The late 60s were a psychedelic dream Where sonic inspiration printed on silk screen. Everything London was the aspiration For all who dare to drive their imagination.
One man and his love of the bass Dared to look this straight in the face. Playing his soul for the benefit of rock, Who knew it'd end with a rainy-day shock.
Uriah Heep shaped his destiny As a swirling organ and on an operatic journey. The early Seventies brought them toward success. They were on the cusp of being among the best.
From Christ Church, Gary came on progressively And that lifted the rhythm of his musicality. Root notes were not enough for the harmony And there was more to say with a good melody.
He and the others swam a turbulent ocean Where to do music was to wear emotion. There was a bit of magic up his sleeve And he had enough competence to make others believe.
A sense of the melodious bred great fluidity That delivered on promises without cupidity. There's more than thunder in the bottom end's art, And Thain always did his best to play his part.
Gratitude for gifts given is truly transformative And when it comes to music, it's also informative. Unlocking the potential of living deliverance As if he had arrived with a direct line to providence.
Demons and Wizards had a counterpoint of delivery. It danced armed with guitar, breeding pages of history. Whether it is a driving pulse or complexity. A lot extra was delivered by his dexterity.
Something old that songs might borrow Seeking to say more seldom leads to sorrow. Let in a semblance of circular, melodic spaces, Magic lives in the warmth of musical graces.
(c) November 3, 2026 Michael Doyle All Rights Reserved
“No one expects this nation to become a theocracy, where Christianity is the only value, but we do indeed say that the essential values and founding principles of the nation should not be ignored.” – D. James Kennedy
“There is a delight in the hardy life of the open. There are no words that can tell the hidden spirit of the wilderness, that can reveal its mystery, its melancholy and its charm. The nation behaves well if it treats the natural resources as assets which it must turn over to the next generation increased; and not impaired in value. Conservation means development as much as it does protection.” – Theodore Roosevelt
There's an art to living gratitude. It is transformative of our attitude. The habits you adopt as your own, As if nothing can bother the life you own.
So much around us easily shatters. It comes down to what really matters. In a world of anger that is filled with fear, We must remember gratitude is the only true power here.
However much the world knows darkness; And however much life treats us with harshness, We can always rebuild what we truly know, And in this rebuilding, we flourish and grow.
Shawneetown picked up from the 1937 flood, And it left its past in the decrepit mud, Choosing to make the most of its opportunity Shawneetown rebuilt and outgrew its history.
Everything around us constantly rearranges. Nothing stays the same; everything changes. Slivers of beauty and hope are all around. If you look for it, you'll find that it openly abounds.
For this, we live best by taking on gratitude, And deciding that life becomes ours in our attitude. Every situation has something that is bountiful. In recognizing this, we reach for what is wonderful.
It is by taking this on that we see without concealing The Lord's joy that waits and is openly revealing. It is waiting to enrich us for all our seeing. This is the joyous complexity of being a human being.
Everyday's gift is the sun we see shine And knowing it's shared and not yours or mine. Tomorrow is here for us by providence and not design. That is the distinction brought to its fine line.
Seeing this provides us all with the living key. We are no longer imprisoned but have been set free. This and finding our way in our Father's kingdom Are the qualities that combine to give us our freedom.
(c) November 2, 2026 Michael Doyle All Rights Reserved
Saul became Paul and was intensive. In his appearance, though, he was unimpressive. He wrote thirteen letters in his testimony, Saving the world for the rest of history.
Early, he persecuted the followers of The Way, He even caused Stephen's death that fateful day. But just one encounter with Jesus can change a soul. After all, it is ultimately God who is in control.
On the road to Damascus, one late dark night, Jesus reduced Paul to blindness to show him right. In finding value in God's path, we receive sight, And that divides for us, wrong from right.
We find when we know each other's name, We find the Way to heal from any blame. Jesus knows everything about us each, And from this familiarity, He draws to teach.
Leading all Christians into our family. This is the Way we grow our community. God chooses us all directly and on purpose, To do His good works as instruments of service.
All of us fall short of God's rich glory, But whatever our past, we are part of His story. None of us are qualified as lacking sin, But the God of second chances lets us try again.
With his encounter, Paul readily embraced the Way Knowing that while we are sinners every day, We are responsible to follow God's holy will, And this becomes active as time reveals.
Every one of us is charged with the Great Commission. If we fail to share this, it is a tragic omission. The clarion call is for us to go and evangelize And by this, remove the scales from unbelieving eyes.
When we have our moments of sterling opportunity, We must take these moments to grow the Christian family. Though we know nothing else but the love of God above, While we have our chance, let us spread God's love.
(c) November 1, 2026 Michael Doyle All Rights Reserved
“And so it was with me, brothers and sisters. When I came to you, I did not come with eloquence or human wisdom as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God. For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified” – 1 Corinthians 2:1-2 NIV
Hunting monsters is never in vain. But to think it will be easy is inane. Chomp by chomp, up the known food chain, Surely beats letting victory slip down the drain.
And so it was in the waste of Afghanistan, Where we never quite reached the tribal man. Sometimes you need to leave to appreciate What it is and how familiarity comes to hate.
When you've had to be a fighter, you know Where your reactions begin to come too slow. Sometimes there's a time to say enough is enough. Other times, you just have to blow through the bluff.
On point, leading the charge into the square, Stalked into the kill zone, this life isn't fair. Pinned to position by the enemy's suppression fire, Conditions like this are enough to make a man tire.
The things we do lead to who we are, Either we stay close or go amazingly far. These are the reasons that we do or we die. We lean into the charge without saying goodbye.
When you've had to be a fighter, you know Where your reactions begin to come too slow. Sometimes there's a time to say enough is enough. Other times, you just have to blow through the bluff.
(c) October 31, 2026 Michael Doyle All Rights Reserved
Heading out of Australia to escape this Aussie winter. First stop Japan, then UK/Ireland and if work doesn't call me back, onto Chicago. I will make it up as I go along
