My Spiritual Journey in Music

By Maryann Tolson

My spiritual journey in music is about my journey singing from eight years old and up and some people that have been on the journey with me in one way or another. Although the music I sang wasn't always gospel, most of my grownup years have been. The worldly music made me feel good sometimes, but spiritual music makes me feel good all the time. God has and is still using me to touch lives for him through poems and songs. I just want to share my experiences with the world in the form of a book and any other way that God wants to use me to share inspiration. There were many times when the devil would use people to discourage me, even people that I thought should encourage me in my journey. But praise be to God who helped me not give up. He put a ''keep on keeping on'' in me. In other words he has given me a determination. Then to top it off he gave me a song about keep on keeping on, which will be in my poem book. So go through the journey with me and see how God can take a person whose life has been messed up and turn it into a miracle. This book also gives the reader a understanding of who God used to encourage throughout my journey.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Mar 14, 2016
• ISBN: 9781514418574

Maryann Tolson

Maryann Tolson is a first-time author. She has been writing songs since 2000, when she was prophesied over that God had given her a gift to be a psalmist. She loves to encourage people and let them know that Jesus loves them through her inspired poems and songs. She has made thousands of framed poems to share the love of Jesus. She was prophesied over again in 2011 that she had a lot of books in her. She has eleven more books in the process of being written. Her dream is to inspire the world through her songs and books. Maryann Tolson has been married to her wonderful husband, Robert Tolson, for thirty-four years. They have two handsome grown sons, Robert and Demarco, and four wonderful grandchildren and one on the way.

Book preview

Copyright © 2016 by Maryann Tolson. 712016

ISBN:   Softcover   978-1-5144-2309-7

             EBook       978-1-5144-1857-4

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

Scripture quotations marked KJV are from the Holy Bible, King James Version (Authorized Version). First published in 1611. Quoted from the KJV Classic Reference Bible. Copyright © 1983 by the Zondervan Corporation.

Scripture quotations marked NKJV are taken from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to any actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

Rev. date: 04/21/2016

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Contents

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

INTRODUCTION

CHAPTER 1 MY CHILDHOOD EXPERIENCE WITH MUSIC

CHAPTER 2 NOW ACCEPTED IN THE CHURCH CHOIR

CHAPTER 3 MY SISTER HELPED ME GET THE JOB

CHAPTER 4 ANOINTED IN THE PRAYER ROOM

CHAPTER 5 MY EXPERIENCES WITH OUTSIDE MINISTRY (2001–2003)

CHAPTER 6 FROM OUTSIDE MINISTRY TO GOD HEARTFELT MINISTRY

CHAPTER 7 MINISTRY WITH SISTER MARIA

CHAPTER 8 FROM DES MOINES TO OKLAHOMA

CHAPTER 9 FROM OKLAHOMA TO HOUSE OF MERCY

CHAPTER 10 PEOPLE I MADE POEMS FOR AT HOUSE OF MERCY

CHAPTER 11 CELEBRATION

CHAPTER 12 SPECIAL POEMS AND SONGS FOR HOUSE OF MERCY

CHAPTER 13 DUDS ’N’ SUDS

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

First of all, I’m thankful to God, my Creator; Jesus, my Savior, for dying on the cross for me; and God’s precious Holy Spirit, who leads me and guides me into all truth.

My parents, Patricia and Jerry, who helped produce me.

My pastors Randy and Betty Waterman, who prayed for me when I was going my own way, all messed up, and showed me unconditional love and also encouraged me to be a finisher and overcomer in every area of my life.

To Julie, who prayed and spoke into my life in 2000 that God was going to use me to share songs and encourage many.

My sister Tina, who helped me get the job at House of Mercy.

To my spiritual mom, Talya Obumseli, who spoke into my life for many years and used me to share my songs in her ministry on a regular basis and helped me to get my first computer and told me that there were many books in me.

Sister Maria, who inspired me and made an impact in my life.

Tammy Thompson, who helped me set up my first computer.

House of Mercy, which allowed me to do ministry for many years and also allowed me to write my first book, with many memories of my years working there.

Cliff Pack, whom I believe God spoke to, to help me name my book

My Spiritual Journey in Music.

To my husband, Robert, who bought me my second computer and a new printer to do a better job with my books.

Gidget Ruiz, whose heart God touched to loan me money to make my first book.

My boss, Cheryl Cross, who allowed me to take pictures of food we made.

To Chef Iona, for being my featured guest. To my models, Achok and Yvette.

To my other special guest, Sergeant Mark Miller.

To my children, Robert and Demarco, who encourage me to keep moving forward.

To all the awesome people who were, and still are, a part of my spiritual journey in music.

INTRODUCTION

What My Book is About

My spiritual journey in music is about my journey singing from eight years old and up and about some people that have been on the journey with me in one way or another. Although the music I sang wasn’t always gospel, for most of my grown-up years, it has been. Worldly music makes me feel good sometimes, but spiritual music makes me feel good all the time. God has, and still is, using me to touch lives for him through poems and songs. I just want to share my experiences with the world in the form of a book and any other way that God wants to use me to share inspiration. There were many times when the devil used people to discourage me, even people that I thought should have encouraged me in my journey. But praise be to God, who helped me not give up. He put a keep on keeping on in me. In other words, he has given me determination. Then to top it off, he gave me a song about keep on keeping on, which will be in my poem book. So go through the journey with me, and see how God can take a person whose life has been messed up and turn it into a miracle. This book also gives the reader an understanding of who God used to encourage me throughout my journey.

ABOUT PSALM 32:7

When I first read Psalm 32:7, I thought, what does the Bible mean when it says, Thou art my hiding place; thou shalt compass me about with songs of deliverance?

When I looked compass up in the dictionary, one of the definitions was a sense of direction. As I look over my life for the past fourteen years, I can see more how he has compassed me about with songs of deliverance through different things that I have been through in my life.

Oh, how I thank God for what he has done and what he is doing in my life through these songs. Many of the songs that God gives me are for me.

And many are for others.

A WORD FROM THE LORD

God spoke to me and told me the reason he is having me write these books about my life is to let others know that no matter how much they have messed up, if they repent and turn to him, then he can and will forgive their sins and turn their messed-up lives into miracles. Though many things that I write about are not comfortable to share, God told me my testimonies will constantly bring healing to me as well as to others and will also show people that are my age that it’s not too late to dream because in God, our possibilities are endless.

I NEVER DREAMED I WOULD WRITE BOOKS

I always knew that I had many stories in my life, but never in my wildest dreams did I ever imagine that I would actually write a book or books about my life! Some of my books are easy to write about.

Some of my books are more challenging than