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

It’s May and, let’s be honest, who couldn’t use a good laugh to accompany the millions of events crammed in these final days as we wrap up another school year? Today’s episode of Pardon the Mess gives you just that – a good laugh, but with so much more. Melissa Radke and her husband, David, talk to us about the crazy way the Lord has taken their own plans and dreams and turned them upside down, landing a story so unplanned that only God could author it. Melissa is “that” friend we all love to laugh with about the wacky stuff in parenting and the absurdity we all buy into along the way. She’s the mom behind the viral videos “Signs” and “Red Ribbon Week,” with over 140 million views. And now the Radke family is looking forward to the release of their reality TV show, premiering May 4th on the USA network. Beyond just being downright hilarious, Melissa candidly shares about the struggles in their marriage, the values they esteem as they parent their two kids, and leaves us with a good reminder that God has a plan bigger and better than anything we can dream up. Get ready for some big energy with lots of laughs!   Links from the Show: Melissa’s Website Red Ribbon Week Signs   Get the encouragement and support you need to teach your kids to love Christ in a world that doesn’t — directly to your inbox each week! Christian Parenting offers trusted guidance for the hardest job there is. CONNECT WITH OUR COMMUNITY Facebook // Twitter // Instagram //Our Sponsors:* Check out IXL and use my code TODAY for a great deal: https://www.ixl.com* Check out Mr. Pen and use my code MESS10 for a great deal: https://mrpen.comPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Sometimes we have parenting questions that can be awkward, right? And there’s times we need an honest discussion on a topic, but we aren’t sure where to start. In this Pardon the Mess mini-series, Janet Denison answers some of the more awkward or tough questions we face as we raise our kids. We’ve kept these podcasts short and to the point. They are not intended to be the only answer, but a starting point as you go to the Lord with all of your parenting needs. We hope to hit lots of topics that your facing, so please send us an email to editor@chrsitianparenting.org for topics you would love to hear us address in the future. Happy listening!   Get the encouragement and support you need to teach your kids to love Christ in a world that doesn’t — directly to your inbox each week! Christian Parenting offers trusted guidance for the hardest job there is. CONNECT WITH OUR COMMUNITY Facebook // Twitter // Instagram //Our Sponsors:* Check out IXL and use my code TODAY for a great deal: https://www.ixl.com* Check out Mr. Pen and use my code MESS10 for a great deal: https://mrpen.comPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Online relationships. Predators. Sex trafficking. We tend to think these things happen to “other” people. But today’s podcast is a great reminder for all of us raising kids in today’s digital culture. The Baldwin family is a strong Christian family living in the Dallas suburbs. Their life was typical of most of ours—that is, until John got word that his seventeen-year-old daughter, Mackenzie, had met a man online from Kosovo and was days away from fleeing the country to marry him. With less than a month to devise a plan to save Mackenzie, John and Stephanie Baldwin did everything they knew to save their daughter from a mistake that could cost Mackenzie her life. John, Stephanie, and Mackenzie Baldwin join us on Pardon the Mess and share of teenage friends brave enough to speak up for Mackenzie, FBI agents willing to go far beyond their job description to save a vulnerable teen, and parents who relentlessly prayed for the Lord to keep their daughter from making the mistake of a lifetime.  Today’s podcast is a must listen for both parents and teens as the Baldwins openly share about the importance of true friends who will do anything to keep you safe, the dangers of online relationships, and the importance of family and walking with the Lord.   Links from today's podcast: Almost Gone: Twenty-Five Days and One Chance to Save Our Daughter MackenzieBaldwin.com   Get the encouragement and support you need to teach your kids to love Christ in a world that doesn’t — directly to your inbox each week! Christian Parenting offers trusted guidance for the hardest job there is. CONNECT WITH OUR COMMUNITY Facebook // Twitter // Instagram //Our Sponsors:* Check out IXL and use my code TODAY for a great deal: https://www.ixl.com* Check out Mr. Pen and use my code MESS10 for a great deal: https://mrpen.comPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Easter is quickly approaching, and sometimes it’s challenging to keep our kids focused more on Jesus and less on the baskets. Let me ask you this: Have you ever gathered around the table with friends and family for a traditional Seder meal in celebration of Passover? Me neither. But today we get to chat with Susie Hawkins about celebrating the Passover tradition with our families as Holy Week approaches. Exploring the concept of the Seder meal helps us better understand the Jewish background of the Last Supper celebrated by Jesus and step into the story of Christ with our families. Don’t worry: this is totally doable with any age kids, and there’s no right or wrong as we get outside the box and help our kids gain a larger perspective on the life of Christ. Listen to Susie’s suggestions and then jump over to passoverforchristians.com for a more detailed plan for starting the Seder tradition in your home.   