DEAR 18 YEAR OLD ME...

Dear 18 year old me,

I always think about what I will write then the minute I sit down to do it...the words seem to disappear but here it goes.....

You do not have to walk away from Christ to have 'fun', you don't have to follow the crowd and want the life that others live because they make it look like you are missing out...you see...Christ came so that you  may have life and have it in abundance...meaning all the fun is in Him..there is nothing you are missing out on.....for what you pursue is worldly pleasure which will leave you heartbroken and desperate..while what Christ offers is an eternity of peace, joy and everything good you can think of or imagine..actually above and beyond that.....

You will one day meet a man whose patience will remind you of Jacob...a man whose wisdom will remind you of Solomon...a man whose love will remind you of Christ....so you don't have to settle with that boy just because everyone around you has a boyfriend....you don't have to settle with that boy just because you think he has 'swag'.... you don't have to! Because what Christ has for you is exactly what you need to fulfill your purpose on earth...you two will honor Christ in the relationship.....So don't settle...don't pursue relationships more than you pursue your relationship with Christ.....sit at His feet and at the right time..He will bring you two together....

You don't have to be like everyone else because Christ created you to be just YOU...and He made you with that personality...with your looks...with everything that you are because that is EXACTLY how He wanted you and everything that you are is EXACTLY what you need to do HIS will on this earth...so do not try to be like all the other girls...be exactly who God made you to be... discover yourself.....build your strengths..tap into your talent....work on your weaknesses...love yourself just the way you are because you are beautiful, smart, lovely, funny,.....no matter what anyone says...never forget that.....

Honor your Mother...because your blessings lie with her....she has so much wisdom that you can tap in even though you feel like she doesn't want you to have fun.....she only wants the very best for you...I can assure you no one else in this world will give you that unconditional love that she shows you.....she doesn't want you to learn from YOUR mistakes..she is only protecting from the cruel world that you will come to know one day....spend more time with her....listen to her and honor her because in this way you are assured of long life and you will avoid making so many mistakes....

Invest in friendships that build you and not the ones that pull you away from Christ...let it be that the only peer pressure you will experience from the friends you have be that to live for Christ.....make friends with people who pray with you and for you....make friends with people who correct you when you are wrong.....walk away from friendships that lead you astray...walk away from friends who only get you into trouble...actually FLEE!....you will look back one day and thank God for making that decision.....

Lastly, enjoy your youth but remember God will judge you for everything you will do....do not listen to the poems and 'smart' quotes that tell you to make mistakes when you are young...that tell you that you don't need to commit to anything because you are still young....commit to your dreams...have goals in your studies....start planning where you would want to see yourself in 5 years....and do things purposely to work towards those goals....let no one lie to you that it is too early to start....start saving because this is one thing that will be good for you in the future...cultivate this habit early...do not try to compete with the 'rich' kids....live your life...love it...enjoy it and most of all let no one dismiss you because you are too young when you share Christ....let Him be the center of your world....




Love,
25 year old you