"I wonder what do you call yourself when the world has given you a label?"

An episode of 'The Pursuit of God' series on the ReNew Your Mind podcast, based on Donna K. Woolam’s book His Hostage Heart | Encountering the Unrelenting Love of God.

In this episode, I explore the profound transformation of Bartimaeus, the blind beggar who refused to let a label define his future. The core message is a call to radical surrender: identifying and throwing off the beggar’s garments—those false identities, past failures, and labels of shame that keep us stuck by the side of the road. Whether we are hiding behind a "refrigerator theory" of self-sourcing or the weight of life’s circumstances, Jesus is asking us the same question He asked Bartimaeus: "What do you want?". The transformation comes when we trade our earthly labels for our true identity as beloved children of the Most High God. I invite you to confront the lies of the enemy and walk into the unrelenting love that makes us whole.------

We all have them—those heavy, dusty robes we’ve worn for so long they feel like skin. Maybe yours is labeled "widow," "failure," "unworthy," or "too broken". For Bartimaeus, his robe identified him as a beggar, but his heart knew he was meant for more. Today, we’re talking about the courage it takes to throw off those false identities and run toward the only Voice that tells us who we truly are.

• The Burden of Labels: How society and our own experiences create "beggar’s garments" that keep us stuck and searching for mere crumbs of validation.

• The Deception of Self-Sourcing: Recognizing the "refrigerator theory"—the lie that positive thinking or self-effort can replace the power of God.

• The Radical Act of Casting Off: Understanding that Bartimaeus threw off his identity before he could see, because he knew Jesus would change him forever.

• The Heart Work of Truth: A practical guide to taking your false identities to the Word of God to receive His specific, loving correction.

• Timestamps

  [01:10] – The world’s labels vs. Bartimaeus’s internal conviction.

• [02:38] – Crying out: Why Bartimaeus refused to stay the same despite the crowd.

• [03:28] – The "Beggar’s Garment": Throwing off the identity that no longer fits.

• [05:16] – The Refrigerator Theory: A personal story of trying to find peace without God.

• [07:26] – Facing the "Too Much" Lie: Are you too broken or too proud for Jesus?.

• [11:05] – The Cookie Theory: Why no prayer is too small for the Father.

• [15:15] – Heart Work: Writing down your false identity and finding God’s truth.

• Purchase the Book: His Hostage Heart | Encountering the Unrelenting Love of God

• Learn More: DonnaWoolam.com

• Support Donna: Join the Journey

Music Credit: Acoustic Folk Podcast Music by Denis-Pavlov-Music via Pixabay. License ID: 336064.

Disclaimer: This content is provided for spiritual enrichment and educational purposes only. Donna K. Woolam is an Author, Speaker, and Teacher. This program does not constitute professional coaching or mental health therapy. ---

"I stood in the middle of our room and said, I'd rather go to hell with you than to heaven without you. I closed my Bible and it stayed closed for years."

An episode of The Pursuit of God series on the ReNew Your Mind podcast, based on Donna K Woolam's book His Hostage Heart | Encountering the Unrelenting Love of God.

In this episode, Donna K Woolam shares a vulnerable account of running in rebellion—a slow, daily unravelling caused by choosing worldly comfort and relational peace over a life with Jesus. Drawing parallels between her own decade-long closed Bible and the biblical story of Jonah, Donna explores how God uses the storms of life not as punishment, but as stepping stones to call His children back to Himself. The core transformation offered is the move from resisting God’s mercy to resting in His unrelenting love. Donna calls the audience to stop their flight and recognize that God is a Father waiting with open arms, ready to clean up the residue of a life lived for self and replace it with fresh, new life.---------------------------------

For years, I thought if I ran long enough and hard enough, God would eventually just close the book on me. I was living a life filled with drugs, alcohol, and the pressure of choosing my family’s approval over my faith. I thought I had gone too far. But I learned that rebellion doesn't start with a scream; it starts with small threads being pulled apart until you're somewhere you never thought you'd be. If you feel like you are running, I want you to know that the Father isn't chasing you to punish you—He is pursuing you to bring you home.

• The Subtle Start of Rebellion: Rebellion is rarely a cosmic explosion; it is the daily choice to pull away from God's presence in favor of "normal" worldly life.

• The Jonah Parallel: Like Jonah, we often run from God’s mercy because we fear His requirements or resent His goodness toward those we dislike.

• Storms as Stepping Stones: The difficult circumstances and "wild seas" in our lives are often God’s way of getting our attention to stop our flight.

• • The Residue of Grace: Returning to God is a process of peeling back the residue of sin, where the Holy Spirit provides daily cleaning and fresh life.

• • [01:10] The fear that God has closed the book on your life.

  • [02:03] Choosing family and normalcy over a life with Jesus.

