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The New Mom Podcast is a Christian motherhood podcast for women navigating pregnancy, postpartum, and early motherhood.
Whether you're a first-time mom, expecting, or in the middle of sleepless nights, this show offers real, honest conversations about motherhood, marriage, identity, and faith. We talk about birth stories, postpartum recovery, relationships, mental health, and trusting God through every stage of motherhood. If you're looking for encouragement, practical advice, and a reminder that you're not alone—this podcast is for you.
Our prayer is that New Mom leaves you feeling seen, strengthened, and a little more equipped for the beautiful calling of motherhood!
New episodes weekly.
Hello, and welcome back to New Mom. This week's episode, I got to have an awesome conversation with Morgan Krueger. She is a gift, you guys. She's a wife, a mom of two, very soon to be three boys, and an author. She's here to talk about her new book, Made to Magnify.
Carrie:And this conversation is awesome. She absolutely brings it. And I'm so thankful for the wisdom that she pours out for moms. We touch so much on magnifying Jesus in motherhood every day and what that looks like in the big moments and the small. So I hope you guys enjoy this conversation with Morgan.
Carrie:If you are loving New Mom, take a moment to rate and subscribe to the show and maybe even leave a review. It helps us to get the word out to more moms like you. Thank you for listening. And thank you so much for being here. Welcome to New Mom.
Carrie:Thank you for just making the time. I really I really appreciate it.
Morgan:Thanks for having me. I'm glad we live like less than ten minutes apart.
Carrie:I think this is like the easiest thing I've done so far. What a gift.
Morgan:Yes. I know. I'm I was telling friends before this. I was like, I have a podcast today. And they're like, do you do you like doing, like, the Zoom?
Morgan:I was like, no.
Carrie:No. No. This is in real life. This is so nice.
Morgan:So what a treat. Thank you for having me. Oh my gosh. Being your sweet husband. Absolutely.
Morgan:I was also here doing all the holy work behind the scenes. You guys are awesome.
Carrie:You never, like, making it happen.
Morgan:Amen. In every facet of life. Yeah.
Carrie:Thanks. For sure. For sure. Well, like I said, thank you for being here. I absolutely love your book, Made to Magnify, which just came out, what, a couple weeks ago?
Morgan:I think two weeks ago today. Oh my gosh.
Carrie:Yes. So congratulations. Thank you. This is your second book?
Morgan:It's my second book.
Carrie:Okay. And that was yeah.
Morgan:Big piece. I told her before. I was like, she
Carrie:is so sweet to like prop it up. Didn't have to do that. Thank you. When I when I asked you to be on, which I'll talk about in a second. But I saw the book cover and I was like, and then when it came in the mail, like, this is this is the prettiest book.
Carrie:I'm genuinely obsessed to the point where I won't put it in my diaper bag because it'll bend. I'm like, no. I wanna keep this one pretty. Like, I don't I don't know. But yeah.
Carrie:I honestly, I heard you on another podcast and I was like putting makeup on, kinda half listening like you do. And I was like, who and I heard you say you're her mom. Like, who is this woman? Like, who is just speaking just spewing so much wisdom and life with such a, like, a humble and holy confidence. And I, like, cold DMed you on the spot.
Carrie:I was like, I'm not even gonna overthink this. I was like, please be on my podcast. Thank you. So so thank you so much for, like, being here. But, yeah, I I just I really I really appreciate it, and I'm excited to, like, get into your book.
Carrie:Before we dive too far in, I would love to know, like, just a brief bio on you, like, you know, maybe where you're from, about your husband, your kids. I love it. Like, give us a little rundown.
Morgan:Yes. Yeah. I love that we were chatting a little bit before this. Your husband's a Georgia guy. Yeah.
Morgan:And so am I. So born and raised. Well, so part of my story
Carrie:That's the question mark. I'm like Oh, yeah.
Morgan:That's a that's a part of it. So grew up in Georgia right outside, you know, where UGA is and actually ended up going to University of Alabama for college. So roll tide. Oh.
Carrie:I know. But
Morgan:yeah, a little bit of my story. Gosh. I feel like, you know, a big marker. We all have markers in our life. Right?
Morgan:Things that define us moments that shape us and form us. A big one for me was when I was 15. My dad was diagnosed with stage four liver cancer. And I will say my my my man, my my father was truly a man of God and love the Lord. I saw him from such a young age, like truly showing me how to disciple people.
Morgan:Whenever dad was gone, it was because he was meeting with a guy for coffee or leading a Bible study and different things. So all that to say when I was 15, you know, that was news and a life altering altering event that really shook me. And I just remember at that point, the diagnosis he was given was, six months to live, and it quickly turned into a little less than six weeks that he actually had. And so to watch this man who raised me, loved me, shared the gospel with me just fade away before my eyes was incredibly difficult for me. And as daughters in general, right, whether you have a distant father or an amazing father or a father that you've lost, you know, we are so shaped by our earthly relationships, especially our parent parental relationships.
Morgan:And so with that, after my dad passed away, it was like I became kind of this textbook case of daddy issues. Looking for love in all the wrong places, looking to fill that void that I was, experiencing in just ways that were apart from God. And it was only a matter of time before I kinda I kinda projected onto God abandonment and loss. And well, if my dad couldn't stay for me, then God can't stay for me. And so I would say Carrie, that theme kind of carried on for years and years and years, but God was faithful.
Morgan:And I know we'll maybe get into some more of this, but years later in my college years, like God just became, so real to me in the sense of like, God, I am running as far away from you as possible. I was that prodigal son we read about in Luke 15, but he never left me. He was always waiting for me and he ran after me with such a sweet fatherly pursuit. And, God ended up taking me overseas after college. Went to East Asia East Asia and, ended up, you know, sharing the gospel with girls every single day.
