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

Today is the start of week two of our prayer journal, focusing on praying for our children to be fearless. As a part of our prayer challenge this school year, I am releasing a short podcast each Monday morning with a few thoughts on the topic we are praying. I will also take a few minutes to pray out loud with you for each of our children. Take a few minutes today to listen to our podcast and think about what it means to pray for our kids to live marked by a spirit of fearlessness. Consider what the Lord may someday call them to do that will require them to get out of their comfort zones, going to places that require complete trust. Let’s start praying for them today to be equipped for just that. 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. 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 will accomplish 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 have none other than Rebekah Lyons joining us today on Pardon the Mess. Rebekah is a national speaker and bestselling author living in Nashville, Tennessee. She’s a mom to four children and speaks honestly about the joys and challenges of raising her children, two of whom have Down syndrome. Her work has been featured on Good Morning America, CNN, the Huffington Post, and more. Rebekah and I talk about her very personal battle of dealing with anxiety and panic attacks. She shares the four life-giving rhythms that have helped her quiet the inner chaos: rest, restore, connect, and create. My favorite quote from our time with Rebekah is when she reminds us that “calling is where your talents and your burdens collide” and how our pain often becomes our purpose. Rebekah is a breath of fresh air in a culture where anxiety and stress often seem to prevail. If your life feels as chaotic as mine does some days, you will be grateful to sit down, breathe deeply, and spend a few minutes with Rebekah Lyons on Pardon the Mess.  Links:  Connect with Rebekah Lyons    Rebekah’s latest book: Rhythms of Renewal: Trading Stress and Anxiety for a Life of Peace and PurposeOur Sponsors:* Check out Everyday Dose and use my code MESS for a great deal: https://everydaydose.comPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Remember that time we purposefully prayed for our kids every day with such vigilance that lives all around them were changed? Me neither!  Today we start week one of our prayer journal, focusing on praying for our children to be a light in their schools. As a part of our prayer challenge this school year, I am releasing a short podcast each Monday morning with a few thoughts on the topic we are praying. I will also take a few minutes to pray out loud with you for each of our children. It would be such a blessing if you would take the time to listen to our podcast and join us in praying together. It would be equally amazing if you would take a minute to forward it to your friends, spouse, small group—or anyone you feel led to ask to join you in praying each week. Let's pray light 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

Ever felt like you’re stuck in a rut of boring, ordinary, or just routine days? Lisa-Jo Baker is our guest today on Pardon the Mess, and she’s got a word for you! Many of us are smack-dab in the center of (brace yourself) midlife and need some encouragement that the daily, not-so-picture-perfect moments in this middle portion of life really do all add up to the truly extraordinary life the Lord has blessed us with. Lisa-Jo reminds us that we can be free from living up to everyone’s expectations for what a meaningful life should look like and embrace the life we are living right here and right now. She brings us practical truth for our marriages, parenting, body image issues, failures, and all the other places as we face these middle days. Lisa-Jo is practical, funny, realistic, warm, and loves Jesus. I’m not sure what else we could possibly ask for! You’re going to get a good laugh and possibly a little bit of free therapy hearing her talk about her muffin-top picture after a school play and crying in her minivan when her son made the honor roll. For those of us spending our days in the “middle,” this one is for you!   Links:  Lisa-Jo Baker The Middle Matters: Why That (Extra) Ordinary Life Looks Really Good on YouOur Sponsors:* Check out Everyday Dose and use my code MESS for a great deal: https://everydaydose.comPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

