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

“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 Joni is sharing her heart behind these words and much more on a show you definitely don’t want to miss!    Joni is an author, speaker, artist, and the most incredible example of loving Jesus in the hardest pl...

The word “submission” oftentimes has a negative connotation in our culture and is probably not any of our go-to prayers for our kids. But submission is exactly what we’re praying this week because submitting to the Lord means placing ourselves under his authority—and that’s a big component of accepting Jesus and living for him     My good friend Stephanie Martin joins us today to talk about how sh...

Attention ❗️ : If you have children born between 1997 and 2010, today’s podcast is especially for you!    We’re talking about all things Gen Z, and even if your kids aren’t technically a part of Gen Z age-wise, please take a few minutes to listen to this fascinating conversation with Grant Glover. He does an amazing job breaking down how Gen Z views the world as the first generation of kids with...

My mom (aka Dorothy) is joining us on the show today to talk about humility, and I promise you don’t want to miss the chance to hear Dorothy share some wisdom.     It’s easy to skip over humility when praying for our kids because we live in a world that thrives on self-promotion and performance. But the Bible is full of warnings about pride and reminders that we are called to live each day with hu...

Jen Wilkin is a speaker, podcaster, author, and someone who really knows how to study the Bible and lead others in doing the same. I am thrilled to have her joining us today to talk about the “why” and the “how” behind studying the Bible.    Bible literacy matters not simply because it’s how we know God (which is a big one), but it also matters in our parenting because our kids need to learn to me...

Kay Wyma is joining us today to talk about purity and thoughts to consider as we pray for our kids. Praying purity definitely means we’re praying for our kids to pursue it in their dating relationships, internet searches, music choices, clothes, and pure groups. However, we also know that purity is rooted in our identity, and when we know our worth it makes purity less about checking a box and mor...

Do you ever struggle with the deep pain we feel in our lives and how to reconcile that with God’s loving character? I am guessing the answer for all of us is a resounding yes—I think we’ve all been there at some point or another.    Alexandra Hoover is on Pardon the Mess today to help us set up a framework of seeing God both in the hard places and the highlights of our lives. She shares her own Eb...

There’s no question that we (as parents) have the greatest influence on our children in the early years of their lives. However, more and more they will begin leaning on people outside of our home, and that’s why we’re praying for Godly mentorship over our kids this week.     Lisa Clark is a dear friend who has mentored me in so many ways, and she’s on the podcast today sharing her thoughts on wha...

Today, for the first time ever, we have Ann Voskamp on the show!   I doubt there’s much need for a formal introduction, but I’ll try to give you a few highlights. Ann is a New York Times Bestselling Author, speaker, wife, and mom of 7 kids who lives on a farm with a mass of pigs. She has the most amazing voice and speaks unique truth as someone who has raised a college kid while simultaneously cha...

“ Always forgive your enemies; nothing annoys them so much. ” — Oscar Wilde    Clearly this isn’t good doctrine, but it’s pretty funny and also relatable.    This week we’re praying for our kids to be quick to forgive others because that’s a central message of the gospel. We’ve been forgiven over and over by the Lord so we’re commanded to forgive others in order to stay in step with the Lord and n...

Not only is Kirsten Watson the mother of seven kids (yes, you read that correctly) and married to former NFL great Benjamin Watson, but today she’s our guest and you’re going to love her. Talk about a lady who knows how to get things done while also living purposefully in her faith—she’s the real deal.    Kirsten and I chat about raising kids in today’s culture, the truth behind youth sports, and...

“If you declare with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved” (Romans 10:9 NIV).   I remember when my youngest son was at the age where you’d ask what he learned at church and it was always one word: Jesus. Like anything I would ask, he responded with “Jesus.”     What was your snack today? Jesus.    Did y’all go to the playground...

Shauna Niequest is with us today, and if you love New York City you’re going to love this show. Having moved to the city in the last several years with her family, Shauna’s learning to navigate a whole new way of doing things while also realizing there’s still some things (even as adults) that we don’t understand about life, and that’s OK.   Not only does she share her favorite things to do in NYC...

