#193: Sopha Rush: Living Deeply Rooted
Sopha Rush is an author and speaker who tells amazing stories! In our conversation, we talk about what it means to live deeply rooted in faith, holy marriage, and walking with Christ.
Links:
https://www.instagram.com/sopharush/
https://www.dayspring.com/sopha-rush-100-days-of-living-deeply-rooted-devotional-journal
https://www.instagram.com/twmilt
EP. 193
Tony: [00:00:00] Hey everybody. Welcome back to the Reclamation Podcast, where our goal is to help you reclaim good practices for following Jesus. If we haven't met yet, my name is Tony and I am your host with over a decade in the local church. I care passionately about helping you connect deeper to following Jesus. We love to sit down every week in conversation in monologue form and help you grow in your faith through intentional practices.
And I love the intentional practice that I have to share with you today. Her name is sofa rush, and she's got a brand new resource out living deeply rooted a hundred days of it. As a matter of fact, sofa is speaker and author, and she's an incredible storyteller that wants you to. About what it means to move closer to Jesus.
We talk about her story. We talk about writing. We talk about so many different things that I know you're gonna enjoy. Hey, do me [00:01:00] a favor. Make sure you don't miss any future episodes by hitting that subscribe button, wherever you listen a podcast. Also, if you enjoy this episode, leave a rating or review, it goes a long way to tell the story about what God is doing on this platform.
And finally, the highest compliment you can give us. Like the one thing that you can do for us. If this episode is helpful, share it with a friend sharing. The podcast is. Most effective way to tell people about what God is doing here on the reclamation podcast. Now, without any further ado, here's my conversation with sofa rush.
Hey everybody. Welcome back to the podcast. I'm excited today to be here with. Author speaker and theologian. So rush. So, but thank you so much for being here today.
Sopha: Thank you so much for having me. It has been a pleasure already and such an honor to be on this amazing platform that you have created for your followers, your listeners.
So thank you. [00:02:00]
Tony: Well, I always love to kind of start from a macro perspective. And one of the questions I love to ask people is, is how would you describe. The call that God has placed on your life. You obviously have done a lot of things. You're a writer and you've got quite the platform. And you own your own business and all the different kind of ministries that you do.
How would you articulate what God the calling God has put on your life?
Sopha: Oh, how do you even break that down? I would say that God has called me just to be a light. And I don't really know how to articulate it like that, but in a sense, like I didn't have a lot growing up when it came to guidance or people pouring into me and having that influence.
And so for me, I wanted to be able, or God really caused me to be a light for those who didn't know how to connect with God, but also just to be there and offer. [00:03:00] Encouragement and inspiration and just to learn how to uplift. And so that's that sums it up mostly is like how I am where I am. It's just like the calling over my life is just to be Obed to be a light.
Hmm.
Tony: And one of the ways that you do that is through writing mm-hmm and you write quite a bit, and you've got a brand new resource out that we're gonna dump into. Jump into it here in just a second. How, how did you know that you were a good writer? Cuz I, I think there's probably a lot of people listening who have gifts that God has given them.
Mm-hmm but yet they don't see them as a gift, but rather like, oh, it's just something I do or yeah. You know, so if, if you're talking to that young man or young woman who's out there and maybe they're doing something and. And maybe God wants to, to do more with it. How, how did you come to that realization?
Sopha: You know, I was just in the, that sh those shoes as well, like feeling like, oh, it's just [00:04:00] writing and I would write and write. And I, there was times where I felt like nobody was listening to me, but I still felt so led to write. I've always had a desire to write. I didn't really know I was a good writer until I kept writing.
And then people. People started coming and people starting to connect and find it relatable and say a me too, like I've been through that. I, I know what that feels like. And so that's how I knew I was a good writer. It was when people would start to tell me and also just the following just came with it of like, thank you so much that this really came at the perfect timing or, or like I could really connect with this and.
that's really how I just started writing and continued to start writing.
Tony: Yeah, no, I think that's a great answer. Right? Look, look for the fruit of the ministry, right? When, yeah. When God kind of opens people's eyes up to what you're doing, then all of a sudden there's an opportunity to do something different.
Now over the years, you've written in [00:05:00] various. Blogs, which I, I don't know if they're coming back or if I'm just seeing more of them or , but tell me about kind of that journey for you.
Sopha: Yeah. So I started blogging. I actually started blogging in college. Like I said, I didn't really have any mentors or anybody kind of leading me, but I also just wanted a space, a safe space for people to come and feel like they weren't.
and also it was kind of birthed out of my pain. I was going through a heartbreak actually. It's so crazy. Cause I'm like, the heartbreak really made me. Like burst something in me to like walk in my purpose. But I started writing because I was going through a lot of pain and all my friends were so tired of me talking about it.
So I was like, let me just start writing about it cuz I know I'm not the only one who's had their heartbroken or felt some, some type of way. And so I just started blogging about it and like I said, nobody was really reading or commenting. I, I just felt like I was just talking to a brick wall, but I just never gave up.
I just kept writing and sharing my heart. It was. Very healing for me to get that out [00:06:00] there. And I'm so glad I never gave up on it. I just kept kept writing, but that's kind of how my blog started, kind of was birth out of my pain and kind of just like shifted into my purpose. And so. Yeah. So started in college and I do feel like blogging's gonna start coming back.
If not, I'm gonna make it. I'm going to be that one person who brings it back. Cause I really truly enjoy writing. And I know with me too with social media now everything's so fast paced that you can't even keep up in. People don't even like reading long paragraphs anymore, but I'm like, that's what I love to do.
I'm a storyteller and, but I'm gonna bring it back. I know I.
Tony: I, you know, so I just started a subst stack page mm-hmm because I'm trying to find that right. Space or venue. You, you do a lot of writing on Instagram and you've built quite the community there mm-hmm , as you think back to that journey, kind of what, what what are some of the things you noticed about building community on social media as it pertains to your writing and, and [00:07:00] your intentionality there as.
Sopha: Of course. I think the biggest thing I've learned was just making sure that you don't compromise, you know, who you are and where you are going and keeping your eyes fixed on Jesus. Because I feel like with social media you can get so caught up in like trying to be a part of the trend or you're like trying, you know, what can do so well and what can make you go viral?
And then you kind of like lose yourself in that. And I I've seen a lot of people do that. I know a lot of, of people who have done that, and it is very sad, but for me, I've just kind of like kept my eyes fixed on Jesus and. And I had moments where people would say like, oh, you'll never really get to work with brands because all you do is talk about Jesus or people would be like, oh, you're, you know, you're always talking about Jesus.
Is there anything else you love? And I'm like, yeah, I love my family. I love my husband. I love Jesus. And my, you know, like that's just, it's I always say it's kind of like someone who has a love for, for like cats. You know, if you love your cats, you're gonna post about your cats. There's so many cat pages.
There's so [00:08:00] many animal pages because that's what people love. I'm passionate about Jesus. So my page is solely my family in, in Jesus. And I'm never gonna stop talking about Jesus, whether I get campaigns or not, the brands are not going to keep me from sharing what God is doing in my life. And so I never compromised that.
I just I've. Even when I, you know, work with brands, I've some of them allowed me to talk about Jesus while I'm talking, you know, sharing their brand and their companies. And it's just been really cool. Like it never really stopped, even though people tried to make me feel like I was not gonna be able to monetize my, my platforms because of Jesus and Jesus has exceeded my expectations.
But yeah, that's one thing that I've noticed most with social media. Was that the question
Tony: yeah. And, and also to, to drill down a little bit further, what's it been like building a community over there because it, it does seem like mm-hmm it's more. it, it's not very often where I run across an Instagram page that [00:09:00] also feels like a community.
Mm. And somehow you've managed to kind of like bridge that gap. It's it's, you're not, you're not just posting. You're really communing with,
Sopha: yeah. I try my best to put myself. As like someone who's looking in, because I've always, I've always had a desire that like, when people come to my page, I want them to feel God's presence.
And I want them to feel like a warmth. I want them to feel so welcomed and so loved. And like, I want them to feel like that they can really. Be vulnerable, like open up and be vulnerable. And so I've always had that mindset when I've, when I was building my brand, like, I, I just want people to connect. I want people to feel seen loved.
I want them to feel like me too. Like we're in this together. We are on this journey together. Like life is hard. Marriage is hard. Being a mom is hard. Being a friend is hard. Building community. Community is hard, but like we get to do it together. And so that's one thing.[00:10:00] That it's kind of kept me grounded when it comes to building an online community is, is making sure that I'm being relatable, making sure that I'm staying true to myself and not compromising myself.
And also just. Letting people see God shine through everything that I do, not just when I'm celebrating the wins and the victories, but also like even when I'm going through the struggles and the valley moments in my life. And I think that's why people are so drawn to me is that I can do both and it's okay to do both.
But yeah. I hope that makes it
Tony: no perfect sense. Okay. It does. It does. And one of the, one of the early themes that I hear is I, I hear you chat more and more about kind of your life and your rhythm. Is this idea about your eyes being fixed on Jesus? Mm-hmm there there's somebody out here who's listening right now, who I know is like, man, I, I want that in my life.
And so if, if you were gonna talk us through kind of your daily. Weekly kind of rhythms for [00:11:00] staying fixed on Jesus. What, what are the, what are the details behind that?
Sopha: Of course. And I like to tell people that for one, you have to be gracious with yourself because there will be seasons that will be where you're on fire for the Lord, and you have all the time to spend.
In your quiet space, having your, you know, one-on-one devotional time and there will be seasons, you know, you're a parent yourself, you understand, there will be seasons where you, you won't have as much time cuz you have kids running around soccer team. You know, like you're off doing things for the school.
And I mean, my kids are really young, but it's just like, they require so much from you. And so your time is very, is, is limited. And so for, for those who are walking through that season, just be gracious for yourself. And then. Another thing is like, if you are in a season where it's just, you, you know, you're by yourself, it's just also be gracious because hi, life is hard enough.
life is, has its [00:12:00] moments, but for anyone who's wanting to, to keep your eyes fixed on Jesus, it's just making sure that you can be intentional. I think that's the number one thing is the intentionality. Even if it's five minutes of your day, 10 minutes of your day, spending time with the. and I always tell people too, like spending time with God doesn't necessarily mean you have to be in a, like, alone with him.
Like, God, God is everywhere. God is in everything. God is God brief in everything around us. Even when you're washing dishes, even when you're doing laundry, even when you're driving to work, even while you're at work, there's always ministry. There's always. there's always God trying to speak to us. And I think sometimes that it's that perfectionism like, oh, we need to do our devotional in the morning.
We have to do this, this, this in order for God to hear us in order for us to truly connect with God. But that's not true. I feel like with me, I personally connect better with God outside. I'm an outdoors. I love the outdoors. I love nature because that's when I feel like God really just like grabs me and just really can't [00:13:00] speaks life into me.
And. For anyone who's feeling like, you know, that you are wanting to draw closer to God. It's just find that time of being intentional. Even if you say small little prayers and just have little conversations with God throughout the day. I think that's how I say keeping my eyes fixed on him is just little conversations here are just having my worship going.
Like while I'm working, whatever it's it's in the moon day things, I feel like people forget. it's just the everyday things that we do in life that can, can keep us grounded and rooted in who God is, because God created everything. So God is in everything and God is in us. Like he dwells in us. And so just to remember that as you're walking through whatever season you're in is like God dwells in us.
And whether we've drifted far from him, or we feel so connected to him is that he's always near and he's always present in, in everyth.
Tony: But it's such a great segue [00:14:00] into your the work that you do the most of the time, which is the, the live deeply rooted kind of brand. Wh when did you first get the idea?
When did first God really like put his hand on you and say, Hey, I want you to go and do that, or how, how, how did the form, what's the Genesis story here?
Sopha: Yeah, so I, I was one year. I, I don't even think I was one year in my marriage and my husband and I both were working for ministry and I ended up getting, let go from that ministry.
and it was, it was so hard. It was in really a dark season of my life. I ended up working third shifts and so I barely got to see my husband and we were living paychecks to paycheck. It was, it was very, very, very difficult for me. And that's when I started to really pour into Being intentional with my prayers and even just like sharing those blogs that, you know, I was telling you about the letters that I was writing to those women, those letters that I was writing to women were the things that I was going through in those moments.
So me feeling overwhelmed and me feeling like overlooked and me feeling just like [00:15:00] that guy, wasn't listening to me. I just literally felt all these emotions. And so I would just write them out in, in blog form. And like I said, they were just so healing to me. So that's kind of how. Livey rooted came about as well.
It was just in that another dark season that I was walking through of. Being newlyweds, not having no money. And being away from our family, we moved away to Kentucky. We had no family there. I didn't know, one soul. And so it just, I kind of felt like Abraham, like God moved me there and I was like, God, what am I doing here?
But God blessed me. And kind of gave me the right people there. I met some family, well friends that turned into family. And they kind of took us in. I felt like in that season too, like, although it was so hard and God was really using me in that season and I felt very isolated. God was really just telling me that it wasn't isolation.
It was more solitude of like really giving my full undivided attention to God so that I could be able to write and really [00:16:00] hear from him. And so that's how, that's how that's kind of more, so the Genesis of live deep rooted.
Tony: You said something there. I want to dive into a little bit, which is the difference between solitude and isolation mm-hmm I think, especially with all the COVID stuff and all, all kind of just the, the disconnect world that we live in.
How, how do you know if you're in solitude in a healthy way or isolation in an unhealthy way?
Sopha: Yeah, I, I, I really. I feel like when it comes to isolation, I feel like that's one of the enemy's biggest tactic to kind of divide us and keep us far from God. And so I feel like there's a lot of fear and doubt that comes from the isolation of him.
Planting seeds in, in us now I solitude is more so in a season where you feel peace, even if life is crazy, you still feel that sense of peace in the solitude of feeling removed from everything, but still feeling peace and knowing that God. God is in the [00:17:00] midst of all of it. And so that's kind of how I separate the two is like knowing that like isolation is out of fear and solitude is operated out of peace.
Tony: And then how, how did you how do you discern God's voice in your life? Right? Cause so obviously you've, mm-hmm, , you've now written and you've published and you you've published this new book and kind of. All of this has been in various seasons. Mm-hmm how do you know when the voice is God or just you trying to figure out what you should be doing?
Sopha: Oh, that's a good question. That is a really good question. Cuz sometimes I still, I still struggle with that. I'm like, is it my own? Is this my own doing or not in? Not since doing but more so like. Are these my own thoughts are they're actually God's voice. And I think, yeah, my will versus God's will.
Exactly. And I think a lot of it comes down to that piece and that confirmation of like, I don't, how do I [00:18:00] explain it? So like to, in order sometimes when I hear God's voice, there's just a piece that comes with it, as well as like the confirmation, whether it's through. Him speaking to me directly, or him using someone else to speak to me and giving me a word that is so aligned of what I've been praying about, what I've been thinking about.
And so like, I just know that God uses other people. So that's how I feel like God uses his voice as just whether it's through me or whether it's through other people pour into me and giving me wisdom. now if it's my own thoughts, I don't know. I just, just sometimes I can, like, I'm like trying to decipher, like, is it me?
Or is it, God, God, please help me out. But yeah, with my own thoughts, sometimes it's I do operate out of fear or I'm operating like just, I question myself a lot when it comes to those things. So that's how I kind of know the difference. It's like one is out of peace again. And the other one is out of like, not sure, like.[00:19:00]
what's the word I'm looking for? Yeah. Like uncertainty, uncertainty. There we go. And yeah, I hope that, that makes sense.
Tony: that makes I, I, I think it makes perfect sense, right. Because if we're again, it kind of goes back to that idea. You said earlier about mm-hmm the, the fruit of the spirit, right? If you're, you know, peace is one of those feelings that we should have when we're walking with Christ.
And, and I think that if we're, if we're always in search of God's peace in our life, then we'll always. Obedient to where God's trying to lead us. Yeah. So I, I think that, that, I don't know. I think that checks out for me. Right. How
Sopha: do you, how do you, how do you decipher? Like how do you know the difference?
Ooh,
Tony: I ask lots of people. I, yeah, I I have a made up group of people in my life called the council of the godly.
Sopha: Ooh. That's I love.
Tony: And they don't know that they're on the council with a whole bunch of other people , but in my head it looks like the hall of justice from the justice league. Yes. And yes, they sit around a boardroom and I check in with each of them, [00:20:00] spiritual mothers and fathers.
Yes. I love that. Who who've discipled me over the years and I obviously I check it against scripture and prayer and be like, okay, God, if this is you, you know, but also prayer. Sometimes you just have to lean in. Yeah. Prayer, of course. . I love that. So that's, I don't know. I, I think it's it's more of an art than a science.
If, if you believe Romans 8 28, that all things work together for is good, then that God redeems versus Perfectus I guess mm-hmm I don't know.
Sopha: I like that. No, that, that very good perspective. Thank you for sharing. .
Tony: Your latest devotional is it's a hundred days mm-hmm and it's broken into 10 different sections.
Mm-hmm . And so I, I'm always curious about construction of things like this. How did you come to a hundred days? Like, where'd that come from? and then and then how did you decide to break it
Sopha: up? That's so funny. I literally, I didn't actually come up with a hundred days. The, the [00:21:00] publishing company did, I think it's because they actually like this is a, they've done this over the years of a hundred days.
Oh, sure of. So it kind of came to a hundred days cuz I'm like, I got, I have enough for about a year so we could do a year, but a hundred days. And then. It was actually their suggestion as well. They've done the 10, 10 date or 10 categories where they've broken it up in different topics. So I didn't really have a, a doing in that, but I just was like, okay, that's great.
I
Tony: would love to ask about. What it's like to work with a publisher around something that's of course, personal as devotionals, right. Mm-hmm I would imagine they had a lot of feelings about your feelings. mm-hmm how was your, how was your mental and kind of spiritual journey as you, as you put that out there for the world to see with cuz you know, when you're blogging, right?
Like. The, the only responses you get are in the comments and mm-hmm, no, one's sending it back to you going, Hey, I don't like the way you wrote that or I, you know, obviously I have no idea if [00:22:00] that's what your publisher did, but mm-hmm, , you know, basically you co-constructed the devotional together. What was that like?
Sopha: It actually at first, to be honest, it was kind of a little overwhelming cuz I had a lot going on. And I, and I had deadlines and I was like, okay, I need to meet these deadlines cuz you're like, oh it's a hundred days. You can, you know, I can knock it out, you know, break it up by the month. But it was like as soon as the deadlines was coming.
I had writer's block. I'm like, God, what am I gonna write in this? You know, I wanted to be so good, you know, and I want you to be able to just speak through me so that I can be able to put this out. And so I could not the week after I ended up having so, so many, like things happen, like so many things happened to me, to my family, everything that it was just like, it was one thing after the other, that was very trauma.
and so like spiritual warfare or spiritual warfare, I ended up in the hospital. I ended up like having a [00:23:00] blood clot in my lung, which I am really. Yeah. So I was in the hospital for five days and like having to recover from that, I ended up getting COVID. It was, it was really bad. I couldn't barely breathe.
And. I ended up in the hospital. And I got out, but it took me like a month to heal. And so my deadlines got pushed back and everything. So I was really like, I felt very disappointed because I was like, I, I have a team that's looking up to me. Like they need me to, to execute and I couldn't do that, but they were very gracious.
But I could do not. When I got outta the hospital and I healed, I had so much to say, and I said, God, you really you're funny, but please don't ever have me go through the fire just so I could do something like this ever again. But yeah, it was just, I had a lot of friendship heard, you know, things happening with my family mental health stuff.
So it just was like, just like one thing after the other, I, I couldn't catch a break and I just was just. long story short. I ended up me like knocking it out. The ballpark writing. I had so much to say so much to write [00:24:00] that when I, when I turned it in the manuscript, they loved it. They were like, we've never read anything like this before.
Oh, like, yeah, this is my experience. This is the pain that I went through. Like, this is, this is so dear to me because I, I had to walk through all of this personally. And so they're just like, we don't know how you made it. So. Like relatable. And so it was just like the format. They were just like, it was amazing.
They didn't have me change nothing. Oh, wow. Praise God. Yes. They didn't have me change much. They just, obviously they had a editor to help, like, you know, with my grammar and things like that, but it was just really cool. They just. Let me have all creativity range. They gave me the topics and I knocked it out.
And so it was, they were such an easy team to work with. They were very, very, very gracious, but impatient, but they were just phenomenal. They were a phenomenal
Tony: team. Hey guys, just pausing this conversation to tell you about a brand new resource I'm super excited about. It's kind of a passion project.
Actually. [00:25:00] One of the things I realized when I was working in the local church. As a full-time lead pastor is that there aren't a ton of resources for spirit led leadership. What does it mean to be a, a practical leader and still be spirit led? That's why I'm so excited to announce the new project that spirit and truth has recently launched.
And it's our subs stack account. It's a blog kind of emailing thing, and it goes to your inbox. Every time we put out new content. So check it out, spirit and truth, spell it a and D spirit and truth. DOAC dot our website, spirit and truth.life. I'd love for you to subscribe. And I would love your feedback on what you think about the blogs.
They're practical. They're spirit led they're meant for people who are leading in everyday life. So if you lead your family work or the church, this is a perfect resource for you. Now let's finish up this conversation with sofa. So I want to jump into the topics, not all of them, [00:26:00] but, but one or two I'm I'm gonna read 'em for everybody so that you can hear 'em and then I'm gonna ask you kind of which, which out of the 10 is your favorite.
It's like picking a child so let me read him while you think believe prayer, obedience, intentional living trust, shine, surrender, breathe, and release. Praise gratitude. Walk in faith. So out of all 10, which one is like the one that you're like, this is my favorite, or this is the one that convicts me the most, or, you know, which one like really pops up when you think about all 10?
Sopha: Probably the trust thing, because I was, I don't think I've ever, whenever I was going through all of that last year. And even just being in the hospital, I don't think I've ever felt so scared of my life because I didn't know what was. What was the outcome? I had the uncertainty and just learning how to trust God through the midst of that.
It was challenging, but [00:27:00] also like it allowed me to release a lot of the fear of letting letting go of like, I can't control this situation. I can't control the things in my family's life and what's happening with them. I can't control those things, but I can trust. I, I can definitely trust and. I think that was like the, the, the one topic that stood out to me the most, even, not even just in this book, but just in life in general was just learning to trust God and not always feel the need to wanna control everything.
Tony: So if you, if you were talking to somebody maybe a, a young woman that you're discipling or pouring into, and she was struggling with trust, what would you tell her are the first steps to increase the capacity to trust?
Sopha: the first steps. Oh man. Sorry, not hard, but I would say, I mean, these are just practical things, but I, I would tell her to start journal.
mm. [00:28:00] And writing down all of her feelings and emotions and frustrations or anything really that she's feeling in that moment to at release some of the burdens and worries that she's feeling I've always used journaling and as a sense of a way to heal me. And so I would tell her to start with journaling.
I would tell her to find someone that can really hold her accountable. And be there for her and walk with her through life. Like either someone who can hold accountable or a mentor, or just someone that she can trust and be a safe space for her. So that would be another thing. Another thing was just be prayer, like getting, getting in your war room and start praying and just start being intentional with talking to God and, and being in communion with him.
So I just feel like it's hard to trust someone when you there's no relationship. I mean, it's just like being human, you [00:29:00] know, like having a relationship on earth with somebody or a marriage or whether a friendship it's hard to trust that person. If you know nothing about them. And there's no personal relationship.
It's storming here. All of a sudden we haven't had rain in 60 days and now it's like thundering outside. Praise God. Yes. Thank God. I literally, yesterday rained and I was running outside in the rain, screaming like a maniac, cuz I love rain, but also we have. The grass outside is completely dead. It's it just, I've never seen that happen in Dallas.
So definitely thankful for the rain, but yeah, that, those are a few practical things that I would, I would definitely suggest to someone who wants to learn how to trust God more. You
Tony: mentioned journaling. I, every year I look at journaling cuz I, I actually really enjoy writing mm-hmm , but I really struggle with journaling and I.
Is is something about that daily? I don't know if it's the extra time. I don't know if it's, because I, I think I have to like come up with something good to write. [00:30:00] How, how would you how do you journal on a regular basis and, and how do you coach other people to journal? I'm curious.
Sopha: I mean, like everything, like I've always said there's seasons to it.
There's seasons where I like wanna pour my whole heart out every single day. And then there's just some seasons where I'm like, I am dry because. I just, I don't have the time I'm busy doing other things, but for someone, my husband has been a very advocate. Like he's been really on top of his journaling.
Like he journaled every single day. But he's is he writing
Tony: like pages? That's what I need to do. Is he writing pages?
Sopha: No. No, just writing lines. It just depends. Yeah. Some days he writes like little bit and then other days he writes a whole page or two. So it just, it just depends. But for someone who's just starting out with journaling, I would recommend just writing.
Starting out with like a, a gratitude journal where you just write out three or four things that that you're grateful for and go from there. That way it just gets you to writing and it gets you to start off your day with a, with a fresh [00:31:00] new heart posture. where you just go and write three things you're thankful for, instead of waking up complaining and thinking about all the things you have to do and, you know, it just feels overwhelming.
You just literally sit down and be like, okay, today I am grateful for the, the breath of my lungs. I am grateful that I have clean clothes to wear, to work. I am grateful for, you know, and then, so that's what I will start. I would just literally start. Something small. It's kind of like creating an atomic habit.
I don't know if you ever read that book, but if you have not read it, please read it. It's phenomenal. But it's like starting an atomic habit of very small habit and it kind of just leads into something that you truly enjoy and you'll just kind of get used to it. It's kind of like any habit, you know, you start, you wanting to, to exercise, you start small, you start 30 minutes a day or you start three times a week and then it kind of just becomes a part of your everyday lifestyle.
And then you don't even think twice about it. You just pull out your journal and you just start journaling. So that's what I would recommend is starting small five minute increments, 10 minute [00:32:00] increments. And then you go on from there. Yeah. I think,
Tony: I think that feels like the best way to eat that elephant.
You know, like if you can, mm-hmm to just take it one bite at a time kind of thing. You, you mentioned your husband. Oh, I'm. I always love to ask couples who, especially couples who, who seem like they're madly in love with little kids running around, like do, do you guys have any kind of practices that you guys do to keep God in the center of your marriage?
Any, any, like go to tips or, or things like that? You guys, we were talking before recording, you guys have been married six years. Mm-hmm . How, how are you keeping God in the center?
Sopha: pretty little just through everyday living every through life, every day, life being intentional with each other. Just making sure that I used to get so upset to like when we first got married, because I really wanted us to be that couple that did devotionals with each other every morning, or like just spent time in our word together.
And but my husband's. , [00:33:00] we don't have to do everything together. And it would really, it would really hurt my feelings cause I'm like, I just really thought we could just do this. And so now we kind of just do our own devotionals, but there's times too, where I'm like, I really feel called to read with you or let's do let's start a new devotionals together where we can like, or a book together that is going to help us, you know, with our spiritual needs.
Allowing us stay, you know, rooted. And so those are some of the, the ways that we keep that in the midst of it is like having an amazing community community is everything like having like-minded believers, who you can walk through this life with is, is just, that is our biggest thing. We are very intentional with our friendships godly friendships at.
because they hold us accountable. You know, they pour into our marriages, they hold us accountable. They, you know, they're there for us when we need them. And so that's one way that we keep God in the midst of our [00:34:00] marriage. We pray together. We try to pray together every night, but sometimes we just, we I'll be fall asleep before him or he is falling asleep before me.
It just, yeah, it just depends on how the day went, but we try to pray together. and just continue to check in on each other, ask each other how we're doing spiritually. Like, how are you doing spiritually? Or what can I do to help you in any way, capacity, you know, so that you can have free time to spend time with the Lord, or, you know, you need to get away.
You need to like, just be by yourself. So we're pretty good at that.
Tony: I'm trying to think. And one of the things I, oh yeah. Anything with kids yet? I know your kids are pretty.
Sopha: anything with the kids? No, not really yet. I mean, we, listen, I mean, they're young they're yeah, there's a new, there's a TV sh YouTube.
I forgot the name of it. There's a YouTube channel that does like Bible stories. And so we have the kids watch that and they love it. They also have it at church. Sunday school, they watch the same one, but I can't remember the name of it. If you think of
Tony: it, send it to [00:35:00] me. And I'll, I'll put it in the show notes, but if not a big deal there's I forgot the name of it.
I do think that YouTube's got so many resources out there for young kids and as way they really do text and mm-hmm , you're not gonna keep 'em off YouTube anyway. So you might as well try to yeah. Right. Push them towards something productive.
Sopha: I know. We, we listen to a lot of worship music. Our house is always filled.
Right with worship music. And so they, my kids know a lot of worship songs and we just sing it and we pray together as a family, you know, at every meal. But also, you know, when the kids go to bed, they actually love praying. So we let them pray, do their little prayer and yeah, it's really cute.
Tony: well, I, I know my community loves to pray and as this mm-hmm devotional gets out into the wilderness.
How can they be praying for you? And for what God is doing through live deeply rooted.
Sopha: Thank you. That's so sweet. Just praying for this next season of my life. I'm about to, I'm going back to school [00:36:00] to get my congratulations. Thank you. And so I'm just trying to figure out how to balance that I'm going for pastoral counseling and I'm specializing in crisis response.
And. I just really wanna help people break free and just release a lot of their. Trauma and heal. And so anyways, long story short, just pray for, for schooling for me. Try to navigate through that. I was, I'm a little nervous, but so excited cuz I've been outta school for a little bit. Praying for just protection over my household.
I feel like there's so much spiritual warfare happening, but this is my safe space. Like my home is my safe space and so I just wanna continue to pray for protection over my family. And just my marriage. And my ministry, I wanted to stay connected to the swords I don't ever wanna get ahead of God. And I really just want God to be glorified.
And so those are just a few of my prayer requests. [00:37:00] That's awesome.
Tony: Well, we will thank you. We will steward those the best that we can as a C. And I have one more question for you, but before I ask it, of course, I, I know that Audience will want to connect with you all over the Innerwebs. Where's the best place to learn all things about you and what God is doing in you and through you.
And I'm sure there's gonna be more books coming, right? Cuz great writers keep writing. Where can they, of course stay. Of course. Where can they stay in tune?
Sopha: Yes, you can find me pretty much all on all the platforms. Instagram, Facebook, Twitter. My blog at just SOPA rush, my first and last name. I also do have a live rooted on Instagram as well as Twitter.
So yeah, if you can find me there.
Tony: And do you have a favorite platform? Just outta curiosity?
Sopha: Yeah. I don't know, speak too soon, but I really love TikTok. I love TikTok. Do you? I do. I'm I, I avoided it for so. . Yeah. Oh my goodness. [00:38:00] There's a squirrel outside my window, but the way that this squirrel is laying on the fence is so chill.
His body is just laid all the way. I'm sorry. I'm I'm losing, but it's the cutest. That's okay. It's the cutest thing. I'm gonna take a picture and, and show you, but long story short. Yes, TikTok is my favorite, cuz it's very like, you can just, just, you can post whatever and people just love it. So, and it's so funny.
People are so funny on that platform. I just love it a lot.
Tony: They are funny on that platform. I, yeah, that's good. That's good. Okay. Last question. It's an advice question. I'm gonna ask you to give yourself one piece of advice, except I get the name the day and time, kind of the when you go back to give yourself that piece of advice.
Okay. So I'm gonna take you back to your first day in Louisville and that really tough season. If you were gonna pull a chair up in front of that younger version of you and hold her hand and look her in the eye. What's the one thing you're gonna [00:39:00] tell her.
Sopha: I would tell her that.
Hmm. What would I tell her?
Literally, I would tell her the most simple thing that everything's gonna work. . Hmm. That's little. That's what I would tell her because that, that season was really tough because I, I just started dating my husband. And I think we were dating for like two months and I, I moved away from him and all my family and all my friends from college.
And so it was just really hard. It was a very hard season. . And so I would just look back and say, everything's gonna be okay. You know, you feel alone, you feel a afraid, you feel nervous being away in a new city. You've never been around people. You, you don't know nothing about , but everything's gonna be okay.
You're gonna make new friends, you're gonna build a community. You're going to have [00:40:00] people love you important to you. And you're gonna see guys handing everything. And so, yeah, that's what I would. Amen.
Tony: Amen. Amen. So, but thank you so much for being here today and for being so generous with your time and your heart and the way that you just share what God is doing and helping people stay fixed on Jesus.
That's, that's an important thing. So thank you.
Sopha: Thank you. Thank you so much for your safe space in letting us share our hearts and just what God is doing in, in this space. In the world. So thank you. I
Tony: told you guys what a great storyteller she's phenomenal at what she does. I'm so appreciative of her.
Make sure you go follow her on Instagram. You won't regret it. She's a beautiful visual storyteller on Instagram. She talks about her family, her faith. She's passionate about all the things. Don't forget to pick up her book and let her know that you heard her here on the reclamation podcast as always guys.
I'm so thankful for you [00:41:00] for the community that God is building here and how we're all growing closer to Jesus together. Finally guys, remember if you wanna follow Jesus, you must be willing to move.
