- When your kid is the quiet one
In this episode, Scarlet Hiltibidal dives deep into the unique challenges and joys of raising quieter children. As a mother of four, she reflects on her own experiences and the nuances of loving a child who may not express themselves as openly as others.
Scarlet shares her thoughts on the struggles of parenting a child who is more internal and reserved. She opens up about her desire to connect with her quieter daughter, emphasizing the importance of understanding their unique personalities.
"I love her so much. And I don't want to change her, but I want to know her and I want to be close to her... What does it look like for me to love her well with how [God] made her?"
Scarlet identifies the contrast between her own expressive nature and her daughter's quiet disposition, leading her to question how she can best support her.
Special thanks to Scarlet’s internal, former quiet kid Aubrey Fuhrman, who shares her journey growing up as the more reserved sibling, shedding light on the internal struggles that often go unnoticed.
Both Scarlet and Aubrey discuss practical ways to foster connection with quieter children, including the importance of patience, listening, and creating safe spaces for them to express themselves. Their shared experiences highlight the value of embracing differences in personality and understanding that each child requires a tailored approach to love and support.
As you navigate parenting, consider the unique traits of your quieter children and how you can celebrate their individuality while forging a deeper bond.
Scripture Focus:
- Psalm 139:13-16
Connect with Scarlet
If this episode encouraged you, would you take a minute to subscribe, leave a review, and share it with another mom who's trying to faithfully point her kids to Jesus. You can connect with Scarlet on Instagram and find her books, Bible studies, and more encouragement at scarlethiltibidal.com
Connect with Pardon The Mess:
Prefer video? This episode is on YouTube!
Resources:
Get your copy of our latest prayer journal and join Scarlet each Monday to listen to guided prayer and reflection that follows the journal: Faith in Action: Prayers from James for the Next Generation
Pardon The Mess is a part of the Christian Parenting Podcast Network. For more information visit www.ChristianParenting.org
Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy31m - Nov 12, 2026 - Week 9: Quick to Listen, Slow to Speak
My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires. (James 1:19–20)
This week, let’s pray that our kids:
• Become people who listen well—first to God’s Word, and then to the people around them.
• Grow in patience, humility, and wisdom as they learn to respond more like Jesus.
This episode continues our series through Christian Parenting's Faith in Action: Prayers from James for the Next Generation, a 38-week prayer journal to help you pray intentionally for your kids all school year long. Grab your own printed copy here, and join us every Monday through the end of May for guided prayer and reflection.
Pardon the Mess is a part of the Christian Parenting Podcast Network. For more information visit www.ChristianParenting.org
Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy11m - Nov 9, 2026 - Parenting happy kids when your heart feels sad
Scarlet Hiltibidal shares her personal journey of dealing with sadness and how her faith helped her find hope and healing. She discusses practical ways for moms to handle their emotions while raising happy kids, even when their hearts feel heavy.
In this episode, you’ll hear about dealing with sadness and emotional struggles as a mom, the importance of bringing feelings to God through prayer, how biblical figures like David model emotional honesty, balancing genuine sadness with joyful parenting, the significance of community and Scripture in healing, and practical steps for moms to process grief and joy.
Scripture Focus:
- Psalm 34:17-18
- Romans 12:9-15
Connect with Scarlet
If this episode encouraged you, would you take a minute to subscribe, leave a review, and share it with another mom who's trying to faithfully point her kids to Jesus. You can connect with Scarlet on Instagram and find her books, Bible studies, and more encouragement at scarlethiltibidal.com
Connect with Pardon The Mess:
Prefer video? This episode is on YouTube!
Resources:
WinShape Camps Carpool Conversations Podcast
Get your copy of our latest prayer journal and join Scarlet each Monday to listen to guided prayer and reflection that follows the journal: Faith in Action: Prayers from James for the Next Generation
Pardon The Mess is a part of the Christian Parenting Podcast Network. For more information visit www.ChristianParenting.org
Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy30m - Nov 5, 2026 - Week 8: See God’s Goodness
Don’t be deceived, my dear brothers and sisters. Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of all he created. (James 1:16–18)
This week, let’s pray that our kids:
• See God’s goodness everywhere in their life.
• Respond to God and his goodness with thankfulness and humility.
This episode continues our series through Christian Parenting's Faith in Action: Prayers from James for the Next Generation, a 38-week prayer journal to help you pray intentionally for your kids all school year long. Grab your own printed copy here, and join us every Monday through the end of May for guided prayer and reflection.
Pardon the Mess is a part of the Christian Parenting Podcast Network. For more information visit www.ChristianParenting.org
Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy11m - Nov 2, 2026 - I feel like I’m constantly correcting my kids
Parenting little kids can feel like an endless cycle of correction. You’re saying “no,” breaking up fights, reminding, redirecting, and wondering if you’re doing any of it right.
In this episode, Scarlet Hiltibidal talks about the exhaustion of feeling like the “bad cop” and the temptation to believe that if we just parent well enough, we can make our kids patient, kind, self-controlled, and spiritually mature. But the fruit of the Spirit isn’t something we can manufacture in our children. It’s the work of God in them over time.
Special thanks to Jacie Laweson, who joined Scarlet in this week’s Messy Mom Moment, talking about the realities of parenting littles and how impactful finding a mentor mom has been!
If you’re in the thick of little kid chaos and wondering, Does this ever end? This episode is for you. You will not always feel this way.
Scripture Focus:
- Galatians 2:22-23
Connect with Scarlet
If this episode encouraged you, would you take a minute to subscribe, leave a review, and share it with another mom who's trying to faithfully point her kids to Jesus. You can connect with Scarlet on Instagram and find her books, Bible studies, and more encouragement at scarlethiltibidal.com
Connect with Pardon The Mess:
Prefer video? This episode is on YouTube!
Resources:
NiRV Question & Answer Bible for Kids
WinShape Camps Carpool Conversations Podcast
Get your copy of our latest prayer journal and join Scarlet each Monday to listen to guided prayer and reflection that follows the journal!
Faith in Action: Prayers from James for the Next Generation
Pardon The Mess is a part of the Christian Parenting Podcast Network. For more information visit www.ChristianParenting.org
Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy26m - Oct 29, 2026 - Week 7: Resist Temptation
When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; but each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death. (James 1:13–15)
This week, let’s pray that:
• Our kids have a faith strong enough to flee from temptation.
• Our kids have a heart that turns to God when they fall.
• We, as parents, would also be quick to forgive and to model for our kids the joy of regular confession.
This episode continues our series through Christian Parenting's Faith in Action: Prayers from James for the Next Generation, a 38-week prayer journal to help you pray intentionally for your kids all school year long. Grab your own printed copy here, and join us every Monday through the end of May for guided prayer and reflection.
Pardon the Mess is a part of the Christian Parenting Podcast Network. For more information visit www.ChristianParenting.org
Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy11m - Oct 26, 2026 - I don’t know how to teach my kids to repent
What does it actually mean to teach our kids to repent?
In this episode, Scarlet Hiltibidal talks about why repentance is one of the most important things we can teach our children, and why it has to be about so much more than getting them to say “sorry.” We want our kids to stop hiding and defending sin, and rather to confess it honestly, and turn toward Jesus.
Scarlet shares from her own experience as a mom, along with Scripture’s vision for repentance, to help us think about how we can model it in our homes. She talks about the difference between an apology and genuine repentance, why our kids need to see us repent too, and how confession can lead to the joy, peace, freedom, and nearness to Jesus we were made for.
Special thanks to Caroline Saunders, who shared so much wisdom in today’s Messy Mom Moment. Caroline Saunders is a writer, Bible teacher, pastor's wife, and mother of three who believes in taking Jesus seriously and being un-serious about nearly everything else. Learn more about what the Bible says about clothing in Caroline's recent tradebook, But What Do I Wear?: The Biblical Story of Clothing, How It Helps Us Think About Getting Dressed, and Approximately Seventeen Stories I May Regret Telling. Find her writing, resources, and ridiculousness at WriterCaroline.com and on Instagram @writercaroline.
Scripture Focus:
- 2 Corinthians 7:8-11
- Isaiah 6
Connect with Scarlet
If this episode encouraged you, would you take a minute to subscribe, leave a review, and share it with another mom who's trying to faithfully point her kids to Jesus. You can connect with Scarlet on Instagram and find her books, Bible studies, and more encouragement at scarlethiltibidal.com
Connect with Pardon The Mess:
Prefer video? This episode is on YouTube!
Resources:
Caroline Saunders’ latest book: But What Do I Wear?: The Biblical Story of Clothing, How It Helps Us Think About Getting Dressed, and Approximately Seventeen Stories I May Regret Telling
Podcast episode Scarlet mentioned with “the Elizabeth story!”
Book: You’re the Worst Person in the World
NiRV Question & Answer Bible for Kids
WinShape Camps Carpool Conversations Podcast
Get your copy of our latest prayer journal and join Scarlet each Monday to listen to guided prayer and reflection that follows the journal!
Faith in Action: Prayers from James for the Next Generation
Pardon The Mess is a part of the Christian Parenting Podcast Network. For more information visit www.ChristianParenting.org
Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy38m - Oct 22, 2026 - Week 6: Stay Focused on Jesus
Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him. (James 1:12)
This week, let’s pray that our kids:
• Keep their eyes focused on Jesus.
• Rely on him to help them persevere through all of life’s trials.
This episode continues our series through Christian Parenting's Faith in Action: Prayers from James for the Next Generation, a 38-week prayer journal to help you pray intentionally for your kids all school year long. Grab your own printed copy here, and join us every Monday through the end of May for guided prayer and reflection.
Pardon the Mess is a part of the Christian Parenting Podcast Network. For more information visit www.ChristianParenting.org
Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy9m - Oct 19, 2026 - Siblings, only children, and the family we build
What does it look like to love our kids well when they are all so different from each other? What does it look like to pursue community when you’re raising an only child?
In this episode, Scarlet Hiltibidal talks about siblings, only children, adoption, personality differences, and the ways God uses our families to teach us how to love.
In this episode we talked about how…
- Genuine love comes from being loved by Jesus, not from effort alone.
- Parents should model prayer and dependence on God.
- Children are always growing and not fully mature, so we can’t expect them to have loving each other well down pat. We are all growing into Christ-likeness.
- Love and patience in parenting are rooted in understanding God's love for us.
- Practical parenting involves asking God for guidance and leading by example.
A special shoutout to Stori Nix, who joined in for the Messy Mom Moment to share what it’s like to raise an only child and what the Lord has taught her through it.
Scripture Focus
Romans 12:9–18
Connect with Scarlet
If this episode encouraged you, would you take a minute to subscribe, leave a review, and share it with another mom who's trying to faithfully point her kids to Jesus. You can connect with Scarlet on Instagram and find her books, Bible studies, and more encouragement at scarlethiltibidal.com
Connect with Pardon The Mess:
Prefer video? This episode is on YouTube!
Resources:
All Kinds of Weather by Abbey Wedgeworth
NiRV Question & Answer Bible for Kids
WinShape Camps Carpool Conversations Podcast
Get your copy of our latest prayer journal and join Scarlet each Monday to listen to guided prayer and reflection that follows the journal!
Faith in Action: Prayers from James for the Next Generation
Pardon The Mess is a part of the Christian Parenting Podcast Network. For more information visit www.ChristianParenting.org
Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy41m - Oct 15, 2026 - Week 5: Find Identity in Christ
Believers in humble circumstances ought to take pride in their high position. But the rich should take pride in their humiliation—since they will pass away like a wild flower. For the sun rises with scorching heat and withers the plant; its blossom falls and its beauty is destroyed. In the same way, the rich will fade away even while they go about their business. (James 1:9–11)
This week, let’s pray that our kids:
• Know and embrace their identity in Christ.
• Live humbly because of their faith, not valuing possessions
over people.
This episode continues our series through Christian Parenting's Faith in Action: Prayers from James for the Next Generation, a 38-week prayer journal to help you pray intentionally for your kids all school year long. Grab your own printed copy here, and join us every Monday through the end of May for guided prayer and reflection.
Pardon the Mess is a part of the Christian Parenting Podcast Network. For more information visit www.ChristianParenting.org
Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy8m - Oct 12, 2026 - How do I know when protection becomes overprotection?
As moms, we want to protect our kids from pain, disappointment, failure, and suffering. But where is the line between helping our kids and keeping them from learning, growing, and trusting God for themselves?
In this episode, Scarlet Hiltibidal talks about the tension between stepping in and letting our kids experience hard things.
Special thanks to our guest on today’s Messy Mom Moment, Christine Hoover (more about her and where you can find her books and Bible studies below!)
Scripture Focus:
- Psalm 121
- John 16:33
Learn more about Christine Hoover!
Christine Hoover serves as the women’s ministry associate at The Austin Stone’s Northwes tcongregation. She has written seven books, including Messy Beautiful Friendship, How to Thrive as a Pastor’s Wife, and You Are Not Forgotten, as well as two Bible studies on Matthew and 2 Corinthians. Christine is married to Kyle, a pastor at The Austin Stone, and they have three boys. You can find her at her website.
Connect with Scarlet
If this episode encouraged you, would you take a minute to subscribe, leave a review, and share it with another mom who's trying to faithfully point her kids to Jesus. You can connect with Scarlet on Instagram and find her books, Bible studies, and more encouragement at scarlethiltibidal.com
Connect with Pardon The Mess:
Prefer video? This episode is on YouTube!
Resources:
Scarlet’s Favorite Christine Hoover book: You are Not Forgotten
NiRV Question & Answer Bible for Kids
Raising Spiritually Strong Kids
WinShape Camps Carpool Conversations Podcast
Faith in Action: Prayers from James for the Next Generation (Get your copy of our latest prayer journal and join Scarlet each Monday to listen to guided prayer and reflection that follows the journal.)
Pardon The Mess is a part of the Christian Parenting Podcast Network. For more information visit www.ChristianParenting.org
Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy34m - Oct 8, 2026 - Week 4: Believe Without Doubting
But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. Such a person is double-
minded and unstable in all they do. (James 1:6–8)
This week, let’s pray that our kids:
• Can keep their minds singularly focused on the Lord and all the good things he does for us.
• Are confident that God will give them what they truly need when they ask in faith.
This episode continues our series through Christian Parenting's Faith in Action: Prayers from James for the Next Generation, a 38-week prayer journal to help you pray intentionally for your kids all school year long. Grab your own printed copy here, and join us every Monday through the end of May for guided prayer and reflection.
Pardon the Mess is a part of the Christian Parenting Podcast Network. For more information visit www.ChristianParenting.org
Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy7m - Oct 5, 2026 - When you’re carrying motherhood without a partner
What do you do when motherhood feels like it’s all on you?
In this episode, Scarlet Hiltibidal offers Scripture-based encouragement for moms who feel alone in the work of raising their kids. Whether you’re a single mom, a military spouse whose husband is deployed, or simply walking through a season where you feel like you’re carrying more than you can handle, you don’t have to carry it by yourself.
Scarlet talks with Rossi Tidwell about her experience navigating motherhood while her husband is deployed, the unique challenges of parenting without your spouse beside you, and the ways God is meeting her in this season. Together, they talk about the importance of building a community, asking for help, praying honestly, and trusting that God is present and providing even when circumstances feel overwhelming.
Thank you, Rossi, for joining the show today! And listeners, please be praying for her family this year!
Scripture Focus:
- The scripture focus for this episode was an encouragement to study God’s Word fully and in context, as well as an encouragement to turn to the psalms
Connect with Scarlet
If this episode encouraged you, would you take a minute to subscribe, leave a review, and share it with another mom who's trying to faithfully point her kids to Jesus. You can connect with Scarlet on Instagram and find her books, Bible studies, and more encouragement at scarlethiltibidal.com
Connect with Pardon The Mess:
Prefer video? This episode is on YouTube!
Resources:
All Kinds of Weather by Abbey Wedgeworth
Get your copy of our latest prayer journal and join Scarlet each Monday (beginning September 14th) to listen to guided prayer and reflection that follows the journal: Faith in Action: Prayers from James for the Next Generation
Pardon The Mess is a part of the Christian Parenting Podcast Network. For more information visit www.ChristianParenting.org
Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy32m - Oct 1, 2026 - Week 3: Ask God for Wisdom
If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all
without finding fault, and it will be given to you. (James 1:5)
This week, let’s pray that our kids:
• Learn to seek God’s wisdom in every situation.
• Grow in trust, starting with the little things so that when big decisions come they’re ready to rely on him fully.
This episode continues our series through Christian Parenting's Faith in Action: Prayers from James for the Next Generation, a 38-week prayer journal to help you pray intentionally for your kids all school year long. Grab your own printed copy here, and join us every Monday through the end of May for guided prayer and reflection.
Pardon the Mess is a part of the Christian Parenting Podcast Network. For more information visit www.ChristianParenting.org
Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy7m - Sep 28, 2026 - When being a mom and having a job feels overwhelming
In this episode, Scarlet Hiltibidal talks honestly about the overwhelm that can come with being both a mom and a working woman. Instead of offering another list of ways to do it all, Scarlet points us to the grace of God, the goodness of our limits, and the freedom that comes from trusting Him with what we cannot control.
Together, we’ll consider how to recognize when we’re carrying more than God has asked us to carry, how to rest in His provision, and how to stop borrowing tomorrow’s worries. Because we don’t have to be everything for everyone, we can receive God’s grace for today and trust Him with the rest.
Special thanks to Christian Parenting’s own Steph Thurling (who hosts The Christian Parenting Podcast) for sharing her experience as a mom who works!
Scripture Focus:
- Matthew 6:25-34
Connect with Scarlet
If this episode encouraged you, would you take a minute to subscribe, leave a review, and share it with another mom who's trying to faithfully point her kids to Jesus. You can connect with Scarlet on Instagram and find her books, Bible studies, and more encouragement at scarlethiltibidal.com.
Connect with Pardon The Mess:
Prefer video? This episode is on YouTube!
Resources:
Check out The Christian Parenting Podcast with Steph Thurling
Get your copy of our latest prayer journal and join Scarlet each Monday (beginning September 14th) to listen to guided prayer and reflection that follows the journal: Faith in Action: Prayers from James for the Next Generation
Pardon The Mess is a part of the Christian Parenting Podcast Network. For more information visit www.ChristianParenting.org
Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy31m - Sep 24, 2026 - Week 2: Endure Trials with Joy
Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. (James 1:2–4)
This week, let’s pray that:
• Our kids view trials and struggles as an opportunity to lean on God and grow closer to him.
• We resist the temptation to fix every problem in our kids’ (or our own) lives.
• Instead of giving our kids an easy path, God gives them joy in the middle of their struggles.
This episode continues our series through Christian Parenting's Faith in Action: Prayers from James for the Next Generation, a 38-week prayer journal to help you pray intentionally for your kids all school year long. Grab your own printed copy here, and join us every Monday through the end of May for guided prayer and reflection.
Pardon the Mess is a part of the Christian Parenting Podcast Network. For more information visit www.ChristianParenting.org
Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy8m - Sep 21, 2026 - The Beauty and Brokenness of Foster Care and Adoption
In this episode of Pardon the Mess, Scarlet Hiltibidal brings on her friend, Laura Jenz, to talk honestly about both sides of foster care and adoption: the joy, the grief, the attachment, the loss, the unexpected relationships, and the ways God meets us right in the middle of all of it.
Laura has three biological children, fostered several, and then adopted two out of foster care. Thank you, Laura, for sharing your story!
Our dream for this episode is that it would demystify the process and be a resource for moms interested in stepping into foster care and adoption, whether that be in their own families, or supporting families in their lives who are caring for these children.
In this episode, we talk about:
- The beauty and brokenness that come with foster care and adoption
- The grief and loss that are part of every adoption story
- Loving a child while recognizing that their story began long before they came into your family
- Why foster and adoptive parents need the support of their communities
- What the gospel tells us about being welcomed into God's family
Scripture Focus:
- Romans 8:22-23
- Ephesians 1:4-5
- James 1:27
Connect with Scarlet
If this episode encouraged you, would you take a minute to subscribe, leave a review, and share it with another mom who's trying to faithfully point her kids to Jesus. You can connect with Scarlet on Instagram and find her books, Bible studies, and more encouragement at scarlethiltibidal.com.
Connect with Pardon The Mess:
Prefer video? This episode is on YouTube!
Resources:
Get your copy of our latest prayer journal and join Scarlet each Monday (beginning September 14th) to listen to guided prayer and reflection that follows the journal: Faith in Action: Prayers from James for the Next Generation
Pardon The Mess is a part of the Christian Parenting Podcast Network. For more information visit www.ChristianParenting.org
Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy27m - Sep 17, 2026 - Week 1: Fully committed to God
Today we are kicking off this year's series that follows Christian Parenting's brand new prayer journal. Inspired by the book of James, Faith in Action: Prayers from James for the Next Generation is a 38-week prayer journal designed to help you pray intentionally for your children all school year long.
Each week includes a short devotional, Scripture passage, guided prayer, and space to write your own prayers as you ask God to help your kids develop a faith that stays strong through every season. Invest in your child's spiritual future one prayer at a time, and join thousands of parents & grandparents who are praying boldly for the next generation to know, love, and follow Jesus!
In week one, we're starting in James 1:1: "James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, To the twelve tribes scattered among the nations: Greetings."
Let's pray that our kids:
- Fully understand that God's grace cannot be earned, only received as a free gift through Jesus's work on the cross.
- Live in such a way that their actions reflect a deep, active faith in him.
- Commit their whole lives to God's will, walking in obedience wherever he leads.
If you'd like to follow along you can get your printed copy here, and be sure to join us here on the podcast every Monday through the end of May for guided prayer and reflection that follows the journal!
Pardon the Mess is a part of the Christian Parenting Podcast Network. For more information visit www.ChristianParenting.org
Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy11m - Sep 14, 2026 - Cultivating a joyful home
What makes a home joyful?
It’s probably not a spotless house, perfectly behaved children, or a mom who never gets overwhelmed. In this episode of Pardon the Mess, Scarlet Hiltibidal talks about what it looks like to cultivate a home marked by joy.
Scarlet shares a personal story about her grandmother, Grandma Marlene, and her mom, and the “irrational exuberance” they brought into everyday life. Their ability to delight in ordinary things taught Scarlet something about the kind of atmosphere she wants to cultivate in her own home.
But biblical joy isn't something we manufacture by trying harder to be happy. The joy of the Lord is our strength. Our joy ultimately comes from knowing who God is and what He has done for us in Christ.
Scarlet talks about the difference between creating a happy home and cultivating a joyful one—and offers practical ways moms can make room for delight, celebration, laughter, repentance, and grace in their families.
Thank you, Shari Wilson, for joining us on this week’s Messy Mom Moment, to share your wisdom about cultivating a joyful home!
Scripture mentioned:
Nehemiah 8:1–12
Nehemiah 8:10
Galatians 5:22–23
Connect with Scarlet
If this episode encouraged you, would you take a minute to subscribe, leave a review, and share it with another mom who's trying to faithfully point her kids to Jesus. You can connect with Scarlet on Instagram and find her books, Bible studies, and more encouragement at scarlethiltibidal.com.
Resources:
Get your copy of our latest prayer journal and join me each Monday (beginning September 14th) to listen to guided prayer and reflection that follows the journal: Faith in Action: Prayers from James for the Next Generation
Connect with Pardon The Mess:
Prefer video? This episode is on YouTube!
Pardon The Mess is a part of the Christian Parenting Podcast Network. For more information visit www.ChristianParenting.org
Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy25m - Sep 10, 2026 - I don’t know how to fight the lies I believe
Motherhood can make us believe some pretty convincing lies.
I’m messing up my kids.
Everyone else is doing this better than I am.
If my child is struggling, I must be failing.
I need to be a better mom before I can feel okay about myself.
In this episode of Pardon the Mess, Scarlet Hiltibidal brings the listeners in, talking about the specific lies you might easily believe about yourself, your children, and your motherhood—and what happens when we start answering those lies with the truth of God’s Word.
Rather than trying to become moms who never struggle with fear, comparison, guilt, or insecurity, we can learn to recognize the lies we're believing and bring them into the light of Scripture. The gospel reminds us that our identity isn't determined by how well we parent, how our kids behave, or how we compare to the mom next to us. Our hope is in Jesus, who has already done what we could never do for ourselves.
Scarlet also shares practical ways to fight these mental battles with biblical truth, remembering that God's grace meets us right in the middle of our messy motherhood.
Thank you, listeners, for being part of this week’s “Messy Mom Moment” by sharing (via Scarlet’s Instagram question) the lies you battle.
Scripture Focus
- Ephesians 2:8-9
- 1 Corinthians 3:6-7
- Romans 8:1
- Galatians 6
- Hebrews 12
Connect with Scarlet
If this episode encouraged you, would you take a minute to subscribe, leave a review, and share it with another mom who's trying to faithfully point her kids to Jesus. You can connect with Scarlet on Instagram and find her books, Bible studies, and more encouragement at scarlethiltibidal.com.
Resources:
Get your copy of our latest prayer journal and join me each Monday (beginning September 14th) to listen to guided prayer and reflection that follows the journal: Faith in Action: Prayers from James for the Next Generation
Connect with Pardon The Mess:
Prefer video? This episode is on YouTube!
Pardon The Mess is a part of the Christian Parenting Podcast Network. For more information visit www.ChristianParenting.org
Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy31m - Sep 3, 2026