John Cooper is about to rock your world – literally and figuratively. If you’re anything like me, you probably have not had a lot of exposure to the metal music of John Cooper and his band, Skillet. But after hearing John Cooper’s interview today, I can almost guarantee that you will be an instant fan. Skillet has sold over 12 million albums worldwide, and their song “Monster” is one of the most streamed rock songs of all time; however, John’s interview with us has less to do with music and more so an encouragement in raising our kids, living out our witness in all places, and the importance of grounding our faith in God’s Word. John wrote a Facebook post recently that went viral, pointedly addressing Christian influencers who have left the church, and cautioning all of us to value truth over feeling with this plea: “Let’s get back to preaching the true, unerring Word of God, and everything else will fall in line.” I’m the newest fan of Skillet, and after you listen to Pardon the Mess today, I think you will be too!   Links in Podcast:   Facebook Viral Post: What in God’s Name is Happening in Christianity? Skillet’s new album Victorious  The Knowledge of the Holy– A.W. Tozer Skillet Songs John Suggestions in Podcast: Monster Stars Anchor  Our Sponsors:* Check out Everyday Dose and use my code MESS for a great deal: https://everydaydose.comPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Mary DeMuth talks friendships, parenting, and her new book, We Too. It’s such a gift to have Mary DeMuth with us today on Pardon the Mess. She’s a wife, mother of three, a blogger, a podcaster, and the author of almost forty books. Having suffered abuse as a child, her faith brought her to a place of turning her difficult past into God’s glory, allowing her to re-story her past. We start our conversation talking about the seven deadly types of friendships and how to identify unhealthy friendships in our lives. She speaks practically and biblically on ending friendships that are not the Lord’s best for us while also giving us parenting applications as we guide our kids’ friendships. We also talk about her latest book, We Too, a book she hopes will challenge us to fully support those around us who have been marginalized by sexual assault and abuse. She urges the church as a whole to rise up and face this evil with candor and empathy.   Links: We Too: How the Church Can Respond Redemptively to the Sexual Abuse Scandal https://www.wetoo.org/   21 Days to Healing https://www.wetoo.org/survivors/21days/   The Seven Deadly Friendships   https://www.marydemuth.com/deadly    Our Sponsors:* Check out Everyday Dose and use my code MESS for a great deal: https://everydaydose.comPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Any introverts out there? This episode of Pardon the Mess is for you! Jamie C. Martin shares practical help for those who parent from a place of introversion. She also reminds us to accept our God-given personality by letting go of the false burdens and negative stereotypes we may associate with being introverted. But wait, there’s more! If you’re not an introvert (like me), you are very likely married to an introvert, or even raising a few introverts. Jamie shares stories from her life that help us relate and care for our introverted loved ones, appreciating their strengths while giving us practical steps for building them up and reminding them that they are more than enough. I personally walked away with so much good information on what my introverted kids may need from me and how to parent them better. And Jamie provides great applications for our marriages, friendships, and so much more. Spoiler alert: We talk about how our introverted children and extroverted children likely connect with God differently, and I’m guessing it will open a whole new window on understanding your kids (like it did for me). Thank you for listening to Pardon the Mess. I’m praying that you’re blessed by our time with Jamie C. Martin today.   Links for today's podcast: Introverted Mom: Your Guide to More Calm, Less Guilt, and Quiet Joy Quiz: Are you an introverted or extroverted mom? *scroll to bottom of the pageOur Sponsors:* Check out Everyday Dose and use my code MESS for a great deal: https://everydaydose.comPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Priscilla Shirer is a wife, Bible teacher, mom, actress and so much more. There’s so much to love about Priscilla, but what always sticks with me is the way she speaks so freely and powerfully about her faith while also practically reminding us of what really matters as we go about our days.  Priscilla and I had the opportunity to talk about her life as she raises her three boys and how she builds them up with statements of affirmation. She reminds us that living in a place of knowing our true identity in Christ means that all of our decisions come from the truth. When we do that, it shifts how we live our lives.   We also get to hear about her new movie, Overcomer,and the companion book, Radiant, which speaks to women about identity. Priscilla tells us why she continues to act although she often feels ill-equipped. Whatever you do, don’t miss the last few minutes as she talks honestly about the difficulties her family has faced the last year and gives us words of encouragement when we walk hard roads of loss and discouragement.   Links for today's podcast: Overcomer Movie   Radiant  Going Beyond MinistriesOur Sponsors:* Check out Everyday Dose and use my code MESS for a great deal: https://everydaydose.comPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Life changed for Chris Norton in an instant, going from a talented college football player to a quadriplegic with a 3 percent chance of ever moving or feeling anything below his neck. But, with determination and hard work, Chris proved his doctors wrong four years later by walking across the stage to receive his college diploma. Emily Norton knew from a young age that she was called to help struggling children through mentorship and possibly even foster care. What she could not anticipate was the journey she was about to start as she helped Chris work through his physical challenges and goals while facing her own battle with anxiety and depression. Don’t miss today’s episode of Pardon the Mess as Emily and Chris candidly share the ups and downs of their journey, including the road to adopting five beautiful girls and fostering seventeen children—and counting. Chris and Emily encourage us to cling to the Lord in the hard places of life and to work hard and defy our seemingly impossible situations. Their words can’t help but remind us of the promise that in all things God works for his good for those who love him and have been called according to his purposes (Romans 8:28). Chris and Emily are remarkable and can’t help but encourage you to find joy and courage in the hard places, trusting the Lord as he refines us for his glory.   Links for today's podcast:   The Seven Longest Yards Chris Norton’s Graduation Walk Chris and Emily Norton’s Wedding WalkOur Sponsors:* Check out Everyday Dose and use my code MESS for a great deal: https://everydaydose.comPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

This week on Pardon the Mess we’re going to places we’ve never been before! You’ve heard Cynthia Yanof interview guests each week as we talk parenting, but today there’s no guest. It’s Cynthia unplugged! Cynthia talks candidly about the places where the Lord has worked in her life the last several years, and encourages us to live for the higher purposes of God. She reminds us to be careful not to let the mundane trump the mission in our life, and challenges us to live interruptable. Bonus: She share the best parenting advice she’s ever received! Today’s episode will no doubt make you laugh while challenging you to make the most of every day for the Lord - because the Lord has mighty plans for each of us and there’s no time to waste when the days are short.   Links from this episode:  Christian Parenting Prayer Journal   Book referenced: Nothing to Prove: Why We Can Stop Trying So Hard by Jennie Allen   Scripture referenced: Ecclesiastes 1:1, 1:11, 12:8, 12:13-14 James 4:13-14 Deuteronomy 31 Joshua 23 1 Samuel 12 1 Kings 2:2-4 John 15:19 1 Corinthians 10:5 Esther 4:13-14 Acts 17:26   Listen on Apple Podcasts, iHeartRadio and StitcherOur Sponsors:* Check out Everyday Dose and use my code MESS for a great deal: https://everydaydose.comPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy