Friday, April 3, 2009

Denise Oldham/Shortybear Shares Her Salvation Story

Today is the first of eleven salvation testimonies to be shared on Selah the days leading up to and just after Easter. I can't think of a better way to celebrate His resurrection than hearing God-stories of souls raised from death to life. So pause. Ponder what He has done. Then praise Him!!!!

Denise is one special lady. God has given her the spiritual gift of encouragement, and she is as generous with it as Mary Magdalene was with her jar of perfume. She took the time to answer some questions I asked about her decision to become a Christian and then shared freely from her heart at the end. I pray it ministers powerfully and effectively to your soul today.

1) How old were you when someone first told you about Jesus?

I was 10 years old when someone first told me about Jesus. My dad had just gone to prison, and my momma was working third shift at a cotton mill. I was a very lonely & sad little girl, always felt lost. There was a lady named Sue Ledford, she lived next door to us. Everyday, when she came in from work, I would be sitting outside on the sidewalk, she never failed to speak to me. One day, she invited me in, she fixed us something to eat, and we laughed and talked for a long time. This became a regular routine for us. She became a dear friend to me. She invited me to church, and I went. She was a GIA leader(Girls In Action), so I became active in that. I felt God nudging my heart, and I talked to Sue about it. She asked me if I wanted to get saved, and I said yes. Well, she said she would talk to my momma about it. After the talk, my momma said "no, I was to young to understand salvation." My little heart broke, but I never stopped thinking about Jesus.

2) What compelled you to give your life over to Jesus?

We had a revival at church, there was a visiting preacher one night, his name was Doug Stone. He was such a Godly man, and he spoke such truth. God's Word was strongly coming out of his mouth, it was as if he was talking straight to my heart. It was awesome, I will never forget it.

3) What scriptures were particularly meaningful to you?

Psalm 23, Philippians 4:13, and Psalm 139.

4) How do you think your life is different since you made Jesus the Lord of it?

I am happier, content to live for Him, not for myself, or the world. I am free to be all I can in Jesus, shine His light for others to see. I am not perfect, but I am saved, washed clean by His precious blood. By His stripes I am healed, praise the Lord.

My testimony:
On July 2, 1989, at the age of 25, I gave my life to Jesus. I have never regretted it for one second, it was the best thing I ever did. He took my dirty rags, and replaced them with stainless, sparkling white garments. He took all the broken pieces of my life, that were scattered like a jigsaw puzzle, and began to sculpture a new life for me. He poured His love all over my life, and made it so much better. My walk with Him has not been perfect, I have made mistakes, and let Him down. But, He is always quick to pick me up, dust me off, and forgive me. He has never let me down, always built me up. My greatest treasure is my salvation. Thank You Lord.


Denise (on the right) is a daughter of the King, and she loves her Father with all of her heart and soul. She is a very devoted wife to her dear Lovebug, and has been for 24 years. She loves all people, and tries her best to be an encouragement to others. She can be found at Shortybear's Place, or at Free To Be Me.



16 friends shared a comment:

Marsha said...

Thank you for sharing my dear friend's story! She is a gift from God to all of us, that's for sure.

Kim @ Homesteader's Heart said...

What an excellent testimony. God is so good about sending us people in times of need isn't he?
Bless you Denise. I know you've been by my blog many times and you always leave a sweet comment.
HUGS to you!
Kim

Denise said...

I love you my dear friend, thanks for sharing my testimony.

Joanne Sher said...

Just LOVELY and wonderful testimony, Denise. You are certainly an encourager, and I so appreciate your heart.

LAURIE said...

Denise is a faithful friend and always an encourager. Thanks for highlighting her testimony.

Alleluiabelle said...

What a great testimony Denise! I was very touched in my heart by your story. We have such an awesome God and He is always extending his arms out to everyone who will listen, be still and know that He is God. Oh how I love the Lord with all of my heart. It's wonderful to hear the testimonies of others. It is so encouraging.

God bless you sweet Denise and thank you Laura Lee for posting this today.

Blessings,
Alleluiabelle

Leaon Mary said...

I love Denise's testimony and LOVE DENISE! She is HANDS DOWN thee most encouraging person I've ever met. AND, I've met MANY encouragers in CHRIST!!!!
Blessings to you BOTH today,
Holykisses,
Lea

Jennifer said...

Wow...what a testimony! I love Denise so much. She without a doubt is a God send to me as an encourager, faithful prayer warrior and a dear friend.

Denise...you are beautiful...inside and out. I am glad to finally see a picture of your beautiful face.

I love you!
Jenn

Esthermay Bentley-Goossen said...

Such a wonderful blessing to end my day! I got to "meet" Denise. omigoodness!! Denise is the most consistent encourager out there in blogworld!!! She visits and blesses and visits and blesses some more... She shares her heart and through her transparency, Jesus shines through!
Denise: You are a beautiful reflection of HIM -- I am so thankful for that faithful neighbor-lady :) You are a valuable part of His Kingdom!
Thank you LauraLee for sharing this!

Brook said...

What a awesome story of God's unrelenting love for you! Thank you so much for sharing Denise. :)

Betsy Markman said...

A great beginning for what I know will be a wonderful series.

Julie Arduini said...

What a spectrum this story is going t display--One God, many creative, loving ways to woo us to Him!

Thank you for sharing, Denise. Thanks Laura for doing this!

Twinkle Mom (Sunflower Faith) said...

That was a fantastic testimony; God bless you Denise for sharing and thank you Laura for posting this.

Beth in NC said...

Denise is so sweet! Thank you for sharing her testimony.

Josh said...

I love hearing testimonies like this one where God takes a person with less than ideal circumstances and transforms them into a powerful living testimony for him. Thanks for sharing this Denise!

LauraLee Shaw said...

Denise, Don't thank ME for sharing your story. Thank YOU! You have blessed me over and over and OVER again with your encouragement, your offers of prayer, and with the stories you share on your blog. I know you live with daily pain and suffering, and yet you always show Christ's joy through it all. I love the way HE shows up in you. I wish you lived next door.

Much love,
LaLee