monday – Just Love Them Anyway

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Stay On The Path….

June 10, 2019by SophieLeave a Comment

Hey y’all!

I’m over here sick as a dog in my bed but….. as a proud Canadian (not a Raptors fan lol KNICKS all day…. even though we suck right now), I am SUPER AMPED for game 5 of the NBA finals featuring our very own Toronto Raptors!!!!

I live fairly close to Toronto, so going to sporting events like basketball games, baseball games etc… are a thing of the norm for me. In Toronto, they have what is called Jurassic Park that fans flock to by the thousands to cheer on and support their beloved Raptors.

Last week my friend and I had tickets to a Blue Jays vs. Yankees baseball game. Talk about being conflicted! Do I still go to the game? Or do I just stop at Jurassic Park and take part in the festivities. I chose to go to the Jays game and perhaps catch up with the revellers afterwards.

Well, by the time the baseball game was done , the Raptors game was just about over and if you know anything about trying to get on a train after a sporting event in Toronto… is that you make your way as quickly as possible to your platform to avoid standing for an extensive amount of time on your way home.

Transit to and from the GTA ( Greater Toronto Area) is constantly changing, especially at what is called Union station. Union Station is the hub of downtown transit. There is something called PATH which is a pedestrian walkway that has links to things such as multiple subway stations, shopping and restaurants.

Every
Single
Time…
I get into Union station and get on the PATH walkway to get out of the subway station… I GET LOST!

Why because it’s never the same! The path you took two weeks ago is now blocked off and is detouring you to go another way. If you’re not paying attention , the signage can lead you in circles!

Let me backtrack a second. My friend and I both have the same issue every time we go into Union Station and we had made up in our mind that we were just going to walk on the outside street to the station. But what did we do instead? We followed the crowd and found ourselves once again on the Path. We took our eyes off of our path and ended up on a course that altered the plan and ended up taking us longer to get to our desired place.

To me, the Path represents life. In life, you are going to be constantly met with unexpected changes. Some things in life you can prepare for, others you just have to figure it out as it comes to you. Like I mentioned before, Union Station has great signage which directs you to where you need to be. The Holy Spirit is like that signage. Always leading you in the correct direction. If you stop paying attention to the signs or take the lead away from the Holy Spirit, it is then that your life is met with confusion. It is then you begin to deviate from the original plan to get you to your destination.

I use this illustration to encourage you to stay on the path God has for you. Don’t follow the crowd. You don’t have to be doing something because everyone else is. God has prepared a path and journey that is uniquely yours.

It is impossible to successfully reach where you are trying to go without clear directions. You need directions and instruction to efficiently navigate through all the detours and roadblocks you may encounter along your way.

Your path may not always be a smooth one or even a clear one. But directions are intended to make the transition from place to place easier. It’s not always easy to follow directions when you think you know where you are going. It’s not easy to put your trust in someone ( or something) else. However, there is a very popular scripture that is very fitting at this moment. Proverbs 3:5-6 reads:

Trust in the Lord with all your heart do not depend on your own understanding.Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take.

God will never lead you astray. He has already navigated the best path for you to take, to get you exactly where you need to be… in His timing. Don’t be in such a rush to reach your final destination. Take a moment and enjoy the path you are on…

This song is a song I learned as a child growing up in a Pentecostal church. Oldie but a goodie! Very simple song but a very clear message. Enjoy!

Be Blessed today!

xoxo

#Christian, Christ, Christian, Christian blog, faith, God, Jesus, Uncategorized

Monday Motivation: Still…

February 18, 2019by Sophie2 Comments

Hey Y’all,

So… I almost drowned about a week ago… twice! I mean it would have been one hundred percent my fault but let me backtrack a little.

Last week I was on vacation in Rio Hato, Panama. This part of Panama is surrounded by the Pacific ocean. Being a girl of Caribbean descent, and one who is naturally prone to travel to the Caribbean islands which are surrounded by the Caribbean sea, I am not particularly fond of the Pacific. I find it a little too rough for my liking and honestly, just not as beautiful! ( Sorry my Pacific Ocean lovers!) But nevertheless, I love water and I will always take advantage of any opportunity to be near it.

However, the beach at my resort wasn’t too bad! Now if you travel to beach resorts, you will know that the lifeguards have a flag system that they use to notify the patrons about the conditions of the water.

So now to the topic of my nearly drowning.
(I can actually swim pretty well so this was not a factor in this near-death experience LOL)

All my friends were over at the pool. I wanted to take a quick dip in the ocean. So with no volunteers to come with me, I took it upon myself to just pop over to the beach and do just that. I saw the flags, waving bright and boldly in all its yellow glory. Medium hazard? I thought what could possibly be the harm? So bravely, I walked into the ocean…

it was at that moment I knew… I’d made a very poor decision. It was also in this moment that I learned that rip tides are REAL!

What’s a rip tide you ask? A riptide is:

a relatively strong, narrow current flowing outward from the beach through the surf zone and presenting a hazard to swimmers.

So as I began to splash around, I noticed that the waves were extremely rough ( duh soph! Hence the warning flag) I started to attempt to make my way back to the shore, my toes were still touching the ocean floor at this point… until they weren’t anymore. Instantly my fight or flight instincts took over and I began to tread water like crazy and tried to propel myself towards the shore.

I couldn’t. I began to get weary and think to myself, “Really Soph, you’re gonna come all this way to drown alone in the ocean?” So I began to fight! Another riptide bashed me again, this time knocking me backwards and then finally it subsided and I was able to crawl my way to the sand and leave the ocean!

The next time I nearly drowned/died was on a water slide. I’d consider myself pretty adventurous and so when I saw this waterslide, I knew I had to try it! There were two different slides to choose from. I naturally decided to do the fastest one because I’m a G! ( lol I’m not really, I’d just like to think I am:) )

So I get situated on the slide and push off. At first, it was going really well… until it wasn’t! I approached one particular part on this slide where the water completely blinded me and suddenly I was taking the rest of the ride with no clear vision of when the end of the slide would come alongside my inevitable entrance to the pool below. Well, boy, did I enter the pool with a big splash… and was so shocked that I couldn’t catch my bearings to get myself back up to the surface! Thank God for the lifeguard at the bottom who literally put his hand on my back and guided me up to the surface safely!

Being back for a week now, I have had time to reflect on all the hidden lessons my experiences on this trip taught me.

Life sometimes comes at us like a riptide or a crazy waterslide. We oftentimes put ourselves in situations without thinking things through and then are shocked when life hits us with a big splash!

Sometimes we enter situations that are out of our control and end up really feeling out of control! It sometimes feels like we are being carried away with the undertow of the cares of life. But just as with the riptide I faced in the ocean, it will subside. It is up to you to decide if you’re gonna tread water and fight against the current or give up and let it overtake you! Just like my experience on the waterslide, sometimes we need a helping hand to help us find our way to the surface.

For me, that helping hand, that motivation to tread water and keep fighting is rooted in the fact that I serve a God who promised to never leave me or let me down!

If you are currently feeling trapped in the riptide, be encouraged! Strong currents won’t rage forever! Calm seas will reign again!

The song “Still” by Hillsong United always provides me with comfort whenever I find myself in the undertows of life. Have a listen down below:

When the oceans rise and thunders roar
I will soar with you above the storm
Father you are king over the flood
I will be still and know you are God

Be Blessed!
Til next time…
xoxo

©justlovethemanyway

Christian, Christian blog, christianity, faith, Uncategorized

Monday Motivation: Chasing After You….

March 12, 2018by SophieLeave a Comment

Hey guys!

Real quick post today!

Have you ever had to chase down a toddler? Those little legs of theirs move so quickly and it takes everything in you to catch them before they get too far away from you! It’s the same way I feel about my relationship with the Father (God). I will do anything I have to do, to not let him get too far out of my reach. Has anybody here ever run track as part of a relay team? Well If you have, you’ll know that you have to get that baton into the hands of the next runner before its too late. If you run out time, you are instantly disqualified.

I don’t want to be ( nor do I want anybody to be) disqualified from the gift of life! Life eternal that is! Which is why, right now, while we can, we should not only seek God but we should chase after Him. There should be such a desire to know God intimately, that the moment you feel Him slipping away there should be a frantic desire to be close to Him again!

Don’t fall too behind in the race that its nearly impossible to catch up! Meaning, don’t let God get too far away from you that its hard to make your way back to Him.

I’m constantly running God down (lol) I just want to be near to Him. Just like David. David was a man with many flaws. He disobeyed and let God down time and time again- just like me. But also like me was the fact that David LOVED God- scratch that, David was in love/awe of God. So no matter how far he strayed from his calling, He always admitted his flaws. He chased after God and with that he brought a heart of repentance.

I urge us all to continuously chase after God. We ( this world ) needs Him close now more than ever!

This totally wasn’t the post I wanted to post today, but I guess somebody ( maybe even me) needed this reminder today! It’s so funny that as I was typing my original post, I had Facebook on in the background. There popped up a video of my cousin leading worship and singing the song, “Chasing After You ” by Vashawn Mitchell. How fitting! Have a listen down below and have a blessed Monday!
xoxo
©justlovethemanyway

I’m chasing after You, no matter what I have to do
‘Cause I need You more and more…
I’m chasing after You, no matter what I have to do
‘Cause I need You, Lord, more and more…

More and more
More and more
More and more
More and more

I’m chasing after You
Praising my way through, yeah
Just to be closer to You, Lord
I’m chasing after You, Lord

monday, motivation, Uncategorized

Monday Motivation: Peace Be Still

January 29, 2018by Sophie3 Comments

Hey guys!

Here we are, just about at the end of the 1st month of the year. Already! If this month is any indication of how the rest of the year is going to go…well for the first time in a long time I may be okay with it!

It’s no surprise to my long time readers that the last 3 years have been particularly rough for me and my family( for my new readers; we have all been plagued with health issues, deaths in the family, car accidents etc..) and that I have spent the better part of the last few years “trusting God to see me through”… yet trying to do it all on my own, falling victim to anxiety and fear… and failing miserably at holding it all together… on the inside of course. On the outside everything was “sunshine and lollipops”.

But towards the end of 2017, I really had to take stock of the way I was living. I was far from living my best life . I was merely existing. I had allowed anxiety to rule how I responded ( inwardly ) to situations. On the outside, I was calm cool and collected, but on the inside I was a bottle of nerves, not sleeping. 24/7 worry. I don’t know about you, but that’s no way to live! It was during this time that I began waking up at 3:30 every single morning. I mean rain or shine, work or no work when that clock hit 3:30 my eyes were open and would remain that way until it was time to get up for work. No matter what I tried, I could not get back to sleep. I could not be at… peace.

I confided in a great friend of mine who encouraged me when that happens, I should get up and pray. So here 3:30 rolls around again. I did it. I got up, I kneeled at the side of my bed and began to talk to God and do you know what? After I prayed, I hopped back in my bed and grabbed my phone anticipating another few hours of sleeplessness. Y’all… I was asleep before I could even open the youtube app LOL. There was such a peace that had come over me.

I realized over the past few years , thats what I had been missing, my peace. This year I vowed to not let anything disturb my peace. Oftentimes, in the midst of crisis, I hear the words “be still”. My anxiety encouraged me to take control. If I could keep everything under control myself, I would be okay. Not so at all. God had to send me these subtle reminders to ” be still” and also to remind me that He is my peace.

What I’ve learned and what I’m once again clinging to, is the peace that God gives me. Any situation that comes my way, I give it to God and leave it there. All God wanted me to do these past few years is to tell Him about my troubles and to stop micromanaging Him. He didn’t need my help to procure my peace. He is my peace, I just had to let Him be.

It’s so funny, I usually try to plan out my posts on Sunday evening so that by the time Monday rolls around, I have an idea of the content I want to post. Well this Sunday was a busy one at church/ framily ( friends like family) stuff to do so I didn’t get a chance to prepare. All day today, I couldn’t figure out what to post tonight. I asked God to give me a word to share this evening. I was literally about to not post anything at all and as I was scrolling through youtube something said to me, ” you need to put Lauren Daigle’s album back on your phone ( I got a new iPhone and NONE of my Apple Music downloads transferred over for some reason, so I have been re-downloading bit by bit. )

Lo and behold, I see she has a new song out with The Belonging Co. called…. wait for it… PEACE BE STILL….. now if that ain’t God showing up and showing out and I don’t know what it is! I’m so grateful I found this song. I feel like it will be on repeat for the foreseeable future! ( Steph if you’re reading this, you know I can KILL a song ie: open heaven river wild LOL)

This year has just begun and it has already been marred by tragedy ( RIP Holly) but Philippians 4 verses 6-7 which reads:
Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. ⁷Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus has been a major encouragement for me.

There’s an old chorus I grew up hearing where the list of the lyrics are “Why worry when you can pray?” At the end of last year I found a meme on instagram that read:

So that’s what I’m going to do this year.. Give it all to God and let my peace be still! I pray that you’ll do the same!

All the blessings and love!
Till next time…
xoxo

©justlovethemanyway

faith, monday, motivation, Uncategorized

Monday Motivation: The Storm…

January 22, 2018by Sophie5 Comments

Hey guys,

Short post today:

Today was a gloomy, damp rainy day here in my city a which is weird for this time of year. We are usually neck deep in snow. It was just one of those blah days which totally reflected my mood. There’s been so much happening to me and people I love these past weeks. I lost a friend to domestic violence/ murder last week (RIP Holly).

RIP HOLLY

STOP Domestic Violence

Another friend is dealing with devastating health news and another is in the middle of an emotional breakdown. The storm today is reminiscent of the storm happening around me, and it doesn’t feel good. As I write this, its still raining and I found myself asking God figuratively and literally, “When is this storm going to end?”

God reminded me of the story of Noah and the ark, and after the rains had ended, He sent a reminder of hope through a rainbow.
Now how is a rainbow formed? In order for a rainbow to become visible, the Sun must shine through! This story caused me to look at my figurative storms the same way. If your personal storms are going to end, you have to let the SON ( Jesus) shine through.

There is nothing that you can do to make a rain storm stop. It has to run its course.But after the storm, the sun must shine again. It might not be right away, but it will shine again! In the storms of life, the SON (Jesus) will shine through for you. It may not come in the way you seem, but know someway , somehow He is working on sending you that rainbow. Don’t lose hope !We often try everything in our power to get the storm to stop which always leaves us disappointed because like I said before a storm has to run its course. As we go through the storm we often overlook the lesson in the storm. What is it trying to teach us? To slow down? To be prepared? To stay vigilant? To seek help? We can’t weather the storms of life by ourselves. Give your storms to the one who can see you through . God is always in control and God will see you through.

It may not look like you are going get through your situation. Your journey may seem long, dark and never-ending. But remember, you are on your journey for a reason. You may not understand the reason, but trust your journey. Take heart in the fact that there is someone greater than you working on your behalf! There is always light at the end of tunnel, despite how long your tunnel may be!

“The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears, and delivers them out of all their troubles.” (Psalm 34:17)
He gives power to the weak, and to those who have no might He increases strength.” (Isaiah 40:29)

Tell your storm to pass!!! Its time for the SON to shine!!!! This song is truly my testimony today. Be blessed!

Even though your winds blow
I want you to know
You cause me no alarm
Cause I’m safe in his arms
Even though your rain falls
I can still make this call;
Let there be peace
Now I can say go away
I command you to move today
Because of faith I have a brand new day
The sun will shine and I will be okay
That’s what I told the storm!

I told the storm to pass
Storm you can’t last
Go away – I command you to move today
Storm – when God speaks;
Storm – you have to cease
That’s what I told the storm!

Winds stop blowing!
Floods stop flowing!
Lightning stop flashing!
Breakers stop dashing!
Darkness go away!
Clouds move away!
That’s what I told the storm!

Death can’t shake me!
Job can’t make me!
Bills can’t break me!
Disease can’t take me!
You can’t drown me!
My God surrounds me!
That’s what I told the storm!

Christian, Christian blog, motivation, Uncategorized

Monday Motivation: Protect Your Peace…

September 4, 2017by Sophie1 Comment

Hey y’all!

Hope this Monday is finding you in good health and good spirits! Today has been an… interesting day to say the least. It’s the last day before the kids in Ontario,Canada go back to school for another year. Being as it may, I work at a school and today was my last official day to sleep in and lounge around the house. But, I was woken out of my sleep by a crazy ( and I mean crazy dream) I’ll explain what I got from the dream a little bit later, but the dream was as follows:

I was in the bridal suite of a local venue here in my city. A person that I have had some discourse with over the past few years, entered the bridal suite where I was. To make a long story short, a verbal altercation occurred and this person pulled out a gun on me ( I told you this dream was crazy didn’t I??) Someone else entered the bridal suite that is a mutual party between this person and I. I asked this person to stop the person with the gun from shooting me or call 911 and this person did nothing.( insert side eye here lol) Needless to say, I took matters into my own hands and ran up to the person with the gun and tried to get it away from them and just as I got my hands on it, it went off and I jumped out of my sleep drenched in sweat! I immediately went down on my knees in prayer asking God to fix the issues this person and I had been having for years.

Now being a Christian, sometimes God has a funny way of getting a message to you. Especially someone like me who is as stubborn and as stuck in my ways as the come ( I’m a work in progress, pray for me 🙂 ) The same person in the dream, called me a few short hours after I had woken from that crazy dream. I didn’t share the dream with them because I didn’t see the point. The confirmation was for me.. Point being, we were able to discuss our issues and come to an understanding and a plan to continue on existence in peace. Hopefully….

After finishing the conversation, the dream came back to me and so did my aha moment. This was God’s ( not so subtle) creative way of telling me it was time to “kill the situation”, which we did. Obedience isn’t always pleasant, but it is required. I thank God that this person was obedient and that He allowed me to be obedient as well.

All that aside, I was on my snapchat and my friend had a snap up that said, “Protect your inner peace” and that really resonated with me.

Don’t let anything disturb your peace. You are in control of how you let things affect you. When you feel overwhelmed by a situation , or feel out of control , go back to the source of your peace. For me, that source is Jesus. There is nothing like leaning on Him when my peace is challenged.

Things are going to happen to disturb your peace. You are going to encounter people who challenge your peace. There are some people who are going to make it hard for you to forgive and move on. When you live in a place of unforgiveness, you will never be at peace.

That’s what this whole blogging journey is about for me. To learn to love people anyway, in spite of their flaws because God loves us in spite of ours.

1 Peter 4:8, says, “Most important of all, continue to show deep love for each other, for love covers a multitude of sins.” and the tagline for my blog comes from Luke 6 :27-28 which reads, “But to you who are willing to listen, I say, love your enemies! Do good to those who hate you. ²⁸Bless those who curse you. Pray for those who hurt you.”

There is a song by Israel Houghton that I love called “Others” that really speaks to me. I guess you can say its the official theme song for this blog. Have a listen down below and hopefully this post encourages you to rectify some situations and find your inner peace!

#Christian, faith, gospel, gospel artist, gospel music, Uncategorized

Monday Motivation: Touch The Hem…

August 7, 2017August 7, 2017by Sophie2 Comments

Hey guys!

There are some biblical stories that are always talked about; David and Goliath, Adam and Eve, The birth of Jesus and his subsequent Crucifixion and so forth .But there is a story in the bible that is not often talked about. It is the story of the woman with the issue of blood .

In this story there was a woman who was suffering with the condition of constant and continuous bleeding for TWELVE YEARS, Now in biblical times, when a woman was bleeding, it was a sign of being “unclean”. Now imagine, for twelve long years you are basically a pariah in your community. She was prohibited from entering the synagogue and anything she touched became unclean as well. Even if anybody bumped into her and came into contact with her they too became unclean. I can’t even begin to imagine what she must’ve been feeling. Isolated, alone, without hope.

Anyway, she had tried everything to get well. Seen doctors, spent all she had on treatments. She was down to her last bit of will! She was looking for a miracle. She heard Jesus was passing by and decided within herself that If she could only touch the hem of his garment ( robes) that she would be made well.

Now lets put this is perspective for a minute. Jesus drew a big crowd wherever he went. She was deemed unclean…. she entered this crowd. What do you think the people around her were thinking? What do you think they were saying? She didn’t care ! She was determined to just touch his hem and receive her miracle that day!

So, she reached out and touched the hem of his garment and instantly the blood dried up and she was healed. Jesus, feeling the power come out of Him turned around and said, ,”Who touched me?”. He looked down and saw the woman and said to her, “Daughter your faith has made you well. Go in peace and be healed! ( Mark 5:22)

It seems that there is something new to learn every time you read a story in the bible and here’s what I took from this story this time:

What really inspired me was her faith and determination. No matter what people were saying about her, despite her condition, she was not going to miss her opportunity for healing. She was determined to touch Jesus and be made well! Now Jesus could have felt the power of healing leave His body and kept on walking to where he was going. Nobody would have known what had taken place except for Him and the woman. But instead , He acknowledged her and her perseverance. I say all that to say that Jesus sees and hears you when you cry out to Him! Keep listening! He’s acknowledging your faithfulness!

If only we could have faith like the woman with the issue of blood. That no matter our circumstances, we aren’t going to let any opportunity to touch Jesus pass us by! It’s obvious that while we are unable to physically touch Jesus while we are here on earth, there is another way “touch his hem” and that is…. PRAYER!

Prayer= Communication with God

Hebrews 4:16 states, “So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most.”

Whatever it is you need from God whether it be a physical healing or even a mental or spiritual healing, reach out and touch his hem! Don’t miss your opportunity!

There is a song by Fred Hammond called “Let Me Touch The Hem” that is so fitting for this post. The lyrics are simply:

Let me touch the hem of His garment
touch the hem of His garment
and I will be made whole
(Repeat)

For the Lord is passsing by
Yes the Lord is passing by
His wondrous healing virture just take hold
So as He’s drawing nigh
Don’t let this moment pass you by
He can heal your body, your spirtit, and your soul
(Repeat)
Read more: Fred Hammond – Let Me Touch The Hem Lyrics | MetroLyrics

You can find the story of the woman with the issue of blood in various parts of the New Testament: Matthew 9: 19-22, Mark 5:25-34 and Luke 8:43-48

Be blessed guys! Have beautiful and blessed week!
xoxo