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

I don’t know what weird world we live in where Chris Tomlin kicks off our Christmas season on Pardon the Mess, but I’m completely giddy about the show today.   The lyrics from his newest Christmas album and title song, Miracle of Love, go like this:  A baby born, a baby born A miracle of love A gift from God sent to us From heaven above And I thought I heard angels singing Hallelujah A baby born, a baby born A miracle of love  Chris shares with us the double meaning behind these words as his family welcomes a “surprise” baby this month. We also get a peek into what inspires the songs that have been so impactful in how we worship, like “Amazing Grace (My Chains Are Gone)”.   I can’t think of a better way to start December than with an encouraging word from Chris Tomlin.  Oh, and trust me when I say you’ll want to download his newest album, Miracle of Love, for all the Christmas errands on your list this month.   Parenting, worship songs, collaborating with Florida Georgia Line . . . we cover it all today!  Don’t miss it. Our Sponsors:* Check out IXL and use my code TODAY for a great deal: https://www.ixl.comPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

When I was in fourth grade, I had a class assignment to prepare a report on a well-known person we considered to have strong integrity.  Not joking, I did my report on Lee Iacocca (a famous automobile executive from the 1960s–80s).  I know about as much about Lee Iacocca today as I did then: nothing.  But I liked how his name sounded.   What’s the point to this story?  Basically nothing—other than that integrity matters and our kids need strong examples of integrity in their lives. 😂  Enter Nehemiah.  Today, we’re wrapping up our study of Nehemiah and considering the ways his life was marked by integrity.  We’ll talk about how Nehemiah:  answered God’s call on his life, waited on the Lord,  fasted and prayed routinely,  and pointed people back to God rather than himself.  These things and much more made him a man of integrity whom God used for great kingdom work.   I’m looking forward to praying integrity together for our kids.  And, for good measure, I’ll leave you with my “favorite” Lee Iacocca quote: “The only rock I know that stays steady, the only institution I know that works, is the family.”   I can second that with God at the helm in our families,  Our Sponsors:* Check out IXL and use my code TODAY for a great deal: https://www.ixl.comPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

“Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; His love endures forever.” —Psalm 107:1 Happy Thanksgiving!  I hope today is a wonderful day full of family, food, and ample opportunities to thank the Lord for his provision in your life. I’m thankful for so much this Thanksgiving, but, in particular, I’m grateful for your support of Pardon the Mess.  This year we’ve been blessed to remain in the top 200 of Apple’s Christian podcasts, and we even hit a huge milestone of 1 million downloads.  None of this happens without the support of each of you, so thank you from the bottom of my heart.   It’s Thursday, so we’re also releasing a podcast you won’t want to miss with Rashawn Copeland. He’s quickly become one of my favorite people around because of his joyful spirit and testimony of God’s redemption in his life.  Rashawn will encourage you to accept yourself as a work in progress and trust that God wants to ignite a revival in your life. Don’t miss his story of how addiction, doubt, depression, and fear were transformed by God’s love and acceptance in his life.   The title of his book is a message we all need today: Start Where You Are.   Catch up with Rashawn Copeland  Grab his book, Start Where You Are Our Sponsors:* Check out IXL and use my code TODAY for a great deal: https://www.ixl.comPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Happy Thanksgiving week!  Several years ago, I wrote “10 Signs of a Thanksgiving Epic Fail.”  Although our Thanksgiving this year will look quite different from most, the article is still available should you need a litmus test for determining the success of Thanksgiving 2020.  This week, we’re praying for our kids to be marked by thanksgiving.  I can’t help but consider how the hardships of 2020 have revealed what’s truly worthy of our thanks. Even as we miss so many of the things we’ve enjoyed in the past, the promise that Jesus goes before us and protects us is more real and powerful than ever.  We continue considering Nehemiah’s life and his example of making even our secular successes sacred by acknowledging God’s sovereignty. It’s a reminder to pray that our kids will always give thanks to the giver of all good things throughout their lives.  I’m so thankful to each of you for entrusting your time and parenting to our ministry. I’m praying you will have little reminders all week that God works all things for our good and his glory, and that’s reason enough to give thanks!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’s podcast is a must-listen to if for no other reason than hearing Matthew West describe 2020 in song.  Yes, he sings in real-time for us, and it’s funny and total greatness.   Most of us have loved Matthew West’s music for many years, but he takes it to a whole new level when talking about his family, raising kids while touring, and his battle with feeling like he has to constantly do more and be more. He’s vulnerable about growing up as a preacher’s kid and going through the motions more than having a deep relationship with the Lord. He also gives us great encouragement on living our lives with no conflicting reports, especially as we’re raising kids who are watching how we live.   Matthew West is a breath of fresh air in a year that needs some transparency and reminders of what really matters. His challenge to us is a worthy one in these days: don’t leave 2020 unchanged.   You’re going to love Matthew West on Pardon the Mess today! Check out Matthew West’s new album, podcast, and much more!Our Sponsors:* Check out IXL and use my code TODAY for a great deal: https://www.ixl.comPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

“A holy life will produce the deepest impression. Lighthouses blow no horns, they only shine.” —D. L. Moody That’ll preach, right?  This week, we’re praying that our kids are marked by light.  In a year full of profound uncertainty and anxiety, our culture desperately needs to hear the gospel message that Jesus loved us to the point of death so that we might live forever.  That’s the message of truth and the light we were created to shine.  On Pardon the Mess this week, we will consider how what we do in private allows us to shine light in public.  And, as we continue looking at Nehemiah’s life, we will see that mourning what God mourns is a great starting place for sharing the gospel.  “Lighthouses blow no horns, they only shine.”  I’m praying that same thing for our families.Our Sponsors:* Check out IXL and use my code TODAY for a great deal: https://www.ixl.comPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

What are some things you wish you would have learned earlier in your Christian walk?  I can think of so many, but I find myself wanting my kids to figure out early on that knowing about God isn’t the same as knowing God. A key ingredient to this is how we communicate with God in prayer.  We’re talking about this and lots more with Sheila Walsh on Pardon the Mess today.  She reminds us that vulnerability is a key component in teaching our kids how to work through the hard stuff they face. Suffering and pain will always exist, but in the middle of it we have the opportunity to point our kids back to God.  Be sure to check out Sheila’s new devotional, Praying Girls Devotional: 60 Days to Shape your Heart and Grow your Faith Through Prayer.  I know you’re going to love this conversation with Sheila Walsh as much as I did!Our Sponsors:* Check out IXL and use my code TODAY for a great deal: https://www.ixl.comPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Alert: Only 46 days until Christmas!  I know, how is it even possible that Christmas is coming so fast? Yet at the same time, doesn’t it feel like last Christmas was seven years ago?  As we’re headed into the home stretch of 2020, we have some important opportunities to pray generosity over our kids. This year, more than ever, it seems like an important time to teach generosity in our homes as the needs around us seem so significant.  As we continue studying Nehemiah’s life, we will consider how his fear of the Lord and compassion for others drove a lifestyle of generosity. I can’t think of a better formula for praying generosity over our kids: fear of the Lord + compassion = generosity.  On a much less significant note, on today’s podcast I also share an “overly generous” moment I had years ago, resulting in a bounced check to the church. Bless it.  As we consider how to best live out the next forty-six days leading up to Christmas, let’s flip the script on our kids’ tendency to want more and instead pray they have hearts of generosity toward those around them.Our Sponsors:* Check out IXL and use my code TODAY for a great deal: https://www.ixl.comPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

It’s November, and that means it’s National Adoption Month.  If you know anything about me, you know that foster care and adoption completely changed the trajectory of my family’s life. As this month marks the three-year “gotcha day” for our sweet little guy, I’m still overwhelmed by God’s goodness in allowing our family to participate in the amazing gift of adoption.  In keeping with the November adoption theme, I’m thrilled to have Sam Collier with us today on Pardon the Mess. Sam shares his own adoption story and how, even in the midst of opposition, God was writing a story Sam never could have written in his own strength.  I can’t stop thinking about the stories he shares about his adoptive family, meeting his biological parents on The Steve Harvey Show, and what it looked like for him to forego his own music dreams for a ministry calling.  In all those places where you need a reminder that God’s in the business of giving us life to its fullest, we’ve got the podcast for you. Don’t miss Sam Collier’s encouragement to trust our own stories to the God who rescripts all things in favor of his greater story. Connect with Sam Collier here. Get Sam's book, A Greater Story.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 was on a radio interview recently where the host asked me how to teach our kids about God without cramming the Bible down their throat. I guess I understood his general sentiment, but my initial thought was “can we ever give our kids too much of God’s word?” Today we’re praying for our kids to be marked by God’s word because we know that God’s word is the only true wisdom in life. If God’s word is active and alive (Hebrews 4:12), God-breathed (2 Timothy 3:16), and our only refuge (Psalm 18:30), I’m not sure it’s possible to overplay its value.  This month we’ll be talking (and praying) from the context of the book of Nehemiah. Nehemiah had a deep love of God’s word which guided him in doing God-sized things while leading others to repentance and action.  Listen to today’s podcast and join me in praying for our kids to be marked by God’s word in their lives. Pray that they will know their infinite value and his great love for them even in the midst of today’s uncertainties and hard places.  There are a million things we do for our families each day, let’s be sure praying for them is at the top of the list.Our Sponsors:* Check out IXL and use my code TODAY for a great deal: https://www.ixl.comPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy