FamilyChristian.com Exclusive Interview
Nicole C. Mullen: Talk About Nicole ...continued

FamilyChristian.com: The song "Homemade" relates to growing up with worldly definitions of beauty. How has your childhood influenced your decision to be a mentor?

Nicole: It has a lot. I remember growing up and there was this lady in our church named Cecilia. She was the most beautiful woman I'd ever seen. She sang and [although] she never made a CD, in my eyes she was the most famous person in the world. I knew that I wasn't very cute. She knew I wasn't cute and I had a little bit of talent but not a lot. She would take my sisters and I over to her house and do our hair or she would work with us on our singing or just give us a word of encouragement or just pay attention to us. At that point, she held the power in her hands to scar me for life had she done the negative. But instead she decided to put something good in me so I always thought that if my turn ever came and there were girls who looked up to me, I wanted to be as gentle with their hearts as she was with mine.

I was a homemade chick that got made fun of on the bus but in it all, it taught me to be better, not bitter. I definitely have more of a heart for the underdog and those who are hurting and it's taught me too that those who hurt are those who hurt. Those who have been traumatized in their lives, a lot of times they will turn around and become the same as their perpetrator.

FamilyChristian.com: How do you possibly find time to mentor people?

Nicole: Normally, we just bring them out to our house so they have to hang out with us. It's something that just happened naturally. We really didn't sit down and say, "Okay, let's have a mentoring program" or anything like that. It's kind of like God laid certain kids on our hearts. We enjoy it. We've had several of them live with us.

We just want to make sure that we are faithful in making disciples and not just making converts. We're not perfect so we don't try to say, "Hang out with us because we're perfect so you can be perfect." We know the One who is perfect. When we fall we can still say, "You know what? I need grace and I need mercy and I do have to go back to Jesus Christ and say, 'I need to start again. I've made a mistake.'" Hopefully our lifestyle can be a witness and when it's all said and done they wouldn't just see us, that they would really see Christ in us. That's our goal.

FamilyChristian.com: There was a recent article in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution about the sensualization of Christian music, especially by some of the younger artists. As a choreographer, mentor and artist, what's your take on that?

Nicole: [We] who are believers and do dance need to make sure that our dance is better and that our dance is not sensual. That's something that's very strong with me and my girls. We know almost all the latest moves but we know we have to modify certain moves because we don't [want to] draw attention to ourselves.

The Bible says be in the world but not of the world so we are a peculiar people. We are not of this world and so, in essence, we don't need to get so attached and so wrapped up in the design of the world. We have standards. We feel [that] just because you have it doesn't mean you need to flaunt it. Just because you're able to wear it doesn't mean you should wear it. Paul says the same thing, "All things are lawful for me but all things aren't permissible." All things aren't beneficial and we take that to heart.

I have a lot of little sisters that are coming up through the ranks. I love them to pieces but there are times when we need to back off of certain things and there are times we need to say, "You know what? Just because I can wear that I won't. And just because I can do that dance move physically doesn't mean I necessarily should or ought to." And there are certain things, to be honest, that I might do, even in practice and when I see one of my other girls do it I go, "Oh no, we can't do that now."

I applaud the Stacies and the Rachaels. They're doing a great job. Me and Stacie [Orrico] have talked about it. [I asked her,] "When you go out with Destiny's Child, are you lifting up the name of Jesus?" She's said, "Yeah. As a matter of fact I asked them if they're really believers." I was really proud of her to hear that.

It's hard to be out there as younger artist because you are the one that people are looking at while you're still learning and making decisions.

You're going to make some mistakes. [I'm] sorry it happens in the public eye. It's part of growing up. That's why I love being their big sister.

I tell the girls [I mentor], "I've been 12. I've been 13. I've been 14. I'm not trying to go backwards but since I'm on this side of it, let me help you." And we talk about everything. We talk about boys, we talk about parents, we talk about friendships, relationships, we talk about drugs, we talk about the three letter word. I have to make sure that I give them their respect because things that may not seem as serious to me are extremely serious to them. I have to try to put myself in their position and say, "I remember when it was me." I remember how it was when my parents were doing this or when this was said to me."

