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 rediscover our purpose and our joy. I know she will get you excited to look ahead to this new phase wit...
Jul 10, 2025•29 min
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 along the way. She had a desire for her boys to be influenced by strong Christian men - and she can ...
Jul 03, 2025•34 min
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 sure you hear her approach to the emotions of the empty nest stage. She didn’t think she would be sa...
Jun 26, 2025•28 min
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 healthy way. I am a lifelong learner and I crave wisdom from women that are ahead of me in their journey...
Jun 19, 2025•43 min
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 the next 9 weeks - they all offer some advice and encouragement worth keeping. And possibly bring a t...
Jun 12, 2025•28 min
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 the next 9 weeks - they all offer some advice and encouragement worth keeping. And possibly bring a t...
Jun 05, 2025•35 min
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 parenting” and get honest about our concerns for this approach. As a children’s pastor, Dana sees many ki...
May 29, 2025•41 min
“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 the good news of Jesus. Might I encourage you to continue in these prayers? Our job as a praying pa...
May 26, 2025•13 min
This episode was phenomenal! I think it’s my favorite episode since I started with Pardon The Mess and I’m praying this one goes far and wide. I have to shake my head that I get to talk to people that I admire so much. Lee Strobel is a renowned investigative journalist, former atheist, best selling author - who has spent his career diving into evidence that God is real. In this conversation, we chat about the supernatural realm. We dive into demons, angels, deathbed visions and much more. I shar...
May 22, 2025•33 min
“Then I heard the Lord asking, ‘Whom should I send as a messenger to this people? Who will go for us?’ I said, ‘Here I am. Send me.’” (Isaiah 6:8 NLT) We don’t know what God will call our kids to do in their lives, but we do know that he won’t call them to sit still. He will not call them to keep the good news to themselves. Whatever their profession looks like, wherever they live, whatever their interests are, or who their friends are, God will call our kids to tell people about Jesus! We are G...
May 19, 2025•9 min
Can you imagine a world where your kids had room to be kids? Where they didn’t hate learning? Where they learned the Bible, core subjects and still had time to play and create and travel? Homeschooling has come so far over the years. As the culture changes and gets further from Jesus and biblical teachings - I think it’s important to pause and just consider if this could be an option for your family. However, we all carry myths about homeschooling. Whether it’s the idea that they won’t be social...
May 15, 2025•33 min
“Sitting down, Jesus called the Twelve and said, ‘Anyone who wants to be first must be the very last, and the servant of all’” (Mark 9:35) We all want our kids to be leaders in their communities now and in the future. As followers of Jesus, we are called to see ourselves last instead of first. In fact, the Bible tells us that the first shall be last and the last shall be first. This means we lead not by positioning ourselves well, but by seeing the needs of others and meeting those needs with ou...
May 12, 2025•13 min
Have you ever heard the term “mental load” as it relates to what we carry as moms? It's the same as carrying every single thing up the stairs as your arms give way to the overload. Our minds do the same. We just snap because our minds aren’t meant to carry so much. So what do we do? How do we keep our care and responsibility high for our kids without drowning? I was delighted to talk about this issue with Emily Jensen, founder of Risen Motherhood . She’s a mom of 5, author, speaker, podcaster an...
May 08, 2025•37 min
“No, O people, the Lord has told you what is good, and this is what he requires of you: to do what is right, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God” (Micah 6:8 NLT) How do we reconcile fairness in a world that is unjust and broken? I always tell my kids, fair does not mean equal. We can’t make everything fair in the world because fairness is how we are treated individually and everyone’s wants, situations, and abilities are different. Justice goes deeper than fairness. Justice is about ...
May 05, 2025•14 min
They are back! Sissy Goff and David Thomas are back to equip us with “3 core needs for every kid.” They are always so encouraging and so very practical. The work they have done in their counseling offices has helped thousands of parents just like me. I cling to their perspective and biblical encouragement. We talk about our kids’ need for resilience, courage and relationship. We also talk about the health benefits for your kids when they have a dog. I couldn't agree more and I was the most anti-...
May 01, 2025•29 min
“Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you” (Ephesians 4:32) Compassion literally means “to suffer together.” It means that we see someone’s pain or needs and we want to help them. Jesus shows compassion over and over through scripture. We don’t need to be afraid of stepping into someone’s suffering with them. Entering into that does not mean we take on their burdens or pain, it means we offer relief and love in any way we can. But no matte...
Apr 28, 2025•9 min
Get ready to laugh! We all need some more Melissa Radkes in our lives. Melissa is not just funny - she’s a mom that is immensely talented. She’s a best-selling author, speaker and television personality. She reminds me of Seinfeld in the ways she observes everyday life and finds the amusement in it all. I don’t know about you, but I need to have moments in my everyday life to simply lighten up and enjoy it. This episode will allow you to pause and enjoy a chat about all things women. She shares ...
Apr 24, 2025•36 min
“But when you are praying, first forgive anyone you are holding a grudge against, so that your Father in heaven will forgive your sins, too” (Mark 11:25 NLT) Forgiveness is an art. We coach our kids to forgive others by modeling confession and forgiveness ourselves and by using their sibling conflicts as examples, but it takes a long time and a lot of patience. Few things are as frustrating as one child giving an apathetic, “I’m sorry” paired with an eye roll. But forgiveness is so important bec...
