Abby McDonald

Finding the Hope of Christ in a Messy Life

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Write 31 Days

life unstuck intro

Hello, friends! This page will be the home of all links to posts written for the 31 Day Writing Challenge, hosted by Crystal Stine. I hope you will join me and some of my favorite writers this October as we explore what it means to find true freedom in Christ and let go of patterns which keep us stuck. We’d love to have you join us at any point during this journey (even if it’s years down the road), so feel free to go back and read the posts in your own time, at your own pace.


September 29th- Will You Join Us? (An Introduction)

October 1st- Are We Living Our Lives Stuck?

October 2nd- When You Feel Stuck in Limbo

October 3rd- A Prayer for Focus

October 4th- Abundance or Leftovers?

October 5th- When We Lose Our Faith in Humanity

October 6th- Giving God Your Wish List Life

October 7th- Is There a Key to Why Some Succeed? {Book Review and Giveaway}

October 8th- Overflowing Hope

October 9th- Chasing Someone Else’s Dream

October 10th- A Prayer for Clear Vision

October 11th- Today, Don’t Forget

October 12th- Why Sometimes You Have to Abandon the Routine

October 13th- 2 Simple Truths That Can Help You Overcome Discouragement

October 14th- Stuck in the Safety Net

October 15th- When Woe, Woe, Woe Replaces Your Ho Ho Ho

October 17th- A Prayer for Peace

October 18th-20th- How Do You Handle Hard Conversations?

October 21st- When You Need Affirmation

October 22nd- When Comparison Threatens to Steal My Community

October 23rd- From Fake Fine-ness to Hard Truth

October 24th- A Prayer for Authenticity

October 25th-26th- Freedom in Knowing the Truth

October 27th-28th- It Is for Freedom

October 29th- When You Feel Like You’re Missing the Party

October 30th- When the Darkness Becomes Comfortable

October 31st- A Prayer Inviting the Spirit to Move

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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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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.

#hisgoodness #faithwriter #keepgoing #hisgrace
Happy National Coffee Day! Do you drink it? If so, Happy National Coffee Day! Do you drink it? If so, how do you take yours?

#coffeelovers #nationalcoffeeday #givemecoffee
When we put our words out into the world, there is When we put our words out into the world, there is always a risk. It can be easy to get stuck in our heads and keep the message God gave us hidden. But the blessing is worth it. The gift is worth it.

Here are 3 practices that help me when I get stuck, and help me move forward:

1. Imagine sitting with your reader and having coffee. I find this practice especially helpful for non-fiction. Remember, your reader is a person. What is she struggling with? What does she need to know?

2. Be willing to laugh at yourself. Stop taking yourself so seriously! Often, this where I get hung up, but I’m learning that if I’m stressed and not enjoying the process, it will be evident in the writing itself.

3. Filter out the voices and negativity. It’s amazing how much more clearly we can recognize God’s promoting when we aren’t bombarded with noise.

What are some tips that help you get out of your head and write? Share them below!

#amwriting #writeyourstory #writingcoach #writingtips
Nothing like getting your cast off and celebrating Nothing like getting your cast off and celebrating with a heart of fried rice. 💗

#mothersofdaughters #surprisedbymotherhood #girlmom
Even on the days when you think you’ve run out o Even on the days when you think you’ve run out of faith and out of hope, God is fighting for you. He is fighting for your faith. I know, that statement seems almost counterintuitive, right? But the more I walk this journey with Him, the more I know it.

When we don’t have the words, His Spirit groans for us and articulates what we can’t.

When all we see is fog, He is guiding us to the place where we’ll see clearly.

As my pastor reminded me this week: Somebody’s praying for you. And on the days when you feel like your prayers aren’t even making it to the ceiling, He takes our offering and makes something stunningly beautiful. That’s how much He loves.

#faithwriter #seekhimfirst #encouragingwomen #keepgoing
When we plant seeds in the hearts and lives of oth When we plant seeds in the hearts and lives of others, it’s not our job to micromanage them. This is often difficult for me to understand, but God is the ultimate Gardner. 

He grows good things, even when we can’t see them. And at the right time, that seed you planted will burst forth from the soil into the sunlight.

#hehasgoodplans #growthmindset #faithwriter #iknowhim
I mean, it’s a worthy effort, right? 😂 #size I mean, it’s a worthy effort, right? 😂

#sizematters #onecupatatime #coffeelover
This quote from @lisawhittle in her new book, God This quote from @lisawhittle in her new book, God Knows, stopped me in my tracks this week. I can’t count the number of times I’ve subscribed to the idea that God is some sort of doorman in the sky, opening and closing doors leading either to my heart’s desire or sometimes, disappointment. I’ve prayed well meaning prayers about the opening and closing of these doors, and I know because we serve a merciful, loving God, he’s answered them.

But here’s the thing. Sometimes God lets us go down a path contrary to his will. Because he created us as human beings and not robots, he wants us to exercise one of the most faith building gifts he gives us: the ability to make decisions.

More than being a doorman, what God desires is for us to abide in him. This is a day-by-day, moment to moment decision. Lord knows I don’t do this perfectly but but as I seek him more than I seek the answer or the open door, he shapes me. He shapes me into someone who has peace in the yeses, the disappointments, and everything in between. 

#heknows #seekhimfirst #bookquotes
Have you ever tried to hold onto something that wa Have you ever tried to hold onto something that was no longer healthy? Perhaps it was a habit that you knew wasn’t good for you. Maybe it was a job you signed up for, but it began depleting you emotionally and physically. It could even be a toxic relationship where you knew you needed to set a boundary, but you hesitated.

I don’t know about you, but I have a hard time letting go. The loyalist in me tells me to hang on until my tank in bone dry, and I literally have nothing left to give. But God us showing me not only is this spiritually unhealthy, it can also keep me from pursuing the plans HE has for me.

About a year ago, my husband stopped eating wheat. He didn’t do this because he wanted to, but because his body began rejecting it. After weeks of painful, itchy allergic reactions, he decided to eliminate things gradually, one by one. It didn’t take long to find gluten was the culprit.

It got me thinking about my day-to-day life. What if I had the same intentionality with the things I consume, and are part of my daily life? I don’t mean being unavailable, but being more available to what God has for me.

Here’s some questions I developed to help me live more intentionally:

1. How does this align with my purpose?
2. Does it deplete me emotionally and physically?
3. Does it cause me constant anxiety?
4. Have I asked God for His guidance in this? What leading did I receive?

Friends, 1 Corinthians 6:19 tells us our bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit. This includes our entire being- heart, soul and mind. Let’s be vigilant in our care of them.

#faithwriter #seekhimfirst #decisions #hisgrace
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The 5 Days to Life Unstuck Challenge

Are there areas of your life where you can’t seem to find breakthrough? Do you feel as though your keep praying the same prayers over and over, but you’re not getting anywhere?

A life stuck is one that never moves into the fullness Christ created us to have.

This is why I created the “5 Days to Life Unstuck Challenge”. In this 5-day challenge, we will look at five key areas where the enemy likes for us to stay stuck. Then, we will implement a simple, doable mindset shift.

Ready to get get unstuck?

CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP!