Pardon the Mess with Courtney DeFeo - Christian Motherhood, Biblical Parenting, Raising Christian Kids

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.Our Sponsors:* Check out IXL and use my code TODAY for a great deal: https://www.ixl.comPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

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.Our Sponsors:* Check out IXL and use my code TODAY for a great deal: https://www.ixl.comPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

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! Our Sponsors:* Check out IXL and use my code TODAY for a great deal: https://www.ixl.comPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

“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. Our Sponsors:* Check out IXL and use my code TODAY for a great deal: https://www.ixl.comPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

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!Our Sponsors:* Check out IXL and use my code TODAY for a great deal: https://www.ixl.comPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

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! Our Sponsors:* Check out IXL and use my code TODAY for a great deal: https://www.ixl.comPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

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!Our Sponsors:* Check out IXL and use my code TODAY for a great deal: https://www.ixl.comPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

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! Our Sponsors:* Check out IXL and use my code TODAY for a great deal: https://www.ixl.comPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

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! Our Sponsors:* Check out IXL and use my code TODAY for a great deal: https://www.ixl.comPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

“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. Our Sponsors:* Check out IXL and use my code TODAY for a great deal: https://www.ixl.comPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy