Saturday Spotlight: Marilyn Dawson with "Mom's Little Black Book"

Good Morning Friends!

So much is going on in my life! Good things are happening. One is that I'm getting my Tempered series & The Visionary up on Smashwords, so if you have an e-reader (other than a Kindle or Nook) you can now get them! Check out my page HERE.

Enough about me though...Today we welcome Marilyn Dawson back to our Saturday Spotlight with another of her titles. Mom's Little Black Book: Godly Advice for the High School Graduate sounds like a great book to give to the graduates in your life. Here's more about it and Marilyn.....

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.

EXCERPT: Romans 12:2  And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

My Dearest Child,

There are many forces in the world that seek to conform you to their standard, their way of thinking, their ideals, their measure of success, etc.

Do not be swayed by the world, but instead, measure yourself against the Word of God!  When your ways please God, you can rest at night knowing the only person who matters, smiles over you.  Pattern your life after God's ways and you'll never go wrong.

Love,
Mom

God has a sense of humour.  How do I know?  Just look at the Platypus!

Romans 12:2  And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

Don't hoard God's blessings for yourself.  You may just be the delivery conduit.

John 14:6 Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the father except through me."

Attend the House of God!  Don't abandon it because of how others treat you!

2 Peter 3:9 The Lord is not slow in keeping His promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.

Spend a little time every day in God's Word.  It is food for your daily life.

Romans 8:38-39 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Remember God's involvement in your life, how He was there in various situations.  He is there now.

Proverbs 3:5  Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.

Talk to God.  He loves to hear about your day and how you feel.

Mom's Little Black Book: Godly Advice for the High School Graduate can be purchased through Amazon.

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 "Becoming the Bride of Christ:  A Personal Journey", 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.

Well Friends, hope you enjoyed this Saturday Spotlight. Check back often for more Tuesday Treasures, Thursday Thoughts & of course more great authors and their books on Saturday Spotlight!

Until later....Be Blessed!
Pamela S Thibodeaux
"Inspirational with an Edge!" (tm)

Saturday Spotlight: Becoming the Bride of Christ by Ms Marilyn Dawson

Good Morning and Welcome to today's Saturday Spotlight!

"Becoming the Bride of Christ: A Personal Journey" chronicles Marilynn's personal journey as she learns to live with God as unseen Husband and Father in the home. It's about learning to appropriate many Scriptural concepts that have been overly spiritualized, and bringing them down to where life is lived every day.

One of Marilynn's goals is to share a story that men as well as women can read and glean from. Too often presentations on the Bride of Christ have been geared toward women when Scripture says the Church, who is referred to as the Bride of Christ, is made up of men and women. She writes from a women's perspective, but desires that men will be able to gather helpful insight, not just women. After all, everyone is called to live out the commands of Christ in everyday life. 

This comprehensive journey through Scripture/Bible study is comprised of 7 volumes all of which can be found on Amazon.

EXCERPT: Thorns

1 Corinthians 11:3  But I would have you know, that the head of every man is Christ; and the head of the woman is the man; and the head of Christ is God.

Ephesians 5:28-29  So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself.  29For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church:

I heard the DJ on "Sharing Life Together" talk about thorns one evening.  She was saying how thorns actually have some beneficial and much-needed uses to the plants on which they are found.  This thought came back to mind when I had a brief daydream about singing in a trio with others.  In this dream someone said I looked like a rose between two thorns.  My thoughts returned to the uses of the thorn.  The application is actually quite comforting from both sides of the coin.

The most obvious place North Americans see thorns is on rose bushes, bramble bushes, holly bushes, etc.  On these plants,  particularly that of the rose, we see something that is very Biblically masculine about these thorns.  They protect the tender stalk of the rose stem and its branches.  Without the thorn,  the tender stems, rose hips and buds would be destroyed by predators out to get the nutrition contained in the plant before it's time.  It was God's design from the beginning that man would protect woman. . . protect her tender nature and her nurture from those who would seek to pluck her before her time, from those who would destroy her.

Proverbs 24:27  Prepare thy work without, and make it fit for thyself in the field; and afterwards build thine house.

Proverbs 13:4  The soul of the sluggard desireth, and hath nothing: but the soul of the diligent shall be made fat.

1 Timothy 5:8  But if any provide not for his own, and specially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel.

Another use for the thorn is most often seen on cactus-type plants.  Here the thorn, in addition to protecting the tender stalk, also catches moisture and directs it to the stalk of the plant where it can run down to the roots and provide nourishment to the plant.  In much the same way, God's plan for man was that he provide for his family.  This provision was to come spiritually as well as practically and emotionally.

So I find it interesting that what people often joke about when a woman stands between two men is perhaps more true than they realize.  Men were created to defend, to fight for, to provide for the tender hearts and lives of those in their care.  This was how men were wired and to take away this ability and need to protect and provide is to eat away at the masculinity God built into the male gender.  Every woman, even the most feminist among us will have to admit that way down deep, they do long to matter to a guy such that he will protect and provide for her.

When seen in this light, thorns are no longer seen as a painful source of irritation to be stripped away, but are instead seen as a beautiful illustration of the protective, caring, supportive, providing role of the husband and father in the home.  The only people who need fear such an illustration are those who would seek to do harm.  They should rightly expect that the husband and father has kept his sword sharpened in the Word so that he is able to fend off harmful attackers and cause them enough due discomfort to dissuade the thought of future attacks on his loved ones.

I don't know about you, but I may never look at another thorn the same way again.  And the next time someone calls my male reader a thorn, take it as a compliment that you are protecting and providing for your wife and children.  May your sword remain sharp and may you continue to stand in that place of provision, guiding the blessings God sends your way down to the roots of your household, so they flourish under your watchful loving eye and hand.

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 "Becoming the Bride of Christ:  A Personal Journey", 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.


Sounds like an awesome collection of books!

Stay tuned for more Saturday Spotlights, Tuesday Treasures and Thursday Thoughts.

Until next time...take care & be Blessed!

PamT