by Macy Johnson
“Seek
the peace and prosperity of the city
to
which I have carried you into exile.
Pray
to the Lord for it,
because
if it prospers, you too will prosper.”
(Jeremiah
29:7 NIV)
My
favorite place to visit early in the morning is our porch. After spending time
with Jesus in my studio and writing love notes to Him, I step gingerly down the
stairs and brew another cup of coffee in our Keurig machine. I put on my jacket
and step out of the porch door.
“I consider that our present sufferings
are not worth comparing with the glory
that will be revealed in us.”
(Romans 8:18 NIV)
No matter what I will face today,
I know it will bring me one day closer to seeing Jesus face to face. Just a few
more steps, a few more breaths, and a few more thoughts before I can say
“adios, sayonara, auf wiedersehen, au revoir, so long” to this failing body and
mind. I look forward to something much better down the road. I hope you will,
too!
“The fear of the Lord is the beginning
of wisdom;
all who follow His precepts have good
understanding.
To Him belongs eternal praise.”
(Psalm 111:10 NIV)
I still hear the voice of the
angel say to the shepherds, “Do not be afraid! I bring good news!” As I look
out my window on the changes in nature, right before my eyes, I am reminded God
IS in control. His plans are so far above my own. This little speck of dust can
trust the Triune Creator. I hope you will, too!
“Be still, and know that I am God;
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth.”
(Psalm 46:10 NIV)
The echoes of my children’s
voices to their distraught mother to “breathe” still linger. Raising two
teenagers while working full time was hectic and stressful. My only hope was to
be still and know I did not need to have my act together. I only needed to
trust and obey. I will seek to keep pace with my heavenly Father today. I hope
you will, too!
I am the vine; you are the branches.
If a man remains in me and I in him,
he will bear much fruit;
apart from me you can do nothing.”
(John 15:5 NIV)
God gives and I receive, as a
branch grafted into Him. I did not choose Him. I would rather choose to be the
master of my own life. God reveals Himself to those He chooses to use in His
kingdom. He gives them life through His Son, Jesus. What a difficult and
amazing Truth! I choose to be confident in my Savior. I hope you will, too!
“Who despises the day of small things?”
(Zechariah 4:10 NIV)
The first word of a prayer. The
first step on a walk. The first thought when I wake. All firsts are necessary
to move me in the right direction. I must choose firsts wisely. It
is a discipline that takes a lifetime to develop. The key is to start
something, be “pro-active” as my mother would say, and make a difference in the
world around me. I will start today on the path with Jesus and walk by His
side. I hope you will, too!
“Do not boast about tomorrow,
for you do not know what a day may
bring forth.”
(Proverbs 27:1 NIV)
What a sobering thought on the
second day of a new year! I will not be discouraged at a slow start or overly
excited about a jump start to this blessed experience. Tomorrow has morphed
into Today. Whether I trudge through muck and mire or glide effortlessly on
air, I will soberly face each day as a gift from my heavenly Father, to be
enjoyed solely for His glory. I hope you will, too!
“See I am doing a new thing!
Now it springs up; do you not perceive
it?
I am making a way in the desert and
streams in the wasteland.”
(Isaiah 43:19 NIV)
Happy New Year! Look around you
and rejoice in the fresh, new start today brings. I thank my heavenly Father
for a renewed look at all His blessings through nature and those I love, near
and far. Every day is an adventure into the unknown. Yesterday is gone,
tomorrow is not yet here, so I will live today fully for His glory. I hope you
will, too!
by Macy Johnson
“Then maidens will dance and be glad,
young men and old as well.
I will turn their mourning into
gladness;
I will give them comfort and joy
instead of sorrow.”
(Jeremiah 31:13 NIV)
All the
way home from church I pouted. I had messed up the choir’s anthem accompaniment
and dreaded the Christmas Cantata service just six hours away. Mark Hayes’
“Gloria” had taken a big bite out of my pride. Nine pages of music got the best
of me. I had spread the pages out, but was confused and lost my way. Thankfully,
recovery was swift.
by Macy Johnson
“But seek first His kingdom and His
righteousness,
and all these things will be given to
you as well.”
(Matthew 6:33 NIV)
I read a
devotional about a writer who ran for public office in her community. She lost
the race and was despondent. All her year-long plans to help others crumbled.
As she slipped into depression, she sought counsel and thus discovered new ways
to serve.
by Macy Johnson
“And Jesus said to them,
‘I tell you the truth, some who are
standing here
will not taste death before they see
the kingdom of God come with power.’”
