Marilynn Dawson's Blog, page 11
May 16, 2013
It felt so good today to just be a Mom
The very fact I can say that and actually feel the sense of well-being, rest, and enjoyment from such an observation truly shows where God has taken my heart from the moment my son was conceived, to this moment now as in exactly one month's time, he graduates. His sister graduates a week later.
I share in my series some of the feelings that came and went regarding motherhood. It hasn't been an easy road for me, and my kids bear the scars as much as I do along the path we have walked. But along the way, God taught me to love them. As fearful and angry as I was at the beginning, and as stunned as I was at being flung full force into my greatest fear (that of becoming a single mother), I am incredibly thankful and filled with gratitude that God stepped into this home in a very practical, very real, very down-to-earth way. When people congratulate me on a job well done, I have absolutely no choice, but to deflect that praise to God, because I know within myself, that if God had not stepped into this home, such accolades would have turned to all out concern for everyone's welfare.
As some may know, I am without steady employment right now. But this morning I was at rest, and cheerful over it. I put the finishing touches on a grad gift for my teenagers, and for those accompanying them to our private formal BBQ next month. I confirmed this afternoon's fitting with the seamstress and took my daughter, ensuring that her dress meets my standards for strapless modesty. The only minor frustration all day was the amazing increase in traffic as the weather has turned nice here in the Okanagan Valley.
I am very much enjoying the rest right now. Going a bit stir-crazy when a day has me at home without a few jaunts around town or a walk outside. But other than that, this period of physical rest is doing me a world of good! I am benefiting emotionally, physically, spiritually, and I do believe the benefits are extending to how I am interacting with others too. There is just that sense of overall increasing well-being.
The strange bit about all this, other than the admission of enjoying being a Mom today, is the secondary feeling that there is no stress over my current financial condition. I get paid this weekend, and it's not much. A gift at mid-week prayer given as "not much". But bills are getting paid regardless! My only real concern is paying rent at the beginning of June. I am doing sound-tech gigs, the occasional computer repair or virus removal, and busy hunting down and acting on ways to market my series and my latest book. But the stress isn't there. If there is stress, it's almost feeling a bit of guilt that I'd rather be enjoying this time of rest than getting all stressed out over having to find sustainable income.
Some would say that's being irresponsible. But I do feel that this is a time of healing for me and I'm almost feeling guilty enjoying it so much.
As long as the bills get paid and I manage my finances in a responsible manner, then I'm good with it.
One thing's for certain! I never, in my wildest dreams, would have seen myself in years past saying that today, I enjoyed being a Mother! There's change right there! There's growth right there! These years haven't been easy. They haven't always resulted in the goals I attempted to envision as I struggled with my role in life. But I pray healing for my kids. I pray mercy over them that the scars they bear won't influence their adult lives for bad, but instead will influence them for good. I pray mercy that my struggles as a Mother will not negatively impact them, but that they will continue to grow in their stature among mankind, and be drawn closer to God who has been known as Unseen Father in this home since they were both very young. Even as I pray this prayer, there is peace, and there wasn't over Mother's Day.
God is doing a work, and I don't want it to end.
May 10, 2013
For Release on Goodreads: Mom's Little Black Book: Godly Advice for the High School Graduate
KELOWNA, BC CANADA May 10, 2013 - Marilynn Dawson, author of "Becoming the Bride of Christ: A Personal Journey", has written a new book entitled, "Mom's Little Black Book: Godly Advice for the High School Graduate". This little book is meant to be a Mother's attempt at guiding her teen-turning-young adult through some of the more common aspects of daily life. Among it's pages the reader will find quotes from a much more comprehensive guide, otherwise known as the Bible! Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth. Each page contains one tidbit of advice, or a Scripture, or a work-page to help your youth along their way. This book is divided into sections, so that if your teen needs advice on something, they can find it quicker just by going directly to the desired section.
God says to raise up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it. God also urges parents to ensure that their children, like arrows from a quiver placed in the bow-string, fly straight and true. It is Marilynn's hope that these tidbits of advice assist your youth to fly straight and true as they go out to become all that God created and designed them to be.
This book is now available for purchase from the following locations and potentially other places later into the summer.
In Canada:
Bookmob.ca
Storenvy.com
Global:
Createspace.com
Amazon websites:
Amazon.com
My store on Amazon.com
Amazon DE
About the Author:
Marilynn grew up in a solid Christian home, coming to Christ at the age of 7. She has been actively involved in Church life since age 10, including activities such as joining her Mom and sister in singing special numbers, choir, teaching Sunday School, leading Sunday School open session, planning Sunday School lessons, and more. Marilynn attended both public and Christian private schools growing up. She attended North Island Community College on Vancouver Island and Trend College in Kelowna, BC, obtaining certificates in receptionist work and CompTIA A+ computer repair.
Throughout her life, Marilynn has written poetry and published a few of them in the American Poetry Anthology(two issues). She's also written numerous unpublished articles on end-time eschatology and the news, written unpublished short stories, word studies and more.
For more information about "Mom's Little Black Book", please visit https://www.facebook.com/Marilynn.Daw... or contact Marilynn Dawson at 1-250-869-8429 or send an email to author@fa-ct.com.
Click here: http://songdove.fa-ct.com/stuff/MLBBp... to download the press kit containing an image of the book series, author photo, postcards, bookmarks, etc.
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May 1, 2013
April 2013 Songdove Books Spring Newsletter
Welcome to that time of year we typically refer to as SPRING!!!
Is it spring where you are? With all the crazy snow storms and cold weather running around the Northern Hemisphere, it's been hard to tell. But I can tell you in my corner of the globe, we now have flowers in the gardens and leaves budding on the trees.
Spring is typically a time to celebrate new beginnings, whether it's new life, or open doorways or new opportunities of one form or another. It is also the time when those of us with kids born between 1994 and 1995 are considering plans for the graduating teenagers in their lives. Being as both my kids are graduating in June, I sat here earlier this year wondering what I could do for a grad gift. Suddenly inspiration struck and "Mom's Little Black Book: Godly Advice for the High School Graduate" was born! It is going through rough draft round two right now and will soon hit rough draft round three, after which it will be available for me to order for my two teenagers.
Both my reviewers so far, and others I have discussed the concept with, have all stated that they'd either love a copy for themselves, or would buy such a book for the teenagers in their own lives. So this project will be opened up to the public after June 15th, the date my kids get it as a grad gift. I am telling you, my newsletter readership now however, that the book will be available for purchase somewhere near the end of May if not before. The cost is $10, so it fits into the "affordable $10 grad gift" category. If you want to order a copy for the graduate in your own life, please let me know. You are free to pay me directly using paypal (songdove@fa-ct.com) or via one of the purchase links I'll send to you in my response to your desire to purchsae the book.
This book contains Scripture verses, devotional calendars, grocery budget examples, note pages, as well as godly tidbits of advice with every turn of the page. You can view a sample section by going to my Facebook author page and clicking on the "Mom's Little Black Book" tab beside the BTOC Chapter One tab.
Meanwhile, Online Daily sessions in "Becoming the Bride of Christ: A Personal Journey" has completed Chapter 5 and is now in Chapter Six of Volume Two. It's never too late to sign up as you simply carry on whereever we are at that time. There are two ways you can sign up to receive each day's online sessions: Email only, or blog registration so that you can participate in any discussions about each day's session. For registration info, please read this link here:
https://songdove.fa-ct.com/wordpress-mu
The desired automated emails are not going out until someone visits the site each day. But the daily sessions themselves ARE being posted to the site at 6am every day Monday to Friday unless there is a short week. Use short weeks to catch up on anything you missed, or to go back over something you felt needed more time to ponder.
Here is a list of places you can find me:
Linkedin: http://www.linkedin.com/in/marilynndawsonauthor
Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/songdovebooks/
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/10989028-marilynn-dawson
Shelfari: http://www.shelfari.com/songdove
Freado: http://www.freado.com/users/34318/marilynn-dawson
Twitter: https://twitter.com/songdoveMD
Zianz: http://xianz.com/n/songdove
Chapters: http://community.indigo.ca/profile/Marilynn-Dawson/557354.html
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Marilynn.Dawson.Author?ref=hl
Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/user/songdovemd
Wattpad: http://www.wattpad.com/user/MarilynnDawson
Here is the current list of where you, or those you know, may purchase the series, "Becoming the Bride of Christ: A Personal Journey".
In Canada:
Bell Tower Books:
http://bookmanager.com/1187155/?q=h.ts&opt=kw&tsf=y&qs=marilynn+dawson&x=0&y=0#
Amazon.ca:
http://www.amazon.ca/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=Ms.+Marilynn+Dawson
http://www.bookmob.ca/search/keyword/Marilynn+Dawson
Chapters-!ndigo:
http://www.chapters.indigo.ca/books/35/search/?sc=Ms.+Marilynn+Dawson&sf=Author
http://songdovebooks.storenvy.com Currently there is a Spring discount coupon for everything in the store. Use the code: BBOCSPRING. This store features the series, as well as matching notebooks and pens.
Global:
Createspace.com:
https://www.createspace.com/3672131 Volume One
https://www.createspace.com/3933868 Volume Two
https://www.createspace.com/3958072 Volume Three
https://www.createspace.com/3958097 Volume Four
https://www.createspace.com/3958124 Volume Five
https://www.createspace.com/3960362 Volume Six
https://www.createspace.com/3964570 Leader's Guide
Amazon websites:
http://www.amazon.ca/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=Ms.+Marilynn+Dawson
http://astore.amazon.com/becothebridof-20 Marilynn's Amazon Store
http://www.amazon.co.uk/-/e/B008SXA2QS Amazon UK
http://www.amazon.fr/-/e/B008SXA2QS Amazon FR
http://www.amazon.es/s?_encoding=UTF8&search-alias=english-books&field-author=Ms%20Marilynn%20Dawson Amazon ES
http://www.amazon.de/-/e/B008SXA2QS Amazon DE
http://www.amazon.it/s/276-0127529-5185841?_encoding=UTF8&search-alias=english-books&field-author=Ms%20Marilynn%20Dawson Amazon IT
http://www.amazon.co.jp/s/ref=ntt_athr_dp_sr_1?_encoding=UTF8&field-author=MS%20Marilynn%20Dawson&search-alias=books-us Amazon Japan
http://www.amazon.co.jp/-/e/B008SXA2QS Author page Japan
New Zealand:
http://www.mightyape.co.nz/Authors/MS-Marilynn-Dawson/All/
India:
http://www.junglee.com/mn/search/junglee/ref=nav_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=Ms.+Marilynn+Dawson
New Christian Books:
http://songdove.fa-ct.com/songsfromwordlistings.shtml
Digital versions online:
http://www.scribd.com/Songdove
http://www.atcontent.com/Profile/songdove/Publications/
Lastly, let me mention another book that I had the privilege of being part of this spring. "21 Days of Faith" by Shelley Hitz. This is a compilation work contributed to by myself and 20 others, each of us sharing a story from our own lives about the impact faith in God has had. My story is about employment at the beginning of the year and how my desire to spend private time with God and fit some level of exercise into my day resulted in a part-time job that paid almost as well as the previous full-time job I'd just been laid off from. You can find this book in my list of books on the Amazon.com listings above. It is only in Kindle format at this time.
Since this book has come out, my part-time job has reduced my hours until the realtor gets more housing sales. Yes, you read that right, this musical geek is working as an unlicensed assistant to a realtor in town! But this is a cause for prayer as the reduced hours have me scrambling for either more client calls for my business (http://fa-ct.com) or for more sustainable employment. If you could join me in prayer over this, that would be awesome! I am not stressed about it, as God has provided for my household too many times to question His ability now, but I do know He works through prayer, and through God's people, so I am being obedient and bringing it before you.
May God bless each and every one of you as we move forward in our respective spheres of influence. God is writing a faith story in you too.
Sincerely,
Marilynn Dawson
Revelation 22:17 And the Spirit and the bride say Come. . . and whosoever will, let him take of the water of life freely.
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April 29, 2013
Chronological Sampling of Retweets at @songdovemd:
So this is a sample of the kinds of things I find myself retweeting on my author profile on Twitter. At times I can't help thinking, "someone out there is needing this today/night":
Jesus, Your name is a shelter for the hurting! Your name is a refuge for the weak!
If God adorns the lilies of the field & cares for every sparrow in the sky, How much more is He aware of your sorrow …
Psalms 46:10 "Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth."
When you cry out to God, He will hear your petition and act according to His will
Psalms 40:1 "I waited patiently for the LORD; and he inclined unto me, and heard my cry"
Psalms 27:14 "Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD."
When I am feeling down, oppressed, depressed and don't know what to do, then that is when I turn to the one who has the answer. …
Sometimes in life, we need to turn to someone for help. There is a name of someone to help you and His name is Jesus. Why not turn to Him?
When your emotions dictate the way you act~then there is a problem, especially when it comes to listening to God
Worry increases pressure; prayer releases peace.
I'm actively pursuing holiness ~ See Heb. 12v14.
For You have been my help, and in the shadow of Your wings I sing for joy. Ps 63:7
I don't support gay & lesbian lifestyles. I don't approve of it & I will never encourage it. ~ "Love the sinner…
"Do not withhold good from those who deserve it, when it is in your power to act" Proverbs 3:27 What is God prompting you to do?
