Stories from Rise Up Micro Bakery

Melissa’s Story

She never liked fresh raspberries too tart, too squishy. But raspberry sourdough rolls? Her absolute favorite. Because sometimes, beauty rises from what once left a bitter taste. 

She’s a survivor of both physical and sexual abuse, beginning in childhood and continuing through her first marriage. But she didn’t stay buried in the pain. She fought, she healed, and she built something stronger from the ruins. 

Her story is one of grit, faith, and unstoppable resilience. She turned what tried to break her into fuel for her purpose. Today, she’s a successful entrepreneur, wellness, and business coach and advocate for others reclaiming their power. 

Our raspberry rolls are dedicated to her, not because raspberries were ever sweet to her, but because she made something sweet out of them anyway. 

Visit withlovemp.com to see all she’s accomplished despite the tart berries life handed her.

lisa’s Story

I grew up thinking harm was normal, until God’s gentleness showed me another way. 

I didn’t see healthy love modeled. As a child I watched my mom be abused by a boyfriend for years. My dad and step-mom were emotionally, and sometimes physically, abusive. So I stepped into adulthood with a broken map and found myself in marriages marked by manipulation, emotional abuse, and infidelity. I clung to my faith and prayed for healing, feeling guilty for even considering leaving. 

When the abuse turned physical, the guilt finally loosened. God’s voice was clearer than my fear: This is not love. I walked away—an act of faith, not a failure of it. Healing came in small mercies: counseling, honest friends, quiet mornings. It also came from our farm. The steady rhythms of watering, gathering eggs, and watching dough rise taught me patience and a gentler strength. 

From that soil, Rise Up Micro Bakery was born. I bake because warm bread can carry hope. Every sweet roll is a prayer for others finding their way to safety and for anyone learning, as I am, that love is kind and free of fear. 

Ruth’s Story

When everything was stripped away, Ruth chose loyal love—and God met her in the harvest. 

Famine, then grief: in Moab, Naomi lost her husband and both sons. One son’s widow, Ruth, refused to leave her. “Where you go, I’ll go. Your people, my people; your God, my God.” 

Back in Bethlehem, Ruth gleaned leftover grain to keep them fed. She “happened” into Boaz’s field. He noticed her courage, protected her, and—through the kinsman-redeemer custom—married her. Their son, Obed, became the grandfather of King David—through whose line Jesus came. From ashes, God wove a future. 

Our pumpkin-spice rolls nod to Ruth’s season: gleaning turned to gathering, emptiness to warmth. May each bite remind you that steadfast love still redeems.