Hope :When Everything Else Fails (Part 2)

December 16, 2013 ~ Sophie ~ 2 Comments

This is an extension of this post but with a totally different approach(err maybe). I am glad and grateful that I have finally finished this semester and all the requirements which included having to defend a research proposal in my study area. This defense was a major heart attack. I had multiple panic attacks (literally) and so much more not worth mentioning! I was imagining the worst to happen because in a way it usually does ha. Ok, I am not here to rant on and on (err maybe…). The point is God never fails us. He did not fail me. I made a promise to Him(I tend to do this a lot) that if I pass through this defense successfully, without the horrifying statements like “you are disqualified” or “go and repeat everything”, I would do something back in return. And for the first time ever, I kept my end of the promise. It feels good to know that despite all the temptations, I did not fail Him on this one. But this does not cover up for the so many times I have failed Him Because I have and I feel bad. I am humbled by the way He takes everything in His hands. My prayer now is that God gives the power to trust in His timing and ways. Speaking of timing, today the Indiegogo photography campaign ends(I talked about it here and here). And in a way I feel calm about it. Maybe I didn’t work hard, maybe it wasn’t so clear…I don’t know but then again maybe it wasn’t meant to be and I am ok with it(Internship!!!!). I believe God has other plans for me and I am going to keep on trusting.
Have a great week y’all.
🙂
Sophie

When I Smile

December 9, 2013 ~ Sophie ~ 2 Comments

Here is the news(it’s not that big though ha). ever since I lost the camera, I have been losing enthusiasm for blogging. Now don’t get me wrong. I love blogging. It’s one of the best things that has ever happened to me! Having lost the camera, I find myself procrastinating a lot. Often times I will have a list of posts to publish but then I realize I have to hunt for pictures so I become discouraged and thus the lack of recipes and DIYs all the way from October. But hey, blogging isn’t about pretty pictures only, It’s about who you I am and so I will be sharing my thoughts with you. Speaking of thoughts, let’s talk about smiling.

All my life I have been smiling(at least I think so ha!) and have been dubbed the ‘smiling guru’ at one point! It’s ironic how people say and assume I am probably the happiest person because of my constant smiling. But there is so much more behind that beautiful smile that if I start elaborating now, It would take edges.

This smile has been mistaken for so many things.

It has been mistaken for being ever happy

It has been mistaken for being childish-ish

It has been mistaken for having it all in life

It has been mistaken for liking certain guys

It has been mistaken for being all over the place…

and many more but one thing is for sure…

I am not always happy though I try to

I am not childish(at least I think so) because I have been through a lot of experiences

I do not have it all in life, seriously!

And sometimes I just want to be friendly but people will always have a problem with all the above.

They say a smile is the best curve a woman can have and I totally agree. This smile has come a long way. From childish years to awkward adolescence and insecure grins to win people’s affection. From teenage(still a teen ha!) drama(never had it but watched people with it) and smiling because it was the only thing I could do to who I am now. What I am now I am still figuring out. But this smile has grown with me through ups and downs, thick and thin and when I smile now, I smile confidently.

I am not always happy, I probably think a lot, I do not have it all in life and probably never will, I still believe the right Charming will come a long at the right time and I am a little too reserved(introverts hello!) but I will keep smiling because I know I am loved by my heavenly Father and because it is who I am.

(Took ages to hit that publish button phew!)

Have a great week

🙂

Sophie

LOL With Jessica Lawson

December 6, 2013 ~ Sophie ~ 3 Comments

December is upon us! Its amazing how time flies. Today we are privileged to have Jessica with us for the LOL series. There is something about her that is so captivating. Maybe it is her selflessness or maybe it is her love for the outdoors, but she has been one of those inspiring bloggers this year who remind me of the reason I started this in the first place. And what not a better way than to end the year 2013 with her take on LOL.

Hello friends and readers of Sophie and the Rare Beauty blog! My name is Jessica, and I’m a Sailor in the US Navy. Like most people past their young 20’s, I have many stories I can tell in addition to all the crazy ones I have from my experiences as a Sailor traveling to far off places and doing some out-of-the-ordinary things. I love a long, solo run, cooking and baking, sweet wine, exploring new places, hiking, playing with my dogs, writing, scrapbooking, and just being outdoors. I tend to gravitate towards things that are uncommon like being in the Navy. Only 2% of the American population voluntarily chooses to serve in one of the branches of the armed forces. I say “serve” because that’s what we truly do. While defending freedom and democracy is one of our main purposes, half of my time in the Navy has been dedicated to global community relations projects, humanitarian aid, and disaster relief missions.

For me “living out loud” means living a life that speaks strongly, through your actions, about what you believe and who you are. For some that may mean becoming a scientist and dedicating one’s life to finding ways to treat and fight cancer. For others, it may mean being the spokesperson for a particular cause in whatever community they are a part of. Or it could mean that you do your best as much as possible to take advantage of every opportunity that comes your way. I try to live a life that speaks of my adventurous spirit, my openness, and my belief in being compassionate towards others. While a life as a Sailor, is certainly not for most people, it definitely fits these particular traits of mine. Outside of “work”, I challenge myself and find a “natural high” through running. I started running farther distances much like Forrest Gump did out-of-the-blue one day. You can read more about that story here. Then I remember running one race and loving the excitement and energy I picked up from the other runners and the crowd who had gathered to cheer us on and support us runners every step of the way. I was hooked, and started signing up and training for races. My goal became to collect lots of race medals. I also picked certain big races for my mental bucket list. I find that with each new activity I try, I discover a certain “high” about it, and I want to do it more. I felt this way about hiking, kayaking, rock climbing, and anything else that involved getting off the sofa, away from the t.v., and experiencing the world that was waiting outside of the ship and the walls which surrounded me. I just want to be worthy of the life that I was given; I want to have a worthwhile existence, one in which there is no regrets.

One might say that my life-changing moments were when I joined the Navy, when I was deployed to Iraq (after all, that is where I met my husband), when I ran my first race, when I got married. It’s true that these were all life-altering events especially because I wasn’t the same person to some degree after they happened. However, I would say that each decade that I have been alive has been dramatically different from the last, every 5 years feels like the changes of a decade have occurred, and each year has me feeling much different about perspectives and goals. Every 365 days that go by leaves me different from the last. I am getting older, and the person that I was at 18, 21, 25, and 30 is no longer the same. I would say that she is much different; hopefully wiser, but knowing even less about everything than before.

If I could give anyone advice, it would be to “live without regret”. You can take that however you want. Live a life that you can be proud of living, and if you mess up, don’t be afraid to admit it and show that you can grow from it.

That’s it. That’s all I have left to say. I enjoyed being a part of this series, and I am so grateful to have been able to connect with new people here through Sophie. Thanks for reading and I will see you all around here on Sophie’s blog!