I always challenge my girls, "Be honest with God. Don't try and fake the funk. Don't try and be more spiritual than you really are. If your heart's broken, tell Him your heart's broken. If you're disappointed, let Him know. If you're jealous of somebody go and say, 'Lord, I'm jealous. I need help.' And He will help you. Admit that you can't do it on your own strength. You cannot love in your own strength and that you need His strength and His power in order to do so. And I guarantee He'll give it to you. Sometimes you've got to wait and it'll take a little time but I guarantee if you call out on Him, He will come to your rescue."

FamilyChristian.com: You have a new album coming out called Talk About It. What can we look forward to talking about?

Nicole: I think the first album was a lot more autobiographical and this one is about the everyday person. It's everybody's story. It's everybody's pain. It's everybody's joy and it's celebrated together.

We can look forward to talking about the relationship issue. There's a song called "The Ring." It says, "Do you want to step to me?/You'd better know one thing/This love I've got you'll never get without a wedding ring." That's my girls' sassy song. And it's just about the [idea that] the love I have is not free and it comes with a price and the price is a commitment for a lifetime. It's my self-esteem song for my girls. And then we have a song called "When I Call On Jesus" which is probably more in the "Redeemer" fashion. We have another one called "Come Unto Me," which is probably in that fashion too. Then we have a song called "Can I Get A Witness" which is kind of Kirk Franklin meets Nicole C. Mullen. [It's] about the single mom who's raising kids and who still believes that God can work a miracle and the guy who's been told all his life that he needs to forget his fancy dreams because he's not rich and he's not smart. But he's been talking to the one who's King of everything so he gets confidence that he will receive.

[The] song "Talk About It" says, "Let the redeemed of the Lord say so. Talk about it." It's a call out to those who proclaim faith in Jesus Christ. And it says, "If you say that you believe, then let's talk about it. Let's get the word out. Let's not be ashamed."

I don't want to tip-toe through life. I'm not out to try and offend people but in the same right, I do want to share the gospel of Jesus Christ and I want to be forthright. I don't want it to ever be said that we didn't know where Nicole Mullen stood. I believe in Jesus and that's one thing I will never apologize for. I'm willing to lay my life down for it. In the same right, I challenge those who know me and those who listen to me to take up the same stance. We serve an awesome God, a big God, a God that's worth talking about, a God that's worth singing about, a God that's worth exhausting all your energy in the dance and whatever it is that you do. He's worthy of it. So to talk about it is a small thing. It's the least of what we can do. I want to spend my life doing it and I enjoy doing it.

FamilyChristian.com: What's God teaching you now?

Talk About It by Nicole C. Mullen

Nicole: Just how to rest. I'm finding out that rest is not the same as sleep, either. Just finding rest in the midst of it all. I know the new album has a couple of songs on it about that. There's a lot of me just trying to find that place where I can continually be fed and renewed. I love giving out. I love people. That's my passion. That's what keeps me going. But in the same right I have to make sure that I continually replenish myself and in the midst of me running from state to state and from city to city, that I find rest and not just sleep. That I find a place where I can always commune with the Lord and just sit and look at a wall and do nothing sometimes. As mundane as it is, it's been life changing for me and my personality. I thank God for it.

And there are simple lessons. Just learning to trust Him. Learning to stay out of the way. Learning to make sure that I keep my head down and not ever believe the hype and that it's the Lord's doing. I thank God for awards, I thank Him for acknowledgement but when it's all said and done, the one award that I really want is to hear Him say, "Well done, good and faithful servant." That's what I really want more than anything else. If He doesn't say that then everything else on earth is moot. It means nothing. I can't impress God with a Dove Award or a Grammy or anything else. At the end of the day I want to hear Him say, "You've run the race well. Well done."

Jen Abbas, a writer in Grand Rapids, Mich., originally conducted this interview for Family Christian Stores' All Access music catalog.

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