Links from this episode: passoverforchristians.com Passover for Christians Complete Seder Guide  Passover for Christians: Creating a NEW Easter Tradition     Get the encouragement and support you need to teach your kids to love Christ in a world that doesn’t — directly to your inbox each week! Christian Parenting offers trusted guidance for the hardest job there is. CONNECT WITH OUR COMMUNITY Facebook // Twitter // Instagram //Our Sponsors:* Check out IXL and use my code TODAY for a great deal: https://www.ixl.com* Check out Mr. Pen and use my code MESS10 for a great deal: https://mrpen.comPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Today we get a word from New York Times best-selling author Mary Beth Chapman. Mary Beth is married to Steven Curtis Chapman and mom to their six children: Emily, Caleb, Will Franklin, Shaoey, Stevey Joy, and Maria. As a double bonus, we also have Emily Chapman Richards, the oldest of the Chapman clan and executive director of ShowHope.org, which cares for orphans by engaging the church and reducing barriers to adoption. Mary Beth and Emily candidly talk about some of the parenting nonnegotiables they have adopted in their families, while also reminding us to let go of the way we think things are “supposed” to look. With authenticity, Mary Beth discusses the hard places in her marriage and the struggle of depression. She also encourages us to take it all to the Lord (and the professionals—ha!). We talk about Mary Beth’s book, Choosing to See, and the heartbreaking loss of their daughter, Maria. Their family remains resolute with a testimony of faith in a God who finishes what he starts, even when we may not like how it looks here on earth.   Links from this podcast include: Show Hope Choosing to See by Mary Beth Chapman     Get the encouragement and support you need to teach your kids to love Christ in a world that doesn’t — directly to your inbox each week! Christian Parenting offers trusted guidance for the hardest job there is. CONNECT WITH OUR COMMUNITY Facebook // Twitter // Instagram //    Our Sponsors:* Check out IXL and use my code TODAY for a great deal: https://www.ixl.com* Check out Mr. Pen and use my code MESS10 for a great deal: https://mrpen.comPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

When you get the opportunity to chat candidly about the hard places in parenting with good friends Rebecca Carrell and Kay Wyma - well, you don’t want to miss it. In this episode of Pardon the Mess, the three of us talk about the recent college admissions bribery scandal and the messaging our culture sends that our kids need to look a certain way or have certain credentials to be “good enough.” As followers of Christ, it’s always a great reminder that our identity in Christ is received, not achieved. Kay and Rebecca share real-life examples of some of the tough places in parenting and encourage us to walk in the grace of the Lord as we remind our kids to call out God’s truth in their lives. Kay Wyma is the host of the vodcast, Say Something. She has also written several books, the most recent being Not the Boss of Us. Rebecca Carrell is the co-host of Mornings with Jeff and Rebecca on Dallas radio KCBI 90.9, as well as an author, speaker, and founder of the HeartStrong Faith conference.     Links from this podcast include: KayWyma.com Say Something Vodcast Not the Boss of Us by Kay Wyma Mornings with Jeff and Rebecca on KCBI 90.9  HeartStrong Faith    Get the encouragement and support you need to teach your kids to love Christ in a world that doesn’t — directly to your inbox each week! Christian Parenting offers trusted guidance for the hardest job there is. CONNECT WITH OUR COMMUNITY Facebook // Twitter // Instagram //  Our Sponsors:* Check out IXL and use my code TODAY for a great deal: https://www.ixl.com* Check out Mr. Pen and use my code MESS10 for a great deal: https://mrpen.comPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

