Why Do I Love Jesus?

In my upcoming book, Fully Persuaded, you'll see that I really and truly love God, and believe in Him with all my heart. The mission of my book is to show you why, to give you a reason for this belief that is in me. You will have to decide for yourself what you believe, and how committed you will be for the cause of Christ.

From a little girl, I have attended church, actually grew up in church you could say. I love church, and everything it stands for. It is a place where I can worship God with other people who also love Him, I can sing and play music that glorifies the Lord, I can enjoy the sense of community and family that a church brings as we have activities together, and even greater, serving the Lord together in various ministries.

I recently was reminiscing as I looked back at pictures of our church family in 2002. Only 12 years ago, but it's amazing how many of those people are no longer there, many have moved away, and several have passed away. Most of the teens have gotten married and many have children now, and my two daughters who were little are now in college, and one is married as well. It's such a great feeling, tho, to still be at the same church, and see how young many of us were and how age has crept up on us, but we're still serving the Lord faithfully together. There's not a greater feeling in the world for me, and perhaps that is because I just love the Lord so much! I love my family that God has blessed me with, I love my friends and acquaintances, and while we shouldn't love things, I really like my home, my job, my local community, the opportunities I've had to write books, poems, and songs, and life itself! My life has not been perfect, but I think that the summation of our lives will be good or bad in our minds based on what we choose to focus on. The Lord has blessed me with many good things that I can focus on, and I just praise Him for that! We can always find something good to focus on, even when going through rough times.

I wrote a poem this week that I'd like to share with you. Perhaps this is the beat of your heart, too.

Why Do I Love Jesus?

By Dawn Foss

How do I describe the love

I have in my heart for Jesus?

It's a closeness and a bond,

No one loves me like He does.

When I feel lonely or afraid,

I pray for safety and for peace.

When I get time alone with God,

We have a fellowship that's sweet.

Why would I search for another

When all I need is from the Lord?

I am fully satisfied,

He is awesome and adored.

My problem is my lifelong sin,

It rises up in me each day.

Only Jesus pardons sin,

He's the Life, the Truth, the Way.

Place your faith in Jesus Christ,

Your works are simply not enough.

If you ask Him He will save you,

Filling your life with His love.

I know that my wicked heart

Could easily be turned aside;

That is why I focus on Him,

Daily with Him I'll abide.

Updates for my writing projects

GREAT NEWS! I have contracted this week with Tate Music Group to record a second album: Walking in Wisdom: Singing the Proverbs. It will be professionally orchestrated and recorded this Fall, and hopefully released early next year. These are all songs I have written, and the titles are as follows:

1. Wisdom and Understanding
2. Hating What God Hates
3. Integrity
4. Hard Work
5. A Lovely Home
6. Mercy and Truth
7. It's Not Business, It's Personal
8. Who You Hang Around
9. A True Friend
10. At the Master's Feet

Please pray for this project. I am confident that it will touch hearts, as the concepts are all taken from Scripture in the book of Proverbs. They give practical reminders on how we can apply these truths to our lives. The songs are great for the entire family!

UPDATES: My Beauty in Pain album is almost completed, and should be done within the next month. Release to music stores and carriers is usually 3 months after that. That album is focused on bringing truth and comfort to the hurting soul.

My 3rd book Fully Persuaded is going to layout now. The cover is done, and editing is being finished up, so that should not be long now either before it's completed.

My Christmas Love book is going through some artwork changes, and will hopefully be done by Christmas. I'll keep you all posted!

Thanks for your prayers. I am praying that God will allow me to go to some churches and organizations to sing or speak (or both) to share what the Lord has laid on my heart through my writing of these books and music.

God bless you!

Peace in the Midst of this World

It doesn't take much after listening to the news to feel  unsettled. There are dangers all around us, and people are constantly getting hurt - someone somewhere - and you have to wonder, "Am I next?" "Will I be at the wrong place at the wrong time?" Fear can overshadow us if we dwell on the potential car accidents, loss of loved ones, robberies, murders, and tragedies that may be lurking right around the corner.

There are less severe situations that are still painful. How about someone lying about you? The Bible calls that a false witness. Reputations can be ruined based on someone's false report. What about a mistake you've made? A sin you've committed? A lifestyle you have adopted that you find difficult to get out of? Some bad associations that you find difficult to depart from?

King David had regrets, tragedies, false witnesses, fears, etc., to the point he was running for his life from a delusional king who wanted his head! He felt forsaken. In Psalm 27:10, he said, "When my father and my mother forsake me, then the LORD will take me up." Isn't that precious? Have you ever felt forsaken by anyone you love that you feel should have been supporting you?

In Psalm 27:1: "The Lord is the light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the LORD is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?" In verse 5: "For in the time of trouble he shall hide me in his pavilion: in the secret of his tabernacle shall he hide me; he shall set me up upon a rock." Then he says that his head shall be lifted up above his enemies, so therefore he will offer in his tabernacle sacrifices of joy, and will sing praises unto the Lord. Isn't singing praises to God a great thing to do during our trials? Have some faith, envision a positive outcome, and already start thanking and praising the Lord for what He's going to do in your life. We need to seek Him; He will take us up. What is this tabernacle where he is making sacrifices of joy? The verse above says, "in the secret of his tabernacle shall he hide me." Having that closeness to God through prayer and Bible reading, even being in church, the house of God, is a great place to be, especially when we don't feel like it. It's a beautiful thing!

In Psalm 27:12-13 David prayed: "Deliver me not over unto the will of mine enemies: for false witnesses are risen up against me, and such as breathe out cruelty. I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living." Do you ever feel like fainting under the pressure of life? So did King David. But he also saw the goodness of the Lord among life that we see all around us. He brings life. You know what he said next?

"Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD." That's the message to us. Seems strange to me. Why this talk about waiting? It seems to me he is in a bad predicament, he has danger all around him, and yet he says to be of good courage and that peace from having faith in God will strengthen our hearts. He's an active God, but He's an on-time God. Things will work out according to His will, which by the way, will always be the best for us and the situation, in His timing. We cannot even begin to understand why commercial planes get shot down, why evil prevails at times, but we can know that in spite of the evil all around us, there is a refuge, a hiding place in God. He has allowed evil to have some freedom for a time...but only for a time. When there is a storm, seek that refuge that will keep you safe. Damage and harm may come to you, as there are no guarantees of a perfect life. These things are used by God to mold and make us into beautiful vessels of honor. Without the fears and the hurts, we can't know the peace and the comforts.

Holding onto an all-powerful, all-wise, all-loving God is not a sign of weakness....but of wisdom, don't you think? If I was in a flood, I would not think I was being "uncool" or "foolish" for finding a solid something to grab onto for dear life! That's using your head!

Praise the Lord today for God's provisions and care, peace in the midst of this crazy, unsettling world we live in, filled with imperfect people, imperfect lives, but equipped with a loving, caring God who cares about and strengthens you and me through it all, if we just turn to Him for that help.

Lazy, hazy summer days

How is your summer going? Have you been able to enjoy any lazy, hazy summer days? I remember as a child I used to take summer walks, and would feel so hot and sweaty as I was approaching the final hill to get to my house. I fantasized about an air-conditioned lift (like a ski lift, only with glass around it and a table with a glass pitcher with red fruit juice in it, and a glass with ice so I could drink to my little heart's content) that would take me the rest of the way home.

I love going for walks and seeing everyone's beautiful flowers and landscaping. Today my family and I took a walk, and the air was so clear making visibility very good as we looked off to a distance while up on a tall hill. It was good exercise, which is something we all have needed with so many festivities lately.

It caused me to reflect upon the things that are good in life. Even when life is in turmoil, aren't you so glad that you can still enjoy a sunset? Aren't you glad that you can go to the ocean and watch the steady waves crashing along the seashore? Aren't you glad that the moon and the stars shine brightly and faithfully and even at times cast shadows? I saw today the reflection of the grass on the sidewalk. Someone did a superb job edging along his sidewalk, and the thick grass cast a beautiful shadow where you could appreciate every blade of grass along the edge. We observed someone having a neighborhood children's party (or birthday party), and enjoyed the laughter of the kids in the inflatable water slide as we walked by. So many wonderful things that caused me to stop and appreciate the very good things in life. I praise the Lord for this perspective of all the joys around me.

Our pastor mentioned in his sermon today a story of a man who thought his plane was going to crash. He prayed for the Lord to take good care of his family. The plane ended up landing safely, but he reflected on his feelings in the face of death, and realized he didn't pray for his clients or business. He thought about his family. Treasure your family today, give your kids a hug, and thank God for the beauty in the midst of a crazy world around us!

It makes me think of the hymn "For the Beauty of the Earth" by Folliott S. Pierpoint. Below are some of the stanzas to the song that I find very beautiful.

Original text of 1864:

For the beauty of the earth,

For the beauty of the skies,

For the Love which from our birth

Over and around us lies:

Christ, our God, to Thee we raise

This our Sacrifice of Praise.

For the beauty of each hour

Of the day and of the night,

Hill and vale, and tree and flower,

Sun and moon and stars of light:

Christ, our God, to Thee we raise

This our Sacrifice of Praise.

For the joy of ear and eye,

For the heart and brain's delight,

For the mystic harmony

Sinking sense to sound and sight:

Christ, our God, to Thee we raise

This our Sacrifice of Praise.

For the joy of human love,

Brother, sister, parent, child,

Friends on earth, and friends above;

For all gentle thoughts and mild:

Christ, our God, to Thee we raise

This our Sacrifice of Praise.

For each perfect Gift of Thine

To our race so freely given,

Graces human and Divine,

Flowers of earth, and buds of Heaven:

Christ, our God, to Thee we raise

This our Sacrifice of Praise.