The Church- the universal Bride- of Christ needs the unadulterated WORD OF GOD.
When the righteous increase, the people rejoice, but when the wicked rule, the people groan. Proverbs 29.2
The Gospel doesn't change for what we want~God's word is what we NEED!
DON'T BE FOOLED! When someone says "I Love God"? Make sure its #JESUS the resurrected..Discern it.. there's many "gods" but only One True God
Sometimes when we get side tracked from focusing on Christ~He is there to nudge us back to the right track
Encouragement is awesome. It can actually change the course of another person's day, week, or life.
April 26, 2013
Review of Thoughts appearing in my Twitter Feed this morning (as of 9:45am PST)
So this morning, as I was busy retweeting back to when I went to bed last night, a few themes came to the fore.
The first is that God is pleased when we insist on praising Him inspite of our circumstances. The Psalms refer to this as a sacrifice of praise, because it is difficult to do when everything around us is apparently going wrong. But when we choose to praise God regardless of our circumstances, when we choose to praise Him when we otherwise don't feel like it, God is pleased and His name is lifted up.
A second theme this morning relates to God's Word. God's Word has been likened to food for the soul, washing and cleansing, a mirror of the contents of our heart and mind, and the voice of God giving us instruction. God's Word is all these things and more! However it isn't enough to merely read God's Word, we must obey it, put it into action in every day life and grant it permission to make the changes in our lives that God is speaking to us about.
A third theme this morning is that God is in the business of resurrecting dreams and guiding our steps. Psalm 139:5 speaks of that guidance, and I have experienced first-hand, God's restoring power in dreams that had died within me. Sometimes a dream must die before God can resurrect it His way instead of our way.
A fourth theme this morning was on how we treat others around us. The overall thought there was that of hospitality toward those of the faith, and Agape love to those without the faith. We show God's love through our active obedience to His commands in our day-to-day life as we listen to the voice of the Spirit directing us to reach out to this or that person. Doing so allows the love of Christ to be seen in our lives and touch someone who needs that light.
Lastly, and perhaps most importantly in the busy world we live in, is the issue of focus! I can't count how many times God has had to correct my focus and alert me to the fact it's slipping! God wants our eyes on Him first and foremost! He knows us better than we know ourselves and wants to be the most important person in our lives. This such a strong desire with God, that He will remove anything that gets between us if we'll let Him. This action is not reserved for Him alone however. If we become aware of anything hindering our relationship with Him, we are asked in the Scriptures to take action and remove those things ourselves!
Praise in difficulty, God's Word, resurrected dreams, loving others, and keeping God as our focus. Interesting group of thoughts this morning.
What is God saying to you today?
April 18, 2013
"Mom's Little Black Book" Godly Advice for the High School Graduate
"Mom's Little Black Book" is a collection of tidbits of advice from a Mother to her children as they prepare for life after graduation.
There are 6 major headings:
- Spiritual
- Household
- Personal Care
- Interpersonal
- Food
- Finances
There are Scripture quotes, tidbits of advice, sample calendars and charts, note pages, and the occasional bit of humour thrown in for good measure.
If other parents out there would be interested in getting their hands on such a book, let me know and I'll alert you as soon as it's ready for order.
April 4, 2013
Pre-Devotional Thoughts on Holiness This morning. . .
A typical Thursday morning under the latest routine that began at the end of January (my life seems to change every 3 to 6 months whether I need it to or not). I got up, washed, dressed, turned on the computer, made and ate breakfast, and sat down to see what inspirational things would meet me this morning in my email, Facebook, and now Twitter. My son was still rattling around the place before getting on his bicycle to head to school.
I haven't even had my morning devotions yet, when the message coming through various postings is one of seeking God in and living life from a state of holiness! The idea that sin has become too easy to accept and even embrace in the lives of so many of God's people, is one that I write about in Chapter 7 of my series, in Volume Three. Holiness, at least as taught by the old-style Pentecostals in the 60's, was a legalistic list of do's and don'ts and spawned many parodies and became the butt of various secular jokes. There was a 60's song about a guy singing to a girl, wondering what on earth she does to have fun, because she doesn't drink, dance or smoke. The lyrics escape me just now, but I can hear the music in my head, and no I'm not from the 60's, I'm an early 70's child, born in 1971. So I missed the 60's by just over a year.
