Toddlers in the Age of Marriage

I woke up this morning to my husband standing by the bed with a freshly picked rose in his hand [insert "awww's here]. I'm not exactly sure where he got that rose, and if any neighbors are reading this and you're missing one, just know it went to fan the flame of love. :) We laid in bed talking about how crazy it is that two years have flown by so fast and how much we've been through, accomplished, and fought. 


I realized, in this moment, that age of marriage is kind of like the ages of children. We hit 2 today. We are "toddlers" in the age of marriage. We know enough to walk about and experience the world, but we still fall more times than we don't. 


Ty and I both agree that this last year was a smoother sailing than our first [here's a video on that one]. We are learning how to talk like grown ups. Our vocabulary has increased from "wahhhhh" and "wahhhh" to "i feel sad" and "you hurt my feelings" and "you smell good".


I know that any of you married and reading this will agree and have more than a blogs worth of advice, but if there's a running theme I've heard today from dear loved ones in the stages of "teenage" and "adult" marriages its, it's tough so worth it. 


To that I say, touche. 

In 3 hours our marriage will be on it's way to 3. Not sure what's going to happen in the next 365 days, but I'm glad I have my BFF by my side. 


I love you Tyson Morlet. 
More than you'll ever know. 
I can't wait to grow old with you and learn how to ride bikes together. 
I can't wait til we raise a family and marrying them off. 
I can't wait to move all around the world [hint, hint] and buy a house boat. 
I can't wait to spoil our grandchildren and one day be pros at this marriage thing. 
But til then, I am glad that I'm learning with you. 
Only you.


Love,

2 Years and Counting// Where it all Began

Today is my 2 year anniversary with this amazing guy. It has been a good, long and windy road for us and we're never shy about it. We know that marriage is hard. We know that marriage is good. But we also know that that's pretty much all we know haha. Throughout the day I will be posting some of my thoughts on marriage and love from a rookie's perspective. Not really advice, just experiences.

But first! Though most of you know our love story or lived it with us, I thought it highly appropriate to visit where this day all began. So here is the recap of the Morlet Real Life Fairytale.

We fight, we quarrel, we kiss and makeup. Repeat. Our marriage isn't perfect but it's a Morlet Real Life Fairytale.

Enjoy.

::I only put segments below. For each full story click on the "read more" links at the end of each segment::

On my golden birthday, the man of my dreams knelt down on one knee and asked me, Julianna Hallworth, to be his wife. Through a song of course. Music is the Morlet way. I don't remember if I even said yes, but the sobbing and the hugging and the kissing might have given him his answer. The rest of the evening was spent with bubbling friends and relatives, smiling and laughing, reminiscing and dreaming of everything wedding and marriage. I'm pretty sure grandbabies were a hit topic as well. It was truly the beginning of forever. Read more.

It was seriously perfect. Relaxing. Amazing. Beautiful. Christ-centered. Smooth. Fun. Perfect. These are the words that describe our wedding day. It is definitely one for history books. With 600 friends and family, 11 bridesmaids and 10 groomsmen, 4 flower girls, and 2 ring bearers surrounding us, I felt so much love, hope, and happiness from the hearts of people who have been praying for us, loving on us, and encouraging us through this journey. But the thing that I am most satisfied in my heart about is that not one single person could have walked away that day doubting they heard the message of Jesus Christ and the purpose of His Church. The ceremony was exquisite. Tyson and I could not stop talking about it our whole honeymoon. The way everything flowed and the words of wisdom all the pastors had for us (there were four of them) made our wedding the most memorial day in my life. The Lord was most definitely the focal point and for that we are grateful. It was our prayer that nothing would distracted from such. And I believe that prayer was answered. Read more.

