First and foremost, I am a follower of Jesus Christ.  As such, my life revolves around my relationship with Him.  This relationship began when I was 5 years old and I hid behind my parent’s sofa and asked Jesus to be my personal Savior.  Later that night I told my Mom and we prayed together again.  Even though I was very young, I’ll never forget that defining moment when I gave my life to Jesus. 

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           Growing up, I was a church kid.   I was raised in the Pentecostal Church, attended Christian school, and participated in all of the normal church kid activities.   Unlike many church kids, I did not fall into the trap of confusing religion with relationship.   For this, I credit my Mom, a woman who lived her life out of a sense of devotion and passionate love for God.  She dedicated her life to serving Jesus and teaching my brother and I there was no greater purpose in life than following Jesus.  She taught us the difference between religion and relationship, how to apply the principles of God’s Word to our lives, and how to follow Jesus with unwavering devotion.  

           After I graduated from high school, I attended the University of Valley Forge.   As important as my college experience was, it was a personal encounter I had with the Holy Spirit that changed the course of my life during these years.

           You see, from a very young age I knew that I was called into full-time ministry (I remember answering an altar call when I was seven years old).  However, it was on a summer day when I was 20 years old that the Holy Spirit asked me, “Will you follow Me wherever I lead you even if it isn’t on the path you’ve laid out for yourself?   Will you, like the 12 disciples lay your nets aside and follow Me without reserve?”

          That day I made a covenant with God that I would follow Him and lay down my plans.   From that day forward, I knew that my life no longer belonged to me, but I now belonged to Jesus.   It was during that same summer that God showed me that I was specifically called to minister to women.  

          Two years later, I graduated from University of Valley Forge with a degree in Pastoral Ministry.   Honestly, it was around this time that I started to understand that God’s plans for my life were quite different than my own.  Still, He was in control, so let the adventure begin!

          Let me just say, the next few years were an adventure---and quite different than anything I would have planned.  You see, instead of following the pre-planned agenda I had for my life, the Holy Spirit led me back home to my parent's house.   My Mom took on the role as my mentor, and God used this time to teach me what meant to be a woman of God.   It was during this time that I learned what it truly means to choose a personal relationship with Jesus over religion, how to practically live out my faith on a daily basis, and began developing new behavioral patterns.  Most importantly, during this time the Holy Spirit began uncovering the pain of the abuse and lies that my Mom, my brother and I experienced throughout our lives so that we could experience true freedom and healing.    It was my own personal “Joseph experience”---a time designated by God to preparing me for the plans He had for my life.  Of course, this is just the overview---if you want to read my full testimony, you'll have to read Finding Healing. 

          Then, in God’s timing and in a way that only He could have designed, the door opened to create what has now become 4One Ministries and AdessaHolden.com.     Today, I am completely loving the direction God is leading my life, and I treasure each opportunity to share our family’s testimony, teach the principles found in the Bible, and pass on the lessons I’ve learned.  It my absolute honor and privilege to serve Jesus and women through this ministry.