Marilynn Dawson's Blog, page 6
March 27, 2014
Welcome to Songdove Books Newsletter: Spring Edition!
Depending on where you are in the world, Spring sprang a little differently this year. Spring in Canada at least has sprung "normally" here on the West Coast, sort of, while continuing to hammer the East Coast with repeated snow storms! The Prairies aren't sure what they're doing! Has Spring sprung properly where you are???
The BIG NEWS this month is the launch of a NEW online reading library!
A new online reading library, called http://www.Inkbok.com, launches Friday, March 28th! Two things make this library stand out.
-The second thing to set this library apart, is it's business model. They intend to give authors 60% of site gross income, 10% to charity work, and continue operating the site on the remaining 30%! How's that for a business model!
Songdove Books can be found there once the service launches. So if you prefer the monthly subscription of a lending library where you can read as many books as you want versus having to buy them all, then you'll love the price of this service and be able to read my books for, as they say, "peanuts"! So come Friday, you'll want to check it out!
Workshop a Go for April 26th, 2014!
Songdove Books will be presenting a workshop April 26th, 2014 aimed at the aspiring author. Workshop content will be based on the little ebook, "Practical Thoughts on Becoming an Author", released quietly this past Fall and offered as a free gift to newsletter subscribers over the Christmas holidays.
If you live in the Kelowna area and want to learn more about how you can take your book idea from a dream to reality, you'll want to attend this workshop. This 2hr workshop will be held at 2pm in the Fellowship Room of Evangel Church at 3261 Gordon Drive on April 26th, which is a Saturday.
The registration fee is $25 if paid before April 5th, and if enough attendees register by April 5th, they will receive a folder containing a workbook, and a CD with the tools we'll discuss at the workshop. The late registration fee will be $30 and late registrants are not guaranteed a folder to take home. So register as soon as you can! Payment can be sent via e-transfer or paypal to songdove@fa-ct.com. Payment can also be made by cheque and mailed to "403-1494 Graham St. Kelowna BC, V1Y 3B1.
Be sure to tell your Okanagan friends. If you also live in the Okanagan, it would be great to see you there!
TWO MONTHS BEFORE GRADUATION!!!
Have you bought that grad gift for your high school graduate yet??? If you are a parent of a graduating teenager, or know a parent of a graduating teenager, or perhaps you know youth pastors of Senior Highs, send them over to Createspace to buy their grad gifts early!
Every parent wants to be sure their graduating teenager enters life on the best footing possible. This book contains practical tidbits of advice from a Mother to her teenager, along with verses from Scripture. In addition, there are sample calendars for things like chores, daily devotions, etc. The section on food has a sample grocery list, and the financial section contains a sample budget sheet.
At $10 - $12, I'm told the price is a steal for a book of this size. Youth pastors looking to get a bundle for their youth group's graduating class should contact me about potential discounts.
Wrap-up
March has had a long-time saying, that it comes in a lion and goes out like a lamb. This year, it came in like a lion, acted like a lamb for a couple weeks, and appears to be going out like a lion as well. With Easter happening late this year, April 20th, the concept of the Lion and the Lamb has been rearing it's head. I first noticed it on Facebook, as different, unrelated people began posting pictures of lions and lambs, or just lions or just lambs.
The coming of Christ was as a lamb. He was born in a stable, given a feeding trough for a cradle, and 33 years later would be hung on a cross as the Eternal Sacrificial Lamb, slain for the sins of the world! At Easter time in Christian circles, we celebrate Christ's death and resurrection around the same time that our Jewish benefactors celebrate Passover. Passover introduced the concept of a lamb without blemish being sacrificed for the sins of the household. We no longer need to sacrifice animals to cover our sins. Jesus Christ Himself, the perfect, sinless Lamb of God, was sacrificed once and for all that cruel day we now call "Good Friday". Have you ever wondered why that day is called "Good"??? It is called good, because with Christ's selfless act, He removed the death penalty from our lives! His death on the cross paid our death penalty. It is called good, because we have been rescued. Two days on the Christian calendar later, we celebrate Resurrection Sunday to celebrate Christ's rising from the dead, and the eternal life He has given each and every one of us who name the name of Christ and choose to follow Him. Every year we celebrate the Lamb that was Slain, rising again to triumph over sin and death!
But the day is coming soon, when Christ will return as the Lion of the Tribe of Judah! He will set foot on the Mount of Olives along with His saints that He'd come for in the Rapture a few years earlier, and He will rule for 1000 years. If you believe what Scripture says of His reign, it will seem to some as if He is reigning with an iron fist. He will fight one final battle with satan and his hordes, and send them packing into the Lake of Fire, along with the Anti-Christ and his false prophet, and all those who refused to turn when the 1000 years is over.
Christ came in like a lamb, but He will go out like a Lion, waging war over a defeated foe who hasn't been able to accept his own defeat for centuries now.
March may be having trouble this year, but Christ is not! The Lamb of God has the roar of a Lion! Do you hear it?
View past newsletters. http://songdove.fa-ct.com/wordpress-mu/songdovemusings/past-newsletters/
March 26, 2014
Inkbok.com Officially Launches March 28th! $4.95/mo Reader Subscription
Have you heard the news??? http://www.Inkbok.com Officially Launches March 28th with a $4.95/mo reader subscription model! I shared this on my blog a couple days ago, but thought to share it here as well. Here is their press release:
Inkbok’s press release is as follows:
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In the fast-paced ever changing landscape of the book industry, one company, Inkbok.com, is planning to shake things up a bit by first breaking all of the rules.
Set to launch in late March, Inkbok will offer unlimited reading of thousands of books, articles, poetry, short stories and more on Android, iOS and web for $4.95 per month. Romance, mystery, children’s, self-help, business, fitness, science fiction and biography are a just a few of the over 50 genres represented on the site. Inkbok arrives on the heels of similar subscription-based e-reading services launched in the past few months, though at roughly half the cost – other services at $8-$10 per month and Inkbok at $4.95 per month.
The question on everyone’s mind, however, is how could $4.95 unlimited reading possibly be good for publishers and authors?
“The truly unique and innovative aspect of Inkbok is our community model of business,” says 30-year-old entrepreneur, Joey Ebach, founder of Inkbok. “It allows us to meet our three foundational goals: low cost reading, fair royalties, and giving back.” For authors and publishers, this “community model” means sharing in the total gross revenue of the website, meaning every dime of member fees, advertising, email blasts, book promotions and more is shared with authors.
Each month, Inkbok takes the total gross revenue generated from the site and splits it three ways: 60% to authors/publishers based on how many times their work was read, 30% to Inkbok, and 10% to a charity that the community votes on. “As Inkbok grows, it will benefit all of our authors and increase our impact on the outside community. There is nothing like this in the literary industry today,” says Konrad Urbanowicz, Inkbok’s Vice President and head developer. With Inkbok taking only 30% of it’s gross revenue to cover all of it’s expenses to run the site, pay employees, and make a profit, Urbanowicz is certainly correct that there is nothing else like this.
This gross revenue sharing model is a new alternative to the traditional royalty system the publishing industry has used for years, and Inkbok may have struck a chord. In the past three months, they have gained 80 publishing partners and over a thousand authors. “The response thus far has been nothing short of amazing; our collection is growing exponentially,” says Urbanowicz.
When asked why a platform like Inkbok is needed, Todd Ebach, President of Inkbok, stated that people have a natural desire to search and discover, readers included, but they don’t want to pay for the process by buying each book. The team at Inkbok believes that offering readers the freedom to discover through a subscription model will result in more people reading and more exposure and royalties for authors. “We want to recapture that exciting feeling of spending hours in an old used bookstore and never knowing what you might find.”
The word “community” seemed to be the driving force of our conversation. When asked about this, Joey Ebach replied, “Reading is a conversation between the author and the reader. Our desire is to bring this conversation into real time, connecting authors with readers, and readers with other readers.” The team views Inkbok as more than just a business, but a place where stories and ideas are created, discussed and shared. “Early on, we chose not to seek out funding from investors or venture capitalists,” says Ebach. “If we did, they would have never allowed us to give 60% of our gross revenue to authors and 10% to charity; that’s not exactly profit maximization. Rather, we are a group of book lovers working to create the best reader writer community in the world.”
Inkbok officially launches to readers this Friday, March 28th, 2014. For more information, visit http://www.Inkbok.com.
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All my books to date are up on the site and ready to be enjoyed with your monthly subscription. Cheaper than buying a book outright while granting you access to who knows how many 1000's of books that are already plugged into the system! Don't forget to look me up once you are signed up as a reader.
March 13, 2014
Update on What's Going on With Songdove Books
Well, life is certainly interesting and keeps right on rolling! This week in particular as I found myself looking at three different ongoing tasks, and getting so wrapped up in one of them, that the other two are suffering.
Task #1 is supposed to be a daily marketing schedule aimed at promoting the four book projects already in print whether in paperback, ebook, or both. My daily schedule consists of posts to different social media networks and various groups within those networks. It also includes an author blog post, an FB author page note, a tech blog entry, etc. So far this week, all I've managed is this particular FB note. . .
Task #2 is the promotion of my upcoming aspiring author workshop being held here in Kelowna April 26th at 2pm. Registration is $25 before April 5th and $30 after April 5th. Early registration gets a person a folder containing a workbook, CD of tools discussed at the workshop, and a pen. Late registration is not promised availability of this folder. I have found several places to advertise this event, but it is not getting regular daily attention like it should.
Task #3 is what's hi-jacked the previous two tasks! I've begun my next book project and have found myself diving into it's preliminary step with total abandon! My next book will be a one year prayer guide taking the reader through the Lord's Prayer as an outline every single day for 365 days. My initial step in preparing for this book requires the locating of 365 verses for each point in the outline. That's a total of 2555 verses if I don't duplicate them! Well, you can guess that my goal would be to avoid duplication at all costs, and your guess would be correct! I began this process this week, and in 4 days, I've successfully built three unique verse lists and discovered that some of the facets of each point can't fully be explored in just 365 verses! I have four more points to go before I can move on to the next phase of this project. Lord-willing I will achieve my goal of zero duplication!
On the personal front, work is sporadic right now and could use prayer. One adult child has finally found work while the other one is still looking. My health is improving noticeably now, but can be easily upset a little too quickly for my liking. A 45 minute power walk the other day resulted in bothersome behaviour in the head for a few hours after the fact. So my body isn't ready for power walking just yet. I can walk at a normal pace just fine, but power walking is another matter. So I am facing the need to balance health limitations with the need for sustainable employment. Quiet and low-impact are the name of the game still. I can get a lot accomplished under those circumstances before I need to take a break, as evidenced by how quickly Task #3 is taking shape.
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.592729880819904.1073741830.139821159444114&type=3
Photos from last month's book launch are now posted to this author page photos area (link above), and there are even a few images of vendors from the bazaar! So now you can attend the offline event's fashion show via the photos that have been submitted. I'm not regretting putting it on at all. My event book order has finally seen it's first sale by a lady at my church, and I'll be delivering that on Sunday.
Like I said, life's been interesting lately and just keeps on truckin'!
March 3, 2014
Celebrating "Read an E-Book"Week - March 2nd to March 8th
Here it is, only Monday evening (or perhaps Tuesday by the time some of you read this), and we now have two e-book companies making announcements!
First, Smashwords kicked off the week with an announcement over the weekend, that starting March 2nd, they'd be holding a week filled with e-book promotions! Consequently, my book on their site, "Practical Thoughts on Becoming an Author", is now at 25% off, going from $1.99 to $1.49 with coupon code: REW25 Go to http://ow.ly/u7L8i to see the book and use the coupon code.
Second, a brand new site is launching this month, Inkbok.com! The premise for Inkbok is that of a free and paid virtual library. This is a great concept for small villages and remote areas that don't have access to a public library of any sort. A small monthly fee opens up more than just the 1000's of free books already available, to bring a world of reading to the connected reader who previously had no books. $4.95/mo USD is all it costs for the monthly paid service. Readers will be able to connect with authors, leave reviews, rate books, build and share libraries and more!
