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Melissa Mulvaney

Finding Meaning, Joy & Purpose in the Chaos & Crazy of Life...and Helping You Find Yours Too!

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Hey There!

Is your life full of chaos and crazy?
Yeah, mine used to be the same way too. When I realized that my control issues and perfectionism were causing most of the chaos and crazy, I decided to start focusing on the meaning, joy and purpose of life, and now my life is all the better for it!
I’d love to tell you about my journey and help you find your meaning, joy and purpose too.

Pull up a seat, let’s chat!

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Dannah Gresh's Habakkuk

Habakkuk study by Dannah Gresh- A Review

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A Pep Talk for Moms…You’re Worth A Good Hair Day!

What I Learned this Winter

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melissa.mulvaney

Helping you find the Meaning, Joy & Purpose in the craziness of life & glorify God while doing it!
💗Wife
🏈Mom
🌟Joy finder
👗Cancer Survivor
✝️Believer

Praising God I can pose for a ‘STILL cancer free

Praising God I can pose for a ‘STILL cancer free’ selfie in the bathroom of the hospital that saved my life.

32 months and counting!!!!

God has been so good to rescue me from ovarian cancer and the anxiety, depression and PTSD I got as a result of my diagnosis, surgery and recovery. I don’t deserve what’s He’s done in my life, but as long as I’m here on earth, I’ll keep giving all the glory to Him!!

And take a selfie to celebrate when the lighting is this good in a hospital bathroom!! 🤣

What I’ve been reading... 📖 Share your Stuff

What I’ve been reading...

📖 Share your Stuff. I’ll Go First by @laura.tremaine 💗💗💗💗💗

📖 The Next Right Thing Guided Journal by @emilypfreeman ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

📖 The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry by @johnmarkcomer 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
This book is a MUST read!!!!

📖 Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat by @ciaosamin 🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰

This year my taste in books has changed. I’m reading cookbooks like precious literature that delights my mind and senses. I’m finally learning how to cook and bake well, and I’m enjoying the heck out of it!!! Now that I’m not in a rush to get dinner on the table, I am enjoying taking my time, listening to jazz music and creating a meal. It has been joy to my soul!

So many people I follow were raving about Share Your Stuff. I’ll Go First., I knew I had to check it out. Reading Laura’s life stories was entertaining, but then considering my life within each theme she wrote about was eye opening to me. I am going to take more time to contemplate my stories in light of hers, and I look forward to what God will reveal to me in that work.

And of course, the Queen of Reflection, Emily P, as I call her, is always on my mind, in my ear buds, or in my hand. This reflection journal is bringing me joy and new life in my heart as I focus and pay attention to the moments that matter in my life.

And the Ruthless Elimination of Hurry?? It should be required reading for every human. Period.

What are you reading right now? Audio books totally count too!!!

Whatever it is that feels too heavy for you to car

Whatever it is that feels too heavy for you to carry today...Jesus has overcome it.

This is a reminder that I needed this morning myself. I woke to news that sent my heart in a tailspin of emotion, and I needed God to speak into this trigger of trauma to help me have His perspective instead of my own.

When I was battling depression, anxiety and PTSD after my cancer diagnosis, knowing that there is nothing that Jesus has not overcome through His life, death and resurrection was the only thing, some days, that helped me make it to the next moment.

It was my faith and hope in Jesus that sustained me.

Thankfully, Jesus helped me overcome those crippling issues through His faithfulness, counseling and medication.

It wasn’t easy, but I never could have healed had it not been for the truth that Jesus has overcome the world.

Whatever it is that you bear today, know Jesus has overcome it. And that doesn’t necessarily mean your journey will be easy, but you don’t walk it alone, and it’s not hopeless.

Reach out to someone who can help support you. I’d be honored to lift you in prayer. Leave a comment or send me a DM so I can carry your burden with you to the Lord.

He is faithful, He has overcome, and with your faith in Him, you will too.

This might not be a traditional St Patrick’s Day

This might not be a traditional St Patrick’s Day shirt, and I may not believe in luck, but this is one of my favorite shirts.

That might sound crazy...but the reason I love this shirt is because on of my most favorite humans made it for me....my middle son.

Last year, back ‘in the olden days’ when kids went to school in person every day all day, he made this for me in his graphic design class.

His teacher told them they could practice making shirts with leftover t-shirts and decals he had.

My son chose to make this shirt for me because he knew I’d like the font. He knew I don’t believe luck is a thing, but because he knows me and things I like, he decided to make this for me anyway.

How my sweet boy paid attention and knew I like scripty fonts reminds me how God pays attention to the details of our likes and dislikes. In fact, He designed them for us!

Friend, God cares about you. Cares about the details of your life. Cares about what makes you smile. Cares about what makes tears spring to your eyes.

Today as the world talks about luck, I hope you can pay attention to blessings instead. I pray that God will show you the small blessings in your life and how much He loves you in and through them.

Today, let’s focus on the blessings all around us, and give God the glory for them, not ‘luck’.

If you think God doesn’t care about the details

If you think God doesn’t care about the details of your life, I’m sorry to tell you, but you’re wrong.

We have a God who grows flowers inside of flowers.

He didn’t have to, He wanted to.

I can’t think of a better way for God to show us that He cares about details more than this. Flowers inside of flowers.

You may be feeling overwhelmed because you’re doing all the things for everyone else, and you can’t find the time or energy to take care of yourself well too.

