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

I always bristle when I read the passage in Matthew 26 where Jesus asks the disciples to stay awake to keep watch and pray with him the night before he’s arrested to be crucified. Do you remember what happens? Not once or twice, but three times Jesus comes back to find the disciples asleep because apparently “their eyes were heavy” (Matthew 26:43). This passage makes me sweat a little bit because...

As you know, this month on Pardon the Mess we’re doing a miniseries we’ve lovingly nicknamed “New Year, New You.” We’re tackling some of the messy areas in life that are often the basis of resolutions this time of year, like physical health, emotional health, and financial health. This week we’re thrilled to have Maria Bower, author of Faith Vs. Weight , join us to discuss physical health and weig...

We’re continuing our prayer emphasis in 2020 by praying this week for our kids to be excellent in all that they do. When you think about excellence and praying it for your kids, what comes to mind?   For me it’s the cheesy inspirational posters in middle school classrooms back in the day with sayings like: “Excellence is never an accident” or “Excellence is not being the best - but doing your best...

Happy New Year! It’s that time of year when we find ourselves in a post-Christmas, tight-pants, can’t-remember-when-we-last-ate-a-vegetable stupor. Yet there’s still a fleeting tinge of optimism bubbling up as we face a new year and new opportunities for change. Or is that just me? This month on  Pardon the Mess , we’re doing a miniseries we’ve lovingly nicknamed “New Year, New You.” We’re tacklin...

It’s that time of year when we start thinking about resolutions. Or at least we start thinking about the fact that we aren’t making resolutions this year. Either way, I think it’s natural to take a step back over the next few days to evaluate where we are in life and what we want to continue doing and/or the places we want to make some adjustments. It’s also the perfect time to start praying for o...

Today we get to chat with Jess Connolly about her passion to help women confidently walk the paths the Lord has called them to, even when they feel the least qualified to get it done. She refers to herself as a “midwife for missions” because she loves to cheer on other women as they find what God has called them to. In her own life, she tells us why she’s so grateful that she was the “least likely...

Joy to the world, the Lord is come! What a week to pray joy for our children. The simplicity of the words of one of the most famous Christmas carols says it all: Joy to the world, the Lord is come! We have joy in this life because of one thing: the Lord is (not has ) come. The baby we celebrate this week left his heavenly home to be born in a manger so we might have eternal life. He brings forgive...

Well, there’s really not much to say other than this is a dream. If you’re anything like me, Max Lucado’s books have been instrumental in shaping your faith over the years. The fact that I had the chance to sit down and talk with him on our podcast? Well, there are almost no words. Max Lucado is the Teaching Minister of Oak Hills Church in San Antonio, Texas. He’s widely regarded as America’s best...

If we’ve learned anything the last few weeks, it’s that acts of generosity are all around us this time of year – but definitely not in the form of a Peleton bike gifted to your wife and a resulting a video diary of her fitness journey. That, my friends, is dangerous territory. I remember my Dad used to say you never give a gift with a plug to your wife for Christmas (meaning an appliance). Now I b...

A show of hands for anyone who might need a few deep breaths as we’re headed into the final lap before the big day? Christmas often brings out our very best—generosity, focus on Jesus, time with friends and family. Christmas also may bring out our worst—exhaustion, materialism, sadness. You’re not alone if you’re feeling stressed, tired, overwhelmed, sad, excited, grateful, and everything in betwe...

“For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him.” Colossians 1:16 “All things were created through him and FOR him.” I’ve read this verse many times before, and it only hit me today that we are literally created for Jesus. We exist FOR Jesus. We are his creation...

Today we have twice the fun with two different interviews on Pardon the Mess . Jim Denison, founder of Denison Ministries, joins me for the first few minutes to discuss the issues our kids will face biblically in today’s culture. He suggests ways to explain the relevancy of the Bible to our children while reminding us that we are equipped to raise kids today because the Lord picked us for the here...

As we continue to pray through the school year for our children, it’s almost unbelievable that it’s already December! Today we have a special guest joining us on the podcast, my husband Mike. Last week you may remember we prayed that our kids would live out of a place of gratefulness, which was apropos as we celebrated Thanksgiving. This week we are praying that they would have the Lord’s favor in...

As we wrap up our Nashville series, we are excited to give you a word from Amy Parker. Amy has written and co-written more than sixty books for children, teens, and adults, with 1.8 million copies sold. She has collaborated with authors ranging from New York Times bestsellers to her very own son. Amy shares with us how her calling to write books came about, and the setbacks she experienced as she...

This week we are discussing gratefulness and the importance of a good memory when it comes to knowing what God has done for us. We talk about places in the Bible where people gave thanks, even when their situations were less than optimal. God is the giver of all good things and therefore worthy of our praise. As we celebrate Thanksgiving, let’s pray that our children exude gratefulness in the big...

Pardon the Mess  brings you our special Thanksgiving episode straight from Willie and Korie Robertson’s home in West Monroe, Louisiana. In case you’re wondering, yes, I was a touch starstruck when Willie walked by to go hunting (he gone), and yes, I hummed “Sharp Dressed Man” walking up their sidewalk. We had the great pleasure of chatting with three generations of this sweet family: Chrys Howard...

It’s week 11 of our prayer journal, and we are praying this week for our kids to have hope. All around us, people are placing their hope in earthly things that cannot possibly deliver. Let’s pray that our children put their hope in the Lord, the only One who can strengthen, restore, and deliver on the great plans he has for us. Without hope, our kids will face anxiety, depression, and much more. A...

As we honor our veterans this week and their great sacrifice for our country, we are thrilled to have Ginger Gilbert Ravella join us on  Pardon the Mess . Ginger is a mother of five, stepmother of two, military wife, writer, and speaker. At thirty-six years old, she faced the sudden, tragic loss of her college-sweetheart husband and Air Force F-16 pilot in Operation Iraqi Freedom. Her husband, Maj...

Today we begin week 10 of praying our kids through the school year. This week, we are praying specifically for our kids to have discernment. I can think of no one better to join us this week than Janet Denison. Janet is the founder of Christian Parenting and someone who has shaped my parenting in so many ways. Janet chats with us about what discernment is and the difference between straight-up dis...

What does the band For King and Country have in common with the Christian vocalist Rebecca St. James? They are all Helen Smallbone’s children, and she’s with us today on Pardon the Mess . Helen Smallbone and her husband moved from Australia to Nashville with their seven children, hoping for a new beginning after literally losing everything financially. Once they arrived in the US, their family was...

Today we begin week 9 of praying our kids through the school year. This week we are praying specifically for our kids to understand the importance of time management. Our children’s days, like ours, are filled with so many demands for their time. If we teach them the importance of managing it now, it can have a huge impact on their adult lives. I have a sweet friend joining us on our podcast today...

Today we have the pleasure of talking to Crystal Paine, one of the most beloved voices speaking into our finances and how we steward the resources God has given our families. Crystal Paine is a wife of three (with number four on the way), a businesswoman, a New York Times bestselling author, and the founder of MoneySavingMom.com. She averages close to two million readers per month, challenging wom...

It's week eight of our prayer journal, and we are praying friendships for our children this week. It’s hard to overestimate the importance of friendships in our lives, especially good friendships that point us back to Christ. The Bible is full of examples of true friendships, even giving us prescriptive advice for the kinds of friends to look for and even how to be a good friend to others. If...

This. Is. The. One. This is the podcast to listen to with your teens/tweens. This is the podcast to share with your friends. This is the podcast to listen to twice because you might have missed a nugget. I love that wisdom comes in so many different varieties. And today it comes through Sadie Robertson. My daughter, Kate, joined me in Nashville to ask Sadie questions about following Jesus during t...

It’s week seven of our prayer journal, and we are praying for our children to have accountability in their lives. Several years ago, a dear friend of mine encouraged me to start praying that my children would get caught in their sin, leading to accountability and restoration. I didn’t know what I thought about praying for my kids to be caught, but I started doing it any way. Oh my, I found that to...