(Mark 9:1 NIV)
I received
a text message from a Tennessee cousin one early December afternoon. Her mother
had just passed away. My aunt was a very special lady. When she came to visit
us, we did things with her that we never would have done with my parents. Aunt
Joy always brought joy into our lives.
by Macy Johnson
“He looked up and said, ‘I see people;
they look like trees walking around.’”
(Mark 8:24 NIV)
During my
morning devotional I read about how Jesus healed the blind man near Bethsaida. The
story reminded me of zombies.
My husband
was a fan of the television series The Walking Dead for a long time. I
refused to watch it with him, thinking it was a waste of time. The zombies were
dead, but they did not know it. They attacked living people in order to
survive.
by Macy Johnson
“This is a day of good news
and we are keeping it to ourselves.
Let’s go at once and report this to the
royal palace.”
(2 Kings 7:9 NIV)
My
husband, Jeff, and I returned one sunny, Saturday afternoon from the surprise
celebration of our friend’s ninetieth birthday. As I pulled my Tahoe into our
carport, I noticed two large packages by the door. My heart sank. Something was
amiss. Just as I suspected, my Amazon order had been double-shipped. I opened
both boxes. Instead of receiving one hundred velvet hangers for the hospital’s
Gift Gallery, I received two hundred! What should I do with so many?
by Macy Johnson
“I will give you the keys of the
kingdom of heaven;
whatever you bind on earth will be
bound in heaven,
and whatever you loose on earth will be
loosed in heaven.”
(Matthew 16:19 NIV)
I sent a
text to our church’s Worship Director. Could he please let me in the church so
I could get the music ready for choir rehearsal? I had not yet been provided
with my own key as our congregation’s Treasurer. Sometimes church
administration wheels move frustratingly slow.
by Macy Johnson
“Jesus did many other miraculous signs
in the presence of his disciples,
which are not recorded in this book.”
(John 20:30 NIV)
My
husband, Jeff, and I enjoyed watching the “Poldark” series on Netflix. My
favorite part of the program was the scenery. It is set on the ocean near
Cornwall, England a few years after the American Revolutionary War. English
author, Winston Graham, brought his saga of English history to life with his
books written from 1945 to 2002.
by Macy Johnson
“If you love me,
you will obey what I command.”
(John 14:15 NIV)
Oswald
Chambers wrote, “If I obey Jesus Christ in the haphazard circumstances, they
become pinholes through which I see the face of God. The Redemption of God will
rush through me to other lives, because behind the deed of obedience is the
Reality of Almighty God.”
by Macy Johnson
“Then He said to His disciples,
‘The harvest is plentiful but the
workers are few.’”
(Matthew 9:37 NIV)
As I wrote
a love letter to God one morning, I struggled with thoughts of recent
happenings. I tried to make sense of what had transpired the day before, and I
heard Jesus speak in my heart, “This is from me.”
by Macy Johnson
“This is the disciple who testifies to
these things
and who wrote them down.
We know that his testimony is true.”
(John 21:24 NIV)
During the
last years before retirement I was a Documentation Specialist. My role in
various organizations was to put accounting job processes into words, clearly
organized and verified. I reported to management and their accounting firms.
by Macy Johnson
“If it is the Lord’s will,
we will live and do this or that.”
(James 4:15 NIV)
My
daughter, Libby, approached me one day and suggested I write a daily devotional
book. She told me she likes to read something every morning, as I do, and
perhaps I could write one for her.
by Macy Johnson
“For the kingdom of God is not a matter
of talk
but of power.”
(1 Corinthians 4:20 NIV)
Oswald
Chambers wrote: “The moral miracle of Redemption is that God can put into me a
new disposition whereby I can live a totally new life!”
by Macy Johnson
“Who despises the day of small things?”
(Zechariah 4:10 NIV)
It was the
final rehearsal before the memorial service. Forty-eight former students filled
the choir of Fort Walton Beach’s First Presbyterian Church. A basket of stick
pins was passed around the loft. The pins had a beautiful silk yellow rosebud
attached. It was Phyllis Merritt’s favorite flower. I accepted the small rose in
memory of my high school choir director.
by Macy Johnson
“And my God will meet all your needs
according to his glorious riches in
Christ Jesus.”
(Philippians 4:19 NIV)
One of my
favorite choral pieces I performed with the Morgan County High School Choir as
their accompanist was “He Never Failed Me Yet” by Robert Ray. I sang it with
the Madison Presbyterian Church choir and later accompanied the Madison First
United Methodist Church choir while they sang this popular piece. I now play the
piano for my church’s choir to sing this encouraging gospel anthem.
by Macy Johnson
“Wait for the Lord;
be strong and take heart
and wait for the Lord.”
(Psalm 27:14 NIV)
A former
boss once asked me, “Do you know how to eat an elephant?” I shook my head. He responded,
“One bite at a time.”
by Macy Johnson
“He said to me: ‘It is done.
I am the Alpha and the Omega, the
Beginning and the End.
To him who is thirsty I will give to
drink without cost
from the spring of the water of life.”
(Revelation 21:6 NIV)
“I have come to bring fire on the
earth,
and how I wish it were already
kindled!”
(Luke 12:49 NIV)
In the
beginning, God created water and fire, essentials for life here on earth. They
are gracious gifts when they are properly used. Jesus is the Water of Life. The
Holy Spirit is the consuming Fire.
by Macy Johnson
“But Jesus knew what they were thinking
and said to the man with the shriveled
hand,
“Get up and stand in front of
everyone.”
So he got up and stood there.”
(Luke 6:8 NIV)
I drove to
a hospital auxiliary nominating committee meeting one sunny afternoon. The
slate of most officers for the next year had been determined. The current
officers had accepted renewal of their service, except for the Treasurer. When
asked if I would assume that position, I explained, “I am committed to serve as
the hospital gift shop’s manager.”
by Macy Johnson
“My mouth will speak words of wisdom;
the utterance from my heart will give
understanding.”
(Psalm 49:3 NIV)
My
husband, Jeff, and I enjoyed a quiet Friday morning on our porch. I cradled
coffee in my hands and looked out over the calm surface of the lake as I
listened to Jeff’s “to do” list. We both had plenty on our plates before
our daughter and her family arrived that evening.
by Macy Johnson
“What I tell you in the dark,
speak in the daylight;
what is whispered in your ear,
proclaim from the roofs.”
(Matthew 10:27 NIV)
One of my
greatest joys is to be able to type on my computer. Several years ago, I was
diagnosed with osteoarthritis in my right thumb. Pain in my hand forced me to
give up a mouse and use my laptop’s touchpad instead. I wondered if someday I
would need to give up typing. I hoped there would be a technology at that time
that would allow me to speak and type words for me.
by Macy Johnson
“In my Father’s house are many rooms;
if it were not so, I would have told
you.
I am going there to prepare a place for
you.”
(John 14:2 NIV)
From the autumn
of 1969 through the spring of 1972, I was the accompanist and a singer with
Pensacola’s Escambia High School Rebelaires. Our director, Phyllis
Merritt, disciplined our twenty-four vocal ensemble members through incredible
musical creations. In 1970 we were invited to tour Europe and sing in
cathedrals and concert halls.
by Macy Johnson
“I am the Lord your God,
who brought you up out of Egypt.
Open wide your mouth and I will fill it.”
(Psalm 81:10 NIV)
My
husband, Jeff, and I watched cardinals flock around our bird feeder. Several birds
perched on nearby chair rails and we noticed a strange activity taking place.
One male cardinal leaned over to a female and put his beak inside her mouth. He
then leaned over to another female on his other side and repeated the process.
“What are they doing?” I asked Jeff.
by Macy Johnson
“Dear friends, now we are children of
God,
and what we will be has not been made
known.
But we know that when He appears,
we shall be like Him, for we shall see
Him as He is.”
(1 John 3:2 NIV)
I looked
out of my upstairs window after a rain shower one morning in July. In place of
a beautiful sunrise, all I saw was a fuzzy mist. The cool air inside my house
had caused condensation to form on the outside of my windows.
by Macy Johnson
“He brought me out into a spacious
place;
he rescued me because he delighted in
me.”
(Psalm 18:19 NIV)
The Lord
leads me to spacious places and helps me see Him more clearly. As I write this
blog, my husband and I are camping with our grandson, Carver, at Mistletoe
State Park near Appling, Georgia. It is one of my favorite campgrounds, because
it presents breathtaking big-water scenes over clear Clarks Hill Lake.
“Who among you fears the Lord
and obeys the word of His servant?
Let him who walks in the dark, who has
no light,
trust in the name of the Lord and rely
on his God.”
(Isaiah 50:10 NIV)
My friend,
Susan, and I have experienced many struggles together in our community of
faith. Her patient listening and wise advice have kept me in line and looking
up to our heavenly Father. In response to one of my weary, negative texts she
encouraged me, “You can do it! Be the light!”
by Macy Johnson
“The lamp of the Lord searches the
spirit of a man;
it searches out his inmost being.”
(Proverbs 20:27 NIV)
The Holy
Spirit leads me to places where He wants to serve with me. He knows what others
need before I do. He searches their spirits and leads me to be a blessing to
them.
by Macy Johnson
“Make levels paths for your feet
and take only ways that are firm.”
(Proverbs 4:26 NIV)
I recently
camped at George L. Smith State Park near Twin City, Georgia. It surrounds a 412-acre
pond filled with stately cypress trees which reminded my husband, Jeff, of the
lakes he fished as a boy in Louisiana.
by Macy Johnson
“In the beginning
God created the heavens and the earth.”
(Genesis 1:1 NIV)
Have you
ever heard of the Golden Ratio? My husband, Jeff, introduced me to it while
reading The Epoch Times newspaper one afternoon.
The Golden
Ratio is represented by the Greek letter phi and is approximately equal to 1.618.
This mathematical proportion is found in nature, art, and architecture. April
Holloway writes in the Epoch Times (“The Golden Ratio – a Sacred Number That
Links the Past to the Present”) this ratio is used by architects and artists to
“achieve a perfect aesthetic composition.”
by Macy Johnson
“In that day men will look to their
Maker
and turn their eyes to the Holy One of
Israel.”
(Isaiah 17:7 NIV)
My
husband, Jeff, and I watched a documentary about Terry Kath, a gifted musician
and an original founder of the musical group Chicago. His daughter,
Michelle, interviewed many who knew Terry. He tragically died in a handgun
accident when his daughter was very young.
by Macy Johnson
“Jesus, tired as he was from the
journey,
sat down by the well.”
(John 4:6 NIV)
While
camping at Florence Marina State Park, my husband, Jeff, and I visited nearby Providence
Canyon State Park. It was established in 1971 to preserve the unique scenic
beauty of Georgia’s Little Grand Canyon.
by Macy Johnson
“He who pursues righteousness and love
finds life, prosperity and honor.”
(Proverbs 21:21 NIV)
I pulled
our camper into Georgia’s State Park at Florence Marina on Lake Eufaula.
Arriving near the Alabama state line I felt like I was lost in space, hovering
between time zones. My cell phone received signals from a tower in Central Time
(Alabama), while I stood in Eastern Time (Georgia). The camper’s clock said 3:00
pm and my phone said 2:00 pm. Both times were correct.
by Macy Johnson
“The creation itself will be liberated
from its bondage to decay
and brought into the glorious freedom
of the children of God.”
(Romans 8:21 NIV)
A wise
person once suggested, “Only floss the teeth you want to keep.”
I wish I
had taken better care of my teeth. My wallet is seriously taking a beating now
because of my former foolishness. My mouth is home to four tooth implants. I am
thankful for my new teeth and the joy of a stronger and healthier bite.
by Macy Johnson
“If I speak in the tongues of men and
of angels,
but have not love,
I am only a resounding gong or a
clanging cymbal.”
(1 Corinthians 13:1 NIV)
I confessed
to the Lord while writing to Him early one morning, “Only you can reveal the
Truth. My words are gobbledygook.” Oxford Dictionary defines gobbledygook
as “language that is meaningless or is made unintelligible by excessive use of technical
terms; nonsense.” My words are fruitless without the Holy Spirit to interpret
them in the heart of the reader.
by Macy Johnson
“The infant will play near the hole of
the cobra,
and the young child put his hand into
the viper’s nest.”
(Isaiah 11:8 NIV)
A scrawny
deer suddenly appeared next to Jeff while we were enjoying a fire at our
campsite. It bent down to pick up and eat a large leaf that had fallen from a
nearby tree. The deer crept around the fire to my side. Its big black eyes
looked at me with anticipation of a morsel to eat.
by Macy Johnson
“For I am the Lord, your God,
who takes hold of your right hand and
says to you,
Do not fear; I will help you.”
(Isaiah 41:13 NIV)
One
morning while camping at Georgia’s Fort McAllister State Park near Savannah, I
read a devotional story about a boy hit by a car while riding his bicycle. My
husband and I planned to take a long bike ride that morning. It would be the
first time I got on my bike, Penelope, since the accident when I fractured my
pelvis. Was the devotional a sign?
