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PODCAST

Pardon the Mess with Courtney DeFeo - Christian Motherhood, Biblical Parenting, Raising Christian Kids

Courtney DeFeo and Christian Parenting

As parents, we know raising kids is the opposite of neat and tidy. Each day brings wins, losses and valuable lessons. Pardon the Mess is a place where we discuss parenting and faith in a biblical, approachable and relatable way. We may cry and laugh while we learn and grow together in our beautiful mess. Pardon the Mess is a part of the Christian Parenting Podcast Network. To find practical and spiritual advice to help you grow into the parent you want to be visit www.ChristianParenting.org

kids & family parenting

All Episodes

37:42

How to stop “overthinking” with Jon Acuff

Pardon the Mess with Courtney DeFeo - Christian... ·

2025/03/06

Do you spend time overthinking? I sure do, but can honestly say it’s gotten way better over the years. This episode is dedicated to my small group of senior girls. They were telling me that “overthinking” is taking them down for so many days. That conversation had me pondering about the topic and I wanted to help them with this struggle. So, I got Jon Acuff back on the podcast to help me wrestle through it.Jon Acuff writes the most relatable books with common struggles in our daily lives. He’s an

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8:22

BONUS: Follow: A Biblical Worldview

Pardon the Mess with Courtney DeFeo - Christian... ·

2025/03/03

“Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect” (Romans 12:2 NLT)On top of these difficult conversations, our kids are growing up in a world that increasingly values individual truth over God’s truth; a world where everyone is encouraged to “live their truth.” But, the Bible tells the story of God’s plan for his people; and as

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39:47

For the parents of special needs kids with Jessica...

Pardon the Mess with Courtney DeFeo - Christian... ·

2025/02/27

Did you know that Pardon The Mess is a part of the Christian Parenting Podcast Network? There are 29 podcasts for Christian parents within our network. Our guest today, Jessica Hurlbut, is the co-host of the popular Full Spectrum Parents podcast, a faith-based podcast for parents who are raising kids with autism.I learned so much from Jessica today and I know you will too. Whether you are raising a child with autism, down syndrome, learning disability or any other special needs diagnosis - you will

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8:35

BONUS: Follow: Seek His Wisdom

Pardon the Mess with Courtney DeFeo - Christian... ·

2025/02/24

“If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking” (James 1:5 NLT)The Bible tells us that God is generous in sharing his wisdom with us—all we have to do is ask for it. Even more, he won’t rebuke us or be disappointed in us when we ask for his wisdom, he wants to give it to us! (James 1:5). We should never be embarrassed to ask God for help or instructions!As Christians, we get to lean on the Holy Spirit and apply his wisdom to every area of our

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40:15

Mean Girls & Mom Wounds with Melanie Shankle

Pardon the Mess with Courtney DeFeo - Christian... ·

2025/02/20

Do you have daughters? Do you have some mom wounds? Are you facing some “mean girl” moments as you raise your daughters? Then, you cannot miss this one.I’m always amazed at the way Melanie Shankle cuts through the clutter of life and gets to the core of the issue. She’s one of my very favorite moms out there - I have always read her books, learned from her journey, admired her faith and soaked up her wisdom. It can be really tricky to walk through your own junk and past while raising your own kids

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12:39

BONUS: Follow: Understand God’s Discipline

Pardon the Mess with Courtney DeFeo - Christian... ·

2025/02/17

“My son, do not despise the Lord’s discipline, and do not resent his rebuke, because the Lord disciplines those he loves, as a father the son he delights in” (Proverbs 3:11–12)Because we love our kids and want what’s best for them, we want them to grow up to be well-rounded, healthy, successful, godly people, so we establish boundaries in their lives and we reinforce them when they are broken. We explain why certain rules exist and how to act in social situations. We correct. We talk. We talk some

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40:48

How to talk to your kids about sexual integrity with...

Pardon the Mess with Courtney DeFeo - Christian... ·

2025/02/13

Raise your hands if you are excited about talking with your teen about sexual integrity? Not me. These are hard, but necessary conversations we must have with our kids. I have the very best voices in this area, Jim Burns and Erin Mashaw, on the podcast today.In this episode, we discuss the complexities of parenting, particularly in relation to sexuality and communication. We talk about the importance of early education on sexual integrity, the challenges posed by the purity culture and the need for

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16:35

BONUS: Follow: Spiritual Gifts

Pardon the Mess with Courtney DeFeo - Christian... ·

2025/02/10

“God has given each of you a gift from his great variety of spiritual gifts. Use them well to serve one another” (1 Peter 4:10 NLT)One of our strong desires as parents is for our kids to find a place of belonging in the world. We want our kids to know that who they are and what they have to offer is important and valuable, and spiritual gifts are one of the ways God empowers us to find belonging and purpose in the world. Helping our kids discover and use their spiritual gifts well will help them see

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42:10

Are you overparenting? With Steph Thurling

Pardon the Mess with Courtney DeFeo - Christian... ·

2025/02/06

This week’s episode is packed with insights and practical advice for navigating the complexities of parenting during the middle school years. I’m joined by Steph Thurling, and together we dive into balancing love, independence, and the continuous learning process of parenting.Here are four key takeaways from this episode:Parenting evolves as children grow, and middle school years often require creative ways to re-engage with your kids. Allowing children to experience failure helps them develop

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8:56

BONUS: Confession

Pardon the Mess with Courtney DeFeo - Christian... ·

2025/02/03

“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9)Confession is not something that we are typically very comfortable with. No one likes to admit when they do something wrong, especially when it’s something hurtful or will cause someone to feel disappointed in them. Confessing is vulnerable, it’s revealing, and sometimes it’s just downright embarrassing. But like it or not, confession is part of following Jesus.But when

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42:21

How can I stay consistent in parenting this year?...

Pardon the Mess with Courtney DeFeo - Christian... ·

2025/01/30

Have I mentioned lately how much I love my church and pastor? Ron and I feel really grateful that we found a home at Compass Church. Drew Sherman (lead pastor at Compass) and his amazing wife Michelle are on the podcast today. It all started with a sermon that he preached at the beginning of the year that was SO GOOD! Even Larson remarked that it was her favorite sermon he has ever done. We are talking about the idea or the issue of: CONSISTENCY. And more specifically, how can we be consistent in

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8:34

BONUS: Follow: Treasures in Heaven

Pardon the Mess with Courtney DeFeo - Christian... ·

2025/01/27

“Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be” (Matthew 6:21 NLT)Most of us make it a priority to teach our little kids the difference between wants and needs. “No, you don’t need a new Lego set, you want a new Lego set.”“I know you don’t want to help clean the house, but you need to.”Owning things and wanting things is not a bad thing in itself. What is bad is putting those things before following God. Jesus tells us very clearly that we cannot serve two Gods, meaning we

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39:18

How do I balance sports, family and faith? with...

Pardon the Mess with Courtney DeFeo - Christian... ·

2025/01/23

Are you raising athletes? Are you struggling with how to best support them? Are you thinking about how their faith impacts their sport - or informs their sport? We have two experts today on the podcast, Elisabeth and Sarah Hasselbeck - both are wives of former NFL players and moms of D1 athletes. Listen to this episode with the entire family. Maybe sports is a place of disagreement in your family and this could open up some healthy dialogue with your spouse and children. Sarah and Elisabeth share

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13:25

BONUS: Follow: Deny Themselves

Pardon the Mess with Courtney DeFeo - Christian... ·

2025/01/20

“Then Jesus said to his disciples, ‘Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it’” (Matthew 16:24–25)Denying ourselves might involve taking an inventory of those things we hold more important than God. This might mean choosing between two good things, doing something we don’t really want to do, or giving something up. Mostly, denying ourselves means

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35:43

Devices, Dopamine and how to help our families with...

Pardon the Mess with Courtney DeFeo - Christian... ·

2025/01/16

I took a break from social media in December, and I could not believe the difference in my mood and clarity. This episode is not here to guilt us as parents - but to equip us! My guest, Niro Feliciano, is a psychotherapist, mom of four kids and regular contributor on The Today Show. She speaks in a language we can understand. She shares about brain science and how the dopamine high/low pattern is really impacting the moods and wellbeing of our children (and us). I saw Niro’s reel on the “dopamine

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9:27

BONUS: Follow: The Good Shepherd

Pardon the Mess with Courtney DeFeo - Christian... ·

2025/01/13

“I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me—just as the Father knows me and I know the Father—and I lay down my life for the sheep” (John 10:14–15)Throughout scripture, Jesus is referred to not just as a good shepherd, but as the good shepherd. On top of all the things mentioned above, Jesus would and will lay down his life for his sheep. Not only that, but the good shepherd cares so deeply for every single sheep that he will leave the 99 to chase down one. In Luke 15, a shepherd

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50:08

Navigating health and hormones with Dr. Edie Wadsworth

Pardon the Mess with Courtney DeFeo - Christian... ·

2025/01/09

This summer, I ran into a Pardon the Mess listener and asked her how I could support her parenting journey on this podcast. She said, “All of my friends talk about health and hormones every day. It’s a real struggle.” I did not disagree. Maybe it’s middle age or the fact that we have TONS of information overwhelming us on social media - but the topic of women’s health is often overwhelming. For many years, I have run on empty and taking care of myself last. Anyone else relate to this

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11:17

BONUS: Love: Trusting Jesus

Pardon the Mess with Courtney DeFeo - Christian... ·

2025/01/06

“Trust in the Lord and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture. Take delight in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart” (Psalm 37:3–4)We have probably all been hurt by trusting someone or something too much. As believing parents, we know that there is something better for our kids when they put their trust in Jesus. Trusting Jesus means surrendering every part of our stories to him and knowing that his plans are good. Even if he feels far away at times, he cares for us and

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54:19

How to avoid parent burnout with Drew McClure

Pardon the Mess with Courtney DeFeo - Christian... ·

2025/01/02

Happy New Year!!!I cannot believe it’s 2025. I've been thinking about this year for a long time because it’s the year my first child graduates from high school. Well, that went fast!Today’s episode is a special one for me, but also insanely practical for all of us. We have my brother, Drew McClure, on the show today to talk about “parent burnout.” Is it just the life of a mother to feel utterly exhausted all the days of our lives? Is there a way to have more energy? Better energy? Focused

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11:39

BONUS: Love: Make God a Priority

Pardon the Mess with Courtney DeFeo - Christian... ·

2024/12/30

“But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well” (Matthew 6:33)As we inch towards a new year, many of us are considering our goals and priorities. Some of us are coming up with our word of the year. That seemed to be the trend that started a few years back—pick one word to focus on for the entire year. I’ve heard people choose words like love, intentional, joy, courage, prayerful.But what if our word was simply, God?What would our year look like

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