My first experience with Whitney Houston was in elementary school. I took the cheese wagon to school and the bus driver had the radio on every morning. "Greatest Love of All" had plenty of rotation during the rush hour. Later that year, I didn't want to hear that song ever again because Mr. Broward, our music teacher, had us singing it EVERY SINGLE DAY!

A few years later, I developed a boyhood crush on Whitney (along with many other MTV women). She was dressed in that slinky pinkish dress with long flowing brown curls draped over her mahogany shoulders in her video for the song "I Wanna Dance with Somebody." I would later discover the wonders of weave and wigs. Give me a break. I was a little kid, ok?! She would go on to make hit after hit and I was one of the ga-zillion fans that witnessed her become a multi-platinum icon.

The day I found out she married Bobby Brown, I thought what most of you thought, "Oh no."

Don't get me wrong. I was a fan of Bobby even from his "Don't be Cruel" days. But, when you looked at them together, they were like friends of yours who you just knew shouldn't be dating each other. It just didn't seem right and, let's be honest, we were more concerned for the welfare of Whitney than for Mr. Humpin' Around. I don't doubt that, as a husband, Bobby had influence on Whitney's struggle, as I'm sure they shared their struggle together. But I also don't blame him for her demise, as many have done. When she passed on February 11, it had been almost 5 years since their divorce.

What really puzzles me is how this church-bred prodigy became so entangled in the web of addiction. How could she have strayed so far that she could not muster the will to return to her very Biblical roots that could sure enough pull her out of the pit? Girl grew up in a Baptist Church in New Jersey singing to the Lord and she's found dead about three decades later from drugs and alcohol (of course pending toxicology results). Polar opposites from beginning to end.

It doesn't cease to blow my mind when I see celebrities who were raised in the church eventually get so lost. Oprah, former church-goer, was turned off of Christianity because God is a jealous god. Shock Rock singer Marilyn Manson went to a Christian private school as a child. Katy Perry's parents are ministers. Can you see the common denominator? Fame and riches. Are you listening, Justin Bieber and Tim Tebow?

Is it that simple? Does this trend make the scripture "Do not seek to be rich" any more truthfully jarring? Because I want money and most of the tasks I do day-to-day point toward a goal of making mula, I try to keep a heavenly perspective and "seek the kingdom first" mindset. But I would be lying if I told you that one of my goals WASN'T to be wealthy. I wonder if I would be that vulnerable to the world's agenda if I were to be in the same position as Whitney, Marilyn, Katy and Oprah? Would I be a sucker for Dr. Phil and Deepak Chopra propaganda?

How would you fare if you were lavished with millions of dollars, adoring fans and industry heads telling you what you want to hear? It's easy to rely on the Lord when you're broke because you ain't got a choice! Your bank account is in the negative; the landlord and repo man are stalking you, so God is all you got. 

To the common Christian, getting on your knees about it is a no-brainer. How often would you kneel if you were ballin'? I find it astonishing how quickly people forget about God or show that they never were serious about Him in the first place when they never have to worry about a mortgage for the rest of their life.

I made up my mind long ago that ANYTHING the Bible has to say about EVERYTHING is the absolute truth. So when I'm placed in a situation where someone is telling me "all roads lead to heaven," I know that's opposed to what Jesus said, "I am the way" and I immediately shoot down the thought as a lie. Could these very same celebrities not take the same stance? I'm left to believe that they really didn't believe or care for what the Bible stood for in the first place.

Katy Perry certainly had no issue abandoning the Christian music industry to go on to sing a pro-lesbian anthem. Her motive was obvious because, as a Christian artist, you have to be prepared for rejection from the world. It comes with the territory of following Christ.

Am I lumping Whitney in the same hot mess that Katy's in now? I mean, Whitney never sang about making out with chicks but I can't recall her ever living out the truth of Christ on a very public level. Did she forget? That's not for me to decide. But, I know whenever I am financially successful, Imma slam the door shut should Deepak Chopra want to teach his version of spirituality.

Let me be clear: I don't proclaim to have it all together. I have an affinity for foods that make you fat though Xanax would never tempt me. I hate the taste of liquor. I do, however, like the taste of pizza and Krispy Kreme doughnuts.

If I become a multi-platinum artist like Whitney, would that mean I would fall prey to gluttony and be found partying hard at the buffet line on Grammy weekend? Being grounded in the word, I know God has given me a "Spirit of self-control and sound mind...," so the answer should be a resounding no. I have the scriptures to combat temptations that attempt to throw me off course at my disposal. Again, I'm a work in progress.

That's why it's important to be grounded in truth. Everybody falls shorts but it's important to get back up and walk in the right direction when you do fall. When these folks fell, the deceiver himself helped them up. They were either not knowledgeable of the Word, flat out sellouts to the truth they once followed or they were simply duped.

We'll never know or understand what Whitney was thinking or going through within the last year of her life. She was trying to revive her career beginning at Clive Davis' annual Grammy party and defy the effects that drugs and alcohol had on her vocal cords. Her last moments at an R&B Grammy party report a social Whitney with drink at hand. Then there was a belligerent Whitney who confronted ex-X-Factor contestant Stacy Francis. Ray J, out of all people and players, had to come to Stacy's defense.

Does her last night of drugs and alcohol take her ticket to heaven away? That's not for me to judge and I doubt taking Xanax and being tipsy sentences a Christian to hell. Everyone has their hang up until they conquer them. Being raised in the church doesn't guarantee one will never succumb to the temptations of a dark world. But being grounded in the truth at least assures you that "greater is He that is in you than he that is in the world and He has overcome the world."

Unfortunately, this is the last memory Whitney leaves behind. One of early success and a gradual descent into depression, self-perceived failure and a weakness that she apparently could never overcome. As days pass, I'm certain we'll be finding out more and more about her last days. I certainly thought Whitney Houston (and Michael Jackson) were going to live a long time.

The last song she performed was a karaoke-ish moment with R&B singer Kelly Price singing a few bars of "Yes, Jesus loves me." I pray that she was grounded in that truth to her last breath.

The self-proclaimed Zig Ziglar of rap, Billy Delgado, is a Music Producer/Artist and Writer by day and sleeping pillow-drooler by night. He is currently producing the debut album for his band The 288’s, a God-inspired Hip Hop/R&B group that combines soul-baring lyricism with an electric innovative sound, breaking from the norm and reaching all cultures & ages (save senior citizens). He still can’t believe he’s a family man with a beautiful wife Mari & three boys Chris, Nelson and Joshua, so he continues to pinch himself silly to this day.