We Won't Forget the Children

Thank you to all you who have given towards my birthday present :) 

Here's the progress so far:

We're almost half way there! And there's still {23} days left. Here's a recap of our efforts so far.

40 Days to Celebrate

A Letter from Us to You

Giving Love+Hope+Freedom

My Love Shoes

A Coffee's Worth

Thank you, thank you, thank you!

Love,

Saturday Obsessions: Singin+Perry+Glitter+Hair.

**Welcome to my Saturday Obsessions. I do this little doo-dee-doo every week. To catch up on past obsessions go here.**

It's nearly done. Has taken alot of time, research, and documentation but its almost here peeps. Go here for the full run down. I'm going to be doing a free trial run at the end of February. Email me if you're interested. I'm only taking 12 signups. 

I got to see this band last night @ Kfrog's 21st Birthday Bash. It was fuuuuuuun. I went with my soon-to-be-sister-in-law, my friend brit, and my long time friend Ethel Mertz [ok, not really Ethel, but that's what I call her].  We were thoroughly entertained.

I'm addicted. I have used it in nearly every art project in the last week. Here are some cute ideas I've found using glitter.  

If I could add on any New Year's Resolution, I'd add on "Learning to tease like a steeze." Seriously. I cannot do it for the life of me. I've tried and tried and bought products and used baby powder. I just can't get it to stand enough. One of these days. Any suggestions?

Happy Saturday!

Don't forget about the necklace give away!

Love,

Come Be Free

Today was a very inspiring day. We sang You'll Come and I was meant to share a verse before it then lead into the bridge of the song. As I was studying for it on Friday, I prayed that God would enlighten my heart so that I can speak from it. I have a hard time sharing things that I haven't experienced first hand. Especially in worship. So I read and re-read and re-read the verse, rolling over its content in my heart and my mind. Then, in a non-hyper-spiritual way, I began realizing what God was trying to tell His Church. 


The verse said: 

You were dead because of your sins and because your sinful nature was not yet cut away. Then God made you alive with Christ, for he forgave all our sins. He canceled the record of the charges against us and took it away by nailing it to the cross. 

I wept with unabashed gratefulness.

My sin [violation against God] is no more now that my identity is found in Jesus Christ.

But then God took me a little further. I admitted to Him that I knew all this in my head. Yet I do not live it out as confidently as I should. I doubt, I fear, and I worry sometimes whether or not I am good enough to deserve such grace. I fear that my sin, which seems too big, too nasty and too grave, can in no way be covered by Jesus' blood. 

[I don't voice these things of course...because that would be doubting. Certainly the worship leader of such a growing and impacting church would never doubt her salvation...right?]

Wrong.

I do. But the beautiful thing about the love of God, [you know, the one that covers my deepest darkest sins] is that it also covers that sin of doubt. That sin of fear. That sin of worry. Those were nailed to the cross too. And if I continue to carry that burden, it is by choice. Not because I have to. The bondage of those chains has already been broken for us. I am free. You are free. 

We

Are

Free

So in that understanding I can more than sing these words:

Chains be broken

Lives be healed

Eyes be opened 

For Christ is revealed.

That's what I shared today. For those of you who were there, I hope you were encouraged. I also hope you were encouraged to encourage the people around you in this same truth. For those of you reading this, I hope you are encouraged as well. And I hope you are encouraged to encourage those around you in this same truth. 

People need to know that they can come to God just as they are. [Please please know that!] No fixing. No perfecting. Not even "cleaning up your act a little". There is no condemnation for those who find their identity in Jesus Christ. You are declared perfect in the eyes of God. And there is absolutely no room for judgement on the Christians's part. We are just as messed up as anyone else. In fact, most of us are more screwed up. That's why we need Jesus. By our own admission, we need a Savior. Thank you Jesus :)

God please open our eyes to see and experience this wonderful truth. 

Mmmm.

Happy Sunday!

Love,

Saturday Obsessions: Lipgloss+Sephora+Taylor

Have any of you tried this? It's fabulouso! It is light, shimmery, and smells amazing. The only set back I've found is that it doesn't stay on as long as like Nars [that stuff is amazing], but its a good quick fix if you're out and about. 

Thanks to APItts, I have some new pinky-purply eye shadow. I'm not a huge makeup person. Meaning, I don't spend a whole lotta time or money on my makeup. It's a flaw I have. I know. But I'm trying. So for Christmas Tyson got me a Sephora gift card and I spent it frivolously and joyously. :) The color specifically is "Fresh Brown". 

I know, it's getting ridiculous but this album is STILL in my car player. It's ridiculous. But I'm obsessed. I can't help it. If you haven't heard the album you need to. If you have, please tell me I'm not crazy and that you've been listening to it non-stop too. It'd make me feel better.

What are you obsessed with lately?

Love,

For God alone, O my soul, wait in silence, for my hope is from him.He only is my rock and my salvation, my fortress; I shall not be shaken. On God rests my salvation and my glory; my mighty rock, my refuge is God.

Love,

It's Not Fail Proof. Just Real Life.

Here is the intro to our new e-book. [If you have no idea what I'm talking about go here and here.] I wanted to give you guys a sneak peek and something of substance that you can forward on to your friends and start the buzz goin ;) 

This book will have humor, depth, and practical advice on the ins and outs, ups and downs and all arounds of adolescence. We're not Dr's. We're not even professionals. We're just a mother and a daughter who have successfully walked in and out of this chapter of adolescence. My mom is my greatest confidant. She is who I want to become. 

This is not fail proof, it's real life. 

So, here's a comical reality from your daughter's point of view:

What every Mom & Dad should know about their teenage daughter[s]

-We do love you, even though we sometimes pretend we don't.

-No, we don't like it when you go shopping with us because we never get what we actually want. [That's probably a good thing]

-Yes, we lie to you. In our minds it's called “fudging just a little because that cute boy will be there", but whatever.

-We hate one piece bathing suits.

-All the cool kids do it.

-We do fear that we'll never get married.

-We know we can go to you at any time, but keep reminding us.

-Our taste in music is way cooler than yours.

-We always need hugs and kisses.

-We look at ourselves in the mirror at least 100 times a day and think we're too fat so we compensate by “dieting”.

-School really is hard. We're not making that up.

-When we are acting embarrassed because you're goofing around, we really are embarrassed.

-No, I don't think I'm the only person alive, but I do think I'm the only one that matters at this moment.

And lastly,

-We don't really know what we're feeling or thinking or doing either.

If you are a teenage girl, this book is for you.

If you are a mom of a teenage girl, this book is for you.

If you are a dad of a teenage girl, this book is for you. 

If you are raising a teenage girl, this book is for you.

If you know of anyone who fits the above, this book is for them.

Tweet it, Facebook it, Email it, Talk it. 

Love,

From the Bottom of our Hearts

So we've been raising money for an organization called Love146 that does research, prevention, and aftercare of victims in the sex trade industry. Our goal is to raise $3000 between my husband's birthday and my own. That's 40 days. Within one week {just one!} you guys have helped us raise nearly half of that goal. We are blown away! 

$1036 raised.

$1913 to go.

So here's our thank you to you. From the bottom of our hearts. 

Love,

*Want more information on this whole birthday thing? Click the birthday message @ the top of my page*

A Teenage Saga

My dear mother and I are beginning the writing process of our new E-book. One year at a women's retreat I sang at, a woman came up to me [now, a close friend] and asked, "What did your mom do to make you the way you are?" And I replied, "She prayed for me." 

She prayed for me. 

She prayed for her. 

She prayed for my dad. 

She prayed for my brothers and sisters.

She prayed that we might sharpen and fashion one another to become who we were intended to be.

My mom isn't perfectly perfect. She doesn't have it all together. But she is perfectly imperfect. She knows she cannot do this life on her own. And like the rest of us, she had to learn the hard way. 

I'm way excited for this book because it will be a healing process for me and for her as we solidify our relationship but also we share our own deepest pains of adolescents. When I was a teen, I never in a million years took the time to imagine what life was like for my mom as a teen. I never in a million years even considered that she had been a teen. My mom was once a teenage a girl! What was she like? What did she do? Who did she date? What did her and her friends do for fun?

As I start to think about the idea of motherhood [no, we're not preggo], it's like I've discovered a whole new level sheer panic. How on earth am I going to raise a teenage girl...especially if she's anything like me!? 

So actually, I'm writing this e-book for me. haha. So I can re-read my mother's wisdom and my experience in about 20 years. I don't want to forget these crucial years full of emotion and 20/20 insight. 

But...

We're gonna need some input from you:

To Mothers: What do you wish you knew about raising a teen daughter? What glaring issues are your facing head on right now? 

To Girls: What do you wish your mother new about you? What glaring issues do you wish your mom would and wouldn't talk to you about?

To Dads [yes, you're a big deal in this too!]: What do you wish you knew about raising your girl? What subjects do you wish you could find a "how-to" manual on? 

Please please please leave some comment love or email me @ juliannamorlet@gmail.com. We want to give you something you'll use. 

::Sigh:: Ok, time to sing. 

Love,

Saturday Obsessions: Bets+Sushi+Creating

Creating

It's like something in my mind cracked open. Ever since this course I started, I've been wanting to dress up, dress down, color on, and paint everything that crosses my path! I like it. I made journals for all my voice students. Just covered composition books with clippings, scrapbook paper and marker. They turned out pretty cute if I do say so for myself :) 

Sushi

Second time out and I still love it. Although, Tyson tried to get me to eat sashimi and I'm pretty sure I would gagged and embarrassed him in that restaurant. No thank you. 

Making Bets with Ty

We can't help it. Whenever we disagree the automatic words that come out are "You wanna make a bet" and because we're both so stubborn, we do. haha. In the last 2 days I've won 1 dress and 1 $30 shopping trip. Yesterday I posted on my FB status asking if any other married couples made bets with each other and I got like 12 responses to the positive.  Marriage is fun. 