  • [03:42] The "Hell with you" moment: Closing the Bible for years.

  • [04:45] The Anatomy of Rebellion: How it starts with small threads.

  • [05:14] Lessons from Jonah: Running from a God who loves the world.

  • [08:14] When God’s mercy makes us angry: Understanding Jonah’s heart.

  • [10:12] The Turning Point: Returning to Amarillo and the power of prayer.

  • [11:13] The Prodigal Son: Finding out the Father wants a son, not a slave.

  • [12:35] Cleaning the Residue: The ongoing work of the Holy Spirit.

  • [13:04] A Prayer for God’s pursuing presence.

  • Purchase the Book: His Hostage Heart

  • Learn More: Visit DonnaWoolam.com

  • Support Donna’s Mission: Buymeacoffee.com/donnawoolam

  Music Credit:

  PIXABAY LICENSE CERTIFICATE: Licensor's Username: denis-pavlov-music-35636692 / Audio File Title: Acoustic Folk Podcast Music / Audio File URL: https://pixabay.com/music/acoustic-group-acoustic-folk-podcast-music-336064/ / Date of download: 2025-07-16 18:52:49 UTC

  Disclaimer:

  This content is for spiritual enrichment and educational purposes only. Donna K Woolam is an Author, Speaker, and Teacher. These materials do not constitute professional coaching or mental health therapy.

"Satan has come not to just make our life hard but actually to take our lives and offer them on his own altar of sacrifice... he does that any time that we deny the truth of who God is."

An episode of "The Pursuit of God" series on the ReNew Your Mind podcast, based on Donna K. Woolam's book His Hostage Heart | Encountering the Unrelenting Love of God.

------------------------In this episode, Donna addresses the universal struggle of "believing the lie"—the subtle, slithering questions introduced by the enemy that cause us to doubt God’s goodness and our own worthiness. Drawing from her own horrified reaction to a misunderstood passage in Hebrews and the foundational narrative of the Garden of Eden, Donna illustrates how guilt and shame drive us into hiding. The core transformation offered here is the move from self-covering (fig leaves of our own effort) to receiving the divine covering of God’s love and the blood of Christ. Listeners are called to stop hiding in the broken threads of their past and instead run toward the Father, who is already pursuing them with unrelenting mercy.

I remember being a young mom, standing on my bedroom floor and crying out to God because I had a vision of Him holding a hammer over me, ready to convict me of "guilt, guilt, guilt". I believed I had failed so much that there was no place of return. But I discovered that isn't who He is at all. This episode is for anyone who feels like they are hiding in the garden, trying to stitch together their own covering because they are afraid of what God will do if they step into the light.

The Four Pillars

• The Origin of the Doubt: Understanding how the enemy uses questions to distort our perception of God’s character and our identity as image-bearers.

• The Hiding Instinct: Recognizing that shame and guilt are the primary drivers that cause us to withdraw from the only One who can actually deliver us.

• The Failure of Self-Covering: Realizing that our attempts to "fix" ourselves (our fig leaves) can never replace the covering provided by the blood of Jesus.

• The Pursuit of the Father: Shifting our perspective to see God not as a judge with a hammer, but as a Father calling out "Where are you?" to bring us back into relationship.

Detailed Timestamps

• [01:09] A young mom’s crisis: Facing the "hammer" of guilt and the fear of no repentance.

• [02:57] Back to the Garden: How the serpent questions who we are and who God is.

• [04:58] The Altar of Sacrifice: How Satan attempts to take our lives through doubt and worship of the lie.

• [07:14] Fig Leaves vs. Blood: The difference between hiding our nakedness and being covered by God.

• [12:15] Run to Him: Why God asks "Where are you?" and the invitation to stop hiding.

Resources

• Purchase the Book: His Hostage Heart

• Learn More: DonnaWoolam.com

Mandatory Copyright

Acoustic Folk Podcast Music by Denis-Pavlov-Music via Pixabay. Audio File ID: 336064.

The content provided in this podcast is for spiritual enrichment and educational purposes only. Donna K. Woolam is an Author, Speaker, and Teacher; she does not provide professional coaching or mental health counseling.

"I discovered that the GREAT I AM is who He says He is... He became the God who says I am the One who sees you, the One who comforts you, and the One who delivers you."

An episode of The Pursuit of God series on the ReNew Your Mind podcast, based on Donna K Woolam's book "His Hostage Heart | Encountering the Unrelenting Love of God."

In this episode, Donna shares the harrowing yet transformative story of facing a fatal diagnosis of chickenpox pneumonia at age 27. While lying in the ICU and facing death three times, she encountered the "Great I Am"—not as a distant deity, but as a present Deliverer, Comforter, and Keeper of her soul. Donna bridges her personal crisis with the story of Moses in the desert, illustrating that even when we feel like "rescuers" who have failed or messed up our opportunities, God meets us in our airless, breathless situations. The core call to action is a total surrender to the hovering presence of the Holy Spirit, allowing the same breath that resurrected Christ to bring life and hope back into your current "barren space".

At 27 years old, I found myself in a medical ICU, unable to breathe as chickenpox pneumonia ravaged my lungs. In that airless space, I had to surrender everything—including the care of my two young sons—to the only One who could actually hold them. Whether you are facing a medical crisis or the "airless" exhaustion of a broken relationship or a soul-crushing job, there is a breath waiting for you that is not of this world.

• The Identity of the Great I Am: Understanding that God is exactly who He says He is in the specific middle of your situation.

• The Moses Connection: Realizing that even after 40 years of feeling like a failure in the desert, God still uses messed up opportunities to reveal His glory.

• The Power of Surrender: Finding that our last moment of surrender is where God’s keeping power begins.

• The Holy Spirit as Breath: Recognizing the Holy Spirit as the literal breath that brings life back into dismal, arid, and breathless places.

• [01:13] – The ICU experience: Dying three times in ten days.

• [02:26] – Moses in the desert: Lessons from 40 years of exile and felt failure.

• [03:54] – What "I AM" really means in the middle of your mess.

• [05:16] – A mother’s prayer: Surrendering my children to the Father.

• [07:13] – The out-of-body experience and the presence of Jesus.

• [10:34] – How God provides breath for your "airless" life circumstances.

• [12:48] – Moving from "fixing yourself" to resting in His hovering presence.

• Purchase the Book: His Hostage Heart | Encountering the Unrelenting Love of God

• Learn More: Visit DonnaWoolam.com

• Support Donna: https://buymeacoffee.com/donnawoolam

Music Intro Credit:

Acoustic Folk Podcast Music by Denis-Pavlov-Music via Pixabay. Licensee: dkwoolam. Downloaded: 2025-07-16.

The content provided in this podcast is for spiritual enrichment and educational purposes only. Donna K Woolam is an Author, Speaker, and Teacher. This content does not constitute professional coaching, medical advice, or mental health therapy.

"Every situation that we find ourselves in is neutral; it's not good or bad. Actually, it's good or bad based on the definition that we give it."

An episode of "The He(art) and Science of Transformation" series on the ReNew Your Mind podcast.

Have you ever felt like you are walking in circles, facing the same frustrations and reacting in the same old ways? Most of us are living inside a reasoning box, where our brain interprets every event through the lens of past experiences. But there is a way out. By engaging with the Holy Spirit and choosing a new response, we can experience a "Results Awakening". This isn't a one-time fix, but a beautiful, lifelong journey of integrating faith into our everyday lives to become truly whole.

The Four Pillars:

• The Reasoning Box and Loop: Every person lives a life built on their perception of past events; without new revelation, we stay trapped in a loop of the same choices and responses.

  
  

• The Power of Definition: Situations are often neutral until we define them; we must learn to examine our lives through God’s lens rather than our own limited perspective.

  
  

• The Holy Spirit as Catalyst: Transformation happens when the Holy Spirit provides revelation, persuading us that change is needed and enabling a correction in our life’s paradigm.

  
  

• Abundant Life vs. The Thief: Understanding the spiritual battle—where the enemy seeks to destroy—allows us to intentionally take hold of the "so-so" (whole) life Jesus promised.

  
  

  Detailed Timestamps:

  0:00 – Introduction to the "Results Awakening" and the Journey to Wholeness.

  0:25 – The Contrast: Abundant life vs. the efforts of the enemy to steal and destroy.

  1:16 – Breaking the "Reasoning Loop": Moving from perception to revelation and conversion.

  2:28 – The Lifelong Process: Why we can't do everything all at once.

  3:42 – Neutral Situations: How our definitions determine our reality.

  5:03 – Personal Testimony: Surrendering the pain of cancer and loss to find a new response in Christ.

  6:00 – Resources and Community: How to connect and share the message.

  
  

• Resources:

  • Books: Check out Donna's latest titles here.

  • Learn More: Visit the official website for more resources.

  • Support Donna: Join the community and support this ministry.

  Mandatory Copyright:

  PIXABAY LICENSE CERTIFICATE

  Licensor's Username: https://pixabay.com/users/denis-pavlov-music-35636692/

  Licensee: dkwoolam

  Audio File Title: Acoustic Folk Podcast Music

  Audio File URL: https://pixabay.com/music/acoustic-group-acoustic-folk-podcast-music-336064/

  Audio File ID: 336064

  Date of download: 2025-07-16 18:52:49 UTC

  Mandatory Disclaimer:

  The content provided in this podcast is for spiritual enrichment and educational purposes only. Donna Woolam is an Author, Speaker, and Teacher; this content does not constitute professional coaching, counseling, or medical advice.

"Your brain is not broken. In fact, it works perfectly for the way that we have trained it."

An episode of "The He(art) and Science of Transformation" series on the ReNew Your Mind podcast.

If you aren't happy with how your brain is interpreting the world around you, I have great news: you can retrain it. Romans 12:2 tells us to be transformed by the renewing of our minds, and that is exactly what we are doing in this third phase of the journey to wholeness—the Response Matrix. You are not a victim of your past or your thoughts; you have the power to change your life by changing your definitions and acknowledging God as your ultimate source of light.

The Four Pillars

The Power of the Response Matrix: This phase focuses on how we respond to the revelation we receive from God's Word and wise counsel to move forward into wholeness.

The Balance of Intuition and Logic: While intuition is built on years of experience and logic provides orderly "A to B" thinking, neither should rule our final decisions.

The Seven Circles Tool: Inspired by the idea that answers aren't found in the same realm where the question was created, this framework helps us look outside immediate problems for spiritual solutions.

Living by Spirit-Led Discernment: The Holy Spirit is intimately concerned with every detail of our lives, often providing direction that transcends human logic to lead us into abundant life.

Detailed Timestamps

[0:00] Your brain isn't broken; it’s just trained.

[0:53] Introduction to the Response Matrix and making decisions that move life forward.

[3:26] Why our brains look for patterns based on past experiences.

[5:51] Defining the roles of the amygdala and prefrontal cortex in decision making.

[7:30] Exploring the value and limits of intuition.

[10:34] The "Seven Circles" teaching: Thinking outside the box. [14:48] The role of logic: When "A plus B equals C" is necessary but insufficient.

[18:02] Biblical examples of Spirit-led discernment: Paul in Asia and Jesus in Samaria.

[20:11] Conclusion: The Response Matrix as an interwoven collection of reference points for a new life.

ResourcesBooks: Grab the "Journey to Wholeness" Book

Learn More: Visit DonnaWollum.com for more resources

This program is for spiritual enrichment and educational purposes only. Donna Wollum is an Author, Speaker, and Teacher; she does not provide professional coaching, medical, or psychological advice.PIXABAY LICENSE CERTIFICATE

Licensor's Username: denis-pavlov-music-35636692

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Audio File Title: Acoustic Folk Podcast Music

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Audio File ID: 336064

Date of download: 2025-07-16 18:52:49 UTC

"What the mind forgets, the heart remembers." — Donna Woolam

Series Context: An episode of The He(art) and Science of Transformation series on the ReNew Your Mind podcast.

Have you ever found yourself in an insanity loop, repeating the same behaviors and wondering, "If I'm so smart, why is this so hard?".

We often carry heart memories—subconscious triggers from past experiences that signal danger to our brains, even when we are safe. In this episode, I share my personal journey with physical health and safety to illustrate how our bodies try to protect us in ways that can actually sabotage our growth. It is time to stop the cycle of shame and start the journey toward true, surrendered transformation.

The Four Pillars

• The Reality of Heart Memory: Your body and heart retain emotional imprints of past events, leading to physical "somatic responses" that occur without a conscious reference point.
• The Science of the Response Loop: The amygdala acts as an emotion center, releasing chemicals that trigger anxiety or fear to keep you safe, often locking you into repetitive behavioral loops.
• Breaking the Shame Gridlock: Shame is not a weapon to be used against yourself; it is an indicator of imbalance that physically locks up your logical thinking.
• The Path of "Altar-ed" Living: True transformation requires moving from "self-sourcing" to surrendering your identity and habits at the altar, allowing God to align your flesh with your spirit.

Detailed Timestamps

[1:36] Defining "Heart Memory": Why we feel emotions without a clear reference.

[4:34] Somatic Responses: How the body signals danger through physical symptoms.

[5:31] The Response Loop: Understanding why we repeat the same behavioral cycles.

[7:51] Donna’s Story: The connection between trauma, safety, and physical weight.

[11:26] The Biology of Shame: Why shame shuts down the prefrontal cortex.

[13:32] Information vs. Truth: Why gathering knowledge isn't enough for change.

[18:15] Altar-ed Living: The art of surrendering your identity to the Father.

[19:20] The Father’s Image: Understanding God’s commitment to your restoration.

Resources

Learn More: DonnaWoolam.com

Art Mentioned: The Art of Surrender by Vanessa Horabuena

Support: Support the ReNew Your Mind Podcast

This content is provided for spiritual enrichment and educational purposes only. Author and Speaker Donna Wolham provides biblical teaching and personal insights; this information does not constitute professional coaching, medical advice, or mental health therapy.

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