On October 13, 2006, Abby Rike’s family was involved in a devastating car accident that instantly changed the course of her life. Refusing to let her tragedy become her identity, Abby started a journey that led her to know the Lord in a new, beautiful way. Abby talks candidly and humorously about what gives her purpose and motivates her to get out of bed in the morning. She encourages us to refuse to accept a life of casual Christianity but rather to dive into God’s Word in a way that transforms all we do. Abby humbly acknowledges that she doesn’t have all the answers, but, having walked a very difficult road, she wants everyone to be assured that God will meet you wherever you are. Abby was also a participant on The Biggest Loser and tells us a little bit about that experience. She’s the author of Working It Out: A Journey of Love, Loss, and Hope.  Wherever you are in life, whatever you’re worried about or living through, Abby has a word of encouragement for you.   Links from this episode: Working It Out: A Journey of Love, Loss, and Hope Rockthis.org How to Help A Grieving Friend by Abby Rike      Our Sponsors:* Check out IXL and use my code TODAY for a great deal: https://www.ixl.com* Check out Mr. Pen and use my code MESS10 for a great deal: https://mrpen.comPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

No introduction necessary on this one, friends.  Kathie Lee Gifford joins us on Pardon the Mess, and we could not be more thrilled to spend time with her. Kathie Lee has been blessed with a successful four-decade career as a television host, actress, singer, playwright, songwriter, and author. She is best known for her fifteen years on Live with Regis and Kathie Lee (eleven Emmy nominations), and she’s currently acting as the three-time, Emmy-winning co-host of the fourth hour of TODAY with Hoda Kotb. Kathie Lee and I talk about her faith journey and the impact traveling to Israel has had on her understanding of why she believes what she does. She shares about the difficult days after losing her husband, Frank, and how Jesus is our only hope. Kathie Lee also let us in on her amazing children’s book, The Gift That I Can Give, and how important it is to allow our kids to live out their God-given talents. Oh, and we talk about why she’s leaving TODAY next month and get some insider scoop on what’s next on her agenda. It’s not every day you get to visit with someone who has had a career the likes of Kathie Lee Gifford—especially knowing how seamlessly she shares her faith at every turn. Tune in for this one!    Link: The Gift That I Can GiveOur Sponsors:* Check out IXL and use my code TODAY for a great deal: https://www.ixl.com* Check out Mr. Pen and use my code MESS10 for a great deal: https://mrpen.comPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Cultural issues inundate our news feeds every day, and it seems that, all too often, they relate to conflicts of diversity and race. As parents, we all want to talk honestly and biblically with our kids about the real world and the cultural issues they face each day. But if you’re anything like me, it’s easy to feel ill-equipped to talk about diversity with our kids and do it well without saying the wrong things. On today’s podcast, Jenny Brady and Mia Mbroh encourage us to start conversations about diversity in our homes. They are quick to remind us that diversity is not just a matter of skin color, but also gender, socioeconomic status, age, culture, and economic status. Jenny and Mia love the Lord and create a safe place to consider issues of diversity while pointing us back to God’s design and the biblical implications on our faith. Don’t miss this practical, honest conversation on diversity that will help you consider areas where your family might make small adjustments with big impact.   Resources from the podcast: God's Very Good Idea: A True Story of God's Delightfully Different Family White Awake: An Honest Look at What it Means to Be White Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie l TEDGlobal 2009 l The Danger of a Single StoryOur Sponsors:* Check out IXL and use my code TODAY for a great deal: https://www.ixl.com* Check out Mr. Pen and use my code MESS10 for a great deal: https://mrpen.comPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Sometimes we have parenting questions that can be awkward, right? And there’s times we need an honest discussion on a topic, but we aren’t sure where to start. In this Pardon the Mess mini-series, Janet Denison answers some of the more awkward or tough questions we face as we raise our kids. We’ve kept these podcasts short and to the point. They are not intended to be the only answer, but a starting point as you go to the Lord with all of your parenting needs. We hope to hit lots of topics that your facing, so please send us an email to editor@chrsitianparenting.org for topics you would love to hear us address in the future. Happy listening!Our Sponsors:* Check out IXL and use my code TODAY for a great deal: https://www.ixl.com* Check out Mr. Pen and use my code MESS10 for a great deal: https://mrpen.comPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy