UDSKRIFT 🔗
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Speaker 1: Welcome back to the Overco podcast. I'm your host, Jennica Lopez. Thank you guys so much for choosing to listen, picking this episode, watching it however you guys are wherever you guys are at, thank you so much for just taking the time to spend with me. If you guys notice the thumbnail or the title, we are talking about ending a chapter and trusting the next. And with that being said, drumro please it breaks my heart to say, but I want to be fully transparent and honest with you guys. As always, it's bittersweet to say, but this will be the last season of the Overcomfort Podcast. We are hitting the end of the season. Honestly, it feels bittersweet toe even say it out loud. But I wanted to sit down and really talk to you guys from my heart about ending the podcast and stepping into a new chapter of my life and what it's been feeling like to let go of one thing that I know that God caught me to do while God is clearly doing something new in my life simultaneously. And and because I think sometimes we know when a season is shifting even before we fully have the language for it, you could just feel it. You could just see it happening, and that feeling when something was so aligned for you starts feeling complete, and you could feel God gently closing this chapter, my chapter in this and pulling me into another. It's not bad at all. It's just done. And it's not because I don't enjoy it. It's not because I am starting other things or you know. I just know that this was what I was meant to do for these last Oh my gosh, I want to say five years going on five years of doing the podcast, and it's been such a blessing. The connections I have made, the people have met, the stories that I have heard, the everything, the private moments, the soft moments with you guys, the vulnerable moments have impacted my life so much. And I've just wanted to be honest from the start, and when I started this podcast, I ultimately wanted you guys to get to know me and for us to have uncomfortable situations and uncomfortable conversations that we don't usually have on the daily, things that are taboo, things that people are afraid to talk about or share. And I boldly come forth and let you guys know where I'm standing. And honest with you guys and always keeping it one hundred percent. And I think that time is done and to open other avenues in my life. As you guys know from the last episode where we launched Jenica's Journeys, which is a docu series that I started, and that's a whole nother chapter in my life, a whole nother perspective on my life that has done so well. So if you guys haven't seen it, please please please watch it. It's on Latination is a free app, so you guys can go ahead and watch and be nosy about my life. But this podcast has meant so much to me. It's been a space where I could be able to be open, be honest, share what's on my heart, process things out loud, connect with you guys in a real way, and honestly just grow through my own voice. And that's what I struggled with since the beginning of five years ago. If I look back, I was so nervous and scared to even launch the first episode. The first episode we were talking about my dad, about me discovering who I am and who my father is, and that was something so vulnerable but important to me to share with you, guys, And in that honesty, I also think there comes a time with where you have to be honest with yourself when you know what season is ending, and not because it's not working out or that it wasn't beautiful or that it failed or anything like that, but it served its purpose for the time that God intended it to. And I really wanted to talk to you guys about that today because I think a lot of us struggle with endings, especially when something is good. And if we think if something was meaningful, why should we we should probably hold on to it forever. If we blessed, if something blessed us, it should stay the same. Or if we make something part of our routine or an identity, the ending must be that something is wrong. And that's not always true, because sometimes God gives us and places us in certain times and places for a time and not forever. He doesn't. Sometimes he gives us something for a season. Sometimes he uses a chapter to shape us, to stretch us, to reveal things in us, and that's how we know we're moving forward. And that's really what today's episode is about. And I think one of the hardest thing about endings is that sometimes they can be right but still emotional, Like think of it like this, this is the most common thing that I could relate it to a relationship that you probably knew that you shouldn't have been with. Or let's just say this this positive actually a relationship that went so well for years, let's say three years dating. It's so good, he's such a great guy. But you know that that time is coming to a close. You feel it. You feel either God or I don't like to say the universe, but if you believe in the universe giving you signs like you just know and maybe you guys aren't on the same page anymore, and that's okay. People grow, We're meant to grow out of our comfort zone, out of these common spaces. And this is something that people don't talk about enough. We act like if God isn't is in it, then every transition should feel clear, peaceful, and complicated. But sometimes even the right ending can still come with emotion. We're human. Endings make you look reflect, they make you look back, They make you realize how much something meant to you. They make you face the fact that life is moving on. Like five years ago, I started this podcast so broken, so filled with social anxiety, Like I feel like I'm so much more better, Like I don't even want to say I'm shy, but because I'm still a shy girl, but I'm more confident in the way I say things and in my delivery and how I want to present myself to people. And you could relate this to however you see fit in your life. If there's if you feel like there's
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a chapter that you feel like you know is needing to be close or you're ready to move on, then this message is definitely for you. We know that God is doing something new, and that new thing might require letting go of something familiar, and that can be hard, not because you're resisting God or you're doing something wrong, but again, we're human, and I think that's where I've been in this. I'm not It's not this dramatic thing where I'm like, oh my gosh, everything is falling apart. I feel like should I be doing this? No, I feel like I feel at peace, this quiet realization of Okay, wow, this chapter is really really closing, And I get emotionally even saying it now because throughout this time, obviously I've recorded just on the mic. I haven't done video for a while, and it has been such a closed space for me here Like I like, right now, if you guys can envision, I'm in my walking closet that I made, and on my vanity, I have my mic and my little plot recording thing and my iPad and and like I'm staring outside and I'm just so grateful because this space has made it feel so like, I don't know, like I'm talking to my friends or we're on FaceTime or something, and it's something that all miss and I don't know. It's just this podcast has held pieces of me, different versions of me, different thoughts, seasons, Oh my god, those different seasons. I've been through, the conversations and the moments where I was figuring things out in real time, and that means something to me. And I don't want to act like moving on means nothing, if anything, It means so much more. One of the biggest lessons I've learned recording the podcast is that just because something not because of recording the podcast, but because it's ending, it doesn't mean that it wasn't from God, you know. And I want I want to let that sit for a second, because I think sometimes when people hear oh, the season is over. They automatically connect that to failure. The podcast has been successful. It has been running for four seasons, and if it really wasn't from God, it wouldn't have lasted this long. It kept going, it stayed consistent, and I got so many deals from it. I got so many just things that you know, I never I would have never expected. And not everything God gives you is meant to stay forever in the same form, right. Some things are assignments or stepping stones or places where He grows you, uses you, teaches you, and then moves you on using all those tools into something else. And I think sometimes we struggle because we want permanence from things God only meant to be seasonal. We want forever from something that only was meant for a chapter, and we want consistency and a form that God may be transforming. And I think that's where trust comes in, because it takes trust to say God, thank you for what this was, even if I can feel You asking me to loosen my grip on it. It's mature, and honestly, I think that's a healthy way of looking at endings, not as a loss, not as look at it as
something like completed completion, not always as something being taken from you, sometimes as something having done what is meant to do. And that's beautiful. And when it comes to the podcast, I look back on it and I just feel so grateful again because it really has been a part of my journey and that's the thing. Part of it, not all of it, not the full story, not the final version, but a real part of my journey and who I have built myself to be is because of this podcast, And that's how life works. A lot of the time. God gives us spaces, people, opportunities, ideas, platforms, passions, and they all become a part of the shaping They hold us for a season and sometimes without anything being wrong, God just started something new and I think that's where I'm at now. Like I said before, the podcast helped me find my voice in a certain way. It gave me room to speak, reflect, process, and most importantly connect and it let me say things that I needed to say in that season that I was in. But I know that I'm also changing and my life is changing, and the way God my is moving in my life is changing. And I think it's okay to admit sometimes that something can be deeply meaningful and still not be where you're called to stay for forever. And that's being honorable, that's acknowledging growth, And honestly, a huge part of this new season in my life for me also has to do with the docuseries. And I have something new coming that you guys are going to hear in next week episode. I have another product coming out soon that I I've been waiting to tell you guys about that this is completely different. I'm again stepping into a whole new chapter of my life that I feel like this feels more expansive and vulnerable in a different way, but also aligned with where I'm at now. And I think that's been so interesting about this transition is it's not about ending something that's also recognizing what God is opening. And I don't think He just removes for no reason. He makes room. A lot of the time, he closes one thing to open another. He finishes one chapter so that you can fully step into the next one. He shifts your he shifts your focus because what's required ahead, what's required ahead of you and me, requires a different version of us. So all this time, in these last five years and everything that I've been through has prepared me for what I'm about to do now, and I feel that so heavily this docuseries, I feel like I'm stepping into a space that reflects a different season of my life, a deeper season, a grown season. We're talking about turning thirty, things that have made me feel uncomfortable on my way to thirty, Like I'm a fool, grown ass adult now, Like it's crazy. It's a season where I'm gonna be seen differently and telling my story in a different way, and that's part of my transition that feels so real. It's not random, it's intentional, and I feel like one thing that has held me for this season is that now God is pulling me into another expression of what this next chapter looks like. And it's exciting, but oh my God, is it's so scary. It's like pulling me, It's stretching me in so many different ways. But it's also like I cannot be amazed more with who God is and how he acts in my life. He is so intentional and so like perfect that I'm just like wow, Like I'm amazed. If I think about all the little little details that God has done for me I'm like, he's so detailed and about the surprise I have coming. I'm gonna wait to tell you guys, and the next one because that deserves its own episode. But I can't say anything too much yet. But it's one of those things where I can just feel like God is doing something fresh. I'm not a huge numerology person. I don't know even how that works biblically. I have to look that up. Maybe God does speak to us in numbers and all that, but I have been seeing the numbers eight forty one for the last year. It has been crazy and its just and I've looked it up and it says new beginnings, new beginnings. Let's let me see. Let me get that for you right now, actually, because I don't want to be completely mistaken. And again, I've looked up every Bible verse too that may have connected something with this, and I haven't found anything yet. But it says Angel number eight for one, a spiritual message indicating that your hard work and positive thoughts are successfully manifesting abundance, blessings, and personal authority. It serves as a reminder to focus on positive outcomes personal growth. It yeah, so that's but anyways, that is what I've been seeing for the last year a year and a half, and that's when I started working on this passion project that I have coming out. And with that being said, the whole point of bringing that up was that I feel God's hand over this, and I think that's what makes me feel like this ending is easier to hold with open hands is realizing that God is not just asking me to let go for a reason. He's leading me, He's setting things up for me. He's preparing things that and again connect this to your own way, to your own story, but he's preparing things you may not even fully see yet. And that has been my life for the last year, and I think life there are moments where God starts starting something new in new before you even fully make sense outside, like you have no idea. This is how He works in my life. You can feel the shift before you can explain it. You can feel him inviting you and for what I don't know, before you even see the full outcome. And that's where I am. There's closure, yes, and there's anticipation, there's reflections, yes, but there's also expectation and I think that's such a beautiful space to be because it reminds me that that endings are not always empty. Although this makes me sad and you know, to have to talk about it with you guys, Like I just can't wait for you guys to see what other doors God can open for somebody or can open for you. I'm a huge believer that if we dedicate our lives to the Lord and give him the
praise every single morning, like I'm gonna keep it a buck with you guys. Today, I haven't even prayed to God and it's two pm, and I am I mean, I've said thank you Lord for this, but I am ashamed of myself for not even getting into my word. And I'm still feeling like undeserving of all the things that He's given me. And it's crazy. So I just want to remind you guys, like wherever you guys are in your journey or in your season, like just make space for God. Be more sensitive maybe to the Holy Spirit, your discernment to be able to open those doors for you and maybe close chapters where it needs to be. And the biggest thing on my heart with this episode is really God places us in a certain place for a certain time, and I don't mean projects or platforms, I mean seasons in general. He sometimes he'll give you a friendship for a season, a job, a city, a version of yourself for a season, and in that space it nursures you, stretches you, grows you, and reveals things to you. But it's not meant to be forever. That's you know. You can also tie that to uncomfortable things like we're not going to be doing this forever. And I know that a lot of our pain comes from trying to make permanent when God only intended to be temporary because he has something so much better. We don't like change. We hold on to things too long. We try to force something to stay because it becomes familiar and it becomes a part of us and it feels so right. But just because something was right for one season doesn't mean it wasn't meant for every season. And it's hard to accept sometimes because we like familiarity. We like that security, that certainty. We like having a clear picture of where we are and what's staying. But God is not always going to ask us to stay where we get comfortable. Sometimes he's going to ask us to trust him and the next thing, and that's where faith becomes real because faith is not just trusting God when things are stable, it's trusting him when he's shifting things, when he's moving things, or when he's asking you to release one thing and step into another. And that's true us. And also that doesn't mean to make it seem ungrateful just because we're stepping out of this again. I'm so grateful for this podcast and the doors that it's opened for me. And sometimes we shame ourselves for it, like why am I feeling this way? And we start feeling guilty and maybe we're being inconsistent, maybe we don't appreciate what we had, but growth happens with that growth changes your vision, your what aligns with you, It changes the way you carry things, and you are allowed to be grateful in transition. At the same time, you can deeply appreciate what something was and still know that it's time to move on and be thankful and still be complete. And I think that's how I am carrying this transition, not with pressure, not with guilt, but with just such a grateful, grateful heart. So if you're in a season right now where you feel like something is ending or changing and no longer feeling the way it once was. I just want to encourage you that it doesn't automatically mean that something is wrong. It just means that that season is complete and God is moving and that one place you held is no longer meant to hold you in that same way. And it can feel bittersweet, and it can feel emotional and uncertain, But I also think that something really beautiful about trusting God enough to let a chapter end without feeling like your whole story is over, because it's not. It's just changing. And some of the most beautiful things in life happen when we stop trying to stay in old season and let God lead us into a new one. And that's where I'm at. I'm grateful for what this podcast has been, excited for, what the docuseries has excited for what's coming next, and trusting if God is closing this chapter, he already knows exactly what he's opening with. So that's it for today's episode. If there's anything that I can leave you with is that don't be afraid of a season ending just because it was meaningful. Some of the most God filled things in our life are still seasonal, and that doesn't make them any less scared. It just means that they're served their purpose and the time that they were meant to and that's the beauty of it. And okay, so today's Bible verse of the day is Ecclesiastes three to one. To everything there is a season and a time to every purpose under Heaven. I love this verse for this episode specifically because it's just a reminder the life's move and seasons on purpose, not randomly, not carelessly. It's with purpose. And sometimes peace comes when we stop fighting the season change and start trusting the God who's leading it. So anyways, you guys, thank you, thank you, thank you for listening to today's episode, for listening to all the episodes. If you guys have been a long time subscriber and fan, I'm so grateful, so so so grateful. You have no idea, And I just want to thank my Lord Jesus, thank you God, because this podcast has changed my life in so many ways. Thank you for opening the door and for letting my heart be heard. And I'm ready. I'm ready for this new chapter that you have for me. So thank you guys so much. I hope you guys have the best day. I make sure you like come subscribe and I will see you guys next week.