Merry Christmas to you all! I hope this is such a special week for your family to celebrate the birth of Jesus. What a thrill to interview my youngest daughter and give you a chance to get to know her better. I’m a little biased, but this girl is one special human. I love learning from her!

She gives her advice on friendships, ways to parent teens, importance of mentoring and much more. She also shares some practical tips from lash serum to our Nuuly obsession.

My favorite part is when she reminds us to offer grace to our kids. I needed this reminder that they need a break from the pressure and expectations. They need to know we will offer grace when they mess up.

Merry Christmas!!

Courtney

Chapters:

(00:00) Introduction and Background

(02:59) Beauty Tips and Favorites

(06:00) Fashion and Shopping Preferences

(08:55) Family Values and Relationships

(11:52) Advice for Middle Schoolers

(12:23) The Challenges of Junior Year

(13:03) Understanding Dyslexia and Learning Differences

(14:42) Sibling Relationships and Transitions

(16:57) College Aspirations and Pressures

(17:52) Faith Development Through Camp Experiences

(20:29) Maintaining Faith in Everyday Life

(23:19) The Importance of Mentorship and Role Models

(26:20) The Importance of Mentorship in Parenting

(27:50) Navigating High School: Advice for Parents

(32:06) Spiritual Growth and Personal Reflection

(34:00) Words of Wisdom for Moms and Teens

Connect with Pardon The Mess:

Christian Parenting

Pardon The Mess

Courtney DeFeo

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Resources from today’s show:

Babe Lash Serum

Black Rock - Sugar Free Sunrise

Nuuly link for $30 off

Dwell Bible in a Year

Support Christian Parenting

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

The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told. (Luke 2:20)

In the Christmas story, the angel of the Lord announced Jesus’s birth to some lowly shepherds who were minding their own business, watching over their sheep. It seems like an unlikely group, but their response is a perfect example of a life of faith.

The shepherds were rightfully afraid of the angel, but they immediately said, “Let’s go . . . see” (Luke 2:15). The Bible says they hurried off and found Mary, Joseph, and the baby. Then they spread the word because they could not contain this big news! And when they had told as many people as they could, they came back to Mary and Joseph and praised God for everything they had seen and heard.

Let’s remember that response this Christmas: Let’s go learn more, let’s tell everyone about it, and let’s praise God for all he has done! It sounds easy enough, but we all know there are barriers to spreading the good news of Jesus: peer pressure, distraction, embarrassment, and self-doubt, just to name a few. But if we just move past those things, we can share the hope of Jesus with our hurting world, just as we were meant to do!

Let’s pray that our kids will always be proud and ready to share about Jesus, knowing that the news of our Savior is too good to keep to themselves!

Father God, thank you for sending your son as a baby to rescue our broken world. Help __________ to internalize the good news of Jesus and be so excited that they have to tell others! Keep our family’s hearts and minds on you this Christmas season. Amen.

If you love this episode and don’t have your copy of A Great Cloud of Witnesses yet, it’s not too late to get yours! Go ChristianParenting.org to get your copy and follow along. And don’t forget to tune in to Pardon the Mess every Monday for more prayer episodes.

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Pardon the Mess is a part of the Christian Parenting Podcast Network. For more information visit www.ChristianParenting.org

What a thrill to interview my oldest daughter and one of her very best friends. Ella and Landry have been friends since 3rd grade and it’s so special to hear from two young women that are keeping their faith a priority in college. I ask them about their “favorites” from tennis shoes to rom-coms and then we get into some more serious topics.

My favorite moment is when I ask each of them, “What is God teaching you right now?” I was blown away by their answers and also felt so thankful that they are both engaged in their college church communities. Ask your kiddos that question this Christmas break and let them share about their faith. I am always astounded when I learn how much depth and wisdom is in these teens. They are wiser than you know.

You also don’t want to miss my opening story about an “elf on the shelf” adventure gone wrong. I am still feeling a little rattled from it.

00:00 Introduction and Guest Introductions

07:05 High School Experiences and Advice

10:02 Navigating Junior Year Challenges

14:54 Senior Year Reflections and Relationships

18:26 Maintaining Faith in High School

23:35 Parental Guidance and Support

25:37 Navigating High School Dynamics

26:56 Understanding Teen Communication

28:04 The High School Experience: Challenges and Growth

30:51 Transitioning to College Life

33:35 Building Friendships in College

37:48 Spiritual Growth and Lessons Learned

43:18 Legacy of Love: Lessons from Grandmothers

Connect with Pardon The Mess:

Christian Parenting

Pardon The Mess

Courtney DeFeo

ORDER YOUR 2026-2027 PRAYER JOURNAL NOW

Resources from today’s show:

Ella’s new sneakers - Back 70

Yahtzee Game

Nertz Game

Quiplash (on Apple TV)

New Morning Mercies devotional