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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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The Finding Joy in the Middle podcast is coming soon!

Launching January 13, 2022!

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Hi Friend!

I'm so excited that you've found my little corner of the interwebs! I hope you will find encouragement, hope and joy here. My strongest desire is for us to find our meaning, joy and purpose together. I don't know about you, but mine is wrapped up in a bunch of chaos and crazy (a lot of my own making!) and most days, I wouldn't have it any other way! Read More…

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What I Learned this Winter

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If I could write a blog post just for you…what w

If I could write a blog post just for you…what would it be about?
How could I use my words to encourage you?

No idea is too small, too big, or too crazy.

Let me hear what you need!

How have you practiced thanksgiving today?

How have you practiced thanksgiving today?

On a scale of 1 to 🍂🍁🎃….how excited are

On a scale of 1 to 🍂🍁🎃….how excited are you that autumn is officially here??

Drop your favorite fall emoji below!

Happy World Gratitude Day! Did you know that was

Happy World Gratitude Day!
Did you know that was a thing?

Well now you do, and this week’s MidWeek Pep Talk is a reminder to take a moment to look around and pay attention to the things in your life you are grateful for.

Drop a comment below to tell us what you are thankful for today!

I’ll go first….I’m thankful for friends who loves Jesus.

#midweekpeptalk #findingjoyinthemiddle #worldgratitudeday #worldgratitudeday2023 #whatareyouthankfulfor #whatareyouthankfulfortoday #gratitudematters #gratitudeismyattitude #countyourblessings

Happy World Gratitude Day! Can you name one thing

Happy World Gratitude Day!

Can you name one thing you’re thankful for today?

I’ll go first….
Cool fall mornings

#worldgratitudeday #worldgratitudeday2023 #findingjoyinthemiddle #thankfulness #bethankfuleveryday #gratitudeisimportant

Two things can be true about you as a (good) mom.

Two things can be true about you as a (good) mom.

Those kids….you are so happy they’re back in school.
And when they are…you miss them like crazy.

Those two truths don’t mean you’re a bad mom: they mean you’re human.

And you’re a good mom.

You know how I know? Bad moms don’t worry about if they’re a good mom or not.

Hang in there Mama! You are doing a GREAT job!!!

#twothingscanbetrue #findingjoyinthemiddle #hangintheremama #goodmomsclub #youreagoodmom

I don’t know how hard you’ve fought to get whe

I don’t know how hard you’ve fought to get where you are…but I can tell about my battle.

This smile? It’s real. The joy on my face? Real.

But 5 years ago, I have lots of pictures of me smiling…but those smiles weren’t real.

I was slowly dying on the inside. I was bound in a spiral of anxious thoughts, worthlessness, darkness, fear, depression and trauma.

I never could’ve believed that the woman I was in 2018 could be the woman I am in 2023. 2018 me wouldn’t have ever imagined I could feel joy again.

And that, my friend, is all because of Jesus.

He loved me back to life. He listened to my fears, my doubts, my lifeless groans and stayed by my side.

He was my constant in a world that felt like I couldn’t find my footing; He was my rock. My level ground.

I had so many friends and family members that cared for me, loved me, and patiently waited for my smile to return. For me to shine again. So many prayers were lifted for me.

And I will forever be grateful for them.

And I will always know that I wouldn’t be here, wouldn’t be smiling, not just with my face, but in my heart, without the faithfulness of the Lord in the darkest time of my life.

Healing is possible friend. Joy can come in the morning. Hope is right around the corner.

Weeping may tarry for the night, but joy comes with the morning.
Psalm 30:5

If you are struggling, reach out for help. Ask a friend. A loved one. A pastor. Ask me.

Don’t suffer alone. And if you are in the night and think you will never stop weeping, I promise you joy will come in the morning.

The God who healed me can heal you too.

Don’t struggle alone friend.

📸: @photographybytrae

#psalm30 #psalm305 #sunflower #sunflowerfield #smilingismyfavorite #findingjoyinthemiddle #ptsdrecovery #ovarcomer #ovariancancersurvivor #ovariancancerawarenessmonth #myovariestriedtokillme #joycomesinthemorning #annarborphotographer #ypsiphotographer

I didn’t want to share this…..but for years I

I didn’t want to share this…..but for years I was accidentally practicing toxic positivity.

Growing up, we didn’t talk about our emotions. I got good at stuffing them down, ignoring them and marching on.

Every once and awhile an emotion would bubble up…and I’d push it back down as fast as I could.

But the last few years, as I navigated my cancer diagnosis, depression, anxiety and PTSD, I knew something had to change.

I had to feel my feelings. Whether I wanted to or not.

And as I began to allow myself to feel them, God also allowed me to begin to get more comfortable with other people’s emotions.

I began to be able to sit with hurting friends and acknowledge how they were hurting.
Not making a joke to lighten the mood…and me feeling uncomfortable. Not telling them positive platitudes that didn’t acknowledge what they were going through. Help them feel seen, heard, loved.

And as I learned to weep with those who wept, I also felt more free to rejoice with those who rejoiced.

I have a long way to go to heal this part of my heart, but what I’m most thankful for is how I can be more supportive to my people when they are going through hard seasons.

Healing is always possible. Change is possible.

It’s not always easy, and it’s never as fast as you’d like…but when you allow God to heal the broken places in your heart, healing is possible.

How have you experienced God healing your broken places?

#healingjourney #romans1215 #romans12 #rejoicewiththosewhorejoice #weepwiththosewhoweep #findingjoyinthemiddle #findingjoyinthejourney #toxicpositivity #toxicpositivityhelpsnoone #beagoodfriend

🚪This is my front door.🚪 🚪For the last 1

🚪This is my front door.🚪

🚪For the last 11 years, it’s had one, two, or three boys posing for that first day of school picture right in front of it.
🚪Before this door, the front door at our rental house had 2 years of Back to School pictures.
🚪And before that, my beloved house in Pennsylvania had 4 years of Back to School pictures in front of it’s door.

🚪19 years of pictures of my boys posing in front of the front door. Hand on the knob, ready to embark on a new school year.

Today is a bittersweet day. After all those years, I don’t have a boy to pose in front of the door the day after Labor Day.

Am I thankful my boys have grown up? Yes! Thankful they are amazing young men? Absolutely!!

But that doesn’t mean I don’t miss the days of them being little. In fact, I miss it almost every day.

I can embrace the joy in this season of life, while also embracing the sadness of missing those precious years gone by.

Today, I’m choosing to feel it all. And thanking God for what was, what is, and what will be.

Today, whatever you are in the middle of, know that it’s ok to have differing emotions. Believe it’s ok to miss what was. Be hopeful for what is to come.

God has brought you this far, and He will be with you in the future too.

Motherhood is so full of loving and letting go.

It’s ok if you focus on the hard of letting go. Just don’t stay stuck there.

🚪If today is hard, if today is exciting, if today is bittersweet, know that I am praying for you.

So…you’ve heard about my day and my door….what’s your day been like? I’d love to hear in the comments what you’ve been feeling today!

I have an empowering MidWeek Pep Talk for you toda

I have an empowering MidWeek Pep Talk for you today…brought to you by the new level of parenting I unlocked today!

I know it’s easier and often faster to do things yourself. Teaching your kids how to properly do tasks can take so. dang. long.

But the time you invest now will pay dividends as your kids become responsible and empowered to do things for themselves.

Listen in to hear more!

Let me hear in the comments what you’re going to let your kids do for themselves!

#midweekpeptalk #findingjoyinthemiddle #teachyourkids #newlevelunlocked #parentinghacks #parentingtips #parentingpeptalk

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