Local award-winning author brings women from Bible to life
Joe Kohn of The Michigan Catholic
Published September 29, 2006
Waterford Twp. – Raising three boys, being a devoted wife, and teaching grade school in the fast-paced 21st century can test any woman's patience and faith.
But Cheryl Dickow, a teacher at Our Lady of the Lakes Grade School in Waterford Township, knows women who can lend a helping hand — right from the pages of the Bible.
"No matter how you look at it, Scripture can be applicable today," says Dickow, a mother of three who's been married for more than 20 years. "It's not outdated, and I think we kind of don't realize that."
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Photo by Joe Kohn | The Michigan Catholic
CherylDickow, a teacher at Our Lady of the Lakes grade school in Waterford Township, won the2006 Catholic PressAssociation award for best gender-related book with hernewest title, “Reclaiming YourChristianSelf in aSecular World: A Woman’s Worth.” | Dickow, a self-published author who has sold hundreds of copies of her two titles, this year was recognized with an award from the Catholic Press Association for her book, "Reclaiming Your Christian Self in a Secular World: A Woman's Worth." The book, named the best gender issues title by the CPA, sifts through the modern-day spiritual battleground on which women live and offers wisdom and encouragement from the lives of Biblical women.
"It's about me being a Christian and my friends being Christian, and the part of us that is lost in the secular world," says Dickow about her book. "So it's really all about reclaiming that ability within yourself in the secular world to be all that you can and should be."
Dickow, who brings her 20 years of teaching experience to the pages of her work, talks about women of the Bible like teenagers talk about rock stars and celebrities."
She admires Rachael for boldly approaching God on her own, instead of going through her husband, as her women ancestors did.
And her favorite?
"Noah's wife is my idol," Dickow says. "I clean. I have three boys. I mean, do you know how stinky that ark was?"
Despite many of the Bible's women appearing only briefly, Dickow firmly believes not one word in Scripture is superfluous. And plenty of the personalities, strengths and weaknesses of today's women can be found in the Bible, she adds.
Each chapter of her award-winning book is laced with quotes from Scripture, and has plenty of food for thought. Dickow even wrote a prayer at the end of each chapter.
"Every chapter is written with today's woman in mind," she says. "It doesn't take four hours to read. It should be life changing in that a lot of people don't really think about these women in the Bible, so it's a little bit of history."
Dickow has marketed the book through word of mouth, her own Web site, www.askknockseek.com, and has even received attention from Web site CatholicMom.com and has appeared as a guest on Catholic radio station 990AM (WDEO). So far, she's gotten good feedback from her readers, too.
"She's very comfortable with Scripture, and she has a way of explaining it and making it relevant to our lives today," says Rosemary McDunn, a parishioner at St. Daniel Parish in Clarkston, who teaches with Dickow.
Harry Jock of White Lake Township bought copies for his daughter, a woman involved in his church mission – and even his dental hygienist.
"I was really pleased to see this type of book out there," says Jock, who's a Lutheran. "It's historically sound, yet it draws on the more subjective personal elements which people in the modern era would find more of a sense of realization through."
 Dickow's books
• "Raising Christian Children in a Secular World: Finding Your Parental Authority in God's Word." Published in 2004. Suggested retail $14.99.
• "Reclaiming Your Christian Self in a Secular World: A Woman's Worth." Published in 2005. Suggested retail $12.95.
• For more information or to purchase the books online, visit www.AskKnockSeek.com, www.amazon.com or www.barnesandnoble.com. | Dickow first started writing because she wanted to point parents to God's Word, which lead to her first book, "Raising Christian Children in a Secular World," which was published in 2004.
Dickow now has three new books in the works, including a couple of fiction titles.
The goal of all her writing, she says, is to help others become better Christians by giving them a way to fill their reading time with the wisdom of the Holy Spirit.
"We say these words" 'Jesus died for you.' But if we really understand that, doesn't it make you feel like an amazing human being?" she says. "Those are not words to take lightly.
"Christ loves you and has a special plan for you – and I'll prove it in the Scriptures."
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