kirsten Watson the mother of seven kids (yes, you read that correctly) and married to former NFL great Benjamin Watson, but today she’s our guest and you’re going to love her. Talk about a lady who knows how to get things done while also living purposefully in her faith—she’s the real deal. 

Kirsten and I chat about raising kids in today’s culture, the truth behind youth sports, and why talking about diversity matters to every one of our families. I also really appreciated her words on slowing down, being purposeful in the moment, and taking some deep breaths while leaning into God’s word. 

Her new book is Sis, Take a Breath and it’s a great word for all of us in the throes of raising kids, while just trying to keep our heads above water. 

Resources from today's show: 

Sis, Take a Breath

Parent Prayer Challenge

Otter B Hopeful

Parent with Purpose - A Perfectly Imperfect Christian Parenting Digital Event

“If you declare with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved” (Romans 10:9 NIV).

I remember when my youngest son was at the age where you’d ask what he learned at church and it was always one word: Jesus. Like anything I would ask, he responded with “Jesus.”  

What was your snack today? Jesus. 

Did y’all go to the playground? Jesus.  

Did you hit anyone (listen to earlier podcasts for more on that one)? Jesus.  

But as they get older your prayer really does become that of all the things they can learn about in life, let it be Jesus. He’s their savior, comforter, redeemer, and only hope in a world that claims lots of paths to eternal life.  

This week as we talk about our kids’ salvation, I can think of nothing more important to be praying over them. And if your kids have already trusted Jesus as their Savior, thank the Lord for that great blessing and then join us in praying for the kids around us who also need this same message of hope and eternal life.  

Shauna Niequest is with us today, and if you love New York City you’re going to love this show. Having moved to the city in the last several years with her family, Shauna’s learning to navigate a whole new way of doing things while also realizing there’s still some things (even as adults) that we don’t understand about life, and that’s OK.

Not only does she share her favorite things to do in NYC, but she also reminds us how to find new ways of doing things when the old ones no longer work. I love her thoughts on teaching our kids to live out their faith in the real world and the encouragement to find a life-long faith, even in the midst of faith disruptions.

Today’s show is full service for those of us who are still ironing out the hard places in our faith while also wondering where to go for the best pizza in New York. 

Don’t miss it!

Resources from today's show: 

I Guess I Haven’t Learned That Yet

The Long Road Home

Designed to Last

Parent with Purpose - A Perfectly Imperfect Christian Parenting Digital Event

Praying good health for our kids is something most of us have intuitively prayed over them since the time they were born. As believers, we know that complete health and healing only come when we are in heaven with our Savior. But, until then, we will continue asking the Lord to keep our kids healthy and strong, protecting them from any illness that threatens their body or mind. 

But in addition to praying for physical health for our kids this week, let’s also include their emotional health and everything from body image, depression and anxiety to the social media and friendship issues they all face.  

Lastly, and most importantly, let’s not forget to pray for spiritual health for our kids. That’s asking the Lord to help them to truly know and trust him, exercising wisdom and discernment in all that they face each day.  

There’s a lot to consider as we pray for health over our kids this week. Can’t wait to do it together.

If you’re married, or hope to be married, or have kids that may someday get married—today’s podcast is for you!

I’ve heard over and over again how amazing Gary Thomas is, and today’s the day we get to have him on Pardon the Mess. I can’t get over how much marriage wisdom is packed into our conversation, and here’s a few of the topics we covered: 

• Is the goal of marriage to be happy or holy
• The misnomer of being in a “hard marriage”
• What if I married the wrong person
• Red flags and critical conversations to have with your kids about dating

I can’t wait for you to hear these important words from Gary about our marriages. And I’ll leave you with a great quote from the show: “A great marriage is not something you find, it’s something you make.” 

Take a minute to listen to today’s show and then forward it to your spouse! 

Resources from today's show: 

All things Gary Thomas 

The Long Road Home

Parent Prayer Challenge

Parent with Purpose - A Perfectly Imperfect Christian Parenting Digital Event

This week we’re praying peace over our kids, and this seems especially relevant considering  the state of our world today. Peace for our kids means they are not consumed with fear and worry, but instead live filled with the peace of God which transcends all understanding (Philippians 4:7). 

We will spend a few minutes in Psalm 9 considering King David’s formula for living in peace. We’ll see how even in the turmoil he so often faced, he always came to the Lord with (1) praise, (2) perspective on God’s bigger picture, and (3) a healthy memory for God’s past faithfulness in his life.

It’s all about peace on Pardon the Mess today—so share it with a friend!

Have I told you this week how much my family loved Duck Dynasty all those years ago? If not, let me reiterate our love by sharing a few of my favorite Duck Dynasty lines:

I live by my own rules (reviewed, revised, and approved by my wife) . . . but still my own. —Si Robertson 

You can talk any redneck into a challenge. That’s why so many rednecks die in strange ways. —Jase Robertson 

My advice is: Don't take yourself too seriously, laugh a lot, enjoy your time with family, and appreciate the unique talents of others. Trust in God, love your neighbor, say you're sorry, forgive, and work hard. —Willie Robertson 

Knowing my love for this family, you can appreciate how excited I am to have Missy Robertson joining us today.  We’re talking about loving our kids unconditionally and her new children’s book written about this important subject. Our conversation also comes at a very interesting time in her life as she and Jace were unexpectedly given custody of a newborn and are working through the details of that. 

Missy has a great word on standing in the gap for people around us and how their family has tried to live missionally before, during, and after the platform of Duck Dynasty. Her words on the importance of the nuclear family (and the attacks on it) are so good, and I’m grateful for the passion she has to speak into it. 

Having talked to so many of the Duck Dynasty crew in the past, I’m now grateful to meet Missy, and I know you’re going to love her! 

Resources from today's show: 

Because You’re My Family

Average Boy’s Above-Average Year

Parent Prayer Challenge

This week we’re praying for our kids to be marked by a heart that longs to serve those around them. Not only are we literally serving Jesus when we do so, but we get a beautiful new perspective on life.

There are so many ways to serve others well, but we’ll focus our time on praying that our kids share the gospel, befriend the marginalized, and actively find ways to serve others in our homes and our churches.   

We’re also going to spend time praying for Ukraine this week. It feels overwhelming and oftentimes words even fail us. But with all that’s going on in the world, we can trust that where two or more are gathered—the Lord is with us and hears us.    

Thank you for being so faithful to pray with us each week. Pray for your kids’ eyes to be opened to the needs around them so that serving others becomes second nature in their daily lives.

We spend a lot of time in these parts talking about the importance of praying over our kids. But this week we’re giving it a little twist and talking to Stephanie Thurling and Sarah Holmstrom about raising prayerful kids. Said differently—how do we raise kids who pray? 

As with all things when it comes to parenting, intentionality is the key, and today’s show is full of practical yet intentional ways to incorporate prayer into your kids’ daily routines.

Sarah and Stephanie have a powerful book on teaching your kids how to pray—and let’s just say when they refer to starting a “prayer chain” it’s what you’re thinking of from the ‘80s with lots of serial phone calls and casseroles. 

So glad you’re with us today! Be sure to share this with a friend. Let’s work together to raise kids who spend time with their Savior in prayer.

Resources from today's show: 

❤️ Raising Prayerful Kids

❤️ Average Boy’s Above-Average Year

❤️ How Much Is A Little Boy Worth?

❤️ Parent with Purpose - A Perfectly Imperfect Christian Parenting Digital Event

We’re praying resolve over our kids this week, and a good working definition for resolve is “to reach a firm decision.” So praying resolve means we’re praying they reach a firm decision each and every day to follow Christ and grow in their faith.  

Resolve is critical for this generation, who is bombarded daily with social media, pornography, graphic music, widespread internet access, and so much more. To follow the Lord, they will need to consistently do the faith-growing practices of connecting with the Lord daily, following godly mentors, and walking away from things that are less than God’s best for their lives.  

Join me this week as we laugh a little bit about my half-marathon experience so many years ago, and the take-aways of discipline, muscle memory, and determination required to do the hard things in life. 

Learning differences impact so many of our families, and oftentimes leave us confused and concerned as we consider the impact on our kids. I’m so grateful we have the opportunity to talk about this important issue today, and I’ve brought in the best to guide our discussion.  

Dr. Matthew Housson has a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology and focuses his Dallas practice on learning differences, specifically diagnosing autism, attention disorders, learning disabilities, and emotional and behavioral disorders. 

He is preeminent in his field and is graciously giving us a crash course on topics like these: 

• When is too young to test for a learning difference?
• How do learning differences present themselves in elementary, middle, and high school? 
• Does a LD mean lower intelligence? 
• What are the different types of attention disorders? 
• Is it ever too late for “early” intervention? 

My prayer is that we can dispel some of the myths and shed light in the dark places we fear on the learning difference journey. 

Trust me when I say you need to hear this today—if not for your own children, then for those walking these roads beside you. 

Resources from today's show:  

The Housson Center 

Parenting for the Present resources

Captain Absolutely

I Love You, Mom!

Parent with Purpose - A Perfectly Imperfect Christian Parenting Digital Event

I’m guessing you pray inerrancy over your kids every day like I do? Just kidding, me neither.   

But I do believe inerrancy is a critical aspect of our faith and one we need to be praying for our kids. Boiling it down to one sentence—praying inerrancy means praying for our kids to believe that everything in the Bible is absolutely true. That’s it! 

And it’s especially important in a culture of relativism that believes there is no absolute truth. Some of the anti-inerrancy (assuming that’s a word) messages we hear today relate to the Bible being dated and not relevant today because we’re more enlightened now. Or that the Bible was written by too many authors, so it’s contradictory and not a reliable historical source.  

There’s lots more to this topic, but we’re going to keep it short by praying that our kids believe every word in the Bible is divinely inspired and the ultimate authority for their lives, no matter what the culture is telling them about the Bible.  

Join me in praying inerrancy this week—it’s a big one! 

The last few weeks we’ve discussed the various lies we believe when it comes to things like faith vs. science, or our friendships, or even lies our culture promotes such as Christians are intolerant and even dangerous. 

But this week we’re honing in on lies good moms (like you and like me) believe, and Kari Kampakis joins us to identity and dispel them. 

We’re talking about lies like: 

✨ My needs are second to the needs of my kids

✨ I don’t have time to rest 

✨ We’re to be comforters, not comforted

✨ Our personal wellness goals are selfish 

✨ We aren’t important outside of our role in the family 

I especially don’t want you to miss our discussion of having certain “malls” in our lives (you’ll understand when you listen) and how those places of stress and anxiety need to be identified. 

I can’t wait for you to hear this word from Kari Kampakis and all that she is sharing from her book, More than a Mom.

Resources from today's show:

More Than a Mom: How Prioritizing Your Wellness Helps You (and Your Family)

How Much Is a Little Boy Worth

Get your Early bird ticket to the 4 Perfectly Imperfect digital event, Parent with Purpose today!

It’s all but impossible to do the things God calls us to without courage. David, Joshua, Moses, and Samuel each challenged their people to be courageous in their last days before going to heaven. Why? Because living for God isn’t the easy road, and we will be called to places that are impossible without courage. 

I can’t help but think of what some of our favorite Old Testament greats would have missed without having courage. 

• Moses without courage doesn’t leave his land and go to a foreign country
• Esther without courage doesn’t speak to the king and save a nation
• Moses without courage doesn't lead the Isrealite
• Rahab without courage doesn’t house the spies

I could go on and on, but let’s just say it’s important to pray courage over our kids because they are going to be asked by God to do bold things in this culture. Let’s also pray that they have the courage to say no to things that are not from God like drugs, toxic friendships, gossiping, pornography, etc. 

We have one life to do the things God has called us to this side of heaven—and if the people in the Bible tell us anything it’s that we’re going to need a little courage along the way. Can’t wait to pray with you!

You had me at hello, Jennie Allen! 

Too much? 

Probably so, but let’s just stop right now and say that our conversation today on friendship (and the lies surrounding it) is amazing. Coming from a place of starting over in her own world, Jennie shares what she now knows about friendships and what they are, what they aren’t, and what impedes us from the God-given deep connection we so desperately need. 

Here are some of the great topics we discuss when it comes to finding your people:

• The different roles our friendships play
• What to look for in friends
• Putting yourself out there
• Choosing a fire pit over Netflix 
• Noticing who is already around you
• Decisions in our careers, neighborhoods, and family that impacts friendships

Jennie’s book is out this week and you need a copy! 

Don’t miss this much-needed conversation on the importance of our friendships and reminders that finding community is not impossible with a little bit of intentionality. 

Resources from today's show: 

Noteworthy for Kids

FIND YOUR PEOPLE: Building Deep Community in a Lonely World

They say that character is how you act when nobody’s watching. And as believers, we know that there’s never a moment where no one is watching because the Lord is with us at all times.  

This week we’re praying for our kids’ character, using Stephen’s life in Acts 6 and 7 as our reference point. Every time Stephen is mentioned in Scripture he’s described as being “full of faith” or “full of the Holy Spirit” or “full of God’s grace and power.” He had a reputation of knowing and living for God. Reputations matter, and a reputation marked by character has enormous impact.  

When we pray for character this week we’re praying not only for our kids' reputation, but for the actions that form their reputation, and for significant character-building opportunities in their lives. We’re also discussing practical marks of good character, like serving others, speaking truth in love, and reigning in on our words.  

Billy Graham once said that “[w]hen wealth is lost, nothing is lost; when health is lost, something is lost; when character is lost, all is lost.”  

Let’s pray for character together! 

Jim Denison is with us today, and I believe there’s no one more in tune with our culture and the narratives we’re facing as believers. Jim and I discuss why it’s important to identify the preeminent lies of the day so that we can have answers and bring light to those who so desperately need the Lord. 

My hope is that today’s show gives you a new framework by which to consider our faith and encourages you to find your specific calling for the Lord. Although we cover a lot of ground, here’s some nuggets you don’t want to miss:

✨ How our culture has rejected Biblical morality 

✨ The problem with living in a society that believes there is no absolute truth

✨ The smaller earthquakes forming a greater tsunami for Christians in America

✨ Ways to counter the incorrect narratives and bring light to a dark world

We can be assured that if we aren’t willing to inform our kids about cultural issues of our day, the world will gladly do it for us. I believe today’s show is critical for raising kids who are eyes wide open in today’s culture, but also confident in God’s sovereignty and hope.

What is that one thing that totally gets under your skin as a parent? Messy rooms, bad grammar, laziness? For me it’s disrespect. 

It takes all I have not to lose my ever loving mind when my kids are disrespectful in our home or towards others. I think it’s because I know how detrimental it can be later in life if you don’t learn respect early on.  

Respect is significant, so I’m thankful we’re talking about it this week. We’re praying that our kids learn to show respect not just towards the authorities in their lives but also respecting those around them because all people are made in the image of Christ. But taking it even further—let’s pray they have an extra dose of respect towards God’s Word, his church, and the people he has put in spiritual leadership in their lives.  

Respect is one of the most important things we can teach our children as they learn to interact well with others. Let’s pray together over it this week! 

Louie Giglio is back with us today, and you need to drop everything and listen now! 

Okay, maybe it’s not that urgent but what a gift to have Louie join us in continuing our series on lies we believe as Christians. Today we’re discussing the common misconception that science and God do not line up, making christians have to turn a blind eye to certain science premises because of our faith. 

Louie encourages us to actually do the opposite and stay diligent in exploring science to see how all things lead us back to God. We also discuss how important it is to have these discussions with our kids so they aren’t blown out of the water having never considered this “science vs. God narrative” after they leave our homes. 

Louie has a new devotional out for our younger kids (ages 8-12) called The Wonder of Creation: 100 More Devotions About God and Science. Grab a copy for the little ones in your life as a great way to start science related discussions. 

Lastly, if you aren’t familiar with his Passion Conferences for college kids, today is your perfect chance for an insider’s look as Louie shares some of the most meaningful moments in Atlanta last month. 

It’s borderline comical when you stop and think about all the people in the Bible who were simply going about their business only to have God completely “interrupt” their plans and completely change their course.  

I think of Noah stopping life to build an ark, or Abraham leaving it all to go to a foriegn country, or even Mary switching her wedding plans to baby preparations.  

Only God can take our ordinary days and make them extraordinary for his purposes—if we’re willing. It takes some real intentionality to hold our plans loosely and allow the Lord to interrupt what we have planned in order to accomplish what he has uniquely designed. And the same goes for our kids.  

This week we’re praying that our kids live interruptible lives in which they (1) live with enough margin to have time for the things God has for them, (2) learn to hear God’s voice in the still small moments, and (3) live with a willingness to go wherever he leads. 

Oh, and I have my own story of interruptibility that I share in today’s podcast—I hope it encourages you as we pray interruptibility over our kids this week. 

There are certain lies we frequently hear in our culture that, if not addressed, we just might start to believe as truth. It’s interesting the lies I’ve bought into throughout my life that I now look back on and regret. Lies I’ve accepted in friendships, in marriage, in my identity—I could go on and on.

I’m guessing you’ve got a little of this going on too, so let’s take a little time to hone in on these lies the next few weeks. Today I have  Molly Stillman with us talking about a prevalent lie our kids are hearing about “following their heart.” When you really dig into scripture and consider what God says about our heart, the problem becomes very clear (see Jeremiah 5:7–13) with letting it become our guide. 

Molly is a podcaster, author, speaker, wife, and mom. Extra bonus: she’s super funny. 

Take a few minutes with me this week (and the rest of this month) to consider the truths of Jesus that overcome all the lies we’re tempted to believe.

Praying protection over our kids is probably one of the easiest things we pray for them from the day they are born. But this week in praying protection we’re doubling down on asking the Lord to watch over them physically, spiritually, and emotionally. One key point I try to pray over my kids relates to the messaging they receive about their identity and also the messaging they believe about God and their faith.  

But anytime I get hyper focused on praying over the safety and protection of my family, I’m reminded of Francis Chan’s caution in his book Crazy Love.  He suggests that as believers we sometimes become obsessed with our safety and protection at the expense of asking God for whatever brings him the most glory and allows him to accomplish his purposes in our lives. Ouch.  

I truly believe there’s nothing wrong with praying for protection over our families—and it’s important we do so. However, I wonder this week if we can also pray that God’s divine purposes are accomplished through our families, and he is glorified even when that’s at the expense of our earthly protection.  

Lots to think about and pray over! 

These people in my house want something to eat every single night and, well, it’s all together exhausting. Anyone out there with me?  

Thank goodness we have creator, writer, TV personality, and mom Dina Deleasa-Gonsar joining us today to address this age-old dinner dilemma. Dina created a popular food blog called DishItGirl.com.

What I love about Dina is her commitment to her faith, her family, and making food meaningful without all the mom guilt attached. I also loved these things we discussed on today’s show: 

• The ministry behind a meal and serving our family well
• What to do when you fall into a cooking rut 
• Favorite “cheats” from Costco and Trader Joes
• Reminders that connection and intimacy happen around our kitchen tables
•  

If you are tired of the every night dinner dilemma like I am, today’s episode is for you!

“But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that” (1 Timothy 6:6-8 NIV).

Well that’s one way to put it bluntly, Paul. ⬆️

Today we’re praying contentment over our kids, and, let’s be honest, we probably need to be praying it for ourselves as well. Praying contentment for our children is praying they have an inner satisfaction and fulfillment no matter what their outside circumstances bring. 

A great starting place is to pray that our kids live with gratitude, perspective, and inner peace— even when life brings the hard things we all face. Contentment seems most elusive when we’re suffering, but I believe Joni Eareckson Tada (an amazing Christian woman and quadriplegic) says it best in this quote: “When life is rosy, we may slide by with knowing about Jesus, imitating him and quoting him and speaking of him. But only in suffering will we know Jesus.” 

Let’s pray this week for our kids to find contentment by pursuing and trusting Jesus no matter what life throws their way. Thanks for joining me as we pray this week, and please take a minute to share our podcast with a friend or two!

As we’re approaching our 300th episode of Pardon the Mess, I am thrilled to welcome back our very first guest all those years ago: Janet Denison! 

Janet is an author, speaker, mother, grandmother, and friend who has given me a whole lot of parenting advice over the years. She’s joining us today to talk about finding “a great calm” in our lives even when everything around us feels completely chaotic.  

Here’s a few of my favorite topics we cover in today’s show: 

• What Christian families are struggling with in today’s culture
• How to build up the spiritual muscle of trust, especially in the hard times
• Learning to wait on God with confidence and humility
• Walking her own child through cancer and the middle of the night prayers

If you’re looking for some seasoned, biblical wisdom for raising kids no matter what you’re facing—you’ve landed in the exact right place today! 

For a limited time, our listeners will get 25% off a premium Abide subscription, when you visit Abide.co/pardonthemess.   

Resources from today's show: 

A Great Calm by Janet Denison 

Love God, Love Others

Perhaps the greatest gift my parents have ever given me is the gift of growing up in a praying home. 

My parents have prayed before meals, before bed, and before every major decision for as long as I can remember. They’ve prayed over me more times than I can count, and I’m eternally grateful to them. That being said, I can think of many years in my own life where prayer was not a priority (and my life 100% reflected that). 

I don’t want that same story for my kids, so this week is especially meaningful to me as we talk about raising kids with prayer-filled lives. We will consider not just the “how to” behind prayer but also the “why to.” Prayer is the perfect thing to recommit to in a new year, so join me in praying prayerfulness for our kids this week (quite the mouthful).

Oh friends, I really, really can’t wait for you to hear today’s show with Tricia Roos. I’m so grateful to know Tricia personally and see first hand how the Lord is using her story to speak of his faithfulness even in the deepest places of loss.  

Tricia was three months into her pregnancy when she received a call that her unborn daughter had a rare condition that would be fatal. Against the advice of her medical team, she resolved to have her baby despite a chromosomal condition called Trisomy 18. In the midst of the uncertainty and pain, Tricia’s wish for a healthy baby girl changed into something more beautiful than she could have ever dreamed of.  

Tricia’s story is a reminder of how God’s transforming power allows us to love deeper, go further, and grow more than we could ever have imagined for ourselves. I especially love Tricia’s words on learning to live for something bigger than ourselves—a great perspective to consider in our parenting.  So glad you’re with us today!

When Wishes Change: What if the thing you feared most brings more than you dreamed? By Tricia Roos

See more from Tricia on her website, follow her on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok.

Might I share with you one of my favorite quotes of all time? 

“Our greatest fear should not be of failure, but of succeeding at things in life that don’t really matter.” - Francis Chan 

I heard that quote many years ago and it continues to guide how I look at the various things that occupy my days. As I pray for the Lord to show favor over my life and that of my families, I find myself asking him to not allow us to be successful in things that are insignificant. 

This week as we’re praying excellence over our kids, I think this quote needs to be in the back of our minds as we consider how we pray. So often we want our kids to be excellent at the things the world holds in high esteem, yet those same things often distract them from the bigger purposes God has for their lives.

We’re called to do all things for the Glory of God (1 Corinthians 10:31) and excellence is critical to doing that well. Let’s join together in praying for our kids to show excellence in all the things he calls them to.

I’m kicking off the New Year a little differently this year with no guest joining us today. Instead, I’m sharing some of the things I wish I had known as a younger mom. I try not to live with regrets, but I also know the value that comes by taking inventory in our parenting and acknowledging the areas of growth as well as the struggles.

The four things I’m sharing with you today began with an article I wrote several years ago from the perspective of “the oldest mom on the playground.” Since then, I’ve had opportunities to share these parenting truths to various groups, and the Lord has given me even greater clarity that I pray will encourage and challenge you.

I have no doubt that your social media feeds (like mine) are packed with all kinds of weight loss and exercise challenges for a physically healthier 2022. But I would also encourage you to avoid “back-burnering” (assuming that’s a word) your parenting and instead take this week to consider what’s working, what’s not, where you might need to be encouraged, and where you need to encourage others. I’ll start us off with today’s podcast on the four things I would tell my younger parenting self.

I would be so grateful if you would not only take a minute to listen, but then also share it with the other parents you’re walking alongside with each day.

P.S. As we begin this New Year, one of our prayers is that Pardon the Mess will reach more and more parents. One way you can help us do this is to leave a review on iTunes or wherever you listen to podcasts. It would be a great blessing if you could take just a minute and do that for me today! So grateful 💕

Resources from today's show: Abide: For a limited time, our listeners will get 25% off a premium subscription, when you visit Abide.co/pardonthemess.

Happy New Year! 

This time of year always inspires me to consider necessary life-style changes, incorporate missing things into my routines, and find ways to live a new year filled with amazing opportunities better than I did the year before. Or at least that lasts for a few weeks!

But I’m always thankful for the routine in place of praying for our kids, and I love that we’re beginning 2022 by praying purpose over each of them. People so often struggle with the age-old question surrounding their “purpose” in this life, so we’re tackling it as we pray over our kids this week. (Spoiler alert: our purpose is to glorify God.)

Praying for our kids to have purpose in their daily lives means praying they glorify God not only in how they live their earthly lives, but also in how they prepare for all eternity in heaven. We will break this down a little bit further and also take time to begin this new year asking the Lord to show our kids the things he has uniquely created for them to accomplish.

So grateful you are joining me to pray this year! Share our podcast with a friend or two and ask them to join in as we  pray for our families.

I’ve never really loved the post-Christmas letdown.

But the one thing I do look forward to each year is the opportunity to make adjustments in my life, allowing me to live more purposefully and biblically. That’s why Pardon the Mess is revisiting one of our favorite episodes of 2021.

Louie Giglio joins us to talk through the spiritual aspects in our lives that may need some tweaking.

Louie is pastor of Passion City Church and the founder of the Passion movement. Having devoted his life to working with young adults, he shares the number one thing he believes our kids need before leaving for college.

We covered so much in today’s show, but here are a few highlights:

• Living with “congruency” in our lives
• Louie’s personal battle with anxiety and the role humility has played
• Questioning God’s timing and his plans for our lives
• Helping our kids win the battles against their giants

I’m so thankful you’re here, and I can’t wait to kick off 2022 exploring new ways to live and parent fully in Jesus.

Are you ready to ring in the New Year later this week?  

My crew is skiing over the next few days, and my greatest hope is to enter into 2022 without any casts, crutches, or major casualties. We set the bar pretty low over here.  

But as we take time to consider a new year and all the new opportunities before us, I love the thought of praying generosity over our kids. The Bible speaks of generosity often because God knows how quickly our allegiances can be divided, and he wants all of our affection and trust to be centered wholly on him.  

Just as it’s a great time to consider what generosity looks like in our own lives, we are also praying it for our kids. And it’s not just financial generosity we’re considering since most of our kids don’t have a financial empire at this point—but we’re praying our kids generously serve others and love the people around them well.

It’s the week of Christmas, and if it ain’t already done, it ain’t gonna happen. Well maybe not, but nonetheless you need today’s podcast. Melanie Shankle and Sophie Hudson from the Big Boo Cast are sitting down for a hilarious conversation on so many things that I had a hard time even coming up with a title for today. 

I love their wisdom on extending grace to our kids and how the whole notion of Jesus’ grace changes our families. Sophie also has a new devo on grace that fills a big gap in the devo world for teenage girls. I realize you’ve got some serious last minute Christmas crazy going on right now, but here’s a few additional topics you can’t miss on today’s show: 

• The very real struggle of real versus artificial trees
• Holiday traditions if you’re into that kinda thing 
• Walking our kids through tough friendships 
• Raising kids who can cheer on others
• Saying “yes” to your kids as often as possible
• Social media thoughts from a few moms who’ve lived it 

I hope you and your family have a very merry Christmas! 

Enjoy this well-deserved break with Sophie and Melanie.

Resources from today's show:  Grace Upon Grace Journaling Devotional: Trusting God No Matter What by Sophie Hudson The Big Boo Cast 

Go to https://dwellapp.io/pardonthemess to get 10% off a yearly subscription, or 33% off Dwell for life. 

This is it! The Super Bowl of all holidays—it’s Christmas! 

This week as we’re praying joy over our kids,  I'm wondering what things have brought you joy this Christmas? Is it the small things like sitting by the Christmas tree late at night or car rides to look at lights? Or maybe it’s some of the bigger events that happen this time of year like parties and school programs.  

I think my deepest joy in this season has come during an unexpected trip to New York City with my mom and my daughter to see the Rockefeller Christmas tree. There’s just something about NYC at Christmas, but also having the opportunity to do it with my mom and my daughter—well, what a sweet opportunity I’ve had to celebrate Christmas while being reminded that joy comes in all forms and fashions on this side of heaven.

When people ask me what books I consider “must reads,” I reference Mark Batterson 100% of the time. If I haven’t told you this week how much I love In a Pit with a Lion on A Snowy Day, then let’s just get it out there so you can add it to your Christmas wish list. 😀🎄

Knowing this, I’m going to ask you to excuse my gushing on today’s podcast since Mark Batterson is with us and talking about everything from Christmas in D.C., living with gratitude, speaking blessing over your kids, and so much more. Especially this time of year when we tend to be so consumer focused, I love his words on cultivating a lifestyle of gratitude and the heart behind his new children’s book, The Blessing of You. 

As we begin thinking towards 2022, I know you will love his wisdom on setting goals and implementing changes in our daily habits. In other words, for those areas of our lives that need some, shall we say “growth” this next year . . .  tune in for some great reminders on the importance of winning each day for the greater good. 

If you listen for no other reason, Mark Batterson shares with us some of his must read books and let’s just say I’ve already bought three of them. So take this show on the road today for your Christmas errands and be encouraged!

Resources from today's show:

• The Blessing of You by Mark Batterson
• Win the Day: 7 Daily Habits to Help You Stress Less & Accomplish More by Mark Batterson
• Do It for a Day: How to Make or Break Any Habit in 30 Days by Mark Batterson
• Go to https://dwellapp.io/pardonthemess to get 10% off a yearly subscription, or 33% off Dwell for life.
• Faithful Counseling: Get started today and enjoy 10% off your first month. Discount code “pardonthemess"

At the risk of saying this ad nauseum, may I once again mention how desperately I want our kids to truly know God and not just know about God? Maybe it’s because I grew up in an amazing Christian home and went to church every time the doors were opened but didn’t really know God personally for many years that leads me to drive home this point so often.  

But at the end of the day our kids need more than just head knowledge about Jesus—they need daily connection. That connection is exactly what we’re praying for this week, and I came up with a somewhat lame acronym to guide us as we pray (it’s better explained on the podcast):  

• S - Salvation by accepting Jesus as their Lord and Savior 
• T - Talking to God and establishing a prayer life with significance  
• A - Acknowledging God’s work in their lives  
• T - Thirsting for God’s word and his plans for their lives 

Even as there’s so much that feels STAT, or high priority these days, let’s flip the narrative and pray with urgency that our kids have a connection with the Lord that changes their lives. 

I feel like there’s not a whole lot that needs to be said when introducing Sheila Walsh as the guest for today’s show. I mean after all, she’s godly, funny, and real. She’s not afraid to speak into some of the darkest places she’s faced and how God has met her there so faithfully.

But that’s exactly what we talk about today as we chat about her new book, Holding On When You Want to Let Go. She vulnerably shares about walking through another bout of depression this last year and how reading the Psalms has been so therapeutic. She identifies lies we believe about God when we’re in the middle of life’s struggles, and ways to reframe the narrative we allow in our hearts and minds. 

Sheila and I have lots of fun talking about all things Christmas, but I also know this time of year can be difficult for so many, making her words very timely and necessary.  So glad you’re doing this with me each week! 

As I read through the Christmas story this time of year, I’m reminded of the great favor God has shown on us. Even before the world was created he devised this plan of sending his son in the form of a baby so that we might have the opportunity to spend all eternity with him.

He knew we would be rebellious, self-indulging, and sinful people, yet only by his favor are we not left in this desperate place—instead we’re lovingly called children of God. As we pray favor over our kids this week, let’s begin by praying they can experience even the tiniest glimpse of the significance God’s favor has over their lives.

How that changes the dreams they chase, the people they serve, and the routines they follow! And as we pray they fully experience God’s favor, let’s also pray that they live in a way that allows God to bless all they do and be a blessing to all those they encounter.

It’s a great privilege to start each week by praying for our kids. Take a minute to listen to today’s podcast and also share it with a friend as we focus this month on the things of significance in the midst of the craziness.

I’ve figured something out about myself the last few years when it comes to holidays, especially Christmas. I’ve realized that even though I say I have “no expectations” of what Christmas should look like and I wholeheartedly believe that it’s important to let go of the idealism behind the “perfect” Christmas—I still carry around some deep rooted expectations that leave me feeling disappointed when things don’t look like I had hoped. 

I see it on the dreaded Christmas card photo day when I lose all signs of godliness trying to get my people to dress right, smile right, and have a good attitude while taking a picture that means virtually nothing to them (but for some reason is so important to me). 

Or maybe it’s in the need to have the perfect “fun gift” for my kids each Christmas morning, or to host the most festive party, to be invited to the right events, or even when I’m knee-deep searching for the most meaningful Christmas show that’s entertaining, yet life-changing (but on a week night because our weekends are crazy in December, but not too long because it’s a school night, and we need Santa pics right before so it can’t be too early, and why can’t they have a snack bar because these people have to eat . . . ). 

I’m guessing I’m not alone in this madness which makes today’s podcast with Tama Fortner very timely as we consider reclaiming the peace of Christmas. Tama suggests ways to camp-out at the intersection of ordinary and the divine, finding joy in the important things and dropping the rest of it. 

We also consider the Christmas story and how Mary’s uncalculated yes can change our approach to the holidays and everyday. Here’s to kicking crazy to the curb this Christmas!

Simply Christmas: A Busy Mom's Guide to Reclaiming the Peace of the Holidays: A Devotional by Tama Fortner

Read, Ask, Go! Interactive advent devotional for the whole family

Faithful Counseling: Get started today and enjoy 10% off your first month. Discount code “pardonthemess"

Go to https://dwellapp.io/pardonthemess to get 10% off a yearly subscription, or 33% off Dwell for life. 

If your pants are a little tighter and the stress level a little higher this Monday after Thanksgiving, you’re not alone. With all the shopping, wrapping, parties, family gatherings, cooking, and baking—it may feel like a little hope is exactly what it’s gonna take to keep going.  

Kay Wyma is with me today (I mean seriously, she’s the best), and we’re talking about the role hope plays in our lives and the lives of our children. As we pray hope over our kids this week, we’re reminded that only the Lord can strengthen, restore, and deliver on the great plans he has for each of our lives. Knowing this, we can pray for our kids to find hope even on their most discouraging days as he faithfully restores their strength and gives them a kingdom perspective.  

Can I encourage you these next few weeks to keep up the good work of praying for your kids each week? If you’re like me, it feels like sometimes the first things to go in the craziness of the holidays are those things that have the most significance. Prayer is significant, so let’s keep on keeping on the next few weeks. 

On today’s show, Ellie Holcomb joins us to talk about seeing Jesus for who he really is and guiding our families to practice the truths of scripture and trust God even in the midst of the unknown. She very practically shares how she speaks truth into the darkness by using fighting words from scripture. 

Ellie is an amazing singer, author, songwriter, speaker and, most importantly, mom. She literally draws me closer to Jesus every time I hear her speak. I’m so thankful for these few minutes with her today and can’t wait for you to hear her heart for the Lord.

Resources from today's show:

•  Fighting Words -100 Days of Speaking Truth into the Darkness by Ellie Holcomb

• Ellie Holcomb's new record, Canyon

•  Tyndale Kids and Compassion International globally-inspired, interactive resources that make planning family time a snap
• Read, Ask, Go! Interactive advent devotional for the whole family
• Dwell app:  get 10% off a yearly subscription, or 33% off Dwell for life

Happy Thanksgiving week! 

Just curious, is anyone besides me completely grossed out by the whole cooking the turkey thing and pulling out the innards? Honestly, I could do without the turkey in general and just park myself in front of the sides for a fine little Thanksgiving. With great timeliness, my Mom is joining me on the podcast today to talk about Thanksgiving, praying for our kids, and everything in between.  

One of my favorite things about this time of year (aside from the food) is the opportunity to reflect on and appreciate all that the Lord has done in the last year. Just as everything in me wants to rush right into Christmas decorating and gift shopping, I’m reminded that gratefulness is so critical for my soul and I desperately need to thank the Lord for his faithfulness day after day. 

As we celebrate Thanksgiving this week, join with me and my sweet Mom to pray gratefulness over our kids. Let’s pray they acknowledge the Lord’s faithfulness in their lives, seeing him in the big and the small, the successes and the failures, and the trials and the triumphs.  

Truly the Lord is the giver of all good things—let’s celebrate this truth by praying our kids are marked with a heart of gratitude.

It’s a hallmark day at Pardon the Mess because for the first time ever we have Annie Downs on the show. Annie lives in Nashville and is an author, podcaster, speaker, and expert on all things related to having fun! 

You guys have no idea how long I’ve waited for a chance to chat with sweet Annie. Having followed her for many years, I’m absolutely in awe of how she lives out her faith in fresh and exciting ways, challenging believers to figure out what looks fun in their own lives (and then actually go out and do it). 

Today she reminds us that God uses all things in our lives to prepare us for his greater purposes. I love her quote that God “full circles all things,” meaning he takes even our missteps and detours and uses them for his greater purposes.

But more than anything, I want you to hear Annie’s encouragement on having fun as Christians (so often we miss that component in life) and the importance of helping our kids figure out what “fun” looks like in their own lives both now and in the future. 

This is the perfect time of year to be thankful for all that God has done for us. A great way to express this gratitude is to live with joy and chase after the fun things God has created for each of us uniquely. I just know you’re going to love Annie Downs like I do after today’s show. 

When I read the verses above, it makes me think of how nice it would be to simply hear a voice telling me how to proceed in certain situations and the resulting confidence I would have in knowing that I’m getting it right. And then I’m reminded that the Holy Spirit does just this when we listen expectantly as believers.   

My dear friend Stephanie Martin (and one of the most discerning people I know) is joining us today as we pray for discernment in our kids’ lives. We’re talking about teaching our kids to be attentive to God in all things and praying they learn to hear God’s voice in their lives from an early age.

Not only is having discernment critical in our kids’ lives—but we’re also praying they have people around them who help them discern truth in all the situations they will face. 

There’s just nobody like Jamie Ivey when it comes to having a hilarious conversation filled with lots of truth and vulnerability. This girl loves Austin, Texas, her family, parenting, marriage, and encouraging people to walk the path God has uniquely designed for them. 

Today’s show was such a great reminder for me that what we do matters, and that our job is to be faithful where God has us (instead of wishing our lives looked like someone or something else). I love Jamie’s thoughts on gauging if we’re staying on our own God-given path and also the gift of being a cheerleader for others. 

Jamie and I also talk about marriage, teaching our kids to live comfortably in their own skin, and so much more that you just can’t possibly miss! Take a few minutes to listen to my conversation with Jamie and then share it with a friend who needs the reminder that God wants “you to be you.”

Today we’re talking about time-management on Pardon the Mess, and my husband Mike is making a cameo as we pray over our children.

As a young mom I so often remember being told to treasure each moment because “the days are long but the years are short.” Now as a mom who just celebrated a fairly large milestone birthday, I realize the absolute truth of those words both in raising kids and just in life generally.

Because it’s so hard to truly appreciate how precious each day is when you’re young, we’re focusing our prayer time this week on praying time management for our kids. Their days, like ours, are filled with so many demands as they balance school, activities, family, and time with the Lord. Let’s pray as they do this each day they learn to make wise decisions with their time and use it in ways that best honor God’s purposes in their lives.

I love the wisdom of  Psalm 90:12 as it relates to time management: “Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.” The Lord is our sole source of all wisdom—so let’s ask him to guide our kids this week. 

November is National Adoption Month, and I’m thrilled to be talking with Rebekah Lyons about adoption, following God’s callings, and what a ‘surrendered yes’ looks like in each of our lives.

And then there’s the fact that I’m slightly obsessed with the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City, and Rebekah (having lived in NYC for several years) tells us all about it. Basically I’ve reconfirmed my commitment to get there someday very soon! 

Here are some of the important topics we cover in today’s show: 

• The gift of adoption and the many ways God can show us how losing our lives is really gaining true life
• The three parts of a surrendered yes and what that means in your own life
• A pivotal question to ask yourself when considering if you’re obedient to God’s callings

I can’t wait for you to hear today’s show, and, in honor of National Adoption Month, I give you a recent picture of my sweet little one (along with a few links to articles I’ve written about our adoption journey). 

It’s November, and as we begin the countdown to Thanksgiving I naturally think of friends, family, and doing life together. Because of this, all month long I’ll be bringing some of my favorite people on the podcast to join us in praying over our kids. You’ll hear from people like my husband, my mom, and several of my sweet friends with lots of wisdom. 

