sweet spirit motivation

Do your thing! How to boost yourself

Do your thing without thinking about others’ opinions, without comparing yourself.

Do your thing in alignment with who you truly are.

Do your thing!

I am here to remind you don’t have to worry about the “likes” or the rejection.

How to boost yourself

1. Remember that you are unique

Psalm 139:13-14 says: “For you created my inmost being;

you knit me together in my mother’s womb.

I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;

your works are wonderful,

I know that full well.”

You are a beautiful and wonderful person with a gift to share with others. So, it’s time to stop thinking about how well people will welcome your idea or your project. Because if you take too much time to think about doing something, you might never do it.

It is time to take action.

2. Stop comparing yourself

We are all different, so why would we compare ourselves to others? It can only lead to frustration. Imagine an apple comparing herself to an orange. How would she feel if she wished to be orange, or to have the same “skin”? She would feel depressed! However, they both have incredible vitamins. Just like those different fruits have different benefits, we each have something unique to bring to the world.

3. Take action

I encourage you to pick one action every morning and commit to doing it. Nothing complicated, it could be to wake up without snoozing your alarm clock, organize your desk or contact a pre-determined number of clients. The objective is for you to complete this action. It will give you a sense of accomplishment and help you move forward.

10 Bible Verses About Grief

Psalm 34:18

The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.

Romans 8:18

I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.

John 16:22

So with you: Now is your time of grief, but I will see you again and you will rejoice, and no one will take away your joy.

Psalm 30:5

Weeping may remain for a night, but rejoicing comes in the morning.

Matthew 5:4

Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.

1 Thessalonians 4:13-14

13 Brothers and sisters, we do not want you to be uninformed about those who sleep in death, so that you do not grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no hope.

14 For we believe that Jesus died and rose again, and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him.

Revelation 21:4

‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”

Lamentations 3:31-33

For no one is cast off by the Lord forever. Though he brings grief, he will show compassion, so great is his unfailing love. For he does not willingly bring affliction or grief to anyone.

Philippians 4:13

I can do all this through him who gives me strength.

Psalm 55:22

Cast your cares on the Lord and He will sustain you; He will never let the righteous fall.

10 Bible Verses About Hope

Jeremiah 29:11

For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

Psalm 9:18

For the needy shall not always be forgotten, and the hope of the poor shall not perish forever.

Mark 9:23

“ ‘If you can’?” said Jesus. “Everything is possible for one who believes.”

Job 11:18

And you will feel secure, because there is hope; you will look around and take your rest in security

Romans 8:24-25

“For in hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.”

Isaiah 40:31

but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.

Hebrews 10:23

Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful.

Psalm 71:14

As for me, I will always have hope; I will praise you more and more.

Proverbs 23:18

Surely there is a future, and your hope will not be cut off.

1 Peter 5:10

And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast.

Finish what you started

It is time to finish what you started! Maybe you have a dream, a project, and it became difficult, or you started overthinking and didn’t take the next step.

2 Cor 8:10 says you should finish what you started. “My opinion is that it is better for you to finish now what you began last year.”

You have everything you need in you to succeed, don’t let negative thoughts or fear stop you. The Bible encourages you to get over what might block you from stepping into your purpose.

1. You Have What it Takes

Maybe sometimes you feel like you don’t have what it takes. But be reassured! If you are eager, “God will accept your gift on the basis of what you have and not on the basis of what you don’t have.” 2 Cor 8:12. Don’t focus on what you don’t have but instead focus on your gifts. God equipped you with gifts, and if you are eager to share those gifts, to do what you are called to do, willing to be who you are in Christ, God will bless you.