Apr 21, 2025•11 min
Do you have a tween? This episode is for YOU! Jonathan is one of my very favorite dads on the planet. He’s a pastor, husband, dad of one young adult, 3 teens and a one year old! You’ve heard him on Pardon The Mess before with his beautiful wife Peta Pitts as they have navigated loss together. Alena Pitts is Jonathan’s oldest daughter and someone I admire and respect so much. This father-daughter conversation is incredibly rich and entertaining. Today’s episode is a very practical one. Alena and ...
Apr 17, 2025•38 min
“Jesus said to her, ‘I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?’” (John 11:25–26) I cannot imagine a more disheartening period than the time between Good Friday and Easter Sunday. The Jewish people waited so long for a Messiah and Jesus’ disciples found him and followed him! They dropped their entire lives to learn from him and spread his message. And then, in their lack...
Apr 14, 2025•9 min
Have you ever felt like you are too far gone? That some things in your life are too broken for God to fix? In this week’s episode with Meshali - we start out talking ranch and pimento cheese and then dive into the freedom that she has experienced with her painful story and God’s glory. Meshali is a photographer, speaker, author, amazing aunt and friend to many. Dive in and enjoy a really honest chat about restoration. When you meet Meshali, you might assume she’s always been so lighthearted and ...
Apr 10, 2025•43 min
“You will be enriched in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God” (2 Corinthians 9:11) Jesus gave his life so that we could live ours fully and God wants us to give and give generously and joyfully as a response to that. Generosity is more than giving money, especially for our kids! We can and should give generously with our talents and time as well. It may feel small to help greet people at church, mow a neighbor...
Apr 07, 2025•13 min
Happy April Pardon The Mess Family! Do you have a fellow mom that always calls you higher? I have been friends with Kirsten for over 20 years and she is that kind of mom friend. When we catch up, we get to our priorities fast. And that’s what you hear about today - her priorities and how to make some progress in those. Kirsten is a wife to retired NFL player Benjamin Watson, mom of 7 beautiful children, advocate, speaker, author and dear friend. Benjamin and Kirsten have been on before - you can...
Apr 03, 2025•38 min
“In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven” (Matthew 5:16) Salt and light are often spoken about together and it seems like an odd pairing, but Jesus shared these two things for a reason! Salt and light give life. When we pray that our kids are the salt of the earth, we pray that our kids have a faith that is enticing to others and long-lasting. The world will tell our kids that it is better to live a life apart from ...
Mar 31, 2025•12 min
From the reality TV show “Married to Jonas” to becoming a mom to postpartum to a viral blog and recently a cancer journey - Dina’s story reminds us all that God will never leave us. I’m so thankful I had the chance to get to know Dina and her incredible story. She feels like a mom I would meet at the park and then I’d want to sit for hours and laugh and cry. Dina is the REAL deal! Although, I booked her on this podcast to chat about cooking and the power of family dinner - God took us on a turn....
Mar 27, 2025•44 min
“Jesus called out to them, ‘Come, follow me, and I will show you how to fish for people!’” (Matthew 4:19 NLT) When Jesus tells his future disciples that he will make them fishers of men, I don’t think he was envisioning them sitting in a boat waiting for bites. To be a successful fisherman, you have to go where the fish are hungry and cast your net (or your line). Jesus planned to use his disciples to draw people to him. He needed them to go to where the people were hungry for hope and share his...
Mar 24, 2025•12 min
It’s not everyday you get to interview someone that disconnected in an extreme way. Carlos Whittaker wanted to really test his attachment to his phone and learn from the power disconnecting. So he went to live in an Amish community, in a monastery, and then did life at home without a device. His lessons are so powerful about how to reconnect with the ones we love most. When we recorded this episode, Carlos had just recently lost his father and was about to speak at his funeral. Many people have ...
Mar 20, 2025•32 min
“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:6–7) The Greek word for anxiety means “cut up into pieces.” So when we feel anxious we feel cut up or divided, and if you’ve ever struggled with anxiety, it can really feel like that! But Jesus wants us to bring him our cut-up pieces becaus...
Mar 17, 2025•10 min
Grace Valentine is BACK! You all absolutely loved the first episode and you will love this one even more. Grace is a firecracker for Jesus. That’s what a grandma would say - but it’s so true. She comes in with such energy and truth that will just fire you up. She is a speaker, author and podcast host and is impacting thousands of young women around the world. On today’s episode we talk about all things FRIENDS. Friendships are just hard, not just for young girls for us as women. Grace has bible-...
Mar 13, 2025•37 min
Depending on how old your kids are, the idea of praying for their future spouse and family may feel like a stretch. But even if your child is currently toddling around your house playing with blocks and eating cheerios, it’s never too early to start praying for their future family. Maybe it’s easier to imagine if your kids are older, but at some point in the future, your child will more than likely go and create their own family to lead. As believing parents, we all desire our kids to lead their...
Mar 10, 2025•10 min
