NAIMA LETT – BLOG – FAITH & HOLLYWOOD
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Justin Bieber
[UPDATE]
Friday, January 31, 2014

Hi Fam,

Entertainment news this week post-Grammys and pre-Super Bowl heavily focused on our fellow artist and faith fam Justin Bieber. As he experiences major growing pains, on the world’s stage, I thought it helpful to re-release this blog about Justin that I wrote this same time last year (Grammys).

As artists and shepherds of artists, we (along with many of our close friends here in Hollywood) love Justin and artists just like him/us who named the Name of Jesus in our youth. We ask you to join us in prayer with compassion for Justin as if he’s our own family, because he is. Let’s pray for him as we would our own child and brother, like folks prayed for us during our own young adult adventures. And let’s thank God social media wasn’t around yet to post our exploits every time we could’ve made the news for questionable choices. :=)

Always good to hear from you, and Happy Super Bowl. For those who asked who I’m rooting for? The Winner, of course!
Lots of love from the LaLa,
Naima

Justin Bieber with mom Pattie Mallette, American Music Awards, © Jordan Strauss, AP, source

Hollywood (and millions of tweens) are all a’flutter.

Pop star Justin Bieber made history by becoming the youngest artist to achieve 5 #1 albums atop Billboard’s Top 200 Chart before turning 19.

His album, Believe Acoustic, sealed the historical record during Music’s biggest week leading up to the Grammy Awards; though Justin will be skipping the awards this year after hosting SNL this weekend. No doubt his 34 million+ Twitter followers (the most of anyone), 50 million+ Facebook followers, & 3.4 billion YouTube video viewers are all celebrating.

Justin’s Faith

Justin has been vocal about his faith as a Christian over the years in interviews, his film/documentary and pilgrimage to Israel. Upon turning 18, recent media reports and pics have caused some to voice their concern over whether he’s staying on the path.

Do You Remember 18?

I have just one question, “Do you remember 18?”

I am sooooooo glad I didn’t have hundreds of millions of people following me at 18 while I was trying to figure out who I was as an adult and how to walk out my faith. I had been baptized as a child, but it wasn’t until my mother passed away when I was a sophomore in college that my faith became real to me, and I understood who God is, and my relationship with Jesus solidified. And all of that happened behind closed doors… not with paparazzi chasing me down the 101 or fans snapping iPhone pics chronicling my every move. Goodness!

Your Teens

And parents, “Do you remember when your child turned 18 or any teen, for that matter?”

Didn’t we become, like, alien to you? I’m sure there were times when my dad and mom looked at each other and wondered if they had actually given birth to me and my brothers once we hit our teens. We grew up in a Christian home with 2 Christian leaders as parents and a long legacy of church leaders and preachers; yet, we made a LOT of mistakes along the way to the pulpits we’re now entrusted to serve from. And our parents, didn’t you hang in there with us?

Our Expectations

So, why, Fam, do we have different expectations for Pattie Mallette’s 18-year old son? Because he’s a superstar? Can we pray for Justin as we have prayed for our own teenagers? Can you pray for him like you prayed for me?

Pattie told The Today Show this morning, “It’s tough letting go and letting our kids make the mistakes that they need to make… I have to trust that he’s made good decisions in the past and hopefully he’s learned from some of my mistakes.”

There are family and friends right now who are reading this blog whom, I know, prayed Proverbs 22:6 in faith back to God on my behalf, “Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.”

Our Prayers

When we see Justin around and about, as he grows up with this very generation he is called to influence and serve, let’s pray in faith back to God on his behalf, “Lord, Your daughter Pattie trained up Your son Justin in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.”

Can we do that?

And we send well wishes to Justin and Pattie and the whole family today. Congratulations on making history.
Go forth,
Naima

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