Thursday, February 28, 2013

Choosing A Type of Motherhood




A while ago, a friend of mine and i were talking about motherhood and how different it is once you're in the thick of it. She said, "Before I became a mom, I got to see my friends do it first. Then when it was my turn, I got to pick and choose what kind of mom I wanted to be."

Interesting. 

I've always admired various parents in my life, both old and young. I want to have as much discernment and wisdom and grace as my own mom and dad. I want to be creative and attentive like my auntie Missy. I want to be humorous and giggly with my girls like Kathy and Glen. I want to be sweet yet stern like Jen and Ryan.

I want my children to see and be a part of what Ty and I are passionate about, like Emily and Trav. I want to be okay with not having all the answers, like Colleen and Steve. I want to teach my sons to see my daughters as princesses like Tamara and Charlie.

This list could go on and on and on...

I know when the rubber meets the road, my philosophies and ideologies will quickly shift and sway, desperate to settle on a course. But there is no hard and fast course. Just grace, truth, and lots of chocolate.

What ideas about motherhood did/do you have before babies?
How have they shifted since? 
Let's talk.

**The wonderful thing about being a new momma is the wisdom pool of experienced mothers around you. Prior to computer and the world wide web, women still had each others backs. From baby showers and hospital visits, to midwives and doulas, women have always supported women in the area of motherhood. 

Thursdays here on The Girl that Sings are specifically for that. I need you and your passionate opinions and experiences. Just remember to be respectful. Bring on the comment conversations.

Monday, February 25, 2013

"Compassion" Isn't Just a Buzz Word


Contrary to Christian culture appearances, "compassion" isn't just a buzz word in the Church. It can't be. There are those who may disagree, however I would say to them, Look around and see the restoration being brought about by the people of God.

More than ever, largely because of mass and social media, there is an uprising of churches moving forward the Kingdom Jesus established here on earth. Churches are being made aware of horrible, immediate, and disastrous needs, locally and globally and the Holy Spirit is anointing those movements. 

I have not lived enough years to see if and how this Compassion Movement within the Church is a cycle or here to stay for good. Nonetheless, I do believe, this generation I am growing old with, is beginning to see with fresh eyes and move with urgency to redeem what is lost and mend what is broken. 

As a generation, we believe the distress and terror is awful. As a generation, we believe the sex trafficking must cease. The homelessness and poverty can be mended. Clean water is a basic dignity of life. The widows must be cared for, the orphans welcomed into families, and the youth educated

We believe we can change the world. 

Not alone, not individually, not as single churches but as a global Church, melting together towards the same goal we were all commanded to:  

The greatest command is this, Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and Love your neighbor as yourself. Luke 10:27

I, God, hate, I reject your festivals,
Nor do I delight in your solemn assemblies.
"Even though you offer up to Me burnt offerings and your grain offerings,
I will not accept them;
And I will not even look at the peace offerings of your fatlings.
Take away from Me the noise of your songs;
I will not even listen to the sound of your harps.
But let justice roll down like waters
And righteousness like an ever-flowing stream. Amos 5:21-24

He has told you, O man, what is good; And what does the Lord require of you,
But to do justice, to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God? Micah 6:8

This concept isn't new to my knowledge, but it is new for my daily living. Worship and compassion was something that looked good on paper and graphic design, but when it came time to take opportunities of living this model, I was always hesitant. 

Not for any spiritual reasons, of course, more for social and personal. Confession time: I hate talking to strangers. It's not comfortable for me. I'm not a natural artist of conversation. 

But I know I have to hear people's stories to hear their need. I have to ask questions to hear their stories. I have to move out of my comfort zone to ask the questions. 

I once heard Beth Moore say, "If you don't have money to fill their gas tank or buy them groceries, you can still serve them by asking their name or saying hello. Dignify them."

Dignify people. 

Jesus began a work, a movement, a compassion movement and then ordained His Church, His body, to keep it moving forward:

[Jesus] opened the book and found the place where it was written,
"The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me,
Because He anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor.
He has sent Me to proclaim release to the captives,
And recovery of sight to the blind,
To set free those who are oppressed,
To proclaim the favorable year of the Lord."
And He closed the book, gave it back to the attendant and sat down; and the eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on Him. And He began to say to them, "Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing." Luke 4:18-21


Where there is a heart of worship, there must also be a heart of compassion.
Where there are songs sung and voices raise, there must also be hands reaching out in service.
Where Jesus' followers gather in celebration, so must there also be an open door where the wandering soul can come in for rest. 

Dear friends, I am honored to be restoring this earth with you. It's a big job, but it was meant for us. 

- - - - -
*Photos above are from Antioch LA's Compassion Initiative in Santa Monica. If you're local to LA and want to join us every other Sunday at 11AM, feeding the homeless and hungry by the pier, we'd love to have you! Details can be found on Twitter @antiochchurchla or Instagram @antiochla

Thursday, February 21, 2013

Changing the World by my 25th Birthday

The last 364 days have been a sweet and sour cocktail for me. I was just telling Ty at lunch, "I usually get to my birthday thinking how fast the year flew by. But this year felt a little too long." That's new.

The last 364 days were unexpected and some unwanted; but looking back, I can say I feel like I grew up a little this year.

You know when you ask a child on her 12,13, or even 21st birthday, "So! Do you feel (insert age)?!" No, is the typical response and oh so true. I don't think we ever really feel older until something happens to remind us of the miles we've put on our life's engine. 

But today is different. Today I feel 25.

I've dreaded the arrival of today since my 22nd birthday. To me, 25 is that age when you're "really" an adult. Like for reals. You can't mess around with life anymore. (I mean come on, I can rent a car now!) Your vocabulary slyly shifts from concerts and rag mags, to IRAs and fiscal years. 25 was my "far off" age that I always threw things off to, but never really soaked in its encroaching arrival.

When I was 20, I wanted to conquer the world by the age of 25. "5 years," I thought. "That's a long time! I've got this!"

To that girl, I'd say now:
Oh sweet and dreamy girl, 25 is not your end goal. By 25 you will have experienced a new depth of love, loss, sorrow and overwhelming joy. Yes, life will change, jobs will kick in (kinda) and people will have a new set of rules and expectations for you to follow, but by 25, you'll realize your life, as confusing and chaotic as it may be, is beautifully unwrapping before your very eyes. 
A couple weeks ago, when I was deliberating this whole concept to Ty, he smiled at me in the comforting way that only he can, and said, "Baby, you have conquered the world. You've started ripple effects that will change it long after you and I are gone." 

I kept thinking about his words all day. Ripple effects. Ripple effects. Ripple effects. And the only image I could see in my head was my Baby Girl Mo.

She is my world changer. 

Not just my personal and literal world, but a changer of the entire world. She will be strong, she will be courageous, she will learn gentleness and humility, and she will learn to be brave.

She is coming to me at a time I would have considered "past due," but God knew better. He created her to exist at a time when my human notions could have easily convinced me how fleeting life was. 

The world will change because of her.

So I face this next 25 years, shaking in my pink slippers and over stuffed from a birthday lunch, but completely confident in the woman God is fashioning me to be.

He knew when He fashioned and knitted me in my mother's womb, that disillusionment would be my kryptonite. But He also knew through the broken glass would be a life I could have never had enough time or imagination to dream up for myself.

I may move a little slower, watch my calorie intake a little closer, or even sleep a little earlier, but I can feel this is going to be a pivotal year. With preconceived notions seeing themselves to the exit doors, I'm sitting in my West Hollywood apartment, excited and a little nervous to see who I will be next year.

Saturday, February 16, 2013

Sometimes Love Is...



Sometimes love is "big brown eyes" captivating.
Sometimes love is romp session sexy.
Sometimes love is holding her while she cries.
Sometimes love is smiling at him across the room.

Sometimes love is pinching his booty as you walk by.
Sometimes love is bringing her Chic Fil A when she's pregnant.