Morgan:And I look back and I see his faithfulness too. Because if I'm honest, there was a part of me who who still doubted if God was really a good father. And it was almost like God was like, I'm gonna pluck you out of your culture, and I'm gonna put you in this crazy place to share the gospel out of your own mouth every day until you believe it. And I finally did. And I finally surrendered my life to him.
Morgan:And after that, ended up, you know, meeting my husband overseas. And we got married and moved to the Franklin area. Area. So it's been sweet. It's been such a sweet journey.
Morgan:I feel like the Lord has just shown me so much about who He is as a father. And now that I'm, you know, I'm a mother and I'm raising my kids with a father, I'm just learning so much about His continued faithfulness and His goodness. So, that's a little bit about me and my story.
Carrie:Thank you for sharing
Morgan:that for asking.
Carrie:Yeah. That's that's a beautiful testimony. I I love that. What is something that the Lord is teaching you right now in motherhood? You're pregnant with your third.
Carrie:Yes. Yeah. So I'm so curious. Like, what is the what's the Lord revealing
Morgan:Such a big question. Such a great question. Yes. We are, expecting we have two boys at home, a third on the way. I joke that we are just, you know what?
Morgan:We are, like, creating our own basketball team over here. My husband is six five.
Carrie:So like I was gonna say is your husband athletic? Yeah. I'm loving this.
Morgan:Yeah. Oh, yeah. Oh, he's he's a he's in his own dream. It's it's awesome. I am too.
Morgan:But, yeah, we're raising our basketball team and, God's teaching me so much. I mean, the motherhood journey has blessed me in ways I never knew possible and rocked me in ways that I didn't know also was possible. But what I will say, I think that our culture really paints this picture subconsciously that we can be kind of the boss woman mother. We can be the mom who does it all, who manages it all. And, you know, we're so prone.
Morgan:I think in my sin nature, I'm so prone to want to carry the weight of the world, and we get really good at that. I'm like, give me a to do list. I'm gonna rock that.
Carrie:I'll do it.
Morgan:And I'm also gonna, like, put my identity in that if I'm not careful. And so something that the Lord has really been teaching me in this specific season of motherhood is just the prayer of dependence. And I pray daily right now. I used to pray almost like, God, just give me the strength. God, just, like, give me the perseverance.
Morgan:Those are not bad prayers. Those are beautiful prayers. But what I have been praying recently, honestly, Carrie, is Jesus, fill the gap. Mhmm. I am so ever present aware of my shortcomings right now, my weaknesses, my, fragility, my my limitations Mhmm.
Morgan:That I've stopped fighting kind of that urge to want to just fill the gap myself. But the prayer is like, Jesus, these kids are your children. They deserve the world. They deserve a perfect parent. They have one in you.
Morgan:But you have given us these kids to steward imperfectly. We are never going to measure up to the standard of a perfect mother or a perfect father. And so, Lord, I'm gonna do everything I can as I rely on you daily, as I call upon the power of the Holy Spirit to to fill the gap. But I'm gonna pray when I realize that I can't meet that perfect standard. Lord, you do.
Morgan:Mhmm. So that gap between what they need right now and what I can give, Lord, fill it. And give me the give me the strength, give me the perseverance, but also fill the gap in my weakness. So I think that's what God's teaching me right now.
Carrie:That's Again So good.
Morgan:Two are very important prayers, but I'm kind of in that prayer of weakness.
Carrie:I think that pregnant with a third, doing everything you're doing, like launching a book, having all that going on with boys, I I think that makes a lot of sense.
Morgan:Yeah.
Carrie:I feel that so much. Like, we we've talked about on the show, but, like, we just moved across the country. Right. And really since we had we had my son last May, and it's been like one unexpected, travel time after and next, we're like, we've basically this is the first time we felt settled in eleven months. And it's it's a huge blessing, but this entire thing has been so trying, especially because you go into motherhood with a specific view of who you're gonna be as a mom.
Carrie:I was wrong. Like, oh, oh, this actually there's so much I'm like, I'm a firstborn girl. So there's just a lot of like, oh, I'm I'm gonna I'm gonna love this. And people speak that over you. You're gonna be such a great mom.
Carrie:You're a caretaker. And then you're actually in it. You're like, oh, I like you just said, I
Morgan:have a lot like, I
Carrie:am weak in certain areas and it's okay. And that's what I feel like. I I just I so feel what you're saying because I that's something that the Lord has been teaching me is embracing and leaning into
Morgan:That's good.
Carrie:The weakness and and being okay with it and partnering with God in it. That's easier said than done. Right? Because, like, it's so easy to just, you know, wanna buck up and do it. Yes.
Morgan:Yeah. But that doesn't really work. It doesn't work. And it only gets you so far. And if we were truly created I was telling someone the other day, I'm like, you know, the world and culture right now really paints like weakness as a weakness, but actually weakness and neediness is a superpower.
Morgan:Mhmm. Like, I am weak and needy no matter what. I can't really shake that as a human being created by God. Like, I need him so I can either fight that or I can lean into it and make it a superpower. And I know that even sounds kinda like woke, but just in general Yeah.
Morgan:Like, what if we started to glorify like biblical neediness? Like even Jesus and we could talk about this too. Like Jesus modeled that for us. The one who didn't have to be weak. He took on the form of weakness.
Morgan:He took on the form of a servant to show us there is such a strength when we are willing to become weak and needy before the father. So well, that thanks for sharing that too. And I think, you know, I was gonna ask him like, what's God teaching you in the season? It seems like he's teaching And us similar hopefully a lot of mamas out there can relate with that. Like, you're gonna open up Instagram.
Morgan:You're gonna open up whatever apps you use and you're gonna see people glorifying just kind of the do it all, be it all mentality. But there's something so beautiful, so holy, so like biblical of just coming before the Lord and and saying, God, I need you again. Or God, I tried to do it on my own again. And he graciously and kindly he's not an angry father. He invites us day after day to return kind of to that table of surrender.
Morgan:And there's a beauty in saying, I think I'm gonna need that invitation. I'm gonna need Yeah.
Carrie:And you're right. There's such a beauty in the fact that we can we can say that every day and even every hour and minute if we need to. Amen. Before we get too far, I'd love for you to share your heart behind Made to Magnify because there's so many themes you're touching on. I'm like, you talk about this in the book and it's so good.
Carrie:But but share a little bit about like why this book? Why now? Like what what prompted you to write this? Yeah.
Morgan:Yeah. Well, thanks for one reading the book. I was telling you before this. I'm like, that is so sweet. You could have had me on
Carrie:It was the best homework ever. I'm like, I know more authors. This is fun.
Morgan:She texted me. If you're listening, like, she basically texted me. She's like, hey. So I'm like almost done with the book and I'm gonna get some questions over. And I was like, did I read that right?
Morgan:She's she almost finished my book. That's so I think it's just not lost on me that like you or anybody would read these pages and spend your valuable time as a mother diving into some of these topics. Like, that means so much to me. I know you didn't do it for me, but I'm so grateful that you would take the time to read this And, you know, I feel like long gone are the days where we are writing and putting things out there because we are the expert. I wrote this book because I desperately needed that message.
Morgan:Like, it says on here choosing to live for Jesus when everything tells you to live for yourself. So a couple years ago, I basically, was going through a really big season of transition. So I had a job that I loved. I had a marriage still do. I was in an I'm in a wonderful biblical sweet marriage with the best man.
Morgan:I was getting to kind of put a lot of dreams into reality. And I realized that I was kind of putting a lot of identity into that, but I didn't realize it until all of that changed. So all of a sudden we moved, from one state to another. I quit my job. And so there was a job transition.
Morgan:I had a baby, our first baby on the way. So was becoming a mother and all the things that I was trying to identify myself with was no longer a part of my life. And I remember God taking me to Ephesians four. And basically, Paul is encouraging them. He says, don't be like infants.
Morgan:Like, don't be like children because children are tossed to and fro by the waves of every cultural doctrine and idea and kind of emotional cultural message of the time. That's what they were walking through. Mhmm. And I remember reading that and I was like, oh my goodness. This is me.
Morgan:I am I am no longer a child in, like, in the Lord. I've been walking with him for a long time, but this still feels like an area Mhmm. That I'm almost an infant in. I'm riding the waves of kind of my identity in other things apart from Him. And, you know, I will say it's like if we put our identity in things that are not of the Lord, but maybe even good things, motherhood, such a good thing.
Morgan:Right. Jobs that are of the Lord, such a good thing. Marriage, such a good thing. But if that order is off, if any of those things are above our identity in Christ, we are going to ride those waves. And when you're on the high of the wave, it feels pretty good.
Morgan:Yep. Like when you're kinda nailing it, right? Things are going well. People are like, oh, couple All the validation and all the things. Like, that's great.
Morgan:But that wave is going to come crashing down at some point. And so for me, that wave kinda crashed and all those changes at one time. And I was like, oh my goodness. The low was crushing to me because all of a sudden, no one was around me praising me. All of a sudden, I don't have this job anymore that everyone is idolizing and I'm growing a baby in the secret place and I'm at home and I'm feeling lonely and all these things.
Morgan:And so I just remember crying out to the Lord in that season. God, I don't want to ride the waves anymore. I don't want to ride the waves of like the cultural idea that we should put our identity and our enoughness or our accomplishments or achievement or approval of others. I want it to be in you. And so that's really years ago.
Morgan:I look back. That's where the journey started for me. And he actually brought me to Luke one. And again, as a mama, we kind of read the story of Mary through a different lens. Like, it's so amazing what she did and what she walked through.
Morgan:And basically, you know, Mary's life was marked by something so amazing, but the world was saying that it was something so detrimental. I mean, she wasn't married. She was young. She was having a baby. And she had every reason to make all of that about herself.
Morgan:And after Elizabeth, her cousin comes to her and prophesies of who Jesus is gonna be, something comes out of her mouth that I thought was so amazing when I read it years ago. She just cries out to God, my soul magnifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God, my savior. And I remember Carrie seeing that word magnify, my soul magnifies the Lord. I like, what does that mean? Like, does it really mean?
Morgan:And I looked it up and the clearest definition I could find is like, to magnify just means to make great. And I was like, that hit me like a ton of bricks. Because what hit me is like, we are made to magnify. Like we're creatures that wake up every morning, we're gonna magnify something. But we can either magnify ourself and our achievements and our image or we can magnify Jesus.
Morgan:Either way we're gonna magnify. And I was like, God, I wanna be like Mary. I wanna magnify you no matter what is happening in my life circumstantially, identity wise, I wanna magnify you. And so that's where it started for me. And it's been a sweet journey of the Lord just like meeting me where I was at.
Morgan:Took me two years to write. So it's fun to read back and be like, oh, man, God, you were teaching me so much about that at that time. And, it's the book I needed. And so I pray it's a blessing to other
Carrie:That's so beautiful. Thank you for sharing that that whole story. I I love, like, just hearing the whole journey of that. I I would love to know just just practically what what does it look like? Like reading this book, obviously, I'm a mom.
Carrie:Right? So you don't have to be mom to love this book. This book is for anyone. But specifically with where I'm at, I'm reading it from the lens of, like, the day to day, which is so much of that is motherhood. And also, you know, some entrepreneur stuff and some, you know, trying to be a wife and all those things and be a friend.
Carrie:But mostly, you're kind of in the mom zone. Mhmm. What does it look like for us? Or how has it looked like for you as you've written this book to magnify the Lord in your motherhood? Yeah.
Carrie:Practically, spiritually.
Morgan:Yeah. I mean, it's nothing new. But I will say maybe as a reminder to a mama friend out there listening, it's the small moments. Mhmm. It is the it's the moments that nobody sees.
Morgan:And, you know, our kids, like I said earlier, they they deserve the world. They are so precious to the sight of God. They're created in his image and they have been given to us to steward. They deserve. And I'm saying deserving, you know, loosely.
Morgan:Like as parents, we should feel like they deserve it all. Right? But they are so worthy of love and attention and delight and all these things. And so I would say it comes down to those small moments. And for me, even this morning, you know, I slept in.
Morgan:We had a weird night sleep. So like I sleep in, I wake up, and I have my bible that was supposed to be opened at a certain time this morning, and it wasn't by my bedside.
Carrie:Language. Yeah.
Morgan:And so I grab it, and I walk out of the room, you know, and my husband's up. And, we have our morning routine, so he gets to take a little bit of time to go and read at at one point in the morning. If anyone out there, you're like, my morning feels so long. Like, you have a friend and me. Yeah.
Morgan:We have to literally, like, time block our mornings because they just be insanely long.
Carrie:You got your quiet time. I got this.
Morgan:I'm like, we can't just exist right now. We gotta have something for both
Carrie:be of structure. Yes. We both get a little time. That's great.
Morgan:That was gonna be some practical advice for, like, the business. Like, time block it out and, like, there's a way for both of you to feed your souls. That's really good. Because, again, this is such a rabbit trail. But, like, Jackie Hill Perry, I've heard her talk about this before.
Morgan:She's like, there's a grace over new moms and new dads. I think we can put so much pressure on ourselves. Like, wake up before the kids, have all
Carrie:this done. Get the workout, get the Bible time.
Morgan:Do it all. And it's like, oh, you know, back to the limitation thing. I think there's a certain grace that rests on moms and dads in these early years. And one day that grace will lift and the Lord's saying, hey, Morgan. Hey, Carrie.
Carrie:You have had time. Up.
Morgan:Get up now. But but there is a season for all of that. So all that to say is back to my morning this morning. You know, I wake up and and I I just could tell that I, you know, I hadn't been with the Lord. I can just sense
Carrie:Oh, that is such a feeling.
Morgan:It's everything.
Carrie:So you could yep. Yep. You could just like ask me an hour in and it's immediately like, have I had that time or have
Morgan:I not had that time? Cool. Let's be honest, our spouse also knows if we can't if we haven't
Carrie:been with the Lord either. Yeah.
Morgan:Like Ryan, we we like got into like a little tiff this morning and we I he was like, can I go take my time? I was like, go. Like, was like, honestly, Somebody go get it. You need it and I need it. So anyways, I'm with the boys and I'm I'm kind of on the shame spiral.
Morgan:I'm like, oh, I didn't get time with the Lord and like, what's this gonna look like? And my boys are very they they love playing with us, you know. So like, mommy, let's play headsy. Mommy, let's do this. And and I just said, hey, buddies.
Morgan:Like, we're gonna have time for that this morning, but I need to open my Bible. I need to read. And so I have been starting to listen to the worship initiative, like Daily Devo. I don't know if
Carrie:y'all haven't listened to that one. I listen to Lectio,
Morgan:but I haven't heard that one. Yes. That's another amazing one. They do a Daily Devo and they sing the word of God. So, it's like a little message and then they'll also like just break out in a song and kind of go back and forth.
Morgan:It's like really beautiful. So I put that on and I just invited my kids. I just invited them into that moment and it wasn't Instagram worthy. It wasn't anything that would be glorified by anybody outside of our house, but I knew that I was fighting to invite the Holy Spirit into my moment of chaos. And so that's just one example.
Morgan:And by the end, they were singing It's this
Carrie:great example.
Morgan:And it was the song Jesus Paid It All. And they they know that song. So we're all singing it together and I'm just like, you know, my hands are up and I'm like, okay, Lord. Like this was that small moment that you were asking me to fight for but you really met us in that space. And so I would say like, that's beautiful.
Morgan:And I know you can speak into this too. It's just those small moments and trusting. I think we have a hard time as adults and moms, like like knowing what's a big deal and what's not a big deal. But what I think is so beautiful and how we can model the heart of God is this mentality of if it matters to you, then it matters to me. Because God looks at us and our problems and our worries and our transitions from one state to another and us buying a new house and setting up setting up a studio and your boys nap time.
Morgan:And we can feel kind of silly of all these little things weighing on us, but God's like, no. No. No. If it matters to you, then it matters to me because I am a perfect good heavenly father. And so even last night, I will say, Carrie, I don't know if you guys are in this or not.
Morgan:If Archie has a passy. Does he have a passy?
Carrie:He's not a passy boy.
Morgan:Okay. He had praise card.
Carrie:So he's not. Hey. Take it.
Morgan:Take it. So both my boys have been passy boys. And I I'll get to the point of this. But last night we decided it was time that our little guy needs to drop his passy. He has terrible passy mouths.
Morgan:Our pediatrician called us. That was the whole thing. So, you know, at first, we kinda told him straight up, hey, buddy. You're gonna give your passy to Jesus tonight. And and it was just a whole a whole we did this, like, little ceremony.
