FAITH, HOPE, AND LOVE REMAIN: Among The Virtuous Of Virtues - Poems

By Norman Hicks III

Often we lose sight of the enormity of everything around us: the stars, the galaxies, nebulae, and the vastness of space in general. We need to appreciate the sobering beauty and magnificence that we have been afforded, as well as the experience of existing. Though we may not consider how all of these came about, we need to look beyond ourselves. Surely, something or someone is majestic enough to have brought this about. Many humans believe in a supreme force or being called God. We also attempt to honor Him through various religions. This book's focus is on Christianity. Christian virtues cover a lot of positive thoughts, feelings, and behaviors considered morally and spiritually correct for enhancing one's development. It may be debatable as to whether faith, hope, and love are virtues. Yet they are very significant in the lives of the followers of Jesus Christ. These three attributes remain just as important in the lives of people today as they were to people of past generations, and to the existence of people in subsequent generations. They complement human existence. It is hard to imagine their exclusion in the daily activities of human life. The poems in Faith, Hope, and Love Remain attempt to emphasize the importance of faith, hope, and love in coping with life as it relates to interacting with other people and with the fluctuating experiences of daily living, and the spiritual enhancement of the human-God relationship. I have included my own good and bad life experiences as testimony and my personal understanding of those experiences in a spiritual context. I pray that these poems bring you enjoyment, as well as peace and a degree of discernment. I hope they will motivate the desire to read The Holy Bible more and meditate on those scriptures.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Christian Faith Publishing, Inc.
• Release date: Nov 1, 2018
• ISBN: 9781642580297

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FAITH, HOPE, AND LOVE REMAIN

Among The Virtuous Of Virtues - Poems

Norman Hicks III

ISBN 978-1-64258-028-0 (paperback)

ISBN 978-1-64258-029-7 (digital)

Copyright © 2024 by Norman Hicks III

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods without the prior written permission of the publisher. For permission requests, solicit the publisher via the address below.

Christian Faith Publishing

832 Park Avenue

Meadville, PA 16335

www.christianfaithpublishing.com

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Good News Bible, Good News Translation.

Printed in the United States of America

Table of Contents

Preface

Acknowledgments

Chapter 1

Faith and Hope

Acknowledge Him

Spirit of Faith, Hope, and Love

Power of Thoughts and Voice

Mind and Heart Convergence

Let There Be Light

The Observable Heaven

Embrace the Child Within

Hope and Trust, Beyond Submission

Three Persons in One

In His Image

Submission, the Faith Tester

Faithful Face-Off

A Moment to Reflect

Déjà vu: Repeating Trials

You, the Embodied Spirit

Unknown Saints

Unwavering Holiness

Saintly Emulation

Forgive Yourself, Once Forgiven

Blessings on the Horizon

Lifelong Ingredient

Chapter 2

Love

My Lord, My Guide, with You I'll Abide

Godliness of Neighborly Love

Color Blind

Shared Prayers

Only One Overcame

Spiritual Mediator

Mission of Mercy

My Grander Father

A Likely Alliance

To Love Again

The Carnal Flower

A Grand Tribute to Woman

Intercessor Grandeur

An Eagle, Not a Phoenix

Fruit, Never Greater Than the Tree

Genesis of Beauty and Love

A Blessed Soul Mate

Chapter 3

Synergistic Virtues

Gender Truce

Tested for the Better

Friend at the Finish Line

A Lifetime Endeavor

Not a Rose Garden

Divine Overhaul

The Human Conscience

Graceful Aging

Resisting Sin's Prevalence

Reaching the Omega of Life

Academia and Life

More Precious Than Any Gold

Living Heavenly

Better, but, Not Bitter

My Mother's Moment

About the Author

In memory of my mother, Mrs. Eva Mae Hicks, for graciously being a loving mother and my first teacher of the Bible. She was a great mentor through her actions as a humble, caring, and loving person to all others, and for repeatedly forgiving those that wronged her. Her belief that faith is practiced by living it, and, that the church is carried in the heart, has sustained me so many days. Though she is gone in body, her spirit and love is continuously with me. I thank God for the precious time we shared in life!

Preface

Throughout history, people have wondered why life exposes them to unrelenting challenges without explanation or obvious reasoning. We are the only creatures that attempt to find and explain the meaning concerning our existence. We express a strong desire to exist beyond the ending of our physical life. Motivated to seek teachings that support that desire, we are apt to believe that a spiritual self lives within our physical body, comparable to a larva living within a cocoon. Similarly, our inner spirit can grow and undergo transformation through the intervention of a larger Spirit, recognized as God. He is an entity that is sovereign and a part of everything that exists, whether seen or unseen. According to John 4:24, God is spirit: and they that worship Him must worship Him in spirit and truth.

Therefore, we must follow God's direction, through ordained writings known as scriptures, which we believe are His words transcribed by chosen people who had proven themselves as spiritually sound through extraordinary faith