Anyways, so now that we are coming up on our year anniversary, the marriage beautifully solidifying, God decided to bait and switch me. A couple months ago, Ty was presented with an amazing opportunity to study and lead under the ministry of our High School pastor (now exec. over Student Ministries), Steve Salomon. Amazing guy with an amazing passion for God. He has been Ty’s mentor and his friend. His faith in my husband makes me fall in love with Tyson all over again. Every one of the God given gifts, characteristics, and talents [my man can teach the Word!] that Steve has affirmed in Ty, I already knew, but to see another great man of faith encouraging him, bragging on him, and putting complete confidence in him makes my heart just want to jump out of my skin. Read more.

In one of our pre-marriage counseling sessions, our pastor warned us that, for us specifically, our first year was going to make us or break us. After we heard that encouraging news, we decided that breaking us was not an option. From then on, every time we got to that breaking point we asked ourselves the golden question: Are we choosing to make it through this one or are we choosing to let it break us apart? Read more.

Love,

My Blogging Story: Part 5

*In light of the publishing of my new e-course [So You Wanna Start a Blog], I have written out my own personal blogging story. Today is the last day, Part 5. Need to catch up? Here you go: Part 1 and Part 2 and Part 3 and Part 4]*


Chapter Five

Blogging is more than just my hobby. It is my very own window into the world. I've said many times before that everyone blogs for different reasons. I have also said that mine is because I love to hear, tell, and create stories for all the world to experience. [Not every story of course, but most ;)] I want so bad for people to know you are not alone. 


I want you to laugh with relief that you're not the only ones who makes mistakes at being a husband or wife. 
I want you to cry and comfort because you know what it feels like to lose a child. 
I want you to offer advice or wisdom to the younger generation.
I want the younger generations to ask you for help and direction.
I want to connect people to people because we can't do this life on our own. And sometimes we just need someone to bridge that gap of awkwardness for us. That first instigated interaction. That's what I want this blog to be.


I'm not 100% sure what that looks like yet, but I'm trying. And if you have any suggestions they are more than welcomed.

But to start, here are my blogging goals for the rest of 2011:

 I want to have more guest posts/speakers interviewed on the JM blog, talking about real life issues.

 I want my blog to be a platform for things that connect people for the purpose of relationship and encouragement.

 I want to help people feel again, love again, trust again, learn again, and grow again.

Today is the last day of my blogging story. I hope that it has given you so inspiration to start your own blog or gain a new perspective on the one you already have. 


I have enjoyed every bit of recounting this journey I am on. And thank you for coming with me. Without you I'd be writing into the abyss of nothingness, but I guess that's ok too.


The End.

**Wanna blog but don't know where to start? Let me help you! Go here. 

My Blogging Story: Part 4

*In light of the publishing of my new e-course [So You Wanna Start a Blog], I am writing out my own personal blogging story. Today is Part 4. Need to catch up? Here you go: Part 1 and Part 2 and Part 3.]*


Chapter Four
In the last 3 years of blogging, I have had both good and bad days. In blogging, in the very beginning, the journey can be a bit of a hit and miss. You're still finding your niche. In the beginning, not all your posts will fit into what you hope to be. At least for me they didn't. 


I just wrote. I wrote what I felt, from my current state of emotions to that annoying charlie horse that kept coming back. I didn't know what my blog focus was or even who was reading it. Most importantly, I didnt know who I wanted to read it. It was just, well, there. 


So once I began honing in on the message and purpose of my blog [you can read more about that in my new and improved ABOUT page and my START HERE page.] and writing nearly everyday, my posts began to transform. For the better. Mostly. 


So here is my blast to the past, post evolution for your reading pleasure. 

 My Worst Blogging Idea ever: My P90X adventure...[why oh why did i do this?]



My Best post to date [in my opinion]: Just Trying to Figure This Out...[this post was a turning point in both my life and my blogging. It was the most real thing I've posted.]



The All-time Reader Fave: It's Time, A Time to be Born and a Time to Die...[For some reason this post has been #1 since it was posted last August. It's near and dear to my heart.] 


Moral of the story: Develop a purpose. Who and what are you blogging for? What are you trying to say? 