2. Don’t be Afraid of Exposure

Maybe you are afraid that people you know will see you and comment. Perhaps you fear their judgment. But spreading your gift is your assignment, why would you let others’opinion put a shade on your greatness? Think about those four friends who carried the paralytic man to Jesus in Mark 2-1:12. There was an impressive crowd around the house they were trying to enter. When one of them suggested entering through the roof, they could have said: “No, I don’t want people to look at me while I climb this roof!” Instead, they thought: “I can walk, my friend can’t. I can carry him. I can help him get close to Jesus. I can help him feel good, so I do it. Not tomorrow, not the next time Jesus comes in town. No. I do it TODAY.”

3. Get Over Your Fear of failure

Do you know that every time you fail, you get closer to your objective? We should congratulate ourselves every time we fail because it means we tried. We found out it doesn’t work, and we can try another way. God doesn’t want you to fear. He told us: “Do not fear, only believe.” Mark 5:36. Chose to believe you can do it, and don’t let fear stop you.

How to stop limiting thoughts

When it is time to start something new or make an important decision, we may struggle to take the first step. The problem often comes from limiting thoughts that tell us that we can’t do it. When we believe those thoughts, we feel unable to accomplish our goal. For example, we want to lose weight, but we think it might be too hard, we want to change career, but we believe we are too old, we want to try something new, but we think we don’t have enough time… “I can’t, it is too hard, I am not good enough…” all these limiting thoughts keep us stuck. Well, I am here to tell you there is a solution.

A few years ago, I suffered from depression, and unfortunately, I let this disease define me. I felt like I wasn’t good enough to accomplish anything. I didn’t like my job but didn’t dare to change. I thought: “I don’t have the right degree, or I’ve been doing this job for ten years, how could I do anything else?” But at some point, I was so tired and unhappy that I looked for solutions and read in the Bible that nothing was impossible! I started thinking differently, and it changed my life.

Learn how to stop the limiting thoughts

How to control these thoughts?

You can train your mind and get the ability to hear the negative thought, analyze it, and refuse it. You have the choice of whether you believe that this is your truth or not. The Bible tells us that we can let the Spirit renew our thoughts or attitudes. Let us ask God in our prayers to help us do the work. Every day, when those thoughts come, you can train yourself to say “no, that is not true,” and refuse to let that negative thinking grow.
When this grey cloud come over our head, we tend to think that something is wrong with us, but it is not true. It is part of our human nature to fear. Our brain is made to help us survive, so when we face something new, it tells us to stop moving. It is instinctive, but you can change that and reach your goals if you want to.

Ephesians 4:23-Instead, let the spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes

Stay rooted in Christ.

You never know when the storm will come, so you need to train your mind and stay rooted in Christ continually. This last month I had many challenges, and I quickly realized I would not overcome them by myself. So I went back to the scripture and reminded myself of the truth.
What is the truth? The truth is you can achieve anything with God. You have power in you, to activate it you have to believe it.
Luke 1:37-For nothing is impossible with God.
Philippians 4:13-I can do all things through him who strength
hens me.

It is not easy, and it is a continuous everyday task. But you are not alone in this. God is with you, behind you, before you, around you, watching over you.
Declare it today: I can do this! I am blessed! I am what the Bible says I am and take action!

2020: We can make a change

These last three months have been a period of change, life turned upside down, loss, sickness, death, and healing for some. Since the beginning of quarantine, it felt to me like a call to change. A call to stop, think, and change things. It affected jobs, parenting, couple life, health… everything was put on the table to observe and reflect on what was really important to us. We had to let go of things or people and start new habits or deepen relationships. Somehow, social distancing brought some of us closer.

And then, when the world was willing to rush us back to the usual. Something awful happened, the unjust death of George Floyd. It is not the first time that such injustice occurred, but this time, the whole world was paused and had no choice but to look at it. Many of us lost our jobs, there were no sports on TV, no entertainment to distract us. Our minds were alert, our eyes were open, and our hearts sensitive.

Now more than ever, we must stop and face it: There is injustice, social inequalities, racism in the world. So what can we do about it? First, we can remember that all of this goes against God’s will for us.

