Life & Work with Merrick Gallegos

Today we’d like to introduce you to Merrick Gallegos.

Hi Merrick, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today.
June 2020 was both a wonderful and worrisome time in my life. I had just given birth to our third child, our baby girl Piper, but we were also in the very first throws of COVID. There I was with this incredible gift in my hands and this unprecedented weight on my shoulders of fear and anxiety that I felt our entire world dealing with together.

In the following months, I would find myself up every day in the early morning with Piper. You could set your watch to her being awake right at 5 o’clock every morning. During these special quiet hours, I began praying. I began embracing the silence surrounding me. I began finding so much peace and joy during these quiet hours even though I was beyond exhausted and the world around me was scary and unknown.

But the world couldn’t hurt me there, not in the peace of that chair. I would sit, sometimes for hours, and embrace the solitude those early morning hours provided me. Even though I was up early with a newborn, those times always left me feeling invigorated and energized to take on my day. My world for just a few hours could slow down before the busyness of the day began.

I had kept a prayer journal since I was little, but adjusting to life since becoming a mother I realized that I had let this special part of me fall to the excuse of being “too busy”. During these still early morning hours, I started to pick up journaling again. I was able to carve out special time for myself, perhaps during the busiest time of my life. I had always had a belief I was put on this earth to help others.

While I was writing one morning, I had an overwhelming feeling that a blog could allow me to connect to other moms during their own busy season of life, but also during such a unique time of uncertainty, fear, and trepidation that had so many off-center. My pen couldn’t stop writing as the idea of Overwhelming Joy came to mind. My idea of Overwhelming Joy was to focus on the gifts of the present moment that are so abundantly clear, even in the face of a historically challenging time.

I wanted to encourage others to embrace the quiet when they could so that they too could experience the peace and joy that I had experienced through prayer, meditation, quiet, and journaling. I truly feel that our society longs for some quiet perspective in their lives, amidst the constant technological concert of distraction we’re facing every waking hour. My pen and prayer led me to one of my life’s greatest accomplishments, I launched Overwhelming Joy in the Fall of 2020.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
To be honest, I feel like my biggest hurdle has been my own feelings and insecurities. Let’s start with the fact that I’m allowing strangers to read my innermost thoughts, fears, and prayers but then couple that with the realization that I’m also sharing these vulnerabilities with those closest to me. I’ve had all the thoughts, that in retrospect I should have expected.

Those of feeling unworthy to carry this kind of message, or asking myself who am I to think that others will want to read what I have to say? About a month into this thing, I was struggling and questioning whether or not I was on the right path. I remember sitting in the kitchen telling my husband, Ray, that I didn’t know if all my strife and work was worth it, I mean, was anyone even reading this? A few minutes later, I got an email from my website.

A woman started reading my blog and told me my writings encouraged her to live healthier. She thanked me for starting my blog and she looked forward to new beginnings because of my writing. I knew right then and there it was a sign to keep going and even though this was uncomfortable for me, I was on the right track.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
Overwhelming Joy is a website and social media platform that celebrates many of the different aspects of motherhood. My goal is to pass on family traditions, delicious yet practical recipes for busy families, home hacks, DIY projects, but most of all prayer and faith encouragement. My goal is to have a place where moms can go to know they’re not alone, try and help them along the way, and make faith the constant to overcome all our challenges.

By far what makes me the proudest is when I receive messages from some of my followers that share how much a particular message helped them, that they made one of my recipes for their family, or gave one of my DIY projects a try. This kind of personal connection truly touches me and keeps me going. Knowing that there are people out there incorporating pieces of my life into their lives is just….. humbling.

Alright, so to wrap up, is there anything else you’d like to share with us?
I hope you get the opportunity to check out Overwhelming Joy and be a part of our growing community. As a Colorado native, I love connecting with our local community and hope we can get to know each other!

Contact Info:

• Website: www.overwhelmingjoy.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/overwhelming_joy
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/overwhelmingjoys