Me, God and My Tennis Shoes: A Teen's Guide to a Closer Walk with God

By Gwendolyne Walter

Gwendolyne D. Walter was born into a family of
preachers, teachers and scientists. She is an
evangelist, motivational speaker, musician and
foster mom. Gwendolyne has a quiet, down-toearth
personality. However, when she stands
at any podium to teach, her quiet demeanor
diminishes as the power of God illuminates the
words that she declares. Her love for the ministry
of the church and the success of the children
in her life has always been paramount. In this
book she uses her life experiences to encourage
teens in their journey to find their destinies.
Gwendolyne currently serves as the Dean of School of Licensure in the
Womens Department of the Texas South Central Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction of
the Churches of God in Christ, under the leadership of Jurisdictional Prelate,
Bishop Prince E. W. Bryant Sr. and Jurisdictional Supervisor of Women, Mother
Peggy Carr-Lee.
A graduate of Prairie View A & M University, Gwendolyne earned a Bachelor of
Science degree in Mechanical Engineering and certification as a teacher for
the State of Texas. For 12 years, she taught school in the Houston Independent
School District. At the time of this publication, Gwendolyne is employed by
the City of Houston Public Library as the Safety and Wellness Manager. If
you would like to contact Gwendolyne concerning this publication, email
[e-mail].
Gwe

• Language: English
• Publisher: AuthorHouse
• Release date: Feb 17, 2012
• ISBN: 9781468542578

Gwendolyne Walter

Gwendolyne D. Walter was born into a family of preachers, teachers and scientists. She is an evangelist, motivational speaker, musician and foster mom. Gwendolyne has a quiet, down-to-earth personality. However, when she stands at any podium to teach, her quiet demeanor diminishes as the power of God illuminates the words that she declares. A graduate of Prairie View A & M University, Gwendolyne earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering and certification as a teacher for the State of Texas. For 12 years, she taught school in the Houston Independent School District. Her life has been filled with diversity from being an active participant in several professional engineering organizations, to a being a middle school science teacher to conducting youth revivals. Her love for the ministry of the church and for the success of the children in her life has always been paramount. In this book she uses her life experiences to encourage teens in their journey to finding their destinies. Gwendolyne currently serves as the Dean of School of Licensure in the Women's Department of the Texas South Central Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction of the Churches of God in Christ, under the leadership of Jurisdictional Prelate, Bishop Prince E. W. Bryant Sr. and Jurisdictional Supervisor of Women, Mother Peggy Carr-Lee. This educational institution helps to prepare the women of the Texas South Central Jurisdiction for ministry in their local churches and abroad. Upon successful completion of this course work students receive their credentials as a licensed Evangelist Missionary in the Church of God In Christ, Inc. At the time of this publication, Gwendolyne lives in Houston, Texas and is employed by the City of Houston Public Library as a Safety and Wellness Manager. If you would like more information about this publication or Gwendolyne's speaking itinerary, please e-mail [e-mail].

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© 2012 by Gwendolyne Walter. All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means without the written permission of the author.

Published by AuthorHouse 04/16/2012

ISBN: 978-1-4685-4259-2 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4685-4258-5 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-4685-4257-8 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2012900906

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Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

Contents

Acknowledgements

Forward

Ecumenical Endorsements

Introduction

Chapter One—  God Calls Us in So Many Different Ways

Chapter Two—Acknowledging the Call

Chapter Three—Waiting on God’s Timing

Chapter Four—  Embrace Times of Nothingness/Nurturing—

Chapter Five—Seed Time & Harvest

Chapter Six—Go, Go, Go, You Can Do It!

Chapter Seven—The Ups and Downs of Success

Chapter Eight—  Fighting the Good Fight of Faith

Chapter Nine—Technology vs. Time With God

Chapter Ten—But I’m All Alone

To…

• All of the wonderful teens that God has placed in my life throughout the years:

My Five Sisters

My Nieces & Nephews

My Foster Children

My Extended Family

My Students

• The memory of my parents, Earnest James Walter and Lois Wyllene Walter-Brown, two of the greatest teachers I’ve known.

Acknowledgements

I appreciate all of the wonderful people who supported me through the compilation and publication of this, my first book, Me, God and My Tennis Shoes.

The Frontline Team—These individuals edited my manuscript, challenged my ideologies, evaluated my concerns, invested in this project and spent hours of ‘hands-on’ time over the last year to help bring this book into existence.

Dr. Earnestyne Walter-Sullivan

Dr. Wash Jones

Dr. William Kritsonis

Mr. Major Stewart (Illustrator)

Missionary Kimberly Walter-Perry

Missionary Yolonda Walter-Singleton

Dr. LaRonda Wyllene Walter

Ms. Angela Nichole Walter

The Foundational Support Team—I thank my immediate family, my church family and my friends. These individuals prayed for me, prayed for the manuscript’s completion and encouraged me every step of the way. Indeed, they cheered me on to the finish line!

For the skills, gifts and talents of my support teams, may God be glorified!

Forward

It is particularly gratifying to be asked by Gwendolyne Walter to write the foreword for her first book, Me, God and My Tennis Shoes (A Teen’s Guide to a Closer Walk with God) to encourage young Christians in their walk with our God.

Throughout this book Gwen will give you helpful ideas and winning strategies on how to be successful in the pursuit of your divine destiny. She brilliantly uses Paul’s parallels of running combined with her personal testimonies, and family values as winning strategies in the race of life.

I have known Gwen and her family for over four decades. The late Superintendent Earnest James Walter and the late Missionary Lois Walter Brown, the Founding Pastor and First Lady of the Park Hill Church of God in Christ in Houston, Texas, modeled the finest in servant-leaders and gave their entire lives to serving Christ and His Kingdom. Gwendolyne is a student of the Bible in her own right, her interest in the study of it having been nurtured during her lifetime by her father and stimulated by her mother.

At the early age of 12, Gwen, the second of six daughters, accepted Jesus Christ as her personal Savior. She has served Christ and His church as a pianist, choir director, minister of music, and she is a licensed missionary. In the Texas South Central Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction of Texas, she has served as State Sunday School Field Representative, State Youth Department Chairlady, Women’s Credential Secretary and Executive Assistant to me, the Bishop.

I would like to give a heartfelt thanks to Missionary Gwendolyne D. Walter for her commitment to integrity and her passion to reach the nations with the uncompromised Word of the Living God. She possesses the rare gift of presenting the deep truth of God’s Word with clarity, beauty and insight. In this volume of work, she has built on the key passage of the Bible (Hebrews 12:1) to encourage everyone to run in both the physical and spiritual race of life and be not weary.

Missionary Walter’s proclamation of God’s word, her pursuit of Christ, and her passion for people ensures that those who hear her speak or who read her words will be blessed.

Bishop Prince E. W. Bryant, Sr., Jurisdictional Prelate

Texas South Central Church of God in Christ, Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction

Ecumenical Endorsements

• Supt. Willie A. Jenkins, Pastor of the Greater Law Memorial Church of God in Christ (Houston, Texas). I recommend that teens in the body of Christ read this wonderful collection of biblical truths. It is a source of God inspired encouragement. I am proud of Missionary Walter’s accomplishment in this book project.

• Supt. Sebron O. Brown, Pastor of the Southwest First Church of God in Christ (Houston, Texas). This book will enrich the lives of those who read it and strengthen their faith in God. I recommend teens as well as the parents of teens