Sometimes love is hashing out a year long argument.
Sometimes love is letting it go.

Sometimes love comes in the form of chicken noodle soup on a sick day.
Sometimes love comes in the form of an attempted fried egg on Valentine's morning.

But always, always, always, love is a choice.

I choose you Tyson Morlet. Forever.


Wednesday, February 13, 2013

Your Morning Pep Talk


We all have days, weeks, months (years?) where we feel just blah. Whether it's a personal coach, a friend, our mom, or a simple email read, perspective and motivation can come in the most ordinary of ways. 

I know you're busy, you know I'm busy, but for the month of March, I'm inviting you to carve time, 5 minutes at most, out of your day to talk to yourself. Wait, what?

Yes. Yourself needs to tell you something and it's time we start listening. 

There are only 2 Rules: 1) Read the Pep Talks out loud & 2) Look in a mirror while reading.


(Or any other images above.)

Ps. This was totally inspired by this adorable curly haired girl. 


Saturday, February 9, 2013

Weekend Links



Pinterest has been a huge and amazing distraction this week. From resetting the house, to realizing I need more real food ideas (not just desserts, yikes!), to Smashbook ideas (have you heard of Smahbooks? You should!)

I'm not a huge reader, but I know after Baby Mo is born, I'll be even less so. I'm trying to catch up on my must reads until June :)
-Just finished: Wonderstruck: Awaken to the Nearness of God (Loved the stories)
-Just started: A Year of Biblical Womanhood: How a Liberated Woman Found Herself Sitting on Her Roof, Covering Her Head, and Calling Her Husband "Master" (Oh yea, this is gonna be good)
Best Youtube I saw this week, hands down. Have you seen this kid?? She's adorable!

My friend from afar is a gorgeous artist and she's giving you a background for February! Use it~ (Thorn & Sparrow)

A stereotypical run down of female worship leader must-haves. This isn't serious. Kind of. But not really. But kind of. (Stuff Christians Like)

Did anyone else belt Crystal Lewis' "I Now Live" at the top of their lungs as a child?? Yea, me neither. But hey she has a blog now! And she's super cute still. 

If these tattoos or these tattoos showed up in my Valentines Day card I wouldn't be bummed. (Tattly)

This post made me want to buy tons and tons of plants. How do they do that?! (A Beautiful Mess)

What are you up to this weekend? IKEA trip anyone? - - - 

Thursday, February 7, 2013

The Idea of Baby Registry

Original photo via Chic&Cheap Nursery | Edited by JMorlet

Does anyone else think the (amazing) idea of registering for baby stuff, before you have a baby is a backwards one? 

Before Baby Mo, I was ecstatic about baby showers. Cute, frilly, pink and blue, smell-goody things wrapped in pretty bows. But now that she's on her way, I'm staring at my computer screen, Target.com open on my web browser and totally clueless as to what I need or want. 

What kind of bottles will we need? They're all pretty much the same right? A breast pump, do you register for that or borrow it? Do people do that? I heard breastfeeding is a little, um, painful, how do I make it not so much? Someone once told me about this one thing that goes on that one place and... And don't even get me started on strollers and carseats. Between recalls and lifestyles, my head is spinning. 

See what I mean? If you're on Facebook, you saw I threw out my plea and got some really helpful responses! I feel like I have everything, but brands and preferences always make me nervous. So now I'm asking you:

-What do you wish you had registered for?
-What brands are your absolute favorites? Especially on diapers!
- - -


**The wonderful thing about being a new momma is the wisdom pool of experienced mothers around you. Prior to computer and the world wide web, women still had each others backs. From baby showers and hospital visits, to midwives and doulas, women have always supported women in the area of motherhood. 

Thursdays here on The Girl that Sings are specifically for that. I need you and your passionate opinions and experiences. Just remember to be respectful. Bring on the comment conversations. 
^^^Opinions, two-cents, questions and ramblings are welcome. And go above. Go ahead. Try it.

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