ASHES

SO, my friends, just how appetizing does the above pile of ASHES look to you? Not very appealing? Well, what about if I presented them on a lovely china plate with a silver spoon and linen napkin? Not even then, huh? Yeah, I didn't really think so.

But here's what God said to me about ASHES:

He feeds on ashes,

a deluded heart misleads him;

he cannot save himself,

or say "Is not this thing in my right hand a lie?"

Isaiah 44: 20

When I read that verse earlier this week, the Holy Spirit pierced my heart with the truth of God. I thought about how often I eat unhealthy food. No, I don't think I even ought to call it food. Food has value for nourishing the body. A lot of what I eat has no more nutritional value that that pile of ASHES. Isn't that why our society politely labels it "junk food"? ASHES. I'm eating ASHES. Yuck!

I wouldn't want to dine or even snack on the pile of ashes in that picture. So why do I want to eat "junk"? WHY?? The second phrase of the scripture answers the question. My deluded heart misleads me! My deluded heart tells me that's what I want.

And all the time I'm munching on whatever sugary snack has called my name at the moment, I don't look at it and see what an empty lie it is. Why? Because I'm too focused on my "cravings" instead of the truth that God has wonderful, healthy, life-giving food He wants me to eat instead. ASHES - I've been eating ashes - yuck! Yuck! Yuck! And double YUCK!! Lord, would You please forgive me! Change me, Lord!

Because the Holy Spirit was speaking to me so directly as I read this passage, I personalized the next verse (Isa. 44:21) by inserting my name instead of the words "Jacob" and "Israel." Here's how it and verse 22 read in my bible:

Remember these things, Beverly,

You are my servant.

I have made you ....

I will not forget you.

I have swept away your offenses like a cloud,

your sins like the morning mist.

Return to me,

for I have redeemed you.

Isaiah 44:21-22

Oh, my friends, I hope that excites you like it does me! I am SO grateful for God's forgiveness. I am so grateful He sweeps my offenses away like a cloud. I am so grateful He removes my sins like the morning mist. I am so grateful He made me and remembers me and still wants me to serve Him. I am so grateful for His outstretched arms that bid me "return" time and time again. And I am SO grateful for His redemption. His redemption is EVERYTHING!!

Oh, precious Redeemer and friend, replace my deluded heart with a heart that is fully yielded to You and Your truth!

WEIGH IN

True to my card holding membership in Procrastinator's Anonymous, this past Tuesday I bought my dress for my granddaughter's wedding which is a mere two weeks away. I may have waited until the "last minute" but, thankfully, I was still able to find a dress I loved. However, I confess, I did NOT love the SIZE I had to buy. Yesterday after I posted this picture on Facebook I sat looking at it and thinking, "How on earth did I get this fat again??" Did you catch that last word? AGAIN. Shall I say it once more? AGAIN! ARGH!!! If I wrote my autobiography today I'd have to title it "YoYo." This is the story of my life. Lose weight. Gain weight. Lose weight. Gain weight. Lose weight. Gain weight.

The sad thing is, every time I successfully lose weight I promise myself I will NOT gain it back. Yet, here I am again. How on earth did I get this fat again? That's an easy question to answer. By eating more food than my body needs. By failing to exercise. I did it one day at a time, one bite at a time, one unburned calorie at a time.

But here's a question that is NOT so easy to answer. It was posed to me by a girl in my Sunday School class, a sister in weight struggles, a couple of weeks ago. Here's basically how she worded the question that was in both our hearts - and I would venture to guess, also in many of yours.

God has broken powerful bondages in my life and I walk in freedom in those areas today because of His wonderful deliverance. Why can't I get freedom in this area? What makes weight struggles different from any other bondage?

Weigh in, girls... especially those of you who face this same struggle. Let's get some dialog going. Let's see if we can encourage one another. How would you respond to this question: Why are we unable to find God's freedom in the area of food issues?

CHRISTMAS LOVE

CHRISTMAS LOVE

a paraphrase of 1 Corinthians 13

If I decorate my house perfectly with plaid bows,

strands of twinkling lights and shiny balls,

but do not show love to my family, I'm just another decorator.

If I slave away in the kitchen, baking dozens of Christmas cookies,

preparing gourmet meals and arranging a beautifully adorned table at mealtime,

but do not show love to my family, I'm just another cook.

If I work at the soup kitchen, carol in the nursing home

and give all that I have to charity,

but do not show love to my family, it profits me nothing.

If I trim the spruce with shimmering angels and crocheted snowflakes,

attend a myriad of holiday parties and sing in the choir's cantata

but do not focus on Christ, I have missed the point.

Love stops the cooking to hug the child.

Love sets aside the decorating to kiss the spouse.

Love is kind, though harried and tired.

Love doesn't envy another's home that has coordinated

Christmas china and table linens.

Love doesn't yell at the kids to get out of the way.

Love doesn't give only to those who are able to give in return

but rejoices in giving to those who can't.

Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

Love never fails.

Video games will break,

pearl necklaces will be lost,

golf clubs will rust,

but giving the gift of CHRISTMAS LOVE will endure.

- author unknown -

KISS for CHRISTMAS

Few people on earth love the Christmas season any better than I do but, for some reason I can't really put my finger on, this Christmas has a different "feel." No, I'm not depressed. No, I'm not in a Bah-Humbug mood. For some strange reason since as early as last summer my mind-set has been K.I.S.S. for Christmas 2009. That stands for KEEP IT SUPER SIMPLE. I wonder if I'm just getting "old". Oh wait! I AM OLD. Sometimes I forget. In fact, most times I forget.

For the first time in more than 20 years, I only put up one tree this year. When I mused last summer that I might do that, my son-in-law uttered a choice expletive and declared he'd believe it when he saw it. Well, believe it friends and family. One tree. UNTHEMED. It's a hodge podge of everything that's special to us - family pictures, Santa, angels, scripture, and nativity ornaments all hang side by side. It's a plaid and pinecones Christmas this year with one tree for the Wooley's. Don't feel sorry for us ... it's still pretty festive.

Come on in ... here's the kitchen door - always open to friends and family.

The Baker's Rack is decorated.

So is the mantle.


And the end tables.

And here's the hodge-podge tree.

Complete with a Santa following his team of Beagles just like my favorite "Santa" (only mine uses a four-wheeler, not a sleigh).

Now - just in case this doesn't look "Super Simple" to you, CLICK HERE to see what Christmas looked like at our house last year.

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY TO US

November 27, 1964

Forty-five years ago today Roy and I were married at Palmer Baptist Church in Ripley, Mississippi. My Bible professor from Blue Mountain College, Dr. James L. Travis performed the ceremony before a small gathering of family and friends. His sweet wife, Lucille, played the piano for us. My college roommate, Jeann Kennedy (Camp), was my maid of honor. Roy's best man was his life-long best friend, Jerry Newcomb.

We entered the realm of marriage the same way most newly weds do ... all starry-eyed and thinking we knew all there was to know about love. Me, a spoiled little city girl from Florida. Roy, a bona-fide country boy from Mississippi. As different as night and day!

If I'd known then what I know today, would I have made the same choice? You better believe it!!

Next to inviting Jesus to be my Savior, deciding I wanted to be Mrs. Roy Wooley was the best decision I've ever made.

When I asked Jesus to save me and become Lord of my life, I was only 8 years old. I was a care-free little third grade girl with very little responsibility in life and limited understanding. I didn't know Jesus then the way I know Him today. I didn't know myself then the way I do today. I only knew that I committed as much of myself as I understood to as much of Jesus as I understood. Over the years, I've grown in my knowledge of Him ... and of myself. Today, at 64 years old, I am STILL growing in my knowledge of Him ... and of myself. And this I can honestly say, "I love Him better every day."

When I stood at the front of that little church as a 19 year old bride, looked into Roy Wooley's eyes, and repeated my vows I was still a naive little girl with little responsibility and limited understanding. I didn't know Roy then the way I know him today. I didn't know myself then the way I do today. But, on that day, I committed as much of myself as I understood to as much of Roy as I understood. Over the years, I've grown in my knowledge of my husband ... and of myself. Today, after 45 years of marriage, I am STILL growing in my knowledge of him. The man surprises me all the time! Sometimes so much so that it takes my breath away. GRIN But this I can truly say, "I love him better every day."

I am richly blessed to have a husband like Roy and to have had the joy of raising a family with him and now sharing grandchildren together. The influence of his wonderful positive attitude has lifted me up more times than I can count. My natural tendency is negativity.

Roy is a man of great integrity and that, for me, has nurtured a longed for sense of security and trust. He is a tenacious achiever, a take charge, "do-it-now" kind of guy. I can't tell you how many times that has reproved my personal proclivity towards procrastination.

He is a man of great generosity. I have learned a multitude of lessons from him about acceptance of others without qualification.

Roy is a man of GREAT humor. And that, my friends is an understatement if there ever was one! He is a hoot and a half!! His light-heartedness and quick wit have diffused many difficult and awkward situations over the years. The proverbs say that a merry heart does us good the same way medicine does when we are ill. I know that Roy's "merry heart" has added so much laughter to our home over the years that the fun times of being together are too numerous to count.

I am thankful for his strength and honor and ethics. I admire his passion for whatever his current "interest" is - be it bass fishing or Beagles. I want to emulate his continual desire to grow and learn.

I know I am a better person today because of Roy's influence in my life over the past 46 years (we dated a year before we married). I thank God for placing Roy in my life and for granting him enough godly mercy and forgiveness towards me to stay there.

I pray that I would "do him good and not harm all the days of his life." (Proverbs 31:12)

This is my daily prayer:

Lord, help me to love my husband

unreservedly,

with the heart of the Father,

by the grace of the Son,

and in the power of the Spirit.

Help me to bless him

expecting nothing in return.

Amen.

COMPUTER CATASTROPHE

For those of you not on Facebook (all two of you in the western hemisphere) - here's my not so glorious announcement.

My computer contracted a Trojan virus on Thursday evening. Resuscitation efforts were unsuccessful. Within moments the operating system fell victim and quickly and fatally expired.

Let me see if I can answer some of the questions that are now flitting through your mind:

• YES, we had virus protection in place (McAfee).
• NO, I had not installed McAffee's latest updates.
• YES, I understand that is stupid. EXTREMELY stupid.
• YES, we took the computer to the experts immediately (Geek Squad).
• NO, they were not able to affect any repair.
• NO, they were not even able to retrieve any data from the hard drive.
• NO, I did not have current backups of my files.
• YES, I understand that is BEYOND stupid ... I just can't think of a "word" severe enough for it.
• YES, I lost all manner of files that were important to me - documents, pictures, genealogy research, etc. Plus - a few programs (like PictureIt!) that I really enjoyed and no longer have the installation discs for.
• YES, I will gratefully accept all expressions of sympathy.
• NO, I do not need you to tell me how stupid I am not to have had backups. I have done that for myself quite thoroughly. Hold those comments if you don't mind. I have cried enough.
• YES, we bought a new computer - obviously.
• NO, I am not having fun getting it set up. I am OLD, people! I function best in the realm of the familiar. Computer set up does not fall in that category for me. My knowledge of computer technology would ALMOST fill a thimble!
• YES, I wish one of my kids was nearby. All three of my sweet (adult) children are extremely computer savvy and have always set up anything I needed computer-wise and shown me how to use it. I'm spoiled as well as illiterate. Problem is - right now my kids are in North Carolina, Ohio and Canada! (Note to Lori, John and Lisa: I wish you were here to help but that comment's NOT meant for a guilt trip - so don't pick up that bag! Yo momma luvs you!)

Okay - that's enough whining. I'm fixing to go get in the WORD and let the Holy Spirit give me an ATTITUDE ADJUSTMENT. Goodness knows, I NEED one!

HALLELUJAH TO OUR GREAT GOD

For those of you who may not read MckMama's blog but have prayed for her precious little son, Stellan, I wanted to make sure you knew the latest on his condition so that you could join me in shouting Hallelujahs to our great and awesome God.

These are pictures MckMama took of Stellan in Boston last Sunday just a short while before she had to rush him to the Emergency Room. Stellan was scheduled to have an ablation on the pathways in his heart that have caused him to have extremely critical cardiac issues since before he was born. [You can click on the Praying for Stellan button on my side bar and read his whole story - along with all the miraculous medical play by play of this week.]

Sunday, as they began weaning him from his cardiac meds in preparation for the procedure on Tuesday morning, his little system began to crash. By Monday morning they moved the ablation up a day. He was so gravely ill there was no choice. In fact, at one point, he had flat-lined and had to be shocked back to life.

But, here's the HALLELUJAH NEWS in a nutshell: God has big plans for this little boy and He guided the hands of a renown team of cardiologists at Boston Children's Hospital and accomplished a healing of this baby's heart that was exceedingly abundantly above all we asked or thought!!!! Great and Mighty is HE!! This is no small miracle. The odds of these results being accomplished were less than 20%. But our God is not bound by "odds"!! Today Stellan has a healthy heart for the first time in his little one year old life and will be able to live the rest of his life like any other healthy child.

Join me in saying: THANK YOU, LORD! THANK YOU, LORD! THANK YOU, LORD! THANK YOU, LORD! THANK YOU, LORD! THANK YOU, LORD! THANK YOU, LORD! THANK YOU, LORD! THANK YOU, LORD!THANK YOU, LORD! THANK YOU, LORD! THANK YOU, LORD! THANK YOU, LORD! THANK YOU, LORD!THANK YOU, LORD! THANK YOU, LORD! THANK YOU, LORD! THANK YOU, LORD! THANK YOU, LORD! THANK YOU, LORD! THANK YOU, LORD! THANK YOU, LORD! THANK YOU, LORD!THANK YOU, LORD! THANK YOU, LORD! THANK YOU, LORD! THANK YOU, LORD! THANK YOU, LORD! THANK YOU, LORD! THANK YOU, LORD! THANK YOU, LORD! THANK YOU, LORD! THANK YOU, LORD! THANK YOU, LORD! THANK YOU, LORD! THANK YOU, LORD! THANK YOU, LORD! THANK YOU, LORD! THANK YOU, LORD! THANK YOU, LORD! THANK YOU, LORD! THANK YOU, LORD!THANK YOU, LORD!