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Simply Bloom Co.

Where Passion & Purpose Collide

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What Others Are Saying

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“Joy has such a magnetic and endearing spirit that I was drawn to her way before she ever spoke a word. But then she got on stage and took her shoes off. I was SOLD.  There’s something about broken beautiful people that attracts broken people striving to be beautiful. Joy pulled us on stage with her and allowed us to look into her eyes, see her past, and marvel at her present beauty. Hers was truly a Story of Grace.  

By the next day I had already told 2 friends who head up women’s groups that they absolutely MUST do themselves a favor and invite Joy to speak at their upcoming conferences or bible studies- not to mention, buy her book, let her design their material, and purchase some candles!  Love the gift that the Father has allowed us to enjoy in Joy McMillan.”

Glenda Williams, Genuine Worship {Grand Rapids, Michigan}

 

“Joy is a gifted speaker who presents a perfect mix of humor, interesting life experiences and biblical inspiration to all she ministers to.  She knows how to take those experiences and relate them beautifully along with scripture.  She is sure to become a much sought after women’s speaker.  

I would highly recommend her for any group with regard to seeking God’s heart and how that applies to each and every woman attending your event.”

Cheri Carlson, Youth Haven Ranch {Rives Junction, Michigan}

 

“Joy is an engaging speaker for all audiences no matter the gender or age.  She approaches each speaking engagement with the perfect combination of grace, confidence, boldness, knowledge; and humor; delivering to each audience exactly what the occasion calls for.”

Pastor James Applegate, New Life Vineyard {Midland, Michigan}



“I had the privilege of hearing Joy speak for a ladies day breakaway class. That hour together flew by and I wanted more of her! She’s confident, informative, down-to-earth and has a terrific sense of wit.

She’s definitely a JOY to listen to.

And to top it off, she has a glamorous accent that makes her interesting and intriguing to listen to. What she shares she has gleaned from the Word. So whether it’s concerning wellness, parenting or marriage, you can be sure that what she shares not only comes from her heart, but also from the Lord.”

Marsha Baker, The Better Baker Blog {Pioneer, Ohio}

 

“When I think of Joy’s speaking gift…an image comes to mind. I see a face that has just been washed with the most cleansing soap. Her simple words leave you feeling clean, smooth and radiant. Clean because she lives a life that strives to get at all of the muck. She doesn’t hide her dirt. Smooth because she allows us to walk with her down the rough roads. Radiant because we see the joy that has come.

We see where Jesus himself has joined her in the journey. He has led her to the smooth places and we walk there too. Please, ask her to speak!”

Megan Pool, Royal Oak Vineyard Church {Royal Oak, Michigan}
WOAS-Speaking-Page-ML

 

“I had the pleasure of hearing Joy speak about intimacy in marriage.  It is such an important subject that rarely gets talked about.  She was able to cover the topic with humor as well as biblical based facts. She was very real about the challenges that couples, especially those with children, have when it comes to intimacy but gave you very practical ways around those hurtles.   If every couple heard her talk the divorce rate would go down for sure!”

Jaime Williams, Riverview Church {Holt, Michigan}

 

“To know Joy  — is to have Joy!  Joy McMillan is a very unique person/speaker who enthusiastically but gently shares her own joy with her listeners.   Her joy is contagious and comes through her cheerful, positive personality.  JOY, JOY, JOY!!! I can’t wait to hear her again!!

Pat Kuehne, Apple Blossom Orchard {Midland, Michigan}

 

“What an exceptional speaker! Joy McMillan offered the ladies at our conference this past weekend more than witty humor and insights; she artfully wove Scripture throughout her talk in an engaging, modern, and transfixing way! She had each of the women laughing, nodding their heads, and reaching for their pens to capture the pearls of wisdom she had that can only come out of time listening to the Father. We look forward to inviting her back!”

Erin Reynolds, Lansing Vineyard Christian Fellowship {Okemos, Michigan}

 

“Joy is an exceptionally gifted speaker!  While I am her mother, you might think, “Oh, all mother think that of their children!”, but I have read reports from others, heard their praise, and even had some ask whether she has received special training as a speaker.  Not only is she gifted as a speaker, she is also a natural communicator.  Her transparent and honest sharing has her audiences thinking, laughing, tearful, challenged, encouraged and always desiring to reach further, higher and deeper.  She speaks with ease to children and adults alike on a wide range of topics and would be a valuable asset as a guest speaker at retreats, conferences, or workshops!”

Mary Douglas, Alma Vineyard Church {Alma, Michigan}

 

“Our Mom to Mom group found Joy’s talk “Red Hot Monogamy” both challenging and encouraging. This is a talk that every married woman probably needs to hear at least once a year! Joy’s maturity in her walk with the Lord does not keep her from being real about the struggles we face as tired, busy, stressed-out women. She addresses a delicate topic with humor, grace, and discreet transparency. Rooted in the principles of God’s Word, she addresses the practical and emotional obstacles that can keep us from loving our husbands as God designed them to be loved. Invite Joy into your midst. You will make an immediate and meaningful connection that will touch your heart and impact your life.”

Pam Koehlinger, Mom to Mom Coordinator {Midland, Michigan}

 

“I had the pleasure of hearing Joy and her mother speak at a women’s retreat in November of 2010.   I was really struck by Joy’s grace and authenticity.  She spoke with confidence and the authority of scripture, but it was all tempered with humility and honesty which made me feel like she really understood how challenging life can be.  Her love for Christ was so very apparent and I was encouraged to hear from a woman who obviously knew God, not just about God.  A group of women prayed for me after one of the sessions and God used Joy to speak a word to me that I desperately needed to hear.  I had been believing lies that who I was…  Joy looked me in the eye and shared with me what she saw when she looked at me.  I felt like God himself was giving me a glimpse of how He sees me.  It was so different than the corrupt view I held.  I was overcome with peace and started to understand how much God loves me.  I’ll always be grateful to Joy for hearing from the Lord and not being afraid to share his truth with me.  I’d drive miles and miles to have the opportunity to hear her speak again. ”

Rebecca Gould, Daily Rebecca {Harper Woods, Michigan}

 

“… was very inspiring and enlightening of what God expects from us, and what he does for us… that there are things we have to go through before we get to where God wants us.  You made it easier to understand and accept the changes we are going through.  Also the message that if we wake up in the morning, that God has a purpose for us that day and we need to find out what it is…the whole evening was a very moving experience.”

Bill Fleming, St. Patrick’s {Merrill, Michigan}

 

“Joy’s speaking skills are simply a gift – a gift for her to glorify God with and a gift to her audience as we grow by hearing them. Her light shines brightly as she speaks and her accent is delightful to listen to.  She has a story that is intriguing to learn about and unique experiences that have humbled her. Her depth of knowledge is vast, yet she translates it all to seem so simple.”

Shannon Martin {Saginaw, Michigan}

 

“I have been blessed to hear Joy speak on not throwing the stones of judgement. It was one of the best messages I have heard on the subject.
Joy did a great job delivering it using word pictures that really made it come alive. My only disappointment was that it wasn’t recorded, would like to have it to listen to again and to pass on.”

Gary Gager {Breckenridge, Michigan}

 

 

 photo Joy.jpg

Hello there! I'm Joy. Speaker, designer, author & coach, and creator of the #weROARproject. Welcome to Simply Bloom Co., where passion & purpose collide.

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I am regularly overwhelmed by the kindness of God I am regularly overwhelmed by the 
kindness of God in the small + simple.

Things like twinkle lights + Christmas jazz,
scraping out the peanut butter fudge pot
all by myself while sitting on the counter,
and walking around the corner to find my
loin fruit snuggled up together over tea.

They may fight like cats + dogs at times,
but their bond is deep and true and sweet.
Happy release day, @dralisoncook 💛 Written at Happy release day, @dralisoncook 💛

Written at the intersection 
of faith and psychology, 
this book is yet another 
soul-nourishing,
heart-healing, 
boundary-fortifying 
gift from Alison Cook
(if you’ve had a heart-to-heart
with me in the past two years,
you know how much I loved 
‘Boundaries for the Soul’). 

As an enneagram 2 who was raised 
in the church, this book was a timely
and liberating read. Pure balm for the 
weary, recovering-people-pleaser soul. 

I am beyond grateful for the wisdom, 
compassion + experience that Alison 
brings to all she shares (and it was
such an honor to be on her launch 
team for this beautiful new book).

Need a survival guide for your growth
and healing journey? Here you go! ✌🏼

#thebestofyou #thebestofyoubook #womenoffaith #healthyboundaries #healthyyou #healingjourney
Find yourself a tribe of people who will, togethe Find yourself a tribe of people who will, 
together, spend a beautiful Saturday
morning pulling this workout off:

• 20 mile run
• 340 tire flips
• 2,000 air squats
• 1,000 pull ups
• 1,500 box jumps
• 2,200 pull ups
• 600 devil press
• 3,300 sit ups

Brutal. Amazing. 
Exhausted.
So grateful for these two - their friendship, enco So grateful for these two - their friendship,
encouragement and wise counsel over the
past decade of being our pastoral couple
has been such a gift to our family 💛

Congrats on your retirement, dear friends!!
“Over the years, I have come to realize that t “Over the years, 
I have come to realize that 
the greatest trap in our life is not 
success, popularity, or power, 
but self-rejection.”
 :: Henri Nouwen

Somewhere along the journey of 
life, we start to believe the lie that - 
despite being made in the very image 
of a good and beautiful God - who we 
are is inherently bad and broken, and 
we learn to cover that deep sense 
of inadequacy (and the shame that 
accompanies it) with performance.

Because our visceral 
human response to 
‘bad + broken’ is 
‘reject + conceal’.

We think it’s the rejection of others
that cuts us to the core, but the truth
is…most of us walk around wounded 
by a constant and unrelenting sense 
of self-rejection and self-loathing.

Want to know why we feverishly seek 
out the approval and validation of others?
Why we desperately want others to like us?

Because we’re out of touch with our
inherent value and worth, and we’re
not sure that we even like ourselves.

We resent our weakness,
and abandon ourselves.

/ / /

But this good + beautiful God of ours…
He is drawn to our weakness like a
moth to a flame, swooping in to
bring strength and grace.

Paul writes in Corinthians 12:9 that 
he learned to delight in his weakness 
because it was when he was week that
“His strength is perfected in me”. 

Or, as the Passion Translation so 
stunningly puts it, “my weakness 
becomes a portal to God’s power”.

Precious ones, we can shun our tender
still-in-process places, pretend to have 
it all together, and hustle for our worth…
OR we can drop the masks, offer kindness 
and curiosity to our hurting, broken parts,
and learn to live fully seen and known.

But we can’t have both.

And yes, it’s scary.

Today may we choose
…grace over perfectionism
…curiosity over shame
…acceptance over rejection
…gentleness over judgement
…wholeness over pretense

You are loved.
And they’re off! Alathea is in 10th grade and A And they’re off!

Alathea is in 10th grade and
Aiden is heading into 8th grade.

Here’s to a year full of grace,
discovery, friendship + growth 🙌🏼
"Faith isn't the ability to believe long + far i "Faith isn't the ability 
to believe long + far 
into the misty future. 
It's simply taking God 
at His Word + taking 
the next step."

:: Joni Eareckson Tada
Day 15 | Beach Day + Travel Prep We fly out late Day 15 | Beach Day + Travel Prep

We fly out late tomorrow evening so today
has been a lazy day of laundry, laying in the
sun, a petshop visit (where Aiden fell in love 
with a cute rat + I discovered zebra finches), 
an impromptu stop for bubble tea + stuffed crepes [oh my word, were these delicious!!],
shopping [I found the best, comfiest - Joe
would argue ‘ugliest’ - romper at the thrift
store that I can’t wait to wear on our long
journey home], and Aiden is currently off
doing his thing: fishing right from the pier.
Our view from the lodge last night ✨ Our view from the lodge last night ✨
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