Scribd.com has recently begun a similar service of it's own, offering a monthly rate of just over $8 USD as a subscription service to those who love to pack their libraries with them! With apps for both Android and iOS, as well as the ability to read books right on your laptop or desktop computer screen, Scribd has now joined the ranks of the monthly subscription as well.
To date, Google Play Books doesn't have an over-arching subscription model available. It's up to individual authors to offer subscriptions, charge once, or offer written works for free.
Songdove Books has books in all four of these locations, from the one on sale this week at Smashwords, to all books available at the other three sites.
So in celebration of "Read an E-Book" week, I encourage you to head out to these sites and expand your reading horizons!
Songdove Books' links are:
https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/songdove coupon code: REW25
http://www.scribd.com/doc/194327873/Practical-Thoughts-on-Becoming-an-Author
http://www.scribd.com/doc/148810037/Mom-s-Little-Black-Book-Godly-Advice-for-the-High-School-Graduate
http://www.scribd.com/doc/198872406/e-Dressed-for-Eternity
http://www.scribd.com/collections/3759796/Becoming-the-Bride-of-Christ
https://play.google.com/store/search?q=Ms.%20Marilynn%20Dawson&c=books - minus "A Guide to English Grammar" which I didn't write, so why it comes up under a search for me, I'm not sure.
February 28, 2014
Songdove Books Newsletter - February 2014
Welcome to the February edition of Songdove Books Newsletter
February has been a very different month! First off, I'd like to welcome 17 new subscribers to the Songdove Books monthly Newsletter! Our newest readers came from the "Dressed for Eternity" Book Launch Bazaar and Fashion Show that was held February 8th. It's great having you join us! Being able to stay in touch means a great deal to an author, so being willing to share your email address in the door prize draw is awesome! To ALL current newsletter subscribers, you can easily unsubscribe at any time using the link at the bottom of this newsletter. While I am encouraged by other authors to send this out more often than once a month, that is what I'm sticking to for now.
"Dressed for Eternity" Book Launch Bazaar and Fashion Show
A quick recap of how this event went on February 8th. . . By and large, the event went over well. Store owners attended to see how the fashion show would turn out, and I received nothing but positive comments from them, particularly from the bridal shop that let us model TWO of their bridal gowns to cap off the show!
Vendors in the bazaar also enjoyed themselves, entering their own names for door prizes as well as those that attended. One vendor bought my book, "Mom's Little Black Book: Godly Advice for the High School Graduate", which I just delivered this week.
Attendance was lower than desired and the copies of "Dressed for Eternity" that I ordered didn't sell that night, but the crown on the evening came from the lady who won the Grand Prize Basket! She came up to me later to share how my event had inspired her as she seeks to live her life pleasing to God in her fashion choices! That just made the entire event worth it!
Workshop in the Planning for Spring 2014!
Yes, that is correct. Songdove Books will be presenting a workshop this Spring aimed at the aspiring author. Workshop content will be based on the little ebook, "Practical Thoughts on Becoming an Author", released quietly this past Fall and offered as a free gift to newsletter subscribers over the Christmas holidays.
If you live in the Kelowna area and want to learn more about how you can take your book idea from a dream to reality, you'll want to stay tuned for that announcement. If you don't already follow me on Facebook, Twitter, or LinkedIn, then you may find yourself scrambling to register by the time you see March's newsletter. However, it is my desire to have the location, date, time, and registration fee fully in hand by the time you see the March Songdove Books Newsletter.
Mom's Little Black Book: Godly Advice for the High School Graduate
We are only 3, maybe 4 months away from another major celebration for parents and youth pastors everywhere! I'm referring to High School Graduation!
If you are a parent of a graduating teenager, or know a parent of a graduating teenager, or perhaps you know youth pastors of Senior Highs, send them over to Createspace (https://www.createspace.com/4249405) to buy their grad gifts early!
Every parent wants to be sure their graduating teenager enters life on the best footing possible. This book contains practical tidbits of advice from a Mother to her teenager, along with verses from Scripture. In addition, there are sample calendars for things like chores, daily devotions, etc. The section on food has a sample grocery list, and the financial section contains a sample budget sheet.
At $10 - $12, I'm told the price is a steal for a book of this size. Youth pastors looking to get a bundle for their youth group's graduating class should contact me about potential discounts.
Wrap-up
February became the month of "TRUST", as I enter another season relying on God for the income necessary to pay the bills. The part-time job I had laid me off again on February 14th. Provision came in the form of a variety of various tech jobs and writing assignments that totalled what I would have earned if the part-time job had continued. So that's a praise report! Opportunities are starting to come my way and we'll see where they go. Between the workshop being planned, job applications, the potential to assist a pastor in writing a book, and others, the word "Change" back in January has now been officially launched! We shall see what God has planned for 2014, but it's certainly starting out as an adventure!
To get this newsletter in your inbox, click here: http://songdove.fa-ct.com/wordpress-mu/songdovemusings/sign-up-for-songdove-books-newsletter/
February 13, 2014
Teachings on The Lord's Prayer
Every once in awhile, my senior pastor will preach a series of sermons on prayer. This year he chose the pattern provided to us by Christ in Matthew 6, known to us now as "The Lord's Prayer". Memorizing this passage and learning how to appropriate it's condensed outline to our personal prayer lives, or even to the prayer life of our prayer group, can be life-changing!
Scripture has so much to say about prayer! There are prayers of gratitude, prayers of worship, prayers of repentance, prayers of forgiveness, prayers of petition, prayers of intercession, etc. There are quite a few books out there written by various authors, evangelists, pastors and teachers, all covering various aspects of prayer. Unfortunately, some of those books have reduced the concept of answered prayer to a mere formula, but depending on which book you read, that formula is different. As Pastor pointed out so far in this series, The Lord's Prayer removes that formula for one very key reason: Focus!
Scripture says in James: James 4:3 Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts.
Many of the name-it-claim-it teachings out there completely miss out on the fact that nothing we do or don't do, will sway God's sovereinty over our lives. These same teachings get people to believe that God owes them all things good, and that we deserve the best life has to offer because we serve a great God. Examples I've heard given, have been things such as an evangelist demanding that God make the sun shine because he wanted to see his wife in a bathing suit! We've all heard television personalities claim that God "blessed" them with a three-car garage house with a pool out back and luxurious living conditions, only to find out later that said ministries were being investigated for donor fraud and mismanagement of funds.
Indeed, we have not because we ask amiss that we may consume such answers to prayer on our own lusts and appetites.
The Lord's Prayer teaches a level of respect and reverence for the One being petitioned, knowing full well that God in His wisdom, may choose to deny a request because it will either hurt the requester, or take the focus off Himself and onto worldly things, which could in the long run, also be to the requester's detriment. Sometimes God doesn't answer prayer because it is not in our best interests. But this flies in the face of the name-it-claim-it crowd.
We learn from Christ's example, that humility in prayer with our focus on God the Father through Jesus Christ, is the only way to approach God. We also learn that it isn't our will that we seek to bring about on earth, but God's will and God's desires. This is echoed in the Sermon on the Mount a chapter earlier in Matthew when Christ tells us to seek First, the Kingdom of God and His righteousness! The latter half of The Lord's Prayer also echoes sentiments found in Isaiah 58 and 2nd Chronicles 7, both of which do not see God in action until those seeking His face have humbled themselves before Him and sought to bring His Kingdom about on earth.
Humility has been missing from many discussions on prayer over the years. There is much talk about approaching the throne of grace in confidence. Much has been made of the fact that God longs to give good gifts to those who fear Him. But the focus has been on getting prayer answered, instead of on humble relationship with the One who desires to answer our prayers.
As Pastor has been revisiting this teaching on prayer, the desire to write about The Lord's Prayer has returned. Back in 2008, I'd written a quick "Monthly Prayer Guide" that was aimed at prayer groups. I didn't publish it, nor even shared it with anyone as it seemed unfinished somehow. It is my goal over the next several months to rewrite it, explaining the outline as God has impressed it upon me, and then offering prayer guide examples based on The Lord's Prayer. A challenge is also bouncing around my head that I am giving serious thought to as well.
Another book idea has been born. . .
February 9, 2014
Update on how my book launch bazaar and fashion show went last night.
Well, last night's event was a success in that the grand prize winner came up to me afterward to say how much my book launch inspired her in her own personal quest to please God in her fashion choices. Various people said they enjoyed the three book reading selections from "Dressed for Eternity", and while attendance could have been greater, I did see a fair number of vendors making sales Saturday night! So that was very encouraging! I set out proof copies of my grad gift and series on the table as well, and was surprised to discover that the only sale at my book table all evening, was for the grad gift!
By the numbers based on the stack of flyers that came home, and the stack of door prize entries in the basket, are as follows:
100 flyers were given out to both vendors and attendees, and I think a few of the setup crew and models may have grabbed some in that count as well. Three flyers in my stack had their door prize tickets absconded, however of the 103 door prize tickets grabbed, only 53 of them made it into the draw basket. Several of those were from vendors and it was fun to see what each person received. There were a total of 15 door prizes, and the grand prize was so big it took two people to wrap it solidly. My large wicker basket ended up being too large.
Due to assisting my daughter with multimedia for the fashion show portions, I was only able to catch glimpses of the models on the runway, but it appeared that attendees very much enjoyed it. The only complaint was that the chosen sound system didn't project well to that end of the venue. When it was loud enough for the models to hear, vendors complained about it being too loud. So we weren't able to win on that particular issue either way.
It was both amusing and baffling, that throughout the planning of this book launch bazaar and fashion show, vendors who couldn't make it would ask me to keep them in mind for "next time". As this was specifically geared toward the content of my book, "next time" would need another theme to build around, and as I hand-picked every vendor I invited to this particular event, the same would probably happen but with the new theme in mind, so vendor selections might be different. I don't know. Even as vendors began putting their tables away for the evening, some came up to me saying again, "keep me in mind for next time". Even the MC was telling me that I need to do this again!
Well, let me encourage those locals who are reading this, that there very well could be a "next time" but in a manner quite different from what happened last night. Elements would be very similar, but yet very different. It could be just as exciting however, in it's own way. I have yet to meet with those who are hoping I'll plan something like this for later this year. I'll keep you posted!
January 28, 2014
The Excellence of God's Lovingkindness
Psalms 36:7 How excellent is thy lovingkindness, O God! therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of thy wings.
What comes to mind when you think of excellence? For myself, the concept of perfection comes to mind, along with high standing, uprightness, praise-worthy, and more.
When you hear the term, "lovingkindness", what do you think of? For myself, this is a loaded question. Kindness, (because left-handers tend to think backwards), can often be construed simply to mean gentleness, piety, warm fuzzies, pleasantness, etc. But did you know it is a kind thing to remove splintered chicken bones from your dog's dinner tray? Did you know it's a kind thing to prevent a toddler from playing in the swimming pool when you aren't there? From the dog's perspective, you are taking away yummy nibblies. To the toddler, your actions mean they can't have any fun at that moment! If they heard me saying you were being kind, they'd get very upset with me!
Then there is the first half of that term, "loving". God's love is as just as it is warm, as firm as it is generous, and it can sting as much as it comforts. People like to paint God's love as beautiful meadows teaming with flowers under a warm sun and a whispering breeze. But that is a very superficial view of God's love. When a parent loves a child, they will do everything they can to ensure that child grows up in a safe environment. They will remove broken, unrepairable toys. They will throw out rotten food from the lunchbox. They will discipline the child for doing wrong and teach them what is right. As Scripture puts it, discipline can seem greivous at the time, but when it is done it yeilds fruit unto righteousness. Scripture also says that God disciplines those He loves as a Father disciplines a son, and that if we don't feel God's discipline from time to time, we are not sons. (see Hebrews 12:5-11)
God's lovingkindness then is a more perfect depiction of the loving parent doing their child a favor by ensuring their life is free of harmful contaminents. God longs to give us what is best for us, not what will hurt us. Sometimes we ask for things that God knows will, in the long run, cause us more pain than necessary, so He says no. Sometimes God has us wait for something good we have asked for, knowing that in the waiting we will be shaped and made truly ready for the granting of that request. We don't like waiting, and we don't like being denied. There are books written and seminars developed all spelling out ways to make God give us exactly what we want. But I fear we often ask amiss as James 4:3 puts it. We have not drawn close to God, sought His Kingdom and righteousness first (Matthew 6:33), or made ourselves right before Him, repenting of known sin in our lives (James 4:8). We are unable to pray according to God's will when we are in such a state. We think selfishly and ask for things that Scripture says will be spent upon our own lusts and desires. Such prayers God is not inclined to answer, because the beat of HIs heart is for the lost. Any prayer that leads to not merely the benefit of His children, but enables them to share with others around them, will be answered. God's lovingkindness is not spelled "sugar-daddy" or "genie in the sky".
Combining the terms then leads to the combined thought that God's loving care for us is perfect, praise-worthy and upright. It is in knowing and grasping this concept that we can then move to the next portion of this verse and put our trust under the shadow of God's protection, described here as His wings. When we can truly grasp the fact that God loves us so deeply that He will care about every detail of our lives perfectly, we are then able to trust Him with those details, and rest, knowing He has it all under control.
It's not an easy thing learning to put that level of trust in an unseen God. But He has repeatedly proven Himself worthy of that trust. If you don't believe me, start counting all the things that you enjoy or take for granted today. Are you alive? Are you breathing? Do you have clothes on? Is there a roof over your head? Are you able to get from point A to point B? Have you eaten today? These are just some of the blessings God has seen fit to provide for you. Perhaps you can carry on in the list. What other seemingly every-day things, circumstances, or relationships can you thank God for? No matter how long your list may grow, it is only the tip of the proverbial iceberg of just how deeply God loves and cares for you. Truly His lovingkindness IS excellent, and we can place our implicit trust in His protection over us.
Songdove Books Newsletter: January 2014
Welcome to the January edition of Songdove Books Newsletter
(note: for some reason I can nolonger position images in my FB notes. A complaint has been filed)
As I've been pondering my weekly blog post this week, the only word that keeps coming to mind is "Change". This week my blog's website theme underwent a heading change to allow for the addition of my next book, "Dressed for Eternity". The advent of this book seems to have "Change" written all over it! Putting together my book launch event has other Christian authors in the area asking if either they can join this event, or if I'll be doing something similar in the future. It appears that choosing to throw together such an ambitious book launch has opened up a potential doorway, causing other authors to wonder about a new way of increased visibility in my area. We'll have to see where that leads.
All it takes is someone willing to do. So many people have ideas, but are looking for that person who is the doer to pull it off. Being a doer has it's plus's and it's negatives. But being a doer is part of the personality God has given me. As one movie my kids have puts it, "see a need, fill a need". God has gifted many people with the ability to use their words, whether written or spoken, or even sung, to get a message across to the world. But it is a challenge to get those words out where others will benefit from them in some way, whether by encouragement, exhortation, challenge, comfort, etc.
So we'll have to see where this takes me. Ideas are bouncing around my head now, and there are other writers eager to meet with me about potential events they'd like to see later this year.
Pray for me that God will give me the guidance and wisdom required to bring together an event or series of events that will bring Him glory through the words of others. God’s been speaking quite a bit lately through my senior pastor about open doors this year. This latest book just might have made way for an open door I didn’t know was there before. Whether this is temporary or long-term I don’t know yet. But I’m heading toward it anyway.
Contests and Giveaways
The Google Play Winter Giveaway wrapped up on January 26th with 8 winners over the course of 8 weeks. Those winners now have digital copies of my previous books sitting in their Google Play Libraries.
Another contest, and a more casual contest at that, is currently going on over at my author page. https://www.facebook.com/Marilynn.Dawson.Author
Look for the pinned post talking about the 32 hubs over at hubpages.com. Click through to Hubpages.com, review the 32 hubs, then return to the pinned post on my author page to leave a comment about which 3 hubs you think are the most popular. The person with the best guess will get an electronic copy of "Dressed for Eternity" in their choice of format on Feb 1st. That's just a few days away now.
