Loving Our Kids Like God Loves Us with Nell Bush

We’re talking all things love this February, and it’s only fitting we talk about our love for our kids!

Speaking of love, how was your Valentine’s day?

Some years, V-Day (that’s what the cool kids call it) entails fancy clothes and a night out for a steak. Other years, it’s more of the boneless wings and a Diet Coke variety.

Mine fell in the wings category this year, but I have no complaints.

As I approach close to twenty years of marriage, I’ve found that I feel most loved in the small places that receive no huge fanfare. It’s my husband’s sweet smile when he knows I’ve kept my patience after answering my toddler’s hundredth question of the hour. Or when I come home from a work event to a clean kitchen and an empty dishwasher.

After you’ve been married for a while, it’s the small things that become the big things. Don’t let them go unnoticed.

Back to loving our kids.

Nell Bush joins us today to talk about being intentional in how we show love to our kids.

We talk about practicing patience and love by accepting their inborn temperament and understanding their particular stage of development.

She also reminds us of the importance of establishing a trusting environment through routines and rituals.

And don’t miss her practical suggestions on disciplining your kids. It will give you lots to think about.

Nell is a great parenting resource, and I can’t wait for you to hear her wise words.


Social Media, Marriage, and Family with Kirk Cameron

This month, Pardon the Mess is focused on things we love, and we’re thrilled to have Kirk Cameron on the show to talk about family, marriage, faith, and raising kids. That pretty much covers all the things we love!

Kirk is best known for his 1980s portrayal of Mike Seaver in the sitcom Growing Pains. Since that time, he’s continued to act, direct, and produce films primarily in the context of his Christian faith. He’s married to Chelsea Noble (who portrayed his girlfriend on Growing Pains) and together they have six children.

Kirk visits with us today about his social media documentary, Connect, and his takeaway that we need to be relentless in connecting with our kids. We’re the first generation to raise kids with social media, and it’s important to stay current with technology and focus on our communication with our kids.

My favorite part of the interview is hearing Kirk’s heart behind why he continues to share his faith so publicly. He wants to hear the Lord say “Well done” at the end of his life, and that motivates him to continue to use his platform to tell others about his faith. He’s currently touring the country with a message that focuses on resetting our living rooms by pursuing God in our families.

Kirk is relatable, funny, humble, and godly. This is a podcast you’re going to love!

P.S. If you want to hear more from Kirk, check out his program Living Room Reset!


"You're going to be okay" with Robert J. Morgan

In today's episode, I talk to Robert J. Morgan, the author of one of my favorite books EVER, The Red Sea Rules.

It’s about the Israelites’ journey across the Red Sea and ten biblical principles for when we face difficulties in our faith.

Pastor Rob got me thinking about the difficulties I’ve faced lately, as well as the way God has helped me in and through them. Which then got me thinking about my youngest son.

When my toddler falls down, he always waits for me to pick him up and dust him off.

Even when he’s not hurt, he dramatically lays on the floor until I walk over to pick him up, dust him off, and give him a hug, telling him he’s going to be okay. And then, just like that, he’s off in a million different directions like nothing ever happened.

I’m coming off a time where I’ve needed to be dusted off. I’ve had some bumps and bruises come my way and I’ve been discouraged.

There’s just something about being helped up and assured that you’re going to be okay.

P.S. Pastor Rob just released 100 Bible Verses that Made America this week, check it out!


Hard Places in Marriage with Lysa TerKeurst

As we continue our “New Year, New You” series this January, we’ve covered topics related to our physical health, emotional health, and finances.

This week, we’re talking about marriage, and I don’t know of a better person to talk to about this important but oftentimes difficult subject. Today, we’ve got Lysa TerKeurst!

Lysa is a New York Times bestselling author, speaker, and the president of Proverbs 31 Ministries. She’s married to her husband, Art, and they have five grown children. They live in Nashville, and Lysa is passionate about helping others experience Jesus by working through Scripture in the truest and most responsible way that everyone can understand.

Lysa shares vulnerably about her marriage and finding out about her husband’s infidelity and substance abuse. Living through that and seeing God restore her marriage, she encourages us in the hard places in marriage.

What we talk about:

  • Acknowledging that the Enemy is attacking marriages and seeks to isolate us
  • The importance of marriage check-ins with our spouse
  • It’s okay to be disappointed in our marriage but the importance of redefining disappointment
  • Why we all need counseling in combination with exercising discernment
  • How to trust the Lord in the times when you can’t see his hand

She’s practical, she’s wise, and she gives us lots to consider in our marriages! Take time to listen to Lysa TerKeurst on Pardon the Mess and share it with your friends!


Money, Marriage, and More with Chuck & Ann Bentley

“Mo Money Mo Problems” —The Notorious B.I.G.

It’s not often that one quotes The Notorious B.I.G. to kick off a Christian podcast, yet his song title is all too relevant for how many of us feel when dealing with our finances. It’s not necessarily a reference to how much money we have, but just to the problems money can cause when we don’t approach it biblically.

As we continue our miniseries this January, “New Year, New You,” we’re getting down to the nitty-gritty of our finances.

Chuck and Ann Bentley are on the show today, and they know their stuff. They speak all over the world teaching biblical financial principles, doing it with grace and love. Chuck also has a daily radio broadcast and has written several books.

Here are some of the highlights of what the Bentleys shared:

  • How to redefine prosperity to line up with the Bible’s definition
  • How men and women approach finances differently
  • Being a peacemaker in your marriage when money raises tensions
  • Tips for handling debt
  • Common financial mistakes families make
  • What generosity and giving say about our priorities

My hope is that we can take an honest look at our finances today, considering how we’re stewarding what the Lord has given us and if it’s pleasing to him.

“Those who trust in their riches will fall, but the righteous will thrive like a green leaf.” —Proverbs 11:28

P.S. You can check out their book Money Problems, Marriage Solutions: 7 Keys to Aligning Your Finances and Uniting Your Hearts here as well!


Counseling Anyone? with Rebecca Leonard and Paige Mayhew

Well, excuse us for getting a little personal so early in 2020!

But life is messy, and we plan on staying true to our name and hitting some of the hard stuff in our January miniseries called “New Year, New You.”

Last week, we talked about improvements we can make in our physical health. This week, we’re discussing mental health.

If we haven’t stepped on your toes yet, there’s still time as we round out January tackling topics like our finances and marriage. Whoever said it’s rude to talk about politics and money at the table?

Well, we are at least staying away from politics. Kidding.

Today, Paige Mayhew and Rebecca Leonard join us to discuss our mental health. Both of these ladies are licensed professional counselors who just so happen to love Jesus too. Doesn’t get much better than that!

Here are some things we discussed in the podcast:

  • Overcoming the stigmas of going to counseling
  • How to know when it’s time to get help
  • Anxiety and coping strategies
  • Warning signs to look for in your kids

Take a minute and chat with us about mental health and consider where the Lord might be challenging you to work through some of the hard places facing you this year.


Faith Vs. Weight with Maria Bower

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 weight loss. Maria approaches nutrition from the perspective of how to best fuel our body to accomplish God’s kingdom work in our lives.

Discussing the “why” behind losing excess weight, Maria puts it this way:

"Like all other distractions from the devil, it is a problem that is stealing your energy from serving God, making you miserable in the process. It is time to reclaim your energy for His glory and serve His kingdom with love. This epidemic no longer needs to stop you and your family from reaching your full potential in Christ."

Maria has worked as a US Navy health care administrator and is a certified personal trainer. She’s funny, she’s direct, she’s passionate about our health, and she loves Jesus and approaches nutrition from a biblical perspective.

Food and dieting can consume our thoughts and be a tactic the enemy uses to distract us from God’s best in our lives. Let’s take a few minutes to consider God’s Word in this area and the steps we might take in 2020 to regain our energy for serving God and our families.

So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God. 1 Corinthians 10:31


Your Mess Matters with Luke Lezon

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 tackling some of the areas of life that so often become areas of resolution this time of year.

We will focus on physical health, emotional health, financial health, and more. As always, we will approach these subjects biblically and from the lens of how it best honors the Lord and impacts our parenting for his kingdom.

As we kickoff this miniseries, today we have a conversation with Luke Lezon. (Anyone who writes a book titled Your Mess Matters is a shoo-in for our podcast.) Luke shares what the proverbial mess has looked like in his life and how the Lord has been so good to turn his mess into a ministry.

Although he’s very candid in suggesting we stop praying for relief and start looking for God’s provision and faithfulness, he’s also very practical in suggesting how to best ground ourselves when we’re living in the middle of the mess (which, as parents, I might suggest is all of the time).

What a great way to kickoff January, remembering that no matter the mess we may face in 2020, we have a God who is in the business of making our mess matter for his kingdom!


You Are the Girl for the Job with Jess Connolly

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” for the job because it allows the Lord to show off his strength and power. Wow!

We talk about parenting and how emotional and complex it is raising kids. She gives us some wise words on encouraging our kids to find their place in kingdom work by creating a safe place for them to fail and also modeling, when we get knocked down, we get up again (Someone should write a song with those words).

One of my favorite quotes from this episode is when Jess says, “It’s time for us to stop trying to be the best version of ourselves. It’s time for us to stop waiting for someone to come and tell us exactly how we can use what we’ve got to change the world. Who we are and where we are today—we’re uniquely equipped to love others, and that will change the world.”

Amen and amen!