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WALKING AND NOT KNOWING!



I'm sitting here and have this urge to write this blog right at this minute right now......I just got done reading some blogs for the Real Life college age students that are out over seas right now as I'm writing this.


The Lord has given me such revelation today, actually this whole week He has given me such revelation for what He has in store for me and my life.  These past few months have been a struggle with where I stand in my life, my calling and what is to come.  One the biggest things I struggle in my walk with the Lord is patience in what He has for me and waiting it out.  So as I struggle with patience and waiting I don't really struggle in walking in FAITH.  I have to admit some things don't make sense to me at times, but when God says to go then I go!!!


Well that is as of a few years ago.   


One of the verses that God continues to speak to me over and over is Joshua 3, well the whole book really but today the Lord brought me to chapter 3.  The book of Joshua talks about him and the Israelites and how they are about to cross the Jordan.  Its so powerful and it clearly talks about Gods covenant over and over again.  Well the Lord has been talking to me about covenant over and over again and I want to be in that place where nothing comes between me and Him.  This story is a great example of my life in most situations that I have gone through in my life.  The Lord reminded me a few years ago when I made that "choice" which was one of the biggest changes in my life and it was to follow Him wholeheartedly with nothing holding me back!!!


So here I am a couple of years later.  I am walking as a follower of Him and never thought I would have the guts or the faith to the walk down this road with Him.  I mean I have had so much faith with everything in my life, but releasing all my desires to Him and following and not knowing what comes next just is something I never thought I would do.  So here I am broken for God and would do anything just anything to walk in the glory of the Lord and down that path of not knowing.  I don't know what stirred this up, but I know God wanted me to write this and post it.  Every single blog that I have read today the Lord has showed me a similar experience in my life where I have experienced.......Healing, abuse, faith, clarity and most importantly His love. He showed me today that He has worked everything out in every situation!  So here I am standing looking up to you my Father and saying:



I WANT TO EXPERIENCE EVERYTHING OF YOU LORD AT ALL TIMES:






                       SEEING

                                 SMELLING

                                                    TOUCHING

                                                                  HEARING       

                                                                       TASTING

I will keep walking in faith in you and going down the road of not knowing just as long as I am with YOU my Father!


                                   JOSHUA 3                                 


I AM IN HUGE NEED OF MONTHLY SUPPORTERS OR EVEN ONE TIME GIVING IS ALSO HUGE! TO SUPPORT ME JUST CLICK ON THE LINK TO THE LEFT AND CLICK ON "SUPPORT ME" THIS WOULD HELP ME OUT IN THE BIGGEST WAY! THANK YOU!!!!

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********UPDATES********



 THE WORLD RACE: As you may know the Lord was calling me to "The World Race" in 2008 going to 11 countries in 11 months doing anything from preaching, working with children, tutoring, construction, working with prostitute women and much more. In October of 2008 I left everything I knew... my family, friends and my belongings. I lived out of a back pack and learned to live simple and went through brokenness. The Lord did many amazing things in my life and the lives around me. I learned how to lean on Him and follow Him. I have shared many stories of how God has been faithful and amazing through my blogs check it out here www.michellemcdonaldtheworldrace.org. As I came home in 2009 I prayed about what the Lord wanted me to do next. I kept hearing "leadership". 
THE REAL LIFE: The door opened up for leadership with The Real Life and I lead a team of young women to India for three months. It was hard and challenging, but by the end of the trip I had brokenness take place in their lives and had girls say at the beginning of their trip "I don't know why I am here" to change by the end and say "I think I love kids and I think I'm called to the nations". What a wonderful thing to hear and experience. I learned how to be a leader in Gods eyes and not my own.  
 
THE MOVE, THE NEXT SEASON OF MY LIFE: GEORGIA-Yes the south!! I said the same thing also, but God has called me there! I started to pray about this and started asking for confirmation from the Lord. Well not only did the Lord bring random people in India to bring messages to me, but the Lord gave my mom and I dreams. Praise God!!!! I love that God talks to us in different ways. So your probably wondering why Georgia right? So at this time I am going to Georgia with no job, a couple of boxes because I was obedient before and after The World Race and gave/sold everything. No place to live, but in all I trusted Him.

Job: After I listened to the Lord about moving to Georgia I was offered a position with "The Real Life" working with Adventures in Missions (AIM) with 18-21 year olds doing field support starting 6-1-2010. I am really excited about this opportunity that the Lord has given me. I will be encouraging the leaders and participants out in the field, administration and much more. I not only got to spend three months to disciple young adults, but I still get to be apart of it! 

Financial Support!
 
PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE!!! I am looking for monthly supporters......

The total amount I am in need of is $12,000 for the year. This will be helping me with all my living expenses. I am looking for monthly supporters $500, $100, $50 or the amount that you feel led to support me with. Also if you feel lead to give one time donations that is open too!

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Leadership, Hearing and Walking!



 

I have been in India for two months and it has finally dawned on me my leadership role for this team. This all happened during our team day doing an ATL (ask the Lord) day. Honestly I did not know what it was going to look like, just because the first time I even did ATL I was scared, but it was exciting too!!! So this is what our ATL day looked like. Heat, ice cream, walking and the Holy Spirit. I am learning daily what a leader looks like and what is expected out of me.  At the same time I am learning that leadership does not look the same for everyone. So this blog will be the first about leadership. There's always a first for everything right? So this is what our day looked like.

Once upon a time in the hot lands of India...........

First thing first we came together as a team and prayed for the Lord to show us anything from pictures, scriptures, colors and numbers. This was a great time to practice hearing the Lords voice and how He talks to us. Then afterwards we spoke out what we saw. Well the Lord gave me the color red and 18, and some of the other girls had other pictures such as a woman in a green sari, cain, and some other things. So we went out on our journey on two feet and walked. First we came to this HUGE map over Dwarka (where we are staying) and saw sector 18 and I noticed the picture of the color red exactly how I saw it. The color was at the lower part of the map and it was located in the sector 18 section. PRAISE GOD!!! I love it when the Lord confirms. I thought this ATL day was going to be easy at first. I thought to myself "we are going to get there and pray and just follow what we hear." As I'm writing this I realized I had some expectation and I think that's where the frustration came when we decided to keep going straight instead of taking that left turn. The awesome part is I automatically saw frustration in myself and prayed it off. Instantly God released me of frustration and it was gone. Another PRAISE GOD!!! I don't know how many times He surprises me, but He does this all the time. 

As we were walking straight I kept asking the Lord. . . . .

"Lord what are we doing?" How do you even want me to handle this day?"

 I really felt the Lord showing me instantly that He wanted me to stand back and observe and encourage and push the girls in what He has called them too. So that's what I did. I don't know how long we walked, but it was hours. Some of the girls by the end of the day realized how God was working in them in this situation when it took hours to find sector 18. We kept on walking around in circles and literally we walked in circles, but we all learned how to rely on the Lords voice and one another. We all learned something different today. How to walk in leadership with grace, to be bold in what God is telling you, patience and perseverance, having faith in hearing Him even though we don't see the fruit of what He is calling us to do and learning that our days consist of feedback daily. This ATL day changed my heart on leadership and knowing that it does look different all the time is really relieving to me.
 
 
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A Walk Through the Door!!!




All it takes is opening your ears to hearing the Lord and doing what He wants you to do. Well that is exactly what happened in the slums a few weeks ago. It's hard for me to follow a structured schedule, but God is teaching me that He will show up no matter if it's structured or not. You can have your day planned out and have all these things that are on your "agenda" for the day, but what good is it if you're not listening to the Lord and bringing the kingdom at all times everywhere you go. My favorite question of the day is asking God where He wants me to go. What He wants me to do and what does He want me to say. Okay its a few questions. I can say that I have brought kingdom throughout the whole day every day, but that would make me a liar. I am declaring this right now over my life that I want to bring KINGDOM at ALL times not just
 when I feel like it.
 
Well here is an example of bringing the kingdom in the slums a few weeks ago. Twice a week we go to the slums and love on the community and bring the gospel. We normally meet at this Indian women's house and have fellowship and worship with the women and children. So a few weeks ago I was standing there worshipping with the children and women. As I was standing there worshipping I looked out the back door and noticed this young child standing there with this lost look on his face. I looked at him and could read everything that was going on. He was not sure what we were doing and not sure if he wanted to continue watching or walk away, but instantly I had my heart opened. I listened and felt that the Lord wanted me to wave him in so I did. I did this a few times, but he just stood there with the same expression on his face and then finally he came closer and walked in. He stood there with the children and watched the kids sing songs and joined in worshipping. The whole time we were praising God and teaching the kids I felt the Lord wanted me to speak to him before we left. So I told Saptna (who I live and have community with). So I explained to Saptna that I wanted to talk to him before we left and she translated that to him. So finally the time came and I kept seeking the Lord on what He wanted me to say to this child. I was not really sure how this was going to pan out but I knew that if this was the Lords will then everything would be fine. So I sat there Indian style with this child and started asking him questions about his life. He lives with his three brothers and mom and dad and they are all Hindu. Next thing you know I feel very strongly to ask him if he knew the Lord. So I went for it and I asked it. The tears welded up in his eyes and he said no. I asked him do you want to know Jesus? Because He loves you very much and wants you to know Him and he nodded his yes. Now let me explain something to you about "yes" and "no" in India. If you nod your head no it means yes and if you nod your head no then it means yes.... So of course I get thrown off by it every time when something serious is about to happen, but not this time I realize HE WANTS TO KNOW JESUS....HES READY TO ACCEPT JESUS!!!!! So he let me pray with him and I started speaking encouraging words in Jesus name over this child. There was an instant transformation in this child and the look on his face afterwards was pure joy and no fear. He said that he was going to come back the following week and he has. When we left that day, Saptna approached me and said "did you see the glow on his face before we left?" I left with so much joy that day!!!  From that moment on I realized that I want to listen to God and be obedient at all times because if I don't then it costs the kingdom for those He loves!
Acts 3:22

For Moses said, ‘The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your won people; you must listen to everything he tells you.

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Which side of the battlefield are you going to be on?



 

Psalm 144:1-2

"Praise be to the Lord my Rock, who trains my hands for war, my fingers for battle. He is my loving God and my fortress, my stronghold and my deliverer, my shield, in whom I take refuge, who subdues peoples under me."

 I'm here once again in India. My heart is back in the place that I left it last March.  As we stepped out of the airport the first night instantly everything came back to me that I once left.   Back to crazy dreams, crazy noises and crazy smells.   The smell is exactly how I remembered and of course it sounds like I'm talking about a sweet fruit tree or something right? But I'm not. The smell is not like any other smell I've smelled before. The sky is so full of smog that sometimes you cannot even see the streets and if you cannot see the streets some days then you definitely cannot see the clouds, which is one of my favorite things about a sky besides the sunrise or sunset! Another part of India that I'll never forget is all the people staring at you like you have something on your face. Seriously.......Are we that FUN to look at? All I have to say is its great when God gives us the eyes to see. Ask and He will show. When the Holy Spirit lives in us God shows you everything!!! Try it some time in a coffee shop or a grocery store and please let me know what happens. I love these stories. It's really fun and powerful!!! Sometimes you don't even need to ask He will just show you.
  
 (No I did not take this picture thats the good thing about google)

I have been in India for a week now and have already started to have crazy dreams. The first dream here was definitely a warning dream. I have been in constant prayer over this team and making sure that every angle is covered, but along with crazy dreams the Lord also is giving me some awesome visions. Just a few days ago the Lord gave me this vision of a battlefield and there was bob wire right in the center of this field and the Lord just showed me the worshipers of other gods on one side and then on the other side was men and women seeking after Him in the kingdom. It was the most amazing picture! But I really felt that was going to all change, that picture is going to change, God is going to change that picture and the bob wire is going to no longer be there. Freedom is coming not only in India but in this lost world. I don't think we realize how beautiful God is and His doing. He really does amaze me with everything that He does. So my question for whoever is reading this is which side are you going to choose?

Battlefield is what we are living in, but not for long!!!!

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Theres More To It Then It Sounds!!!!



 

As you have been or might be wondering why I have not posted blogs in a while I have been fasting over a month now from the internet and movies. Honestly, I have fasted before with food and a few other things, but never understood the true meaning, the true physical meaning of fasting besides control. I have been getting up early in the mornings starting in Guatemala and Nicaragua. As you might know that these last two months are the months where you feel dry, tired and hopeless, or something on those lines.....But God has me on a different journey of intimacy with Him right now. I seriously could sit there and day dream of what it's like to be in His presence and touching His face and imagining Him just gleaming at me face to face.