Even at midweek prayer last night, one of the men in attendance commented that the issue isn't obedience before coming to Christ, but obedience after coming to Christ that matters more! Why is this? Because in Christ's own words, when we obey God's commands, we show Christ that we love Him. When we choose to live holy lives free of engagement in known sin, we bring a smile to God's face and show Him that we are serious about choosing to live for Him and serious about accepting His Robe of Righteousness given to us freely by Christ Himself. We can't earn that robe. Salvation by works is just as bad as treating holiness like a list of do's and don'ts. We don't obey God out of fear of losing our salvation. We obey God out of gratitude for all He has done for us! In my series I liken this to both a Bride getting ready to meet her Groom, and a child receiving a gift. When we are given a gift of great value, our natural inclination is to look after it and see to it that no dust settles on it, that it's in prime position for admiration, and that it is kept ready for whatever use the gift was for. In the same way we should so value the gift of salvation God has given us, that we keep sin from marring it, ensure that it carries prominent position in our lives, and that through that gift, we keep ourselves ready for whatever use God has prepared us for in His Kingdom.
Doing this does mean abstaining from anything that could cause us to trip and fall in our thought life first and foremost, and from there into our speech, actions, and destinations. If satan can make us think that a given sin is so small that it won't matter, then the infestation can grow from there. God did not nullify the 10 Commandments when Christ hung on the Cross. To the contrary, He wrapped them up in two shorter commandments, whose adherence goes beyond the original 10!
God cannot look at sin. What sins have you decided are so small as to be inconsequential in your walk with God? Have you examined how they've acted like yeast and made their way from your thoughts into how you live everyday life? The Church has some repenting to do! May the prayer of the church echo the prayer God has placed in my own heart, "Lord cleanse me again. Wash me anew. . . " and pray the prayer of David at the end of Psalm 139. Sin is incidious! Sometimes I know when I've done something wrong deliberately, other times I pray that prayer in case I did something I shouldn't have just because the thought pattern had become commonplace in my mind, causing me to nolonger recognize it as sin.
Christ is coming back soon! He is looking for a Bride without spot or wrinkle! You know what those spots and wrinkles are right? What are you doing about eliminating them from your Robe of Righteousness?
April 2, 2013
So Where are YOUR Words of Wisdom??!! Huh???
So I realized something the other day. Well, in actuality I've known this for some time, but decided perhaps a word of explanation might help those who follow me on Facebook and Twitter. You see, most of the pages on Facebook that I follow on my personal profile, and many of the people or organizations I follow on Twitter, generally have something witty, profound, Scriptural, or informational to share several times a day. They have something to say and they are saying it with no holds barred.
I asked myself recently why I didn't have that much to say in a day. . . Then it hit me all over again. Years ago, God taught me that He could speak to me through just about any venue He chose, and always stayed true to His Word while doing so. God has spoken to me through song lyrics, through instrumental music, through devotionals, through inspirational calendars, through events, circumstances and scenarios, through sermons, through movies, etc. Even through Facebook and other online sources over the Internet.
Just this morning as an example, my devotional reading was in Genesis 27 as I go through Nicole Vaughn's book, "Devotions from Genesis". She was led to address the issue of our words, the power they have, and the fact that God holds not only Himself to the words He speaks, but holds us to the words that we speak. Hardly 10 minutes after closing the devotional for the morning, several tweets on Twitter reinforced that message, as did a few Scriptures offered by others on Facebook.
Therefore, since God continues to speak to me from so many varied sources, I feel it is my best use of time and energy to share those voices with my followers and fans. Many times, I get through a half hour of reading through so many awesome, exhortational, sometimes rebuking and corrective things, that I feel what I could have said on my own has already been said, so why repeat it? As long as what is shared lines up perfectly with the Word of God as given in the Holy Scriptures, then it doesn't bother me to share what God has placed on the heart of others. Many, many times, what God has given others to say lines up not only with His Word, but with the subject matter found in the 6 volumes of my series, "Becoming the Bride of Christ: A Personal Journey".
My goal is to show that God is not just speaking these things to me, not merely walking me through this journey, but taking others along this path as well; speaking to and through them about the same subject matter. The message in my series is more than just my personal story of healing and restoration. The message in my series is more than just my story of discovering a deeper walk with God than I had previously enjoyed in my many years of faith. The message in my series is not limited to the world of women or the region of North America either. This message is open and available to anyone from any walk of life who fits into one of the following criteria:
1) They have been a Christian awhile and want to go deeper in Christ
2) They have been a Christian awhile, but something has happened to make them feel unusable in God's Kingdom in some fashion
3) They have been a Christian awhile and are going through something at this very moment that if not for the encouragement of seeing someone else go through it, could waver in their faith and fall, and need to know they are not alone in their struggles.
