Stiff Neck, Screwy Spine

by Macy Johnson

“Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and shun evil. This will bring health to your body and nourishment to your bones.”

(Proverbs 3:7-8 NIV)

Several years ago, while living in Birmingham, I visited a chiropractor because my neck hurt. 

The doctor concluded, “You have a screwy spine.” Recent DEXA (Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry) bone scans confirm osteopenia (bone loss) in my hips and spine, early stages of a weakened, brittle skeleton.

Count Your Blessings

by Macy Johnson

“How many are your works, O Lord! In wisdom you made them all;

the earth is full of your creatures.”

(Psalm 104:24 NIV)

One Sunday morning, Beverly and I played a captivating piano-organ duet of the well-loved hymn “Count Your Blessings.” 

In the following days, the stanzas rolled around in my brain, nudging me to pay attention to all the wonderful ways in which God continually pours Himself through me.

One, two, three…my feeble brain counts everything, including footsteps. I reset thermostat controls from odd to even numbers. I write dates in the margins of my Bible when I read a section or verse. Why did God create us to count?

On a Mission

by Macy Johnson

“Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous deeds among all peoples.” (Psalm 96:3 NIV)

Headed to a recording session at the middle school, I hurried into my favorite shop for a gift. I breezed past the front counter and overheard a woman say to her co-worker, “She must be on a mission!”

I don’t like to shop. Growing up, I dreaded the weekly, often daily visits with my mother to Gayfer’s, the local department store. When my younger sister developed an affinity for shopping with Mom, I was graciously excused from that daughterly duty.

Eternal Connections

by Macy Johnson

“Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.”

(1 Corinthians 12:27 NIV)

A new year dawned. In my early morning devotions I asked God, “What is your “word” for me for the year ahead?” It came loud and clear: Connections.

As the new year’s days progressed, I re-connected with my childhood best friend on Facebook and my brother and cousins at our aunt’s memorial service. My biological half-sister flew across the country to solidify our new-found relationship, conceived through a DNA test.