Pam Woodson
minister, writer, wife, mom
"Out of the abundance [OVERFLOW] of the HEART, the mouth speaks [the blogger blogs!]" (Luke 6:45).
"Watch over your HEART with all diligence, for from it FLOW the springs of life" (Prov. 4:23).
Woodson Ministries
Solid Bible Teachers
I Like
Joyce Meyer
Kate McVeigh
Bob Yandian
Willie George
Myles Munroe
Woody Woodson!
Radio Favorites
Books
that Have Helped Me
The Bible!
Beyond Ourselves, by Catherine Marshall (I received Christ while reading this in
9th grade)
Cooks Collage, Tulsa Jr. Women's League cooking
Prescriptions for a Miracle, by Mark Brazee (devotionals on healing)
Sparkling
Gems, by Rick Renner (devotionals)
The Pulpit Commentaries
Vine's Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words
Totally
Frivolous Why-would-anyone-else-care? Trivia:
I Like...
Christmastime
Mexican food
Italian food
chocolate!!!
praying in the afternoon
writing
playing
the guitar
looking at the stars
playing baseball
putting (golf)
classic cars
longtime friends
giving the Word
helping needy kids
Butterfingers
flowers
the
color blue
my son's brain and humor
cooking (not every day)
staying up on the news
going to Branson
barbecued ribeyes
love songs
reading
my Bible in the morning
being with Woody and our son
getting flowers and cards from Woody
Reruns: I Love Lucy, Mary
Tyler Moore, Dick Van Dyke, Andy Griffith
listening to praise and worship music
seeing fireworks on the 4th
my birthday,
July 5th -- so one reason they shoot off fireworks the night before?
chocolate doughnuts and orange juice for breakfast
wearing
jeans and sneakers
being me -- the unique person God made
Date: 6/22/09
Is Your Dream from God?
by Pam Woodson
As I wrote in my blog
"My 9th Grade Experience," I prayed and accepted Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior, believing He is my PERSONAL Lord and Savior
and not just one for the entire world, when I was reading a book called "Beyond Ourselves" by Catherine Marshall. (Catherine
Marshall was also the best-selling author of "Christy," which has been produced in film as well.) That experience happened near
the beginning of the book...then I put it down and quit reading. The next year as a 10th-grader, I decided to finally finish the book.Again the book impacted my life with a lesson about God that I have turned to many times over the years. The author talked
about how to know if the dream in your heart is from God, and discussed praying for that dream, desire, vision to happen.
Catherine Marshall provided five questions we should ask ourselves concerning our dreams:
1) Does our dream
involve taking anything from someone else or hurting other people? If it does, it is not from God.
2)
Do we want our dream with our whole heart? A divided heart, wanting something halfway, may be an indicator it is not from God.
3)
Are we willing to wait patiently for God's timing? Having a dream fulfilled is not like ordering at the McDonald's drive-thru and
getting instant service.
4) Are we dreaming big? The bigger the dream and the more people it could bless for
God the better.
5) Are we willing to hand our dream over to God? I alter her explanation of this a bit and
encourage people to give the dream to God in prayer but then do what they can with a plan to see it come to pass, believing He will
fulfill His will for them. Proverbs 16:3 (NASV) says, "Commit your works to the Lord, and your plans will be established." Proverbs
3: 5, 6 (NASV) says, "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge
Him, and He will make your paths straight."
After reading these five questions for the first time in high
school, I especially centered in on number four and asked myself, "What is the BIGGEST dream I can think of?" Immediately, it came
to me: play guitar at Young Life. Young Life was, and still is, a Christian-based organization for high school students. Each school
had its own branch. I and many of my friends would drive to the TU campus to fill a small building there for a weekly gathering of
singing, fun skits and games, and a short sermon geared towards our age. A couple of college students played their guitars up
in front during the singing time. No high school students did this with them. For me to dream of doing that for God was crazy and
totally out of reach. But it was the biggest thing I could think of, and the rest of the five questions got answered right by me,
so I prayed for it to happen. I prayed that I would get to play my guitar and lead during the singing at Young Life. I saw no way
it could happen.
At some point after that, one of the TU student leaders hosted a slumber party for girls
in our high school Young Life group. She had a guitar there. Everyone wanted to sing. She said she didn't play, that it was her roommate's.
I said, "I know how to play." No one knew that fact. I can't say I was great at playing (and definitely not great at singing), but
I had memorized some of the songs we all knew, even from the radio, so they were able to go for it. Later, the college girl
told the other leaders I could play guitar. The next thing I knew, I was asked to play during the regular Young Life meetings for
that next year. The BIG dream I had prayed about had come to pass.
Now, I realize that this may not sound
like much. But to a teenager who never had done much for God, it was gigantic. I was shocked that God had given me my desire, my dream.
As I have grown in Him, I have continued to pray for my dreams to be fulfilled. Each one has gotten bigger and bigger. They are nowhere
near as big as I would want them to be. But I'll keep dreaming in my heart, praying prayers to turn them over to God to perform, and
waiting for Him to do more and more as time goes by.
Do you have a dream that can pass the five-question test?
Do you have something in your heart to do that could bless other people through your life? We as God's children are called to go "beyond
ourselves" -- beyond living only for "me, me, me" -- and reach out to touch others for His glory. Dare to dream. Dare to dream big.
Dare to dream with a big dream that only God can bring to pass, touching other lives in a way that only God can do.
Giving:
Bible insights,
Personal trivia,
Christian world perspectives
Copyright 2009, by Pam Woodson. All rights reserved.
Living:
Jesus-Is-Lord Christianity,
Grass roots conservativism,
Red-white-and-blue patriotism
Audio: Blessings and Miracles
Monthly RECIPE
(send your recipe, too!)
Comments
Praise & Worship CD's
Hello Love (Chris Tomlin)
Beautiful Name (Church On The Move)
Hillsong
CD's
Michael W. Smith CD's
WOW Worship CD's
Top-Ten I Play On My iPod
Over My Head, Brian Littrell
I
Know You're There, Casting Crowns
Today Is the Day, Lincoln Brewster
With You, Mark Willard
God With Us, MercyMe
You're Not Alone, Meredith
Andrews
Only You, David Crowder Band
Your Grace Is Enough, Matt Maher
What You Give Away, Vince Gill
Blessings, Martina McBride
Movies
with a Message
The Note, Hallmark movie
A zillion Christmas movies
Hallmark Channel movies
Fireproof (good for
marriages)
Facing the Giants (like the strong Christian message, but not so much the acting)
Scriptures I Cling to
Repeatedly
Luke 6:38 (finances)
Prov. 4:18 (hope for better days ahead)
Phil 4:6, 7 (peace)
1 Cor. 15:10;
Phil. 4:13 (ability to do what I just can't do)
Matthew 28:20 (assurance God is with me)
1 John 5:14,15 (assurance
God answers my prayers)
1 Peter 2:24 (healing)
Matt. 11:28 (rest)
1 Peter 5:7 (assurance God loves me)
Pam's Blog
HeartFlow