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

“ The Lord, the Lord, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness.” —Exodus 34:6 The first characteristic God used to describe himself to Moses was compassionate .  It’s amazing to think that we serve a God who is sympathetic to our struggles and burdened by what budens us. Knowing this, it seems only fitting that we focus on praying for our kids to be mar...

“No matter how many times you’ve tried before or how loud the voice is that says you’ll never be different than you are, God says something else today. You. Can. Live. Free.” —Louie Giglio, Goliath Must Fall   I’ve never really loved January and the post-Christmas letdown. But the one thing I do look forward to each year is the opportunity to make adjustments in my life, allowing me to live more p...

I can’t think of a better way to begin the New Year than by coming together to pray over our kids. I’m thankful to each of you for joining me every week as we pray for our kids and for his guidance in parenting them.   This week we’re praying that our kids are marked by truth.  As we do this, it’s important to define truth. We live in a culture of moral relativism, meaning truth is subjective and...

Happy New Year’s Eve!   Not that anyone asked, but I’m all in when it comes to New Year’s resolutions.   I enjoy planning new healthy recipes, dusting off the gym membership, and even reading books on how to better parent these kids in my house. But, like most people, my resolutions lack resolve after about six weeks.   However, this New Year I want to be especially intentional in implementing the...

I’m praying you had a wonderful Christmas with your family, taking every opportunity to celebrate the birth of our Savior.  As we wrap up 2020, it feels like there’s so much to digest and reflect on after all we’ve been through. It’s crazy to think back to last year at this time and consider all the things we didn’t realize were heading our way.  This week we’re asking for God’s protection over ou...

Merry Christmas Eve!   As I’ve been reading through the Christmas story the last few weeks, I keep going back to the passage in Luke 2 where Luke describes Jesus’ birth and Mary placing her baby in the manger. It’s right after that sweet account in the stable that Luke takes a hard turn to writing about the shepherds hearing of Jesus’ birth by the angels.   Shepherds, of all people, being among th...

I don’t know about you, but when we talk about numbering our days this time of year I go straight to the Christmas countdown. And yes, Christmas is FOUR days away! (Thankfully there’s always Amazon to save us in a pinch.) But this week, as we’re praying for our kids to number their days, we’re thinking less mathematically and more missionally. We’re praying they make the most of every God-given op...

Let’s just say we’re coming in hot this week before Christmas on Pardon the Mess !  We’ve got worship leader, songwriter, mom, and wife Kari Jobe with us today.  I’m guessing when she began leading worship in her church at thirteen years old, she couldn’t have imagined the songs of faith she would have the opportunity to sing across the globe in the coming years. Her newest song, “ The Blessing ,...

Can I be honest for a quick second?  If anyone should have a podcast that talks about parenting, it’s sweet Dorothy Wilkinson (a.k.a. my mom). She’s kind, she’s funny, she’s the best cook around, and she loves Jesus and her family like few others.  Thankfully, today she’s making her debut appearance on Pardon the Mess, and let’s just say you’re going to walk away wanting more Dorothy and less Cynt...

It may be hard to believe that one of the greatest Christian apologists of our time grew up in a home with an alcoholic father, suffered sexual abuse as a child, and made it his life’s goal to disprove Christianity in college.  It’s clear that the only explanation for Josh McDowell’s incredible impact is the Lord’s hand. What a great honor it is to have him with us on Pardon the Mess today. His wo...

If there’s anything we need these days, it’s some good news.  Can I get an amen?    Some days I find myself mindlessly searching online for some hint of good news in the midst of all the hard.   I love how Luke 2:10 very simply reminds us that the birth of Jesus is our good news.  “But the angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people.’”...

I don’t know what weird world we live in where Chris Tomlin kicks off our Christmas season on Pardon the Mess , but I’m completely giddy about the show today.   The lyrics from his newest Christmas album and title song, Miracle of Love , go like this:  A baby born, a baby born A miracle of love A gift from God sent to us From heaven above And I thought I heard angels singing Hallelujah A baby born...

When I was in fourth grade, I had a class assignment to prepare a report on a well-known person we considered to have strong integrity.  Not joking, I did my report on Lee Iacocca (a famous automobile executive from the 1960s–80s).  I know about as much about Lee Iacocca today as I did then: nothing.  But I liked how his name sounded.   What’s the point to this story?  Basically nothing—other than...

“Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; His love endures forever.” —Psalm 107:1 Happy Thanksgiving!  I hope today is a wonderful day full of family, food, and ample opportunities to thank the Lord for his provision in your life. I’m thankful for so much this Thanksgiving, but, in particular, I’m grateful for your support of Pardon the Mess .  This year we’ve been blessed to remain in the top 200...

Happy Thanksgiving week!  Several years ago, I wrote “ 10 Signs of a Thanksgiving Epic Fail .”  Although our Thanksgiving this year will look quite different from most, the article is still available should you need a litmus test for determining the success of Thanksgiving 2020.  This week, we’re praying for our kids to be marked by thanksgiving.  I can’t help but consider how the hardships of 202...

Today’s podcast is a must-listen to if for no other reason than hearing Matthew West describe 2020 in song.  Yes, he sings in real-time for us, and it’s funny and total greatness.   Most of us have loved Matthew West’s music for many years, but he takes it to a whole new level when talking about his family, raising kids while touring, and his battle with feeling like he has to constantly do more a...

“A holy life will produce the deepest impression. Lighthouses blow no horns, they only shine.” —D. L. Moody That’ll preach, right?  This week, we’re praying that our kids are marked by light.  In a year full of profound uncertainty and anxiety, our culture desperately needs to hear the gospel message that Jesus loved us to the point of death so that we might live forever.  That’s the message of tr...

What are some things you wish you would have learned earlier in your Christian walk?  I can think of so many, but I find myself wanting my kids to figure out early on that knowing about God isn’t the same as knowing God . A key ingredient to this is how we communicate with God in prayer.  We’re talking about this and lots more with Sheila Walsh on Pardon the Mess today.  She reminds us that vulner...

Alert: Only 46 days until Christmas!  I know, how is it even possible that Christmas is coming so fast? Yet at the same time, doesn’t it feel like last Christmas was seven years ago?  As we’re headed into the home stretch of 2020, we have some important opportunities to pray generosity over our kids. This year, more than ever, it seems like an important time to teach generosity in our homes as the...

It’s November, and that means it’s National Adoption Month.  If you know anything about me, you know that foster care and adoption completely changed the trajectory of my family’s life. As this month marks the three-year “gotcha day” for our sweet little guy, I’m still overwhelmed by God’s goodness in allowing our family to participate in the amazing gift of adoption.  In keeping with the November...

I was on a radio interview recently where the host asked me how to teach our kids about God without cramming the Bible down their throat. I guess I understood his general sentiment, but my initial thought was “ can we ever give our kids too much of God’s word? ” Today we’re praying for our kids to be marked by God’s word because we know that God’s word is the only true wisdom in life. If God’s wor...

If you’re anything like me, there are very few things we feel less inclined to speak into than politics.  Even so, it’s important to guide our kids well in these politically divisive days. I recently gave a few considerations in an article I wrote on how to discuss politics with our kids : Would the world recognize you as a Christian if all they knew was how you engaged in politics? Would your kid...

If you’re anything like me, there are very few things we feel less inclined to speak into than politics.  Even so, it’s important to guide our kids well in these politically divisive days. I recently gave a few considerations in an article I wrote on how to discuss politics with our kids : Would the world recognize you as a Christian if all they knew was how you engaged in politics? Would your kid...

What distracts your heart from being fully focused on God? It’s not a rhetorical question but one we should all consider from time to time.  Maybe it’s social media, consumerism, people-pleasing, the need for accomplishment, or even just the busyness of daily life. At any particular moment, I can honestly say there’s endless things with a hold on my heart.  The distracting factors are different fo...

“Only two industries call their customers users: illegal drugs and software.” — The Social Dilemma   Well now, that’s a quote that will stop you right in your social media-ridden tracks.    If you haven’t had a chance to watch Netflix’s new documentary, The Social Dilemma , let’s suffice it to say that the veil has been lifted on the ins and outs of social media algorithms and the impact it’s havi...