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

It’s May and, let’s be honest, who couldn’t use a good laugh to accompany the millions of events crammed in these final days as we wrap up another school year? Today’s episode of Pardon the Mess gives you just that – a good laugh, but with so much more. Melissa Radke and her husband, David, talk to us about the crazy way the Lord has taken their own plans and dreams and turned them upside down, la...

Sometimes we have parenting questions that can be awkward, right? And there’s times we need an honest discussion on a topic, but we aren’t sure where to start. In this Pardon the Mess mini-series, Janet Denison answers some of the more awkward or tough questions we face as we raise our kids. We’ve kept these podcasts short and to the point. They are not intended to be the only answer, but a starti...

Online relationships. Predators. Sex trafficking. We tend to think these things happen to “other” people. But today’s podcast is a great reminder for all of us raising kids in today’s digital culture. The Baldwin family is a strong Christian family living in the Dallas suburbs. Their life was typical of most of ours—that is, until John got word that his seventeen-year-old daughter, Mackenzie, had...

Easter is quickly approaching, and sometimes it’s challenging to keep our kids focused more on Jesus and less on the baskets. Let me ask you this: Have you ever gathered around the table with friends and family for a traditional Seder meal in celebration of Passover? Me neither. But today we get to chat with Susie Hawkins about celebrating the Passover tradition with our families as Holy Week appr...

Today we get a word from New York Times  best-selling author Mary Beth Chapman. Mary Beth is married to Steven Curtis Chapman and mom to their six children: Emily, Caleb, Will Franklin, Shaoey, Stevey Joy, and Maria. As a double bonus, we also have Emily Chapman Richards, the oldest of the Chapman clan and executive director of ShowHope.org , which cares for orphans by engaging the church and redu...

When you get the opportunity to chat candidly about the hard places in parenting with good friends Rebecca Carrell and Kay Wyma - well, you don’t want to miss it. In this episode of Pardon the Mess , the three of us talk about the recent college admissions bribery scandal and the messaging our culture sends that our kids need to look a certain way or have certain credentials to be “good enough.” A...

On October 13, 2006, Abby Rike’s family was involved in a devastating car accident that instantly changed the course of her life. Refusing to let her tragedy become her identity, Abby started a journey that led her to know the Lord in a new, beautiful way. Abby talks candidly and humorously about what gives her purpose and motivates her to get out of bed in the morning. She encourages us to refuse...

No introduction necessary on this one, friends.  Kathie Lee Gifford joins us on Pardon the Mess , and we could not be more thrilled to spend time with her. Kathie Lee has been blessed with a successful four-decade career as a television host, actress, singer, playwright, songwriter, and author. She is best known for her fifteen years on Live with Regis and Kathie Lee  (eleven Emmy nominations), an...

Cultural issues inundate our news feeds every day, and it seems that, all too often, they relate to conflicts of diversity and race. As parents, we all want to talk honestly and biblically with our kids about the real world and the cultural issues they face each day. But if you’re anything like me, it’s easy to feel ill-equipped to talk about diversity with our kids and do it well without saying t...

Sometimes we have parenting questions that can be awkward, right? And there’s times we need an honest discussion on a topic, but we aren’t sure where to start. In this Pardon the Mess mini-series, Janet Denison answers some of the more awkward or tough questions we face as we raise our kids. We’ve kept these podcasts short and to the point. They are not intended to be the only answer, but a starti...

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,...

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 a...

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 ab...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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 questi...

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...

The messaging of the world leads us to shame, silence, and isolation. Instead of recognizing our kids’ unique qualities, as parents, sometimes we act like we want our kids to “be great” at everything. But this messaging is “not the boss of us”, as guest author Kay Wyma discusses today. Kay reminds us of our phenomenal worth and value, and how believing that identity for ourselves helps fuel us to...

Michael W. Smith joins us to talk about family, loving your spouse well, focusing on what really matters in raising kids, and slowing down by prioritizing what’s important in our lives. You will love hearing about his heart behind creating a new children’s lullaby album. Oh, and we even talked about his friendship with Billy Graham and singing at Reverend Graham’s funeral.   Get the encouragement...

Tony Dungy has two Super Bowl rings, but he doesn't need them to be significant. In today’s episode Tony and his wife Lauren reveal how to train a child to believe he is worthy (hint: it’s not by training them to accomplish more). The Dungys impart wisdom on how they parent differently now, after 3 decades of wisdom and experience raising 10 children. They answer "what prompted you to writ...

  Do we rob our kids of the ability to trust God by constantly intervening when we see them struggling? What if our efforts to provide and protect are the actual barriers to their success? In this podcast we talk with Christian counselor Mia Mbroh about whether failure is important or overrated, how a Christian parent should respond to a child who is struggling, and how stop parenting out of our o...

Can a Christian parent find success? Our performance and perfection driven culture can make us feel we will never measure up.  As parents, we want to know how to define God’s version of success in parenting, so in this podcast we discuss how to raise up believers, and how to be character focused parents.   Today’s conversation is with Bible teacher, writer, and speaker Janet Denison. Janet reminds...