This episode is for all moms raising kids of all seasons. My guest, Kim Anderson, is a Nashville therapist who began her career as an elementary teacher before transitioning to counseling. She is driven by a desire to support whole families through life's challenges. She is the founder of Elevate Moms, a faith community where mothers can heal, grow, and connect.

This super practical episode is beyond encouraging. Kim helps us think through many difficult challenges of parenting in today’s world. She focuses on the importance of emotional regulation, attunement, and setting boundaries. Our discussion covers how to navigate difficult conversations with children, the significance of understanding mental health, and the balance between advocating for children and allowing them to develop resilience.

My favorite part is when Kim encourages us to take care of our own emotional well-being to better support our children. She reminds us that being “perfect” at parenting isn’t possible. And it’s more than okay to be imperfect. I pray you will breathe a little lighter today after hearing Kim’s encouragement.

Enjoy!

Courtney

Connect with Pardon The Mess:

Christian Parenting

Pardon The Mess

Courtney DeFeo

ORDER YOUR 2026-2027 PRAYER JOURNAL NOW

Resources from today’s show:

Connect with Kim Anderson

Elevate Moms

Family Room Membership

Technology Guide (with contract)

30% is “good enough” parenting

Understanding attachment styles with David Thomas and Sissy Goff

Sign up for Morning Minute

I Can Only Imagine 2

Disciplines of Devotion Series

LearningRX

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

And when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the baby leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit, and she exclaimed with a loud cry, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! And why is this granted to me that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For behold, when the sound of your greeting came to my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her from the Lord.” (Luke 1:41–45 ESV)

There’s a beautiful scene between two relatives in Luke 1, as we read about the coming of Jesus. Elizabeth was pregnant with John the Baptist, and her cousin Mary had just been told by an angel that she would give birth to a son and he would be named Jesus, the Son of the Most High. Imagine having this kind of news and needing to process this with a friend. And it’s especially tricky when you are a virgin and learn you are expecting a child.

In Luke 1, Mary visited her relative Elizabeth to tell her the unexpected and life-changing news. At the moment she entered, the baby leaped in Elizabeth’s womb and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit.

The interesting part about this moment is Elizabeth’s joy in her response to Mary’s news. She could’ve been a little confused that her cousin had just “one-upped” her by sharing that she was pregnant with the Savior of the world. Instead, she recognized that the Lord was fulfilling his promises through Mary. It was a moment of pure support, praise, and celebration. She immediately proclaimed, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb” (Luke 1:42 KJV).

Throughout the Bible, and even in today’s culture, we see moments of jealousy and comparison. Even in Christian communities, we see jealousy and discontentment when God is blessing others. Let’s pray that our children respond to their friends just like Elizabeth did to Mary. Let’s pray that they trust the Lord with their paths and step in as the first one to celebrate with joy for their friends and family.

Jesus, when __________ has a friend or a family member who has great news, let them be the first to celebrate. Let them cast aside the feelings of jealousy and stand firmly in their own journey with God. Let them be known as friends who praise what God is doing in the lives around them.

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.

Order A Great Cloud of Witnesses today

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

She’s baaacccckkkk!!! The creator and original host of Pardon The Mess podcast, Cynthia Yanof, is back with us today. She is one of the funniest people I’ve ever met. Aside from great humor, she brings real life encouragement with biblical truth.

In today’s episode, Cynthia and I chat about what matters most in life. As we look ahead to 2026 - where can we spend our time in a way that matters? I remember many moments in life I was all worked up and stressed over things in parenting that really didn't matter. I pray you feel seen and so much needed permission to let things go after this conversation.

Cynthia shares beautiful stories about parenting, faith and friendship in a way that leaves me feeling encouraged. She has such a heart for prayer and is the reason we pray every Monday as a community. I’m super thankful for the legacy she left over here at Pardon the Mess!

Enjoy

Courtney

Chapters:

(00:00) Welcome Back and Podcast Journey

(02:30) Navigating Parenting and New Projects

(05:01) Life with Kids: Balancing Ages and Stages

(08:05) What Really Matters in Parenting

(12:19) The Importance of Rest and Margin

(13:04) Urgency vs. Importance in Parenting

(16:11) Lessons Beyond the Game

(16:27) Navigating Parenting Pressures

(18:48) The Importance of Friendship

(24:55) Faith and Love in Action

Connect with Pardon The Mess:

Christian Parenting

Pardon The Mess

Courtney DeFeo

ORDER YOUR 2026-2027 PRAYER JOURNAL NOW

Resources from today’s show:

Connect with Cynthia

Messmerized Podcast

Sidetracked Podcast

Feeding the Mouth That Bites You Podcast

How’d I Miss That? (new book) by Cynthia Yanof

Life Is Messy, God is Good by Cythia Yanof

Sign up for Morning Minute

Christian Parenting

Raising Daughters

I Can Only Imagine 2

Open a LearningRX center

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