Jesus Fix It with Jess & Steph!
Life is beautiful, crazy, messy and ever-changing. Thank the Lord, Jesus can handle it all! Jesus Fix It with Jess & Steph is about finding your way through the clutter; and perhaps having some laughs along the way. The Christian walk doesn’t always come wrapped in nice pretty packaging, so count on us to keep it real.
You can listen to Jesus Fix It on the Spirit FM website, the Spirit FM APP, and wherever you enjoy your podcasts.
The Jesus Fix It podcast with Jess & Steph, brought to you by Your Encouraging Spirit FM.
Jesus Fix It with Jess & Steph!
I've Got All My Sisters With Me
Celebrating Women's History Month by honoring the remarkable women who've shaped both world history and our personal journeys. From Susan B. Anthony securing our right to vote to Rosa Parks standing firm for justice in 1955 to Amelia Earhart breaking aviation barriers in 1932, these historical trailblazers remind us of the relatively recent struggles women faced for basic rights and opportunities.
But perhaps more powerful than these renowned figures are the personal heroines who've shaped our individual stories. We share touching stories about women like "Miss Shirley," who despite tremendous hardship radiates joy and embodies the phrase "I don't look like what I've been through," and "Lisa," who became a crucial mentor during those difficult adolescent years when parental guidance was automatically rejected. These women—alongside the grandmothers who prayed for us, the mothers who supported us, and the friends who spoke truth to us—have formed the backbone of our faith journeys and personal development.
The devastating power of negative words can't be overstated, especially for young women navigating their identities. Childhood comments can leave wounds we carry for decades, which is precisely why strong female mentors who speak life and truth become so crucial. They help counter the destructive messages that bombard us daily. We explore how women can better support one another, particularly in divisive areas like politics, where women who've fought twice as hard to earn their positions sometimes resort to tearing each other down rather than modeling respectful disagreement.
Ecclesiastes reminds us that "Two are better than one; if either falls, one can help the other up." This Women's History Month, let's celebrate by intentionally supporting the women in our lives, creating space for meaningful connection, and speaking words that build up rather than tear down. Your encouragement might be someone's turning point.
Hey, welcome back, or welcome to the Jesus Fix it podcast, the show where we talk about life, the ups, the downs, a little pop culture and everything in between. I'm Jess and I'm Steph.
Speaker 2:Every other week we dive into the things we're asking Jesus to fix. And let's be real, there's a lot. You can always count on us to keep it real.
Speaker 1:Share some laughs with us and maybe a few tears, as we tackle the big and small stuff with faith and honesty. So grab your coffee and let's get into it. It's Women's History Month, so, guys, you are welcome. Please stick around. Stick around, we're going to be talking about powerful women and let's support each other. Yes, it's so important. Yes and again, guys, please stick around for this, because there is a woman in your life who needs to be supported your mom, your sister, your wifey, aunts, nieces daughters, coworkers, coworkers. Okay.
Speaker 2:Yes, all right. Important, influential, influential women. I was trying to think like what are some people that we know um? How about Susan B Anthony?
Speaker 1:yes, okay, thank you, miss Susie okay. I probably shouldn't refer to her as Miss Susie.
Speaker 2:She is way more important than that but if you're on a personal basis with her, she might might be Miss Susie.
Speaker 1:I wish I could have met her and said thank you. Because of her I can go cast my vote.
Speaker 2:Yes, absolutely. How about Rosie, the Riveter Rosie?
Speaker 1:the Riveter? Yeah, that's not Rosa Parks. Who is Rosie the Riveter? Should I know Rosie the Riveter?
Speaker 2:Rosie the Riveter became a symbol of women's empowerment and contributions to the war effort. Thank you, Rosie. You've seen, I know you've seen her. She's the woman with her arm up, oh with the fist, yes, the fist, and she has the cute real bright red lipstick and the cute little polka dot and the jacket chambray or whatever. Yeah, that's Rosie the Riveter. That's Rosie the Riveter.
Speaker 1:That's Rosie the Riveter. I didn't know that was her official title. Yeah, oh, my goodness, I feel so bad for not knowing that was her actual title.
Speaker 2:It's all good. I dressed as her one year for a fun dress-up thing because I had red lipstick.
Speaker 1:She's such a baddie, but she is, yeah, okay. Well, since I mentioned her, we're just going to say Miss Rosa Parks, yes.
Speaker 2:Oh, my goodness.
Speaker 1:Miss Rosa stood on business. She is the epitome of don't grow weary from doing good.
Speaker 2:Oh man, that is so true. Okay, yes, and you know, think about her pivotal moment happened in 1955. Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1:It is so awesome that we can talk about her still and it seems like 1955 was so long ago. But if you think about it, it really wasn't.
Speaker 2:It really wasn't yeah.
Speaker 1:Yeah, thank you, miss Rosa, okay.
Speaker 2:How about Amelia Earhart? Okay, miss Amelia Mm-hmm. Yeah, breaking some major barriers. Yeah, she was the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic, and this happened in 1932.
Speaker 1:Okay, that was a little while ago it was, but can I just say, for somebody who was afraid to even be a passenger on a plane for the longest time Girl, yeah, girl, yeah yeah.
Speaker 2:That is amazing. That is super cool. I would love to have my pilot's license, but I've never. I would not. I've thought about trying to study for it and then I thought, nope.
Speaker 1:But you know, what's so amazing is, I've never been on a plane where there was an all-lady crew but, I've seen the videos and pictures on Facebook where there have been all-women crews for flights, and that's so amazing because this probably wasn't even possible like eons ago. Like who would have thought that there was a pilot, co-pilot and all of the flight attendants was all like. That may not have even been possible without these other women who paved the way for that and that's yeah, that's a huge.
Speaker 2:I mean, you have to do your due diligence whenever you're getting into whatever position is, but those people that help you out, that help you along the way and say I believe in you and I believe that you can do this, yeah.
Speaker 1:And let's not forget about mom oh, thank you and aunties who believe in us and grandmamas who prayed. Because I feel like I am alive today and doing things today because I had a grandmama who prayed for me. I think I am still thriving today because of my grandmama's prayers, so we can give it up for those women in our lives who believed in us, who still believe in us, those women in our lives who mentored us, those women in our lives who introduced us to Jesus. Yeah, to have an inspirational woman in your life doesn't mean they had to go out and do these big things that the world knows about. It can be that woman in your life who spoke truth to you that woman in your life who's prayed over you.
Speaker 2:That is an influential woman, Someone who poured into you Jess. Who is that person for you, oh?
Speaker 1:my goodness, so many. I'm going to have to start with my mom, of course, but definitely on the spot it's going to be You're welcome One, one so many.
Speaker 1:But one lady is Miss Shirley from church, Okay, and she probably doesn't even know what an inspiration she is to me, but she's so mild-mannered, she's always put together and just somebody that you would just look at and think, oh, she's got it going on, not a care in the world. But I first met her in a small group and when she started speaking and sharing her story she's been through some things, but she's one of those people that is really the epitome of I don't look like what I've been through, and just her sharing her story and she still had a smile on her face. She actually reminds me of my grandma because even though she's been through these awful things and she's got like this big story, she's still able to smile and say, but God, and I'm still here, and I don't, because she's not expecting this, I don't want to air all of her things.
Speaker 1:But I will tell you, she's been through so much and still able to smile and say, hey, I'm still here, because it's so easy to have this woe is me attitude. It's so easy to say like I've been through this, why should I go on? But she doesn't. She smiles every single day. You know what I mean. I absolutely love that and it's so encouraging. And on the days when I feel like, oh my goodness, I just want to lay in bed, on the days I feel like I just want to curl up in a ball, I try to think of her, I try to think of my grandma, because they had so many reasons to quit going and they just clung to their faith and they just said, but God, and they had this joy, that unspeakable joy we talk about. They had that and that just inspires me so much.
Speaker 2:That is wonderful. I would love to meet this Miss Shirley sometime.
Speaker 1:Yeah, she's so, oh my goodness, just such an inspiration, yeah, yeah, what about you?
Speaker 2:I think of when I was in middle school yeah, middle school, some things going on in my family, my nuclear family, that my parents were really paying attention to my brother a lot because he needed some additional assistance. And in our middle school youth group this lady came in and her name's Lisa and she just clung to everybody and loved on people in a big way. And she had just graduated from college and moved to where we were and I remember going up to her at the very first youth meeting that I'd ever seen her at. She had this sweatshirt on and it said Camp Bunce. I'm like, well, what's, where's that?
Speaker 1:like that was literally me like I just walked up to her, I'm like bunts. Yeah, oh, I thought she said buns like buns of still no something. I mean that'd be nice, but no, I'm bunts, bunts.
Speaker 2:Okay, not, not bunt, but bunts. Okay, we digress. Okay, strong women, they're gonna tell you about their bunt cake.
Speaker 2:If you get that reference, you are my people okay so anyways, walked up to her, said, what is this, camp bunce? And she's like, oh, that's my last name. Oh, okay, it was just a personalized sweatshirt, but it, you know, sparked a conversation and I'm well, I don't know like 12, 13, 14, I think, right around in that age range. And from that moment, god just said this is your person right now, this is someone who you need to have pour into you. I mean now, years later, I can look back on it and see all of these moments where Lisa was in my life for a reason, because I needed a strong female to help me along, because at that age you are not listening to your mom.
Speaker 1:No, You're not. No, she is the adversary. Exactly, she is the ops Yep.
Speaker 2:Nope, nope. So Lisa was that person for me and she was one who pushed me in so many ways. In great ways. She loved and worked at camps where she was hanging in the trees. That was her thing, that was her job, and she's like come on, we're going to go hang in the trees for a while and just do ropes courses.
Speaker 2:Oh, literally, yeah, literally no quite literally, okay, quite literally, and I'm like you know, I'm this chonky middle school girl and I'm just like, okay, I'm not even sure that I can climb up this tree because it doesn't have a ladder, it has staples. I was going to say I probably wouldn't be able to. Yeah, no, but she pushed me and like pushed my physical boundaries of things that I could do, because it was helping me. See, I can physically do some of these things that people were telling me no way could you ever do that because of my physical makeup. And she said I don't care, you're going to do this and I'm going to help you with it.
Speaker 2:She stretched my faith. She was a Bible study leader for us and so many moments where she just was like, look, you are a child of God, you are an important person, god loves you, you were made in his creation. And I can think back on these times and again, as a middle school girl, the things that you are told that are the lies that you are told to believe. Having a strong female in your life is just so important. And that's who Lisa was for me.
Speaker 2:And I mean I remember here's a funny story she was staying with me over a weekend time that my parents were away with my brother and I wasn't old enough to drive yet. I could have stayed by myself, but I couldn't drive, so I couldn't get anywhere. And so she stayed with me and she had a five speed car and I was trying to learn how to drive a five speed and she's like, yeah, come on, we're gonna, we're gonna go. I'm like I don't even have my permit, like you know, to me the idea was cool, but I'm like I can't do that. Little angelic, you know polish my halo on the top of my head. She's like come on, we're gonna do it. We drove up and down the streets and she's like, yep, now pop the clutch, let's get out of first gear. I'm like, okay, and then. And then whiplash later we were able to go a little bit.
Speaker 1:But it's like Definitely with the whiplash, oh man.
Speaker 2:But yeah, I just think back and so fondly on her because she was one of those people that, especially at such a pivotal time in my life, she said I see you and I'm going to pour into you because you are important and you are worth more than what you're seeing.
Speaker 1:Listening to you tell the story about literally climbing the trees of something that pretty much just about every inspirational woman in history probably heard before they became these powerful women that we know you can't do this.
Speaker 1:They were told you can't, you're not big enough, you're not good enough or no, this just can't be done. And they took those words and let that be their fuel. I love that so much Because even today, like think about somebody saying you can't do it, or think about what would happen if today you were told you can't do something and you were just like what do you mean? I can't do it? I am a child of God and he says I have purpose. What do you mean I?
Speaker 2:can't. Yeah, if it is God's will for me, it is happening. It might not look the way I want it to, and he says with him all things are possible. Yes, look the way I want it to, and he says with him all things are possible. Yes.
Speaker 1:Like imagine if the lies that were in our mind, we said no, those lies are straight from Satan, you know what. Like I wish that would fuel so many of our young women today, because the anxiety and the self-esteem lies that just run so rampant in our young women's minds today is just crazy and it's so sad yeah because it does influence you years and decades, decades, the trauma, the trauma.
Speaker 2:I remember being in third grade and I was in line for the cafeteria with my you know little class and there was a kid and I remember his name but I'm not going to say it who turned around to me and said well, what are you doing here, fat cow?
Speaker 1:third grade the things you remember those things. Look how long ago though I'm those things.
Speaker 2:Look how long ago that was I'm not calling you old, but look how long ago, that was Decades.
Speaker 1:Those things, words like that will never leave you. Those things stick, like whoever came up with that crazy phrase words will never sticks and stones will break my bones. Words will never hurt me. Oh, my goodness.
Speaker 2:So far from the truth because, words hurt they do, and that's why it is so important to have a female especially for females to pour into you and to lift you up, because I could hear all day long, you know like I love my mom and she can pour into me, but I can hear from her all day long oh, you look beautiful, you look beautiful. Yeah, my best friend tells me. I'm believing it, right.
Speaker 1:Right, because you feel like you know your mom, you know that's an unconditional love. Right, she's going to tell you.
Speaker 2:It's like but, mom, you have to tell me that, you have to say that.
Speaker 1:You know? Yeah, you have to that, but it's just different when somebody who is going to pour into you in a different way tells you I feel like you need that. Yeah, do you feel like there is a lot more of women not supporting each other these days? Do you see a lot of that?
Speaker 2:I think it might depend. Yeah, I think it does depend on the situations and circumstances. So I follow influencers on Facebook and Instagram. I just do.
Speaker 3:I'm guilty of that too. You know, sometimes I just do. I'm guilty of that too.
Speaker 2:Sometimes I am influenced, but I also am wise enough to know they're being paid to do this.
Speaker 2:However, there's one that I followed and she does the influencing and has the links to her stuff because she's the sole provider for her family, has a couple of kids and her husband a few years ago was diagnosed with ALS and within a few years, went from a very active person to bedridden, to intubated and just recently passed away.
Speaker 2:And it just happened so fast and in a few years. And there's other influencers that do the very same thing that she does sells the same stuff or links whatever, and they said we are coming alongside you stuff or links, whatever. And they said we are coming alongside you, we want you to take this time to grieve and still have an opportunity for income. And took over her Instagram and have been very forward with that, saying this is who we are and we're helping out and we're taking this. This is how she makes her money. Please, if you feel led, buy the stuff, follow the links, whatever it is, but they're putting themselves aside. They're putting their businesses on hold to help out this other woman that is in this very same industry.
Speaker 1:That's so amazing.
Speaker 2:I love that.
Speaker 1:I love that. We've talked about this before and you know where I'm going with this. I see a lot of women not supporting each other in the political arena, and I get it. You're on opposing teams here, and that's fine. You can have different views. It's going to happen. We're not all supposed to have the same views. That's just what it is, and you know what. That's fine. But I still think you don't have to go for the jugular.
Speaker 2:Yes.
Speaker 1:Stick to the facts. Yes, stick to the facts. Stick to the facts. You don't have to like go super, super low like that, like where did that even come from? Especially as women like I've like seen, like some of the um, what are the hearings or the, you know the things like they'll when they're in in Congress and they'll post some of the proceedings and they're going back and forth and I'm just sitting there watching these women on opposing sides go at each other's necks, and I'm sitting here thinking, and I'm like both of you probably had to work so stinking hard to get to where you are.
Speaker 1:Yeah, because you're women, you probably had to work twice as hard and in the political arena.
Speaker 2:It's still just an old school boys club. It really is.
Speaker 1:You know, say what you want. But you know we're right. But look where you are. You can have opposing views. You can both state your facts, state your point. You can even state your facts, state your point. You can even get a little heated, because that's how we are we're passionate, we're passionate, we're emotional beings.
Speaker 2:That's just how we're wired, yeah.
Speaker 1:You can be passionate, but you don't have to be mean, you don't have to be nasty. I've seen them start name-calling each other. Yeah, you don't got to do that. No, because at the end of the day, you are still women who've had to fight your way to get to where you are, mm-hmm. And you can still be respectful. So I really hate that.
Speaker 2:In the political arena it is like a catfight Mm-hmm, I really hate that I don't watch a ton of it because I can get so engrossed in it and it's like then I find myself taking sides based on not the facts, but based on how personalities are coming out, and but there's easy to do, and it is.
Speaker 2:It's easy to do that. There's one um proceeding that I remember, and it was confirmation for the Supreme Court, and I'm going to butcher her name because I don't have the full. It was Amy. Comer can't bear it maybe. I think yeah yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2:Something like that. And I just remember that she had one piece of paper and all the questions for days of the proceedings and at the end they were like, okay, you know, do you have anything else to say? She was just cool, calm, collected the whole time, like no tonal change, which isn't always fun. It's fun to have tones when you're talking, because then you get things like this but she just was very straight-laced, seemed like again from what I watched, and then when they said anything else to say, she held up the piece of paper and there were. There was nothing on it, it was blank.
Speaker 2:This is my, my recollection of it. It was blank and it was like everything every question she had, every answer she had, every case she had as a fact. She knew her stuff, that she had nothing written on that piece of paper to go back and say here's my reference of just because she knew that and she was just so calm and collected the whole time and it's like that I find myself really respecting, because she was getting people coming at her, being emotional and being up and down and all over the place and she is just like this is me, I'm going off of fact, this is where I'm at and this is why I and she was just like this is me, I'm going off of fact. This is where I'm at and this is why I should be confirmed, because I'll cite this case. I cite this case. I'm whatever it was, you know, it's just like you know also.
Speaker 1:I guess this is the pettiness in me, though. But, also, you know, the calmer you are in the you know when you're not the one who's clapping back that just makes your opponent or other people more Right.
Speaker 2:They want to get an emotional rise out of you? Yes, exactly, they go into rest, and so that's why I respected her all the more. You weren't seeing crazy eyes and hands going everywhere. She just sat there and was Larry the Cucumber, except she didn't sing the silly songs.
Speaker 1:I just wish you know we could just be more respectful of each other. I mean not just women all the way around, I guess, but especially as women. Another thing using social media as a tool for empowerment instead of as a tool to tear each other down, because I see that still a lot where you will run to social media just to gotta be a keyboard crusader.
Speaker 2:I have unfollowed or muted people so much here. It's just it is it's needing to protect my peace. If I'm going to social media, I am of the old school mentality that this is just where you catch up with your friends and you find out what's going on in their life and you see the cute pinterest type mom pictures that I'm never gonna be and I don't care because that's not me, you know but it's like, oh good, I respect you for that.
Speaker 2:or find out that your, your friend, just built an Airbnb and is now renting it out and you'd love to remind them that you're your friend so that you can get a discount on it.
Speaker 1:Yes, but seriously, there is a lot of power in women supporting other women and I pray that this month is just a reminder of that and there's also power in modern day sisterhood and just advocating for each other. I have a verse that I want to share Ecclesiastes. Oh, there are a couple of verses, verses Ecclesiastes 4, 9, and 10. Two are better than one.
Speaker 2:if either of them falls down, one can help the other up you often hear that two is better than one in a marriage ceremony, but it is so true. With sisterhood, yes, and like the, a cord of three cannot be easily broken. A couple more friends that you're with you know when talk about prayer, Prayer is so, so important, and when you get two or more gathered together, Jesus is going to come alongside you. And I mean it is just amazing, Like even if you've got, when you have everything in the world going on and we women, we're so busy and like sometimes we wear it as a pride badge.
Speaker 1:Oh, my goodness.
Speaker 3:And let's not do that, but we do. This is true, we do.
Speaker 2:And so instead of, oh, how's it going? Oh, I'm just so busy. You know what? I'm so thankful that I've got kids that are in sports, that I can take them to this, but also I am making time for me and my girls not my children girls, my ladies, my gals, you know spending time with them and even if it is just here, is a quick we've got five minutes let's have a phone call with getting everybody in on it and let's just pray for each other real quick.
Speaker 1:How about that be our Jesus fix it for the week. I love that.
Speaker 3:Laughter with good friends, no matter how bumpy the road gets. That's what's waiting for you with every episode of another great podcast quirks, bumps and bruises with Melody and Candy. Subscribe today, wherever you listen.
