Jesus Fix It with Jess & Steph!

The Unofficial Official Episode

• Jess & Steph • Season 6 • Episode 5

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Need a deep breath before the holidays hit full speed? We’re popping in with a candid check-in on where we’ve been, why the pace felt overwhelming, and the simple choices that help you stay human when the calendar won’t slow down. From daylight saving crankiness to “Maycember” madness, we unpack how to practice presence in a season built on hurry.

We start with a heart reset: the honest prayer search me, O God and how admitting your mess can invite real peace. Then we get practical. We talk about scheduling slow nights on purpose—quiet puzzles, a book with soft music, coffee by the tree—so memory has time to form. We share what retail taught us about compassion and boundaries, how to love the person in front of you without losing yourself, and why breath prayers and tiny breaks can change an entire shift. 

We also move toward the ache many carry this time of year: grief, seasonal depression, anxiety, and loneliness. Sometimes the holiest gift is sitting under a blanket beside someone who can’t talk yet. 

If your soul needs a refill, join us for our She Is Chosen women’s conference at Parkway Church in Roanoke, VA Saturday, December 6th, 9 a.m.–noon. Bring a friend with the code FRIEND for buy one, get one free, and let community reset your pace for the month ahead. If this spoke to you, follow the show, share it with someone who needs a lift, and leave a review so more people can find their breath too.

Jess:

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.

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. We did not abandon you. We actually missed you so, so much. So much. We're unofficially, officially back. Yes, this is an unofficial, official episode. All right, so we're we're really having a full-length Jesus Fixit episode in a couple of weeks, but we did not want another two weeks to go by without popping in to say hello and to let you know we haven't gone anywhere. Right. So we've had our fundraiser at Spirit FM going on. We've had family things and we've had just all the things. And we took a little break, took a little hiatus from Jesus Fix It because you know, life, we had things going on. The podcast. Jesus is always fixing it. Oh yeah. Oh, yes. Just to clarify, the podcast. Yes. Yes. The podcast.

Steph:

I'm so, you know what? It's dealing with daylight savings time.

Jess:

I don't need to. I don't deal.

Steph:

I don't. I'm not good with it.

Jess:

I try to be positive about it and say, yay, we're getting an hour back. And really, it's mmm. Mm-hmm. I have an attitude. I'm just gonna keep it real. I do. I'm so grumpy. I'm trying to Jesus fix that. Okay. We we normally do what we want Jesus to fix at the end. Let's just get it out the way now. I want Jesus to fix my attitude about daylight saving time because it's just hard. It takes me a good month or so to get used to it.

Steph:

Right. And and when it's the fall and the daylight savings time happens, that month in is when you are literally to the about darkest days that you can be in.

Jess:

Whoever came up with this concept to keep changing the time. Farmers. Farmers, I love you. We need you. But I know y'all had kids. I know y'all had grumpy friends like me.

Steph:

Or a cat that doesn't understand that feeding time is now an hour later. Hello, pets.

Jess:

Yeah. Okay. I'm gonna see this is why I need Jesus to fix my heart. You see what I'm saying? Yeah, yeah. Search me, oh God. I've been saying that prayer all week. That's such a good prayer. Search me and know me. Yeah. Okay, so since we already started that, that search me, oh God. That is like one of the most humbling prayers. Because when you're asking God to search your heart, like, do you realize you're admitting that you are a big old mess? And you're asking God to search that mess that okay, that was just a little side note.

Steph:

Because it sounds like a just uh daily devotional that has come from that or a whole week of them.

Jess:

It just hit me when I when I you know was quoting that scripture to myself and when I was asking God, I really was asking God earlier in the week to search my heart. And I was like, wow, I am a messy, chaotic, hot mess of a person, and I'm asking God to dig deep in there and fix all that. And I'm like, ooh, that is really, really humbling. And you know what? I don't know how I just see what is going on with my brain. How do I just jump from subject to subject like that? It really should be studied. You're showing up. It's all good. I should be a case study. Anyway, I digress. I digress. What were we talking about? See, I forgot.

Steph:

Daylight savings time. It's you know, the season for the end of the year. So much stuff is gonna be going. It is like uh, what do they call it? May Sember, or we've been going through that season already.

Jess:

I heard of that.

Steph:

Oh, Maycember? What is this? Okay, in May, the month of May, like you have every single sports banquet possible play.

Jess:

You just made me think Justin Timberlake.

Steph:

Oh, because it's gonna be May. Oh, then okay. You said your brain is going everywhere. Okay, thank you. It's gonna be May. Okay. Sorry. Okay, so May. There's always just so much going on. End of year, end of school year stuff. Okay. Well, now we're at the end of the calendar year. Yeah. And so this is the May Sember of the year because there's so much going on. I mean, my goodness gracious, you cannot look at an event calendar and not see about 1,200, 4,870. I made that number up, but I'm not far off. Events happening in one single day for fall festivals.

Jess:

Yeah.

Steph:

And then holiday festivals, Christmas festivals, you know, the singing Christmas trees and all the Christmas Eve services and all this. I mean, it is just you blink, and all of a sudden we're in February. Well, no, January usually tends to last forever because there's not all this stuff going on.

Jess:

I intentionally schedule days in December to slow down and enjoy the season.

Steph:

Yes.

Jess:

I really do. Because I got so tired of just realizing that the holiday season just passed me by. Like I get so excited about Thanksgiving and Christmas. And I would do all the things I would celebrate with my kids and my family. I mean, we did all the holiday things. And at the end of the season, I couldn't barely remember any of it because it was just like a whirlwind. I felt like it just we did so much of it, it went by so fast. And now I intentionally slow down, soak it in. Even if it's just, you know what, tonight I'm just gonna sit by the tree and sip my coffee. Do you already have your tree up? No, I'm just saying, for example. Okay, okay, I gotcha. Yeah. Or okay, well, this night I am just going to listen to Christmas music while I work on my puzzle. Yes, I'm at that age where I put together puzzles. I love them so much. Puzzles are amazing. Reach that age. Or, you know what? Tonight I am going to read 10 chapters of my book while I listen to Christmas music. You know, I just do slow things. Or if tonight is gonna be the night that I go to two parties and I have a dinner, I'm gonna do all the busy things. I'm just really intentional.

Steph:

That's so smart because that gives you those moments to really think about staying present and staying refreshed. Yeah, yeah.

Jess:

My goodness. As I used to work in retail, that's my son. He works in retail now, and I feel so bad for him.

Steph:

Yes, it has taken me. I have not worked in true retail, like full-time in retail for over a decade, and I still struggle with loving this season.

Jess:

Yeah.

Steph:

Because I got so burnt out from it. So taking that time is so very important.

Jess:

Yeah. I think it's it's the people. I try to encourage my son to love on the people. He said, Mama, I'm trying. And I I have to try too, because the mama in me wants to go stand by the cash register. I really do. The mama in me wants to stand by the cash register and read scripture to these people. Because it's like, look, you got one more time to slam your credit card on the counter. You got one more time to yell at my child. You know, but then I'm like, okay, Jesus, they're testing me. And I have to check my own heart. There's a lot of people. You know, work in retail. There is. Yeah. Look, I need Jesus too. I'm saying, I do, I do, I do, I really do. But you know, it takes a special person to take all of that. It really does. It does. It really does. It really does. People yelling. No, people yelling at you and people being impatient. And you know, I'm not that person. I can take a lot, but at some point, I'm just gonna say, you know, try Jesus, don't try me.

Steph:

You know?

Jess:

Yep. Yep.

Steph:

It is too much.

Jess:

Yeah. Uh also we did want to um encourage you, especially, you know, the last, is it even a full quarter of the year? I mean, we're less than 60 days.

Steph:

Yeah, no. The quarters are usually three months.

Jess:

Yeah. Okay. So we are not even a full two months left in 2025. Right. We just want to encourage you to stay refreshed as much as you can in these last m I don't know, six to eight weeks. Weeks? Yeah. I mean the holidays can be fun, memorable, but we know it's not like that for everybody. Right. You have seasonal depression, people are dealing with loss, anxiety, loneliness. And so there are so many things you can do to just make sure you're refreshed. And we don't want to, you know, come on here and say, oh, just stay in scripture, read the word. And but you can. If you have a holiday devotional or just a regular devotional, even if you just read a scripture a day, that can help you. I know that helps me. And like I said, we definitely don't want to come on here and like preach at you or anything like that, but that can help you stay refreshed. Um, if you have someone that you can just reach out to, the last thing you want to do is isolate yourself. Ooh. I've I've guilty. Yeah, because I've gone through those seasons where I just didn't want to talk to anybody, yeah. Especially when my father, my father passed away a couple of days before Thanksgiving. And I didn't want to talk to anybody. I just wanted to curl up in a ball, just let me feel this, and just leave, just leave me alone. That was the absolute worst thing I did was just isolate people. People want to be there for you. And if somebody is wanting to be in your corner, no, you don't have to like let them smother you. Right. If somebody just wants to check in on you, if somebody is trying to love on you and love you, let them love you. You can still set boundaries. Boundaries are very important. Yes, they are. You can still set them, set those boundaries, but don't isolate yourself. That's the worst thing you can do because you may not feel like it today. You may not even feel like it tomorrow, but one day you're gonna want somebody to be there. One day you're gonna want that shoulder. One day you're gonna wake up and you're that person or those people that you isolated, you're gonna wish they were there.

Steph:

Yeah. You know, one of the cutest cartoons that I've ever seen that has so much power is this little, I think it was a squirrel, having a bad day. And you know, because it has a little cloud over it, you know, like raindrops. And it has, and then another friend comes over, and the little squirrel's underneath a blanket, and the other friend comes over, is like, hey, can I do anything for you? The little squirrel says no. And so then the friend just opens up the blanket, crawls in next to him, and doesn't say anything. Oh yeah. And that absolutely can just mean the world to someone. You don't, I'm terrible sometimes at words to say. Me too. Absolutely, yes, we do. Which is crazy.

Jess:

Which is crazy, yes. We talk for a living and we don't know what to say to people.

Steph:

Don't know what to say to people, but that just being there and that physical presence and not saying anything can mean the world to someone.

Jess:

Yeah, it it really is crazy. One of my friends, she she was going through a rough patch, and she asked me to come over, and I said, I'm there. Got to her house, sat on the couch with her, and kind of like I she had a little blanky. I cuddled with her, and you know, she was teary, and she said, Aren't you gonna say anything? I said, honey, I'm just gonna keep it real with you. I normally have the words, but I don't know what to say to you in this moment. I don't want to give all our business out. But I said, I don't know what to say about this. She was like, But you have the words all the time. I was like, God usually, if you hear me give an encouraging word on the radio or God uses me. And by the grace of God, they let me talk on the radio every I mess up all the time. But somehow in that moment, God just gives me a word. Yeah, He's not giving me anything right now, and I don't want to make something up, I don't want to sound like something I'm not. Right. All I can do is just sit right here. All I can do is be with you in this moment. Yeah. And she just said, thank you. And sometimes that's all you can do is just be there for people. Yep. And that's just the best thing you can do.

Steph:

Yeah. And if you, you know, are finding yourself in a situation you're like, I know I want to be there for a friend, but I don't know how to do it, just literally physically showing up is some is a way. Um maybe there's somebody who likes to have flowers and you get them some flowers or, you know, a pretty note, even if all it says is praying for you, thinking of you. You know, you don't have to write all these words in it. Um, you know, I've had friends that have invited me to things. They're like, I know you don't want to be around others right now, but I think it's really important that you're not alone and that you don't have to socialize with everyone, but get out of the house.

Jess:

I've um shared this story before, I think. But my ex-husband, he is not the sentimental I have words type of man, but he has the best heart. And so when my father passed away, it was, like I said, a couple days before Thanksgiving, and um, you know, it was unexpected, nobody saw it coming, and my mom, she had already agreed to um work on Thanksgiving. Because um we all normally get together for Christmas on Thanksgiving, where she works. She usually likes to work for if there's a mom she can work for so that that mom can be with the the littles. If some of her co-workers have littles, yeah, she'll work for them so they can be with their littles. So she had already agreed to work um for them. And so my sister and I, we just decided that we were just gonna stay together for Thanksgiving and just curl up in the bed together and just like watch TV all day and just open up a can of soup or something. So my sister and I were laying on the couch or in bed or something watching TV, and we get a knock on the door, and it's my ex-husband, he has a whole Thanksgiving meal. Wow. He's like, Here you go, just brought you guys Thanksgiving, and then he timid, like just all timidly kind of like, okay, bye. Like slinking back like the Homer Simpson thing into the edge. And we're just like crying, oh my goodness, thank you. He was like, Okay, no big deal, bye. Because you're crying. But wow. That was his that was his way to love. And we were just so grateful. And that was his way of being there. It's like, I'm just gonna feed you.

Steph:

Yeah, just you know, it's it's where action really means so much more than words.

Jess:

Mm-hmm.

Steph:

Yeah.

Jess:

Yeah. But just, you know, just finding ways to just stay refreshed. Oh, speaking of refreshed, see, here I go, squirrel again. Women's conference. Oh, yes. Yes. If you are in the Spirit FM listening area on Saturday, December 6th from 9 a.m. to noon at Parkway Church in Ruan Oak, our fifth annual women's conference is happening. She is chosen. Chosen. Yes. That's a great way to be in community, be refreshed. We love our women's conferences.

Steph:

Oh man, it is exciting. I mean, you know what? This is that opportunity where if you, I mean, no matter what, come out to the women's conference because it will be a great refreshing time. But if you know someone that's maybe struggling through something and they just don't know what to do and they don't want to be around people, but you know it's important for them to be out of the house. Mm-hmm. Get them a ticket.

Jess:

Yes. And they're buy one, get one free. Yes. Mm-hmm. Yes. When you check out and use the code FRIEND. Friend, yeah. Because we were gonna keep that just for like the first couple of weeks. And um, Doug, our general manager, he was like, When do you want to take that off sale? I was like, Oh, let's just leave it for a little bit. So we don't know when it's gonna end, but right now we've just decided to keep it up. But on one of my favorite stories, I just love this. One of the ladies, I think it was last year, you may have met her. She was in the back, kind of just worshiping all by herself. You would see her standing up and just jumping up and down, and she was just having a good old time. And I went up to her, I said, I love seeing you enjoy yourself. She said, and to think I wasn't even gonna come because I'm all by myself. I was like, Well, I'm glad you did. She said, the Holy Spirit just kept telling me just to get on out there. She was like, I never go anywhere, especially by myself. But she said, I just thought, what's the harm? Yeah. And she said, I just decided I'm just gonna come today. And she said, it has been the best experience. She said, I was afraid that I would just be sitting here by myself and all eyes would be on me, and everybody would be like, oh, look at this poor thing by herself. And I get it. I get it. I've been that way going out to eat by myself and things like that. And she said, I've even gotten um a phone number. I've met a friend, we're gonna go have lunch. And she said, it's just been the best time. And she said, This is just what my soul needed. And I love hearing those types of stories and experiences. You never know what God is gonna do through an event like that. Right. So I'm just excited to see. This is my fifth one. My second. Yeah. And each each and every one, God does something amazing through it. Each and everyone has been different. And every time I hear somebody say, This is the best one yet. Yeah. It's so it's so exciting for me.

Steph:

Like as this is the fifth annual, people are making it an annual event. Yes. And that's awesome. You know, even if it is just the first one that you get to come to. Yeah. Just make the point. It's just a few hours in the morning, but talk about that refreshing for your mind, for your soul, and God's gonna meet you there.

Jess:

Yeah, I um intentionally I like to do it in the morning. It's um because, you know, people are busy, it's the holiday season. So I intentionally like to get it done. Not I don't mean to say get it done like that. Right. But I like to have it 9 a.m. to noon because you still get, you know, you can get fed in the morning and then you still have your whole day. And then also I feel like it's important to do the conference during this season, especially, because you know, you've had the whole year pouring out. Oh, and then it's a busy season already. This is right before the big busyness of you know December. It's you know, the beginning of December, and this is your opportunity to get poured into.

Steph:

Yes.

Jess:

So there it is.

Steph:

Want you to come. Please come. Women's conference. So excited about it.

Jess:

Yeah. If you um have any questions, please just reach out and happy to answer any questions you have about it. But oh wow. We just wanted to unofficial, official episode. Yeah, we just wanted to say hello and let you know to um please, please come back. Don't go anywhere. We haven't gone anywhere. And we just basically love you and want you to be, not basically, we do. We do want you to be refreshed in the season, and we'll be back for the official episode in a couple weeks. Yes, good stuff.

Steph:

So we had said that Jesus, we're asking you to fix me. Just fix me. Try that again. Jesus, we're ax asking you to fix May.

Jess:

It's gonna be May. Really? Girl, bye.

Speaker:

Find hope and inspiration with Jess's Daily Devotion. Check out Jess DailyDevo.com or search Jess's Daily Devotion wherever you listen to podcasts.

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Jess

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