CD Album "Beauty in Pain" to be released in 2014!

ANNOUNCEMENT!!!

I wrote 10 songs, 4 of them in the 1990's and 6 of them this year.  I am pleased to announce that Tate Music Group has contracted with me to publish an album with all 10 of these songs!  I will be working with professional musicians and producers to make this the best product it can be.  They are also going to do a music video in order to help promote the project.  I am really excited about this album because the songs are full of truth and comfort, and often the beauty of music can comfort the soul more than words alone.  The music is beautiful, the words are challenging, and they were written based on life experience and wisdom gained over the years on how to find beauty in pain, whether it be physical, emotional, or spiritual.  The songs will challenge you to rise above your circumstances and give glory to the Lord through it all. They complement the books I have written.

I will keep you posted as milestones are reached.  Please pray for this project.  I am an ordinary person, and a testament that God uses ordinary people to do great things for Him!  Praise the Lord!

Fully Persuaded book to be published in 2014!!!

ANNOUNCEMENT!!!!

Praise the Lord, my 3rd book Fully Persuaded has been accepted by Tate Publishing, and will be published in 2014!  It's a book meant for inquiring minds, to answer the tough questions about Christianity.  Please pray for this book to touch many lives for the glory of God.  Following is the table of contents, which is subject to change as we go through editing:

Section 1 – ME

 TIME OUT FOR A POEM – “Beauty in Pain”

            Chapter 1 – Do I Matter?

            Chapter 2 – Should I Take A Chance?

            Chapter 3 – What Does It Mean To Be Fully Persuaded?

Chapter 4 – What Makes My Life Memorable?

Chapter 5 – How Do I Critically Think?

Section 2 – OTHERS

TIME OUT FOR A POEM – “Ministry Bliss”

Chapter 6 – How Do I Live Wisely and Make Good Decisions?

Chapter 7 – What Are Other Ethical Principles To Live By?

Chapter 8 – Does It Really Matter What I Do and Say?

Chapter 9 – What Does it Mean to Forgive?

Chapter 10 – What about Christians and Judging?

Chapter 11 – Who Has the Right to Judge Me?

Chapter 12 – Tolerance – Can We Agree to Disagree?

TIME OUT FOR A POEM – “The Tales of a Teenage Heart”

Section 3 – GOD

Chapter 13 – Can Truth be Known?

Chapter 14 – Where Did the World Come From?

            Chapter 15 – Who is the Designer of Life?

            Chapter 16 – Is There an Absolute Moral Authority?

            Chapter 17 – Shall We Take a Stroll Down the Atheist Hall of Fame?

            Chapter 18 – Does God Really Exist?

            Chapter 19 – Who is God and What is He Like? Part 1

Chapter 20 – Who is God and What is He Like? Part 2

Chapter 21 – What are the Attributes of God?

TIME OUT FOR A POEM –“Christmas Love”

Section 4 – THE BIBLE AND PRAYER

Chapter 22 – The Bible – Do We Have the Word of God Today?

Chapter 23 – The Manuscripts of the Bible – Do They All Agree?

Chapter 24 – The Preservation of Scripture – Can We Trust It?

            Chapter 25 – Studying the Bible – Where Do I Start?

            Chapter 26 – How Do I Understand the Content of the Bible?

            Chapter 27 – Prayer – Does It Really Change Things?

            TIME OUT FOR A POEM – “Feelings”

Section 5 – CHURCH 

            Chapter 28 – The World of Religion – How Do I Choose With So Many Options?

Chapter 29 – Secular World Views – Is Morality Relative?

Chapter 30 – Secular World Views – What is Determinism vs. Free Will, and Nihilism?

Chapter 31 – What is a Biblical Worldview?

Chapter 32 – Is Church Important?

Chapter 33 – What Makes Up a Winning Church?

Chapter 34 – What are the Doctrines of the Bible?

Chapter 35 – What Exactly is Separation of Church and State, and Do We Have A Christian Heritage?

TIME OUT FOR A POEM – “The Truth of the Matter”

Section 6 – CHRISTIAN LIFE

            Chapter 36 – What is Purity?

Chapter 37 – Why is our Culture Centered on Sexual Sin?

Chapter 38 – What Can I Do to Prevent Sexual Sin?

Chapter 39 – Homosexuality – What’s It All About?

Chapter 40 – Homosexuality – Are People Really Born This Way?

Chapter 41 – Homosexuality – How Does This Affect My World?

Chapter 42 – Abortion – What Are We Really Choosing?

            Chapter 43 – Defending My Faith – Am I Ready?

TIME OUT FOR A POEM – “Reflecting on God’s Love and Comfort”

Happy New Year!  May this upcoming year 2014 be the best yet!

A great book for teens: "Do Hard Things" - see the interview!

My 17 year old daughter read this book for school.  She asked me if I would buy it for her. I said, "Didn't you already read it?"  She said she did, but she wants to OWN it!  It really inspired her to do the hard things as a teenager, and avoid the trap of wasting time in the teen years rather than doing great things and accomplishing much!  Teens are TOTALLY capable if they try! Our culture tends to encourage them to sell themselves short, as if they were destined to be trouble makers, lazy, slaves to their hormones and passions, alcoholics, and party animals rather than hard working young men and women actively preparing themselves for their futures.

I have not read this book, but from what my daughter has told me, and after listening to the interview, I can tell I really like this!  There is a sequel to it also. With the books that I have written and continue to write, as well as the 10 songs I have written, that is the common thread: don't sell yourself short!  You can do great things if you open up your heart in obedience to God. You will feel so fulfilled and thrilled with great purpose in your life. That brings hope and peace and joy. Getting our eyes off of ourselves and our problems allows us to spend our energy making a difference for good in other people's lives, thus making the world a better place for everyone.

Please take a few minutes to hear this great interview of these remarkable men who as teens decided to write a book by teens for teens, and really inspire teens all across the nation to do the hard things and enjoy the rewards of a job well done.

I looked it up, and it is available in many stores, including amazon (see link below). We just bought a copy today!


http://www.amazon.com/Do-Hard-Things-Rebellion-Expectations/dp/1601421125

Merry Christmas!

 

 Luke 2:14: Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.

I would like to wish all those who follow my blog a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!  I really enjoy posting to a blog. I don't know who reads it, but I hope it is a blessing.  The challenge that I would like to leave you with this Christmas is three-fold.

First of all, Jesus came that we might have peace with God.  Some thought Jesus came to be a conquering King, but that comes later.  My Pastor recently read that wonderful poem about our greatest need, and that if our greatest need was entertainment, He would have sent an entertainer. If our greatest need was education, then He would have sent an educator. If our greatest need was technology, He would have sent a scientist.  If our greatest need was money, He would have sent an economist. But our greatest need was forgiveness, so He sent a Savior.  "...and on earth peace" refers to the forgiveness we can have through Christ, and the spiritual, inner peace we can have because we are made right with God.

The second challenge goes along with the first part of that verse. Please use your voice!  However you can proclaim glory to God, please do!  Freedom of speech is so important. Don't be silenced by those who claim to be offended. People will be offended by the cross, that's a guarantee.  If I told you there was a large piece of spinach between your two front teeth, you might be a little embarrased or even upset with me for pointing it out. You might think, "How rude!  I would never say anything to someone that would point out a flaw. It is better to mind my own business!"  However, if I have the right spirit and attitude about it, I will thank the person for telling me the truth, showing me something that I didn't see myself at first, but now I can clearly see so that I can remove the piece of spinach and return to the beautiful smile I was meant to have! So it is with our sin. We need to be truthful about who God is, our unworthiness and flaws, and yet our value in Christ. He loved us so much He came just as He promised and made a way for us to be reconciled to God. That deserves a grand declaration of praise to God Almighty for His unfailing love toward us.  We don't deserve it, but I'd rather not dwell on that but rather count my blessings!  Thank you, Jesus!

The third challenge is the third part of the verse. "Good will toward men"   God brought good will to mankind. When we accept God's gift of salvation, then it changes us, and we get along better with our fellow man. Because we now know what it is like to be loved and forgiven, we too can do the same, following His example.  Let's take a stand for what is right and true in 2014, and do it with a spirit of love and not frustration with others.

God bless you!  Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Dawn Foss

Beauty in Pain CD

I have made a collection of 10 songs that I would like to share with others. There are 4 songs that I wrote in the 90's, and 6 songs that I wrote this year.  I made songs out of the poems I wrote this year, but I shortened  most of them.  I'd like to make a CD entitled: "Beauty in Pain." I realized that most of the songs I wrote have to do with comforting those who are hurting, and speaking truth in love.  The songs compliment the books and manuscripts I have written.  

I'm going to submit them to Tate Music Group once I record them. The problem is that I'm only an average singer, and am not trying to make a name for myself anyway. I want the message of my songs to get out there.  That's the beauty of having an organization backing you.  However, at the very least, I can sing some of them in church, and even post them on You Tube. Please keep this project in prayer.  I have been enjoying using various means to proclaim the truth of God's Word - t-shirts, books, poems, magnetic cards, and now music.

Middletown Press article about Christmas Love!

http://www.middletownpress.com/general-news/20131209/local-authors-christmas-book-highlights-adoptive-families

Please see the above link to view an article that is in the 12/10 newspaper on my new book.  It also highlights my I Will Stand book.  It's a great article!  They did a nice job.  It was a blessing to have the newspaper contact me to announce the release of my book, and give some background information as to why I wrote it, and what it's all about.

God bless you, and Merry Christmas!  

A response to what the Pope said about Ideological Christians having an "illness"

Someone posted a comment to my last post, with a link to this article about what the Pope said about ideological Christians.  I was responding in the comment section, but then decided this deserved its own post, as it's important.  

"Pope Francis States Ideological Christians Have An 'Illness'" is the title of the article, which I just read.  I am not Catholic, and do not follow the Pope because he is not the Lord. I follow the Word of God. I do find it a sad state, tho, when someone who claims to be a Christian leader disregards high moral standards, calling them an illness.  This should cause people to pause and reflect about who they are going to follow.  The apostle Paul said, "Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ" (1 Cor. 11.1). If you are going to look up to someone, you don't want to follow anyone who is not in line with the Word of God.


For example, I recently spoke to a couple Catholics who never heard that Jesus had half brothers and sisters.  However, in the Word of God it says, "Is not this the carpenter's son? is not his mother called Mary? and his brethren, James, and Joses, and Simon, and Judas? And his sisters, are they not all with us? Whence then hath this man all these things?" (Matthew 13:55-56). 

Again, in Mark 6:3: "Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary, the brother of James, and Joses, and of Juda, and Simon? and are not his sisters here with us? And they were offended at him." People were familiar with Jesus' family, so they found it hard to believe that He could be the Son of God. Often people aren't accepted in their own home town. People tend to get more respect outside of their own communities, which is the point of those verses.  However, it does show that after Jesus was born, Mary and Joseph had other children. As a matter of fact, the book of James is believed to be written by the half brother of Jesus.  

Just because something is not taught by a particular church does not mean it is not true. Always search the Scriptures. 

Acts 17:10-12: "And the brethren immediately sent away Paul and Silas by night unto Berea: who coming thither went into the synagogue of the Jews. These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so. Therefore many of them believed; also of honourable women which were Greeks, and of men, not a few."

Getting back to the article, in reading the article one thing that I would agree with is that Jesus calls us to love, above all.  If we do everything right, and yet do it without love, then we are just like an annoying clang. 1 Corinthians 13:1-3: "Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing."

But telling the truth is one of the highest form of love. To say that evil is not wrong is not doing anyone any favors. Isaiah 5:20: "Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!"  Ephesians 4:14-15: "that we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive; but speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ: "

We are all born in sin, whether the sin of fornication, lying, cheating, ungodly anger, jealousy, hating, killing - we are all sinners.  The WONDERFUL, amazing news of Christmas is that we have HOPE - the hope of spiritual healing and peace through what Jesus Christ did for us, in taking our punishment for sin on the cross by dying for us, paying the debt we could never pay ourselves, and offering life to us as a free gift. We sure know how to receive a gift from someone who loves and cares for us at Christmas time, and we do it with a heart of thanks.  How about Jesus' gift to you?  You need this gift more than anything else.  Can you accept His gift, too, with a heart of thanks?

When you do, the Holy Spirit guides you into all truth, and convicts you of sin, so you know when you are off track and doing wrong.  John 16:7-13: "Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you. And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: Of sin, because they believe not on me; Of righteousness, because I go to my Father, and ye see me no more; Of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged. I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now. Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come."

You don't go through this life alone anymore, and through reading the Word of God, the Bible, you then know principles to live by in order to prevent hurt, regret, pain, sorrow, and insecurity. You have a new strength, which will result in good character that will help you cope with all the things in life you cannot control. You can control what you do and how you respond, and do what is right with the help of the Holy Spirit. That is not ideological - that is fact.  You talk to a real Christian who is walking with God, and they'll testify of it.  Yes, people walk with God in 2013, and it's the best relationship you could ever know. I speak from experience.

Wherever you are, whoever you are, Jesus came for YOU!  He loves you!  That's great news!  That's what the word "gospel" means - good news.

My book Christmas Love shares the greatest love of all - the love of God toward mankind. We should celebrate it with all we have, as it is a truth that everyone can embrace and accept for eternal life with peace and hope and joy.  My book also celebrates all the people around us, including parents, soldiers, service personnel, church leaders, etc. who sacrifice of themselves every day to help those around them to make stronger families, which in turn creates stronger communities, which extends to the entire nation and the world.  Let it start with YOU! Make a difference for good in the world around you. Protect the innocent. Comfort the lonely. Do a random act of kindness. Live a clean life that counts, that doesn't end up discounting you for doing greater things down the road.  Get off the sidelines of life and run the race. Bring some Christmas cheer.  HAVE A MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Christmas Love by Dawn Foss book trailer