4:13 Podcast: Happy New Year From Jennifer and KC [Episode 383]

Jennifer Rothschild: Hey, hey, hey. We are right here. '25 is almost over, '26 is almost here. Happy almost new year. And we are going to have some fun on the podcast today, because it's just me and KC and we're just going to talk. We're just reviewing our year and talking about some fun things that we experienced, what we may have learned, or maybe unlearned, or maybe not learned, or maybe need to learn.

Anyway, I don't know what you're up to today, but whatever it is, thanks for letting me and KC hang out with you. So if you're in your car, if you're going for a walk, thanks for taking us along.

You're at the 4:13, and it's just two friends, one topic, and zero stress. And I'm Jennifer and I'm here to help you be and do more than you feel capable of as you're living this "I Can" life along with me and KC. KC is my Seeing Eye Guy, as you know, and here we are in the closet, just two friends, one topic, and zero stress.

KC, are you feeling any stress?

KC Wright: You know what? No. I never feel stressed over here.

Jennifer Rothschild: I'm so glad.

KC Wright: I only feel joy and --

Jennifer Rothschild: Oh, I like that.

KC Wright: I only feel joy here. And I have good coffee, and I get to talk to my friends listening, my family, my 4:13 family --

Jennifer Rothschild: You are the family.

KC Wright: -- and sharing life with you.

Jennifer Rothschild: Well, here's what I was thinking, KC. You know, we have learned a lot this year on the 4:13.

KC Wright: Yes.

Jennifer Rothschild: We've had so many incredible guests. But y'all, family, we just need to breathe a little bit, so KC and I were just going to talk through our year. And I would love for you to find your people and just kind of review your year. Because we don't want to gloss over what we've experienced this past year. We want to really take it to heart and learn and be grateful.

So I was thinking, KC -- I've had a big year.

KC Wright: Oh, yeah, you really have.

Jennifer Rothschild: I've had a big year. I've had so many things that I will not inundate the family with all of it. But one of them, as you well know, our dear youngest son, Connor, married Chloe.

KC Wright: Oh, adorable couple.

Jennifer Rothschild: Oh, it was in May. They married in Austin, Texas. And, you know, Austin is hot in May. This was the most dreamy weather. You wouldn't even knew we were there in Texas. It was not cool, but it was definitely not sweltering.

KC Wright: God was good.

Jennifer Rothschild: Oh, it was beautiful. She was a beautiful bride. He was a happy and thoughtful groom. One of the things they did, KC, that just was the most precious is he wrote a note, a personal note to everyone who attended.

KC Wright: Whoa.

Jennifer Rothschild: So there at the reception -- I think there were a hundred of us -- he wrote a personal note. Like, I'm so glad you're here, here's what you mean to me, thank you for being a part. It was so thoughtful. Everything was so thoughtful.

KC Wright: So thoughtful.

Jennifer Rothschild: And so, obviously, I've had many months now to live with my new daughter. I don't mean live. They don't live with us. They live in Houston. But I mean to get to know her. And I'm so grateful that God gave me this new daughter, Chloe. She was a sergeant in the Army, and just an incredible young woman. And I have a grand dog, Tucker. I have a grand dog. But anyway, they got their first house. So anyway, I am a very grateful mom, and that was a highlight for me.

Okay. So you can't really top a wedding, but you got anything you can share that was a win for you?

KC Wright: I'll just say this: J.R.'s year was epic; mine was kind of lame. But that's okay.

Jennifer Rothschild: Yes.

KC Wright: You have peaks and valleys, right?

Jennifer Rothschild: Right.

KC Wright: But, I mean, I -- some things that happened to me this year, I went on some epic hikes.

Jennifer Rothschild: Okay, that's fun.

KC Wright: Uh-huh. I did get my beach time.

Jennifer Rothschild: How was the beach, KC?

KC Wright: The beach was -- well, you know, the older that I get, you know, you say beach or mountains.

Jennifer Rothschild: Mm-hmm. And you would always say beach.

KC Wright: I always say beach. But I think I'm leaning more toward the mountains, because, well, there's just adventure there and no melanoma.

Hey, one thing that I am proud of myself.

Jennifer Rothschild: Okay, what? Tell me.

KC Wright: I'm going on -- this marks four years of CrossFit.

Jennifer Rothschild: Listen, that is something to be very proud of.

KC Wright: Four years of crucifying the flesh and getting in there --

Jennifer Rothschild: I'm proud of you.

KC Wright: -- and staying committed.

Jennifer Rothschild: Which is hard.

KC Wright: Yeah.

Jennifer Rothschild: Okay, But you can do all things -- right? -- through Christ.

KC Wright: Let me tell you, when you're doing overhead carries and when you're squatting, I can't tell you how many times I've had that Scripture. Because, you know, if you just lean into your flesh, you're not going to get through the workout.

Jennifer Rothschild: No, no.

KC Wright: But if you say things like, "All day, baby, I could do this all day, and I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me," you slay it.

Jennifer Rothschild: You do, yeah.

KC Wright: Also I want to say thank you, Jesus, for every single ministry opportunity he's given me, from ministering on Sundays and Wednesdays, to even preaching the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ all the way in Vietnam.

Jennifer Rothschild: Well, yes, because you just went to Vietnam. Wasn't that -- okay, we had -- was that with Winston --

KC Wright: Bui.

Jennifer Rothschild: Bui.

KC Wright: Yes.

Jennifer Rothschild: We had him on the podcast a while back, maybe last year or two years ago.

KC Wright: Right. Yeah.

Jennifer Rothschild: We'll link to that, okay?

KC Wright: Okay, yeah.

Jennifer Rothschild: But, yeah, what an incredible opportunity that was, huh?

KC Wright: What an experience.

Jennifer Rothschild: Wow.

KC Wright: Wow.

Jennifer Rothschild: Okay. And something else that I just thought of with you --

KC Wright: Yeah?

Jennifer Rothschild: -- I think you had a worship leader join your church this year, this past year?

KC Wright: Yes.

Jennifer Rothschild: Because we just heard her sing on the Christmas episode. Layne Victoria, right?

KC Wright: Yes.

Jennifer Rothschild: She's been leading worship?

KC Wright: Yes.

Jennifer Rothschild: Oh, KC --

KC Wright: What a gift.

Jennifer Rothschild: Yeah, what beautiful things the Lord has done.

KC Wright: And my Elly turned 15 years old.

Jennifer Rothschild: Okay, wow.

KC Wright: Yeah.

Jennifer Rothschild: Fifteen. I remember being 15.

KC Wright: She's wanting her permit. And I'm like, "Let's pray about that." God said no. So, yeah, 16 cometh, so -- I can't imagine putting her on the road right now. But yeah, my baby girl turned 15.

Jennifer Rothschild: So she'll be 16 in '26.

KC Wright: Yes.

Jennifer Rothschild: Wow, KC, you're going to age ten years.

Okay. Let me tell you what we did, too, this summer. That reminded me when you were saying Vietnam. We were planning to go to Italy this summer -- that was my big trip -- with two couples that were our dearest friends. I mentioned one of them a couple of weeks ago when we talked about -- who were we talking with? Oh, Shawn Johnson. And I told you about Mark Richt. So it was Mark and Katharyn. We've been friends with them for, like, 30 years.

KC Wright: Wow.

Jennifer Rothschild: So we were going to Italy with them and with our other friends Todd and Lori. And two weeks before going to Italy, Mark calls us and says, "Hey, man, I hate to say this" -- he's got Parkinson's. He says, "I hate to say this, but I've just realized I don't think I can do Italy." Which is such a hard reality to deal with.

That man has got such courage, such tenacity. So we were disappointed. And our other friends, Todd and Lori -- you know, we all talked, the three couples, and we were like, well, let's still go to Italy. Okay? Richts wanted us to go to Italy. We decide to go to Italy, even though we're disappointed. But we planned it, we paid for it, so we're going to Italy.

Okay. A week before now, I get out of bed and my back goes out. And it was bad, y'all. It was so bad. So it was a bulging disk. I've told this story, I'm not going to belabor the point. But it was a bulging disk. But I work really hard because we're going to Italy in two weeks. Or in a week. No. It was just a week at that point. I go to the doctor, I -- all the things. Anyway, I'm like, okay, we can do it. The Cooleys -- that's our friends Todd and Lori. They're like, "Are you sure?" I'm like, "Yes, we are doing it." You know, I can do all things. Not.

So then it's the Wednesday before we left on Monday and I'm like, I can't even sit down. We cannot -- I can't sit on a plane. I can't go to Italy. Y'all still go. And then they're like, no, we're not going without you.

So anyway, long story short, we get in a camper, because I can lay down or I can walk. So we get in a camper with the Cooleys and we did the most epic road trip to the Badlands. So y'all will have to look. I had new Meta glasses, so I did this whole road trip.

KC Wright: Wow.

Jennifer Rothschild: We went everywhere and I filmed it all through my Meta glasses. We had the best time. It was the most fun trip ever. You talk about making -- what? -- lemonade out of lemons?

KC Wright: Lemons?

Jennifer Rothschild: It was the best trip ever. I loved it so much. And I now think international travel is overrated. I'm getting in a camper and going next time. Anyway, that was one of the highlights of this year.

But I'll give you one more.

KC Wright: Okay.

Jennifer Rothschild: Okay, one more.

KC Wright: What a year.

Jennifer Rothschild: I know, right? But we're going to let y'all go after this because I want you to sit down with your people and review the highlights of your year.

Fresh Ground of Faith retired.

KC Wright: That was a moment.

Jennifer Rothschild: Right? Now, it was bittersweet.

KC Wright: It was.

Jennifer Rothschild: So bittersweet. But, you know, we had done Fresh Grounded Faith for 18 years and God had so blessed us. And the amount of churches we had been in, the amount of women who had come to Christ, the amount of women who are now in Bible study because of it, the number of children who were released from poverty in Jesus' name through Compassion because of Fresh Ground Faith, I mean, it was epic.

And I'm so thankful for what God had done. But it was also a very hard, difficult truth that sometimes good things come to an end.

KC Wright: Yeah.

Jennifer Rothschild: And it doesn't mean it wasn't good, it just meant it was time.

And so now in '26 -- I want you to pay attention. Sign up for my newsletter Java with Jennifer, if you haven't, on my website, jenniferrothschild.com, because I will link you to this tour that I'm doing. We're going to do a Heaven tour, the Hope of Heaven Tour. It's going to be all around the nation. And I'm going to be at other events all throughout the country. Still speaking.

So Fresh Grounded Faith has retired, which was bittersweet, but Jennifer has not. So check out the Hope of Heaven Tour. Follow us -- I've also got, KC --

KC Wright: Yeah?

Jennifer Rothschild: -- new books coming out in '26.

KC Wright: Come on.

Jennifer Rothschild: So I know we're looking back, but I'm also looking forward, because it's going to be a good year. If you did my Heaven Bible study, there's going to be a Heaven Devotional coming out in '26. There's also another Bible study called "The Names of God." It's going to be a good year coming up, my people.

So remember, whatever you've dealt with this year, thank God for the highlights, thank God for the beautiful moments, and be thankful even for the hard ones, because it is in all things, the hard and the good, that God can work, that he can teach us more about himself, and he can remind us that we can do all things through Christ who gives us strength.

So as 2026 shows up, start it with gratefulness, start it with hope, because Jesus is there waiting for you. He is a present help in times of trouble and in times of triumph. All right. We love you. Happy New Year.

KC Wright: Love you. Happy New Year.