Abby McDonald

Finding the Hope of Christ in a Messy Life

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About

Welcome to my little space on the internet. I am so glad you are here, and hope you will stick around for a while.

I am a wife and a mom of two very energetic boys and one sweet baby girl. Although I’m a southerner by birth, I’ve become somewhat of a gypsy since marriage, traveling across the country twice and being stretched with each move.

I am also a writer, an avid reader, a photography lover, and a drinker of copious amounts of coffee. I love curling up with a good book and a cup of coffee by the wood stove, and find myself most at home surrounded by mountains. But most of all, I am a child of God. He is my life, my breath, the reason why I get up every morning, and the reason why I write.

Writing has been my passion for as long as I can remember. When I was a little girl, I used the static from the television to hold my freshly written poems against it and distract my Dad from watching the evening news.

For most of my life, I rarely shared my writing with anyone. After college, I abandoned my dream to write for many years, as I didn’t think it was a realistic or practical way to make a living. I pursued a “real job” in the real world, and for long time was completely miserable.

My passion for writing was reborn after the birth of my first child.

For over a year, I struggled with postpartum depression, and writing was one of the pursuits that allowed me to see the Light again.

I realized that my identity was not firmly rooted in who I was in Christ, and I was basing my self worth on the opinion of others and my ability to perform as a wife, mother, friend, and worker. Once I stopped working and decided to become a stay-at-home mom, all of the distractions I had used to determine my value as a person disintegrated.

In my search for stability, I found that God alone determines my life has worth. He says I am “fearfully and wonderfully made” and that he “created my inmost being.” (Psalm 139) Before I was even born, he saw me and knew my life’s purpose.

This blog was born because I felt God pushing me to share my writing with others who may feel alone in their struggles. I want my readers to know that they are created by a God who will relentlessly pursue them, even during the darkest times. That even in the midst of a messy life with an endless pile of laundry and dishes, the hope of Christ can be found.

Will you stick around with me? Here’s what you can expect to find here:

  • Weekly, biblically based encouragement to ground you in the truths of who God says you are instead of the noise of the world

  • A fresh perspective to help you see God even in the thick of life’s messes

  • Real conversations about real struggles with faith and doubt, and practical tools to help you move forward. Because no one needs fake.

I hope to see you here again, friend. I promise to be authentic, vulnerable and real with you as we explore this life together and find hope in the everyday. Even when it’s messy.

*Photos courtesy of Karen Morgan Photography

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Mom brain (and brain fog) is real, folks! Always h Mom brain (and brain fog) is real, folks! Always have a journal or app with you to capture those ideas on the go. Then, when you finally get a chance to sit down, you’ll have your idea in front of you.

#writinglife #writingtips #writingcoach #hopewriters
I can’t tell you the number of times someone has I can’t tell you the number of times someone has remarked about my kids’ behavior, my writing, or something else, and I would never have known they noticed me. They said something at just the right time, often on a day I needed a boost of encouragement, and it kept me going. I know you don’t have an audience (except your kids, perhaps) when you’re doing the dishes. You probably don’t have one when you’re putting your kids to bed either. But you know what?
 
Our unseen work will always affect the work we do for an audience.

The heart and the love we pour into those unseen hours? It will carry into the lives we live in front of others. It will cause a ripple effect, spreading over to other areas. We may not even notice it at the time, but it will.

If you’re having trouble believing those unseen hours matter today, will you do me a favor? Come to God and just be honest. I promise he can handle it. He won’t turn away or give you a cold shoulder. He may even show you a little glimpse of what you’ve been missing.

#hopewriters #hisloveenduresforever #encouragingword #seekhimfirst
His goodness will follow you into the unknown, int His goodness will follow you into the unknown, into the dark valleys and shadows. It will never leave. Even when it feels as though the world is closing in on you and you have nothing left to give, his goodness will follow you.

Speak this truth over your life today. Even if you have difficulty believing it today, he will use your proclamation of truth. You will defeat the enemy with arrows from his Word. His attacks against you will not stand.

#hopewriters #psalm23 #hisgoodness #seekhimfirst
Hello on this rainy Friday! Everything in me said Hello on this rainy Friday! Everything in me said to stay home today, but I braved the storm and found unexpected gifts because of it like:

1. Shorter lines
2. Less chaos and traffic in the store (which makes me anxious)
3. No one breathing down my neck in the checkout line. 😂 Sidenote- so not necessary!

What unexpected gift did you recently discover after doing something you didn’t want to do? Nothing is too small.

Happy weekend, friends!

#unexpectedgifts #hopewriters #cultivategratitude
You won’t know if you don’t try. This is what You won’t know if you don’t try.

This is what I keep telling myself lately. Perhaps you need this reminder too. Because if you’re anything like me, you can freeze yourself with contingencies and made-up scenarios before you even start something. 

It’s exhausting. And I’ve wasted too much time doing this. So I’m choosing to take steps toward big goals even when my inner voice tells me, “You have no clue what you’re doing.”

Yesterday, that looked like sending an email.  It seems like such a small thing but it felt good. More than good, actually. It was as though all those made-up scenarios melted away, my shoulders relaxed and God whispered, “I’ve got this.”

Take the step, my friend. No matter what happens, the joy of saying “yes” will far exceed the regret of never trying.

#faithwriter #hopewriters #seekhimfirst #wordsofencouragement
Anyone else? 🙋🏻‍♀️😆 When do I need Anyone else? 🙋🏻‍♀️😆 When do I need to send help for you?

#grammarnerd #writing101 #wordnerd #pleasesendhelp
We weren’t created to walk through this life fig We weren’t created to walk through this life fighting the lies of the enemy with our own power. We were sent a Helper, who equips us with truth, leads our prayers and intercedes for us. (Romans 8:26)

Keeping our feet on solid ground is not a passive undertaking. It is daily battle. But the battle is worth it. And as we stand there on the Word that brings life, the arrows start to fall like dead weights. The elements may thunder, but they can’t overtake us. Because we’ve turned our eyes to the power Who controls them all.

#hispromises #hopewriters #amazinggrace #encouragingword
If you’re anything like me, you may sometimes th If you’re anything like me, you may sometimes think God’s peace is something you have to earn or strive to receive. We live in a world where anxiety is becoming more and more common, and it doesn’t seem like peace is a natural state of being.

But if we look at scripture, Jesus doesn’t describe his peace as a trophy we have to earn. It is a gift He gives us as his children, and His perfect peace is part of who He is.

Sharing more about this @embracing.the.unexpected 

https://www.embracingtheunexpected.com/how-is-god-good-unexpected-circumstances/

#embracingtheunexpected #encouragingwords #hisgrace
No matter how long we’ve been walking with Jesus No matter how long we’ve been walking with Jesus, most of us will hit a season where it feels as though he’s silent. As we see others move forward in their faith and sense his presence in their lives, it can feel lonely.

When we walk through these valleys, we need to remember that Jesus said himself that no one can snatch us out of the Father’s hand. 

Regardless of what you might be feeling right now, you still belong to the One who paid the highest price to call you his own. If you’re having difficulty hearing his voice in your life or wondering why he speaks to others and not to you, here are a few things to keep in mind.

1. Our spiritual life is a series of valleys, mountains, and middle ground in-between. When you witness someone else taking big steps in their spiritual journey or hearing from God consistently, it could be that they are in a different life chapter than you are. Often, a long valley comes just before the breakthrough. It’s never a good idea to compare where we are in our faith to someone else, because each of us is unique.

2. Abiding in Christ is an active, day by day process, not a passive, one and done decision. One of Jesus’ last teachings to the disciples is about abiding in the Vine. Jesus is the Vine, and he tells us in John 15 that apart from him we can do nothing:

“Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.” John 15:4 NIV

3. God is infinite, and speaks to each of us in different ways. God may speak to us through a friend or a song, and speak to someone else through nature. He may bring use a specific scripture to minister to someone else, but nudge our heart through a different passage. The key is to keep coming to God, regardless of how we feel.

Friend, if you are in a dry season right now, tell God what’s on your heart. You will not scare him away with an honest admission of your frustration. As a matter if fact, your honesty may be exactly what’s needed to propel you forward and see breakthrough.

#hopewriters #encouragingwords #seekhimfirst #hisgrace #dailydevotion
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As a thank you, I’ll send you a free PDF download of “The Daughter’s Manifesto.”