The "Be Yourself" Giveaway!

1/25 UPDATE: Congratulations Maya! You have won this super cool bookmark reminder to #BeYourself! Contact me through Facebook to discuss shipping details. Thanks to all who entered! If you didn't win this time, never fear! This will not be the last giveaway of 2018...

When one of the kids starts trying to imitate one of their siblings, I have gotten into the habit of sharing this quote with them...

The point that I try to make with them is that God created us with unique gifts and talents, with different tastes in clothing, food, and music, with individual desires and dreams - stop trying to be someone else! I tell our kids, "God already has a [first/last name], and He doesn't need another one. He needs a [first/last name] and that's why He made you. Be who God created you to be!" 

I don't think that our kids are the only ones who need to hear that reminder. I see this same tendency in my fellow bloggers who try to imitate the popular bloggers instead of finding their own groove (I've been guilty of that).

I see it in moms who spend too much time on Pinterest, trying to plan the perfect party for their 3 year old so they can match all the other pre-school moms who go above and beyond (look, you have one child, I have five - I'm not competing).

I see it in women who are constantly comparing their bodies to others who have better metabolisms (and probably actually know how many calories are in a White Chocolate Mocha at Starbucks). 

I see it in me - when I look around and see people who have successfully marketed themselves into book deals and developed an online following without even trying (or trying very hard), and I wonder why I can't seem to find that special something. 

But you know what? I might not have a book deal, and I might not have a huge following, but when God made me with all of my unique quirks - my stubbornness, my INTJ traits, my love of reading, my infatuation with Paris, my ability to do introspection, my desire to be a missionary, my gift of discernment - He did it with the knowledge that He was going to ask me to take on the role of mom and mentor to five kids. He knew what they needed (the Hubs and me, apparently), and He knew what I needed (a daily reminder that I wasn't a lone reed or in control).

In 2018, I want to encourage you to join me in embracing who God made us to be. When you are tempted to compare (jobs, husbands, kids, dress size, follower count, cooking ability), STOP. Put it on repeat in your head:

Be YOURSELF. Everyone else is already taken. 

And to make it a little easier to remember, I'd like to offer one reader the opportunity to win this bookmark (what else would you expect from a bookworm?) that you can place in your Bible or in whatever book you're reading at the moment, or slap a magnet to it and stick it on your fridge.

TO ENTER: leave a comment on this blog post (if you have a problem posting, leave your comment on the Facebook post about this), and tell me what makes you stand out from everyone around you. And since it's a small item, international entries are welcome! Giveaway Ends: 1/22/18