Diane L. Oliver's Spiritual Journey
Born June 5 1953 in Monterey, California, my religious teaching came from OUTSIDE the home. Grew up with Catholic influence, going to Catholic Church and school. “Why” was a popular word with me. I was very inquisitive but too shy or oftentimes squelched by peers or adults. This didn’t stop me though from searching in my own quiet way. It was years, a slow process, without knowing at the time it was the Holy Spirit drawing me and guiding me to Him even from an early age.
On a side note, I never did understand the Latin services or the rituals performed in Sunday mass back then. These days Catholicism has changed to some degree to make it more “graspable” or rather, daily-user-friendly!
The desire for “truth” mostly escalated from about the age of 12. Is the Bible real? Is Jesus who He said He was? My shallow faith gave me mental knowledge of God as existing and mental knowledge of Jesus Christ having come to earth; i.e. the typical stories of the Christ child born Dec 25th and Jesus dying on the cross at Easter.
Watching fragments of Jesus movies on TV and glimpses of Billy Graham Crusades from the 1960’s lured me but without spiritual understanding. Seeds were planted, yes, but unfortunately I continued to live on in my carnal way. Artificially, I felt somewhat s-a-f-e being brought up Catholic… after all.
In the mean time, I struggled through school with lack of direction. Remember, this was the late 60’s! Also I struggled with relationships that didn’t last. It was miracle that I made it through anything!
Mental confusion was BIG! I was unhappy, unsettled and just plain miserable because nothing satisfied me. My hunger continued for truth and the realty of God. How did spiritual things fit into my daily earthly life? I rarely got answers because I didn’t know who to go to?
Growing up as a teenager, the spiritual questions only became BIGGER in my mind with more frustration coming to the surface. I entertained thoughts of suicide at age16. Being “chicken” to cut my wrists or to take drugs or alcohol, instead I became anorexic and bulimic; the residue resulting from reading Yoga health and meditation books. This was before the term “anorexia” was rarely even known or heard of. Self-inflicting harm and misery grew. Death was knocking at my door.
The 70’s opened up vast avenues into spiritual roads. Choices abounded. Strong pulls from every direction tugging at my heart. From Eastern religion to new-age cults, etc., I felt totally alone on this “holy hunt”.
One HUGH question I remembered being confronted with was, “Do you know without a shadow of doubt that when you die, you’ll make Heaven your home?” What? I am a nice person. After all, I’m Catholic. Of course! If anybody gets to go to heaven its US! Or…could I be wrong? I was haunted with this question. Doubt coupled with fear began to creep in.
There were however, refreshing intervals of hope coming my way as “divine appointments”. God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit was working behind the scenes to send select people my way to share and plant seeds of the gospel message. It came in small evangelistic tracts to invitations to church services or revivals while I attended college or was at work. I was even invited to move from my hometown of Monterey to another California city in order to join a Christian Discipleship School. But I never went. I felt guilt and condemnation for not trusting myself enough to follow through. There was absolutely no power in my self to change or transform,
In 1973, while working in New Monterey, about 3 young people (now, this was KEY relating to others my age!) came into my workplace sharing the gospel with an invite to a revival that week at The Family Christian Center of which I had never heard of ………just a block from my work place. It was obvious to me that they demonstrated peace and happiness of which I didn’t have but craved. I wanted what they had. But as you would guess, the enemy, Satan fought hard to keep me wandering in my own mental wilderness. I almost didn’t go. In fact, I waited until the LAST day and LAST hour of this revival.
That Friday night, with nervousness and apprehension I entered the doors. But even though, besides that, something stronger than myself was drawing me to go in the sanctuary. Immediately, I sensed an almost electric spiritual atmosphere in the room. Everyone was praying and worshipping God… not like I ever experienced in my growing up years. Without recalling a sermon or particular message, at the end, an “alter call” was given. Freely without effort, I went forward to receive Jesus. It was by the prompting and leading of the Holy Spirit that I gave my heart to Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior. For the first time in my life I knew and understood what “saved” meant and what being “born again” was all about. I could finally say,” WITHOUT A SHADOW OF DOUBT that Heaven would be my eternal home!!!! This was 1973.
Later, I joined their Bible School to be taught and nurtured by the pastor Mel Westbrook and his wife Christy, who along with a leadership team , discipled me into a deeper relationship with Jesus setting my feet on a Godly path. There I met Martin Oliver, who became my soul mate and later my evangelistic husband from 1975 to now. Working together in Ministry going where God sends us. A true-spiritual journey.
Anything less would be second best!
Diane L. Oliver B.A., M.A. (fine art, graphic arts, mixed media, Theology)
On a side note, I never did understand the Latin services or the rituals performed in Sunday mass back then. These days Catholicism has changed to some degree to make it more “graspable” or rather, daily-user-friendly!
The desire for “truth” mostly escalated from about the age of 12. Is the Bible real? Is Jesus who He said He was? My shallow faith gave me mental knowledge of God as existing and mental knowledge of Jesus Christ having come to earth; i.e. the typical stories of the Christ child born Dec 25th and Jesus dying on the cross at Easter.
Watching fragments of Jesus movies on TV and glimpses of Billy Graham Crusades from the 1960’s lured me but without spiritual understanding. Seeds were planted, yes, but unfortunately I continued to live on in my carnal way. Artificially, I felt somewhat s-a-f-e being brought up Catholic… after all.
In the mean time, I struggled through school with lack of direction. Remember, this was the late 60’s! Also I struggled with relationships that didn’t last. It was miracle that I made it through anything!
Mental confusion was BIG! I was unhappy, unsettled and just plain miserable because nothing satisfied me. My hunger continued for truth and the realty of God. How did spiritual things fit into my daily earthly life? I rarely got answers because I didn’t know who to go to?
Growing up as a teenager, the spiritual questions only became BIGGER in my mind with more frustration coming to the surface. I entertained thoughts of suicide at age16. Being “chicken” to cut my wrists or to take drugs or alcohol, instead I became anorexic and bulimic; the residue resulting from reading Yoga health and meditation books. This was before the term “anorexia” was rarely even known or heard of. Self-inflicting harm and misery grew. Death was knocking at my door.
The 70’s opened up vast avenues into spiritual roads. Choices abounded. Strong pulls from every direction tugging at my heart. From Eastern religion to new-age cults, etc., I felt totally alone on this “holy hunt”.
One HUGH question I remembered being confronted with was, “Do you know without a shadow of doubt that when you die, you’ll make Heaven your home?” What? I am a nice person. After all, I’m Catholic. Of course! If anybody gets to go to heaven its US! Or…could I be wrong? I was haunted with this question. Doubt coupled with fear began to creep in.
There were however, refreshing intervals of hope coming my way as “divine appointments”. God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit was working behind the scenes to send select people my way to share and plant seeds of the gospel message. It came in small evangelistic tracts to invitations to church services or revivals while I attended college or was at work. I was even invited to move from my hometown of Monterey to another California city in order to join a Christian Discipleship School. But I never went. I felt guilt and condemnation for not trusting myself enough to follow through. There was absolutely no power in my self to change or transform,
In 1973, while working in New Monterey, about 3 young people (now, this was KEY relating to others my age!) came into my workplace sharing the gospel with an invite to a revival that week at The Family Christian Center of which I had never heard of ………just a block from my work place. It was obvious to me that they demonstrated peace and happiness of which I didn’t have but craved. I wanted what they had. But as you would guess, the enemy, Satan fought hard to keep me wandering in my own mental wilderness. I almost didn’t go. In fact, I waited until the LAST day and LAST hour of this revival.
That Friday night, with nervousness and apprehension I entered the doors. But even though, besides that, something stronger than myself was drawing me to go in the sanctuary. Immediately, I sensed an almost electric spiritual atmosphere in the room. Everyone was praying and worshipping God… not like I ever experienced in my growing up years. Without recalling a sermon or particular message, at the end, an “alter call” was given. Freely without effort, I went forward to receive Jesus. It was by the prompting and leading of the Holy Spirit that I gave my heart to Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior. For the first time in my life I knew and understood what “saved” meant and what being “born again” was all about. I could finally say,” WITHOUT A SHADOW OF DOUBT that Heaven would be my eternal home!!!! This was 1973.
Later, I joined their Bible School to be taught and nurtured by the pastor Mel Westbrook and his wife Christy, who along with a leadership team , discipled me into a deeper relationship with Jesus setting my feet on a Godly path. There I met Martin Oliver, who became my soul mate and later my evangelistic husband from 1975 to now. Working together in Ministry going where God sends us. A true-spiritual journey.
Anything less would be second best!
Diane L. Oliver B.A., M.A. (fine art, graphic arts, mixed media, Theology)