A Reminder that Happy Matters with Lisa Harper
Lisa Harper joins us on Pardon the Mess with a thoughtful discussion of finding “happy” in the unlikely places. She shares how spending an extended amount of time in the book of Job gave her a new perspective on happiness. (Didn’t see that coming, right?) She reminds us that happiness is a biblical concept and explains why God wants us to be happy.
Lisa Harper is the real deal. She’s funny, honest, and shares about some of the hard places in her past and how God continues to work miracles. Oh, and you are going to love hearing about her sweet adopted daughter, Missy, and a hilarious story of Missy’s untimely use of a curse word in front of the church staff.
Lisa is a theological scholar, gifted communicator, and sought-after speaker. But what I like the most about her is that she’s just one of us! Don’t miss this one.
The Sacrament of Happy: What a Smiling God Brings to a Wounded World
Pardon the Mess Turns One
Can you believe it?
Pardon the Mess is already one year old!
We’ve had such an exciting year, and we’re so glad you’ve joined us on this wild ride. From recording a podcast in the midst of a tornado to the unbelievably inspiring advice from Bob Goff, it’s been quite the year.
Thank you for being a part of this journey with us!
Parenting is not easy, to say the least, and we love that we’re able to laugh, cry, and sometimes even yell with you during this crazy life. Most importantly, we are raising our kids to know Christ, even when it seems to be increasingly countercultural.
In honor of this birthday, we have released a very special podcast for you!
Sit back and relax (especially if you’re in the carpool line) and listen to our favorite memories from this past year.
We are so grateful for you!
Living Undaunted and Daring to Do What God Calls You to Do with Christine Caine
Hold on to your hats, people: Christine Caine is in the house!
She’s fast-talking, truth-giving, Australian-sounding and joining us today on Pardon the Mess. Christine describes herself as an Australian-born, Greek-blooded lover of Jesus and an activist, author, and international speaker.
Christine shares her very personal story of coming to terms with her identity in Christ after finding out as an adult that she was adopted. She walks us through the importance of living free from shame and fear and how she has practically worked through that in her life.
She reminds us that what others intend for harm, God uses for his good—always. And, in line with that truth, she shares how God led her to form the anti-human-trafficking organization A21.
Christine’s book, Undaunted, personally spoke to some places in my life where I realized I needed to be brave in how I answer God’s callings. I truly believe there’s a word for each of us in today’s podcast, and I encourage you to grab a copy of Undaunted.
You’re going to love Christine!
Trading Stress and Anxiety for a Life of Peace and Purpose with Rebekah Lyons
We have none other than Rebekah Lyons joining us today on Pardon the Mess. Rebekah is a national speaker and bestselling author living in Nashville, Tennessee. She’s a mom to four children and speaks honestly about the joys and challenges of raising her children, two of whom have Down syndrome. Her work has been featured on Good Morning America, CNN, the Huffington Post, and more.
Rebekah and I talk about her very personal battle of dealing with anxiety and panic attacks. She shares the four life-giving rhythms that have helped her quiet the inner chaos: rest, restore, connect, and create.
My favorite quote from our time with Rebekah is when she reminds us that “calling is where your talents and your burdens collide” and how our pain often becomes our purpose.
Rebekah is a breath of fresh air in a culture where anxiety and stress often seem to prevail. If your life feels as chaotic as mine does some days, you will be grateful to sit down, breathe deeply, and spend a few minutes with Rebekah Lyons on Pardon the Mess.
The Middle Matters with Lisa-Jo Baker
Ever felt like you’re stuck in a rut of boring, ordinary, or just routine days?
Lisa-Jo Baker is our guest today on Pardon the Mess, and she’s got a word for you!
Many of us are smack-dab in the center of (brace yourself) midlife and need some encouragement that the daily, not-so-picture-perfect moments in this middle portion of life really do all add up to the truly extraordinary life the Lord has blessed us with.
Lisa-Jo reminds us that we can be free from living up to everyone’s expectations for what a meaningful life should look like and embrace the life we are living right here and right now. She brings us practical truth for our marriages, parenting, body image issues, failures, and all the other places as we face these middle days.
Lisa-Jo is practical, funny, realistic, warm, and loves Jesus. I’m not sure what else we could possibly ask for! You’re going to get a good laugh and possibly a little bit of free therapy hearing her talk about her muffin-top picture after a school play and crying in her minivan when her son made the honor roll.
For those of us spending our days in the “middle,” this one is for you!
Links:
The Middle Matters: Why That (Extra) Ordinary Life Looks Really Good on You
Hard Rock, Faith-Filled Parenting, and an Unexpected Viral Post with John Cooper
John Cooper is about to rock your world – literally and figuratively. If you’re anything like me, you probably have not had a lot of exposure to the metal music of John Cooper and his band, Skillet. But after hearing John Cooper’s interview today, I can almost guarantee that you will be an instant fan.
Skillet has sold over 12 million albums worldwide, and their song “Monster” is one of the most streamed rock songs of all time; however, John’s interview with us has less to do with music and more so an encouragement in raising our kids, living out our witness in all places, and the importance of grounding our faith in God’s Word.
John wrote a Facebook post recently that went viral, pointedly addressing Christian influencers who have left the church, and cautioning all of us to value truth over feeling with this plea: “Let’s get back to preaching the true, unerring Word of God, and everything else will fall in line.”
I’m the newest fan of Skillet, and after you listen to Pardon the Mess today, I think you will be too!
Links in Podcast:
Facebook Viral Post: What in God’s Name is Happening in Christianity?
Skillet’s new album Victorious
The Knowledge of the Holy– A.W. Tozer
Skillet Songs John Suggestions in Podcast:
Monster
Stars
Anchor
#WeToo with Mary DeMuth
Mary DeMuth talks friendships, parenting, and her new book, We Too.
It’s such a gift to have Mary DeMuth with us today on Pardon the Mess. She’s a wife, mother of three, a blogger, a podcaster, and the author of almost forty books. Having suffered abuse as a child, her faith brought her to a place of turning her difficult past into God’s glory, allowing her to re-story her past.
We start our conversation talking about the seven deadly types of friendships and how to identify unhealthy friendships in our lives. She speaks practically and biblically on ending friendships that are not the Lord’s best for us while also giving us parenting applications as we guide our kids’ friendships.
We also talk about her latest book, We Too, a book she hopes will challenge us to fully support those around us who have been marginalized by sexual assault and abuse. She urges the church as a whole to rise up and face this evil with candor and empathy.
Links:
We Too: How the Church Can Respond Redemptively to the Sexual Abuse Scandal
Introverted Mom with Jamie C. Martin
Any introverts out there?
This episode of Pardon the Mess is for you!
Jamie C. Martin shares practical help for those who parent from a place of introversion. She also reminds us to accept our God-given personality by letting go of the false burdens and negative stereotypes we may associate with being introverted.
But wait, there’s more!
If you’re not an introvert (like me), you are very likely married to an introvert, or even raising a few introverts. Jamie shares stories from her life that help us relate and care for our introverted loved ones, appreciating their strengths while giving us practical steps for building them up and reminding them that they are more than enough.
I personally walked away with so much good information on what my introverted kids may need from me and how to parent them better. And Jamie provides great applications for our marriages, friendships, and so much more.
Spoiler alert: We talk about how our introverted children and extroverted children likely connect with God differently, and I’m guessing it will open a whole new window on understanding your kids (like it did for me).
Thank you for listening to Pardon the Mess. I’m praying that you’re blessed by our time with Jamie C. Martin today.
Links for today's podcast:
Introverted Mom: Your Guide to More Calm, Less Guilt, and Quiet Joy
Quiz: Are you an introverted or extroverted mom?
Raising Kids and Living With Identity with Priscilla Shirer
Priscilla Shirer is a wife, Bible teacher, mom, actress and so much more. There’s so much to love about Priscilla, but what always sticks with me is the way she speaks so freely and powerfully about her faith while also practically reminding us of what really matters as we go about our days.
Priscilla and I had the opportunity to talk about her life as she raises her three boys and how she builds them up with statements of affirmation. She reminds us that living in a place of knowing our true identity in Christ means that all of our decisions come from the truth. When we do that, it shifts how we live our lives.
We also get to hear about her new movie, Overcomer,and the companion book, Radiant, which speaks to women about identity. Priscilla tells us why she continues to act although she often feels ill-equipped.
Whatever you do, don’t miss the last few minutes as she talks honestly about the difficulties her family has faced the last year and gives us words of encouragement when we walk hard roads of loss and discouragement.
Links for today's podcast: