First Principles: Happiness Depends More Upon the Internal Frame of A Person’s Own Mind Than On the Externals In the World

“Happiness depends more upon the internal frame of a person’s own mind, than on the externals in the world.” – George Washington

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Dawn Breaks

Dawn Breaks
by Michael Doyle

Waking up to this holy hour
Dawn breaks in our Father's power
And we know there's nothing He can't do
He stands ready for me and you

We pledge our everything and all
Heeding our Lord's loving call
Opening our eyes with gratitude
We awake with the right attitude

At the foot of Calvary
We look out and we see
All that our Lord has done
We put our faith in the risen Son

We look on the throne of majesty
Knowing our king reigns in victory
Note by note, the songs we sing
Are the gifts we bring

To worship the one who has done
So much for us as Father, Spirt, and Son
With a love beyond human measure
This love given is our greatest treasure

(c) March 13, 2025 Michael Doyle
All Rights Reserved
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Thought For the Day: Whatever We Plant In Our Subconscious Mind and Nourish With Repetition and Emotion Will One Day Become A Reality

“Whatever we plant in our subconscious mind and nourish with repetition and emotion will one day become a reality.” – Earl Nightingale

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First Principles: The Storm of Frenzy and Faction Must Inevitably Dash Itself In Vain Against the Unshaken Rock of the Constitution

“The storm of frenzy and faction must inevitably dash itself in vain against the unshaken rock of the Constitution.” -James Buchanan

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Know Not Fear

Know Not Fear
by Michael Doyle

Youth always tries to dare
Their elders try to care
Each in their own place
Stares the other in the face

Each move made creates a snare
No matter how each tries to be fair
Climbing to the highest height
To outpace the darkness with our light

So it is from father to son
Each beginning is another done
Chapter by chapter, we write the book
As each generation finds its own look

The knife in each other's back
Whispers the pain of what we lack
Though it is that we need cheer
It's more likely that we'll know fear

Before we find our solitary way
That brings us through to the next day
We scream our way into the night
Wishing only to find the light

There is no time to fault or blame
As we call out each other's name
Swearing as we do before the burning flame
We will keep honor and know no shame

(c) March 12, 2025 Michael Doyle
All Rights Reserved
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Thought For the Day: Extremism In the Defense of Liberty Is No Vice. And Moderation In the Pursuit of Justice Is No Virtue

“Extremism in the defense of liberty is no vice. And moderation in the pursuit of justice is no virtue.”

– Karl Hess, as speechwriter for Barry Goldwater’s acceptance speech

This was later restated by Malcom X, in December, 1964, as:

“My reason for believing in extremism—intelligently directed extremism, extremism in defense of liberty, extremism in quest of justice—is because I firmly believe in my heart that the day the black man takes an uncompromising step and realizes he’s within his rights, when his own freedom is being jeopardized, to use any means necessary to bring about his own freedom or put a halt to that injustice, I don’t think he’ll be by himself. [Emphasis added.]”

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First Principles: Moderation In Temper Is Always A Virtue, But Moderation In Principle Is Always A Vice

“Moderation in temper is always a virtue, but moderation in principle is always a vice.” – Thomas Paine

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Angel In Blue Jeans

Angel In Blue Jeans
by Michael Doyle

From across the fragile spaces
I feel your soulful traces
It was something like I've never felt
As your heavenly ways move me to melt

My heart was amazed by the hand dealt
When your love shined my way to melt
This stubborn heart of mine
That dared to dream you'd be my Valentine

With a simple hello from across the way
My soul was yours on that beautiful day
Somewhere between the divine and ordinary
Where everything about you was extraordinary

You were accessible in your sweet humility.
Dressed in jeans, yet your halo lent dignity
Grounded yet angelic, you were approachable
If only that is, I might believe myself capable

Of winning my way into your life forever
But it seems so seldom that I'm ever that clever
Yet, there you stood in all your majesty
And I told you, you scared me with complete honesty

Afraid that I could so quickly love an angel in blue jeans
Who seemed a figment of maybe a million silver screens
Defiantly hesitant of my every hope and expectation
I stood before you, waiting for your complete rejection

And instead, you chose to watch out for me in my humanity
As I was astounded to find that you loved me in my vanity
You have become my guardian angel hidden in plain sight
Nothing is quite so natural as you in my arms, held tight

An angel, fallen and wandered somehow into my life
A denim-clad dream who wants to redeem me as my wife
You bring me comfort in your claims upon my meager life
You bring me solace in this simple peace instead of strife

And all that I know how to say earnestly with my eyes
Is that I love you, my angel in your blue jeans disguise
My heart is filled every moment in our heavenly latitude
With the simple love of this mortal man who feels gratitude

(c) March 11, 2025 Michael Doyle
All Rights Reserved
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First Principles: Let Us Tenderly and Kindly Cherish Therefore, the Means of Knowledge. Let Us Dare To Read, Think, Speak, and Write

“Let us tenderly and kindly cherish therefore, the means of knowledge. Let us dare to read, think, speak, and write .” – John Adams, The Works of John Adams: Second President of the United States

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Thought For the Day: The Laws of Nature Are Written By the Hand of God In the Language of Mathematics

“The laws of nature are written by the hand of God in the language of mathematics.” – Galileo Galilei

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