Pardon the Mess with Scarlet Hiltibidal - Christian Motherhood, Biblical Parenting, Raising Christian Kids

Almost weekly I’m asked about resources to help our teens grow in their faith. As much as I love the teenage years and all the crazy antics, I know these are also the years where time seems to be slipping away and our last ditch efforts of getting more Jesus into them kicks into overdrive. Or maybe that’s just me. 🤪   Laura Smith is joining us today to talk about our teens and everything from cou...

When you hear the word joy, what comes to your mind?    I’m guessing your answer is more profound than mine since I instantly start humming that old VBS song “I’ve got the joy, joy, joy, joy, down in my heart. Where?”    Anyone else with me?    This week we’re praying for our kids to experience joy in their lives. It seems especially important when considering how deeply our kids’ generation strug...

Mark Batterson is back, and I’m slightly giddy.    You know how much I love his books, and when I tell you this conversation brought me new life . . . well, it’s true. I have a notecard on my desk at this very moment with some of my favorite quotes from today’s conversation titled “Batterson bullet points.”    Pastor Mark reminds us that if God can do immeasurably more than we ask or imagine (Ephe...

As I think back to even my youngest years, I can pinpoint the friendships that have impacted my life. I’ve been blessed with solid, faithful friends who have prayed for me and loved me even when I’ve been somewhat unloveable. And then there have been other friendships that have been more difficult and left me with bumps and bruises along the way.    Our friendships are important because God create...

Body image is a topic that has major implications in our lives, yet we tend to avoid talking about it because it’s so personal and oftentimes sensitive.  I’m so thankful my friend Rachael Gilbert is bravely speaking into these body image issues through her new book, Image Restored . She addresses our most common body image pitfalls and, as a licensed counselor and mom, comes at it both professiona...

On any given day there’s a million things we could potentially tell our kids to do or not do. Some of those things are routine like do your best work or don’t touch your brother. But then there’s the things that one day come spilling out of your mouth that nobody ever warned you about. Like “you have to wear underwear to ride your bike.”    True story, sadly. 😂   Today we’re reading Psalm 37 and...

Beth Moore is joining us today and, simply put, you just can’t miss it! I’ve admired her powerful voice in God’s Kingdom for many years and, like many of you, have learned so much from her Bible studies, books, and conferences.    I teamed up with Steph Thurling from the Christian Parenting Podcast to chat with Beth about her new memoir, All my Knotted-up Life . This book is a vulnerable and authe...

How do you measure your value?    If you’re anything like me, you’ve measured it by the square footage of your house, the size of your bank account, the number on the scale, and the accolades of your kids. Yet none of these things tell the real story of who we are to Jesus—and that’s why measuring up gets us in trouble.   Today we’re praying for our kids as they struggle with this same temptation...

If you haven’t heard of Risen Motherhood, today is going to be a great day for you!    Laura Wifler is an author, podcaster, mother, and the co-founder of the amazing parenting resource, Risen Motherhood. She’s back on Pardon the Mess today helping us bridge the gap between the faith we pursue on Sunday mornings and the real-life parenting we face on Mondays. Said differently, she speaks into ways...

My youngest son, JB, is home from school today because I thought he was coming down with the same cold I’ve been struggling with all week. We kicked-off his “sick day” with a precautionary dose of Ibuprofen and breakfast in bed. By 8:10 a.m. I realized I had made a grave mistake in keeping him home. It’s been Ferris Bueller’s Day Off over here, and he’s Ferris and I’m the sickly sidekick friend tr...

I’m guessing the title of today’s show caught your eye? Definitely not a title I’ve put together for a podcast show until today!    Yes, I recently went to see Bruno Mars with my hubs, and I can’t wait to weigh in on that a bit. But more importantly, Erica Renaud is joining us to chat about praying with our kids and how to get that rolling if it’s not a part of our regular routine.   Erica has a n...

This week we’re praying for godly families. More specifically, we’re praying for our families to be built on the foundation of Jesus. In Psalm 127, Solomon very pointedly reminds us that even our best work and greatest successes are nothing if the Lord isn’t in them.    The key to building godly families comes in the day by day and week by week decisions of choosing Jesus instead of chasing after...

Did you grow up believing certain things like I did?  Things like . . .  You can’t swim for an hour after eating Cracking your knuckles will give you arthritis Swallowed gum stays in your stomach seven years Crossed eyes will get stuck that way  These aren’t monumental to our belief systems, but it turns out they really aren’t even true.    We all have things we’ve bought into from our culture, ou...

Failure fast tracks growth.   This is a principle I’ve learned very personally at various times throughout my life. In the midst of what we may perceive as a failure—God shows up and names it success.   That’s exactly why we’re considering failure as we’re praying for our kids this week. Yes, there are places where our kids will fall flat on their face from poor decisions, and we need to pray they...

If you haven’t been introduced to Carlos Whitaker, today’s your day! Carlos is a dynamic author, speaker, storyteller, and hope dealer who is in high demand as a podcast guest. You’re about to see why!    Our conversation today surrounds his new book, How to Human . We’re considering what it looks like to get back to the very basics of who God created us to be. Living in a world filled with anxiet...

Thirty-eight times in Ecclesiastes Solomon refers to our lives as “hevel.” Solomon is trying to paint the picture that our lives are just a vapor, here one moment and gone the next. Knowing this means we have the opportunity to stop chasing the things on earth and instead pursue God above all else and live for the eternal.   This is our prayer for our families this week. That we can appreciate the...

I’ve got to be honest here–today’s show is so enlightening that I’ve been quoting Kara Powell everywhere I’ve been speaking since we taped this conversation.    Kara is Executive Director of the Fuller Youth Institute, and based on her extensive research and knowledge she’s sharing the three pivotal questions our kids are asking. (Spoiler alert: these are some of the same questions many of us are...

The things we desire the most direct our days and determine our priorities. Knowing this, it’s important to get it right when it comes to what we desire and how we spend our lives fulfilling our deepest wishes.   This week we’re praying that our kids desire the things God desires for their lives. Psalm 37:4 is arguably one of the most powerful verses God has used in my life to date (I’ll share mor...

Toni Collier is with us today talking about the brokenness we feel in this world and how to work through it in our own lives as well as the lives of our children.   I had never met Toni before this conversation, and we had an instant connection that I’m sure you’re going to feel too. She’s vulnerable and authentic in the hardest places she’s faced in life, and also hilariously funny and wise. Here...

Did you pick a word of the year for 2023?    I don’t always do it, but this year I knew “pause” was my word because it kept coming to my mind whenever I would hear someone else mention their own word. The last few months I’ve felt the Lord lay it on my heart that I needed to learn to slow down and wait on him. Said differently, I need to learn to “pause” before . . . . .    I speak I judge I accep...

As we’re kicking off the new year, it’s a perfect time to evaluate what’s working well in our parenting, and what may need a few tweaks. It’s being intentional in asking God to reveal what he wants our families to be about, and ensuring we’re doing the things that will make this happen.    Pastor Andy Stanley and his wife Sandra are here to talk about all of this and more. Having grown children, t...

It’s a brand spanking new year and the perfect time to jump in and join us as we pray over our kids.    We’re kicking off 2023 by praying purity over our kids, focusing on Psalm 119. I can’t imagine a more significant thing to pray for our kids than purity in all the different scenarios our kids face each day.    Listen in as we discuss biblical purity and praying for it in our kids’ sexual relati...

As we wrap up 2022, I’m finishing the year the same way I started it by sharing a few of the things I wish I had known as a younger mom.    I try not to live with regrets, but I also know the value that comes by taking inventory in our parenting and acknowledging the areas of growth as well as the struggles. The four things I’m sharing with you today began with an article I wrote several years ago...

“Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.” Psalm 91:1   We have a negative connotation around the idea of living in the shadows. We want to avoid raising kids in the shadows because it feels unknown, overlooked, or even worse: insignificant. Yet so often what the world calls “successful” is not God’s definition of success. And living with platform and...

“God permits what he hates to accomplish what he loves.”  — Joni Eareckson Tada   The ten words above have marked me from the very first time I heard Joni Eareckson Tada speak them. And today I want to re-share one of my favorite episodes of the year where Joni is sharing her heart behind these words.    Joni is an author, speaker, artist, and the most incredible example of loving Jesus in the har...