I know you feel like God doesn’t notice, or perhaps that He doesn’t care. But that’s not true.

The same God who designed flowers inside of flowers designed you. And loves you. And notices you. Sees you. Cares about you. Cares about what you care about.

Friend, even when you are questioning the meaning and purpose of what you’re going through, maybe even your life, know that God wants to show it to you.

The same God who makes tiny flowers grow inside of another flower has created more meaning and purpose for your life than you can imagine.

And He wants to add joy to your life too.

You might be so busy right now that you feel like you don’t have the energy to try to find joy today. Or tomorrow. Or the next day.

But we have a God who promises that when we seek, we will find. When we ask, it will be given to us.

Ask God today to show you moments of joy. Moments of meaning. Moments of purpose.

They’re there. I promise! And even when it feels like we can’t go looking for them, God will show them to us if we ask and then keep our eyes open.

That, my friend is how much He loves you.

As you go through your day, know I’m holding you in prayer, asking God to show you glimmers of joy in your day.

I’d love to hear what He shows you! Encourage others by sharing them in the comments when you see the joy that God has created for you today!

#itssimplytuesday #joyinthesmallthings #iwentlookingforbeauty #happyspring #greenfieldvillage

When I used to teach preschool, every morning I wo

When I used to teach preschool, every morning I would start the day by singing this song with my class.

Little did I know, all those years ago, that God was planting the seed in my heart to shine for Him.

This year God showed me that He again wants my word of the year to be ‘shine’, but He also made it clear that ‘light’ is also supposed to be my word for the year.

As much as I asked him for a new word, since ‘shine’ was my word in 2018 and He used it in a very different way that I anticipated, He kept pointing me to it.

So this morning, as it’s darker out than it’s been in a long while, because of the time change yesterday, it was no surprise to me that this song was a part of a devotional I read.

I may not have wanted to rise this morning from my cozy bed, but I did, and now I’m spending time with Him so I can shine and give Him the glory, glory as I go through my day.

I encourage you to keep your eyes focused on how you can shine today and bring God the glory, glory too.

I’d love to hear how He shows you to shine! Leave a comment, or if you’d rather, send me a DM so we can give God the glory together!

I’ve been trying to look up more. Look up from

I’ve been trying to look up more.

Look up from distractions, from what the world tells me is important, from hurts feelings, from worries, from feeling not enough.

I was off to a good start a few weeks ago, but this week it’s all kind of imploded on me.

I’m fine, but I am struggling.

You might be too.

And if you’re having a difficult time keeping your eyes lifted up from all that tries to weigh you down, know you’re not alone.

God sees. He knows. He adores you. There is nothing you could do to make Him love you more, or less.

Friend, we may have different problems, but I know who can take them from our overwhelmed minds and give us peace.

His name is Jesus.

If you know Him, talk to Him. Turn your eyes, your heart, your thoughts toward Him.

If you don’t know my friend Jesus, I’d love to introduce you. Send me a DM so we can chat about him.

“I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come?” —Psalm 121:1

356 days later...he’s back for 2 mornings a week

356 days later...he’s back for 2 mornings a week. What a year it’s been!

God has been showing me that I am spending way too

God has been showing me that I am spending way too much of my time and attention on social media.

I have tried to memorize Philippians 4:8 for years. Yup, years. But in my way too busy, multitasking, ‘too many tabs open’ brain, I often neglect studying this long enough to actually memorize it for lesser things....like social media.

But instead of simply convicting me of that, as God always lovingly does, He used His Word to bring me hope.

God also has brought a sister along who is living out her purpose by pointing others toward Christ by fasting. Not only has @wendy_speake written about fasting from sugar, she recently released the 40 Day Social Media Fast book and is leading it through Lent. I am thrilled to be joining her on this journey!

This is, and will be uncomfortable as I change some really bad habits, but I am looking forward to turning to God instead of my phone.

Looking to God when I’m stressed. When I’m overwhelmed. When I’m lonely. When I’m bored. When I’m sad. When I miss my boys. When I miss ‘the old days’ before these pandemical times. When I want a distraction.

The thing about our God...He’s always there. He’s waiting for us to turn to Him. Not in an impatient or judgemental way, but in a loving way. In an expectant way of wanting to be with us. Hang out with us. Listen to us. Talk with us. Love on us.

Maybe you too have gotten a little too distracted these days. It’s been pretty easy to do living through a pandemic and a very different kind of life these last 11 1/2 months. It’s ok if you’ve picked up some bad habits. Almost all of us have!

But God doesn’t want you to stay in them. Turn to Him, and He will give you all you need.

And that might mean putting down for your phone for awhile. But I promise you that God will honor that choice, and you will know Him in a new and fresh way that you could never have experienced with your head down looking at your phone.

Look up. He is there. He loves you and desires to spend time with you.

Will you join Him?

(and yes...I plan on being away from IG for the most part for the next 40 days. I’m always available via DM though. I’ll see you in April!)

Happy Valentine’s Day to my forever valentine. H

Happy Valentine’s Day to my forever valentine. He’s embraced my crazy so well over the last 24 years together, so even though he probably didn’t want to hop out of the car to take a selfie yesterday with all the crazy ice fishing shanties in the background, he did it anyway.
I’m thankful for the way he loves me, through good times and bad, calm moments and the crazy ones I often bring to our lives.
You make me a better version of myself.

I’d love to know....
What does your valentine embrace about you?

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