Here are some more favorite posts. Just because.
-10 Things I Wish I'd Known When I Started Leading Worship
-Dear Satan
-Hospital Room
-What I Feel Vs. What I Know
-My Miracle Baby
-My Birthday Wish
-It's My Party and I'll Cry if I Want To

Happy Thursday!

Love,

**Interested in blogging but don't know where to start? I wanna help you tell your stories! Read more here.*

5 Essentials to Survive Travelling with 100 Students

Yes, 100. 104 to be exact. For the next 5 days Ty and I are in mountains with our junior highers. Excuse me, "middle schoolers". (I always get scolded for that.)

Anyways, we started registration at 8:00 yesterday morning and have been going going going non-stop. I wanted to think of a creative way to share the next 5 days with you so I've logged the 5 absolute necessities for traveling with "middle schoolers".


Here we go.


1. Coffee
A no-brainer. If your body is not filled with some form of caffeine, you are signing your own death sentence. I like to go with the venti caramel macchiato with 2 extra shots.


2. Mega Phone/Loud Voice
This is a must for traveling in groups of 3 or more. With girls you'll have less of a loudness/yelling problem and more of a giggling/perpetual convo problem. With boys you'll have the loudness/yelling issue...and sometimes giggling. :)


3. Headphones
When you're NOT using the megaphone, you'll be using these bad boys. They will help you keep your sanity. If you have noise canceling ones that's a bonus.


However, though my headphones get plenty of use when with my lovely middle school girls, I also like to listen in and engage in the convos they are having. 99.9% of the time they'll be about boys (newsflash right?) and I like to think that I can help shape their view of the hormonal opposite sex. Sometimes.


4. Riddles
They LOVE riddles and I love giving them riddle that takes the entire car ride or bus trip ( or week) to figure out.


5. A Heart for Teens
This is essential because you will burn out faster than you can say, "Please pick up your trash". If you've followed me for any length of time you know being a youth pastors wife wasn't on my Bucket List. [More on that story here.] But after a year of working with these kids and watching them grow and change and learn and thrive and desire more of God, my heart has shifted. I was scared and way intimidated by them. But some of them have become like brothers and sisters to me. I care about them. I care about what happens to them. I care about the decisions they make and what friends they choose. 


And it's the care that keeps me there, every day. Youth ministry is very different from Worship Ministry. But that's another post, for another day :)


Hope this gave you a giggle, and if you work with youth, what are your "survival tricks"?

A Letter To My Brother on His Wedding Day

* UPDATE Y'ALL, what they're up to now :)  

To My Dear Brother, 

Today you are getting married.

My little brother. The 2nd in our clan of 3 Mustakteers. 


You are the best around. You love people. You love helping people. You love making, building, fixing, remodeling anything you can get your hands on. You're a fire-fighter at heart and saving people is part of who you are. 


Since you were 15 there has been only 1 girl for you, and today you get to [finally] make her your wife. 

Alot of people say that marriage is the beginning of the end. [Some joking, some not.] But I think that marriage isn't the beginning at all. Nor is it the end. It's just a very big intermission where you, the man of the hour, get to introduce a new, beautiful character onto the scene. The character that takes every one's breath away. The character that will change the entire feel of the play. She'll make it a little better.


The thing is, is that she was always there. In the back, getting ready. Makeup, hair, life, love. She's been here the whole time. Since you were 15 she has been the thing that drives you. 


Everyone knew it. Even you two. And today is going to be magical. 


Two families, who are now "officially" joining as one, but have been fusing together for the last 7 years. 


So brother, I am so, so very proud of you. 


Happy Wedding Day! This will always remain in my mind as the day when all our friends and families gathered to say, "It's about time!"


