Acknowledgments

My sweet parents, thank you. Thank you for bringing me to church every Sunday. Thank you for making Jesus a priority. Thank you for being so gracious to me, offering so much support, and being my biggest prayer warriors through it all. I love you both forever. Mom—you are one of a kind; you are the best mom a girl could ask for. Thank you for walking hand in hand with me on this journey. Dad—You are so gentle and such a good listener. Thank you for showing me an example of how I should be treated one day.

Square, my sweet friend group, thank y’all for being my rock. Thank y’all for letting me share our stories in this book to point back to an example of who Jesus is. Thank you for showing me that healthy and good friends still exist. Thank you for being with me in the valleys and on the mountaintops.

Matt and Allie Hall, I am forever and ever thankful for you guys. I don’t know where I would be without y’all loving me, pointing me back to Jesus, and answering my 500 questions. I can’t count how many times you two have listened to me crying on your couch and then laughing so hard ten minutes later. Y’all’s example of marriage and parenting is so special to me. I love you both.

My brothers, I look up to both of you more than you’ll ever know. You guys are my biggest protectors, and I am so honored that God made me y’all’s little sister.

Bert Watts, my pastor, thank you for faithfully leading our church to the Word of God, not just on Sundays but living it out every day of the week.

Mamaw, my sweet grandma, when I grow up, I want to be just like you. Both playing badminton with your grandkids and having us all over at your house for a big cousins’ sleepover. Your example of loving Jesus and knowing His word is so encouraging. I love you.

Erin, my sister, I am forever thankful for you. Thank you for cheering me on, answering all my phone calls, and being the closest thing to a sister to me.

My church family, thank you for always praying for me in the middle of spiritual battles and being such a good example of carrying each other’s burdens.

Brooklyn White, my mentor, thank you for meeting with me for the past two years, ready to pray for me and encourage me. You are such a good listener, so thanks for listening to me share every detail of my stories.

All of my cutie friends, thank you for being so willing to listen to me talk about chapters in this book all the time! You guys bring so much fun and joy into my life.

Grant, my angel friend, I miss you a whole lot, but I am so thankful that your story has led me closer to Jesus and so many others. I can’t wait to see your long red hair in heaven.

Jesus, thank you for your forgiveness and redemption in my life. Thank you for holding me so tightly in your hands. Help me look more like you every single day. I long for heaven. You are so cool!

Endorsements

"Sophie is light in the darkness. In a world where people are looking at anything to satisfy their thirst, Sophie gently reminds us that our true filling can be found only in Jesus. What a beautiful example she is for generations to come. As a guest on her podcast Honey in the Rock, Sophie allows room for the Lord to move through people’s testimonies and truly exemplifies abundant joy. The words she writes and speaks hold such truth you’ll want to lean in. What an honor to be her friend."

—Madison Walters

Author of 30-day Devotional for the One In Waiting, writer, miracle mama, photographer, friend, pastor’s wife, and University of Alabama alumnus currently writing her first book

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Sophie has the God-given gift of encouragement. Her life radiates joy and hope in Christ. Through her podcast and book, she uses her story to highlight God’s faithfulness and calls others to a deeper trust in Him.

—Hannah Smith

Master of Divinity (New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, 2022), consultant for the South Carolina Woman’s Missionary Union

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Sophie is a shining light for Jesus in whatever spaces her presence enters. She’s a friend to all, and despite her age, she is full of wisdom and biblical knowledge. This book is sure to encourage you in whatever season you are currently in! For God is good despite our definition of good, and He will use all things to bring about His good purposes in our lives. This is the message that you will quickly read as you flip through these pages!

—Eden Benton

Writer, speaker, Liberty University student

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Sophie is full of the joy of the Lord. She is full of wisdom and compassion. Her heart for Jesus is truly beautiful, and she makes Him known through her words and voice.

—Renee Dollenmayer

Founder of Even If Ministries, coach, speaker

Contents

Foreword

Introduction

Chapter 1: When Grief Is Overwhelming

Chapter 2: Anxiety Won’t Win

Chapter 3: Confidence and Identity

Chapter 4: You’ll Find the Friends

Chapter 5: Depression Doesn’t Get the Final Word

Chapter 6: Searching for Rest and Knowing Your Priorities

Chapter 7: His Timing Is So Perfect

Chapter 8: Mentors Saved Me

Chapter 9: What Do You Do with a Jesus High?

Chapter 10: Boundaries Are Needed

Chapter 11: Living with a Servant’s Heart

Chapter 12: Have You Ever Not Wanted to Do Something?

Chapter 13: Fear Surrounding What Makes You Different

Chapter 14: When Your Friend Is Grieving

Chapter 15: Comparison Will Steal Your Joy

Chapter 16: Working Through Decision-Making

Chapter 17: Opening Your Home

Chapter 18: When Everything Is Taken Away, Is Jesus Enough for You?

Chapter 19: Prayer Life

Chapter 20: Working on Humility

Chapter 21: Our Purpose Found in Jesus

Chapter 22: Joy Only from Jesus

Chapter 23: A Conversation on Modesty

Chapter 24: The Importance of the Local Church

Chapter 25: The Gift of Siblings

Chapter 26: Opening Your Bible

Chapter 27: Being a Daughter

Chapter 28: Your Emotions Aren’t You

Chapter 29: Encourage One Another

Chapter 30: Talking It Through in Therapy

Chapter 31: Living with Boldness

Chapter 32: Living Intentionally

Chapter 33: Worshiping the Way He Deserves

Chapter 34: Freedom in Heaven

Chapter 35: What Now?

Bibliography

Foreword

Our story with Jesus in our lives is an important way to share the goodness of God. God uses the stories of people’s lives in His word to share who He is and how He will walk through life with us. For example, in the Old Testament, we can read the story of the Israelites and how God was always with them. When they were following Him closely, when they were distracted by the world around them, God remained there with them, full of mercy and grace. It is from stories of believers in His word that we find instructions for how to live our lives as followers of Christ. Sophie has shared part of her story with you in hopes that as you are on your journey, you will be blessed by hearing how God was always with her. She shares how she dove into His word and the stories of His people as she navigated typical and not-so-typical life experiences. I was blessed to be able to live alongside her through these experiences, and I can tell you that it was through staying close to the Lord by studying His word, praying, seeking godly counsel, and living in a community of believers that she was able to continue to feel God’s presence through some of the most difficult experiences anyone can imagine. We were confident that He would make all things for our good and His glory! This book is an example of how He is continuously doing that in Sophie’s life. Read her story through and then keep it as a reference for when you need to hear again about God’s goodness in a particular situation, or you need to share with a friend. If you have yet to have a personal relationship with God through belief in the life, death, and resurrection of His Son, Jesus Christ, I will invite you, as Sophie does, to join our family by asking God to come into your life and confess your belief to Him.

Oh honey, I invite you, precious child, into Sophie’s story. You will be blessed.

—Stacy Burr, Sophie’s mom

Introduction

Hi there, I’m Sophie! As I am writing this book, I am eighteen, and it’s my senior year of high school. I am preparing to go to college at Furman University in Greenville, South Carolina, in just a few months, and I am so ready for the change and new adventure. I started Honey in the Rock back in September of 2022; I had been struggling with anxiety and depression after my friend was killed in a car wreck two years earlier. I knew I needed to share my story of how God’s goodness wasn’t defined by our circumstances because I had experienced this first-hand. I felt very alone on my journey, and the Lord placed the idea of a podcast in my heart to hopefully share what God was teaching me and be the light at the end of the tunnel. I really tried to fight God on this idea because I stumble on my words all the time, and I was still broken and in the valley. One day, I prayed and told God if this was from Him and honoring Him, He was going to need to give me the name of the podcast. Well, Jesus put the words Honey in the Rock in my life over and over for two days straight, and the final thing was when I heard the song Honey in the Rock by Brooke Ligertwood. That’s when I decided on the name. Jesus is sweet like honey. He is gentle, forgiving, safe, and kind. But Jesus is also a rock; He is strong, our firm foundation, righteous, and just to judge. I had seen how Jesus was my honey in the rock all my life. How He always showed up and was gentle and strong for me. I was thankful, for when my life got turned upside down in 2020, it was already built on the firm foundation of Jesus Christ. He was like honey in the night when I was lying awake, afraid. He was forgiving to me when I fell short of the glory of God daily. So that’s when Honey in the Rock started, and now a new episode is up every Tuesday on Spotify, YouTube, and Apple Podcast. It has been the sweetest thing; I am learning so much from each of my guests and it has given me such cool opportunities that are clearly from the Lord. It feels like the Lord is just preparing my heart for something greater, for the glory of God. It might not always look like a podcast, but my heart is open to whatever God has planned. I felt the call to ministry back in January of 2023; it was the clearest thing God has ever put on my heart and, at the same time, the most unknown thing because I have no clue what ministry will look like in my life. Currently, I am trying to be faithful to first abide, then obey. I am far from perfect; I am struggling with sin in my own heart, but I am so thankful for my Savior, who works through broken people. My end goal isn’t the podcast or writing a book; my goal is to faithfully serve God daily, say yes to the opportunities He gives me, and give Him all the glory.

Chapter 1:

When Grief Is Overwhelming

You might be thinking, Why such a bold topic to start out a book with a cute little cover page? But to be honest with you, my entire life changed because of death, and so did yours if you know Jesus. The good news of the whole gospel is that our Savior, Jesus, didn’t stay dead; if you know about Christianity, you know Jesus rose again three days later. I am going to be sharing a lot of things the Lord taught me through my friend’s death. Maybe you can learn a little from my pain so you don’t have to experience something major to take your relationship with Jesus seriously.

So, what is grief? If you look up the Google definition, you’ll find this answer: deep sorrow, especially caused by someone’s death. My journey with grief started in September of 2020 when I was fourteen years old. I woke up one fall morning, walked downstairs, and saw my mom sitting on the bar stool