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.
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The Jesus Fix It podcast with Jess & Steph, brought to you by Your Encouraging Spirit FM.
Jesus Fix It with Jess & Steph!
Gray Hairs and Grace: Embracing Life's Seasons
The snap, crackle, and pop of aging joints might not be what we expected in our forties, but as we navigate this season of life, we're finding both humor and wisdom in the journey.
Jess opens up about her recent knee replacement surgery and the humbling experience of buying a raised toilet seat and walking with a cane before she hit 50. Meanwhile, Steph shares her transition to progressive lenses and how her once-perfect vision took a sudden nosedive after 40. Together, we laugh about bodies that make Rice Krispies sounds when we stand up and how our children are both mortified and fascinated by these new developments.
But amid the physical challenges, we're discovering unexpected gifts. Our conversations with our Gen Z children have revealed important lessons about work-life balance and setting healthy boundaries—concepts our generation wasn't always taught to prioritize. We're learning to honor our limitations, like recognizing when our "social battery" is depleted or acknowledging that sometimes, when the sun goes down at 5 PM, we're just done for the day.
We take a nostalgic trip through technologies that have faded away, from encyclopedias sold door-to-door to mix tapes and AOL's iconic "You've got mail." These shared memories connect us to our past while reminding us how much we've adapted through the years.
While aging isn't always graceful (and certainly isn't for the weak), we're embracing this season with gratitude, perspective, and plenty of laughter. After all, what's the alternative? Join us for this honest, heartfelt conversation about finding joy in life's changing seasons.
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.
Steph:I'm Jess and I'm Steph. 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.
Jess: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. For everything there is a season and a time for every matter under heaven.
Steph:Happy fall and gray hairs. See why do you have to to ruin it? I wasn't ruining it, aging gracefully.
Jess:season changes we wanted to start off on a positive note okay, that is positive. There are some people who don't mind gray hair. Uh huh, I'm not one of them. I am just gonna say it my gray hair, I just don't like it.
Steph:Yeah, yeah, I mean it is definitely biblical, because in Proverbs 16, 31, it says gray hair is a crown of glory. It is gained by living a godly life. Trying to make me feel bad? Well, I have a lot of gray hair, so maybe I'm just putting myself on a pedestal.
Jess:Nobody has ever told me gray hair is biblical. It is In Proverbs. Welcome back to Jesus, fix it. By the way, we are talking about, I guess, aging gracefully and changing of new seasons, and I don't know, just talking today. Yeah, and I don't know, just talking today.
Steph:Well, we have some cool things coming up planned for during this not just season of fall, but like season of transition and season of renewal Fix it yeah. That we're in. Yeah, so you know, as middle-aged women, that we are actually. Technically, we're both a little more than middle-aged.
Jess:Okay, girl, take it easy. Sorry, take it easy. Okay, calm down.
Steph:We're both in the middle of perimenopause, okay, and so that's a conversation with some experts that we're going to have coming up at some point in the Jesus Fix it season.
Jess:Yes, we are.
Steph:So, on that note, we're also talking about aging, gracefully.
Jess:Guys, you can stick around too.
Steph:You will probably learn something that can be very helpful, whether you're married or not.
Jess:Yeah, and we're going to have some things coming up for you too hopefully soon too. But today we're talking about aging gracefully and some fun things dealing with age. But first of all, coming back from having knee surgery and all the things when we talk about age, this is something I never thought I'd have to go through at almost 48 years old, and nothing humbles you than having to go online and buy yourself a tall or one of those high-rise toilet seats. There is nothing more humbling than that, let me tell you. And then also, I got one of those little cards through the mail that says that when I go through metal detectors at the airport, that I have metal inside my body. That was also another humbling experience. What else? I had a walker with little pink tennis balls on it. I only had to push that around for about a week or so. So, yeah, totally, you have a cane, I do have a cane. Yeah, very humbling experience. So getting older is definitely not for the weak.
Steph:Yeah, you could say for the W-E-E-K also, Every W-E-E-K that goes by. I am feeling that I mean I have to and I do say have to, but it is. I honestly understand that this is a privilege that I get. Yes, is to go for a massage. Oh, I thought you meant getting old.
Jess:Well, that too, that is a privilege. That is a privilege.
Steph:Yes, it really is but to help my muscles and just the way that I was built, I hold so much tense tensity, ten Tenacity, nope, I'm just tense, I'm not good with my words.
Jess:Believe it or not, I know. I do this for a living, so don't ask me if that's the right thing to say Same, but I do.
Steph:I just hold a lot of tension. That's what I was trying to come up with. Oh yeah, so, mom, brain, the brain fog, the aging, and you can't remember literally words as they're happening. Yes, so where was I Getting massages? Yes, yes. So I don't remember where I was going with that, but I go for them and they are helpful for my body as I'm aging and I've noticed, if I go more than like a month without getting one I mean y'all getting up in the morning, getting out of bed I totally sound like somebody just decided to get a bunch of those lights that you have to crack to get them to light up.
Jess:That's my body. I always say my body sounds like cereal, the snap, crackle and pop.
Steph:You're Rice Krispie.
Jess:Yeah, yeah. I remember the first time my body started sounding like that. I was getting up from the couch and my son was so mortified because he heard my bones pop and he said Mom, what happened? I said I just got up. He said that's it. I was like, yeah, just wait. One day it's going to happen to you too. He was like, oh my word, how in the world does that happen? He was like, oh my word, how in the world does that happen? He still has no clue. It's like just wait, all you have to do is move. One day it's going to happen.
Steph:Stretch and your shoulder all of a sudden pops Right, Like it just happens.
Jess:I remember a couple of years ago when all of the aging process started happening to me. I say when it really got real, is I kid you not? One week I went to the doctor and I got prescribed progressives. That was like on a Tuesday, and then on a Thursday I had to go to the doctor, and then that's when they told me I had osteoarthritis. That Friday I went to the doctor and then something else had happened with my back. All of this was in one week.
Steph:It's been one week. Oh wait, never mind, yep, but that'll aid you If you knew that reference. Well, yeah, you're in good company. Yep, it happens. Speaking of your progressives, okay, so when I turned 40, I started noticing my eyesight having some issues, always 20-20. Yes, I'm bragging about that. Okay, well, I wear glasses now and I didn't just go from no glasses in 2020 to, you know, maybe, a reader. Nope, I went straight into progressives.
Jess:Oh, I know, oh see, mine was gradual.
Steph:Yeah, no, well, that's what you get for bragging. I know Exactly it really is. And the doctor was just like yeah, well, once you turn 40, your eyesight really does start to go downhill. I'm like you have to throw it at me like that. Thanks, wow, just tell me how it really is. Yeah, and now, a year later, after being into glasses, I'm already into a new prescription. It's really going downhill.
Jess:It really is. I try to look on the bright side, though. All of these things that happen to our bodies no, it is not fun, but what's the alternative? You know what I mean. So I'm trying to think of these things as just little hurdles, and it really is a blessing to oh, age.
Steph:Well, with age, though, is a lot of wisdom yeah.
Jess:I hope I have some wisdom to share.
Steph:You raised two kids that are doing really well there is some wisdom that had to be put in place there.
Jess:They are kind of great. I'm very proud of them. I like to think I have a lot to do with that, but I'd like to think that I am passing a little knowledge on to them. But I am trying to limit my complaining about age. You know I'm human. You know it's going to happen, the complaining, the grunts, the moaning. It's going to happen. I'm human. But again, what's the alternative? You know what I'm saying so, but thankful to still be here.
Steph:Yeah, I mean I do joke with my friends that are younger than me or people that I know that are younger than me, like, oh don't get old Zero out of 10, do not recommend Exactly.
Jess:Yeah, don't get old zero out of 10, do not recommend Exactly.
Steph:Yeah, but again, with age does come life experiences. You're able to take that information, possibly instill it on other people, help make decisions, and if they respect you and come to you for advice, I mean it does feel good. But also that you've been able to live through that, yeah, yeah. And now I will also fully recognize that some of the aches and pains and the you know, strains and pops and whatever that we're talking about can happen to anybody at any point. Yeah, you know, we just happen to be in that little over the middle age age and so we're very much living in it right now. And that's why we are talking about it, because this is our everyday right now.
Jess:Right, and I have to admit this though I have become a version of my mother. I have found myself saying some of the things that she used to say to me, or I've become that person who I try not to judge, but I am that person who has started to judge the younger generation, and now I know that I can learn a lot from the younger generation and I try can learn a lot from the younger generation and I try, I do try and I want to.
Jess:I want to learn because this generation, oh, they know some things. I love some of the stuff, some of the things that I'm learning from it's Gen Z, I think. So, yes, gen Z, yeah, yeah, like they are good, yeah, I'm learning some things. I'm learning and there are some things that I'm like okay calm down.
Jess:I have two Gen Zs, so I can say that, and we are learning a lot from each other, and I love that when there are some things that I don't understand, I can call one of them up and say okay, son, explain this to me. Give me an example. I'm trying to think. I can't think of something off the top of my head. Most of the time it's terms and phrases. Or, I have to admit, one of my sons is not heavy into some political things, and one of my sons really is, and so he and I will go back and forth over political things, not necessarily political things, but like trending topics. We'll go back and forth about and, as you can imagine, the age groups, our age gaps. We have varying opinions, and so we'll go back and forth about those.
Jess:I wish I could give you an example. I can't think of one right now, but I love to hear his perspective and I love that he'll actually listen to mine. Oh, one thing I can tell you about this, and if you've listened to Jesus, Fix it before. If you've listened to Jesus, fix it before. One thing that both of my boys we've gone back and forth about is work ethic of Gen Z and work ethic of Gen X. Our generation is very much work hard, work hard, you get it done. And I'm not saying Gen Z is not work hard, work hard, you work, get it done. And I'm not saying Gen Z is not work hard, work hard. But a lot of Gen Z is, you know, very strong and work-life balance and you take breaks and you, you know, do all the things you know what I'm saying.
Jess:And so we've had very in-depth conversations about that.
Steph:It's interesting. I mean you know talking about that specifically. That it's interesting, I mean you know talking about that specifically. There's so much research out there that says our generation's way of working is not healthy, right.
Jess:Yeah, and we've discussed that and they've had some really good points about that and I've even because you know I, my parents, taught me that you work really, really hard to get what you want and to provide for your family, even if that means, you know you putting in those extra hours and that may mean sometimes you don't get to spend as much time with your family, but you know what you have to provide for them and you know that's just. You know how I was raised and I'm sure you were too.
Jess:And I'm sure you were too, and talking to my sons, they had some very valid points and I understand a lot of that wasn't healthy, and I'm not saying that you shouldn't work hard and you shouldn't provide for your family, but I do see the importance in hey, it is very healthy to take breaks. It is very healthy to set some boundaries at work, Very, very healthy. And it really took me like sitting down and listening to my sons like say hey, listen, there is a such thing as work-life balance. Because at first I was like all right, this is something y'all making up, just so y'all don't have to work hard.
Steph:Right, yeah, but okay, yeah, I mean. So you're coming back from been off for a couple of weeks with your knee surgery, your knee replacement surgery, how, like, from taking that time off, are you seeing that like there's a different pace for you, getting back into work and you know, with the aging gracefully and applying that information, that knowledge that you get you're getting from your sons, like, what does that process look like for you now? Oh, I'm exhausted.
Jess:I am exhausted, first of all from like I've only as of recording today, from like I've only as of recording today I've only been back in the station five days. This is my fifth day back and I'm exhausted from not being in that routine. But I also see the importance of setting some boundaries and restrictions because, I'm going to be honest, by day two I was like already not honoring my doctor's restrictions that he set, and by day two I was like, by five o'clock in the afternoon I felt like my body was just done for the entire week by day two. So I do see the importance of making sure you set those boundaries, yeah.
Steph:Well, good, but I do also feel like you should work hard, exactly, and so it is. It's a thing to try and think about and like, as you're aging and your body just can't handle that kind. It's so funny. My husband, Mike, and I have this conversation often because he goes out and does a lot of hard work, works in the yard, loves working in the yard. I hate it, so I'm so thankful for him. I know you, but he'll come in and he's exhausted. He's like I have to remember I'm 44, not 24.
Steph:I'm 40 and he chanced that and it is, as we are getting older, you think that I mean gosh, my brain sometimes thinks that I'm still in my late 20s. That's the thing, Mm-hmm, Mm-hmm. You know, sometimes my humor is 12, you know? But my body?
Steph:sure isn't, and so it's like, how do you manage that? So it's like, how do you manage that? Like my social battery. I've noticed as I've gotten older my social battery goes down and so being out with people it's exciting. I love connecting with people, but by the time that Like especially if there's a time frame put on it, at the end of that time frame I'm done Exactly. I mean, I can give you a very, very specific example In the summertime I was with Mike and we were in Pennsylvania and I had a whole weekend of activities From a friend's play seeing some friends that I hadn't seen in a while, going to dinner with a variety of people, then to a wedding reception All of this just within a weekend.
Steph:I mean so many activities. And then we went to visit his family, so middle of the Pennsylvania over to Pittsburgh, so three and a half hour drive. When we got in the car and this was after the wedding reception I was silent for like 45 minutes. He knew he didn't even have to like question, he just knew. And then he did say to me after about an hour or so he goes, your battery's done and I said yes. He said put the seat back, he was driving. He's like take a nap, recharge. He understands and I appreciate that so much. So, guys, if you're listening, listening you got a female in your life and she's in this middle age time frame. There's just so much going on in our bodies that we don't even understand. But if it's someone like me who's always been so super social and loves and thrives on that, but then all of a sudden just shuts down it's not that I'm trying to be mean, we're not trying to be rude physically, we just can't help it. When you're done, you're just done, you're done, yeah, yeah.
Jess:That's why when, like, if I'm with my sister or my mom or just my girlfriends, if we planned a trip or something, I don't want an itinerary, let's just make it organic, like don't plan a whole bunch of stuff for us to do. Maybe have an idea of something.
Steph:We have an idea.
Jess:Yeah, yeah, because my battery is going to get drained. You know what I mean. Let's just see what happens. I don't want to plan a whole bunch of stuff, especially if it's supposed to be a relaxing type of situation and also if somebody can't. I'm at the stage in my life if you cancel plans, or if you have to cancel plans, it's okay, yep.
Steph:Yep, you get home from work, you get yourself comfy. Don't expect me to go out again. Oh my gosh, like we're hosting a small group at our house, and that was a purposeful decision because once it's dark, the sun goes down Stephanie's down, yeah, it's that season. It is that season I don't want to leave the house. And so we are purposefully made that intentional decision to host at our house because that forces me to be social and to have small group community, which is so important, and I'm so, so, so thankful that we can do that. But it was a conscious decision for multiple reasons, and one of them was because once I'm home and it's dark out, mike laughs at me so hard that it's like I don't want to go out, and it's five o'clock because the sun's down. Like I don't. I love being with people.
Jess:I love being out with people I love doing things, but it's just you reach a point. When you're done, you're done.
Steph:Yeah, I call myself an extroverted introvert yeah, there's some kind of new phrase out there like ambivert or something, not ambivert, but like I don't even know it is something like that.
Speaker 3:That's me.
Steph:Yeah, it's fancy yeah, you know, and it's somebody who is that an introvert but also an extrovert, okay, yeah we'll take that.
Jess:I probably should look it up first before I just call myself something. Well, you know, make sure it's appropriate. I'm trusting you right now. Thank you, I appreciate that?
Steph:How about? Since we're talking about aging gracefully, we talk about some things that may or may not have aged so gracefully in our worlds. Okay, have you ever sent a fax? Of course you get a point. Oh, is this a?
Jess:game we're playing now. Okay.
Steph:Used a typewriter. Yeah, I took a whole typing class, remember you used to have we're playing now.
Jess:Okay, oh, okay. You used to typewriter. Yeah, I took a whole typing class, remember? You used to have to do that in high school. Did you ever have to do that in your high school?
Steph:Oh, typing classes. But we had computers. Oh yeah, we didn't have typewriters.
Jess:Oh I forget, I'm a few years older than you, it's so funny because we are actually different generations.
Steph:You are truly an ex. I am a geriatric millennial. Oh, Because I am the very first year of millennials. Oh well, I am.
Jess:Okay.
Steph:Yeah.
Jess:I'm an actual gen Xer, but there's so much of my generation.
Steph:Being the geriatric one, you could do a crossover situation. I definitely crossover, yeah.
Jess:Well, okay, well, yes, I actually had to take a typing class on an actual typewriter, and when I was in high school, we actually called it home economics.
Steph:Oh, I remember home ec.
Jess:Yeah, we had to learn how to sew Yep embroider and cook.
Steph:Yes, we had to do all the things. I enjoyed home ec, but that's because it was more on the crafty side of things for us.
Jess:You know I don't like crafts. You guys should see Justin's face right now.
Steph:Anyway, moving on, yes, okay, have you ever had a CD collection? Yeah, do you still?
Jess:Do you still? I do. It's actually I think I have part of it in the trunk of my car. I don't even know why. I think because when I switched cars I just moved it into the trunk of my current car, because I don't have a CD player in my current car, but the CDs are in there.
Steph:Okay yeah. How about making a mixtape?
Jess:Yes, oh my goodness, yep, just waiting for the DJs to stop talking. Yes, yes, yes, so I could unpause. Yeah, the dual player.
Steph:Yes, oh my gosh. Okay, now here's one. How about have you ever played an Atari? Yes, I had an Atari. Yes, I was in the next generation, so we had the original. We still have Mike and I still play on our original Nintendo system. Okay, mario Brothers. Yes, I was in the next generation, so we had the original. We still have Mike and I still play on our original Nintendo system.
Jess:Okay, mario Brothers, yes, oh, okay, yes, super.
Steph:Mario. Now, this one's a bit of a throwback. A little more Okay, used a record player.
Jess:Yes, okay, my mom still has all of her records. She had so many records. I think her collection probably in the hundreds. Yeah, so many records.
Steph:Yep, that's really cool.
Jess:We were introduced to every genre of music because of my mom's record collection. As a matter of fact, I almost didn't like records because that's how we cleaned up on Saturday morning. Oh no, it was a game until we figured out what she was doing, because every Saturday we rotated who got to pick a record and that was our music to clean up to. Okay, it's your turn to pick which record we listen to to clean. And then we were like wait a minute, hold up, you're making it seem to to clean. And then we were like wait a minute, hold up, you're making it seem fun to clean. This isn't fun just because we get to pick the music, but anyway.
Steph:All right, how about? This will be the last one I'll ask you. Okay, did you have at your house an encyclopedia?
Jess:We had a whole, a whole Box set. Yes, a whole set. I think my mom still has them yes, now did she.
Steph:Okay, I said that was the last question, but this is a follow-up to that same question. She buy it from somebody who came door-to-door, I think. So, yeah, like legit. If you didn't know, that was a thing. People sold encyclopedias by going door to door. That's how we got our vacuum cleaner as well. Boom.
Jess:Yes.
Steph:And our Tupperware. Oh man, the good old Tupperware Olive green or avocado green, that is mustard colors.
Jess:That is how we got our encyclopedias.
Speaker 3:And.
Jess:I remember I could not stand that. I think it was some dude that came to our door. Because I could not stand that man for the longest time? Because every time I asked my mom about something, she referred us to the encyclopedia. We had to look it up.
Steph:Love it.
Jess:No, kids, we did not have cell phones that told us everything.
Steph:No, we did not have cell phones that told us everything. No, we did not have AOL that told us everything. Actually, speaking of AOL, after 34 years, that dial is finally hanging up. It's a wrap. It's a wrap, yeah, I mean, they did away with the AOL emails a while ago. You've got mail, yeah, oh, but that movie One of the best Speaking of fall and seasons it is that's like. That's like the end of an era. Yeah, I know, yeah oh, okay.
Jess:Well, I guess we've talked long enough today. Anything you want jesus to?
Steph:fix, uh, the aches and pains. Yes, like seriously, I joke about that, but seriously it is very difficult sometimes to get out of bed when you've got some of these aches and pains, and you and I fully recognize it.
Speaker 3:Yes, 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.