Lastly, I want to say a big giant huge Thank You to all of you who have donate for our birthdays. We're up to $1036!! So thank you thank you thank you! 


*To stay updated on the progress of the fundraiser, go here and bookmark the page*


Happy Saturday. Go soak up some sun! [If you're in Cali ;)]


Love,

Give a Coffee's Worth.

I told myself I would never do this.

Everyone does it.

I thought it was a shame tactic.

Now I'm doing it. But not as a shame tactic.

I'm doing it because I was sorely convicted. 

I'm doing it because, because I'm guilty.

This is my fetish. This is my obsession.

In November I'm pretty sure I had a Gingerbread latte at least every other day.

**This is not to say that buying coffee is bad. On the contrary, buying coffee is good because it stimulates the economy. Plus, Starbucks is for fair trade coffee. So that's good.**

But I am asking you for just this month, or even this week, or even just today, spare the coffee and give these girls the chance to be free.

A chance to live free of fear.

A chance to live free of abuse.

A chance to live free of torment.

A chance to live free, full of hope, and new love.

Our Goal is $3000 and we need $2789 left.

Give a coffee's worth.

Love,

Love Shoes.

My New Shoes.

Love Always Protects

Love Always Defends

Love Always Restores

Love Always Empowers

Love,

Giving Hope + Love + Freedom.

This is what your birthday presents will do.

Heal my heart and make me clean

Open up my eyes to the things unseen

Show me how to love like you have loved me

Break my heart for what breaks yours

Everything I am for your kingdom cause

As I walk from earth into eternity

Give your gift here.

Love,

40 Days to Celebrate.

::Special announcement from the Morlet Household::

There are exactly 40 days between Tyson's birthday and my birthday. His being January 11 and mine being February 21. This last year of marriage has been an amazing time of revelation for us. We feel that our hearts have been urged to take make a bigger dent in our finances, resources, and platforms for charity organizations. 


Before we were married, Tyson began sponsoring kids with World Vision. His heart was to see every kid have clean water, food, and be able to learn. After we got married, my heart broke when I was exposed to Love146 and the tragedies of child sex-trafficking [read that story here and here]. There are things happening [or not happening] in our world that we are just not ok with. 


So with all this we've decided that for our birthdays we want to invite you to celebrate our 28 [Ty] and 23 [Me] years of freedom, health, and life by giving others a chance to have the same. 


We are asking You, our friends, family, and readers to help us raise $3000 by donating $28 or $23 [or whatever amount you are able to] to Love146 on behalf of our birthday gifts. We want nothing more. [Want more info on this cause: go here]

Celebrate with us. 

You can donate by clicking the button below or the birthday message under my header [It'll be there for the 40 days :)]. 

We thank you ahead of time for your gifts and are ecstatic that you are in this endeavor with us!


**Feel free to 
re-tweet
re-post
re-email
re-facebook
and whatever other "re"s there are now.


*If you have any questions please feel free to email!


Love,

You are for Me.

Today was a crazy day. Alot of good things but not enough time. Nothing bad. Just busy. It's days like this when I think, What if I'm doing this all wrong? But I dont know how to change it. Do you ever feel like that? And if so, what do you do?


I talked to God alot today. I told that I'm a little frustrated at Him. A little hurt. But I still trust Him. I told him that I felt like He stopped speaking to me. That ever since I got married, He stopped communicating with me like He use to. I still learn because He has revealed Himself through the Bible and I still love Him because He has changed my life. But I'm just a little butt-hurt.


And...I know what He's doing. 


He's testing me.


You see, before I was married, I only had to depend on God. I made decisions based on what I thought He was telling me. I was independent. And if I questioned anything I thought He was telling me or any move He was calling me to make, I could reason out my doubt with, He's God. Sovereign God. Who am I to doubt His plan? It just seemed silly to doubt God Almighty.


But now, now I have man, a wonderful man at that, but still a man, that is biblically supposed to take the position of my leader. My decision maker. Not in a chauvinistic way. He is very humble when he puts his foot down and takes the lead. However, now my pride, self-sufficiancy, and refusal to obey has been revealed. Exposed. Illuminated for my husband to see and I am having a hard time with it. 


It was one thing to doubt my trust in God. It was a silly notion. 
It's a whole other story to trust that my human being husband is getting his orders from God.


It's a lot harder and I confessed and asked Tyson's forgiveness a couple weeks ago because I wasn't trusting that God's goodness was guiding Him. I was questioning everything under the sun. I couldn't just be. I couldn't just rest. I couldn't trust. 


So this has been my anthem song. It's written by Kari Jobe and has pierced my heart to its core. So I declare this to myself and if you're in that place of brokenness with me, I encourage you to declare it to yourself as well.  


God,
I know that you are faithful. I know that you are so constant and so true, so powerful in all you do. You see me, you fill me, you love for me to sing to you. I know that you are for me, I know that you are for me, I know that you will never forsake me in my weaknesses. I know that you have come down, even if to write upon my heart to remind me who are. 


Love, JM