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

It’s week seven of our prayer journal, and we are praying for our children to have accountability in their lives. Several years ago, a dear friend of mine encouraged me to start praying that my children would get caught in their sin, leading to accountability and restoration. I didn’t know what I thought about praying for my kids to be caught, but I started doing it any way. Oh my, I found that to be a bold prayer. The friend I’m referencing is on our prayer podcast today, talking with me about accountability and how that has worked in her life and with her kids. We share some personal stories and hopefully give you lots of encouragement. Start praying today for your kids to have people in their lives who hold them to the higher biblical standards. Pray that they have teachers, employers, pastors, and friends who will have the courage to say the hard things in their lives out of love and help them see their sin for what it is. A huge thank you to each of you who have joined us every week for these Monday morning prayer podcasts. We’re overwhelmed with the response we’ve received. 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

You know that one time you went to Nashville for a podcast and Mike Donehey from Tenth Avenue North sang one of your favorite songs live in the studio?  Me neither—until our podcast today! Mike Donehey is the lead singer, songwriter, and guitarist for the award-winning Christian rock band, Tenth Avenue North. He has four daughters and a lovely wife, and he just released a new book, Finding God’s Life for My Will.  Mike shares with us how a near-death car accident in high school kept him from playing the sports he loved, leading him to pick up a guitar for the first time and falling in love with music. He shares his struggle with being on stage, some of the parenting shenanigans with his girls, and he even has a hot sports opinion or two. It’s awesome.  But whatever you do, DO NOT miss the end of the podcast where he sings a little number for us. It’s pretty much the essence of why one would want to pick up and move to Nashville and join a band. But I digress.  Enjoy! Book: Finding God's Life for My Will  Tenth Avenue North 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 six of our prayer journal, and we are praying for our children to know their identity is found only in Jesus, not in this world. Psalm 139:13–14 so beautifully reminds us that God perfectly and very personally created each of us in our mother’s womb. We are very intentionally made in the image of God and have great worth and identity to the Lord who has created us and calls us by name. Let’s remind our children that they are created in the image of God, uniquely gifted for his glory. They are not the names this world calls them but are called righteous and redeemed by the Savior. Take a minute to listen to our podcast this week as we discuss the names culture has given our children in contrast to the names Jesus uses in Scripture to describe them. Identity is a big topic for our children and one we cannot afford to miss praying over them. A huge thank you to each of you who have joined us every week for these Monday morning prayer podcasts. We’re overwhelmed with the response we’ve received. 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

We had the great privilege of taking Pardon the Mess on the road to Nashville recently. We can’t wait for you to hear from all of the great guests who joined us live to talk about parenting, their walk with the Lord, and all the good and hard places of raising kids. To kick off our Nashville series, we start with none other than the multi-platinum-selling, Grammy-nominated, seven-Dove-Award-winning artist Jaci Velasquez. Jaci released her first album at the age of sixteen and found sudden fame. She became the first and fastest-selling solo artist in Christian music history to reach gold status with a debut album. But despite all the successes in her life, she’s also walked some hard roads in her career and personal life that she shares with us today. She’s married to Nic, and they’re raising two sons, Zealand and Soren. Jaci speaks candidly about the joys and hardships of raising her son Zealand, who has autism. She also has a great word for all of us about the joy in watching God rescript our lives.  Jaci Velasquez Book: When God Rescripts Your LifeOur 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 five of our prayer journal, and we are praying for the fruit of the Spirit to be present in the lives of our children. Love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control—these are not just “good” attributes we hope to see in our kids, but these qualities are evidence that the Holy Spirit is moving in their lives. Notice that we are praying to see the fruit of the Spirit in their lives, not the fruit of their actions, the fruit of their parents’ rules, or the fruit of their works. I know that preaches to me. If your children have accepted Jesus as their personal savior, pray for them to be able to discern the voice of the Holy Spirit in their lives, naturally producing fruit that comes only from their relationship with Jesus. If your children have not yet accepted Christ, let’s continue to pray salvation over their lives and that they will know their desperate need for the Savior. A huge thank you to each of you who have joined us every week for these Monday morning prayer podcasts. We’re overwhelmed with the response we’ve received. 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

Lisa Harper joins us on Pardon the Mess with a thoughtful discussion of finding “happy” in the unlikely places. She shares how spending an extended amount of time in the book of Job gave her a new perspective on happiness. (Didn’t see that coming, right?) She reminds us that happiness is a biblical concept and explains why God wants us to be happy. Lisa Harper is the real deal. She’s funny, honest, and shares about some of the hard places in her past and how God continues to work miracles. Oh, and you are going to love hearing about her sweet adopted daughter, Missy, and a hilarious story of Missy’s untimely use of a curse word in front of the church staff. Lisa is a theological scholar, gifted communicator, and sought-after speaker. But what I like the most about her is that she’s just one of us! Don’t miss this one.  The Sacrament of Happy: What a Smiling God Brings to a Wounded World About Lisa Harper Who’s Your Daddy bookOur 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 four of our prayer journal, and we are praying for our children to have self-control.  Quick Note: Please subscribe to Pardon the Mess on iTunes or wherever you listen to our podcasts. Once you subscribe, you will receive notifications each time a new episode is out. In the next few weeks, we will stop sending out the weekly email reminders of our prayer podcasts (like this one), and we don’t want you to miss out. Once you subscribe, you will be notified each time we release a new episode. Okay, back to self-control. You may be thinking that self-control is not one of the more exciting things you will pray for your kids; but my goodness is it a critical one. Self-control (or lack thereof) has the capacity to impact our kids their entire lives. It shows up in dating relationships, finances, online accountability, occupations, health, marriage, and lots of other places. Take a minute to listen to this week’s podcast and pray with me as we consider self-control and how it impacts our kids. It may sound a bit dry at first, but the deeper you get into the concept, the more you realize the huge implications behind it. I hope you are enjoying the podcast we release each Monday morning, giving a few thoughts on the topic we are praying. Hopefully this is an encouragement as we band together to pray for our kids this school year. 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. But 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 “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

Can you believe it?  Pardon the Mess is already one year old!  We’ve had such an exciting year, and we’re so glad you’ve joined us on this wild ride. From recording a podcast in the midst of a tornado to the unbelievably inspiring advice from Bob Goff, it’s been quite the year.  Thank you for being a part of this journey with us!  Parenting is not easy, to say the least, and we love that we’re able to laugh, cry, and sometimes even yell with you during this crazy life. Most importantly, we are raising our kids to know Christ, even when it seems to be increasingly countercultural.  In honor of this birthday, we have released a very special podcast for you!  Sit back and relax (especially if you’re in the carpool line) and listen to our favorite memories from this past year.  We are so grateful for you! 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 is the start of week three of our prayer journal, and we are praying for our children to have influence. Every group our kids participate in has influencers, whether they’re good or bad. It’s not by coincidence that our kids spend their days with certain people, doing life together through school, sports, and other activities. Let’s pray that our children will be influencers in their circles and have the courage to live out their faith authentically and in a way that marks the lives of those around them. I hope you are enjoying the podcast episodes we release each Monday morning that give a few thoughts on the topic we are praying. Hopefully, this is an encouragement as we band together to pray for our kids this school year. 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

Hold on to your hats, people: Christine Caine is in the house! She’s fast-talking, truth-giving, Australian-sounding and joining us today on Pardon the Mess. Christine describes herself as an Australian-born, Greek-blooded lover of Jesus and an activist, author, and international speaker. Christine shares her very personal story of coming to terms with her identity in Christ after finding out as an adult that she was adopted. She walks us through the importance of living free from shame and fear and how she has practically worked through that in her life. She reminds us that what others intend for harm, God uses for his good—always. And, in line with that truth, she shares how God led her to form the anti-human-trafficking organization A21. Christine’s book, Undaunted, personally spoke to some places in my life where I realized I needed to be brave in how I answer God’s callings. I truly believe there’s a word for each of us in today’s podcast, and I encourage you to grab a copy of Undaunted. You’re going to love Christine!Our Sponsors:* Check out Everyday Dose and use my code MESS for a great deal: https://everydaydose.comPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy