Welcome to Week 7 of our Summer of Stories series! This Summer we have been featuring stories of incredible moms that have endured significant challenges. Through these stories, we pray you will remember that God is faithful and always with you through life’s most challenging moments.

In this week’s story, you will hear from the delightful, creative and intentional Erin Burchik. She is a family friend and I have long-admired her approach to parenting. She desperately wants to enjoy each of her kids and embrace the “good ole days” of kids in the home. She will share how traveling and taking trips became a passion of hers. And she will share some super practical ways to make trips doable and affordable when you’re on a budget.

Before we get to the scoop on traveling for less, she shares her story about becoming a mom. Through many trials and some devastating financial loss, Erin has fought through doubt and frustration with God. She felt called to adopt and then it didn’t go as smoothly as she had hoped. It’s so fun to see her on the other side of this battle and see the family that God designed from the very beginning.

My favorite part is when she explains the WHY behind their family adventures. She’s not traveling to flex on Instagram or show off or waste money. She’s traveling because she wants to create memories with her kids, to carve out time to adventure together and to get out of their comfort zone. I love her approach!

In this episode, we discuss:

• Erin’s journey to motherhood - foster care and adoption
• How to find community with other adopted families
• How to exchange gifts for experiences at Christmas
• How to find creative ways to do big trips on a little budget

Enjoy!!

Courtney

Chapters

00:00

Introduction and Background

04:02

The Journey of Adoption

08:57

Building a Supportive Community

18:13

Creating Lasting Memories

20:05

Santa Bringing Christmas Trips

22:10

Maximizing Credit Card Points

25:29

Saving Thousands on Family Trips

28:21

Benefits of Traveling with Kids

30:15

Building Independence and Confidence

33:31

Enjoying Motherhood and Savoring the Moments

Connect with Pardon The Mess:

Christian Parenting

Pardon The Mess

Courtney DeFeo

Get your 2024-2025 prayer journal, A Life of Faith

Resources from today’s show:

StrongHeart

Erin’s Instagram

Erin’s travel site - Points For Families

Erin’s book - Animals of the Nativity

Erin’s book - The Bear Hug

TBRI for families that have adopted

Pardon the Mess is part of The Christian Parenting Podcast Network. As a donor funded ministry, we rely on generous supporters like you to keep this show going. If you enjoy this podcast, please consider giving a gift today. Join the Christian Parenting Legacy Builders community

When I engage with young moms, I often get asked a lot about alcohol. These women are wanting me to give them an “official answer” about how a Christian woman should handle alcohol. And I often don’t have the specific answer they want - because it is so often in the gray area. And only the person asking the question knows what’s going on under the issue.

Today’s story is about a mom that got curious about her relationship with alcohol in her early 30s. As you hear her story, you will be inspired to take an honest assessment and just get curious about your relationship with alcohol. She called it “getting sober minded.”

Although I don’t drink - I have my own vices which we discuss. I joke about my love of the phone, cookie dough and TJMaxx. If I’m honest, I often use those to outsource my comfort. This isn’t an episode for moms that drink - this is an episode for all of us.

My favorite part is when Jenn shares about the benefits of operating in a sober mind. She reminds us that being present with our kids is worth the fight. Let’s lean into Jenn’s story together and be brave enough to hear what God is nudging us to do in response.

Don’t forget to check in our Jenn’s community called Sober Sis and utilize all of the fantastic resources that are helping thousands of women become sober-minded and enjoy this life to the fullest!

In this episode we chat about:

• Jenn’s journey with alcohol and finding a sober-minded life
• How to pay attention to what God is saying to us directly
• How to get curious about areas of addiction in our lives
• How to fight for presence with our families

00:00

Introduction and Connection

02:33

Early Years and Introduction to Social Drinking

05:46

The Influence of Mommy Wine Culture

07:41

Outsourcing Comfort and Dealing with Anxiety

09:44

Questioning the Relationship with Drinking

12:30

Understanding the Mindset and Motivations Behind Drinking

19:28

Questioning Your Relationship with Drinking

21:57

Introduction: Jenn's Journey of Sobriety

25:08

The Importance of Addressing the Root Cause

28:40

Taking the First Step: Sobriety Curiosity

33:28

Shifting Mindset: Gaining, Not Giving Up

39:11

The Power of Community in Sobriety

42:59

Personal Growth and Sobriety

45:07

Conclusion: Encouragement for Moms

Connect with Pardon The Mess:

Christian Parenting

Pardon The Mess

Courtney DeFeo

Get your 2024-2025 prayer journal, A Life of Faith

Resources from today’s show:

• Sober Sis Home Page -
• ​Happy Hour Survival Guide - Free Guide
• ​21 Day Reset Challenge
• Sober Sis - Facebook
• ​Sober Sis - Instagram
• ​​Sober Sis 2024 Retreat
• ​ Look Alive, Sis! by Jenn Kautsch (book) - Little Habits, Big Faith

Pardon the Mess is part of The Christian Parenting Podcast Network. As a donor funded ministry, we rely on generous supporters like you to keep this show going. If you enjoy this podcast, please consider giving a gift today. Join the Christian Parenting Legacy Builders community

Happy July 4th!

This week’s story features my friend, Stacey Morgan, who is an astronaut’s wife! Her life is truly fascinating. Her family is currently living in the Marshall Islands which is 5 hours south of Hawaii.

Stacey honestly shares the truth about loneliness. She has had to start over multiple times as a military spouse. I love her hard truth about loneliness: we have to make the first move. She also shares how her kids are thriving as they were uprooted from the cultural norm in Texas, and now live on an island with 1,200 people total. They are learning valuable life lessons about what’s most important.

My favorite part is at the very end when she talks about her top learning as a mom of over 20 years. Her encouragement to “let go” was really timely for me. I am having trouble letting go of my oldest who is a rising senior. I need that reminder over and over again.

In this episode, we chat about:

• How to navigate marriage when you are both strong leaders
• How to start over when you move into a new city (or island! :)
• Why community matters in motherhood
• How to make friends as an adult woman
• What to do when you’re deeply lonely

Chapters

00:00

Introduction and Background

02:47

Moving to the Marshall Islands

05:58

Supporting a Spouse's Career

11:04

Living in a Small Community

15:01

Transition and Loneliness

23:57

Supporting Military Spouses and Moms

26:30

The Importance of Community for Military Families

31:16

MomCo: Supporting Military Moms

39:19

Lessons in Trust and Letting Go

44:28

The Power of Grace and Understanding in Parenting

Connect with Pardon The Mess:

Christian Parenting

Pardon The Mess

Courtney DeFeo

Get your 2024-2025 prayer journal, A Life of Faith

Resources from today’s show:

Stacey Morgan’s site

Stacey’s Instagram

Stacey’s Book: The Astronaut’s Wife

MomCo - Military Meetups

How to start an online MomCo group

Pardon the Mess is part of The Christian Parenting Podcast Network. As a donor funded ministry, we rely on generous supporters like you to keep this show going. If you enjoy this podcast, please consider giving a gift today. Join the Christian Parenting Legacy Builders community

If she wasn’t one of my best friends, I don’t know if I would believe this story. However, it is true and real and incredibly powerful. My friend, Kylie White, was fully healed from near blindness. Her story and her miracle has exploded my faith the last several years. It has given me courage to pray bigger prayers.

I will never be over what God did for Kylie. Even though I’ve heard this story many times, I heard even more details during this conversation which exploded my faith yet again. God is so good. I’m truly excited for us all to have this reminder today through Kylie’s story.

My favorite part is hearing how she got to the miracle day. Listen closely as she shares the years leading up to her miracle. Lean into what God was pressing on her heart. And let’s lean into what God wants to say to you through her story. What is He asking you to release and surrender? What miracle do you believe is too far gone?

In this episode, we chat about:

• Kylie’s miracle story and healing
• How we can trust God and lean in when we don’t understand the full story
• How to parent the pain endured with adoption
• How to love our kids unconditionally

Don’t forget to share the Summer of Stories with your friends - so that they can also be reminded that: God is good. You are not alone. And He is with you during life’s hardest moments.

Chapters

00:00

Introduction and Catching Up

03:35

Adoption and Navigating Challenges

06:45

Parenting and Unconditional Love

09:40

Experiencing a Modern-Day Miracle

28:13

Asking for Healing

30:14

Miraculous Healing

35:23

Confirmation of Healing

39:26

Orphan Prevention and Untold

42:19

Lessons Learned as a Parent

Connect with Pardon The Mess:

Christian Parenting

Pardon The Mess

Courtney DeFeo

Pardon the Mess is part of The Christian Parenting Podcast Network. As a donor funded ministry, we rely on generous supporters like you to keep this show going. If you enjoy this podcast, please consider giving a gift today. Become a Christian Parenting Legacy Builder

Resources from today’s show:

Kylie’s Instagram

Kylie’s blog

Untold - Nonprofit Kylie supports

Father’s House - Bible study by Rachel

Welcome to Week 3 of our Summer of Stories series! For the next 10 weeks, you will hear one powerful story after another. We are featuring 10 stories of incredible moms that have endured significant challenges. Through these stories, we pray you will remember that God is faithful and always with you through life’s most challenging moments.

I need everyone to take a massive deep breath before listening. And listen to the entire episode, not just the first few minutes. This is not a political episode. This is a story of one incredible mom, Amy Ford, that chose to keep her baby boy after an unplanned pregnancy and the God-sized story that followed.

My favorite part is when she shares about her love for the women that walk with the shame of abortion. She is for all women and all stories. And she walks closely with women who have endured every part of the unplanned pregnancy journey.

I am praying deeply that this story reaches an untold number of women and heals their hearts in a special way. And that we may join together and support women with unplanned pregnancies in the way God would. That we would love them deeply.

Don't forget to share this episode with women in your community that need encouragement and healing around unplanned pregnancies.

In this episode we chat about:

• Amy’s unplanned pregnancy
• Amy’s encouragement for those who live with shame of abortion
• How to create a safe and supportive church environment with unplanned pregnancies
• How to turn towards God in some of life’s biggest mistakes or struggles

Chapters

00:00

Introduction and Amy's Family

03:34

The Love Box and Volunteer Opportunities

06:08

The Rejection from a Pastor and the Healing Journey

09:21

The Impact of Amy's Story on Her Son

14:35

Creating a Safe and Supportive Church Environment

19:28

Healing and Hope After Abortion

22:26

Creating Safe Spaces in Churches for Unexpected Pregnancies

26:34

Taking Small Steps of Obedience

29:15

Celebrating Women Who Turn Towards God

Connect with Pardon The Mess:

Christian Parenting

Pardon The Mess

Courtney DeFeo

Become a Christian Parenting donor

Resources from today’s show:

Amy Ford

Embrace Grace

A Bump In Life

Love Box

Support After Abortion

For our Summer of Stories, I got the pleasure of interviewing a dear friend Rachel Faulkner Brown about her incredibly hard and beautiful life. In the first half of this episode, we talk about her journey with losing two husbands and walking that grief journey twice. She shares so much wisdom for other widows as well as practical tips for all of us enduring life’s toughest pain.

In the second half of our chat, Rachel bravely shares about their family’s most recent struggle - an eating disorder that quickly took a grip on her daughter. She provides invaluable insight and practical advice from the deeply painful journey they have walked.

My favorite part of the interview is when she shares honestly about the shame we can feel as mothers. As she watched her daughter walk through the hardest season of her life - she was also faced with a choice to hold onto that control or release her to God. We all have these moments in parenting and we can learn so much from Rachel’s incredible faith journey.

I’m so thrilled for you to get to know Rachel. She is a dear friend and a woman that has experienced God’s goodness throughout some of the deepest pain in her life. You will be inspired by her calling to pass on the love of God and hope to others’ in their darkest days.

In this episode, we chat about:

• How to practically move forward when you lose your spouse
• How to wrestle with God when horribly hard things happen
• How to lean into God when life is upside down
• How to love our kids when it’s hard and you must release control
• How to parent a child with an eating disorder

Chapters

00:00

Introduction and Background

10:46

The Importance of Honesty and Community

30:28

The Need for Aggressive Treatment

39:07

The Healing Journey and Future Hope

48:17

Prayer and Encouragement for Mothers

Connect with Pardon The Mess:

Christian Parenting

Pardon The Mess

Courtney DeFeo

Resources from today’s show:

Never Alone Widows

Father's House Bible Study

There is More podcast

Podcast with Rachel’s daughter about her eating disorder - Part 1

Podcast with Rachel’s daughter about her eating disorder - Part 1

Reverend Joanne Moody

St. Teresa of Avila Quote

Healing prayer - resource 1

Healing prayer - resource 2

Welcome to week 1 of our Summer of Stories series! For the next 10 weeks, you will hear one powerful story after another. We are featuring 10 stories of incredible moms that have endured significant challenges. Through these stories, we pray you will remember that God is faithful and always with you through life’s most challenging moments.

Today’s guest is my dear friend, Joy Phenix, who bravely shares her journey of losing her amazing son. Her story of loss and indescribable grief is so very hard to hear but oddly peaceful and sacred.

My favorite part is when she encourages us to be a student of others’ grief journey. Every single person grieves at different times and in different ways. We cannot judge our friends or family members on that journey. This takes patience and grace and understanding.

This episode is for anyone walking in grief - not just the loss of a child. All of us have seasons of tragedy and unthinkable hard times. We want to know how to trust God again and how to move forward in the midst of the pain. Joy will touch your heart in a profound way. I am deeply thankful for her willingness to share her story to help others.

In this episode we chat about:

• How to endure the indescribable journey of losing a child
• How we can help and support friends in their grief
• How to remember each person grieves differently and at unique times
• How to normalize talking about grief through the process

00:00

Introduction and Catching Up

09:16

The Power of Community in Times of Loss

15:30

Finding Hope and Healing Through Faith

28:25

Cherishing Memories and Finding Healing

34:38

Vulnerability and Trust in Difficult Times

Enjoy!

Connect with Pardon The Mess:

Christian Parenting

Pardon The Mess

Courtney DeFeo

Resources from today’s show:

Josh’s Celebration Service

Joy’s Instagram

Body Keeps The Score

Comedian Michael Jr went from living in his car to one of the most influential and talented comedians in the country. In fact, he used to open the show for Jerry Seinfeld and went on to headline his own shows. He is now sharing the stage with his wife, Ebony, as they focus on strengthening marriages across the country.

This engaging couple shares many great pieces of wisdom and insight during our episode, but I really enjoyed how they speak about conflict. It’s so easy to avoid conflict at all costs. They encourage us to utilize conflict for the greatness of marriage

My favorite part (or least favorite) was when Michael Jr. asked me to share honestly about a recent disagreement I had with Ron. He went through the list of the fruit of the Spirit to see how I was handling a specific situation. And I bombed his test. It was embarrassing, but really challenged me on how I handle conflict. I love their hearts for marriage. They have a passion to remind couples that marriage is GOOD and it does work.

In this episode, we discuss:

• How easy it is to drift in marriage when kids are in the home
• How to keep your marriage a priority and intentionally connect
• How to utilize conflict instead of avoiding it

Chapters

00:00

Introduction and Family Background

04:04

Letting Go and Trusting God with Our Children

08:54

Faith as a Consistent and Visible Part of Family Life

23:53

Merging Talents to Help Couples Find Joy in Marriage

29:19

Revealing Areas of Freedom Through Conflict

Connect with Pardon The Mess:

Christian Parenting

Pardon The Mess

Courtney DeFeo

Resources from today’s show:

Funny How Marriage Works

Assessment for your conflict resolution

Emotions Wheel

Funny How Marriage Works Tour