To kick it off today, we’re praying for the friendships in our kids’ lives. One of my dearest friends, Brandie Rodgers, is joining us as a mom who has prayed every single day for her three kids to have Godly friends. She has some sweet reminders on why we pray this for our kids and how God honors our prayers when we do.  

We know that friendships can be a great blessing to our children, especially when they have good ones. Let’s pray this week for our kids to have at least one authentic, godly friendship to build them up in each stage of their lives. Let’s also pray they are good friends to others, showing kindness, encouragement, and inclusivity to those around them.  

So glad you’re with us!


P.S. Did you know that we text out personalized scripture each morning corresponding with our prayer journal? To send your kids scripture each morning (and yourself too!) text ‘textingtruth’ to 888-308-9684.

When my son was about five-years-old he repeatedly urged me to say no to “rugs.” I was perplexed at his stance against floor coverings until I realized he was referring to drugs. Apparently he misunderstood a well-intentioned friends' advice on avoiding drug use—and it still makes me laugh today. But I digress. 

This week is red-ribbon week in public schools and the perfect time for us to talk about the tough subject of drugs and addiction in our kids. Richard Capriola has great wisdom in this area from his work as a mental health and addiction counselor the last two decades, most recently at the Menninger Clinic in Houston.  

Here are some of the important topics we cover in today’s show: 

• The drug(s) of choice for our teens today
• Signs of drugs and alcohol use in our kids
• What to do if you suspect drug/alcohol use in your child
• The difference in clinical addictions and process addictions
• Warning signs of self-harm
• Treatment options
• Encouragement for parents who are walking through addiction with their kids

Please take time to listen to this important topic. If you’re like me, you may feel like it’s not relevant to your kids today or even that it’s a heavy subject you would rather avoid. But we don’t know what we don’t know about the future and who may need us to be knowledgeable in this area. So let’s do it together.

Check out The Addicted Child book by Richard Capriola.

If David was named a man after God’s own heart yet still needed accountability, how much more do we need it in our own lives? That’s why we’re praying this week for our kids to have mentors and friends (i.e. Nathans) who point them to truth when their actions don’t line up with God’s word.

Accountability is not only important for our kids now, but also as they leave our homes one day and need truth spoken into their marriages, finances, and careers. It’s so easy to be influenced by the norms of our culture, making accountability incredibly important from people who will say what we need to hear and not always what we want to hear. 

Only after Nathan confronted David about his sin with Bathsheba did David confess and repent making his relationship right with God. It was in the blind spots of his sin where God placed accountability in David’s life. It’s those same blindspots where we will be praying accountability for our kids both today and all of their days this side of heaven. 

She needs no introduction yet I’ll give her one anyway. Sadie Robertson Huff is with us today and she blows me away every single time. Sadie is a Duck Dynasty daughter, speaker, podcaster, New York Times best-selling author, and now in her most important role . . . . a mom!

Sadie talks with us about the ups and downs of being a new mom while also balancing God’s public calling on her life. She shares her best advice on fighting anxiety and the reminder that every single thing we fear still bows down to Jesus.

I also love her philosophy on Instagram and the encouragement that Christians need to be in this space pointing people to Jesus. Suffice it to say that today’s show is an encouraging word for all of us raising kids in today’s culture, determined to show our kids how to follow God in the middle of the chaos. 

Resources from today's show:

Live On Purpose: 100 Devotions for Letting Go of Fear and Following God by Sadie Robertson Huff

All The Feels for Teens by Elizabeth Laing Thompson

Otter B Joyful by Pamela Kennedy

Faithful Counseling Get started today and enjoy 10% off your first month. Discount code “pardonthemess"

What we believe about ourselves informs virtually every aspect of our daily walk in this world and with Jesus. If we don’t continually ground our identity in the Lord, we begin searching for identity in the things of this world. Paul Tripp says it this way: “Identity amnesia leads to identity replacement.” 

Join us this week as we not only pray identity over our kids, but also address some of the lies they believe about their value. 

Here’s a few identity reminders as you get started praying over your kids: 

You are valued- Matthew 6:26 

You are forgiven- 2 Chronicles 7:15 

You have hope- Exodus 14:14 

You are known- Jeremiah 1:6 

You have purpose- Ephesians 2:10 

I can’t wait for us to spend a few minutes considering God’s word on identity and ways to remind our kids of who and whose they are.

It’s double fun today with Heather MacFadyen AND Kay Wyma joining us on Pardon the Mess. 

Kay and I talk with Heather about her new book, Don’t Mom Alone, and all the reasons it’s critical we seek community as we raise our kids. 

Some of my favorite topics we hit are:

• Ways to find our people and raise our kids in community 
• Why we struggle to let others in when life gets messy 
• Tying our worth to our kids’ performance
• The myth that there’s a “perfect Mom” formula 

I’m so excited for Heather’s book that’s out THIS WEEK! So take a quick listen to our conversation and then go grab a copy so you “don’t mom alone” (see what I did there?). 

Love, joy, peace, patience, goodness, kindness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control—it’s hard to think of a list of attributes our kids need more than those listed in Galatians 5:22–23.  

Thankfully we’re spending this entire week praying the fruit of the spirit over our kids. As we do so, it’s important to remember that the fruit of the spirit isn’t something we’re simply hoping they will work harder to accomplish; but instead we’re praying it’s evident in their lives because the Holy Spirit is present and guiding them to live as God calls.  

If you haven’t already, can I encourage you to memorize these verses this week? Even better, memorize them as a family. I’ve found so many times in my life that the scripture I’ve memorized naturally comes to mind at the perfect moments because I knew the verses, and the Holy Spirit directed me to their truths.  

Thank you for praying with us each week! I’m overwhelmed by the response from parents just like you who want nothing more than kids who love and follow the Lord. These days matter and praying for our kids is significant. 

“I’ve been raised in a family where telling people about Jesus is as common as drinking water.”—Rachel Ruth Graham Lotz  

If you’ve ever wondered about the legacy Billy Graham left for his family then the quote above pretty much says it all. I don’t know about you, but in my house there’s a lot of things happening as common as drinking water, but it’s not telling people about Jesus. 😫 

Either way, I’m so honored to have Anne Graham Lotz (Billy Graham’s daughter) and Rachel-Ruth (Billy Graham’s granddaughter) joining us today on Pardon the Mess. I had the opportunity to hear Anne speak many years ago, and the authority and wisdom with which she spoke is still with me today. 

Rachel-Ruth and Anne talk have some great insight for us today relating to:  

• The importance of being faithful in your highest place of influence
• The biggest faith challenges our kids will face in their lifetimes 
• Four critical facets for passing the baton of faith to our kids
• Walking the hard teenage years well as families 

Anne and Rachel-Ruth also share practical ways to study the Bible, so be sure and check out the resources I’ve linked below. I can’t wait for you to hear this powerful conversation!

Jesus Followers by Anne Graham Lotz and Rachel-Ruth Lotz Wright 

Anne’s guide for studying the Bible 

Anne’s website and other free resources  

We’re a month into praying for our kids, and it’s not too late if you are just now jumping in! Each Monday morning we will pray an attribute of our faith over our kids with a short 10 minute podcast guiding us as we do it. It’s fast, it’s intentional, and it’s so important we cover our kids in prayer each day. 

This week we’re praying for our kids to have self-control and . . . well—there ain’t a one of us who couldn't use a little bit more of it. For example, please refer back to a few weeks ago when my youngest ingested a magnet and a marble within a few weeks. Bless it child, self-control! 

The thing about self-control is that it’s most noticeable when you don’t have it. And since our faith is typically displayed through our actions and not our words, self-control becomes pretty important in our daily lives. So this week we’ll be praying for our kids to have self-control in their words, friendships, dating relationships, electronics, marriages, finances, and everywhere in between. 

Can’t wait to pray with you!

How do we raise sons of courage and character? That’s the million dollar question we’re tackling today on Pardon the Mess.  

Jon Tyson, Pastor of Church of the City New York, spent six years shaping, guiding, and mentoring his son from adolescence to adulthood believing intentionality was the key to raising Godly men in today’s culture. As a part of this journey with his son, he learned practical ways for fathers (also equally applicable to mothers) to shepherd their sons and maximize this pivotal time in their lives. 

Yes, it all comes down to intentionality and discipleship which is why you’ll love his advice on doing it well even in the middle of our crazy schedules. And then there’s a pretty significant mic drop when Jon throws down some of the greatest parenting wisdom I’ve heard in a long time: A huge “yes” to raising our sons intentionally requires a million “noes” to the smaller things. (Gosh that’s something I wish I would have embraced a long time ago.)  

Don’t miss our discussion on the shifts boys need to make between adolescence and adulthood and the absolute must of giving them our blessing before sending them off to do great things.  

You’re going to love Jon Tyson, and I’m so grateful you’re with us today!

If anyone can appreciate the impact influencers have in our world today, it’s our kids. They are inundated with social media influencers telling them what to buy, how to look, and what to do in given situations. But despite the somewhat negative perception we may associate with our culture’s “influencers,” as Christians we are called have influence in our own circles and our kids are too. 

Today we’re praying that our kids will visibly and authentically live out their faith, and in doing so draw others to him. It’s no coincidence that they are part of the teams, friend groups, and clubs they are in—it’s by design. So we’re praying that as they go about their days they will have influence through their words, conduct, love, faith, and purity (1 Timothy 4:12).

Even though our kids will likely (hopefully) never have the influencer status of a Kardashian, we’re reminded that it’s the significance of the message not the size of the audience that matters. Let’s pray they are faithful influencers of the gospel message that our world so desperately needs.

We are coming in hot this week with Jackie Hill Perry. She’s chatting with us about holiness, what that even means, and why God’s holiness matters to our everyday lives.  

If you haven’t heard of Jackie Hill Perry, or JHP as I like to call her (not really, but kinda wanted to) you’re missing out. She’s been given the opportunity to share her story in all the big places and has an amazing testimony of working through same-sex attraction issues of her past, and the role God’s holiness has played in redefining who she is today.  

There’s so much you won’t want to miss, but here’s a few of the topics we hit on today’s show: why awareness of God’s holiness increases our trust in him, the problem with allowing our circumstances to have the final say in our beliefs about God, how to walk in love with those with same sex attraction, using our story to point to God’s greater good, teaching our kids that how you “feel” is not who you are

I’m just so grateful that we have this time today with JHP! It’s a conversation you won’t soon forget. 

Praying fearlessness over our kids will likely result in a little bit of fear in our own lives—am I right? My youngest has already fully embraced the fearless life, and let’s just say it has caused me more gray hair than I care to highlight at this age. 🤪

Even so, as Christian parents we want our kids to live fearless when it comes to sharing their faith, walking in the ways of the Lord, and chasing after the God-things in their lives. I love that the anxiety and fear we face in this life is no surprise to God—he knew it was coming so he graciously gave us a Bible full of “fear not” verses.

Even though there’s nothing wrong with praying for our kids’ safety, let’s go a step further this week and pray for fearlessness in our kids, knowing that the one who created them will also protect and sustain them.

Click here to get a prayer journal: https://bit.ly/2Z7kdMF

If I was braver I would show you a picture of my closet floor at this very moment in solidarity with all those slowly being overtaken by the clutter in their homes. But I’m not that brave, so let’s move on. Ha!

Allie Casazza has been on Good Morning America, The Today Show, and a whole lot of other places talking about ways to keep our stuff from stealing our joy. Coming from a place of deep stress and frustration in her own home, she realized that what takes up our space takes up our time. She discovered she was spending all her time maintaining her stuff. Sounds vaguely familiar, right?

Allie shares with us today her best tips for decluttering our houses one room at a time. She encourages us to set the intention for the room and align everything in it with that purpose (note: the intention for my closet is unclear at this time). Even if this all feels overwhelming, you’ll love her tips for small steps that will make a big difference.

Don’t miss our full-service show today on ways to declutter our kids’ stuff, our own stuff, the sentimental stuff, and all the rest that’s tripping us up (quite literally).

It’s finally here! Week one of our 2021-2022 prayer journal kicks-off today on Pardon the Mess.

If this is your first time to join us for the prayer podcasts, here’s how it works. Each Monday morning we will release a short, ten-minute podcast praying for an attribute of our faith over our kids. We will be praying our kids are marked by things like gratefulness, purpose, patience, resolve, courage, and so much more. We wrap up each week with a time of prayer—and, let's just say, you won’t want to miss it.  

This week as we begin a new school year, we’re praying our kids are light to all those around them. I can’t think of a more important thing to start with considering the opportunities they will have to share their faith and bring hope in a world that so desperately needs Jesus. 

I’m so glad you’re joining us to pray for our kids this year—there’s truly nothing more significant we can do for them each day. And please consider sharing this with a friend and inviting them to join us in praying each week! It’s perfect for small groups, MOPS friends, and anyone/everyone that wants to pray for their kids with new resolve each week.

If I had to pick just one person to speak into the nitty gritty of starting a new school year, it would 100% be Mia Mbroh. She’s not only a licensed professional counselor, but she has also worked directly in the school trenches giving her a unique insider's perspective. 

In the only way Mia knows how, today she brings us an honest and vulnerable look at the good, bad, and ugly that our kids are facing in this new school year. And as a part of that, I can promise you don’t want to miss a second of her advice on showing grace and letting go of some of the high expectations we’re holding onto for our kids (ouch, my toes). 

There’s a really, really good word I needed to hear on walking our kids through hard friendships, social awkwardness, and the hard places we face with learning differences. And take note if you have a junior high or high school child, she addresses ways to best connect with these little darlings and gives a HILARIOUS dog/cat analogy. 

If your kids are back in school, don’t miss the wise words of Mia Mbroh!

It feels like we’ve weathered some pretty significant storms the last 18 months, both in the world at large as well as individually and as families. If you’re anything like me, there have been hard places that have caused you to cry out to God and, at times, even question his plans. 

I’m so thankful that Sally Clarkson is here today talking about the hard places we face, reminding us that storms are our training grounds for obeying God’s Word and walking in his ways.  

Sally shares with us some of the storms she’s personally faced and how walking with God has allowed her to build a life on the rock of eternal values. We talk very practically of these important topics: how to to observe but not internalize the difficulties we face, the role of our feelings when we’re struggling, walking our kids through hard things and the trap of busyness and distraction, raising kids who are out of the box, and tips for weathering marriage difficulties

Some days it’s nice to have someone just a little further down the road giving us perspective and wisdom. Today is one of those days, and Sally Clarkson is just the right person for the job! 

I don’t know about you, but it feels like now that school is back in session I can finally exhale and breathe a little bit knowing there’s going to be more routine in my days. 

Maybe it was getting one ready for college, or mentally preparing for high school with my middle son, or the beginning of kindergarten with my youngest—but life has felt like a lot the last few months. 

If you’re feeling this same way, today’s show with Jennifer Dukes Lee is for you. Jennifer shares with us a time when she was at a breaking point in her own life and realized the need to “un-hurry” her heart. She gave herself permission to slow down and wait for the better things that come only with slow growth and deeper connection with the Lord. 

I love the practical advice she shares from her new book Growing Slow and how we can: stop living in hurriedness and instead rest in Jesus, trust the winter seasons in life to God even when we don’t see his hand moving, find rest knowing that the small, slow things we do in parenting often produce big fruit in our kids’ lives.

I’ll leave you with my favorite parenting quote from Jennifer: “In my most insecure moments as a mom, the only thing that ever gave me hope and guidance was the gospel.” 

Amen and amen! 

Don’t miss this much-needed word for all of us taking a deep breath at the beginning of a new school year!

Sean McDowell joins us today to talk about God’s design for our sexuality and raising kids biblically in a confused culture that blurs the lines. We tackle topics like the shortcomings of the purity culture movement, as well as the biggest misconceptions our kids are facing when it comes to love and relationships.

Sean is a gifted communicator who speaks all over the world, equipping Christians to make the case for their Christian faith. Alongside his Dad, Josh McDowell, they are passionate about teaching believers (especially youth) to identify the lies in our culture and respond biblically. Sean shares with us some of the top faith issues facing our kids today and how to address them with truth while keeping an open dialogue.

His new book, Chasing Love: Sex, Love, and Relationships in a Confused Culture, is a much-needed deep dive into God’s design for our sexuality. Oh, and If you missed our conversation with Josh McDowell, please go back and listen to it ASAP. I promise it’s worth every second of your time to hear Sean and Josh McDowell—some of the top apologists of our day—share their thoughts on raising kids biblically.

I had the opportunity to hear Sarah Harmeyer speak at an event in Dallas years ago, and her words have literally stayed with me to this day.

Long story short—after a pastor encouraged Sarah to be who God created her to be, she left a successful business career in pursuit of gathering people. It started by her sweet dad building her an outdoor table to host her neighbors, and thousands of people later, she has a ministry and business called Neighbor’s Table.

Sarah and her father hand-deliver their outdoor tables all over the country, allowing countless people to do life elbow to elbow just as Jesus did in his earthly ministry. Sarah encourages us to let go of perfectionism and keep it simple, opening up opportunities for meaningful conversation with a place for everyone at our table.

As we begin a new school year, it’s a perfect time to commit to being people gatherers in our neighborhoods and communities. Sarah says it this way, “I’m on a love mission. I just believe ordinary people, like me, can be called to love extraordinarily around the table. Why? Because we were made to do this.”

Sometimes we confuse spiritual health with mental health, assuming they are one in the same when that’s often far from the truth. Knowing this, it seems appropriate to take a little deeper dive into our emotional health with Licensed Professional Counselor, Debra Fileta.

We cover a lot of ground today with topics like: ways to take inventory of our mental health, when spiritual answers don’t address our mental health issues, the importance of modeling emotional health with our kids, training our kids to identify their emotions, recognizing our kids’ default emotion and investigating the deeper issue.

And please don’t miss Debra’s advice on preparing our kids for dating relationships, the frequent pitfalls they may face, and resources we can use to navigate the dating years.

Here’s to a show addressing the very important mental and emotional health issues facing all parents!

Please tell me you’ve heard of the Bible Recap!

If not, get ready for some good ole’ fashioned indoctrination today with Tara-Leigh Cobble, the founder of the Bible Recap. She’s passionate about helping people not only read through the whole Bible, but love it in the process.

Tara-Leigh shares her personal story of being in full-time ministry for years before someone challenged her to read through the entire Bible. Only then did she start to feel God’s complete presence in her life and begin writing the commentary that’s the basis of the Bible Recap.

There’s so much I want you to hear in today’s podcast, but here are a few highlights: why it’s important (and do-able) for every one of us to read through the Bible, how using the right lens changes how we experience God’s word, common mistakes in reading the Bible, how 12 minutes a day can be life changing for scripture-starved believers, and incorporating scripture into the lives of our families.

If you’ve never read through the whole Bible—or maybe you’ve started (and ended) in Genesis more times than you care to discuss—may I please implore you to join Tara-Leigh and so many of us on the Bible Recap journey? You won’t regret it.

Here’s the thing about parenting—It’s really hard to evaluate how you are doing or identify areas of improvement when you’re in the thick of it every day. Because parenting comes with no performance evaluations or long-term guarantees of success, we often find ourselves simply trying to survive, not thrive (I speak from experience).

Danny Huerta from Focus on the Family joins us today with some valuable benchmarks to consider in our parenting journey. His new book, 7 Traits of Effective Parenting, very practically lists some of the most critical areas of our parenting and how to assess how we’re doing or where we need to make some tweaks.

Some of the traits of effective parenting we discuss include adaptability, respect, and intentionality—and believe you me, there’s some truth spoken today that I needed to hear and I bet you will feel the same way, too.

Danny also shares with us the areas of our culture he believes will most challenge our kids' faith and gives us his thoughts on how to prepare them to live biblically.

I hope you’re having a wonderful summer, and I’m so grateful you’re joining me on this parenting journey! 

Imagine this: You’re picking up your son from the first day of school after waiting to hear all about his day. Even as he’s closing the car door you begin asking the most critical of questions like... How is your teacher? What friends are in your class? Who did you meet? Did you talk to any girls? What did you have for lunch? Are you tired? Why are you so quiet? Were the kids mean to you?

Apparently unaware of the millions of questions swirling in your mind, your son simply responds that his day was “good.”

I feel your pain (like really feel your pain), and David Thomas from Daystar Counseling in Nashville does, too. He’s joining us today to talk all about the boys in our lives, including their developmental stages: Explorer (0-4) Lover (5-8) Individual (9-12) Wanderer (13-17) Warrior (18-23).

We also discuss the best ways to communicate and connect with our boys, which apparently does not involve barraging them with questions the second they get into the car (my bad).

If you have a boy in your life, please don’t miss this episode with David Thomas. He’s an expert on all things boys, and your son will thank you (probably without using words) for listening! 

There are many things I don’t fully understand in parenting, not the least of which is video games. I don’t get what’s so enticing, or the anticipation surrounding “new skins,” or why every time I try to shut down my gamer I’m told they “just need to finish this level.”

Bless your heart for video games and those who love you.

Knowing that I’ve listed only a few of the mysteries facing every parent of a gamer, I happily present you with Drew Dixon on Pardon the Mess today to answer so many of our questions...

Drew runs a ministry with, hands down, the greatest name ever: “Love Thy Nerd.” It’s all about loving gamers well and helping Christians embrace those around them who happen to love a video game.

Here are a few gaming topics you will be empowered with after listening to Drew Dixon: What’s so fun about video games anyway, what misconceptions might I have about gaming, how do I connect with my gamer as a parent, what types of games are good and what types should we be avoiding, what’s up with chat rooms and should I be worried, what are some resources I can trust to navigate this gaming world with my kids?

If you find yourself frequently saying “take off that headset” or “that’s not really connecting with your friends”—well, today’s podcast is for you!

As we’re pushing through summer and finding ways to be intentional in our parenting, I can’t think of many topics more important than discipling our kids.

Don’t anyone panic—discipleship is simply teaching our kids about our faith by pointing them to the Lord in the most normal moments of everyday life.

Rebecca Carrell joins us today, and aside from being a morning show host on KCBI, a mom, wife, and podcaster—she’s my very good friend. We talk very practically about discipleship in our own homes and the ways we get it right (and very often the ways we get it wrong).

There’s so much good stuff in today’s show, but one truth we need to own as parents is this: if we don’t disciple our kids in the Lord, the world will disciple them in something else.

Join me today as we discuss practical ways to point our kids to Christ while also opening doors for them to step out in their own faith. Oh, and don’t miss tips for using discipline as a tool to disciple our kids (and we all know there’s plenty of discipline required in the dog days of summer).

It’s summer, and although we’re all glad to have a little bit of normalcy this year as opposed to last, it won’t take long before these people (i.e. our kids) start their usual antics and send us on a one-way trip to the crazy train.

In an effort to help keep our wits about us, I bring to you Dr. Ken Wilgus today. Dr. Ken has been with us many times and brings a wealth of knowledge as a licensed psychologist specializing in the treatment of adolescents.

Today we’re chatting about the age-old struggle of motivating lazy kids, and considerations for parents during the summertime versus issues of motivation during the school year. He also talks to us about video games, ratings, violence, social media, and concerns with social interaction when we don’t limit screen time.

There’s lots packed into today’s show, so give yourself permission to stop cleaning up the summer messes and sit back for a few minutes and listen to Dr. Ken. You won’t regret it (and your kids likely won’t notice you’re gone)!

In honor of Father’s Day this weekend, Pardon the Mess is dedicating our whole show today to the dads we love!

Former NFL quarterback Jeff Kemp speaks all over the country, championing fatherhood by speaking into God’s design for dads as difference-makers in their families. Today we’re blessed to have him speaking into our own families by sharing his passion behind building up men, encouraging them to be strong leaders both in our homes and in the world.

Here are just a few of the powerful topics we cover: dads building healthy relationships with their kids, needs our kids have that are best filled by their dads, healing from our own dad wounds, ways to evaluate your fathering, a reminder for imperfect fathers to run toward their perfect father, and a month long challenge for wives to support and build up their husbands.

Not only do the dads around us need to hear this word today, there’s also great encouragement for moms that I can’t wait for you to hear. Join me in celebrating our dads with a great message from Jeff Kemp as we head into Father’s Day weekend.

Learn more about the Fatherhood Comission and Jeff Kemp. 

I’ve prayed for years that my kids would chase after God-sized dreams, so when I saw Sheila Erwin’s book on Raising Up Dreamers, I knew she would be perfect for our summer series on Pardon the Mess.

Sheila is the mother of Andrew and Jon Erwin, writers and producers of I Can Only Imagine, I Still Believe, and many other Christian films. Sheila shares with us the importance of recognizing our kids’ own unique giftings, then finding ways to help them maximize what God has woven into their design.

I loved her encouragement on working through learning differences in her own son’s life and now being able to see how these obstacles have become a gift to his flourishing career. We also have a great discussion around dream killers, and Sheila challenges us to make sure we allow our kids to chase after their own dreams, not ours (ouch).

I love this woman, and I can’t wait for you to hear her wise words. Let’s make sure we take some time this summer to look for what it is that God has planted in our children and find ways to help them maximize it!

Grab your copy of Raising Up Dreamers! 

Alright guys, stop what you’re doing because I have the perfect summer experiment for us to do with our kids this month!

More accurately, Kay Wyma has the perfect 30-day experiment, and we’re talking all about it today on Pardon the Mess.

It’s called The Peace Project: A 30-Day Experiment Practicing Thankfulness, Kindness, and Mercy. What is it you ask?

The Peace Project is an experiment that invites us to experience lasting personal peace by getting serious about showing thankfulness, kindness, and mercy with everyone and everything we encounter each day.

Kay shares with us how this concept came about and the impact it’s had on her life and the lives of those around her. She’s practical in showing us what it looks like each day and how she’s lived in some really hard places this last year in complete peace because God reframed her perspective.

Let’s be honest: peace is a distant memory when all these kids are home all day asking for food, activities, and attention. I urge you to take a few minutes today to listen to our conversation and then join my family as we embark on this 30-day journey of showing thankfulness, kindness, and mercy.

There are few things we need more of on this side of heaven than peace. I just know God’s going to do big things through this experiment—so let’s do it together!

I’m so excited about today’s podcast with my dear friend, Clint Schumacher. He’s talking with us about the importance of resiliency which he defines as our “ability to deal with adversity in a positive and meaningful way.”

If we’ve learned anything from 2020-2021, it’s the importance of resilience in the face of uncertainty and allowing our faith to ground us during the hard times.

As much as I like to consider my own resilience and places where I need some work in this area, I’m even more excited about our discussion on fostering resiliency in our kids. I realize that given the choice we would probably prefer to shield our kids from all adversity, but that’s not realistic and doesn’t allow us to train them to walk the hard places well.

Don’t miss our practical discussion on the decisions resilient people make and common barriers to resilience such as resentment, shame, and self-pity. Oh, and don’t worry if you happen to have a kid who is . . . let’s say . . . lacking in the resiliency department (we’ve all got that one )—it can be developed with a little bit of intentionality on our part.

Take a few minutes to consider this important topic with me today, and then grab a copy of Clint Schumacher’s new book Second Wind: Decisions the Resilient Make to Overcome Adversity. 

Max Lucado is on the show again today, and I kind of feel like it’s Christmas because... well it’s Max Lucado, and he’s pure gold! I’m sure I’ve said this many times before, but I’m hard pressed to find many authors whose books have impacted my faith more than those of Max Lucado.

I’m especially grateful as I’ve watched him bring God back into the narrative this past year, speaking to virtually every media outlet and giving hope to our struggling country. We talk about that today as well as so many other things you just don’t want to miss.

Here’s a little preview: truths to share with your kids post-pandemic, remembering the lessons we’ve learned as we re-enter life, teaching our kids to pray audacious prayers, how to disagree well with those around us, practical ways to spend time with God each day, and helping our kids work through their emotional hard places.

Take a few minutes in the midst of the May craziness to hear a good word from Max Lucado, and then please share it with a friend. And you will definitely want to grab a copy of his new children’s book Where’d My Giggle Go for all the littles in your life.

It’s officially here, the last week of our prayer journal!

I have mixed emotions as we wrap up the 2020–2021school year, especially as the mom of a graduating senior. Yet I’m so thankful that even as we’ve braved the hard places of a pandemic, we’ve come together each week (okay, most weeks) to faithfully pray that our kids are marked by the things of God.

We’ve prayed that our kids are marked with integrity, confidence, generosity, endurance, and much more. But these are nothing more than admirable qualities if they aren’t used for God’s kingdom purposes.

Before Jesus ascended to heaven, he gave us our mission. He told us to go and make disciples, sharing the story of his grace and love (Matthew 28). The Great Commission is our central mission. The same is true for our kids.

But it all starts at home. It happens in the seemingly insignificant moments of reading Bible stories to our toddlers and the really hard places of pointing them to Jesus on the heels of their biggest mistakes and greatest obstacles. Please let us never underestimate the significance of our jobs as moms and dads, discipling our kids to share the gospel to the next generation.

Let’s wrap up this school year by praying that our kids are marked by the mission of Jesus, doing it with truth, discipline, purity, and every other characteristic of God we’ve prayed over them this year.

I’m so grateful for your investment in praying for your kids, and I hope you’ve seen God’s hand move in remarkable ways in their lives.

Have a wonderful summer and keep listening to Pardon the Mess on Thursdays as we have lots of great shows coming your way. 

It was about seven years ago when my husband and I realized the Lord was nudging us to explore foster care. And just in case you’re new to the Pardon the Mess family, the long story is we finally did what we were called to do and our lives are forever changed by fostering and adopting our little one, JB.

As I look back on my 20s and 30s, I kind of wish someone would have kicked me in the pants and told me to slow down and pray about God’s unique calling for my life. Maybe it should have been obvious, but I was so busy chasing after my own dreams that I wonder how many of God’s dreams I overlooked in the process.

Because of this, I want to very honestly ask if you’ve prayed about God’s calling for your life right now? Do you know that he has very specific plans for your life which he created long before you took even one breath? Might I encourage you to not fall into the trap I did for so long of missing his still quiet voice because of busy schedules and big agendas.

We’re talking about all of this today, and I’m thrilled to have Harmony Klingenmeyer with me. We discuss the good, bad, and ugly of foster care—however, my prayer is that you will take foster care and use it as the blank to fill in for whatever God is calling you to.

I hope you’ll take a few minutes to listen to today’s show and then stop and pray that God will reveal any callings on your life that you may be missing. Take it from me—chasing after the things of God will change your life forever, and I’ve got a 5 year old cutie to prove it!

It’s almost unbelievable that we’re down to our last two weeks of praying through the 2020–2021 prayer journal. As we’re beginning to wrap it up, I’m just so thankful that you’ve been doing this together with me. 

As we pray this week for our kids to be marked by “remembering,” we’re praying they will trust God’s faithfulness in their present circumstances because they have seen his goodness in the past. 

I love the reference to an Ebenezer stone in 1 Samuel 7. After experiencing a huge battle victory, Samuel grabbed a stone as a memorial and named it Ebenezer, translated as “the Lord has helped us to this point.” Samuel knew the Israelites’ battle win was significant from a tactical perspective, but he also knew the more significant win was the reminder that God had protected them in the past and he’d just done it again. 

Our kids need the same reminder today that Samuel gave way back then: The God who has taken care of us up to this point will do it again. He is faithful and trustworthy.  

What are the Ebenezers in your family? Let’s talk about it on today’s podcast and pray together that our kids are marked by remembering that God will protect all of their days when they are surrendered to him. 

Lysa TerKeurst joins us today for a second time on Pardon the Mess, and she’s coming in hot (that’s a good thing, BTW)! 

I’m continually blown away by how the Lord is using the hard places Lysa has faced in her marriage and health to show his goodness and redemption so powerfully. 

Lysa and I talk about so much today, but here are a few of my favorite discussion points: 

- Forgiving what you can’t forget

- What forgiveness is and what it is not

- Reframing life’s struggles as a tension to manage, not a problem to solve

- Reminders that bad moments don’t make bad mamas

- The importance of “Seeing Beautiful Again” even when it’s complicated

One more thing: I had a Pardon the Mess first during this interview where I may or may not have cried at one point. I know, right? 

But truth is powerful, and I’m so thankful that we have Lysa joining us on today’s show. Listen, share it with friends, and be encouraged!

We’re raising kids in a culture that basks in recognition and praise, making it difficult to strike the balance of teaching our kids to be confident in their God-given identity while also exuding a humble spirit.

We’re kicking off this week on Pardon the Mess by praying humility over our kids, and I’m hard-pressed to think of an attribute that’s more lacking in today’s culture than this one.

Jesus is the perfect model of humility. He came to earth in the form of a baby and lived a blameless life so he could die on the cross and give us new life. He more than deserved recognition and acknowledgment for his heavenly status, yet he chose to demonstrate humility because of his commitment to the Father’s will and the larger gospel story.

Join me in praying this week for our kids to humbly serve others, admit their mistakes, and recognize that all praise and glory belongs to the Lord as the giver of all good gifts (James 1:17).

Let’s also ask the Lord to guide them in being passionate and outspoken when appropriate, but also disciplined enough to be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to anger (James 1:19).

Many years ago I heard Sally Lloyd Jones speak on a friend’s podcast and she made a statement that struck a chord with me: always make sure your definition of success is the same as God’s. 

That wisdom has stuck with me because so often I find myself judging success based on our culture’s version of it versus God’s definition. What a great parenting application when we stop to consider what we value for our kids and how we spend our time and resources in raising them. 

For years I’ve been dying for the opportunity to chat with Sally Lloyd Jones, and I’m thrilled to have her with us on Pardon the Mess today! 

If you aren’t familiar with her, Sally is a New York Times bestselling writer of over twenty-five books, including The Jesus Storybook Bible (which is required reading for every parent). She’s critically acclaimed by the Wall Street Journal and the New York Times, and, much more significantly, she is unbelievably wise and loves the Lord. 

Can I cut to the chase and just tell you that you can’t afford to miss this conversation? 

There’s so much we covered, but here are some highlights: God’s promotions often look like demotions, the importance of working the muscle of trust, hurry is often a sign that we’re in the wrong place, finding what sparks joy in our lives, a reminder that nothing can thwart what God has planted in the hearts of our children.

If you haven’t heard Sally Lloyd Jones before today, you’re in for a big treat. Don’t miss this one! 

Many years ago I trained and ran a half marathon. The end. (Not really, but kind of.) 

In doing so I learned a whole lot about what it takes to build endurance so that you can run the race well. I also learned a lot about chafing—but I digress. 

The Christian life is like a marathon in that it requires significant endurance if we’re going to make it through the obstacles we face along the way. Having endurance in the context of our faith means we’re always in training mode, getting ready for the hard places of discouragement and suffering that will challenge our readiness for the race. 

Practically speaking, we build up endurance by staying true to the basics: things like spending daily time with God, finding Christian community, memorizing Scripture, and seeking discipleship. 

This week, we’re praying for our kids to run their spiritual races with endurance. We’re praying that they keep their eyes on Jesus, setting aside anything that weighs them down or keeps them from running effectively. 

Take a quick moment to listen today and pray with me, and enjoy a few insights into my short stint as a “runner.” 

Today’s podcast hits some tough topics we don’t often cover on Pardon the Mess. But these are very real issues facing so many, and I’m thankful Ashley Abercrombie is with us as we do it.

Ashley is a writer and speaker whose work has been featured in outlets like OprahMag.com, Relevant, and Grit and Virtue. She is the author of Rise of the Truth Teller and Love Is the Resistance.

Ashley chats with us today about her last eighteen years of working through recovery from drugs, alcohol abuse, eating disorders, sexual assault, and an abortion. She’s realized that, as Christians, we’re so often tempted to live in the bondage of silence instead of overcoming our shame and sharing our stories. She’s found that only in breaking the silence will we experience full healing and beautiful glimpses of God’s redemptive hand at work.

There’s also a great word for those of us who struggle with the need to perform (guilty ✔️) and parenting our kids through the hard places they will face in their own stories.

Can’t wait for you to hear from Ashley today, and please share this powerful testimony with those around you who need to be encouraged to share their own stories.

As we wrap up the last several weeks of praying the greatest commandment over our kids, we’re focusing today on what it means to love God with all of our strength.

Contrary to how it sounds, loving God with all of our strength is not a reference to our physical strength, but instead it’s using our possessions, our time, our talents, our parenting, our volunteering—everything we’ve got—to love God and live for him.

As we pray for our kids to love God with all of their strength, we’re praying that they use all of their party-planning skills, math aptitude, athleticism, and social media acumen for God’s greatest glory. It’s taking the seemingly small places in their life and asking the Lord to use them in every possible way for his bigger purposes.

Let’s join together this week and ask God to use our kids for his greater purposes right where he has them today, teaching them what it looks like to love him with all of their strength.

It’s cool enough to have one opportunity to chat with Bob Goff, but then to get a second shot that includes his daughter, Lindsey Viducich?

Well, that’s the makings of a podcast packed with laughter and endless nuggets of truth.

Lindsey and Bob co-wrote Everybody, Always for Kids, and they describe it as a book of stories demonstrating how to live out our faith as expressed in love.

Take that in for a hot minute and consider how different our lives, our parenting, and our relationships would be if our primary focus was to express our faith through the lens of love.

As you might expect, there are lots of great stories coming your way on growing up in the Goff household and their crazy antics.

But I was especially challenged by their family goal of picking the meaningful over the practical in life and intentionally drawing others into our circle through the grace of Jesus.

Sit back and enjoy a few minutes of encouragement from Bob Goff and Lindsey Viducich—and then grab a copy of their new book so you can remind your kids that around every corner lies the opportunity to live bigger than ourselves, when we love “everybody, always.”

As you know, we’re praying the greatest commandment over our kids this month—that they will love God with their heart, soul, mind, and strength.

As we pray for our kids to love God with all of their minds this week, we’re reminded that our mind is made up of our thoughts. In order to love God with all of our minds, we have to think about what fills our minds and how it impacts the way we love God. 

Our thoughts are significant because they have the potential to grow our love for God or distract and pull us away from a relationship with him and his great plans for our life. The Enemy loves to get ahold of our thoughts and make us question God’s goodness and protection in our lives.

For our kids to love God with all of their minds, we’re praying that they “take captive” all the thoughts that are destructive, not instructive. We’re also praying about what’s going into their minds and how that’s fueling (or lessening) their love for God.

Let’s start this week together by praying over our kids’ minds and all that they will think about today and every day.

Having never met Angie Smith before, I had no idea what I was missing out on until I had the most heartfelt, Spirit-led conversation with her for today’s show.

Angie is a mom, wife, speaker, author, and a much-needed breath of fresh air for all of us trying to live our daily lives for Christ while struggling through the bumps and bruises we face along the way.

Angie recently wrote a book, Woven, that’s a beautiful depiction of how the seemingly different storylines throughout the Bible are actually woven together into one big story of God’s love. If you’ve ever found the Bible to be confusing or even disjointed, Angie provides a deep dive into the bigger picture of God’s word and why it matters.

As much as I loved talking about her book, I was struck by Angie’s vulnerability in sharing about her real-time fight with depression and loss. 

Without going into too much detail, suffice it to say I walked away so thankful for a strong Christian woman willing to share the hard places of her journey so that we might be encouraged in our own journeys.

If you’ve ever had doubts about your faith, or struggled to understand the Bible, or even felt like life is too hard, I believe this conversation is exactly what you need today!

We’re continuing to pray through the greatest commandment to love God with all of our heart, soul, mind, and strength. This week we’re praying that our kids love God with all of our souls, but what exactly is our soul? 

Our soul lies deep down inside of us and is our very core. It’s the invisible part of us that connects us with God. It is where we are most at home, and it’s the most fundamental driver of who we are from the inside out. 

To love the Lord with all of our soul, we’ve got to be faithful in private. We’ve got to be devoted to the things that drench our soul in Jesus and be willing to drop the things that don’t. 

As we pray for our kids to love God with all of their souls this week, let’s pray that they learn to love him with the very core of who they are—not by what they intellectually believe about him, or how they serve him, or what they communicate to others by their faith, but truly learning to love Jesus from the core of their being. 

I’m so thankful you’re staying strong with me each week as we finish off this school year. Don’t miss today’s podcast and the opportunity to pray with me over your child’s very soul and the core of who they are. 

Today is Opening Day for baseball, and in my baseball-crazy family, that makes today a big day!  

In honor of this momentous occasion, we’ve got the perfect show for you with baseball-great Darryl Strawberry.

Darryl has an amazing testimony of addiction, redemption, marriage struggles, and cancer. He shares some very practical principles that have changed his life, things like weathering trials with hope, nurturing godly friendships, and always believing in the power of prayer. 

And, of course, we also get some interesting behind-the-scenes scoop on his time in the Major Leagues and some amazing baseball moments. 

Incidentally, Darryl Strawberry is one of my husband Mike’s all-time favorite players, making it only right for me to ask Mike to join me on this show; however, in a strange turn of events, Mike actually relieved me of my duties and ran with the interview himself. 😂

Don’t miss today’s show with Darryl Strawberry and Mike Yanof talking all things Jesus, MLB, and allowing God to transform our missteps into ministry.

“Love the Lord your God with all of your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength” (Mark 12:30 NIV, emphasis added).

Remember the lawyer who tried to trick Jesus by asking him to name the greatest commandment? (Lawyers, am I right?) Jesus, knowing this guy’s antics, responded with, “Love the Lord your God with all of your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength” (Mark 12:30). 

It’s this verse that will guide us the next few weeks as we pray for our kids to be marked by loving God with their heart, soul, mind, and strength. 

We’ll kick off this week by praying for our kids’ hearts, which is not just critical to their health—it’s also the epicenter of their spiritual life. 

It’s central to their thoughts and actions and even the words that come out of their mouths. When Jesus talks about loving God with all their hearts, he’s referencing their emotions and decisions. 

In order to love God with all of our hearts, we have to prioritize spending time with him and in his word. Having time with our creator enables us to know what he wants for our lives, and we can’t help but pursue him and the things he values and wants for our families. 

Let’s pray this week that our kids learn to love God with all of their hearts, beginning with prioritizing time with him and pursuing him in all that they do. Join me on today’s podcast and let’s pray together for our kids. 

This week we’re wrapping up our Pardon the Mess series on brave conversations we need to have with our kids. Dr. Ken Wilgus is with us to talk about addiction and its impact on today’s kids. 

Believe you me, I would rather ignore this topic too and hope it never becomes an issue rather than face it head on—however, it’s too significant of a problem in today’s culture to idly stand by.

Dr. Wilgus and I discuss these topics: Defining addiction and the idea of addictive personalities, drugs, alcohol, and vaping—how to discipline when/if your child experiments, video games and the time our kids spend playing them, how parents can deal with addiction and avoid enabling, important conversations to have with our kids beginning at an early age 

I’m so thankful for the information Dr. Ken shares today, and I know we will all be better for having listened. 

Please take a minute to share this with your friends—it’s too important of a topic to take lightly.

As Easter approaches in the next few weeks, it’s the perfect time to begin praying that the power of the cross impacts every area of our kids’ lives.

It is an incredible assurance knowing that, by accepting Jesus, our kids have a new eternal destination. But we’re also praying for a daily life transformation.

When our kids become Christians, we should begin looking for (and hopefully seeing) fruit in their lives. Jesus said those who follow him will produce spiritual fruit, and it’s by this fruit you will know them (Matthew 7:20). 

In Galatians, Paul describes some attributes of a life without Christ, including anger, idolatry, jealousy, selfishness, impurity, and strife. In contrast, with Christ we start to see the spiritual fruit of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, and self-control.

Thankfully, this is not simply a checklist of things we’re constantly trying to achieve. Instead, it’s produced by allowing the Holy Spirit to work within us. Without even trying, our kids will produce fruit that’s visible to the world around them. This fruit can either be produced by the Holy Spirit or produced by their own spirit.

Our prayer is that our kids will submit to the Holy Spirit’s leadership, resulting in less of their own fruit and more of his. This week, let’s pray that the Holy Spirit produces fruit in our kids that leads others to trust Jesus and his great sacrifice at the cross.

We’re kicking off week two of brave conversations we need to have with our kids, and it’s a doozie (or at least for me it is).

I, for one, am particularly proud of myself for being brave enough to have a conversation around the birds and the bees in the confines of my home, much less on a podcast with all of you!

Thankfully, Mary Flo Ridley and Megan Michelson speak into this topic biblically and quite practically—and I couldn’t be more grateful. 

We cover everything from the hang-ups we have as parents when it comes to talking about sex with our kids, the importance of using correct anatomical technology (my bad), and shaping our family’s narrative in this important area before culture does it for us. 

If you struggle to have conversations around this topic and need a little encouragement and practical wherewithal... I promise that today’s podcast is for you! 

Check out there online course, Birds & Bees.

This week we’re praying a hearty topic over our kids as we focus on the armor of God. 

Most of us don’t spend a lot of time contemplating how to fight against the devil’s schemes, but Scripture does. Thankfully, Jesus has already won our ultimate battle by his death on the cross and resurrection from the grave. But, even then, there will still be trouble in this world because we have a real Enemy who seeks to steal, kill, and destroy (John 10:10).

As we face the visible (and often invisible) battles each day, Satan’s success hinges on catching us unprepared and with our guard down. Let’s pray that our kids are battle-ready by wearing the armor of God, as seen in Ephesians 6:13–17:

The belt of truth: Pray that God’s truth will defeat the enemy’s lies in their lives.

The breastplate of righteousness: Pray that they withstand attacks of impurity and wrongdoing by clinging to righteousness.

Feet fitted with the gospel of peace: Pray for a willingness to go and share the gospel.

The shield of faith: Pray for protection from doubt, fear, and anxiety.

The helmet of salvation: Pray for a mind controlled by God.

The sword of the Spirit: Pray that God’s word is their offense, knowing it’s sharper than any sword.

Take a minute to listen to today’s podcast, and then use the list above as your guide for praying all week for kids that are battle ready!

We’re focusing the next few weeks of Pardon the Mess on brave conversations we need to have with our kids. 

This week we have licensed counselor Sissy Goff with us straight from Nashville. We’re chatting about anxiety in our kids and some of the hard emotions they are facing after this last year. 

Sissy and I cover these topics around anxiety and mental health: Questions to ask your kids to gauge their anxiety level, strategies to implement when dealing with anxiety, eating disorders and other mental health issues increasing in teens, and common parenting mistakes in dealing with anxiety.

I especially loved Sissy’s explanation of anger being a secondary emotion that often stems from issues of fear and anxiety. 

It’s a good reminder that what meets the eye is not always a true representation of what’s going on inside of our kids. 

As we think through anxiety in our children this week, I want to leave you with one of my favorite quotes from Sissy’s new book, Brave: A Teen Girl’s Guide to Beating Worry and Anxiety: 

“All the girls I’ve ever met who are anxious have a few things in common: they’re bright and conscientious, they care and feel deeply, and they try hard. Those very gifts are sometimes the things that make us more anxious. Worry’s voice does not have the power to define you. That job belongs to you and the God who loves and delights in you.” 

What a great reminder of why we must have brave conversations with our kids around this topic.

As we begin a new week of praying for our kids, it may seem that praying they are marked by “refinement” is a bit odd; however, we’re asking the Lord to sift out any impurities that keep them from God’s best in their lives.    

Refinement is the process of using heat to remove impurities from metal. Only after the gold is refined do the most valuable qualities remain because the impurities and lesser qualities have been eliminated. 

God is in the constant process of refining all of us. Even though we’re created in his image, we are free-willed human beings riddled with impurities that don’t line up with who we were created to be. This refinement is best accomplished through trials in our lives, which may be uncomfortable in the moment but are important nonetheless.    

As we’re praying for our kids to be marked by refinement, let’s not ask God to remove our kids’ obstacles but rather to remove their impurities. Let’s pray that when the heat intensifies, our kids learn to trust that the One who allows the fire will also bring them through it.

Looking forward to praying God’s refinement over our kids this week.

Candace Cameron Bure is on the show today! It’s as if nothing else matters having just reached a new Pardon the Mess podcasting pinnacle. 😀 💕 🙌 

To say I love Candace is an understatement of epic proportions. 

First of all, she’s Hallmark royalty, and there’s not a one of us that hasn’t needed movies with predictability and a happy ending after the year we’ve weathered. And don’t even get me started with her Full House greatness that marked all of our childhoods. 

But then hearing about her life growing up in show business and how her faith has played into her career... well, it’s almost too much. 

Candace (which is what I call her now because we’re best friends) very vulnerably shares the struggles she’s recently faced with social media critics and her best parenting advice having raised three kids. She also talks about how she came to know Christ and the impact it has on all facets of her life today. 

Check out her new children’s book, Candace’s Playful Puppy, based on the fruit of the spirit, faithfulness. You’ll definitely want to grab it for the younger kids in your life. 

Yes, I’m all over the place, and yes I’m giddy! 

Please just take a few minutes today and enjoy our conversation with Candace Cameron Bure. 

This week we’re praying for our kids to live each day surrendered to the Lord.  

The idea of living a “surrendered” life may be one of those confusing concepts we hear about at church but don’t know how to practically implement. It’s the antithesis of trying to “work” our way into a right relationship with God—instead, it’s allowing the Spirit of God to enter into us, shaping us into something greater than we could be on our own.  

The first and most significant act of surrender we can pray over our kids is their choice to surrender to the lordship of Christ by accepting Jesus as their Savior. 

But, even after our kids have accepted Christ, we can pray that they surrender their words, plans, dreams, finances, and relationships to the Lord.  

W. Tozer reminds us of the great benefit of living surrendered to God: “The man or woman who is wholly or joyously surrendered to Christ can’t make a wrong decision—any choice will be the right one.” 

Join me in praying that our kids live each day in a way that’s pleasing to God and brings him glory.  

Have you ever had a conversation with someone who inspired you to do the very thing that deep down you knew God was calling you to do? That happened to me with today’s conversation with Christy Nockels. 

She gave the most grace-filled, permission-giving reminder of the need for rest in our lives. As parents, that’s something that’s so easily neglected in the busyness of raising kids. 

Christy is a singer, songwriter, author, and host of the podcast Glorious in the Mundane. She shares with us how God taught her to begin living from a heart of rest during a season where he called her to leave a busy touring schedule to stay home with her family. 

In the quiet moments, God taught Christy to seek him in the deep places she had been neglecting so that she might live from the inside out instead of the outside in. (So convicting, but soooo good.) 

I walked away with so many truths for my own life, but I think these will resonate with all of us: We need rest. Rest comes from surrendering to our creator. Our tendency to “hustle” prevents God’s supernatural work in our lives. It’s critical we learn to guard our time in order to prioritize physical and spiritual rest. Living from the inside out comes from resting in our Savior. 

Join me today for a powerful conversation on rest. I have a feeling you’re going to walk away with the encouragement you didn’t know you needed. 

If 2020 has taught us anything, it’s that we don’t know what’s coming our way at any given time. 

One year ago this week, the World Health Organization confirmed an additional twenty cases of COVID-19 in the United States, bringing the total number of cases in our country to thirty-five. Even though the number was seemingly small at the time, it was unsettling not knowing what the future held with this virus at hand (and thank goodness we didn’t know).  

The one thing we can be certain of this side of heaven is that our lives are going to be uncertain.  

Yet even in the middle of uncertainty for Joshua, God reminded him that “every place that the sole of your foot will tread upon I have given to you” (Joshua 1:3 ESV). 

The message to Joshua is the same message for us: with God directing our steps, not even one is unexpected or without purpose to the One who authors them all. 

This week, we’re praying for our kids to understand that what’s uncertain to them is anything but unexpected or unplanned to God. Knowing that, we can put our trust in the One who not only knows the future but also writes it. 

Join me in praying for our kids to be marked by God’s certainty through all of life’s unknown roads.  

I come to you today in the midst of Texas’ 2021 polar vortex.  

With great anticipation, we southerners were awaiting our first big snow in years. It was going to be sledding, hot chocolate bars, game nights, and family bonding. Until... we had an electricity crisis.  

My house has been running a temp of around 46 degrees INSIDE, and there’s been more family bonding than I care to share with you. That said, we’re grateful to be safe and to have food, and we’re looking forward to some fun memories to share one day.    

Nonetheless, we’ve got a great podcast for you today. 

I’ll keep it short and just say YOU NEED to listen to my conversation with Susie Robb. She’s an interior designer, single mom, and has a great word on God’s redemption in our lives.  

Besides giving us encouragement for single parents, she also shares design tips and even her favorite paint colors. Talk about full service! 

So thankful for each of you and praying you’re safe and warm. 

“For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it” (Hebrews 12:11 ESV). 

Raise your hand if you feel like you check the box well when it comes to being marked by self-discipline. 

Me neither.

That’s why I’m glad we’re praying it over our kids this week. 

Self-discipline (or lack thereof) will impact every part of their lives, including dating relationships, finances, online accountability, marriage, physical health, and even their occupations. 

The author of Hebrews (in perhaps the biggest understatement ever) reminds us that discipline isn’t fun in the moment, but it’s a key step on the pathway to righteousness. 

The good news is that self-discipline isn’t just a matter of mustering up enough willpower. Rather, it's a God-given perspective that the greater reward in waiting is better than the immediate temptation we’re facing. 

Let’s ask God to give our kids the self-discipline to look away, walk away, or find a way to pass by anything that interferes with God’s highest goals in their lives. 

Can’t wait to pray with you this week!

As we focus this month on loving what God loves, I’m so excited to shine some much-deserved light on our precious families raising children with special needs. 

Nichole Huggins, Director of Special Needs at Prestonwood Church in Dallas, Texas, joins us as both a mom to a son with special needs as well as one directly engaged in church ministry in this area. 

Today’s podcast is not just for the families in the trenches each day raising children with special needs, but it’s also a much-needed word for those of us who are called to walk alongside and support these families. 

There’s so much in this podcast that I can’t wait for you to hear, but here are a few takeaways you can’t miss: 

• Even on the hardest days, you have hope, and you are not alone
• The importance of seizing the God-moments in our parenting
• Conversations every parent needs to have concerning kids with special needs
• It’s okay not to be okay

Please take time to listen to this important conversation, and then share it with your friends who need this encouragement today.

The entire theme of this year’s prayer journal is built around the notion of being “marked” by the things of God.

In a culture that threatens to mark our kids with anxiety, depression, and social media inundation (and in the midst of a pandemic), we’re praying that our kids will be supernaturally marked only by the things of God.

This week we’re praying for arguably the most significant “marking” in our kids’ lives: that they will be marked by God’s presence.

The presence of God is a core message from Genesis, with Adam and Eve in the garden, all the way to Revelation and the promise of all eternity with God. Living in God’s presence is significant for our kids because it’s assurance that they are never overlooked, unseen, or insignificant. 

We can find joy no matter what we’re facing in this world because of the presence of Jesus in our lives.

Join me in praying this over our kids this week.

We spent the month of January considering the different areas in our lives that might need some adjustments in a new year. We talked about our parenting, finances, and our physical and spiritual lives in the context of our faith.

Now as we move into February, we’ve got a month-long focus on love. More specifically, we’re considering how we might better love the things God loves.

You’re in for a big treat today because Lisa Harper is with us, and she’s amazing. If you haven’t run across her before, suffice it to say she’s hilarious, honest, real, and she really, really loves Jesus.

There are so many reasons to listen to Pardon the Mess today, but here are just a few topics you don’t want to miss:

Three traps women fall into with their faith. Is the gospel really good news this side of heaven? How do we experience abundant life in a turbulent world? Why we need to step into someone else’s story. Adoption being God’s megaphone for grace.

Oh, and I won’t lie—we covered a few other really important topics like Spanx, bathing suits, and chips and queso. 😜

Drop what you’re doing and join us as we lean into a month of loving the things God loves!

Check out Lisa Harper’s new devotional! 

“How can a young person stay on the path of purity? By living according to your word” (Psalm 119:9 NIV).

This week we’re praying that our kids are marked by purity in their lives. 

The idea of raising pure kids in an impure culture can feel like an impossibly tall order as parents. We sometimes mistakenly make purity a goal our kids must achieve, staying away from certain things or even keeping on a prescribed path until the finish line of marriage.

But purity is not an accomplishment—it’s a relationship, as Dan Martin of Pure Hope Ministries shares with us on today’s podcast. 

It’s a relationship with Jesus, who comes to redeem us from the sin of this world and purify us to himself (Titus 2:14). He cleanses us and makes us new creations. He gives hope that is everlasting and brings healing when we fall short.

Join me in praying for our kids to have purity in their physical relationships, in the way they dress, in the motivation behind their actions, in their pursuit of Jesus, and in the music and media that fill their minds. 

Let’s also pray that when they fall short, they know that the Lord stands ready to forgive them and give them a new beginning. 

We’re wrapping up January by discussing all things money with Art Rainer.

Art has written countless books on this subject and talks with us today about the biggest money mistakes we make.

He also gives suggestions on how to assess the state of our finances and how it’s impacting our marriages.

I love his approach to this sticky subject because it’s all based in Scripture and God’s design for our money.

This month, we’ve blown up the old adage that it’s taboo to talk about religion, politics, or money in mixed company. We’ve hit two of the three areas, and it’s been amazing.

As we wrap up a month of looking at a new year/new you in 2021, make sure you’ve caught these amazing guests:

• Louie Giglio on our spiritual lives

• Ken Wilgus on parenting our kids, especially our teens

• Dr. Hillary Lewis answering our medical questions

• Art Rainer and the money challenge

So thankful to kick off 2021 together!

Today we’re praying for our kids to be marked by confidence. 

As I think back on the mistakes I made growing up, many of those could have been avoided if I would have rooted my confidence in the Lord and not in this world.  

We will talk about practical ways to give our kids confidence in the character of God by pointing them back to our personal “stones of remembrance.” It’s sharing how God’s been faithful in the past to gain confidence in his faithfulness for our future. His character is unchanging.  

And as an aside, I felt oddly compelled to share my mom’s most embarrassing moment as a reminder of how fleeting our earthly confidence can be. It’s really good stuff you can’t afford to miss. 😂 

Remember, when we root our confidence in the things of this world, we will never find satisfaction. Let’s pray that our kids’ confidence comes from the right source: God himself.  

Can’t wait to pray together! 

Do you remember all the questions you asked the pediatrician about your first child?  

I remember one particular appointment when my daughter was about six weeks old. 

I showed up at the doctor’s office with a list so long it barely fit in my SUV. The questions seem silly now, but I asked things like: How do I know when to change diaper sizes? (Duh, when the others don’t fit). And how do I know if the crib bedding is overstimulating her? (Thanks a lot, Babywise).  

Bless my heart, and thank goodness for patient pediatricians.  

Today we have the chance to collectively ask our medical questions to Dr. Hillary Lewis. 

Dr. Lewis is a pediatrician in Dallas who loves the Lord and is raising three kids of her own.  

Much like the litany of questions I asked all those years ago of my pediatrician, I’m bombarding her with some of our most common medical questions when it comes to our kids (and not how to determine diaper-sizing).  

We covered topics like: 

• Physical concerns of COVID 
• The emotional toll of COVID
• Acne from masks
• The COVID vaccine and its implications for our kids
• Thoughts on the Gardasil vaccine
• The age we can begin to see signs of ADD/ADHD
• Balancing faith and science in our families 

I took one for the team and tried to ask the questions we’ve all been wondering about but haven’t actually voiced. Praying it’s as helpful to you as it was for me!

Remember in the book of Numbers when Moses sent the twelve spies into the promised land to scout it out and report back on the status? 

After forty days of reconnaissance, ten of the twelve spies called a kibosh, saying there was no way the Israelites could succeed in taking the land from these giants.

Of course, there were the lone dissenters, Joshua and Caleb, who believed that with God’s help there was hope and even victory awaiting them. The whole debacle left God disappointed with the Israelites (understatement) but also brought to light a bright spot when God applauded Caleb for having a “different spirit.”   

It’s this different spirit we’re talking about in today’s podcast as we pray hope over our children. 

We’ll take a look at Caleb’s life and see how his different spirit came from living with a God-drenched mind, giving hope even in the most hopeless of situations.  

We’re facing an epidemic of anxiety and depression amongst our kids that has gained footing during this pandemic. There’s no better time to be praying that our kids find the hope that comes only from Jesus.  

Let’s anchor our prayer time in this verse this week:

“But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint” (Isaiah 40:31). 

Can’t wait to pray together! 

I’m glad you’re joining us this year on Pardon the Mess as we’re dusting off some areas in life that may need a refresh in 2021. We’re talking about improvements to be made in our spiritual lives, parenting, health, and finances. 

This week, licensed psychologist Ken Wilgus is talking with us about parenting teens. If you don’t have a teen yet, no worries, because you can never prepare too early for navigating the treacherous waters of adolescence (just  kidding—kind of). 

Dr. Wilgus shares his ideas behind “planned emancipation,” the strategy of preparing our kids for adulthood by carefully and progressively letting go of our control in key areas of their lives. 

We talk about this in the context of giving freedom in the music they listen to, the friends they pick, and even the state in which they keep their rooms. 

Brace yourself, it’s going to take a little bit of moxie to make it through some of this! 

As a mother of two teens, I can report firsthand that Dr. Wilgus has a great recipe for helping us raise kids who are prepared for adulthood without driving ourselves (and them) crazy in the process. 

Glad you’re with us today! 

“The Lord, the Lord, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness.” —Exodus 34:6

The first characteristic God used to describe himself to Moses was compassionate. 

It’s amazing to think that we serve a God who is sympathetic to our struggles and burdened by what budens us. Knowing this, it seems only fitting that we focus on praying for our kids to be marked by compassion in their own lives.  

Henri Nouwen describes compassion as this: 

Compassion asks us to go where it hurts, to enter into the places of pain, to share in brokenness, fear, confusion, and anguish. Compassion challenges us to cry out with those in misery, to mourn with those who are lonely, to weep with those in tears.  

Today, we will look at the story of Joshua and Rahab, seeing God’s compassion in action as he spared Rahab’s life and even elevated her to be included in his own lineage.  

I’m challenged to revisit compassion in my own life and pray for the Lord to teach me to see the world through his eyes and respond as he leads. 

Join me in praying compassion for our families this week. 

“No matter how many times you’ve tried before or how loud the voice is that says you’ll never be different than you are, God says something else today. You. Can. Live. Free.”

—Louie Giglio, Goliath Must Fall

I’ve never really loved January and the post-Christmas letdown.

But the one thing I do look forward to each year is the opportunity to make adjustments in my life, allowing me to live more purposefully and biblically.

That’s why Pardon the Mess is kicking off 2021 with a month of shows speaking to the spiritual, circumstantial, physical, and financial ways in which we live. It’s practical advice each week on living more fully and freely in Christ.

Today, Louie Giglio joins us to talk through the spiritual aspects in our lives that may need some tweaking.

Louie is pastor of Passion City Church and the founder of the Passion movement. Having devoted his life to working with young adults, he shares the number one thing he believes our kids need before leaving for college.

We covered so much in today’s show, but here are a few highlights:

Living with “congruency” in our lives

Louie’s personal battle with anxiety and the role humility has played

Questioning God’s timing and his plans for our lives

Helping our kids win the battles against their giants

I’m so thankful you’re here, and I can’t wait to kick off 2021 exploring new ways to live and parent fully in Jesus.

I can’t think of a better way to begin the New Year than by coming together to pray over our kids. I’m thankful to each of you for joining me every week as we pray for our kids and for his guidance in parenting them.  

This week we’re praying that our kids are marked by truth. 

As we do this, it’s important to define truth. We live in a culture of moral relativism, meaning truth is subjective and personal. But God’s word tells us the real story of truth: 

• “Jesus answered, ‘I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.’” —John 14:6 
• “Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth.” —John 17:17   

As we pray for kids marked by truth, we are praying that they have the discernment to go to Scripture no matter what they are facing. 

Kids marked by truth will not waver with every opinion thrown their way. Kids marked by truth will live with a higher standard, even when it’s unpopular. Kids marked by truth will hear the lies of the Enemy and recognize them as just that: lies. 

Living in God’s truth is a critical calling on our kids’ lives. Let’s kickoff this year praying this over them.   

Happy New Year’s Eve!  

Not that anyone asked, but I’m all in when it comes to New Year’s resolutions.  

I enjoy planning new healthy recipes, dusting off the gym membership, and even reading books on how to better parent these kids in my house. But, like most people, my resolutions lack resolve after about six weeks.  

However, this New Year I want to be especially intentional in implementing the things that will help me grow spiritually. I’m hoping to read through the Bible again, change up the way I pray, and dare I even mention journaling (at which I’m awful so I can never fully endorse).   

As you think through ways to refresh your time with God in 2021, you’re going to love our chat with Chrystal Evans Hurst today. Chrystal shares her heart behind the 28-day prayer challenge and how this book is based on the struggles she’s faced with her own prayer life. 

I really loved her wisdom on praying with our kids, specifically praying Scripture over them. That’s another thing I want to implement for 2021 in my own house.  

Go back and listen to Priscilla Shirer on the podcast last week if you missed it, and then tune in today to hear her sister Chrystal Evans Hurst on our show.  

Oh, and please don’t miss Chrystal’s vulnerability in sharing the hard places the Evans’ family has faced recently, as well as working through unanswered prayer.  

As we gear up for 2021, let’s resolve to do the things that will cause us to know God better in the New Year. I can’t wait to do it together.  

I’m praying you had a wonderful Christmas with your family, taking every opportunity to celebrate the birth of our Savior. 

As we wrap up 2020, it feels like there’s so much to digest and reflect on after all we’ve been through. It’s crazy to think back to last year at this time and consider all the things we didn’t realize were heading our way. 

This week we’re asking for God’s protection over our children. 

It feels like the need for protection has new meaning after the year we just experienced. But can I encourage you to take a few minutes this week to reflect on how God has been faithful in protecting you and your family in 2020? 

As you do this, I want to share an excerpt of a letter I wrote to “Dear Pre-COVID Me” last year. My hope is that it will remind you (like it did me) to thank God for his faithfulness and presence in all of the hard places we’ve faced.  

Pre-COVID me, please know that somewhere along the way you’re going to stop to ask a really vulnerable but important question: God, where are you in the middle of this?

The answer may be hard to find as the days grow longer and the news seems darker. But dig deep. It’s there. He’s there.

You’ll find him in the still small places where he always has been and always will be revealing his greatest glory.   

Look for God in everything from the birthday parades to the family baseball games. You’ll find him in the return of families around the dinner table and the unrushed nightly bedtime routines. He’s on your countless walks around the neighborhood and in the Zoom reunions with extended family.

You’ll feel his presence when you’re playing board games with your kids, teaching them how to cook and clean, and especially when you see your previously overcommitted family finding rest and perspective in a new, simplified routine.

You’ll hear amazing stories of God working through our frontline workers, caring selflessly for the sickest of patients and often at the expense of their own families. He’ll be evident in the melody of pots and pans banging from the balconies of high-rises as people unite in the most difficult of times.

God’s hand will be visible as communities rally together to support local businesses and as friends and neighbors dust off old sewing machines to make face masks to protect each other. You’ll feel his presence when you look up to see the Blue Angels soar through the sky, or even as you look down and find messages of hope in colorful sidewalk chalk.

I guess what I would want you to know is that there are going to be some really hard times to weather, but, in the middle of the uncertainty, there’s an opportunity to reaffirm God’s promise that he is with us, for us, and will never leave us. 

I’m looking forward to praying protection over our kids this week with my friend Jerica Olson on the podcast. Glad you’re with us.

Happy New Year!