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.

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.

What happens when Christian dating expectations collide with reality? Join hosts Jess and Steph for a candid, no-holds-barred conversation about navigating relationships as believers in today's world.

From opposite sides of the relationship spectrum – Jess as a divorced single woman approaching 50 and Steph as a newlywed in her 40s – they share raw truths about their journeys. Jess opens up about the surprising challenges of Christian dating, including the uncomfortable reality that some of her strongest pressure to compromise values has come from professing Christian men. Meanwhile, Steph reveals the ongoing work of marriage, especially maintaining romance beyond the honeymoon phase and balancing independence with biblical partnership.

Whether you're single, dating, married, or divorced, this episode offers wisdom, solidarity, and a healthy dose of humor about doing relationships with faith and honesty. Got relationship questions or stories to share? Connect with us on social media – we'd love to continue the conversation!

Church hurt transcends mere offense or discomfort. It encompasses betrayal, judgment, manipulation, exclusion, and sometimes even abuse at the hands of fellow believers or church leadership. In this raw and honest conversation, Jess and Steph share their personal journeys through church hurt, from the subtle exclusion after divorce to the blatant marginalization as single adults in family-focused congregations.

Jess reveals how after her divorce, she continued attending her ex-husband's church only to find herself systematically excluded from service opportunities and community events. "As soon as the ink dried on the divorce papers, everybody started treating me differently," she explains, describing the isolation she felt sitting alone Sunday after Sunday in a crowded sanctuary. Meanwhile, Steph recounts her heartbreaking experience with a church that explicitly prioritized married couples with children, leaving her feeling unwelcome and eventually driving her away from church altogether for several years.

These experiences reflect a troubling reality within many faith communities: people are walking away from church—not because they've lost faith in Jesus, but because they've been wounded by His followers. The consequences are devastating, as believers attempt to maintain their relationship with Christ while disconnected from community, often leading to a "slow fade" from faith.

Yet hope remains. Both hosts emphasize that Jesus was never the problem—He's the healer, not the source of hurt. They encourage listeners to acknowledge their pain without allowing it to destroy their relationship with the One who never fails.

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.

Summer sunshine brings a brief pause to the Jesus Fix It podcast as hosts Jess and Steph check in with listeners during their mid-summer break. The Spirit FM team has been extraordinarily busy with community events, though Jess reveals she's been sidelined by knee problems that may require surgery soon.

Despite the temporary hiatus, excitement bubbles beneath the surface as the hosts share glimpses of what's coming next month. They've already lined up guests and identified compelling topics for deep, meaningful conversations when they return. But true to their listener-centered approach, they're reaching out to hear what's on your mind right now.

"What's going on in your world?" Steph asks, inviting listeners to shape future episodes with their questions and concerns. The hosts hint at exploring the challenges of parenting teenagers while navigating midlife issues — a reality many listeners face simultaneously. Whether you're wrestling with personal growth, family dynamics, cultural shifts, or faith questions, they want to create space for those discussions. Connect via email at [email protected] or text 888-774-7482 to suggest topics or receive a personal call back from either host. Until next month, they encourage everyone to embrace summer joys, savor good food, and enjoy life's pleasures even amid its inevitable challenges. The Jesus Fix It podcast returns in August, refreshed and ready for conversations that matter.

The conversation continues with a challenging question: How do we love those claiming Christianity while living lifestyles contradicting biblical teachings? Pastor Tate responds with grace-filled wisdom: "Sanctification is a process. I believe there are people who are genuine followers of Jesus Christ who are still jacked up in their sin." This perspective sets the stage for a remarkable story of unconventional ministry.

This powerful episode challenges listeners to step beyond comfortable ministry approaches and meet people exactly where they are—with unwavering biblical truth wrapped in authentic relationship. You'll be inspired to see evangelism not as a religious obligation but as "one beggar telling another beggar where he found food."

Whether you're questioning your faith, feeling stuck in ministry, or simply seeking inspiration, this conversation provides both practical wisdom and spiritual encouragement for connecting with others in meaningful ways. Ready to transform how you share your faith? This episode is your starting point.

Wrestling with how to love someone living contrary to biblical teaching while maintaining your faith convictions may be one of the most challenging situations Christians face today. 

Pastor Jonge Tate joins us to tackle this difficult conversation with wisdom, grace, and biblical clarity. What begins as a discussion about a real situation in their church community quickly reveals that multiple families are navigating these exact waters with their loved ones. This isn't happening "out there" - it's happening within our churches and families.

Through thoughtful dialogue, we explore what it means to hold firmly to biblical truth while extending genuine, Christ-like love. Pastor Jonge draws our attention to Jesus himself, who regularly dined with society's outcasts while never compromising truth. The question becomes not whether to engage, but how to engage as faithful representatives of Christ.

We tackle practical questions too: How do we maintain relationship without compromising conviction? And perhaps most importantly, we examine our own misconceptions about our role in others' salvation journeys. As Jess vulnerably shares her attempts to "make" a friend accept Jesus by hiding Bibles in his car, Pastor Jonge gently redirects: "Can you even make him change?"

Don't miss part two dropping next Monday where we continue this important conversation about living as salt and light in a complex world.

Your mental health matters to God. This raw, heartfelt conversation peels back the layers of shame and stigma that often prevent Christians from seeking the help they desperately need.

Jess courageously shares her darkest moments as a newly divorced single mom—days spent hiding under covers, barely functioning, believing her depression was simply something to "get over." The turning point came through a song on Spirit FM that reminded her she was redeemed and deserving of more than endless days of despair. When she finally sought help, her pastor's affirming words—"Jesus and therapy go hand in hand"—opened the door to a decade-long healing journey.

Steph adds her perspective as someone who needed therapy to process sexual abuse trauma, highlighting how professional help enabled her to work through forgiveness and understand that her experience didn't diminish her worth. Together, they explore how biblical figures like Elijah, David, and even Jesus himself experienced profound emotional distress, proving that mental health struggles aren't evidence of spiritual failure.

Whether you're struggling yourself or supporting someone who is, this conversation offers permission to embrace all the resources God provides for mental wellness. Share this episode with someone who needs to hear that loving Jesus and seeing a therapist can absolutely go hand in hand.

We tackle a topic that's often judged or ignored in women's circles: it's okay to not want to be a mom. Society places enormous pressure on women to have children, but nearly half of childless adults in America say they never want kids – and that number is growing.

• Jess's sister knew early on that motherhood wasn't for her, though she's a loving aunt and nurturing in other ways
• Steph shares her personal experience of never wanting children, even from a young age
• Recent Pew Research shows 47% of childless adults don't expect to have children, up 10% since 2018
• We explore how women often judge other women for choosing not to have children
• Many women nurture through other means - mentoring, creativity, supporting community
• Discussion of the tension between those struggling with infertility and those choosing to remain childless
• Support for women navigating pregnancy decisions through resource centers and church ministries
• Recognition that everyone's journey is different and deserves respect

Whether you're a mom, an auntie, a teacher, a friend, or simply you – your identity is not limited to motherhood.