The content of my series is deeply personal, raw in places as the reader sees just how human this author is and the struggles I faced as God took me through spiritual bootcamp in the latter half of 2007. The content in this series is exhortational in places as God revealed things to me in His Word that I thought I'd understood, but turns out only on a head-knowledge level. The content in this series is confrontational at times as I come head to head with "sacred cows" within the church, issues, forms of entertainment, and attitudes that should not be present among God's people, but due to lack of understanding of the Scriptures, forgotten understanding, or simply a desire to blend in with the culture of the day, such things are not only allowed, but encouraged from the pulpit.
Therefore my series is not a simple, flowing, lightely uplifting read. The single, best word to describe it in most people's minds who have read it so far, is the word, "intense"!
How encouraging to this author then, is the discovery that others out there are not afraid to stand up for these things in their own communication with those around them! They aren't afraid to share these Scriptures, to share these thoughts, to share these rebukes and corrections, and I applaud and encourage them for it! Sharing what they say on Facebook with the fans of my author page is a form of encouragement to those men and women choosing to stand so boldly for what God has stated. Retweeting and favouriting such statements and Scriptures on Twitter offers the same level of encouragement and appreciation to the men and women there who seek to live as closely to the ways of God as possible.
Why reinvent the wheel? If God is speaking through others, who am I to get all defensive and insist on saying things my own way in my own words?! No. . . The message God has given me is not unique to me. Therefore I will promote what others say ahead of myself, and if people want to hear my voice, they must wait for those times when I am compelled to share a snippet from my series, as occurred over Easter Weekend, or purchase my series for themselves.
God is calling to His Bride! God is sending out the call to the 10 Virgins! Difficult decisions must be made to trim our lamps and make ourselves ready for the Wedding Supper of the Lamb! Kudos to everyone who is not afraid to buck modern-day culture and speak to these issues in today's church! Keep it up! And together, may we be about our Father's Business!
March 29, 2013
Happy Easter!!!
Can you believe how early our celebrations hit this year??? In our home we just celebrated a Messianic version of Passover. It's a great way to remember what Christ did for us as the final sacrifice for sin once and for all! This version of Passover even celebrates the Resurrection, which we will celebrate church-wide on Sunday. How does your church celebrate Resurrection Sunday? Do you do a pageant? A sunrise service?
Daily sessions in "Becoming the Bride of Christ: A Personal Journey" is now going through Chapter Four of Volume One. Chapter 5, which begins Volume Two will begin on or near April 12th. If you'd like to follow along in the series offline, you'll want to purchase a copy of Volume Two before April 12th, with enough time for shipping so you have it when we begin Volume Two. There are two ways you can sign up to receive each day's online sessions: Email only, or blog registration so that you can participate in any discussions about each day's session. For registration info, please read this link here:
The desired automated emails are not going out until someone visits the site each day. But the daily sessions themselves ARE being posted to the site at 6am every day Monday to Friday unless there is a short week. Use short weeks to catch up on anything you missed, or to go back over something you felt needed more time to ponder.
As usual, where you can find my series is listed in various links below, but the thought occurred to me, what if you want to find me as an author online? Where would you go? Here is a list of places you can find me:
NEW: Linkedin: http://www.linkedin.com/in/marilynndawsonauthor
Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/songdovebooks/
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/10989028-marilynn-dawson
Shelfari: http://www.shelfari.com/songdove
Freado: http://www.freado.com/users/34318/marilynn-dawson
Twitter: https://twitter.com/songdoveMD
Zianz: http://xianz.com/n/songdove
Chapters: http://community.indigo.ca/profile/Marilynn-Dawson/557354.html
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Marilynn.Dawson.Author?ref=hl
Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/user/songdovemd
Wattpad: http://www.wattpad.com/user/MarilynnDawson
Here is the current list of where you, or those you know, may purchase the series.
New Christian Books Online is offering a 20% discount in the New Christian Books Online Store through April 3 with the coupon code HAPPYEASTER! Click the link below to view the volumes in this series. Click either the Paperback or PDF link for each book you'd like to purchase. Remember to use the code above at checkout once you've compiled your purchase.
http://songdove.fa-ct.com/songsfromwordlistings.shtml
In Canada:
Bell Tower Books:
http://bookmanager.com/1187155/?q=h.ts&opt=kw&tsf=y&qs=marilynn+dawson&x=0&y=0#
Amazon.ca:
http://www.amazon.ca/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=Ms.+Marilynn+Dawson
http://www.bookmob.ca/search/keyword/Marilynn+Dawson
Chapters-!ndigo:
http://www.chapters.indigo.ca/books/35/search/?sc=Ms.+Marilynn+Dawson&sf=Author
http://songdovebooks.storenvy.com
Global:
Createspace.com:
https://www.createspace.com/3672131 Volume One
https://www.createspace.com/3933868 Volume Two
https://www.createspace.com/3958072 Volume Three
https://www.createspace.com/3958097 Volume Four
https://www.createspace.com/3958124 Volume Five
https://www.createspace.com/3960362 Volume Six
https://www.createspace.com/3964570 Leader's Guide
Amazon websites:
http://www.amazon.ca/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=Ms.+Marilynn+Dawson
http://astore.amazon.com/becothebridof-20 Marilynn's Amazon Store
http://www.amazon.co.uk/-/e/B008SXA2QS Amazon UK
http://www.amazon.fr/-/e/B008SXA2QS Amazon FR
http://www.amazon.es/s?_encoding=UTF8&search-alias=english-books&field-author=Ms%20Marilynn%20Dawson Amazon ES
http://www.amazon.de/-/e/B008SXA2QS Amazon DE
http://www.amazon.co.jp/-/e/B008SXA2QS Author page Japan
New Zealand:
http://www.mightyape.co.nz/Authors/MS-Marilynn-Dawson/All/
India:
New Christian Books:
http://songdove.fa-ct.com/songsfromwordlistings.shtml
Digital versions online:
http://www.scribd.com/Songdove
http://www.atcontent.com/Profile/songdove/Publications/
Thoughts this time of year always turn to the immense, humbling and quieting gratitude toward Christ for all He has done for me! That quieting can turn to all-out celebration when with a group of like-minded Christ-followers who love to lift their voice in harmonious song! I know that if it weren't for the keeping power of Christ's hand on my life, and if it weren't for His desire to always be there for me through thick and thin, that my life could be far different than it is now, if not ended along the way.
Easter is a time for reflection. A time for remembering that fateful day when the 4inch thick curtain was torn in two, granting mankind renewed access to the relationship God longs to have with each and every one of us.
What are you reflecting on this Easter? May the reminder of Christ's ultimate sacrifice for His Bride spur you on as we go forward.
March 17, 2013
From Bondage to Freedom as We Learn to Accept Our Newfound Identity in Christ
Galatians 5:1 Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.
March 17/13 - My Pastor's sermon this morning was based around Galatians 5:1 and a few verses in Galatians 3, where Paul is rebuking the Galatian church for having fallen under the influence of those who would shackle them again with the chains of religion. Even in today's modern church, there are those who feel that Salvation in Christ brings them into a legalistic list of do's and don'ts rather than into an intimate relationship with the God of the Universe. There are those who preach a "Salvation by works" doctrine, inspite of the fact that God says in Ephesians 2:8-9 "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 9 Not of works, lest any man should boast." James mentions in James 2:17-18 "Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone. 18 Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works." Some call this an oxymoron, a contradiction, and claim this doesn't make sense.
The understanding here is that there is nothing we can do in and of ourselves to become worthy of the righteousness required to please God. The Old Testament laws show us that without question. Scripture says in Hebrews 11:6 "But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him." Faith is not something we can do, it is something we choose to believe, it is refusing to doubt and believing that God is who He says He is, does what He says He'll do, and won't renegue on His promises. We are told that with the heart, man believes unto Salvation, and with the mouth, he confesses that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father.
Romans 10:9-10 "That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. 10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation."
Philippians 2:9-11 "Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: 10 That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; 11 And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father."
The act of Salvation is an act of belief, not of effort or works.
Mere belief however does not change how one lives every day life. In order for a given belief to have a life-changing effect, it must be whole-heartedly and passionately acted on. This is where Scripture says that faith without works is dead. I can say I believe that chair will hold me up, but if I don't act on that belief, I will never truly experience resting in that chair. I must walk to that chair and sit in it before my belief can give birth to experience. Once I have experienced for myself that this chair can hold my weight, I can rest in it, knowing that I won't fall to the floor. When a guest comes by, I will be able to jump up and offer them my chair, not doubting in the slightest that it will hold them too! I am acting on my faith in that chair.
In the same way, when I come to faith in Christ, I show that by my actions, by how I live, by what I say. Scripture says when I come to Christ in the moment of Salvation, that all things become new, the old is gone, the new is come. But here is where many fall short in their lives as believers. Many times we do not feel as if the old is gone, we stand as if still bound in our sin and afraid to move forward.
This fear can grip a child of God at any time in their faith walk. This is not reserved merely for those who have freshly come to Christ. I speak from personal experience in this matter in reference to an event in my life, coupled with an understanding I'd grown up under, that together left me bound and afraid to move forward. For those who do not yet know my story, I got saved at age 7, but at age 23, made the unwise decision to marry someone. One lost penpal, two children and a miscarriage later, I'd find myself fleeing an abusive marriage and staring at divorce papers. Under old Pentecostal teaching, a divorced person could not serve in any ministerial or leadership capacity within the local Body of Christ. I hid in the choir until 2005 when an altercation with a new worship pastor would start me on a path I will never forget! I sought to apologize in early 2006, and a few months later, this worship pastor began to pull me out of the woodwork. By the time a second personal storm whipped up in the fall of 2006, I was on the praise teams again, assisting with a small webpage for the choir, and I discovered in my pastor a mentor and brother in Christ who would not only be there for me during that second storm, but continually seek to point me to the only One Who could heal me.
During this time God began, via lyrics in songs and Scriptures I was reading, to impress on me to give Him my past, to give Him the things that were holding me back, to let go and let Him take the broken pieces of my life and reform them His way. Dear reader, that freaked the living daylights out of me!!! By this time I was, sad to say now in hindsight, comfortable in who I'd become. My past was now my identity. The thought of ever being used again in my Father's House was a pipe dream I was scared to dream again, but slowly those dreams were returning. God was reviving giftings and talents within me that had gone dormant, that had been forgotten about, and in some areas, that I didn't even know I had. Many times I asked my worship pastor, "Who will I become? If I let this all go, what will become of me? Who will I be?" All he could answer was to trust that God would make me into who HE wanted me to be, and that such an identity would be found only in Him.
Years later he'd reprise that comment when I was fighting with seeking approval from others around me, by reminding me that I must get a grasp on who I am and whose I am. That I am a daughter of the King, and that I belong to Him and Him only. That as I learn to grasp hold of these truths not merely in my mind, but in my heart as well, that living them out will lead to a level of security and confidence found only in that position found in Christ.
I have struggled with this, but it has only been as I release my past into His hands and as I accept what God is doing in my life, that I have found the freedom to move forward in the callings God has given me. Some of my callings are on hold again, and the period they were put on the shelf rocked my world heavily. But God has used this time as another level of growth in my life, and opened the doorway to once again begin sharing the things of God through my fingers on this keyboard. There are times and seasons in one's life, and I am not the most gracious at passing from one season to the next. However God is gracious, and I am still moving forward. He has released me from the chains of my past. My identity in Christ was a thing of trepidation to walk into, I have to admit! But now that I am here, it is an unfolding adventure that has me wonder what will happen next.
The key to all of this has been where my focus lies. The Holy Spirit continually reminds me to correct my focus and place it back on God instead of on my circumstances. It is so easy to let my focus slip from God's face onto what He's doing, or from His face onto the waves around me. I will never forget God telling me one time that I was not focussing on Himself, but on what He was doing for me! This hurt Him and I felt that hurt in His words. God doesn't like being treated like a slave that always does our bidding. He longs to be treated as a Father, as a Husband, as a Brother and has a Friend. Christ encourages us in Matthew to always seek God first, and then everything we have need of will be provided for us.
Matthew 6:33 "But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you." The focus there isn't on the provision, or the fact that focussing on God has an alterior motive to get what we want. The focus and the motive behind the focus is to be on God Himself and His righteousness. Learning to put a smile on God's face by how we live out our faith in every day life, learning to live rightly before Him in all that we say and do, putting God and His ways first in our lives. This tells God we are serious about our faith, serious about a relationship with Him, and He rewards that. He shows up. His idea of what we need is often quite different from what we think we need, but if we can submit to His better judgement and surrender to His ways, then indeed everything we have need of is provided.
There is so much to living a life of freedom in Christ. Paul admonishes us not to use that freedom for our own ends, not use it to justify living in sin, nor to use it to trip up a younger brother because of unwise use of the liberties we now have. But we are to use our freedom to live fully in Christ and to show that by how we conduct ourselves Monday to Friday. We have a new identity in Christ. It may be scary to enter into at first, but we must enter into that identity if we are to leave the shackles behind and move freely in the Holy Spirit.