Love,
-Julie

My Blogging Story: Part 3

*In light of the publishing of my new e-course [So You Wanna Start a Blog], I am writing out my own personal blogging story. Today is Part 3. Go here for Part 1 and here for Part 2.]*

Chapter Three

From then on, my blogging journey has been a whirlwind. From no readers to hundreds of readers, Bad, bad blogging ideas to guest posts, to giveaways and series. It has been a fun development to watch and look back on. I'd say the top 3 things I've learned from blogging are:

    1. The more I write, the better my writing gets.

    2. Negative writing or feedback benefits no one. 

    3. People love stories and everyone has one. 

The next step in my blogging journey is to tell them. I want to tell everyone's story and/or encourage them to tell their own stories because when we don't tell them, we feel isolated and alone. When we do, we realize that we're not alone. There is someone out there somewhere who knows what we're feeling and someone else who has been through what we're going through. With this giant web called the internet, I think it's silly that people feel alone. 

So whether your blog starts out as private and become public, or you start out public, or you stay private for a while, tell you story. Someone, somewhere, at some point in time will need to hear it. 

I promise.

To be continued...

What's up for tomorrow: Tomorrow will be a trip down memory lane. My best and worst posts of the "olden days". 

*Interested in blogging but don't know where to start? I wanna help you tell your stories! Read more here.*

My Blogging Story: Part 2

In light of the publishing of my new e-course [So You Wanna Start a Blog], I am writing out my own personal blogging story. Today is Part 2. Go here for Part 1.]


Chapter Two

When I left MI, I had to readjust to life in Cali. It was more difficult than I had expected. It wasn't just being re-immersed in my old life, living with my parents, connecting with old friends, going to my home church, but also letting go of my future in Michigan. 

The next 10 years were planned out in my head of who I was going to marry, what I was going to do, my life-long friends, my favorite restaurants, what church I would be at and even my favorite study place ;) I never thought of what would happen if I left it all behind. 

I was sad, hurt, lonely, emotional, confused, disillusioned by the whole thing. 

So naturally, I started a blog. 

Yup. That's how it started. Nothing fancy or cool or compelling. I just needed a place to spew my thoughts and stories. I needed a place outside of my own head that I could close at any given time. 

It wasn't a public blog at first. I kept it private because I was afraid people would judge me. Both in Michigan and Cali. But as I started talking, like really talking and connecting with people about the nitty gritty of life I found myself often saying, "You know, I just wrote something on that the other day. I'll email it to you when I get home." 

Then, in December of 2008 I realized my story was no longer my own. I had always been mostly open and vulnerable with people about my past, present, and future. But when I was asked, in an emergency, to speak at a women's dessert [with 800 women in attendance] I knew God was fashioning something in me, yet to be determined. I blogged about that night to myself and at the end realized, "This is it. I need to be telling my stories to the world."

So I did. My blog became public.

To be continued...

*Interested in blogging but don't know where to start? I wanna help you tell your stories! Read more here.*

My Blogging Story: Part 1

*Alot has been happening here in the Morlet house which I will most definitely share with you soon. I started a series about what I taught at the recent Women's Retreat but have a bit of a turn of events since then and am not ready to conclude that story quite yet. I will though, I promise. 


On the other hand I've had quite a few of you ask how I got started blogging so I wanted to start this season with that. The current happenings will follow. There will be 5 parts. Here is part one.*

Chapter One

So I started blogging 3 years ago, totally unintentionally and on no type of schedule or routine. 

My very first post was August 11, 2008. I had just returned from Grand Rapids, Michigan where I was attending Grace Bible College for the past 2 years. I had every intention of returning for my Junior year, however due to the recession [and God's ways] my loan company had frozen all student loans across the state and I was out $9000 for that year's tuition. 

I stayed up all night with my parents trying to figure out if a second or third job would help my financial situation and after way too many numbers and a river of tears, we decided the best thing would be for me to come home to California. It was not what I wanted. I felt like a failure. I felt like I couldn't complete anything and I loved my college and friends in MI. I had so many plans and dreams wrapped up in this school and in one phone call they were shattered. 

