God's Gifts: Spiritual Writings
by
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ON BEING SPIRITUAL
Prose 1
To be spiritual is simply to be aware of one’s purpose and meaning; not necessarily to be better or pious or aloof from common living, but to be natural, constructive, giving, loving, sharing, warm, peaceful, purposeful, growing, appreciative, and totally aware of Earth's sacred life and natural beauty.
To be spiritual is to have a healthy respect for the sacredness of life and the sacredness of the cycles, balances, and perpetuity of life so destined by God’s guiding Great Spirit. To be spiritual is to have a respect for the sacredness of God’s universal energy; energy that is so destined by God’s creations within and of Himself.
To be spiritual certainly is to be appreciative of a God-given talent, to use that talent for good, and to hone that talent to the highest. To be spiritual, certainly, is to be humbled by one’s fortunes as well as one’s pain and misfortunes, to be humbled by one’s human frailty as well as oneself as an ephemeral being or as God’s earthly flower in bloom.
To be spiritual is to give unselfishly of oneself for the welfare, growth, and happiness of others, especially for the nourishment of the young and the well being of the old.
To be spiritual, surely, is to be totally and constantly aware of and thankful for God’s existence and presence around and within us from day to day and in every way.
A HUMBLE PRAYER
My God, all praise to Thy Great Spirit and presence.
My God, all thanks for what I have experienced in Thy
Sacred space and time.
Let me continue to be in harmony with my energy;
Let the remaining course of my life run the divine
Destiny of good will;
Let my continual thoughts of Thy presence and creations
Be witness to my prayer;
Let my good deeds, wherever, be testimony to my faith;
From day to day, give me:
The patience to listen,
The wisdom to understand,
The unselfishness to defer my own
needs,
The insight to realize my
potential and purpose,
The will power to be growthful
and productive,
The courage to face unknowns,
The thoughtfulness to give and
humbly receive,
The capacity to love and be
loved,
An openness to accept my human
vulnerability,
A habit toward responsibility,
A penchant for hard work,
A respect for self and all that
is sacred and good,
The strength to control
destructive urges,
The ability to be modest in the
face of good fortune,
And the propensity to be at peace
with myself.
AMEN.
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About the Book
God's Gifts: Spiritual Writings is a brilliant collection of
spiritual prose, poems, and quotations by Frederick Douglas Harper. The book
includes eight richly filled sections on various themes of spirituality.
Section one contains ten topics on Harper's philosophy of spiritual faith and
living. These topics are labeled as Prose 1 to 10 and reveal the author's
profound wisdom and in-depth vision. Sections two through six contain
exceptionally uplifting and insightful poems on (1) spiritual prayers and
meditation; (2) God's special gifts to humankind; (3) spiritual inspiration;
(4) faith, meaning, and mission; (5) sacredness, ethics, and morality; and (6)
peace, love, and natural beauty. The final section contains scores of original
thoughts or quotations by the author.
Harper's God's Gifts: Spiritual Writings conveys
universal themes of peace, love, faith, meaning in life, mission in life,
thankfulness, forgiveness, positive thinking and living, appreciation of
natural beauty, rightful living, unselfish giving, sacredness of life, personal
resilience, and adult responsibility for youth, among other topics of
spirituality. Some readers of Harper's poems have compared the inspirational
power of his writings to passages in the Holy Bible and his themes of
unconditional love and forgiveness to the redemptive writings in Kahlil
Gibran's the Prophet.
About the Author
Dr. Frederick Douglas Harper has authored more than
300 published poems. His most popular poem, "A Wedding Pledge," has
been recorded on CD, recited in more than 5,000 weddings, translated into other
languages, and reprinted in magazines. An international scholar and professor
of counseling, Harper has authored 12 books, including college textbooks and
three other poem books. His poems have been read on WPFW 89.3 FM Radio in
Washington, DC by Nap Turner for more than 15 years, alongside the poetry of
the famous Langston Hughes. Harper's first poem book, Poems on Love and Life
(1985), has sold throughout the USA and in numerous other countries, and it has
been acclaimed by both readers and reviewers as a classic work. His other poem
books are Romantica: On Peace and Romance and Love Poems of Frederick
Douglas Harper.