Life in Pieces

There was once a girl who fell in love with a boy deep in the heart of Georgia. They got married on July 20, 2002. They were young & clueless but so in love. As they exchanged vows on a beautiful, hot summer day, they never could have imagined all that lay ahead of them. Eventually, they had a house, two kids, & a dog. It was the American Dream. However, they also had a big secret. The disease of addiction was pulsating through their family & threatened to destroy them. Suddenly that bride was a wife, mother, & business woman. She was also the master of covering up & keeping up. She covered up her husband's addiction & made sure they were keeping up appearances. The two of them kept all those plates spinning for years, until eventually all the plates came crashing down. One day, the husband left for a long-term treatment program & this one seemed different than all the others. It was a long, hard year but God never stopped working. God rescued an addict, redeemed a life, & restored a family. It was beauty from ashes & one of the most beautiful seasons of their lives. During that season of separation, God sent the husband & the wife the exact same message during the storm. The message from God was "Let me be enough." He looked down at the addict & said "What if she leaves you & you never see your kids again? Will you go back to using or will you surrender & let me be enough?" Then God looked to the wife & said "What about you? Life is certainly not going as you planned so will you get angry & resentful or will you surrender & let me be enough?" In His power, they both surrendered & God has not only been enough but He has been doing immeasurably more in their lives ever since.

There was once a girl who fell in love with a boy deep in the heart of Georgia. They got married on July 20, 2002. They were young & clueless but so in love. As they exchanged vows on a beautiful, hot summer day, they never could have imagined all that lay ahead of them. Eventually, they had a house, two kids, & a dog. It was the American Dream. However, they also had a big secret. The disease of addiction was pulsating through their family & threatened to destroy them. Suddenly that bride was a wife, mother, & business woman. She was also the master of covering up & keeping up. She covered up her husband's addiction & made sure they were keeping up appearances. The two of them kept all those plates spinning for years, until eventually all the plates came crashing down. One day, the husband left for a long-term treatment program & this one seemed different than all the others. It was a long, hard year but God never stopped working. God rescued an addict, redeemed a life, & restored a family. It was beauty from ashes & one of the most beautiful seasons of their lives. During that season of separation, God sent the husband & the wife the exact same message during the storm. The message from God was "Let me be enough." He looked down at the addict & said "What if she leaves you & you never see your kids again? Will you go back to using or will you surrender & let me be enough?" Then God looked to the wife & said "What about you? Life is certainly not going as you planned so will you get angry & resentful or will you surrender & let me be enough?" In His power, they both surrendered & God has not only been enough but He has been doing immeasurably more in their lives ever since.

Jodi has always loved to write. She started with journaling, then started a blog & finally wrote the book you hold in your hands! Jodi holds a Bachelor's Degree in Business Management & a Master's Degree in Counseling. She is licensed by the National Christian Counselors Association, is an ordained minister of Pastoral Counseling & a Certified Temperament therapist. In addition to her education and training, her personal life experience has enabled her to help others who are experiencing crisis. Jodi will tell you that Jesus was the star of her story & she recognized early on that He gifts people in the area of counseling so that His children can have a tangible resource on earth to help them work through the pain & trials they face. Jodi relied on a counselor to work through her biggest hurdles of life and is honored to now be a vessel that God can use to help others through tough times. She and her husband, Brad founded Cross Roads Recovery Ministries, Inc., in 2015. Cross Roads is a residential transition program for men struggling with addiction. Jodi splits her time between working in the recovery ministry and running her private counseling practice, J. Sappe Christian Counseling. She and Brad have been married for 19 years and have two incredible children, Lawson & Bella. Jodi loves spending time with her people, exercising, studying the bible with her CBS sisters, reading, traveling, interior decorating, & all things fashion! She and her family do their best to love well & have fun.