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

As a special agent with the United States Secret Service for 19 years, Darin Kinder has traveled to over 30 countries with presidents and leaders. But on September 11, 2001, he experienced the unspeakable horror as one of those at the World Trade Center. Darin earned a Secret Service Medal of Valor for his heroism that day. But he’s quick to tell people that his story is only a story of survival, while Jesus’s story is one of salvation. For ten years following September 11, 2001, Darin held on to his story and prayed for the Lord to give him the mission for his life. Darin now tells his story of that tragic day, and how even in the chaos and darkness, God was there. He knows that he is now called to speak to men on living lives marked by integrity, courage, and compassion through the ministry he founded, Valiant Ministries. Darin and his wife of twenty tears are raising their four young sons, which he’d tell you is his greatest calling. Darin shares his thoughts on raising brave kids who are willing to live on purpose for the Lord. Darin’s story, his humility, passion, and purpose, will inspire you. Don’t miss this!   Get the encouragement and trusted guidance you need to raise your kids in the uncompromised truth of God’s word - directly to your inbox each week.   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

Cheryl Scruggs knows firsthand the difficulties that come with marriage. After divorcing her husband, Jeff, in the midst of her own infidelity, Cheryl realized the lies she believed in her first marriage and the critical importance of having Jesus central in her relationships. Now remarried to Jeff, she talks vulnerably about working through the daily ups and downs and pitfalls we all experience along the way. Cheryl also shares about her daughter’s very public accident (Lauren Scruggs) and how their family drew to the Lord during this crisis. You will be encouraged with her practical words, and even get some suggested readings and resources to give your marriage a boost. (Today’s podcast references Ephesians 3:20, Matthew 19:26, Deuteronomy 8, 1 Peter 3, and Ephesians 5)   For More on Cheryl Scruggs: http://www.hopeformarriages.com/ http://thrivingbeyondbelief.com/   Get the encouragement and trusted guidance you need to raise your kids in the uncompromised truth of God’s word - directly to your inbox each week.   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

Joni Eareckson Tada wrestled with life’s toughest questions after a split-second decision left her quadriplegic as a teenager. Struggling with how God could allow that to happen, she was blessed with ten words that changed her life: God permits what he hates to accomplish what he loves. Joni’s life is a testament to these words and will inspire you in the hard places in life. She talks candidly about questioning God’s sovereignty, working through depression, and living abundantly through Jesus. Joni is an absolute breath of fresh air reminding us of Jesus’ love and urging us to make the very most of every moment the Lord gives us. She’s a well-known artist, author, sought-after speaker, and founder of JoniAndFriends.org. This is a podcast you don’t want to miss!    Get the encouragement and trusted guidance you need to raise your kids in the uncompromised truth of God’s word -                       directly to your inbox each week.   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

Do you ever think about the day you’ll take your kids to college and what you want them to really know before they leave home? We do too! In this episode, author Holly Shivers and her sister, Wendy Hermes, remind us of the importance of teaching our kids how to pray and memorize God’s word. We all know that with the busyness of everyday life, none of us are looking for something else to add to our to-do lists on a given day. But Holly and Wendy remind us that being intentional in the small things with our kids often pays big dividends in helping them know the Lord in a personal way. And truly knowing the Lord is something we all hope our kids “get” before they leave our homes. Join us for a practical discussion on teaching our kids how to pray and memorize God’s word!   (Today’s podcast references Deuteronomy 11 and Psalm 121.)   Get the encouragement and trusted guidance you need to raise your kids in the uncompromised truth of God’s word -                       directly to your inbox each week.   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

Bob Goff has the remarkable gifting of relaying his life adventures in a way that points you back to Jesus and challenges you to live life differently. We talk about the gift we are to those around us when we choose to be “available” to them and truly present. We also talk candidly about seeing people for more than what they can do for us, but seeing them for who they are. And Bob tells us stories of parades in his neighborhood, not getting accepted to law school, and calling the White House when one of his kids was sick. Bob Goff is energetic, hilarious, challenging, and practical. You won’t want it to end!   (Today’s episode references Matthew 13 & Luke 23)    Get the encouragement and support you need to teach your kids to love Christ — 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

Bob Goff has the remarkable gifting of relaying his life adventures in a way that points you back to Jesus and challenges you to live life differently. We talk about the gift we are to those around us when we choose to be “available” to them and truly present. We also talk candidly about seeing people for more than what they can do for us, but seeing them for who they are. And Bob tells us stories of parades in his neighborhood, not getting accepted to law school, and calling the White House when one of his kids was sick. Bob Goff is energetic, hilarious, challenging, and practical. You won’t want it to end!   (Today’s episode references Matthew 13 & Luke 23)    Get the encouragement and support you need to teach your kids to love Christ — 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

How can we love God more than we love our children? How can we let go of our struggle with control, for the benefit of our children and ourselves? Author Lisa Clark joins us to talk about raising children who take responsibility, who listen to God’s voice, and who follow him. Though it can be scary, she shows us how daily putting our kids on the altar is the only way to find freedom from fear and anxiety, and how that plan is so much greater: for God’s glory and our children’s good. (Today’s episode references James 5:16, Luke 2:41, Genesis 22:1 & Psalm 145:4)   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

Jamie Ivey joins us this week to talk about fear, control, shame, and vulnerability. Jamie and her husband Aaron Ivey are both biological and adoptive parents; she writes, speaks, and hosts a renowned Christian podcast “The Happy Hour with Jamie Ivey.” As we discuss the parenting journey that the Lord has had the Iveys on (including adoption, being a working mother/parent, and work travel), Jamie shares about how vulnerability has transformed her friendships and her parenting. Together, we delve into the false gospel we preach with our lives if we, as believers, try and act like we have it all together -- and how shame plays into inadvertently training our kids not to confess sin. 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 Fox 4 News Anchor Chip Waggoner and his wife heard that the baby she was carrying would endure significant challenges from birth, they started on a journey they never anticipated taking. In this episode, Chip and his son, Benjamin, join us to share the blessings they have experienced despite the difficulties Benjamin has endured with his health. Together, Chip and Benjamin answer tough questions such as: How should a believer respond to devastating medical news in our children’s lives? How should we train our children to respond—with words and actions—to another person who is differently abled? What is God’s purpose in creating life in a child who isn’t “normal”? Powerful answers to these questions will move and inspire you to be joyful always and pray continually.   (Today’s podcast references 1 Thessalonians 5:16)   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

Baylor Bear and NFL Hall of Famer Mike Singletary joins University of Texas and Pittsburgh Steeler Kirk McJunkin to talk about parenting your kids through sports. Coach Singletary experienced adversity at a young age, but through it, he believed rich teaching from his mother regarding his identity — teaching that rerouted him and his future. Coach McJunkin reveals how he began playing sports as a search for significance, until the Lord revealed to him that he could not find his self-worth in football. When the Lord changed his approach from being self-centered to being others-centered, his life was altered forever. Two elite athletes who excelled at the highest levels both point to their faith as the only firm foundation for families as they travel the path of youth sports. Today’s episode features a candid and vulnerable conversation about the difficult task of parenting our children in youth, select, and high school sports.    (Today’s podcast references Luke 15:11-32, Deuteronomy 6:6-7, and Colossians 3:21)   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