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

This week we are discussing gratefulness and the importance of a good memory when it comes to knowing what God has done for us. We talk about places in the Bible where people gave thanks, even when their situations were less than optimal. God is the giver of all good things and therefore worthy of our praise. As we celebrate Thanksgiving, let’s pray that our children exude gratefulness in the big and the small, the successes and the failures, and the trials and the triumphs. Pray that they grasp that all things come from him; therefore, we praise his mighty name.Our Sponsors:* Check out Everyday Dose and use my code MESS for a great deal: https://everydaydose.comPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Pardon the Mess brings you our special Thanksgiving episode straight from Willie and Korie Robertson’s home in West Monroe, Louisiana. In case you’re wondering, yes, I was a touch starstruck when Willie walked by to go hunting (he gone), and yes, I hummed “Sharp Dressed Man” walking up their sidewalk. We had the great pleasure of chatting with three generations of this sweet family: Chrys Howard (Korie’s Mom), Korie Robertson, and John Luke Robertson (Korie and Willie’s son). They let us in on some of the traditions in their family and how faith has been central to all they do. Korie talked about the two character attributes she and Willie worked to instill in their kids and what it looked like parenting their crew during the craziness of Duck Dynasty.   John Luke shared the most important thing his parents did that impacted his faith and what he hopes to carry on with his own wife and their new baby boy, who was born a few days after our interview. And Chrys—bless it, she’s about the coolest grandmother one could ever hope for. She’s fun, practical, and gives great advice on keeping your family close and staying relevant to your grandkids. The Lord gave this family a huge platform for sharing their faith and family values. Today’s podcast will give you a peek behind the curtain of what makes their faith so deeply rooted. You’ll leave encouraged to pass the torch well when it comes to family values and your love for Jesus. That’s a fact, Jack! Links: Chrys Howard Book – Rockstar Grandparent Chrys Howard Website: chryshoward.com Korie Robertson Book – Strong+ Kind John Luke Robertson book – Young and Beardless Get your Advent devotional now! Listen now!Our Sponsors:* Check out Everyday Dose and use my code MESS for a great deal: https://everydaydose.comPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

It’s week 11 of our prayer journal, and we are praying this week for our kids to have hope. All around us, people are placing their hope in earthly things that cannot possibly deliver. Let’s pray that our children put their hope in the Lord, the only One who can strengthen, restore, and deliver on the great plans he has for us. Without hope, our kids will face anxiety, depression, and much more. Ask the Lord for a hope that carries them in their days of discouragement and that he will daily renew their strength. In his book Unshakable Hope, Max Lucado has a great reminder as we pray hope for our kids this week: We are building our lives on the promises of God! Because his Word is unbreakable, our hope is unshakable. We do not stand on the problems of life or the pain in life. We stand on the great and precious promises of God. Thank you for joining us as we pray hope over our kids this week!Our Sponsors:* Check out Everyday Dose and use my code MESS for a great deal: https://everydaydose.comPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

As we honor our veterans this week and their great sacrifice for our country, we are thrilled to have Ginger Gilbert Ravella join us on Pardon the Mess. Ginger is a mother of five, stepmother of two, military wife, writer, and speaker. At thirty-six years old, she faced the sudden, tragic loss of her college-sweetheart husband and Air Force F-16 pilot in Operation Iraqi Freedom. Her husband, Major Troy Gilbert, gave his life while saving over twenty Special Operation soldiers. As Ginger so beautifully puts it, “He was a hero every day, but that day he became an American hero.” Major Gilbert left behind five beautiful children under the age of nine and a wife who spent the following days wrestling with God in the midst of deep despair and depression. Ginger learned that Iraqi insurgents had taken her husband’s body, thereby repeatedly making their story a CNN headline as multiple attempts were made to recover his body. Her testimony is so powerful, reminding us that God is enough even in the darkest places and how he prepared her well in advance for the hard days that were to come. Ginger is now remarried to another Air Force pilot, Colonel Jim Ravella (Ret), who lost his wife to breast cancer. Ginger shares advice on blended families, grief, ministering to widows, and wrestling with God in the hard places of life. Ginger and Jim Ravella continue to tirelessly support and raise funds to help fallen and disabled veterans and their families. Their inspirational memoir, Hope Found, weaves together their real-life struggles, vulnerable faith, and unshakable patriotism. Links: Hope Found Connect with Ginger Get your Advent devotional now!Our Sponsors:* Check out Everyday Dose and use my code MESS for a great deal: https://everydaydose.comPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Today we begin week 10 of praying our kids through the school year. This week, we are praying specifically for our kids to have discernment. I can think of no one better to join us this week than Janet Denison. Janet is the founder of Christian Parenting and someone who has shaped my parenting in so many ways. Janet chats with us about what discernment is and the difference between straight-up discernment and biblical discernment. She reminds us of the importance of modeling discernment with our kids and also teaching them to listen for the Holy Spirit in their lives. I don’t know about you, but when I started to think about praying for discernment for my kids, I wasn’t positive about what that would all entail. But don’t worry: Janet fills in the gaps for us today. Join me this week as we pray that our children know God’s voice and can discern his path for their lives. Pray also that they learn to discern biblical truth and are led to make choices that best exemplify their faith in Christ.Our Sponsors:* Check out Everyday Dose and use my code MESS for a great deal: https://everydaydose.comPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

What does the band For King and Country have in common with the Christian vocalist Rebecca St. James? They are all Helen Smallbone’s children, and she’s with us today on Pardon the Mess. Helen Smallbone and her husband moved from Australia to Nashville with their seven children, hoping for a new beginning after literally losing everything financially. Once they arrived in the US, their family was forced to start over in all respects, working together to put food on the table and rebuild their lives from the ground up. All of the Smallbone children are grown now, giving Helen a wonderful perspective on raising kids. I loved her thoughts on the importance of fixing bad attitudes in children and not just focusing on their behavior. She also had a great word on the priority of building lasting relationships with our kids, especially when it’s so tempting to focus on the temporary things that can easily fill our days. And her thoughts on taking a parental time-out to pray for the Lord’s guidance . . . well, that was definitely a word I needed to hear. Helen Smallbone is another fun interview from our Nashville series, and I can’t wait for you to hear her great parenting wisdom! Get your Advent devo today: https://raisedonors.com/christianparenting/advent-podcastOur Sponsors:* Check out Everyday Dose and use my code MESS for a great deal: https://everydaydose.comPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Today we begin week 9 of praying our kids through the school year. This week we are praying specifically for our kids to understand the importance of time management. Our children’s days, like ours, are filled with so many demands for their time. If we teach them the importance of managing it now, it can have a huge impact on their adult lives. I have a sweet friend joining us on our podcast today, Summer Dale. She shares some great reminders of why it matters that we teach our kids time management skills so they can effectively accomplish God’s greater plans for their lives. Let’s pray that our kids manage school, activities, family, and time with the Lord in a way that best honors God and brings his perfect wisdom. The best life for our children is one spent prioritizing the things of God, not the things of this world. Join us this week in praying our kids manage their time well as they balance the demands of life with the higher purposes of God.Our Sponsors:* Check out Everyday Dose and use my code MESS for a great deal: https://everydaydose.comPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Today we have the pleasure of talking to Crystal Paine, one of the most beloved voices speaking into our finances and how we steward the resources God has given our families. Crystal Paine is a wife of three (with number four on the way), a businesswoman, a New York Times bestselling author, and the founder of MoneySavingMom.com. She averages close to two million readers per month, challenging women to manage their time and resources wisely while living on purpose for the Lord. Crystal talks very practically on ways to save money by sticking to a budget, meal planning, and figuring out the “why” behind our spending. She not only gives us practical ways to save money, but she also has ideas on how to make money. One of my favorite parts of the interview has nothing to do with money. Rather, I appreciated her encouraging words on saying yes to the things God calls us to, even when it’s scary. And, as a part of that, she shares how she has learned to say yes to hosting and opening up her home to others. You will love the practicality of this podcast and Crystal’s sweet heart for helping families with their finances. Links: https://moneysavingmom.com/ Get your children's Advent devotionalOur Sponsors:* Check out Everyday Dose and use my code MESS for a great deal: https://everydaydose.comPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

It's week eight of our prayer journal, and we are praying friendships for our children this week. It’s hard to overestimate the importance of friendships in our lives, especially good friendships that point us back to Christ. The Bible is full of examples of true friendships, even giving us prescriptive advice for the kinds of friends to look for and even how to be a good friend to others. If you’re like me, I routinely pray for my kids to have good friends without thinking much about it. But this week let’s take time to dig into God’s word and pray for our kids to have solid Biblical friendships, not just people to hang out with. Psalm 27:9 says a “sweet friendship refreshes the soul,” and if you’ve had the privilege of Godly friendships you know that to be true. Let’s pray that for our kids this week. Today marks two months that we’ve been praying for our kids this school year! Thank you for being so faithful to join us each week to listen to our podcast, and pray as a community of believers for our kids to know Jesus and live in a way that honors him. It would be such a blessing if you would take a minute to forward our podcast to your friends, spouse, small group—or anyone you feel led to ask to join you in praying each week. If you have not ordered a journal, they are still available. Either way, we want you to join us each week as we pray for our kids. Our goal is to form a community of parents committed to praying for our kids this school year. In doing so, we pray you will tangibly feel God’s blessing on our families and schools, and that we will have testimonies to share with each other of the great things God accomplished this year. The verse on the cover of our prayer journal is Romans 12:12: “Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.” May we all be found faithful in prayer this school year!Our Sponsors:* Check out Everyday Dose and use my code MESS for a great deal: https://everydaydose.comPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

This. Is. The. One. This is the podcast to listen to with your teens/tweens. This is the podcast to share with your friends. This is the podcast to listen to twice because you might have missed a nugget. I love that wisdom comes in so many different varieties. And today it comes through Sadie Robertson. My daughter, Kate, joined me in Nashville to ask Sadie questions about following Jesus during the teen years, when it’s hard to know your identity and easy to be influenced by the wrong things. Sadie shares with us the importance of knowing your three—those three friends who are most likely to bring you back to Jesus. She also tells us about a decision she faced at a party that led her to literally sit with Jesus. It’s all kinds of impactful. As a mom, I loved hearing Sadie talk about what her parents did that most impacted her faith and how her mom always “met her with Jesus.” It will make you stop and think about the advice you give your kids and the way you approach the problems they bring you. Sadie Robertson is an author, blogger, speaker, and daughter to Willie and Korie Robertson of Duck Dynasty. She was the runner-up on ABC’s Dancing with the Stars Season 19 and currently speaks as a part of her Live Original Tour. She has more than 5 million followers on her various social platforms and boldly speaks to her love for Jesus and her family. Live Original Whoa That’s Good Podcast Book: Live Fearless Book: Live OriginalOur Sponsors:* Check out Everyday Dose and use my code MESS for a great deal: https://everydaydose.comPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy