Soul Essentials: Reflections and Lessons Learned from a Journey with the Lord

By Walanda Houston

Is your walk worthy of the Lord?

Developing a relationship with the Lord is the surest way to have a victorious life. When we have a desire to please God in every aspect of our lives, we can grow in our knowledge of Him through His Word and bear spiritual fruit that lasts. The Bible teaches us what God desires from us, and when we pray God

• Language: English
• Publisher: Trilogy Christian Publishing
• Release date: May 4, 2021
• ISBN: 9781637690895

Walanda Houston

Walanda Houston has a professional background in the mental health and social services field. She is also an artist and writer of poetry and novels. Additionally, she serves as a lay counselor. She is the mother of three children and resides in Memphis, TN.

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Soul Essentials

Reflections and Lessons Learned from a Journey with the Lord

By

Walanda Houston

Soul Essentials: Reflections and Lessons Learned from a Journey with the Lord

Trilogy Christian Publishers A Wholly Owned Subsidiary of Trinity Broadcasting Network

2442 Michelle Drive Tustin, CA 92780

Copyright © 2021 by Walanda Houston

All scripture quotations are taken from the New Living Translation unless otherwise noted. Public domain.

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

Rights Department, 2442 Michelle Drive, Tustin, CA 92780.

Trilogy Christian Publishing/TBN and colophon are trademarks of Trinity Broadcasting Network.

Cover design by: Grant Swank

For information about special discounts for bulk purchases, please contact Trilogy Christian Publishing.

Trilogy Disclaimer: The views and content expressed in this book are those of the author and may not necessarily reflect the views and doctrine of Trilogy Christian Publishing or the Trinity Broadcasting Network.

Manufactured in the United States of America

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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available.

ISBN:978-1-63769-088-8

E-ISBN:978-1-63769-089-5

Dedication

For my heavenly angel, my mother, Connie, who told me she knew I was a real writer at age ten when my first short story was read over the radio. Thank you for teaching me there is power in my prayers.

Acknowledgments

I must first thank my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, because if not for Him, this book would never have been written. He truly kept me during the dark times in my life, even when I didn’t realize I was being kept. I thank God that He made way for me to get back on my feet and find my way through the darkness and back into his marvelous light.

I thank my mother, Connie Houston, for accepting me back into her home, helping me to take care of my children, and providing me with the support and quiet but genuine encouragement to become the writer I’ve always wanted to be. She always told me God would be with me wherever I went. Like Elijah and Elisha, she believed God had given me a double portion of her spirit, which is amazing to me because she was the most spiritually grounded and wise person I knew. She never got to read this manuscript but listened to me talk about it during our conversations about God, children, and men over coffee in the mornings. She is truly missed, but I know she is with the Master, dancing and filled with joy in her heavenly mansion.

I thank my father, Wallace Houston, for showing me what quiet strength and, ultimately, what surrender to God looks like. I’ll always remember him sitting behind the counter at his store, H and H Sundry and Grocery, thinking to myself, this belongs to my daddy. As a young girl, I was always so proud of him. He was the first real entrepreneur I’d ever seen. He let me know that I could have whatever I dreamed of if I worked for it and believed in myself.

I would like to thank my sister, Wendi Houston, for being the next real example of an entrepreneur who doesn’t quit and never gives up. I have seen her fall, and I’ve seen her get back up. I’ve heard her laugh and shout in triumph. I’ve heard her sigh and cry out in defeat. Through it all, she has never lost her faith in God. She has continued to place one foot in front of the other and move forward in victory. She stepped in to help raise my children during a time when I couldn’t be the mother I needed to be to them. And, she didn’t hate me for it. She is an inspiration to me.

I would like to thank my oldest daughter, Asha, for becoming the kind of woman who makes me feel like I’ve done something right after all. Your humor, quick wit, and charm always make me smile. Your accomplishments have made me proud. Your forgiveness and understanding have humbled me. I only hope that you still love me as much as I love you.

I would like to thank my son, Clay, for always making me laugh and for being that guy in my life. Thank you for never giving up on me. Thank you for always expecting me to show up eventually and be your mother again.

I would like to thank my youngest daughter, Ryli, for showing me myself again. In you, I see the young girl I once was, including all my struggles to find my voice and become comfortable in my own skin. I promise to walk alongside you through this journey. I promise to hold your hand and listen to what you have to say. I promise to ask you how you feel instead of making assumptions. I promise to make an effort to be the kind of mother I’ve always wanted to be to you.

To all my children: I know the path we have traveled has not been an easy one. But I want each of you to know that I love you with all that I have within me. If I have failed you, I will spend the rest of my life trying to make it up to you. You will always be mine.

To my niece, Hannah, know that you are enough. You are loved, and I look forward to seeing the many great things you will accomplish.

To my cousin, Idora Price, thank you for letting me know you enjoyed reading the devotional newsletters which were taken from this book and encouraging me to write even more of them. As a woman of God, your opinion has meant so much.

To my spiritual warrior women and prayer partners, Minister Betshobia Fox and Minister Teresa Thornton, I thank each of you for always lifting me up in prayer and for believing in the gift that God has given me. My prayer for each of you is that God would continue to shower his favor upon you and your ministries and fill you with his love and wisdom.

To my friend, Robin Deshields-Brady, thank you for reading the manuscript and calling it a great book. You are truly one of a kind.

To my friends and fellow writers, Brittany Gaither and Shayanna McNeil, thank you for all the laughs, conversations, and encouragement along the way. May words become your friends, and may you find the grace to continue your writing endeavors until your literary vision becomes a reality. Remember, you can do it! If I can do it, so can you.

To my Pastor, Dr. Stacy L. Spencer, thank you for always having a Word that refreshes me, stretches me, and pushes me to be a more loving, more involved, more conscientious, and forward-thinking Christian. I have truly grown at New Direction Christian Church.

To my former Pastor, Steven J. Turner, thank you for always being kind to me, praying for me, and showing concern for my wellbeing. I will always remember being spiritually fed at the Wednesday noonday sessions of Bible Study.

To the Pentecostal Missionary Baptist Church Family, thank you for always supporting my writing endeavors and loving me. I can truly say PMBC is where I grew my wings.

To Terry Cordingley, the first person at Trilogy to believe that my book needed to breathe and make its entrance out into the world for people to read. Thank you for the push.

To the production and design team at Trilogy, thank each of you so much for helping me to make my book the best that it can be. Thank you for your patience, your dedication, and all your hard work. I could not have done this without you! Thank you for being an integral part of making my dream come true.

To you, my wonderful reader, thank you for allowing me to come alongside you on this spiritual journey. I hope you are enlightened, edified, and encouraged by this book.

Introduction

I never intended to write this book. These pages started out as simple journal entries I had begun to write as part of my own personal Bible study during a period of spiritual reflection, questioning, and emotional upheaval while I struggled through a long period of unemployment, which had me feeling depressed, frustrated, unproductive and scared. Writing was my way of coping with all the emotional discomfort I felt and the chaos going on around me.

There were times when I didn’t think I’d ever see the light at the end of the tunnel. But as countless stories can attest to about the spiritual awakenings that men and women all over the world have experienced, God often makes Himself intimately known during the darkest and oftentimes most confusing and perplexing moments of our lives. It wasn’t until after much of this book had been written that I realized how intimately acquainted I had become with the Lord because it wasn’t until then that I realized how completely dependent I had become upon Him. I needed Him for everything. I needed Him to be able to look at myself and deal with the imperfections I saw within without succumbing to self-pity. I needed Him to feel joy in the midst of my suffering. I needed Him to become a better mother, sister, daughter, and friend. I needed Him to feel safe and secure. I needed Him to face each day. I needed Him to tell my story.

If you are reading this, I believe it is because you are looking for something special. I believe it is because you could benefit from a word of encouragement, enlightenment, and the sharing of God’s love to empower and equip you to become the person you are designed to be. I am a woman who loves the Lord, has a creative spirit, and desires to share that love and creativity with you. In this book, I have