August 11, 2025 • 27 mins
Faith meets real life in this heartfelt summer catch-up episode where Jess and Steph tackle life's unexpected turns with honesty, vulnerability, and plenty of laughter.
Jess opens up about her upcoming knee replacement surgery - initially bringing tears not of relief but of concern about letting others down. After suffering with knee pain for five years, she's reached a turning point where health has become her priority. Watch out world - there's a new knee on the horizon that needs a name!
Meanwhile, Steph shares how her husband Mike's job loss became an unexpected blessing, opening the door for him to pursue certification as a home inspector - a perfect fit for his naturally curious personality. Their story beautifully illustrates how God works behind the scenes during difficult seasons, ordering our steps toward purposes we can't yet see.
Through stories of loss, transition, and unexpected joy, a powerful message emerges: God's faithfulness runs through every challenging season. For parents sending children to school or college this fall, they offer this comforting reminder: "God loves your children far more than you do."
Join Jess and Steph for this refreshingly honest conversation about finding God in life's messiness, and discover why valleys aren't dead ends—they're pathways to new beginnings God has prepared especially for you.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Jess (00:02):
Hey, welcome back, or welcome to the Jesus Fix it
podcast, the show where we talkabout life, the ups, the downs,
a little pop culture andeverything in between.
I'm Jess and I'm Steph.
Steph (00:15):
Every other week we dive into the things we're asking
Jesus to fix.
And let's be real, there's alot.
You can always count on us tokeep it real.
Jess (00:24):
Share some laughs with us and maybe a few tears, as we
tackle the big and small stuffwith faith and honesty.
So grab your coffee and let'sget into it.
Well, hey, welcome back, fam.
Steph (00:36):
She didn't want me to say well, hey no, but hey, we're
excited to be joining you.
Jess (00:44):
We're just going to apologize in advance, because it
has been so long since we had achance to sit down and hang out
with you guys.
First of all, we really missedy'all and, second of all, we're
real immature today.
Fair that is exactly it Realimmature.
I don't even know why?
Steph (01:04):
yeah, you know, but I bet , uh, I bet y'all are definitely
understanding this and relating, because you've probably it's
the end of summer, bingo andstir crazy kids at home all day
I don't like you saying it's theend of summer, I know, because
there's still a lot of summerleft, kind of it's near the end
of summer, which means, why isit?
It might potentially be gettingcomfortable outside.
(01:26):
It is fine.
It is not Okay, okay.
Jess (01:29):
I will agree that it has been, and I cannot believe I'm
saying this because I don't likeit when people say it's a
scorcher out there.
It feels so old.
Y'all, I told y'all, I don'tknow what is wrong with us today
.
Like we are, giddy we are.
I don't know what is going onwith us.
Steph (01:51):
Too much coffee?
There's no such thing as toomuch coffee.
It's really not.
But y'all.
Jess (01:56):
First of all, let me just cut in and say this Y'all, when
I had to stop and start ourrecording like two or three
times because I said hey, I sayhey all the time, steph wanted
to say hey, it's for horses.
Yes, I did.
Steph (02:11):
Every time you're like hey, I'm like in my head hey,
it's for horses.
When you're inner.
Jess (02:18):
When you let your inner thoughts take over.
Steph (02:20):
Or my inner child just comes out, or my inner child
just comes out.
Jess (02:24):
Anywho, like we were saying before I interrupted, yes
, it has been extremely hot, butI don't like cold weather at
all, so I will gladly like takethe summer heat.
I'm sorry, I feel bad foreverybody who's had to work
outside in this heat.
I don't like that.
Steph (02:44):
I don't.
Jess (02:45):
I really don't.
I have really felt for, likeconstruction workers and people
who have had to, you know.
Steph (02:50):
Landscapers.
Jess (02:51):
Landscapers.
I felt so bad for all of you.
You know people who've had todo that.
If that's been you, so sorry.
But, I personally, I will takethe heat over the ice.
Cold weather that's coming.
Don't like it, I'm so excitedfor it.
Steph (03:09):
No, I have to give you some props though, jess, because
so we're going to talk todayabout just catching up from the
summer, different things thathappened and something that was
cool as a staff, we got to gothrow our own pottery and it was
a lot of fun for some of us.
I tried, I tried, Iparticipated, she did, she did
try.
But my props are it wasprobably during that really,
(03:30):
really hot heat wave that we hadthat we went to this place.
Well, if you've ever been to apottery place, then you know
there are kilns that are dryingpottery at like 2,300 degrees
drying pottery at like 2300degrees.
So we're inside this cementbuilding, no air conditioning,
no real ventilation, with allthese ovens going, and Jess
(03:55):
actually said, oh, I might'vegotten slightly warm, and is
this how Steph feels all thetime?
I did, you did so.
I appreciate that youunderstand why in the world,
heat is terrible.
Jess (04:08):
Mm-hmm, mm-hmm.
Yeah, thank you, I did feelyour pain and this is so weird
because, well, first of all, ifyou are a fellow listening right
now, I apologize if I'm makingyou feel weird by saying this,
but I am perimenopausal rightnow.
Feel weird by saying this, butI am perimenopausal right now
(04:29):
and this is the one part ofmenopause that's not affecting
me is the hot flashes.
I'm not getting those and I'mnot bragging, I'm just saying,
yeah, you are.
Steph (04:38):
For those of us that deal with it, you're bragging.
Jess (04:41):
Everything else, like I may have like one or two
sporadically here and there,very few and far between, but
I'm usually freezing and I mean,okay, you know what the look
I'm getting right now tells me Ineed to shut up.
Steph (05:00):
No, not shut up.
That's rude.
You can just say, hey, it isfor horses, moving on, okay,
okay, just you've got some majorstuff happening soon.
Talking about things that arehappening.
Jess (05:16):
I am getting ready to have knee surgery.
I'm getting a whole new knee,y'all and we need to name it.
Why?
Because that's fun?
I don't want I don't know.
I got to really think aboutthis because, first of all, I am
so super excited.
Who gets excited for surgery?
You do, because I am so tiredof being in pain.
(05:37):
My knee has been hurting forseveral years now.
Several years now, probably forthe last five years and when I
first found out I was going tohave to have a total knee
replacement not going to lie Icried.
And I cried because you know,if you are anybody who has a lot
(05:59):
of responsibility, what's thefirst thing you think about?
Not, oh, yay, I'm going to getmyself healthy.
I've got to do this.
What's going to happen to this?
Oh well, what's this persongoing to do without me?
How long am I going to be down?
Is that not?
Steph (06:15):
pitiful, you know, but that goes to talk to how
selfless you are selfless.
Jess (06:31):
You are, I guess.
But you know, now I'm reallythankful that I am in a position
to be able to have the surgeryand focus on my health.
I'm very, very focused on myhealth right now.
I am trying to get into themode of you know what?
What happens while I'm out?
It's going to happen Once Ihave that surgery.
Then you know what it's allabout getting healthy.
(06:52):
I'm trying to get there.
I'm almost there, but I'm goingto get there.
But I will admit, once I foundout I was going to have to have
surgery, that was not my firstthought.
My first thought was oh mygoodness, how is life going to
go on if Jess is not like, comeon, life is going to happen,
(07:13):
like you know.
Yeah, it does, it keeps going.
It's going to keep goingwhether Jess is in it or not.
You know what I mean.
But yeah, so very thankful andjust praying that God would just
guide doctor's hands and that Iwould just be a good patient,
but so very excited toprayerfully not be in pain and
(07:35):
just to see what this knee isgoing to do, because the one
that I got now she is done, sheis donezo.
Steph (07:46):
Yeah, well, we're excited for you.
I mean, my goodness Y'all, whenyou see Jess out and you
Walking around the studio.
Jess (07:58):
Here we have a couple of steps.
Steph (08:00):
Hobbling yes, watching her Just try to get Okay.
The other day, oh, oh, here wego.
The other day I'm sitting at mylittle cubicle and jess came up
to walk to talk to me aboutsomething, and she was near it
and then all of a sudden shegrabs it.
Her knee had gone out on her,bless her heart.
But I was like I caught her.
(08:21):
I caught her red-handed, tryingto play it off as though it
hadn't happened.
We just sat there and cackledfor like five minutes.
Jess (08:29):
Because it's so sporadic, because it's like some days I'll
be walking a straight line andI'm like, oh, you're acting
right today, and then, all of asudden, it'll buckle and I'm
like, no, why are you going todo that?
Why are you acting up?
I don't know.
Just take care of your bodyparts.
Why you can't Wait a minute.
(08:50):
That didn't come out right, butokay, you know what, moving on,
I'll keep you posted on the newknee.
Steph (08:56):
Yeah, well, other thing that I want to keep you posted
on my husband Mike.
He lost his job at thebeginning of the summer and is
still in the process of findingone.
But God is good All the time.
Talk about some things thatJesus has fixed through this
process.
My husband Mike was always oneof those people who is super
(09:17):
loyal wherever he's at oh mygoodness, so loyal.
And he was in a grocery storefor years and years and years as
a cook.
It just was where he ended up.
It's not something that was apassion or anything, but he was
good at it.
He could do it OrganizationFabulous.
Now he's realized his realpassion and God is allowing him,
(09:38):
through these steps of losinghis job, to go into new
schooling.
He's studying to become a homeinspector.
I mean to know.
Mike is to be asked, probablylike a toddler does, all the
time well, why does this workthis way and how is that
happening that way?
I mean, like goodness, mike hasasked me why do we have hair on
(10:02):
our big toes?
I don't know, I don't know, Idon't know.
Jess (10:08):
I can see your husband asking that I can Right.
Steph (10:12):
Right.
So you know through thestruggles of losing a job, if
you've ever been in thatsituation.
Jess (10:19):
Yes.
Steph (10:20):
Wow, you know what a struggle it is, but God is so
good.
And he is taking care of us andwe are just continuing to trust
in Him through this process andit's still, you know, not a
guaranteed job once he's donewith His schooling.
There's still some more stepshe has to take, testing and
certification and all that.
(10:40):
If you've been through thatspecific, very specific niche,
then you get that.
So we're still looking forsomething that he'll be able to
land into, but praying andtrusting that by January he's
going to land into a positionand it'll be good.
Praying for you guys.
Jess (11:00):
And I love just watching your eyes light up when you talk
about your.
Yeah, thank you.
And at the time I couldn't seewhat God was doing in my life.
(11:30):
When I first lost my job I wasjust so, just hurt by the whole
situation and you know, it's notalways easy to see what God is
doing when you're right in thevalley.
But then, looking back, I seeevery step he ordered.
I see everything that he waspreparing me for.
(11:53):
I just see it all.
I see how everything cametogether.
And it really is true, you don'talways see the blessing in what
God is doing in thosecircumstances or in the valley.
Sometimes you see itimmediately, sometimes you see
it way down the road, sometimesyou see it immediately,
(12:13):
sometimes you see it way downthe road.
And during that whole season Ialways kept seeing Jeremiah 29,
11 pop up or I would see 29, 11somewhere.
I would always see thosenumbers.
And now I know God always had aplan for me during that season
and it was in that season that Istarted working at Spirit FM
(12:37):
and I'm just so grateful to lookback and see where I started
all the things that happened,because they all led up to where
I am now, and so I'm just sothankful for just how God just
orders our steps every step ofthe way, and even when you think
there's no way he could be withme in this situation, he's
(13:01):
always right there, neverleaving you.
Steph (13:03):
That's yes, no matter what.
Like.
I love that Because there aretimes where you're like, where
are you God?
Where are you?
Why did you leave me out here?
He never does, he does notleave us and when we can look
back and see those steps that hehas ordained and it's just a
(13:26):
beautiful testimony.
And your situation there oflosing the job and then getting
the position at Spirit FM andMike's position, you know
situation like while they'resimilar but different, it's so
cool because then you can talkwith someone who's walking
through that same or has walkedor just might have learned about
(13:47):
a situation.
And when somebody can have thatconversation with someone who's
specifically walked through,that is a great way to just
point them to God and say, yes,I trust this, I trust him Check
this out.
Jess (14:01):
All right.
Well, you know what else Not tolike, drastically change
subjects or anything.
And although I'm not lookingforward to a cold weather season
coming, I know we still have,you know several more months.
Don't tell me several.
Steph (14:18):
Well, I mean it's only August.
Yeah, september it should turnto nice and crisp and fall.
Jess (14:24):
Yeah, but you know, sometimes the warm weather can
go into October.
I hate to tell you that.
Steph (14:29):
But okay, I'll hold on to the butt Pumpkin spice is on
the way.
If y'all just saw this littledance that she did only from you
know, waist up because shecan't move the knee, I can't
move.
Jess (14:45):
I can't move my knee, but I can move these shoulders and
arms.
Steph (14:56):
Pumpkin spice yeah knee, but I can move these shoulders
and arms.
Pumpkin spice yeah, are you nota pumpkin spice girly?
Jess (15:00):
not at all really I don't know why.
I just can't.
Wow.
I figured you for a pumpkinspice girly.
Nope, wow, okay, you are not onthe pumpkin spice train.
I'm a pumpkin whoopie pie fan,though what is that?
Steph (15:13):
Oh girl, what is that?
Oh girl, Like the moon piethingies no, no.
They are very different Veryvery, very different.
Jess (15:23):
Oh, I think I know what that is.
Steph (15:25):
Oreo tried to do a ripoff and call them cakesters.
They are still not.
Jess (15:28):
Oh, I know what that is.
Steph (15:30):
Oh, it is like a cake like cookie I know what it is
now with made out of pumpkin andit's a little bit gooey.
I don't like that.
Okay, rude.
And then you put cream cheeseicing in the middle of it.
Jess (15:47):
Why do I want to mess up cream cheese like that?
Steph (15:50):
Oh, mm-mm, oh, it's so, I am going to make them, I'm
going to make them and I'm goingto make you eat a bite.
Jess (15:57):
You go ahead.
I did make some of these ketocheesecake things last night,
mm-hmm.
Steph (16:02):
How'd that go for you?
Wonderful, wait, you just.
You said cheesecake, yes, butyou know what a main ingredient
of cheesecake is?
Not the cake, no, not the cake.
Cream cheese, yeah.
Jess (16:15):
I love cream cheese.
Steph (16:16):
But why are you saying that putting cream cheese icing
inside a whoopie pie is messingup the cream cheese.
Jess (16:20):
It's the whoopie thing.
I like the cream cheese, I justdon't like the whoopie.
Steph (16:25):
Okay, okay.
Jess (16:31):
Moving on Okay, whoop, moving on.
Okay, whoopie pie okay, movingon what.
Steph (16:40):
I took a lot of trips to pennsylvania, so maybe that's
why I'm thinking about whoopiepies so much, because that's
where I learned about them waswhen I moved up to pennsylvania
I think that's a country thingtoo.
Jess (16:51):
Okay, yeah.
Steph (16:53):
You would know about that , being from the country.
Jess (16:55):
Was that a jab?
I don't know, it wasn't.
Steph (16:59):
But I mean, I put myself in the country area rural.
Rural is you know.
No, I'm country, okay, well seeyou own it.
Jess (17:07):
I was just making sure you weren't trying to because I
didn't take offense to it.
Steph (17:11):
Yeah right.
No, it wasn't supposed to be.
Okay, yeah.
Jess (17:16):
Just making sure Y'all.
I don't know what is wrong withus, but here we go, switching
subjects again.
You know what was really sad?
Theo passing away, oh my gosh,Y'all.
Yeah.
Okay, so we're talking aboutTheo Huxtable.
Steph (17:33):
He's gonna always be.
He will always be.
Jess (17:35):
I know he's been in a ton of different things, but he's
always gonna be Theo yeah, nomatter what, I guess we could
call him by his real name,malcolm Jamal Warner.
Again, this podcast is, youknow, much later since he passed
away back in July.
But when I forget where I was,I think I was at home and my
(18:01):
sister sent me a text and hertext message didn't say Malcolm
Jamal Warner died.
I think her text messageactually said Theo died.
And I knew exactly who she wastalking about because I was like
stop it.
Steph (18:22):
Stop the presses.
Jess (18:24):
Yes.
Steph (18:26):
Yeah, if you you know, millennials and Gen Xers
definitely grew up watching theCosby show.
Jess (18:35):
Yeah, and even my son, who is 25, we were talking about
this with him and he kind ofsympathized with us because he
was like you know, I don't youknow obviously don't feel the
loss like you know y'all do, butI did watch the Cosby show
(18:56):
reruns and so I kind of get itbecause you know he used to
watch all the reruns of you know, growing up with a Gen X or you
know he watched all the showsand so he kind of he kind of got
it.
You know what I mean, um.
But there's some science behindmourning like your favorite um
(19:17):
TV stars when they pass away andlike musicians and famous
people that you've never evenmet.
There's some science behindthat because you grow close to
them, you grow up with them andsome people you kind of feel
like they kind of help raise youand shape you.
You know what I mean.
That makes sense.
Yeah, because there were a lotof people online, um, who
(19:40):
thought that people were kind ofgoing overboard and were just
like how can you guys bemourning somebody that you don't
even really know in real life?
Steph (19:49):
they don't understand that yeah, yeah, but I yeah it's
.
You know, I think aboutprobably one of the best scenes
ever from that show.
I mean, a lot of them weregreat.
But yeah, talking aboutfinances, do you remember this
scene?
It?
Jess (20:05):
was.
Where was it when he was?
The monopoly money?
Yes.
Steph (20:10):
Theo was saying to his dad.
He's like hey, I want to moveout.
I've got like $1,000 orsomething like that.
And his dad's like, okay, well,let me take away this much
because you need that for rent.
And then he's like and whatabout utilities?
And do you plan on eating?
Well, obviously.
And then he's like and do youplan on dating?
Something like that?
And by the end of it he had nomoney left.
(20:31):
It was like, oh, real life,that's his real life.
One of the best finance lessonsever.
Jess (20:39):
Lessons.
Yeah yeah, so you just growclose to people.
I remember, do you remember,the show Growing Pains?
Oh yeah, the Seavers.
I wanted to go next door andhave dinner with them.
I feel like 90s sitcoms, 80sand 90s sitcoms.
It was just different then.
It was.
Steph (20:58):
They were like the 22-minute-esque shows and they
always had some kind of theywrapped up the whole storyline,
even if they had something thatkept going.
It was some kind of moral storyat the end of it.
Jess (21:09):
It's just so different from the way shows are now.
Do you know what I?
Steph (21:14):
mean, yeah, and it was okay if you missed an episode or
a few weeks or whatever.
It wasn't like you were totallyout of it, right, and you
completely have no idea what'sgoing on anymore, right.
Jess (21:25):
Yeah.
Steph (21:25):
But there was just something about that moral wrap
up and the compass stuff.
Yeah, it was great, yeah.
So other things in talkingabout loss, we'll stick on this
for another second.
I lost my cat Flynn.
Oh, I know, yeah, I know he hadcancer and it was a very bad
(21:46):
situation and so Mike, myhusband, and I had to make the
decision to have him pass withdignity and it was very
difficult for me, crazy to thinkabout.
Flynn was 12 years old and,other than my parents and my
brother, flynn was the onlything I had constant for 12
years, other than my parents andmy brother.
(22:08):
Like that is just kind ofmind-blowing.
I think I counted up that hehad moved 17 times.
Oh, my goodness, he lived inthree different states.
Um, like he was a well-traveledkitty had been to I call him
kitty.
He was 17 pounds but it was alovely fluff ball.
(22:29):
But you know I, I mean I'mwe're looking at getting a new
cat and maybe by the time thispodcast is out we might have one
.
And guess what?
What you get to be, auntie jess, I'm so happy I can tell you
will be.
Jess (22:44):
Oh, I'm not a fluff ball I'm not a pet owner or a big pet
person.
Right, I have a furfew.
That's my pet nephew nico.
He's my furfew, but as far aslike a big pet person, that's
not me, yeah.
Steph (22:59):
But you've seen enough videos and photos of my dog,
Penny, that you could beinterested.
Don't want to pick her up.
Jess (23:07):
She's only seven pounds.
She's tiny.
That doesn't mean I want topick her up.
I would be in the room with her.
Steph (23:12):
Oh, okay, let me text my husband now and have him bring
her.
Let me text my husband now andhave him bring her.
Jess (23:16):
Okay, calm down, but you don't want to be in the room
where it happened to have heraround.
Nico and I, actually we have anunderstanding now.
We say hello to each other.
He even.
This is his thing.
Whenever I spend the night withmy sister, he has to sleep with
(23:37):
me, oh, but he sleeps at thefoot of the bed on my feet.
He keeps my feet warm, okay,but he knows, don't touch
anything else.
Like we have an understanding,yeah, and I like that.
Like it's taken us years, penny, doesn't we?
Penny and I don't have anunderstanding yet is what I'm
saying, right, right.
(24:00):
And this new cat that might benamed pierogi, y'all don't have
an understanding yet, but we'llsee, you'll get there right,
exactly, but y'all, the factthat Jess is even willing to
meet Penny is ginormous.
Steph (24:12):
Like my mind is just blown right now, because I've
known you for almost a year andyou did just say you don't have
an understanding yet.
So that means that you'rewilling to meet Penny, but I
don't want to touch Penny?
Jess (24:22):
yeah, that's okay, she'll touch you see.
See, you know what?
We just went back another year.
None of y'all pet people comefor me, okay.
I have a past, I have a historywith a bad situation with a pet
, so don't come for me, okayit's that and that's totally
fair.
Steph (24:43):
I remember being little like I mean, well, I'm still
short, who am I kidding?
But I remember being young andlittle and getting jumped up by
a dog like a dog yeah, it's pawson my shoulders.
That was like I don't do bigdogs.
No, me neither.
I was bitten by a Doberman.
Jess (25:00):
Oh no, ma'am.
Steph (25:00):
Yeah, yeah, totally.
Jess (25:02):
Total PTSD.
It's not just me.
No, Like I don't like peoplemistreating animals Like.
We spent like 20 minutes beforewe recorded this podcast
looking at animal videos.
Yes, we did, because cats ofinstagram are amazing, but will
(25:23):
I ever own one of my own?
Probably not gonna happen.
Steph (25:25):
right me liking cold weather, better chance of that
happening I mean, I'm okaytaking on all the cats and all
the dogs that are tiny, as longas we can have the cool weather
okay, I don't okay.
Jess (25:41):
Anyway, moving right along , you know what?
Uh, actually we probably shouldwrap this episode up.
We, we just wanted to justcheck in with you, since we kind
of went on vacay hiatus for thesummer.
It was summer break, but we didwant to check back in with you
and let you know that we're back.
(26:03):
We're back, we're back.
We know you're getting back inthe routine of things and we'll
see you on the next episode, butwe did want to say for all of
you first time college moms anddads it's going to be okay.
(26:23):
I remember that time and if youare dropping off a preschooler
or a kindergartner for the firsttime, it is totally okay to cry
.
I followed my son's school busto kindergarten.
I did.
Not a proud moment.
Then I hid in the bushes andwatched him walk into the school
.
Not a proud moment, but it'sokay.
(26:44):
Okay Just wanted to say thatGod loves your children far more
than you do.
If you could even imagineanybody loving your children
more than you, it's him.
We love you.
We'll see you next episode.
Steph (26:57):
Find hope and inspiration with Jess's Daily Devotion.
More than you, it's Him.
We love you.
We'll see you next episode.
Hey, welcome back, or welcome to the Jesus Fix it
podcast, the show where we talkabout life, the ups, the downs,
a little pop culture andeverything in between.
I'm Jess and I'm Steph.
Steph (00:15):
Every other week we dive into the things we're asking
Jesus to fix.
And let's be real, there's alot.
You can always count on us tokeep it real.
Jess (00:24):
Share some laughs with us and maybe a few tears, as we
tackle the big and small stuffwith faith and honesty.
So grab your coffee and let'sget into it.
Well, hey, welcome back, fam.
Steph (00:36):
She didn't want me to say well, hey no, but hey, we're
excited to be joining you.
Jess (00:44):
We're just going to apologize in advance, because it
has been so long since we had achance to sit down and hang out
with you guys.
First of all, we really missedy'all and, second of all, we're
real immature today.
Fair that is exactly it Realimmature.
I don't even know why?
Steph (01:04):
yeah, you know, but I bet , uh, I bet y'all are definitely
understanding this and relating, because you've probably it's
the end of summer, bingo andstir crazy kids at home all day
I don't like you saying it's theend of summer, I know, because
there's still a lot of summerleft, kind of it's near the end
of summer, which means, why isit?
It might potentially be gettingcomfortable outside.
(01:26):
It is fine.
It is not Okay, okay.
Jess (01:29):
I will agree that it has been, and I cannot believe I'm
saying this because I don't likeit when people say it's a
scorcher out there.
It feels so old.
Y'all, I told y'all, I don'tknow what is wrong with us today
.
Like we are, giddy we are.
I don't know what is going onwith us.
Steph (01:51):
Too much coffee?
There's no such thing as toomuch coffee.
It's really not.
But y'all.
Jess (01:56):
First of all, let me just cut in and say this Y'all, when
I had to stop and start ourrecording like two or three
times because I said hey, I sayhey all the time, steph wanted
to say hey, it's for horses.
Yes, I did.
Steph (02:11):
Every time you're like hey, I'm like in my head hey,
it's for horses.
When you're inner.
Jess (02:18):
When you let your inner thoughts take over.
Steph (02:20):
Or my inner child just comes out, or my inner child
just comes out.
Jess (02:24):
Anywho, like we were saying before I interrupted, yes
, it has been extremely hot, butI don't like cold weather at
all, so I will gladly like takethe summer heat.
I'm sorry, I feel bad foreverybody who's had to work
outside in this heat.
I don't like that.
Steph (02:44):
I don't.
Jess (02:45):
I really don't.
I have really felt for, likeconstruction workers and people
who have had to, you know.
Steph (02:50):
Landscapers.
Jess (02:51):
Landscapers.
I felt so bad for all of you.
You know people who've had todo that.
If that's been you, so sorry.
But, I personally, I will takethe heat over the ice.
Cold weather that's coming.
Don't like it, I'm so excitedfor it.
Steph (03:09):
No, I have to give you some props though, jess, because
so we're going to talk todayabout just catching up from the
summer, different things thathappened and something that was
cool as a staff, we got to gothrow our own pottery and it was
a lot of fun for some of us.
I tried, I tried, Iparticipated, she did, she did
try.
But my props are it wasprobably during that really,
(03:30):
really hot heat wave that we hadthat we went to this place.
Well, if you've ever been to apottery place, then you know
there are kilns that are dryingpottery at like 2,300 degrees
drying pottery at like 2300degrees.
So we're inside this cementbuilding, no air conditioning,
no real ventilation, with allthese ovens going, and Jess
(03:55):
actually said, oh, I might'vegotten slightly warm, and is
this how Steph feels all thetime?
I did, you did so.
I appreciate that youunderstand why in the world,
heat is terrible.
Jess (04:08):
Mm-hmm, mm-hmm.
Yeah, thank you, I did feelyour pain and this is so weird
because, well, first of all, ifyou are a fellow listening right
now, I apologize if I'm makingyou feel weird by saying this,
but I am perimenopausal rightnow.
Feel weird by saying this, butI am perimenopausal right now
(04:29):
and this is the one part ofmenopause that's not affecting
me is the hot flashes.
I'm not getting those and I'mnot bragging, I'm just saying,
yeah, you are.
Steph (04:38):
For those of us that deal with it, you're bragging.
Jess (04:41):
Everything else, like I may have like one or two
sporadically here and there,very few and far between, but
I'm usually freezing and I mean,okay, you know what the look
I'm getting right now tells me Ineed to shut up.
Steph (05:00):
No, not shut up.
That's rude.
You can just say, hey, it isfor horses, moving on, okay,
okay, just you've got some majorstuff happening soon.
Talking about things that arehappening.
Jess (05:16):
I am getting ready to have knee surgery.
I'm getting a whole new knee,y'all and we need to name it.
Why?
Because that's fun?
I don't want I don't know.
I got to really think aboutthis because, first of all, I am
so super excited.
Who gets excited for surgery?
You do, because I am so tiredof being in pain.
(05:37):
My knee has been hurting forseveral years now.
Several years now, probably forthe last five years and when I
first found out I was going tohave to have a total knee
replacement not going to lie Icried.
And I cried because you know,if you are anybody who has a lot
(05:59):
of responsibility, what's thefirst thing you think about?
Not, oh, yay, I'm going to getmyself healthy.
I've got to do this.
What's going to happen to this?
Oh well, what's this persongoing to do without me?
How long am I going to be down?
Is that not?
Steph (06:15):
pitiful, you know, but that goes to talk to how
selfless you are selfless.
Jess (06:31):
You are, I guess.
But you know, now I'm reallythankful that I am in a position
to be able to have the surgeryand focus on my health.
I'm very, very focused on myhealth right now.
I am trying to get into themode of you know what?
What happens while I'm out?
It's going to happen Once Ihave that surgery.
Then you know what it's allabout getting healthy.
(06:52):
I'm trying to get there.
I'm almost there, but I'm goingto get there.
But I will admit, once I foundout I was going to have to have
surgery, that was not my firstthought.
My first thought was oh mygoodness, how is life going to
go on if Jess is not like, comeon, life is going to happen,
(07:13):
like you know.
Yeah, it does, it keeps going.
It's going to keep goingwhether Jess is in it or not.
You know what I mean.
But yeah, so very thankful andjust praying that God would just
guide doctor's hands and that Iwould just be a good patient,
but so very excited toprayerfully not be in pain and
(07:35):
just to see what this knee isgoing to do, because the one
that I got now she is done, sheis donezo.
Steph (07:46):
Yeah, well, we're excited for you.
I mean, my goodness Y'all, whenyou see Jess out and you
Walking around the studio.
Jess (07:58):
Here we have a couple of steps.
Steph (08:00):
Hobbling yes, watching her Just try to get Okay.
The other day, oh, oh, here wego.
The other day I'm sitting at mylittle cubicle and jess came up
to walk to talk to me aboutsomething, and she was near it
and then all of a sudden shegrabs it.
Her knee had gone out on her,bless her heart.
But I was like I caught her.
(08:21):
I caught her red-handed, tryingto play it off as though it
hadn't happened.
We just sat there and cackledfor like five minutes.
Jess (08:29):
Because it's so sporadic, because it's like some days I'll
be walking a straight line andI'm like, oh, you're acting
right today, and then, all of asudden, it'll buckle and I'm
like, no, why are you going todo that?
Why are you acting up?
I don't know.
Just take care of your bodyparts.
Why you can't Wait a minute.
(08:50):
That didn't come out right, butokay, you know what, moving on,
I'll keep you posted on the newknee.
Steph (08:56):
Yeah, well, other thing that I want to keep you posted
on my husband Mike.
He lost his job at thebeginning of the summer and is
still in the process of findingone.
But God is good All the time.
Talk about some things thatJesus has fixed through this
process.
My husband Mike was always oneof those people who is super
(09:17):
loyal wherever he's at oh mygoodness, so loyal.
And he was in a grocery storefor years and years and years as
a cook.
It just was where he ended up.
It's not something that was apassion or anything, but he was
good at it.
He could do it OrganizationFabulous.
Now he's realized his realpassion and God is allowing him,
(09:38):
through these steps of losinghis job, to go into new
schooling.
He's studying to become a homeinspector.
I mean to know.
Mike is to be asked, probablylike a toddler does, all the
time well, why does this workthis way and how is that
happening that way?
I mean, like goodness, mike hasasked me why do we have hair on
(10:02):
our big toes?
I don't know, I don't know, Idon't know.
Jess (10:08):
I can see your husband asking that I can Right.
Steph (10:12):
Right.
So you know through thestruggles of losing a job, if
you've ever been in thatsituation.
Jess (10:19):
Yes.
Steph (10:20):
Wow, you know what a struggle it is, but God is so
good.
And he is taking care of us andwe are just continuing to trust
in Him through this process andit's still, you know, not a
guaranteed job once he's donewith His schooling.
There's still some more stepshe has to take, testing and
certification and all that.
(10:40):
If you've been through thatspecific, very specific niche,
then you get that.
So we're still looking forsomething that he'll be able to
land into, but praying andtrusting that by January he's
going to land into a positionand it'll be good.
Praying for you guys.
Jess (11:00):
And I love just watching your eyes light up when you talk
about your.
Yeah, thank you.
And at the time I couldn't seewhat God was doing in my life.
(11:30):
When I first lost my job I wasjust so, just hurt by the whole
situation and you know, it's notalways easy to see what God is
doing when you're right in thevalley.
But then, looking back, I seeevery step he ordered.
I see everything that he waspreparing me for.
(11:53):
I just see it all.
I see how everything cametogether.
And it really is true, you don'talways see the blessing in what
God is doing in thosecircumstances or in the valley.
Sometimes you see itimmediately, sometimes you see
it way down the road, sometimesyou see it immediately,
(12:13):
sometimes you see it way downthe road.
And during that whole season Ialways kept seeing Jeremiah 29,
11 pop up or I would see 29, 11somewhere.
I would always see thosenumbers.
And now I know God always had aplan for me during that season
and it was in that season that Istarted working at Spirit FM
(12:37):
and I'm just so grateful to lookback and see where I started
all the things that happened,because they all led up to where
I am now, and so I'm just sothankful for just how God just
orders our steps every step ofthe way, and even when you think
there's no way he could be withme in this situation, he's
(13:01):
always right there, neverleaving you.
Steph (13:03):
That's yes, no matter what.
Like.
I love that Because there aretimes where you're like, where
are you God?
Where are you?
Why did you leave me out here?
He never does, he does notleave us and when we can look
back and see those steps that hehas ordained and it's just a
(13:26):
beautiful testimony.
And your situation there oflosing the job and then getting
the position at Spirit FM andMike's position, you know
situation like while they'resimilar but different, it's so
cool because then you can talkwith someone who's walking
through that same or has walkedor just might have learned about
(13:47):
a situation.
And when somebody can have thatconversation with someone who's
specifically walked through,that is a great way to just
point them to God and say, yes,I trust this, I trust him Check
this out.
Jess (14:01):
All right.
Well, you know what else Not tolike, drastically change
subjects or anything.
And although I'm not lookingforward to a cold weather season
coming, I know we still have,you know several more months.
Don't tell me several.
Steph (14:18):
Well, I mean it's only August.
Yeah, september it should turnto nice and crisp and fall.
Jess (14:24):
Yeah, but you know, sometimes the warm weather can
go into October.
I hate to tell you that.
Steph (14:29):
But okay, I'll hold on to the butt Pumpkin spice is on
the way.
If y'all just saw this littledance that she did only from you
know, waist up because shecan't move the knee, I can't
move.
Jess (14:45):
I can't move my knee, but I can move these shoulders and
arms.
Steph (14:56):
Pumpkin spice yeah knee, but I can move these shoulders
and arms.
Pumpkin spice yeah, are you nota pumpkin spice girly?
Jess (15:00):
not at all really I don't know why.
I just can't.
Wow.
I figured you for a pumpkinspice girly.
Nope, wow, okay, you are not onthe pumpkin spice train.
I'm a pumpkin whoopie pie fan,though what is that?
Steph (15:13):
Oh girl, what is that?
Oh girl, Like the moon piethingies no, no.
They are very different Veryvery, very different.
Jess (15:23):
Oh, I think I know what that is.
Steph (15:25):
Oreo tried to do a ripoff and call them cakesters.
They are still not.
Jess (15:28):
Oh, I know what that is.
Steph (15:30):
Oh, it is like a cake like cookie I know what it is
now with made out of pumpkin andit's a little bit gooey.
I don't like that.
Okay, rude.
And then you put cream cheeseicing in the middle of it.
Jess (15:47):
Why do I want to mess up cream cheese like that?
Steph (15:50):
Oh, mm-mm, oh, it's so, I am going to make them, I'm
going to make them and I'm goingto make you eat a bite.
Jess (15:57):
You go ahead.
I did make some of these ketocheesecake things last night,
mm-hmm.
Steph (16:02):
How'd that go for you?
Wonderful, wait, you just.
You said cheesecake, yes, butyou know what a main ingredient
of cheesecake is?
Not the cake, no, not the cake.
Cream cheese, yeah.
Jess (16:15):
I love cream cheese.
Steph (16:16):
But why are you saying that putting cream cheese icing
inside a whoopie pie is messingup the cream cheese.
Jess (16:20):
It's the whoopie thing.
I like the cream cheese, I justdon't like the whoopie.
Steph (16:25):
Okay, okay.
Jess (16:31):
Moving on Okay, whoop, moving on.
Okay, whoopie pie okay, movingon what.
Steph (16:40):
I took a lot of trips to pennsylvania, so maybe that's
why I'm thinking about whoopiepies so much, because that's
where I learned about them waswhen I moved up to pennsylvania
I think that's a country thingtoo.
Jess (16:51):
Okay, yeah.
Steph (16:53):
You would know about that , being from the country.
Jess (16:55):
Was that a jab?
I don't know, it wasn't.
Steph (16:59):
But I mean, I put myself in the country area rural.
Rural is you know.
No, I'm country, okay, well seeyou own it.
Jess (17:07):
I was just making sure you weren't trying to because I
didn't take offense to it.
Steph (17:11):
Yeah right.
No, it wasn't supposed to be.
Okay, yeah.
Jess (17:16):
Just making sure Y'all.
I don't know what is wrong withus, but here we go, switching
subjects again.
You know what was really sad?
Theo passing away, oh my gosh,Y'all.
Yeah.
Okay, so we're talking aboutTheo Huxtable.
Steph (17:33):
He's gonna always be.
He will always be.
Jess (17:35):
I know he's been in a ton of different things, but he's
always gonna be Theo yeah, nomatter what, I guess we could
call him by his real name,malcolm Jamal Warner.
Again, this podcast is, youknow, much later since he passed
away back in July.
But when I forget where I was,I think I was at home and my
(18:01):
sister sent me a text and hertext message didn't say Malcolm
Jamal Warner died.
I think her text messageactually said Theo died.
And I knew exactly who she wastalking about because I was like
stop it.
Steph (18:22):
Stop the presses.
Jess (18:24):
Yes.
Steph (18:26):
Yeah, if you you know, millennials and Gen Xers
definitely grew up watching theCosby show.
Jess (18:35):
Yeah, and even my son, who is 25, we were talking about
this with him and he kind ofsympathized with us because he
was like you know, I don't youknow obviously don't feel the
loss like you know y'all do, butI did watch the Cosby show
(18:56):
reruns and so I kind of get itbecause you know he used to
watch all the reruns of you know, growing up with a Gen X or you
know he watched all the showsand so he kind of he kind of got
it.
You know what I mean, um.
But there's some science behindmourning like your favorite um
(19:17):
TV stars when they pass away andlike musicians and famous
people that you've never evenmet.
There's some science behindthat because you grow close to
them, you grow up with them andsome people you kind of feel
like they kind of help raise youand shape you.
You know what I mean.
That makes sense.
Yeah, because there were a lotof people online, um, who
(19:40):
thought that people were kind ofgoing overboard and were just
like how can you guys bemourning somebody that you don't
even really know in real life?
Steph (19:49):
they don't understand that yeah, yeah, but I yeah it's
.
You know, I think aboutprobably one of the best scenes
ever from that show.
I mean, a lot of them weregreat.
But yeah, talking aboutfinances, do you remember this
scene?
It?
Jess (20:05):
was.
Where was it when he was?
The monopoly money?
Yes.
Steph (20:10):
Theo was saying to his dad.
He's like hey, I want to moveout.
I've got like $1,000 orsomething like that.
And his dad's like, okay, well,let me take away this much
because you need that for rent.
And then he's like and whatabout utilities?
And do you plan on eating?
Well, obviously.
And then he's like and do youplan on dating?
Something like that?
And by the end of it he had nomoney left.
(20:31):
It was like, oh, real life,that's his real life.
One of the best finance lessonsever.
Jess (20:39):
Lessons.
Yeah yeah, so you just growclose to people.
I remember, do you remember,the show Growing Pains?
Oh yeah, the Seavers.
I wanted to go next door andhave dinner with them.
I feel like 90s sitcoms, 80sand 90s sitcoms.
It was just different then.
It was.
Steph (20:58):
They were like the 22-minute-esque shows and they
always had some kind of theywrapped up the whole storyline,
even if they had something thatkept going.
It was some kind of moral storyat the end of it.
Jess (21:09):
It's just so different from the way shows are now.
Do you know what I?
Steph (21:14):
mean, yeah, and it was okay if you missed an episode or
a few weeks or whatever.
It wasn't like you were totallyout of it, right, and you
completely have no idea what'sgoing on anymore, right.
Jess (21:25):
Yeah.
Steph (21:25):
But there was just something about that moral wrap
up and the compass stuff.
Yeah, it was great, yeah.
So other things in talkingabout loss, we'll stick on this
for another second.
I lost my cat Flynn.
Oh, I know, yeah, I know he hadcancer and it was a very bad
(21:46):
situation and so Mike, myhusband, and I had to make the
decision to have him pass withdignity and it was very
difficult for me, crazy to thinkabout.
Flynn was 12 years old and,other than my parents and my
brother, flynn was the onlything I had constant for 12
years, other than my parents andmy brother.
(22:08):
Like that is just kind ofmind-blowing.
I think I counted up that hehad moved 17 times.
Oh, my goodness, he lived inthree different states.
Um, like he was a well-traveledkitty had been to I call him
kitty.
He was 17 pounds but it was alovely fluff ball.
(22:29):
But you know I, I mean I'mwe're looking at getting a new
cat and maybe by the time thispodcast is out we might have one
.
And guess what?
What you get to be, auntie jess, I'm so happy I can tell you
will be.
Jess (22:44):
Oh, I'm not a fluff ball I'm not a pet owner or a big pet
person.
Right, I have a furfew.
That's my pet nephew nico.
He's my furfew, but as far aslike a big pet person, that's
not me, yeah.
Steph (22:59):
But you've seen enough videos and photos of my dog,
Penny, that you could beinterested.
Don't want to pick her up.
Jess (23:07):
She's only seven pounds.
She's tiny.
That doesn't mean I want topick her up.
I would be in the room with her.
Steph (23:12):
Oh, okay, let me text my husband now and have him bring
her.
Let me text my husband now andhave him bring her.
Jess (23:16):
Okay, calm down, but you don't want to be in the room
where it happened to have heraround.
Nico and I, actually we have anunderstanding now.
We say hello to each other.
He even.
This is his thing.
Whenever I spend the night withmy sister, he has to sleep with
(23:37):
me, oh, but he sleeps at thefoot of the bed on my feet.
He keeps my feet warm, okay,but he knows, don't touch
anything else.
Like we have an understanding,yeah, and I like that.
Like it's taken us years, penny, doesn't we?
Penny and I don't have anunderstanding yet is what I'm
saying, right, right.
(24:00):
And this new cat that might benamed pierogi, y'all don't have
an understanding yet, but we'llsee, you'll get there right,
exactly, but y'all, the factthat Jess is even willing to
meet Penny is ginormous.
Steph (24:12):
Like my mind is just blown right now, because I've
known you for almost a year andyou did just say you don't have
an understanding yet.
So that means that you'rewilling to meet Penny, but I
don't want to touch Penny?
Jess (24:22):
yeah, that's okay, she'll touch you see.
See, you know what?
We just went back another year.
None of y'all pet people comefor me, okay.
I have a past, I have a historywith a bad situation with a pet
, so don't come for me, okayit's that and that's totally
fair.
Steph (24:43):
I remember being little like I mean, well, I'm still
short, who am I kidding?
But I remember being young andlittle and getting jumped up by
a dog like a dog yeah, it's pawson my shoulders.
That was like I don't do bigdogs.
No, me neither.
I was bitten by a Doberman.
Jess (25:00):
Oh no, ma'am.
Steph (25:00):
Yeah, yeah, totally.
Jess (25:02):
Total PTSD.
It's not just me.
No, Like I don't like peoplemistreating animals Like.
We spent like 20 minutes beforewe recorded this podcast
looking at animal videos.
Yes, we did, because cats ofinstagram are amazing, but will
(25:23):
I ever own one of my own?
Probably not gonna happen.
Steph (25:25):
right me liking cold weather, better chance of that
happening I mean, I'm okaytaking on all the cats and all
the dogs that are tiny, as longas we can have the cool weather
okay, I don't okay.
Jess (25:41):
Anyway, moving right along , you know what?
Uh, actually we probably shouldwrap this episode up.
We, we just wanted to justcheck in with you, since we kind
of went on vacay hiatus for thesummer.
It was summer break, but we didwant to check back in with you
and let you know that we're back.
(26:03):
We're back, we're back.
We know you're getting back inthe routine of things and we'll
see you on the next episode, butwe did want to say for all of
you first time college moms anddads it's going to be okay.
(26:23):
I remember that time and if youare dropping off a preschooler
or a kindergartner for the firsttime, it is totally okay to cry
.
I followed my son's school busto kindergarten.
I did.
Not a proud moment.
Then I hid in the bushes andwatched him walk into the school
.
Not a proud moment, but it'sokay.
(26:44):
Okay Just wanted to say thatGod loves your children far more
than you do.
If you could even imagineanybody loving your children
more than you, it's him.
We love you.
We'll see you next episode.
Steph (26:57):
Find hope and inspiration with Jess's Daily Devotion.
More than you, it's Him.
We love you.
We'll see you next episode.
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