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Hi! I'm Melissa.

I help people to become grounded in their spiritual beliefs and practices, grow their self-awareness, and overcome difficult and uncomfortable situations and experiences.

fiLLLed: more Light, more Life, more Love. Spiritual and emotional resources for a fiLLLed life. Plus a pretty cool and chill picture of Melissa.
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Soundtrack of Faith: when music wriggles into our souls

"We sang this on Sunday," I whispered to my husband as the pianist began playing hymns before the service. "Ohhhh, this one was in our wedding." "Ugh. What is this? I know all the words but can't think of the name." "Oh, S. plays this a lot, it was her mom's favorite." "I remember how L. would get a tear in her eye whenever we would sing this one, it was her dad's favorite." "Oh! D. likes this one, they always sing it at the end of the service they go to in Florida." Though I gave my husband...

fiLLLed: more Light, more Life, more Love. Spiritual and emotional resources for a fiLLLed life. And a cool pic of Melissa.

"Are you kidding me?" I asked."Nope," he said, "but at least I don't have to run the 2-mile!" My son had just told me his lineup for the track season: the 1600, 800, 4x800, and 4x400. I was exhausted just hearing it. We live in a small town with a small school, so track competitors have to max out their events—but this seemed extreme. Well, to me at least. My son, though, was fine with it. He knew that running this slate of races meant sacrificing his best times in any one event, but it would...

fiLLLed: more Light, more Life, more Love. Spiritual and emotional resources for a fiLLLed life. Plus a pic of Melissa

We’re looking into updating our bathroom, so naturally, I’ve spent a lot of time scrolling through fixtures, paint colors, and all the little details that make a space feel just right. But this morning, I stumbled upon something I never knew I needed—a chicken toilet. Yes, you read that right. A majestic, feathered, clucking masterpiece of a toilet. And now I can’t stop thinking—how amazing would it be to start each morning with this glorious creation staring back at me? Wouldn't it be...

fiLLLed: more Light, more Life, more Love. Spiritual and emotional resources for a fiLLLed life. And a picture of Melissa

Basketball is a looooong season. The schedule feels relentless, and exhaustion sets in. But something cool happened at their last game. Even though they lost, they had the most fun they’ve had all season. And because they were having fun, they played their best game yet. It made me wonder—how often do we miss out on joy because we’re too focused on getting it right? We do this in so many areas of life. We chase after goals, believing that success, recognition, or achievement will bring...

fiLLLed: more Light, more Life, more Love. Spiritual and emotional resources for the fiLLLed life. And a cute pic of Melissa

It has been ridiculously cold this week. The kind of cold that sneaks in through the cracks, that makes you rethink every trip outside, and makes you grateful for every bit of warmth you can find. And I am grateful. Grateful for a furnace that keeps working, for the many blankets that pile onto my bed, for hot coffee warming my hands in the morning. Grateful that I don’t have to wonder if I can get a coat or if I’ll have shelter from the wind. Not everyone has that luxury. This kind of cold...

fiLLLed: more Light, more Life, more Love. Spiritual and emotional resources for the fiLLLed life. And a really cool pic of Melissa.

Last week was a heavy one for us. Sometimes grief jumps in without warning and yanks us out of our joy and into a heavy sadness, where we can feel stuck. Sometimes, the good feelings will find us—offering relief, bringing a much-needed lightness to the weight we carry. And then there are other times when we have to go looking for the light, even when it feels far away. The weight of the grief can keep us stuck, for sure. And maybe you need to give yourself permission to feel joy amid the...

fiLLLed: more Light , more Life, more Love. Spiritual and emotional resources for a fiLLLed life.

This has been a heavy week. Maybe you’ve felt it too—the weight of hard news, the kind that makes you stop and wonder where we are in the grand unfolding of things. Some weeks, it feels like the world is unraveling faster than we can make sense of it. Other times, it feels like we are waiting, watching, longing for something that has yet to arrive. I’ve been sitting with the phrase the fullness of time. It’s one of those biblical ideas that carries deep meaning—pointing to the way things...

fiLLLed: more Light, more Life, more Love. Spiritual and emotional resources for a fiLLLed life. Plus a picture of Melissa

"Do you want to replace the sensor?" asked Nate. Nate is the guy that checks my car in for needed maintenance. He shoots straight with me, sometimes recommending maintenance, and other times cautioning against something unneeded - or reminding me that I already had it done! 👀 This week, I took my car in for some routine maintenance—an oil change, a tire rotation, and a faulty tire pressure sensor replacement. Nothing major, just the kind of care that keeps my car running smoothly. It’s easy...

fiLLLed: more Light, more Life, more Love. SPiritual and emotional resources for the fiLLLed life. Plus, an amazing picture of Melissa

Shameless self promotion: CLICK HERE to get your copy of my book! 🤩 (This is a special discount link for you, good through the end of the month.) Flour was everywhere. Dirty, sticky, stacked bowls threatened to topple. Every surface in my kitchen was covered in a mess of gooey plaster. This week, I embarked on a new adventure—making sourdough bread. If you’ve ever done this, you’ll know it’s not just baking; it’s a process, a journey, even a bit of a test of faith. I was anxious when it came...

fiLLLed: more Light, more Life, more Love. Spiritual and emotional resources for the fiLLLed life. And an awesome picture of Melissa

I stood in front of the mirror with scissors in hand. "I'm going to do it," I thought. I recalled the first time I thought this was a good idea. It was picture day in my junior year of high school. "A quick trim of my bangs is what I need," I thought. And then, like so many other women, I learned a valuable life lesson. This time is different. I trim my hair regularly and have the benefit of YouTube tutorials to help me out. I did it. I cut some layers into my hair. It doesn’t look all that...