Abby McDonald

Finding the Hope of Christ in a Messy Life

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The Shift Your Focus Playlist

Sometimes we need a little help to shift our focus from the problems of this life to the promises of God.

Throughout scripture, we see followers of God using a specific tactic to defeat the enemy’s lies and schemes: They worship God right in the middle of the chaos and struggle. I created this custom playlist to accompany my book, Shift: Changing Our Focus to See the Presence of God. It was created with you in mind, and each song was selected to address a specific struggle we face such as:

  • claiming our identity in Christ instead of worrying about others’ opinions
  • trusting God is still in control, even when we don’t see the answer to our prayers
  • keeping our focus on God when life’s battles constantly distract us

Listen and worship, friends.

Grab my playlist!

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Hi! I'm Abby and I'm so glad you're here. I am a wife and a mom of two very energetic boys and one sweet baby girl. When I'm not chasing them around I love to write about my love for a God who relentlessly pursued me, even during my darkest times. READ MORE...

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I pray that when I’m 90, I still have the fire b I pray that when I’m 90, I still have the fire burning in my soul that this woman has. What a joy it was to hear Katherine Paterson speak at the HopeWords conference, along with so many other inspiring speakers.

One of my favorite quotes from her talk:

“If a book has any power, then it has the power to offend.”

Oof. I will be chewing on that one for a while.

#hopewords #hopewords2023 #keepwriting
I’m so glad we got the chance to hit the snow tu I’m so glad we got the chance to hit the snow tubing slope before the season ended. It’s often those things that make me feel like a kid again that refresh my spirit the most. 

What’s something you did that refreshed your spirit lately?

#herestoresmysoul #snowtubing #wispresort
Can I share a secret with you? If I waited until I Can I share a secret with you? If I waited until I was inspired every time I showed up to write, I’d get very little writing done. Writing is sort of like working out. I don’t work out because I find it fun or because I’m super motivated. I work out because of how it makes me feel afterward.

Here are a couple of misconceptions about Spirit-led, inspired writing:

1. The Spirit is not limited to spontaneity. Yes, He is referred to as fire and wind. In Acts, we’re told He will give us the words at the moment we need them. This is in reference to testifying.

But the Spirit also moves in our preparation. He moves when we sit down at the computer and make the commitment to write, even when we don’t think the words are good enough. 

2. We don’t have to wait to be inspired to write. The discipline of showing up will invoke inspiration too.

Sometimes writing is like pushing the spokes of a rusty, old wheel. It takes some work and elbow grease to get it moving. But once it moves, the turning gets easier. The same is true for writing. As we put words down, the flow gets easier. The inspiration often shows up in unexpected places.

What would you add to this list? 

#amwriting #writingcommunity #writingcoach #writersofinstagram
Sometimes God allows the death or delay of a dream Sometimes God allows the death or delay of a dream to shift our focus toward him. It’s painful. It can make us question whether we heard God when we took an initial step of faith. But in the process of delaying our dream, God will also transform us if we let him. His word promises he will give us a new heart and spirit. (Ezekiel 36:26)

A few months before my first writer’s conference, a reader made a profound comment on my blog post, and I’ve remembered it to this day: God’s promises go further than our dreams. It took the death of a dream for me to believe it, though. 

I now know it to be true, and have lived it firsthand. Here are 3 reasons his promises go further than our dreams ➡️

💫1. God sees the transformation needed for our dream to flourish.

He sees not only the person we are now, but the person we’re becoming. Through our obedience and trust in him, even when we don’t see the end result, he will refine us and prepare us for what’s to come.

💫2. God’s plans and promises are not short-term. They are eternal. 

If we look at Hebrews 11, we see a list of men and women whose faith still inspires us today. But these people didn’t see the fulfillment of God’s promise in their lifetime. It would be easy for them to think God let them down, but that wasn’t the case. God wasn’t withholding his best. He was preparing perfection.

💫3. God sees not just our dream, but the people who are a part of it.

If we look at the promises God makes in scripture, it is never just about one person. It is about generations. It is about nations and those who will follow in their footsteps. If we think our dream is only about us, God will work out this mindset before he fulfills the vision we have in our heart.

God’s purpose is never to dangle a carrot in front of our face and send us on a wild chase for something he will never give us. This isn’t his heart at all. He sees our desires and the lives of those who need our vision.

If God placed a dream in your heart and you are in a period of waiting, keep seeking his purpose. He hasn’t forgotten you.

#hisgrace #seekhimfirst #keepgoing
St. Patrick’s Day is particularly lucky for me, St. Patrick’s Day is particularly lucky for me, because it’s the day this man and I went on our first date nineteen years ago. Although I really don’t think luck had anything to do with it. 🍀😉

Our dogs led us together. It’s a story only God could write with his grace, humor and whimsy. And for that reason among others, I will forever be a dog person. 🐶

Has this particular day ever left you in awe of God’s grace? How so?

#saintpatricksday #hopewriters #hisgrace #1000gifts #gracegift
Do you lack clarity on what your next step is as a Do you lack clarity on what your next step is as a writer? I can help! With all the information thrown at us online, it can be difficult to determine what’s best for YOU. Your journey is unique, so you can’t simply copy and paste what someone else did.

As a writing coach, I help you:

👉🏼 Uncover what drives you and propels you to take action. Because if we don’t know what drives us, we remain stagnant.
👉🏼 Eliminate habits and mindsets that keep you stuck.
👉🏼 Develop doable steps to help you make progress toward your writing goals.

What do you need clarity on?

➡️ Book a free consultation via the link in my bio or send me a DM to get started.

#writingcommunity #writingcoach #amwriting #writersofinstagram
This picture is from January, but it could have be This picture is from January, but it could have been this week. While my calendar says spring starts next week, but winter is still hanging on for dear life. To be honest, I’m over it. Our winter has been mild, but my vitamin D meter is low. All the supplements in the world can’t make up for a warm day with the sun on my face.

If you’re in a long winter season, whether spiritual or physical, let me offer some encouragement God gave me recently: God can do a new thing in the middle of your winter. 

He doesn’t need a specific season or certain elements to birth new creation. His Spirit moves in the midst of our sorrows, disappointments, and things that seem dead.

When Isaiah prophesied to a nation who had gone their own way, he didn’t tell them God would make a way in the middle of a lush landscape or field of wildflowers. His new birth took place in a wasteland. There was no life. No hint of spring.

“See, I am doing a new thing!
    Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?
I am making a way in the wilderness
    and streams in the wasteland.”

Isaiah 43:19 NIV

Friend, the robins flocked to our yard today in the middle of a wind storm and snow flurries. They taste the coming life. As they flock around our yard, they reminded me how God works beneath the surface. He works in the cold, hard ground and under frozen landscape. May they remind you of the same promise today.

#nofilter #morningmercies #winter2023 #springiscoming
My daughter woke me up at 5:00 am on Sunday. So it My daughter woke me up at 5:00 am on Sunday. So it felt like 4:00 am. When my alarm went off a couple of hours later, I wondered what the heck was happening. 

If you’re struggling like I am on this Monday, give yourself grace. Grab that extra coffee if you need it. We’ll get through this.

#daylightsavings #momsofinstagram #mothersofdaughters
My focus can be pretty narrow at times. You too? 🙋🏻‍♀️ I’m so glad God sees the intricate details and the bigger story. When I let him lead, beautiful things happen.

#encouragingquotes #keepgoing #hisgrace
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