An Open Letter to my Son & Daughter about Popularity

Dear Son & Daughter,

I confess, I have never been popular. I was never popular as a child and I have never been a popular adult either. And you know what? That is ok. I have survived and I am completely fulfilled in spite of that. Popularity isn’t what it seems to be. Whenever I got attention from the popular crowd, I noticed one thing: I had to compromise.

I had to either do something I didn’t like or want to do, I had to act cool when it was eating at me on the inside or I felt a constant pressure to please to stay in the “in” crowd. And after a few tries of that, I realized that it was better for me to be my odd and unique little self.

I felt much better marching to the beat of my own drum. I loved being mercurial, even if it meant being alone sometimes or have few close friends. I found peace in the company of my Creator and it was in those moments of solitude (not loneliness) that I grew the most as a person.

I know that right now, you are young, very young and you might not understand much of that or to see the value of my experiences, so I hope to leave you with three simpler thoughts and hopefully, the seeds I am planting in your hearts right now will grow a beautiful, unique and confident harvest.

A Mom’s Book of Encouragement (Where Mom’s ConnectHope for the Heart of the Homeschool Mom:Joy In the Journey ~ Encouragement for HomeschoolingO.RIYA You Are Braver Than You Believe Necklaces

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To my Son & Daughter about Popularity

Trust Steadily in God

No matter what happens, you stick with God. Have faith in Him, even if you can’t see Him. Spend time with Him, listen to what He has to say, take the time to see what is truly important in this world and how your value is in Him, not in how popular you are in people’s eyes. In His eyes, you are magnificent and unique and amazing. He created you as His masterpiece and he doesn’t make mistakes.

Be it who you will marry someday, which career path you will pursue or anything else, trust steadily in God. He will never steer you wrong. He has your best in mind and He can’t wait to lavish His blessings on you every day. Trust Him before anyone else. Hold onto His hand. Choose to not let go. He chooses to never let go of yours. The opposite of trust and faith is unbelief. Never fall in it.

Hope Unswervingly

Hope. You know what that means? Hope is “a feeling of expectation and desire for a certain thing to happen, a feeling of trust.” Never lose hope. Never let circumstances or people around you put you down. You rise above it all and keep looking up. No matter how low you are at that moment, you can always look up. The opposite of hope is despair. Never fall into it, but if you do, He will be there to help you out.

Popularity will tell you that you have to do this or be that or act a certain way. Popularity will give you a false sense of direction and a false hope. Don’t rely on your external circumstances to determine who you are. Center your expectations and hope in God alone. He has given you this extraordinary gift of hope so you can place it on Him to work on your behalf and for your good.

A Mom After God’s Own Heart: Growth andShe is Clothed with Strength and Dignity ProverbsShe Laughs Without Fear of the Future ProverbsThe Wisdom of Mom: Words of Love and

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Love Extravagantly

What does it mean to love extravagantly? Love is the closest thing we have to God here on earth. Love is unconditional and kind and gentle. Forgiving and sublime. To love extravagantly means to go the extra mile for love. It means to do what no one else would do for someone. Do what God would do in your place. Selfless acts to show love. Popularity has nothing on love. Love surpasses it all and then some!

Love extravagantly. Love unsparingly. Love God’s creation and care for it, including one another. Son, care for your sister. Love her. Treat her right. Love her extravagantly. Daughter, serve your brother with love. Give him respect. Love him extravagantly. The opposite of love is hatred. Never fall into it, especially with each other. Be best friends and have each other’s back. Be popular with each other.

Faith goes away once you SEE. Hope goes away once it comes to FRUITION. But love REMAINS forever. Why? Because God is love and in Him, there is no darkness at all. See, popularity, fitting in and being liked will pass away. There are greater things in life. Sew trust, grow faith, kindle hope, but most of all, spread love.

Son, Daughter, I pray that your hearts will receive these seeds and when that time comes, you will know what to do with all the peer pressure and the looks and the rejection. It will happen, but you know what? It’s ok. God is with you and He made you to march to the beat of your own drum. You are not a cookie-cutter creation. You are a masterpiece.

I trust God to guide you. I hope for God to be permanently living in your hearts. I love you with all my heart.                                                                     In this love I remain, Your Mom

Trust steadily in God, hope unswervingly, love extravagantly.

And the best of the three is love.

1 Cor. 13:13

Ordinary Mom, Extraordinary God: Encouragement to Refresh YourHomeschool Moms Bible Daily Personal Encouragement New InternationalCalm in My Chaos: Encouragement for a Mom’sBecoming a Woman After God’s Own Heart: Encouragement

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