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
Let's Talk "OLD"
by Pam Woodson
Old -- it's what our parents
used to be, our teachers acted like, and our imagination of ourselves never fathomed. Then we grew up. WE became the parents,
the educators to our children, and those who had to face society's label as over-the-hill or, at least, "no longer young"...and all
at the whopping age of 30! Some of us began to fight back. "Forty is the new 30," someone began proclaiming. Kudos
to whoever coined that phrase and somehow managed to spread it everywhere even before Internet e-mail was in full swing to help ease
the task. Now a lot more people have gained 10 more full years to avoid the word "old" and being hit with the labels
all over again.
How do I feel about the word "old"? I don't know if I personally can say much about it. You
see, I try not to experience it. Let me correct myself -- I try not to LET MYSELF experience it. Have I been tempted to do so?
Of course, many times. Perhaps when a joke was made on TV about anyone over 21 heading downhill or not being able to keep up or accomplish
anything of value in life. Even a few of my friends crack jokes about age. I smile and keep pointing out to them that we're
still young. Responding to one such comment I made the other day, a friend of mine from high school days said, "Oh, that's right.
There's all of us, and then there's Peter Pam." I thought that was a funny one, despite the fact that it was about me. Peter
Pam -- refusing to grow up, get it? Well, I have grown up...but I have refused -- or at least tried to refuse -- to grow old.
(BTW, I thought the movie "Hook" was interesting: It shows that Peter Pan did grow up and grow older, but that he also got old,
much to his family's dismay. Awe, but the ending -- a return to, a restoration of what been lost and stolen over time!)
No, I do not hold to a Peter Pan philosophy. The reference to it here is just a silly analogy. However, I seriously have thought
about aging and come to a conclusion. I have coined my own phrase about age, that I live by; it's based on Scripture, because everything
I truly live by must be founded upon Scripture or I won't live by it. I have said my phrase repeatedly. In
fact, just yesterday I wrote it to someone who recently attended her high school reunion. Here it is: "GROWING OLDER
IS INEVITABLE; GETTING OLD IS A CHOICE." That's my view on aging, in a nutshell. We all are going to grow older. That's
naturally going to happen. It's a good thing. If it doesn't happen, it means we're dead! But while we do grow older, we do NOT
have to get old. Getting old is a choice. The number of birthdays we have will automatically increase, and we can't and shouldn't
want to stop it. Stepping into the "old" category, however, is something we choose; we deliberately walk into it, whether through discouragement
or tradition. Getting old is deciding we can't, we shouldn't try, we never will be able again to be like we used to be and do what
the young ones are doing. (Now, before I go any further -- the body at times might make changes as years progress. I'm not saying
that someone with a heart condition should jump out of an airplane. I'm talking about a frame of mind in approaching a normal, reasonable
lifestyle. Let's keep this real and reasonable. HOWEVER, minus a heart problem, why not go for it? If you want to jump, then jump.
Former President George H.W. Bush jumped from an airplane the other day, parachuting to the ground in celebration of his
85th birthday. He said that he has slowed down since his days as president, but he does not intend to stop moving.) And
though our looks might change over the years, our heart can increasingly grow more youthful.
The Bible
tells of an 80-year-old man named Caleb, who claimed he was as strong as when he was 40. And, from all indications, he
was. The "elderly" Caleb was still able to engage in battle to take an entire mountain for the Lord's people to possess.
He had grown older, but he hadn't let himself think or act old, to the best of his ability. How did he do it? He had faith in God.
He was one of only two men -- he and Joshua -- out of many, many adults their age, who got to enter the Promised Land, because they
had faith in Him. They believed that He would help them overcome the giants in the land, that He had not made them like lowly
grasshoppers who would get squished beneath the giants' feet. Caleb kept that faith in God's power to give Him ability as the years
passed.
To be like 80-year-old, 40-year-old-acting Caleb, what are we to believe? The Bible, God's Word. In
it, God talks "renewal." Second Corinthians 4:16 (NASV) says, "Therefore we do not lose heart, but though our outer man is decaying,
yet our inner man is being RENEWED DAY BY DAY." We find renewal mentioned again in the Old Testament. Psalm 103:2, 5 (NASV) says,
"Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget none of His benefits;...Who satisfies your years [desire] with good things, so that YOUR YOUTH
IS RENEWED like the eagle." God gives us good things in life. He satisfies our desires. It is a benefit from Him. This
in itself is enough to renew our youth. Having a close relationship with the God who is good to us every day keeps life from becoming
stale. We stay refreshed by His Spirit. The Bible says that His mercies are new EVERY morning (Lam. 3:22, 23). God
wants to be merciful and active in our life EVERY day, and His actions and presence help activate and revitalize us every day.
Now how can we get old in his newness and freshness! He will pour youth into our heart, if we will let Him. It might be a struggle
against society's mindset at times, but whether we're 30, 40, 50, 60, or 100, with God we can expect new things to happen,
better things to come, greater dreams to be borne...now and no matter how much older we grow.
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