Genesis 1:27 reads: “So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.” All mankind was created with the same care, love, and promise to prosper.

John 13:16 says “Very truly I tell you, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him”. We, humans, have all received the same task: take care of this planet and make it a better place. We all have different gifts and abilities, but we are all servants, and only God is above.

Mark 12:31 reminds us of the essential commandment to follow if you want to live a Christ-like life: “‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.”

We can lift each other up. We can call for peace in the Universe by bringing peace in our heart and around us. We can teach our children about diversity and acceptance. We can learn about each other cultural differences and enrich each other’s life. One little step at a time, we can make a change.

God’s timing-When things don’t work as expected

We have dreams, and we are full of promises. When everything follows its path, we feel great and confident. But when things we planned or hoped for don’t work as we expected, it is harder to stay grateful and hopeful. We ask ourselves: Was this a false promise? In Matthew 7:7, it is written: “Ask and you shall receive,” so we might wonder why didn’t we receive yet what we asked for. So many questions come to disturb our minds when things don’t go our way. Why didn’t I get that job that seemed to be perfect for me? Why am I not pregnant yet? Why did I miscarry? Why didn’t I find a loving partner?

Maybe we were so full of trust that we didn’t envisage the worst-case scenario until it occurred. And this thought makes us feel ashamed or foolish. Some people might even tease us. ‘So what’s happened to the promise ?’ Well, we shouldn’t feel bad because we believed our dream would come true. The enemy will try to make us feel this way, whispering negative thoughts like “don’t keep your hopes too high” “don’t rejoice until you see it,” but in reality, there is no such thing as too much hope.

On the contrary, the scripture calls us to hope all day long: “Guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long.” Psalm 25:5 | NIV

I think that perhaps, our ego that makes us forget that we are not the ones to have the final say. We tend to believe that God owes us the things we want. God doesn’t owe us anything. He gives us freely, and we freely receive it. But there is never any obligation, neither for Him to give us, neither for us to accept it.

God promises, and He makes it come true, there is no doubt about that, but let’s not forget that God has His own timing. “With the Lord one day is as a thousand years and a thousand years as one day” (2 Peter 3:8, AMP). He is not in a rush, and neither should you.

God didn’t forget you. He is patient and loving. He is giving you more time to prepare, to repent, to turn away from anything that is not His.

God is in control. Today again, He breathed life into your lungs. The promise you are waiting for is guaranteed. It will come to pass in God’s timing. Trust Him, thank Him in advance for what is about to happen.

Be patient.

“I say to myself, “The Lord is my portion; therefore I will wait for him.” Lamentations 3:24 | NIV

“But as for me, I watch in hope for the Lord, I wait for God my Savior; my God will hear me.“Micah 7:7 | NIV

God will hear you, so you can put your hope in Him and ask Him for guidance. His promise will come true! You will get that job! You will have your baby! You will find a loving partner. What you ask you will receive, in God’s perfect timing.

Be courageous!

Life is a continuous change. When you start to feel comfortable, there is a challenge right there for you. Employment loss, troubles in the relationship, the need to move to a new area, and many other situations make it easy to lose courage. Well, please don’t! Here is why.

God knows your difficulties

God already knows your trouble before it happens. The scripture says: “The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you” Deut.31:8
He is right in the middle of it with you if you let Him. I know the first reflex can often be to turn to Him with anger, misunderstanding, asking Him why? But I invite you to ask Him for guidance instead. Ask Him to lighten your path, show you your next step. He knows what the right thing to do is.

God has a plan for you: to prosper you.

In Jeremiah 29:11, we can read: “For I know the plans I have for you…plans to prosper you and not to harm you.”
God doesn’t want to harm you. He wants you to prosper.
God allows challenging situations to display in your life to mold you, make you better.

God will never leave you.

The scripture tells us not to be afraid: “He will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.” Deut 31:8
Your father will never lose sight of you, and there is nothing that He puts you through that you can’t handle. Don’t be discouraged, and trust that benedictions will come out of these challenges. Trust that the almighty is fighting your battle for you.

So if you are experiencing a challenging situation right now, I want to encourage you to keep your trust in your creator. Stay open to the new things that happen in your life, even if they are challenging. The Lord is working on you, He has a plan to make you prosper, and He is right here with you.

What is Your Freedom?

What is freedom? Some may think that freedom is doing everything they want. According to the dictionary, it is “the power or right to act, speak, or think as one wants without hindrance or restraint”. Does being free means we have the right to do anything, including bad things?

Freedom is not Being Imprisoned.

What the world presents us as freedom often gives us the illusion that we have control when, in reality, we can slowly but surely get controlled. We hear that money, material things, open relationships will bring us freedom, and we find ourselves addicted to it, or more in debt if we don’t watch out. In 1 corinthians 6:12, it is written: “I have the right to do anything,” you say—but not everything is beneficial. “I have the right to do anything”—but I will not be mastered by anything. Freedom might be the right to do anything, but we need to make sure those things do not enslave us. Otherwise, we are not free anymore.

Freedom is found in submission to God

We are free, but we need guidance. What if freedom required a new way of submission?

Submission to good,
Submission to love,
Submission to the truth,
Submission to our Creator.

Because God knows what is best for us, freedom can be found when we surrender to his will and follow Jesus. To live freely requires that we renew our minds, let go of the slave mentality that the world wants us to keep. Jesus shows us the path to freedom and happiness. When we put our lives in God’s hands, we don’t have to worry anymore. We depend on nothing else but Him, and He is always faithful.

What the Bible says About Freedom

We are free!

John 8:36: “So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.”

Our freedom is in us.

2 Corinthians 3:17 “Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.”

We should use our freedom to serve and love one another.

Galatians 5:13-14

13 You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love. 14 For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”

What is your freedom? I found mine in Christ!

How to pray

Not so long ago, I didn’t know how to pray, where to start, or what to say. I would sit down and close my eyes but find it hard to stay focused. It is not always easy to stop our minds from running. It is continually wandering through our memories or reminding us about our to-do list.

Why does prayer seem to be so complicated that some of us decide not to try? Well, maybe we visualize prayer like an ultra-spiritual experience requiring us to stop everything and isolate for hours, but with family life and demanding jobs, it can sometimes be challenging. Or perhaps, we think that God will only listen if we speak a certain way, and struggle to find the words to express ourselves. But what is the truth?

What does the Bible say about prayer?

You can pray with your own simple words.

You can speak to Him with simple words. He is your loving Father, your best friend, your confidant, always delighted to hear your voice. You can say a simple “Thank you Lord,” “I love you,” “Heal my friend.”

“And when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words.” (Matthew 6:7 )

When you pray, God listens.

Praying is talking to God. Just like you would call your best friend, you can call God and tell Him anything. He listens and His presence is comforting.

“You will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you.” (Jeremiah 29:12) I

When you pray, God answers.

Prayer is not all about talking. Take some time to listen. God is willing to reveal great things to help you become who He created you to be.

“Call to me and I will answer you, and will tell you great and hidden things that you have not known.”(Jeremiah 33:3)

Pray with expectation.

When you pray and ask, ask, and believe it will happen.

“And whatever you ask in prayer, you will receive, if you have faith.” (Matthew 21:22)

You can pray anytime

Just like true love never ends, God’s presence never stops, and it allows you to pray non-stop. You can thank Him for the new day when you wake up or talk to Him while you wait at a red light. Constantly seek fellowship with Him.

“Pray without ceasing” (1 Thessalonians 5:17)

Pray!

I discovered that praying is reaching out to God and believing He will answer. Simply as I am in the moment, at any given time, I can enjoy His presence. The great news is that we all received this open invitation to internal peace and joy. An invitation to pray!