Interview with a Rock Princess on True Love: Lacey Sturm (Formally of Flyleaf)
Lacey Sturm…you probably know who she is but just in case you don’t, she co-founded the rock band, Flyleaf, and was their lead singer for 10 years until going solo. Now she has debuted her solo project, Life Screams.
But I’m really here to tell you about her deep and personal memoir that was just released this month, The Mystery: Finding True Love in a World of Broken Lovers. I got the privilege of reading her book and interviewing her about it. She was a sweetheart during our interview and really poured out her heart.
She has had her struggles and she is not afraid to talk about them! She wants others to learn from her experiences and she wants to help people! I haven’t met too many rock princesses but I doubt many of them would be willing to be so vulnerable and share such personal experiences in order to help others.
In her book, Lacey talks about orphan identity. Lacey grew up fatherless, and so her perspective of who and what a father is, was based on her not having a father and also observing other fathers who had neglected, abused, or abandoned their daughters. In her book, Lacey wrote: “My orphan heart thought to be loved by someone was for them to save me. I didn’t understand that the only person who can save me is God. My orphan heart thought love was to complete someone else and to be completed by them. I didn’t understand that when two people who aren’t whole try to complete each other they both end up with less than when they started. I didn’t understand that the only one who can make a person whole is God.”
Lacey talked more about this orphan identity in our interview (by the way, I’ve been cut out of the video feed because…if we are being real here…we all just really want to see Lacey, don’t we!?!):
As Lacey says, with an orphan mindset, you feel like a burden on others. You don’t want to burden anyone with your problems so you don’t reach out for help or accept help when it’s offered. We (people in general) have an innate need for community with other people. Our society teaches us to be independent and to make it on our own, but in truth, we need each other. We need someone in our corner…friends or family to be “our people.” We need them to support us, to encourage us when we are down, to celebrate with us when things are good, to listen when we need to talk, to give us wisdom when we don’t see clearly. So, don’t be afraid to make deep connections with people. Don’t be afraid to reach out for help when you are struggling because you aren’t meant to carry your burdens alone.
Lacey Sturm is a supporter of TheHopeLine!!
Lacey talked about being purposeful with your heart, emotions, and displays of love in her book and in our interview. She points out that if you aren’t purposeful then you risk falling in and out of love, over and over, according to your circumstances, whims, and ignorance. She explains how to be purposeful with your heart:
Lacey says, “There are boundaries for knowing when it’s safe to let your emotions lead you and when it’s time for you to lead them.”
Two of the boundaries she set up for herself to be purposeful with her heart was:
1. Have people in her life who loved her and have people she would listen to no matter what, especially when it came to wisdom regarding relationships.
2. And she wrote down a vision of what she wanted in a husband.
Then she took her vision to God and asked Him to help her so that she would listen when God said, “Not yet,” or "No,” and that way she would know the relationship was safe and she wasn’t just manipulating the situation or tricking herself into thinking it’s good, like she’s done in the past and then been hurt by it.
The one thing Lacey wants someone to take away from reading her book is:
“God is the true love that we are always searching for. And everything that we find that makes our hearts come to life is actually a reflection of who He is. This world is just a shadow of His love for us and so when we get infatuated with some part of His creation, we have to recognize that there is an artist behind it. And when we put all of our stock in a person or anything—a talent, a gift, a calling, something in nature, something beautiful, art—then all of a sudden we’ve stopped short of what we’re going after and that thing will always let us down, if we make it out to be God before we get to God himself. He is the only one who can be God for us.”
In her book, she shares raw, honest, and personal stories that will give you insight into not only her life but your own as well. She also has these letters dispersed throughout the book called, Hero Notes. She has people; such as, Evan Tachoir, Brian Welch, Stephana Mosely, Joshua Sturm, Korey Cooper, and many more. They each write a letter to ‘the reader’ with words of encouragement and wisdom they have learned through their experiences. There is some really good stuff in there!
Connect with Lacey Sturm:
https://www.laceysturm.com/
https://twitter.com/LaceySturm
https://www.instagram.com/officiallaceysturm/
https://www.youtube.com/user/LaceySturm81
I would love to receive her book. I have been a big fan of Lacey since middle school, and shes been a beautiful inspiration for many people all over the world. I know how it feels to be put into these situations of pain and hurt and betrayal. What's so hard of going through it is forgiving the one who hurt you. And as it stands I pray to forgive those people for what they have done. But i will never forget the residue left behind by their actions. Relationships of any kind can be seen this way. And being able to know when something is not okay or if something roght or wrong. Such as timing and so on and so forth I believe comes to everyone and when those times come for answers to situations, they will know it and they will feel it. And I believe this book will also possibly to some feel like a sign or answer to themselves and if so they should take the chance.
I wasn't saved until last year, my first year of college. It was so hard but I met a Chrisitian fellowship group and it saved my life. God saved my life. I found out what true love was by being in the church life. This year, I've had to stay home away from where I went to school and away from the church life. My family believes in God but they don't pursure Him. That's been really hard on me. Being away from the body and being here alone at home while going through struggles here at home. I read The Reason from Lacey and I felt like Lacey and I were sitting down fellowshipping together. I know I always have G
od but Laceys book helped me feel less alone in my walk with Christ.
Personally I would like to thank Lacey for her first book that taught my mother and I immensely about different experiences/relationships people have with Jesus. Her first book gave us comfort in difficult times and reminded us that others had gone and lived through similar tragedies. I'm excited about reading her second book especially since it is mainly about love and that is an area both my mother and I have struggled with all our lives. I hope we can find comfort in this book as well, and learn a few things too. Regardless of whether or not we can win The Mystery, I hope eventually we can afford to buy it one day because money is tight so it's hard to afford the new little luxuries like books and stuff which is why I chose to try to win her second book in a contest for the both of us. I know this is a book we must read. I'm excited to finally get the chance to possibly read it! I've been looking forward to it since it came out. Thanks for the contest, been waiting for this!
I think me and Lacey share a lot in common. I remember in her first book, which I borrowed from a friend because I couldn't get the book she noted in the beginning that her biological father was Native American. As a native young woman I shared this commonality with her and felt like she was like me. I love listening to bands like she does and I struggled with my orientation growing up also. However, I discovered God and share a similar testimony to hers. She is an inspiration of the strong woman of God that I would like to be soon. I still struggle and it's mostly been loneliness but I continually trust and serve Him as best as I can. I would love to meet her someday and I hope I recieve this next book of hers to learn more 🙂
Lacey has helped me through so much in life. Her music brings me back to some of the best memories in my life that help me realize just how beautiful life is, to show me how strong I am and that no matter how bad I think things can get there is always light at the end of the tunnel.