So now I'm in Cali. Don't get me wrong, I love California. I knew this was where I was supposed to be, given the circumstances, but I was still sad to leave my life in MI. I missed my friends who had, over the last 2 years, become my family. It's kind of inevitable when you live with people for an extended amount of time you become friends, but add on dillusion from studies, a ridiculous amount of candy, soda and popcorn, American Idol and chick flicks [because that's what you do all Winter!], you become more than friends. They were my family.

To be continued...
*Interested in blogging but don't know where to start? I wanna help you tell your stories! Read more here.*

New E-Course: So You Wanna Start a Blog

Hello Friends, I have been working on a NEW E-COURSE [woot woot!] for the last couple of months. It's called So You Wanna Start a Blog... and it's a blogging course for beginner and intermediate bloggers. Since I started getting a little more serious about mine, [not too much of course ;)] alot of you have asked how I got started, what inspired me to do one, and how you can start one. 

I felt like I was copying and pasting alot of my response emails because your blogging questions seemed to be similar in nature. So the last two months I sat down and wrote it all out. Everything I did + all your other blogging options. 

From servers to fonts, pictures to post titles, I've covered all the basics to get your new blog rollin. 

People start blogs for one of two reasons. {1} ONE, they have something to tell the world. {2} TWO, they just want people to like them. If you are #2, you shouldn't start a blog. You'll be very discouraged and let me tell you why, through this course.

It's such a huge world wide web out there and there is no right way to do it. There are however, some wrong ways to do it and I talk about those in the course too. 

The Sessions include:

-Let's Talk About Your Niche: What's your story?

To write without purpose is to set oneself up for failure. Just writing, journalling online will not give you any satisfaction in and of itself unless you are doing it just for you. But if you're journalling for readers, you'll need more than Dear Abby sparsity. You need consistency. I do too, but I found out the hard way. 

My Blogging Story

I started blogging in 2008 in a fluke, non-chalant sort of way. No one read it but me and I absolutely LOVED that. There was no pressure. So why did I go public? You'll have to see. Alot can happen in 3 years.

-Everyone Starts at [Square] One: Setting Up

Once you've brainstormed through Your Blogger-Self, you're ready to setup your blog. With so many options and avenues out there, starting a blog can be a bit overwhelming. This lesson walks you through the set up from the top three blogging servers. I also have a series of questions for you to think through regarding the fashioning and overall appeal of your blog.

-3 Must-Haves for Making Your Blog Pretty

Layouts, pictures and links! I will go into detail on how to create and fashion each of these in your own blogging style and also give you some insight into what's "working" now. 

-Conquering the 2 Biggest Social Media Monsters

These social networks are your bloggin BFF's. If you don't have them, you should get them. [It's super easy and always free!] For the beginner blogger, they are the ultimate forms of exposure, convenience, and efficiency.

-5 Necessities for Crafting Your Best Blog Posts

Crafting your posts is the funnest + most important part of blogging. If you are a seasoned blogger, you know that quality is better than quantity BUT not to the extreme. You can post really good content, but if you only post once a month, your traffic will decrease. This session gives you jumpstart ideas and routines for you to get into to make your bloggin more frequent and well-written.

BONUS: Everyday Resources & Web Tools

Pages full of tips, sites, fonts, tutorials that will open up a whole new world to your new blogging habits. 

The best part about this course is that there is no waiting! 

::Here are the Details::

-This is a 'work at your own pace' e-course. You will have an unlimited amount of time to go through the lessons and projects. So go at your own pace :) 

-The cost: $21. I am so excited for your new journey of story-telling! 

-Login information will automatically be sent to you via email (*so be sure to enter your email address while checking out). If you don't receive your login and password info within the next 24 hours, [and you've check your spam box] email me at jmecourse@gmail.com. 

-And as always, if you need further help or have questions concerning any of the ideas, tutorials, and your new blog, you can email me at jmecourses@gmail.com.

Ready to start blogging??? Register Here! 

$21 So You Wanna Start a Blog [E-Course]