Let me give you a visual of the last two months of the race. 98% diet repellent before going to bed which is anywhere between 8 and on (I know I have grown a bit older since I left on the race) Then waking up around 12 AM and on until whenever you get back to sleep sometimes 3, then get up at 6:00-6:30 AM put some bug repellent on again and add some tiger balm to stop the itching (which by the way thank you Liz for giving this to me its been great). So I have spending my mornings in Guatemala on the roof with this awesome view of the lake and mountains and at the 24 hour prayer house in Nicaragua worshipping and praising every morning!!! Hearing the beautiful whispers of our Father early in the morning is breathtaking really! SERIOUSLY!!!!!! What could bet better than that? NOTHING!!!! Yes, it's been a sacrifice but such a good one.... This fast was supposed to last for a month and God started tugging on my heart to continue the fast until debrief. I asked God to confirm this and He did through a dream I love that He is so faithful to us all the time!   

I don't even know where to begin how God has helped me or taught me to worship Him in freedom the last few months but He has and I completely feel like I'm floating on clouds every time I am in His presence. Feeling Every morning I weep, I cry, I sing, I dance and sometimes I scream praising our Father, our Holy One, our Creator, our Lover, our Hero, our One and only beautiful one!!!!!! Smelling the beautiful aroma of Him.....ahhhhh I just love it!!! I just love Him! I just want all of you to know that this fast has been used to intercede for you and the Nations.  

My outlook on fasting has changed and this will be more of apart of me and my relationship with Him throughout the years of my life!

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No need for computers this month!



 

Isaiah 58:1-14

"Shout it aloud, do not hold back.

Raise your voice like a trumpet.

Declare to my people their rebellion

And to the house of Jacob their sins.

For day after day they seek me out;

They seem eater to know my ways,

As if they were a nation that does what is right

And has not forsaken the commands of its God.

They ask me for just decisions

And seem eager for God to come near them.

Why have we fasted, they say,

And you have not seen it?

And you have not noticed?

"Yet on the day of your fasting, you do as you please

And exploit all your workers.

Your fasting ends in quarreling and strife,

And in striking each other with wicket fists.

You cannot fast as you do today

and expect voice to be heard on high.

Is this the kind of fast I have chosen,

Only a day for a man to humble himself?

Is it only for bowing ones head like reed

And for lying on sackcloth and ashes?

Is that what you call a fast,

A day acceptable to the Lord?

"Is not this the kid of fasting I have chosen:

To loose the chains of injustice

And untie the cords of the yoke,

To set the oppressed free and break every yoke?

Is it not to share your food with the hungry

And to provide the poor wanderer with shelter

When you see the naked, to clothe him,

and not to turn away from your own

 flesh and blood?

Then your light will break forth like the dawn,

And your healing will quickly appear;

Then your righteousness will go before you,

And the glory of the Lord will be your rear guard.

Then you will call, and the Lord will answer;

You will cry for help, and he will say:

Here am I.

"If you do away with the yoke of oppression,

With the pointing finger and malicious talk,

And if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry

And satisfy the needs of the oppressed,

Then your light will rise in the darkness,

And your night will become like the noonday.

The Lord will guide you always;

He will satisfy your needs in sun scorched land

And will strengthen your frame,

You will be lie a well watered garden,

Like a spring whose waters never fail.

Your people will rebuild the ancient ruins

And will raise up the age old

Foundations;

You will b e called Repairer of Broken Walls,

Restorer of Streets with Dwellings.

If you keep your feet from breaking the Sabbath

And from doing as you please on my holy day,

If you call the Sabbath a delight

And the Lord's holy day honorable,

And if your honor it by not going your own way

And not doing as you please or speaking idle words,

Then you will find your joy in the Lord,

And I will cause you to ride on the heights of the land

And to feast on the inheritance of your father Jacob."

The mouth of the Lord has spoken.

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Anan is the Hebrew word that means Cloud!



2 Chronicles 5:13-14
The trumpeters and singers joined in unison, as with one voice, to give praise and thanks to the Lord.  Acompanied by trumpets, cymbals and other instruments, they raised their voices in praise to the Lord and sang:
"His good:
his love endures forever."
Then the temple of the Lord was filled with a cloud, and the priests could not perform their serevice because of the cloud, for the glory of the Lord filled the temple of God.
 
So the Lord gave me this verse and this idea of  a blog for YOU about all the countries I have been to this year and most of the photos all capture AWESOME clouds! 
CHECK IT OUT!
 
Phillipines
 
 
China
 
 
Kenya
 
 
Uganda
 
 
 
Tanzania
 
 
 
India
 
 
Ukraine
 
 
Romania
 
 
Germany
 
 
 Holland
 
 
  
Guatemala
 
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Quick Trip Quick God Moment!!



 
We as in the church and our contacts took a weekend trip for a retreat to Holland and then we did a fun day in Amsterdam touring the city. I have never seen so many bikes in my life, but most importantly I was touring around taking pictures of the awesome buildings. While standing there I heard one of my favorite African songs that I learned in Tanzania (one of the coolest places ever). The melody went along these lines HIGHER HIGHER.....HIGHER HIGHER HIGHER....HIGHER HIGHER LIFT UP JESUS HIGHER. Have you ever heard of that song before? So one of my teammates and I ended up approaching them and we started to worship with them and prayed with one another! It was such an awesome experience and sight to see. Imagine thousands of people all around and people in a circle of it and worshiping and praising God! God always brings these awesome experiences to come even on a day in the town touring around.
 


Untitled from Michelle McDonald on Vimeo.

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Oh Holy Coffee Shop!!!!



 
WALKING IN AUTHORITY

ACTS 3:6

"Then Peter said "Silver or gold I do not have, but what I have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk."

I'm sitting in an airport five hours away from Brasov and it was an interesting night and now we are all crashed out on the floor of this little, but nice airport with my race family.    Have been dancing on water for the last 17 hours because of an amazing day prior and so I cannot wait to just write this in a blog for everyone to experience the joy I have on my heart right now and how crazy God works and that it can happen anywhere you go if you are bold and listen to his whispers in your ear.
 
 

I ended up at this little coffee shop/dessert place to have some God time. As I was just sitting there with two cups of green tea and watching everyone that would step foot into this cute coffee shop I was asking God what He wanted me to do with that time there. For a few weeks the Lord has been speaking to me about reading the book of Acts. Well this has been confirmed several times during debrief. So I started reading this book in the coffee shop. This book is so powerful among most of them. I recommend this book if you're looking into more about the Holy Spirit. So I'm sitting there and reading and asking God questions and God is just answering me left and right. I love this! I love having conversations with our Father, our God!

Acts 4: 1-22 Keep telling the good news everywhere you go......EVERYWHERE! I sat there right then and there asking God what do you want from I will do ANYTHING FOR YOU! Well He started with the women working at the coffee shop and I tried communicating with her but she did not speak any English and of course I did not speak any Romanian so I sat back down and prayed in the spirit asking God what do you want me to do? Do you want me to write her a note? Pray with her? And kept praying in the spirit and in Acts Isaiah came up and so I just opened the bible. Do you ever just ask God where you He wants you to read and you just open the word and He gives you exactly what you wanted what you needed. Well that's what happened to me. I prayed and opened and I opened up to Isaiah. NO JOKE! Really! I opened up to Isaiah 37:14-20 and knew right then and there what God wanted me to do.

Isaiah 37:14-20

THEN. . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . .. . . . .. . . .. . . . .. . .. . .. . . ..

As I was praying and reading this older woman named Loti walked up and sat next to me and started talking to me a little bit in English and she was from Israel. She started telling me about her life and how long she has been living in Israel (30 years).    She use to live in Romania and left when she was 12 years old and came back to visit. Her daughter Rachel then walked up and started speaking with me also and they asked me what I was doing and I told them I was spending time with the Lord. Before they left I asked them if I could pray with them and you should of saw the look on there faces. I sat there in the coffee shop praying for them and when I was done Loti just kept touching my cheeks and saying "Thank you." They left the coffee shop and I was back to asking God what He wanted me to write in this letter to the women working behind the counter at the coffee shop. The letter was titled on the outside "a note from your Father." Inside I wrote everything that the Lord told me. The scripter that was burning on my heart to give her was Psalm 121 and I left this note from the Lord on her cash register.

Psalm 121

I lift up my eyes to the hills-

Where does my help come from?

My help comes from the Lord,

the maker of heaven an earth. 

He will not let your foot slip-

he who watches over you will not

slumber;

indeed, he who watches over Israel

will neither slumber nor sleep. 

The Lord watches over you-

the Lord is your shade at your right

hand;

the sun will not harm you by day,

nor the moon by night. 

The lord will keep you from all harm-

he will watch over your life;

the Lord will watch over your coming

and going both  now and forevermore.

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