Carrie:I was trying
Morgan:to give him a cross.
Carrie:He was like, no. I want a ceremony.
Morgan:That's amazing. Was great advice.
Carrie:That was hilarious.
Morgan:So we're just going through the motions and I could tell my husband and I were getting a little frustrated. We're just like, ugh. Like at first, like, this is not a big deal. Like and we just paused. And we're like, actually, this is a huge deal to Barrett.
Morgan:This is a huge deal to him. This has been a source of comfort and soothing his entire life. He has never known a night without this little passage.
Carrie:So it is a big deal to him.
Morgan:It's a big deal to him. And so it's a big deal to us. And so I just I could cry thinking about this, but as moms, we're called to model that. Hey, buddy. It matters to you.
Morgan:It matters to me. So, you know, I did bedtime with him last night and he just was so sad. And I just was like, hey, buddy. I'm not leaving. Mama is right here.
Morgan:And I held him for probably way too long. And I just sang to him and I just worshiped in his room and I just prayed over him of like, Lord, like be the comfort that he needs now that he doesn't have this posse. And, you know, it was a rough night, but his little self is trying to acclimate. But we get to model like, Jesus, you're the ultimate comfort. You can teach this little two and a half year old that you can fill the gap in the areas that we fall short, that we look for comfort in places other than you.
Morgan:And so those are, again, the moments nobody's gonna see. Mhmm. He's not even gonna remember this, but it is a way of making great the name of Jesus with the situations that we are currently in. Big or small, they're big to God. So that's kind of what I'm learning in motherhood.
Morgan:I'm just
Carrie:thinking about my days, as you're saying, and I'm like going back and like, oh my gosh. Because it's it's so true that I think as humans, we're thinking about the big things in in our mind, which tend to be themes of our or big things we're working on or, like, you know, a move or work or whatever it is. And I'm not thinking about like the like, there is so much importance in dinner time with my child every night. It's such a present place to be, any any time with them, really. But I think about that at meals where it's easy to kinda check out and
Morgan:be like, let's just, like, get
Carrie:you eating real quick and let's just, like, get through this. And I think that's somewhere that God has been meeting me lately. It's just it's just remembering, kinda like you said, it this actually is this actually matters so much. Like, you're feeding your child a meal right now. You're having this moment, and it it's it's kind of the biggest deal that's going on in your life is raising this child.
Carrie:But it can just feel, like, mundane, or you gotta get through it to get to that email, or you gotta get through it to get to whatever else is and rewiring and just, like, remembering that that's actually, like, those small moments when you're saying they're unseen and they're small, they'll but they're the holiest moments, you know? So think I love that. That's, like, such a beautiful example. The pacifier example warmed my heart. You almost got me in tears because I'm thinking about my little boy, like, when something hits for him.
Carrie:He loves his doggy so much right now. Like, he hugs he hugs doggy. He hugs it every night. And not that we'll be taking doggy away anytime soon. Not yet.
Carrie:But, it's just it's just so sweet to see the way that like, that's those things are big to them. And I think it's really beautiful for your son that now he gets to learn that Jesus is that comfort. Like you said, you know, he's at that age now where he can remember that he can probably take it in a little bit that, like, okay, he can comprehend that Jesus is with him and he's the comfort. And and you get to represent that as you hold him at night. It's really beautiful.
Carrie:Such a gift. It
Morgan:makes me think of Luke sixteen ten. Jesus says, if you are faithful with little, you will be faithful with much. And I think the point if we're to like you know, Jesus always had something he was trying to say behind what he
Carrie:was saying. Totally. Yeah.
Morgan:I think when you start to be faithful with the little, you realize that the little is not little to God. Like those little moments, the passy, the stuffy that Archie has, like all of these things, the dinner times. Like these are not little moments to God. They are like big holy moments if we invite him into that. And so I think motherhood is almost like learning that verse, Luke sixteen ten, like in real time.
Carrie:Like verse.
Morgan:Oh. I can be faithful with little and then faithful with much because nothing is actually little. Like, it's like the little stuff is much and then the big stuff is much too. Mhmm. Because he cares like we're saying, he cares so much about just what we care about.
Morgan:And I'm grateful for moments again. If I'm honest, I don't wanna sound too holy. I mean, I need I need that reminder daily. Like Same. The amount of times I've tried to rush past my kids needs or like you're saying, just get something on the table and like move the night along, you know?
Morgan:Or the temptation I'm a check with girls. It's easy
Carrie:to be like, okay, let's get through that. Even if I'm having fun, I'm like, what am I doing? Why are we getting through anything? This is very sweet. Let's enjoy it.
Carrie:It's so hard for
Morgan:us to stop. And then the comments, the well meaning comments of like, you just blink and it's over.
Carrie:We're like,
Morgan:it doesn't feel that
Carrie:way. You know?
Morgan:But but it's it's true. And I wanna look back and I wanna say, Lord, like, I the goal was not to, like, completely rock this season of like, oh,
Carrie:I just, yeah, I crushed it.
Morgan:That's not the goal. God, you carried me. And God, you showed me more of your character and more of the ways that you filled the gap. And I'm grateful for that. I'm grateful that you slowed me down enough to step into those moments of discipleship with my kids.
Morgan:And so, yeah, it is it is a sweet invitation. And we know this, like, kids are gonna make you want to speed up, but by nature, they just slow you down in the best way. That's true. Yeah. That's a really good way anxious being a mom sometimes.
Morgan:I'm not speaking that over anyone, but it's also going to be the greatest tool to slow down your Yes.
Carrie:I think I I've even had friends say that they weren't breakfast people. They're like, well, we eat breakfast now because we have kids. How beautiful is that, though? Yes. Like, it's like, oh, now we sit down and we do family breakfast.
Carrie:We don't just rush through our day. It's like kids need those moments. And then you kinda realize you do too. Wow. Like, oh, what if we all just enjoyed our morning?
Carrie:I'm waking up. My PJs are so cute. And then, okay, now we're gonna go for breakfast. And you just like go through your day as a child. When I take care of him, I realize these are actually really beautiful steps Right.
Carrie:Within my day that I'm not even thinking about. Yes. I wanna talk about social media because you have a whole chapter on this. And it was so good. I'm not kidding.
Carrie:Like, I was sitting at my kitchen table reading. I was like, yes, Morgan. Oh my gosh. You're reading my diary, Morgan. Like, this is I think I think it's universal.
Carrie:I think so many women and specifically, you know, if we wanna specifically make it moms, we deal with this of like you kind of just get into the concept of, first of all, fighting the pole to just be somewhere else and to be thinking about. But then also just to glorify ourselves and our name and be kind of focused on that instead of focused on being where we are or magnifying Jesus. So I would love for you to share a little bit about maybe what the Lord taught you in that. I know it's like a daily thing. We probably don't, like, get to the other side of this.
Carrie:It's never a thing again. But I think you just you speak to it really, really beautifully.
Morgan:Thanks for saying that. Yeah. Obviously, like I said, I wrote the book I needed. And, moments that I find myself having to go back to that chapter myself and remind myself. And and like you just said, Carrie, the the book or just the idea of social media, there isn't a code to be cracked, but there is an invitation to be had from the Lord.
Morgan:And, you know, obviously, David, king David, he didn't have Instagram or social media when he, wrote this. Just out of Psalm one thirty nine, you know, he cries out to God. Really. It's like this desperate longing for saving. He's like, search me, oh God.
Morgan:Try me. Know my heart. Point anything out in me that grieves your heart and lead me in the path of everlasting life. And and I think that is like a beautiful model for us to pray and cry out to God when it comes to social media because it hit me a couple years ago and I just, you know, we have our page. The way that social media is is set up.
Morgan:We have our page and we get to post how we want and display our lives the way that we want and be defined in this space any way that we want to. And I just thought, oh my goodness. Like, are we doing the same thing that the ancient, you know, Israelites and Jewish people and even Romans did where they just built shrines and they built idols of themselves or of other gods. And then anyone can come and gather and worship at it. And that's what hit me a couple years ago.
Morgan:I was like, is this just my personal shrine? Is everyone just setting up our personal shrine for anyone to come and and worship. And and I mean, it's it's it's a slippery slope. Right? Because it for a lot of us too, it's like a work outlet now.
Carrie:Mhmm.
Morgan:But the lines can get so blurry.
Carrie:Becomes your website in a sense. Like, it's my business. Yes. Yeah.
Morgan:And there's there's everything from, you know, the internal affirmation that we can get to the external monetary benefits that can come from a lot. So it's just this big conglomerate of like complexities to try to navigate. And that's why I say it's not a it's not a strategy or a formula to be cracked, but it is an invitation. And, you know, Tim Keller, I love this whole series that he did on the Proverbs. He did like a wisdom series.
Morgan:And he says this quote in it that struck me. And I think it can apply so well to what we're talking about with social media. He says this, he says, wisdom is not strategy, it's character. And when he said that, when I heard that a couple years ago, I was just like, oh my goodness, that's it. Social media when it comes to it, it's not a strategy.
Morgan:It's yes. We can have, you know, I have a brick on my phone where I brick it. It shuts off all those social apps for me so I have no temptation. I do have boundaries with social media, but ultimately it's a matter of wisdom. Like, it's a it's a matter of God, search my heart.
Morgan:Lord, let me magnify you and look to you and be formed by you in such a way that it informs the way that I'm posting. It informs the way that I'm interacting on social media. And so for me, I mean, it is just a daily prayer of wisdom. And, you know, for someone out there listening, they just might relate. And what I will say is we have to be so careful because social media can take a lot more away from us than
Carrie:it gives.
Morgan:And my pastor I don't know where I'll go
Carrie:to church. We'll talk about
Morgan:it after. But my pastor, he talks he he wrote a book about a digital detox and he uses the acronym JOMO. He's like, we all have FOMO, but what if we're people of JOMO? Like the joy of missing out. And I think that that's like such a cool, kinda cheesy, but like kinda cool concept when it comes to social media because what we can gain from social media Mhmm.
Morgan:Can be real things. Right? We can gain understanding. We can gain opportunity. We can gain, like Maybe even friendship.
Morgan:Yes.
Carrie:A connection. Sure. Yeah.
Morgan:A place to share our faith. A way to connect with different moms and see what they're And
Carrie:we leave to a beautiful ministry space for sure. Absolutely. But
Morgan:where I think it's dangerous is is what we're gaining more than what we're losing. And I do believe that if we're not careful, if we don't have wisdom when it comes to this space, like what we lose is going to be more than what we gain. And so I just if anyone's listening and they're relating with this, like, what do I do? I would just pray for again, the heart of David to pray that search me. God, am I posting this for affirmation from people?
Morgan:Am I posting this because I feel like I have something to prove? Try me and know my heart and, you know, point out if this is grieving your heart right now. But what the way I'm posting what I'm posting, even if on the outside it looks okay, but like deep down I know that I'm doing I'm
Carrie:wrong coming from, you know.
Morgan:Yes. And then also just, yeah, pray. Yeah, pray for that heart of wisdom. And so I don't know. Think the other big thing when it comes to motherhood, there's a book out there called the anxious generation by Jonathan Haidt and he is very passionate about social media.
Morgan:And he says that the biggest danger of social media is that it is a experience blocker. So he basically talks about the way that trees grow. And he says the way that a tree grows and grows stronger is by experiences like the different seasons, winds, rain, things pulling out its roots is what makes the tree grow and grow stronger into what it's meant to be. And I just think about that of like we are robbing ourselves. Sometimes we're robbing our kids, our families, our communities of shared experiences that actually by God's design are what form us into what we're supposed to be.
Morgan:And so if if anyone is listening and that's an encouragement to them, I would just say like, how much are you experiencing throughout your day? And then how much are you consuming? Is your go to in life is your go to activity right now in life just consuming on your phone or in a different place? Or is it experiencing? And even for me, you know, to make this like so small and practical because for a lot of us mamas, we're just at home.
Morgan:Yeah. You know, what does this look like at home? I wanna get on my phone. I don't have anything else to do, you know? And like, is there a small activity that you could do while your kids nap or better yet, when they wake up that you could invite them into?
Morgan:And something so small yesterday, you know, I bought these like little flower pots and I'm sure they're gonna die next week. I can't keep flowers. There's lot.
Carrie:Would say I cannot keep anything. Fake. Yeah. I can't do.
Morgan:Well, they're cute. They look real. Know, and I have them on my front porch, so they're alive for now. And I was tempted when my son woke up. He woke up a little earlier than I was expecting.
Morgan:I was so tempted to put, like, an episode on of Bluey or, you know, something. And I was like, you know what? I'm just gonna find even if it's the smallest experience that he and I are gonna do together right now instead of just like waiting for his brother to wake up.
Carrie:Totally.
Morgan:And so I grabbed, you know, the the the water pot. And my buddy, you wanna go water the flowers? You would have thought like we bonded. Would have thought we it just it just was a moment for us, So you precious. And so it doesn't have to be this big thing.
Morgan:But social media is an experience blocker. So anytime you can choose a real life as small as it is, a real life experience, your soul, your mental health, your time with the Lord, your time with your kids is going to bear more fruit. So that's what I would say. But social media, again, it is a matter of wisdom. It's it's not a strategy.
Morgan:Mhmm. We should have rhythms. We should have different things around our day to make sure that we're not just giving ourselves over to this. So in that sense, their strategy, but ultimately with how we interact with social media and what we share online, I really believe it's a matter of wisdom. And how do we get wisdom, Carrie?
Morgan:We know this. We go to Jesus. Like, we accept the invitation that he gives Martha and Mary in Luke 10 of just like, Mary's chosen the one thing, which is sitting at the feet of Jesus and it's not gonna be taken away from her. And that's where true wisdom comes from. So that's my prayer for all our mama friends out Heart of wisdom.
Carrie:So it's so good, Morgan. Yes. I just thought that whole chapter just was was so it just resonated with me so deeply that I wanted to screenshot and send it to every friend. Like, I know we all feel some of this, especially as moms on the day to day, and it can just rob us. And and I just love what you're saying.
Carrie:It made me think since we moved here, we're in Tennessee and we've loved our time in LA, like so grateful for it. But we're in a neighborhood now. It's very different. We've noticed, like Conor and I've been noticing, that parents are incredibly present here in this way that's just really refreshing. Now it's springtime and like, you know, everyone wants to be out.
Carrie:So maybe it's like we're romanticizing it. But it's really sweet to see all of our neighbors. Like, when their workday's over, I don't see phones. I just see they're at the park with their kids. They're walking down the street.
Carrie:They're playing basketball. They're playing hockey in the cul de sac. And it's so precious. And it's really struck me that, oh, you know, we were we were living in a building, in a city. It's just different.
Carrie:And parents are doing the best they can in every environment they are. But the environment also matters. And gosh, just to an intentionality matters. And being here, I'm just seeing people that are very intentional. It's clear.
Carrie:It's like, you're not gonna accidentally have a really present childhood for your kids Mhmm. I don't think in this generation. And so just to see the intentionality has been has been inspiring here. So when you touch on those those small moments, it just makes me think of of what we've been seeing and how much it's already impacted our parenthood. And, like, you know, the couple weeks of being here, I'm like, oh my gosh.
Carrie:Like, let's go on another walk. Let's go on the fourth walk today. Let's just do
Morgan:So good. Because it's beautiful and it's, you
Carrie:know, seeing flowers and it's it's so great.
Morgan:But yeah. Thanks for sharing that. I feel that too. It's so sweet living here. And again, like, to use the cheesy phrase, it's like these what you're seeing as you walk out of your house and people on walks and all of that.
Morgan:It's just people, like, being people of Jomo. Mhmm. There's a joy. We're doing our thing. And missing out on whatever that is on our phones and not seeking the validation from there, but, like, seeking it in the fact that like our greatest call, our greatest like responsibility right now is our families.
Morgan:It is our kids. It's our spouses. And and when we put the phone away, we give ourselves back over to what we're created for, which is experience with God and experience with our people. We were not ever created to be so accessible and to share all the little things. And and trust me, like, I was at my favorite coffee shop this morning and I really wanna share my coffee.
Morgan:You know, it's it's there's there's the temptation there and it's not always bad. But again, it is one of those like like ultimately, like, think I go back to that story of Mary. Like, Mary was so content being seen by God. Mhmm. She was so content sitting in the presence of her savior and being delighted in and delighting in him.
Morgan:That was enough for her. But we are told that unless we have a presence in so many different places that it's just not enough for us. And we are literally created with two legs, two arms, two eyes, two hands, you know, and and it's to show us like we are not infinite. We are finite creatures and we can only be so many places before we implode. And I know for me, my most anxious moments with my kids is actually when I'm being given over to the phone and then they require something of me, but my capacity is gone because I'm right here.
Morgan:I'm in a different place. And that's when I snap at my kids. And so something else really practical that I don't feel like a lot of people talk about is like, even if your kids are napping, I know that sometimes our phone can be an outlet and we just give ourselves a few minutes. And again, within boundaries, I think it's okay. But I think that we think we can just turn it off and turn it on.
Morgan:Like, okay. Well, my kids are I'm not with my kids, so I can do whatever I want. Mhmm. And then when I'm with my kids, I'll put my phone away. But I've tried that and it actually creates like, by the time my kids wake up, I feel like I have nothing to give them.
Morgan:And that is a that's a hard Mhmm. I'm like, oh, we're going into, like the second shift of the day and I'm Yeah. Already on And if we're honest with ourselves, why are we on e? Are we genuinely feeding our souls when we have the moment to do so? It's not always like bible open.
Morgan:I hope it is. But it's it's not it's not always that, but it's it's time spent out in the world, whether that's on our porch Mhmm. Or watering our flowers or in the word and journaling and doing things that are gonna feed our soul actually will spill over into once our babies are waking up or we're picking them up from school.
Carrie:It's so true. I I have like, the way that work's been going right now, I'm kinda like, okay, like, each nap time, I'll try to, like, designate, you know, one nap to work and then one nap to a workout, whatever it is. Yeah. And, yesterday, I just wasn't feeling great. I was like, I'm not working out today.
Carrie:And so it was nap time. I was like, okay, I what am I gonna do right now? And I like found myself holding my phone. I was like, honestly, I'm just gonna go. We have this little chair out and like with a tree, just under a tree in our backyard.
Carrie:I was like, I'm just gonna go out there and not take the phone. My husband was home, so, you know, baby was safe. Yeah. But I didn't abandon the house.
Morgan:But It'll be fine. Yeah.
Carrie:You know, whatever. It depends how far your monitor reaches. We're good. But I I just sat out in the chair. I didn't think much of it.
Carrie:Just like had a little journaling time, a little prayer, kind of just sat in silence, honestly, which was doesn't happen all the time. I'm like no, monk over here. But I I came back inside so refreshed and he was awake. And and Connor came out, he was like, he's up. And I was like, okay.
Carrie:And it, shot up with this energy. Wow. I was like, let's go. And it just it hit me. Oh, that's so different.
Carrie:The level of which I'm going to have the rest of the day with him. We're we're about to spend the second half the day together. And wow. I feel different. Like, body feels different.
Carrie:Mind feels different. Connection to the Lord feels so sharp. So, yeah, that's like so practical. As your
Morgan:little guys like,
Carrie:I was just gonna say, crying in background. It's so good. Hi, baby. Sweet. Okay.
Carrie:So the last question that I wanna ask you is what would be I mean, you're pregnant with your third. You're about to be a new mom again to three. What would be your best piece of advice for a new mom? Wow.
Morgan:Wow. There's not that I like have so much wisdom, but I'm I'm just like, where do I start? Oh my goodness. Okay. I don't know if this is my best piece.
Morgan:This is what I feel like the Lord is putting on my heart is you were not created to do it alone and you don't have to do it alone. God gives us and and maybe effort for for your listeners, Carrie, there's so many different circumstances. Maybe someone's listening and they have so much family in town. Or maybe someone is a single mama about to have a baby or some maybe somebody, you know, doesn't have any family near, but they have friend groups. I believe that God delights in surrounding moms with people.
Morgan:Whether that's chosen family, real family, church family, whatever it is. And I think by nature, like, because it's so important to the heart of God that we don't go about our motherhood journey alone, the enemy is right there. And he would love for us to feel isolated. He would love for us to feel misunderstood. He would love for us to feel shame that what we're walking through that other people can't relate to.
Morgan:Mhmm. And to keep us quiet. What he did in Genesis three is what he is still doing today. If I can get them to doubt the goodness of God and God's design, then I can get them isolated and alone and hidden, and away from God and his people. And so with that, my encouragement would be just trust that you don't have to do it alone.
Morgan:God is so kind to give us people. I always say this too, especially with motherhood, it's it's vulnerable. I always say like not everyone needs to know everything about our story, but everyone needs somebody who knows everything about our story. And so for anyone listening, like, who could that be for you? Hopefully, you know, maybe it's your spouse.
Morgan:But even with that, God gives us a spouse or and and if He hasn't, He gives you close friends or family, gives you people that you can be known by. And so don't wait until you feel like you're in a pit to reach out. But even if that happens, you're in good company. You won't be the first one, but reach out to a friend and just trust that as a as a mom, you are worthy of someone's time. I think as women, we are we just fight so much to feel like we don't wanna take up anyone's time.
Morgan:We don't wanna take up any space. Right?
Carrie:But God
Morgan:created us.
Carrie:Yes. Yes.
Morgan:But we are worthy, created in the Imago Dei to be to be heard, to be seen, for someone to sit across from us and just listen to what we're walking through. So that would be my encouragement. Don't do it alone. We we weren't created to.
Carrie:Amen to that. Well, thank you so much for being on. This was so much fun. So wonderful. I love the last thing I wanna say about this book.
Carrie:I feel like this is an invitation to less and not more. And I love that about this book because so many books are amazing, but you're like, okay, I gotta take so many notes and I gotta go try all these different things and all these different tools. And I love that it's it's really stripping back and it's saying what if we just focused on Jesus and so good. Thanks for That's saying so amazing. Order it.
Carrie:It's really good. I mean it. But yeah, thank you. Thank you so much. Really blessed by this conversation.
Carrie:Thanks, Carrie. I'm grateful to have you as a friend.