Ain’t it funny how life changes
You wake up, ain’t nothing the same and life changes
You can’t stop it, just hop on the train and
You never know what’s gonna happen
You make your plans and you hear God laughing
Life changes, and I wouldn’t change it for the world, the world, oh no
And I wouldn’t change it for the world, the world, oh no – Thomas Rhett
I love the country music star known as Thomas Rhett. I love his songs, his candor and how he loves his wife. These lyrics always make me smile because I can relate and I bet you can too. Life changes all the time. There are significant changes like going to college, marriage, parenthood, & then there are all kinds of other changes that happen in the midst of life. I know that God must get a kick out of all the figuring I do down here and sometimes I think I hear Him and I make a move and mabye I did hear Him but then life changes.
In January, I launched The J. Sappe Company & I have been pursuing all my passions since then. Speaking, writing, and decorating. I love helping make people’s spaces and homes beautiful. The J. Sappe Company will still be a thing but I am taking a break from the decorating portion of my business. I have been so blessed with loyal clients that I have had the opporutnity to help time and time again & I have loved every minute of it. BUT…it is time consuming and for now it it is a leg of my business that needs to rest.
You may remember a blog post that I wrote several months ago about being so stretched out that I showed up to a speaking engagement a full day early and wondered where everyone was. I shared then that I was taking a step back and evaluating some things I could let go of during this season so I closed my direct sales business & I took a break from serving at my church. I knew that I was in a spot that by Sundays, I had nothing left to pour out and just needed to show up and be filled up for a while. Now, I am adding deocrating to that “let go” list. For those of you who are just joining us or missed that post, let me recap all that I was attempting to do. (Don’t judge – I have always been a doer & often miscalculate what is actually doable)
- My full time job of operating Cross Roads Recovery
- Serving every Sunday at my church
- Full time student working on my Master’s Degree
- Skincare business
- Speaking at events
- Writing
- Decorating
- Being a wife
- Being a Mom
- Being a sane person
You know how sometimes the thing you need to do is so simplistic but it often takes somoene speaking it you? Like you just need to hear it in spoken word and then you can do it. My Pastor & husband helped me decide to take the decorating break & a sweet friend that I don’t see often enough helped me arrive at my next decision.
Ashley and I had lunch last week and as I talked with her about all that has been going on in our lives, she said why don’t you just work on your Master’s Degree right now? It was like 1,000 light bulbs went off. Cross is obviously non-negotiable and not going anywhere. Cross Roads is our life’s work and requires a lot of Brad, a lot of me and of our family but we know it is our work to do. We may not know much but one thing we know for sure is our calling to this ministry and we are so thankful. Ashley even said “of course, you will continue your work with Cross Roads but what if the only other thing you work on right now is finishing your Masters?” Then she said “That is enough.” Isn’t that what we are always striving for? To feel like we are enough? Stay tuned for my next post about “Enough” & until then I am going to burrow down in my family & my school work.
I am in the practicum portion of my program so I will be counseling 10 eager volunteers over the next few months. Thank you to my willing volunteers & to the Cross Roads residents who might be forced:))
I will continue to blog & work on my writing as I can but I am putting my book dreams on hold right now which will relieve a lot of pressure. I am reveiwng speaking requests on a case by case basis so I can be super intentional about the things I have chosen as priority right now:) Thanks for continuing to meet me here! Love & blessings to you this Christmas Season!
Jodi
Living the Freed Up Life 