"Dressed for Eternity" Book Launch Bazaar and Fashion Show
Just 1.5 weeks away now before this event takes off on Feb 8th at 6pm. We have close to 20 vendors in the bazaar and up to 7 big name niche fashion houses on the runway! The book readings have been chosen, books ordered, and last-minute details are now being ironed out. A few last-minute vendors are wanting to jump on board and I look forward to seeing their table fees, as this is an entirely self-contained event with vendor fees covering almost the entire cost.
That's a good thing as this event wouldn't happen otherwise. The URL for Okanaganites to invite others is:
https://www.facebook.com/events/398475113617937/?ref=2&ref_dashboard_filter=calendar
An online version of the event now has 6 vendors in the bazaar and two on the runway. Door prizes and the Grand Prize in the online event are coming from 3 other authors who have written 4 books with complimentary messages. Some are in paperback and some are in digital format. Online attendees will get to listen to the same ambient music tracks as those attending in person. Start time for the online event is roughly 6:15 PST. The URL to invite your friends around the world is:
https://www.facebook.com/events/574021976022904/?ref=5
Mom's Little Black Book: Godly Advice for the High School Graduate
We are only 4, maybe 5 months away from another major celebration for parents and youth pastors everywhere! I'm referring to High School Graduation!
If you are a parent of a graduating teenager, or know a parent of a graduating teenager, or perhaps you know youth pastors of Senior Highs, send them over to Createspace to buy their grad gifts early!
Every parent wants to be sure their graduating teenager enters life on the best footing possible. This book contains practical tidbits of advice from a Mother to her teenager, along with verses from Scripture. In addition, there are sample calendars for things like chores, daily devotions, etc. The section on food has a sample grocery list, and the financial section contains a sample budget sheet.
At $10 - $12, I'm told the price is a steal for a book of this size. Youth pastors looking to get a bundle for their youth group's graduating class should contact me about potential discounts.
Wrap-up
Most of this month has been focused on getting "Dressed for Eternity" ready for launch and pulling together the book launch bazaar and fashion show. Next month it will be fun to report on how that event went over, and see what God has for Songdove Books going forward.
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January 23, 2014
PRESS RELEASE: Book Launch Bazaar and Fashion Show Feb 8th!
What does a Roman Soldier, a Yemeni headdress, and the Bride of Christ have in common? Do gems, silk and honey have something to say together? What if the message of eternity was found in antiquity?
KELOWNA, BC CANADA January 23, 2013 - Marilynn Dawson, author of "Becoming the Bride of Christ: A Personal Journey", "Mom's Little Black Book: Godly Advice for the High School Graduate" and "Practical Thoughts on Becoming an Author" releases her next book, "Dressed for Eternity" in February 2014. Through practical research into down-to-earth materials, history and workmanship, Marilynn draws some interesting parallels to character God longs to see in the Bride of Christ. Lovers of history, archaeology, fine jewelry, fine food, bridal attire, fashon, and faith are invited to join her as she makes forays into Egypt, Yemen, Canaan, Rome and ultimately, the New Jerusalem.
Marilynn's book seeks to answer the question, "How does God adorn His Bride in the Scriptures?" At first glance, this question seems entirely scandalous, particularly to the protestant evangelical or charismatic Christian. But as Marilynn observes, the notion is not out of line with those who worship female deities or who place prominent women in eternal places. Analogies, conclusions, and questions face men as well as women in this very different and eye-opening book.
This book is now available for purchase from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Chapters, Marilynn's website, and other locations as well later in 2014.
She is hosting a book launch bazaar and fashion show at 6pm on Feb 8th at Evangel Church at 3261 Gordon Drive, as well as an online version at: http://songdove.fa-ct.com/wordpress-mu/songdovemusings/dressed-for-eternity-book-launch-bazaar-and-fashion-show/ starting at roughly 6:16pm PST. Vendors will feature various items discussed in her book, while models showcase modest trending clothing styles on the runway. There will be book readings, door prizes, and a mystery Grand Prize Basket to cap off the evening in both the offline and online events.
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 "Dressed for Eternity", please visit https://www.facebook.com/Marilynn.Dawson.Author 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/DFEpresskit.zip to download the press kit containing an image of the book, author photo, bookmarks, sample section, etc. This kit will grow, so check it once in a while for interviews, guest appearances, and to learn about more locations where the book may be found.
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