Praying good health for our kids is something most of us have intuitively prayed over them since the time they were born. As believers, we know that complete health and healing only come when we are in heaven with our Savior. But, until then, we will continue asking the Lord to keep our kids healthy and strong, protecting them from any illness that threatens their body or mind.    But in addition...

If you’re married, or hope to be married, or have kids that may someday get married—today’s podcast is for you !   I’ve heard over and over again how amazing Gary Thomas is, and today’s the day we get to have him on Pardon the Mess. I can’t get over how much marriage wisdom is packed into our conversation, and here’s a few of the topics we covered:  Is the goal of marriage to be happy or holy The...

This week we’re praying peace over our kids, and this seems especially relevant considering  the state of our world today. Peace for our kids means they are not consumed with fear and worry, but instead live filled with the peace of God which transcends all understanding (Philippians 4:7).    We will spend a few minutes in Psalm 9 considering King David’s formula for living in peace. We’ll see how...

Have I told you this week how much my family loved Duck Dynasty all those years ago? If not, let me reiterate our love by sharing a few of my favorite Duck Dynasty lines:   I live by my own rules (reviewed, revised, and approved by my wife) . . . but still my own. —Si Robertson    You can talk any redneck into a challenge. That’s why so many rednecks die in strange ways. —Jase Robertson    My advi...

This week we’re praying for our kids to be marked by a heart that longs to serve those around them. Not only are we literally serving Jesus when we do so, but we get a beautiful new perspective on life.   There are so many ways to serve others well, but we’ll focus our time on praying that our kids share the gospel, befriend the marginalized, and actively find ways to serve others in our homes and...

We spend a lot of time in these parts talking about the importance of praying over our kids. But this week we’re giving it a little twist and talking to Stephanie Thurling and Sarah Holmstrom about raising prayerful kids. Said differently—how do we raise kids who pray?    As with all things when it comes to parenting, intentionality is the key, and today’s show is full of practical yet intentional...

We’re praying resolve over our kids this week, and a good working definition for resolve is “to reach a firm decision.” So praying resolve means we’re praying they reach a firm decision each and every day to follow Christ and grow in their faith.     Resolve is critical for this generation, who is bombarded daily with social media, pornography, graphic music, widespread internet access, and so muc...

Learning differences impact so many of our families, and oftentimes leave us confused and concerned as we consider the impact on our kids. I’m so grateful we have the opportunity to talk about this important issue today, and I’ve brought in the best to guide our discussion.     Dr. Matthew Housson has a Ph. D. in Clinical Psychology and focuses his Dallas practice on learning differences, specific...

I’m guessing you pray inerrancy over your kids every day like I do? Just kidding, me neither.      But I do believe inerrancy is a critical aspect of our faith and one we need to be praying for our kids. Boiling it down to one sentence— praying inerrancy means praying for our kids to believe that everything in the Bible is absolutely true. That’s it!    And it’s especially important in a culture o...

The last few weeks we’ve discussed the various lies we believe when it comes to things like faith vs. science, or our friendships, or even lies our culture promotes such as Christians are intolerant and even dangerous.    But this week we’re honing in on lies good moms (like you and like me) believe, and Kari Kampakis joins us to identity and dispel them.     We’re talking about lies like:    ✨ M...

It’s all but impossible to do the things God calls us to without courage. David, Joshua, Moses, and Samuel each challenged their people to be courageous in their last days before going to heaven. Why? Because living for God isn’t the easy road, and we will be called to places that are impossible without courage.    I can’t help but think of what some of our favorite Old Testament greats would have...

You had me at hello, Jennie Allen!    Too much?    Probably so, but let’s just stop right now and say that our conversation today on friendship (and the lies surrounding it) is amazing. Coming from a place of starting over in her own world, Jennie shares what she now knows about friendships and what they are, what they aren’t, and what impedes us from the God-given deep connection we so desperatel...