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

I will praise the Lord at all times. I will constantly speak his praises. I will boast only in the Lord; let all who are helpless take heart. Come, let us tell of the Lord’s greatness; let us exalt his name together. I prayed to the Lord, and he answered me. He freed me from all my fears. (Psalm 34:1–4 NLT) The story of Job is a tough story to read and process through. Why would God allow such imm...

I believe the key to parenting, marriage and life is this topic right here - intimacy with God . Are we spending time with God? How do we do this as moms? What if we tried and it's too hard?  It can be so intimidating to learn about “quiet times” and “prayers.” We are joined today by author, speaker and Bible teacher Stacey Thacker. I love her heart for God’s word and prayer. She gives us so m...

You intended to harm me, but God intended it all for good. He brought me to this position so I could save the lives of many people. (Genesis 50:20 NLT) Joseph had every reason to be angry and bitter at the world. His brothers picked on him, tricked him, and sold him into slavery. He was taken to Egypt where he was eventually imprisoned for something he didn’t even do. It would have been easy for J...

Do you have a child that is wrestling with their faith? Or maybe you fear this scenario with your little ones? What if they grow up and deny their faith or doubt God? What you will hear today through Alena’s story is that God is faithful. She is confident in that truth after a 7-year wrestling period with God. Alena’s quest to know God helped her to know herself in a foundational way. This convers...

Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us. (Romans 5:3–5) Jacob fought and wrestled and did things his own way his entire life: He grabbed his twin brot...

Buckle in for a fantastic and thought-provoking chat with author and speaker Vicki Courtney. Have you ever heard the phrase, “ motherhood is your highest calling ” ? Did you believe it? And do you agree with it? I love that Vicki is looking back as a grandmother and assessing this common phrase and belief that impacted her motherhood journey. She wants to help our generation properly grapple with...

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.” (Proverbs 3:5–6) Think about the amount of trust Abraham had in the Lord: He was told to leave his home and move to a new land and wandered for decades, not knowing where he was going, but he went anyway. He was told he would be the father of a great...

My natural reaction is to CONTROL my kids and I wish that wasn’t the truth. I know that the best thing for them and for me is to surrender all of it to God every day. Why is this so hard for me? Do you also struggle with wanting to control and hold onto your kids?  Join me today as I chat with Christy Nockels about this idea of surrendering our kids through various seasons. Christy has been writin...

Hey friends, today we are kicking off this year’s series that follows Christian Parenting’s brand new prayer journal, A Great Cloud of Witnesses . This is something that we look forward to every school year! If you're new here, every Monday I will share a short prayer to help you lift up your kids. Each week highlights a biblical hero of the faith, paired with Scripture-based prayers for your...

I need EVERYONE to listen to this episode! It’s the kickoff episode for this upcoming school season and you will hear about an exciting new mentor program. I feel more excited than ever to be hosting Pardon The Mess this year. I feel expectant at what God is about to do IN and THROUGH our listeners. I believe it will be a multiplying year for all of us. I prayed for God to give me direction, disce...

It’s time for another school year. I am sure you’ve shopped for backpacks and school supplies and all of the things. Have you made a plan for how you will pray for your kids this year? I would argue it’s one of the most important things you can do for your family. Today’s guest is prayer warrior, author, TV host, speaker and Bible teacher, Jodie Berdnt. She has authored a series of books entitled...

We’ve got another great episode here at Pardon The Mess with Jessica Robertson. In this conversation, Jessica shares about her journey of faith, family and the importance of adoption. She reflects on her upbringing in a Christian home, the legacy of her father-in-law Phil Robertson, and the values instilled in her family. Jessica discusses the emotional journey of adopting her son and the challeng...

One of our listeners reached out about her need for resources for her blended family. I am so glad she did! This episode is for all of those navigated blended families and stepfamilies. I learned so much through this chat with Ron Deal and hope we all lean in to gather more understanding of all of God’s beautiful families.  Ron L. Deal is a bestselling author, licensed marriage & family therap...

Do you have a daughter or son headed off to college or maybe a high school senior? This episode is for you! I gathered three college sophomores and asked them all the questions. What are your dorm tips? Study tips? Rush tips? Now, these are three girls . So, I imagine we need to do another episode with some guys - because their perspective would be different. However, so much of what they shared i...

We made it to the end of the Empty Nester Wisdom series! If you missed any of these episodes, I encourage you to go back and be sure you have a notebook. Each guest brought such wisdom and godly encouragement for all seasons of parenting, but especially the empty nest season. I’m so grateful for these women and the timing of this series. God knew I needed these chats just before I send Ella off to...

Wendy Blight is a passionate woman of God that has written numerous Bible studies and books to equip us as believers. She is on staff at Proverbs 31 and has encouraged and equipped countless moms through her career. This episode will feel like a warm embrace that only God can give.  Wendy has a unique gift of bringing grace, authentic support and deep encouragement wherever she goes. We need that...

Happy Summer folks! This is the first episode in this series that I did not cry. You’re welcome. I wanted to get super practical with this one and asked Chrystal Hurst Evans to bring her best empty nest tips for us. She shares about ways we can start training and teaching our kids to live without us. From budgeting to cooking - she explains that much of this training happens well before their seni...

We have another great episode in the Empty Nester Wisdom series with Empty Nest Coach and host of the Midlife Momma Podcast, Pamela Henkelman. It was so fun to watch her soar in this conversation and it’s clear she has a passion in this phase of motherhood. Pamela shares that this is a very sweet time of life that we can enjoy. We don’t need to dread this transition. It’s a season where we can red...

Happy Summer friends! We are continuing our series, Empty Nester Wisdom, with my friend Amy Fenton. Amy is a mom to three grown kids and she’s been serving in children’s ministry for over 30 years. She has a passion for equipping the local church and the young children that come into those doors.  Amy talks about raising three kids (two boys) as a single mom and how the local church supported them...

We have a rock star mom on the podcast today! Susan Peterson is a mom I have looked up to for years. She’s the co-founder of Relish, board member for Young Life and longtime volunteer serving Passion City Church and Illuminations. And fun little fact, she is the reason my little “ABC Scripture Cards” hit the market over 13 years ago. There are many parts of this I want every mom to hear, but make...

We have Sharon Mankin back on the podcast! You all loved her wisdom and practical help the last time she was on the podcast. From the first minute to the end, you can see why Sharon is a coach to many women. She has empathy, understanding and practical tools to help us navigate challenging seasons.  This conversation is helpful to all moms in all seasons who want to “let go” of their kids in a hea...

You all LOVED our series “Empty Nester Wisdom” from two years ago so we are bringing it back. Mentors have played such a vital role in my parenting journey. For the next two months, we are going to learn from other wise and godly moms that are just a season ahead of us. This series isn’t just for those entering the empty nest season - it’s for all moms and all stages. Get your journals ready for t...

You all LOVED our series “Empty Nester Wisdom” from two years ago so we are bringing it back. Mentors have played such a vital role in my parenting journey. For the next two months, we are going to learn from other wise and godly moms that are just a season ahead of us. This series isn’t just for those entering the empty nest season - it’s for all moms and all stages. Get your journals ready for t...

Guess who’s back? My dear friend Dana Sheheane. I wanted to get super practical as we end this school year with “best of parenting one-liners.” What one-liners do you remember from your childhood? What works in your house? We go rapid fire today and cover many topics - but you will get a taste of how we tried to keep respect a priority in our homes. We also talk about the new wave of “gentle paren...

“We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne” (Hebrews 12:2 NLT) We have spent the last few months together praying for our kids to live a life of faith. We have prayed that they would know, love, follow, and share...