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The Sweetly Co.

The Sweetly Co.

encouraging passionate women to pursue a joyful life

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We put waaaayyy too much pressure on ourselves to find our purpose. And many of us are feeling super discouraged because we can't seem to find it post-college, or after turning 30, or after getting married. . Friend, it is not as complicated as we are making it. Our purpose is actually pretty clearly laid out in scripture: know God and make Him known. That's it. The rest is just gravy. You might make God known through your job. You might make Him known through your hobby. Your marriage. Your friendships. Your blog. Your volunteer work. You do not have to spend so much time figuring out the perfect purpose for your life. That has been done for you. So, do what you love doing. Pursue new interests. Love your family. Take care of your home, your body, your mind, and your loved ones. . Purpose is not a pursuit. It's not a passion. It is a part of being a Christ follower and we all share the same purpose. Our "how" might be different. And your "how" might change 50 times over the course of a lifetime. Pursue what interests you with intent to make Him known in your every day life. Be open to His redirection from time to time. And remember that your purpose has already been found 💛 . #thesweetlyco I'm gearing up for 26 to be a year of growth. I know we all like to look ahead and think of the adventure and blessings that await us. And I'm totally doing that. But, more so, I'm looking at this next year of life and seriously praying for God to mold me. To continually shape me. To reveal more of Himself to me and through me. I've decided to seek growth more than goals and really dive in to what He has in store. Do I have goals? Yep! But my number one priority is to be and do exactly what He asks of me. . Can I ask for a small birthday gift from you while you're here? I spend so much time telling you guys what I think about topics and offering advice. But I know that there is so much wisdom I lack and I would love it if you would tell me in the comments something in the past year you have learned or something God has revealed to you that has challenged your thinking or helped you improve in some way. I count it a huge blessing to be able to soak up the wisdom of this sweet audience! You guys are often what pushes me to keep going so please know how much I love & appreciate you 💛 Anyone else still live in sweaters and slippers even in the summer? #alwayscold . There is soooo much crazy in the world. So much to fear. So many reasons to hide. To stay in our jammies and cozy slippers and cling to the comfort of home. And as much as i love a soft sweater and a hot cup of coffee paired with all the safety of being at home....I want to remind you of something: we are not called to comfort. We are not tasked with building up a safe haven and storing away every possession we possibly can to bring us happiness. We are called to go out. To tell the good news. We are tasked with dying to self and serving others. We know that things like success, achievement, and reaching our goals can never happen while resting in our comfort zones. But, perhaps more importantly, the command to love our neighbor and spread the gospel to every corner of the world will never be fully embraced when we rest in our comfort zone. Its supposed to feel uncomfortable. It's supposed to require sacrifice. It's not about us. It's about Him. It's about the ones who desperately need to know Him. So, I challenge you as well as myself: let's make ourselves uncomfortable. Lets do it scared. Let's humble ourselves and die to self daily and step out of what we know to touch as many lives (for His glory and not ours) as we can. Will we do it perfectly? Nope. But He doesnt require perfection. He only requires obedience. . #thesweetlyco Happy Monday, friends! . Let's start the week with a little get-to-know-me session because I've seen a few new faces around here! . My name is Sydney Stephens and I spend a large percentage of my life following those two names up with "with a Y" and "with a PH" respectively. I will also respond to Cindy or Whitney when being called for my Starbucks order 😂 . I work from home writing and creating content for you plus I do interior design because I just couldn't stay away when I took blogging full time at the beginning of 2019 (you can follow those adventures @sydneystephensstyled) . I spend most of my Instagram time sharing my unpopular opinions about what it really means to pursue a relationship with Christ and navigate all the life things like marriage, career, friendship, and family. . I am beyond grateful that you actually CHOOSE to let me show up here in your feed and share all these things with you. Without you...well...I would just be talking to myself and no one wants that 😅 So, tell me a few things about you! What do you do? How is your name REALLY spelled? How is your Monday going? . #thesweetlyco Why are you here? . No, really. Have you ever thought about the real reason you jump on Instagram every day? Or the real reason you follow certain influencers? . Here’s why I bring this up: I love being an "encourager." I could not be more grateful that part of my job is to show up here and give you hope, advice, and encouragement. BUT, endless encouragement is not what you need. Encouragement is wonderful and I think we should be lifting each other up. However, there is a point when we need to ask ourselves "why do I follow so many encouragers?" How many times do we need to read "you are enough" during our screen time? . Friend, there is an underlying problem with turning to content creators for your guidance. Because the truth is that sometimes, even when we are feeling inadequate or "not enough," encouragement is not what we need. Oftentimes what we need is biblical truth, calls to action, and real life experience to overcome the obstacles of life. . My advice to you, if you find yourself consistently searching for inspiring quotes on Pinterest or following all the people with "Christian encourager teaching women to love themselves" in their Instagram profiles, think about the process you go through when you're dealing with something difficult or emotional. Do you jump on Insta and hope your fave influencer has some advice? Or do you first remember what God's word says? Or, better yet, actually read the word? Are you seeking wise counsel and praying? Or are you just looking for the first fleeting, empty caption you can find to make you feel better until the moment passes or you find an adequate distraction. . I'm a content creator. Obviously I want you to consume my content. But, please know that my intention is that my content is secondary to what you find in God's word, through consistent prayer, and from wise mentors in your life. Any encouraging word I may have and, like you are finding here today, any tough-love I may give is meant to push back toward those three sources of truth. Remember, myself and any other content creator should never be your source of peace, truth, and hope. Many of us are only wanting to point you to the One who can be Is it just me or is there something extra special about that first Monday morning coffee? Nothing gives me energy like waking up to a brand new week and a full pot of my favorite brew. . Part of the reason I've grown to love Mondays is because I've started cherishing my weekends. I try to stay off Instagram or at least avoid posting. I attempt to get everything finished for the week before the end of Friday so my mind is clear. And I get up early on Saturday. It feels like my weekend doubles when I get those first few weekend hours in instead of sleeping through them. My college self would be very disappointed to know that I willingly give up the chance to sleep in. . But, here is something my college self didnt know. And it's the same thing that I didnt know when I worked 2-3 Saturdays a month: living intentionally is so much better than an extra hour of sleep. Doing what I love Monday-Friday inspired me to do so much more during my free time. I've rediscovered hobbies and passions I had long forgotten about. And it's much easier to stay on top of the laundry. . I tell you all of this because I remember thinking that nothing would feel better than success. I remember walking across the stage at my college graduation with wild ideas of achievement in my mind. And I chased achievement for a long time. Until I realized that achievement is not the same thing as happiness. When I finally accepted that I would never be happy just chasing achievement and doing what was expected of me all the time, I opened myself up to a whole new kind of happiness: passion. Pushing publish on that first blog post felt like such a scary moment. But now I look back and wonder why it took me so long to see what was there all along. . Friend, don't accept feeling constantly stressed, stretched too thin, or unbearably exhausted all in the name of achievement. If there is even a glimmer of hope for chasing what you're passionate about then at least let yourself try.
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