“The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.” – Martin Luther King, Jr.
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Thought For the Day: The Ultimate Measure of A Man Is Not Where He Stands In Moments of Comfort and Convenience, But Where He Stands At Times of Challenge and Controversy
Posted in Thought For the Day
Tagged Challenge, Comfort, Controversy, Convenience, Lltimate, Man, Martin Luther King Jr., Measure, Stand, Thought For the Day
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First Principles: For My Part, Whatever Anguish of Spirit It May Cost, I Am Willing To Know the Whole Truth, To Know the Worst and Provide For It
“For my part, whatever anguish of spirit it may cost, I am willing to know the whole truth; to know the worst and provide for it. – Patrick Henry
Posted in First Principles
Tagged Anguish, Cost, First Pirnciples, Know, My Part, Patrick Henry, Provide, Spirit, Whole Truth, Worst
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Emptiness Revealed
Emptiness Revealed
by Michael Doyle
Momma says, "kneel and pray"
The last words after a long day
Life finds its way, however unkind
Sometimes, I don't know how I'll find
My way to keep on standing
The forces that push me are demanding
That I be strong despite my tears
This is how it is in my living years
Edging off this world's surface
I see nothing much left to embrace
In a world filled with emptiness
There's not a lot for me to miss
The serpent offered temptation
As I chased after new sensations
Fooling myself with each deception
Suffered, and the truth found in connection
Clinging to what I want to still believe
I saw so many willing to deceive
Does this pass for our broken society
When so many practice the art of cruelty
Edging off this world's surface
I see nothing much left to embrace
In a world filled with emptiness
There's not a lot for me to miss
(c) January 13, 2025 Michael Doyle
All Rights Reserved
Posted in Poetry and Poems
Tagged Art of Cruelty, Believe, Broken Society, Chase, Cling, Connection, Deceive, Deception, Edge, Embrace, Emptiness, Fooling Myself, Forces, Lifee, Living Years, Long Day, Miss, Momma Says, Pass, Poetry and Poems, Pray, Sensation, Serpent, Stand, Strong, Suffered, Surface, Temptation, Truth, Unkind, World
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First Principles: The Bravest Are Surely Those Who Have the Clearest Vision of What Is Before Them, Glory and Danger Alike, and Yet Notwithstanding, Go Out To Meet It
“The bravest are surely those who have the clearest vision of what is before them, glory and danger alike, and yet notwithstanding, go out to meet it.” – Thucydides
Posted in First Principles
Tagged Bravest, Clearest Vision, Danger, First Principles, Glory, Meet, Thucydides
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Thought For the Day: True Courage Is Being Afraid, and Going Ahead and Doing Your Job Anyhow, That’s What Courage Is
“True courage is being afraid, and going ahead and doing your job anyhow, that’s what courage is.” – Norman Schwarzkopf
(An attempt to honor the firefighters fighting the blazes in Los Angeles County, California)
Shalom Charis
Shalom Charis
by Michael Doyle
Jarred by the fires that burn
Broken hearted as we learn
The sorrow of this season
We extend our love beyond reason
Called to be holy through grace
We keep our eyes on God's face
A spiritual gift is shown with care
God's love is meant to share
Unashamed by God's good power
Present in the darkest hour
His love comes to reveal
The best of His will in every moment until
We can make our community
Out of the love of God's family
The good news is for everyone
As we side for God's will to be done
There is completeness in serenity
As our priority is on eternity
Pulled into this holy conversation
We live God's love even in devastation
Peace if given through grace
As God's ways become what we embrace
Unmerited favor becomes our walk
As we move beyond the milk of mere talk
Abounding grace finds us sufficient
Deserved beyond however we are deficient
His love is abundant in how it is given
In every step beyond being forgiven
Abundant and more than enough
God's grace allows us to hang tough
Overflowing the cups of our life
It shapes our peace from the world's strife
In the book of pure love, not tricks
It is our job to love and God's to fix
Keeping our heart with head in how to live
If we're marked by God to give all we can give
Our everything must be all in
In grateful prayer, we are committed against sin
Living our lives of godly virtue
We have the integrity to be me and you
The gospel believed is beautiful
Producing works that are wonderful
Regardless of whatever this world brings
Our God brings His good from everything
The Book of Romans is a journey
From wrath comes the seeds of our community
In our surrender we are in debt through our care
From the Gospel, we are born again to share
Eyes opened to goodness, we learn to see
Unashamed, we become born to be
Those who walk in our pure integrity
One by one, we are God's family
Shifting ways don't phase the hearts
Of those seeking truth from the start
Anchored by understanding, we grow and learn
A life of grace is bigger than immediately discerned
Surrendered lives are lived to God's best
We learn this as we pass this world's test
Together, we pray this in Jesus's holy name
Knowing our souls are above Satan's flames
(c) January 12, 2025 Michael Doyle
All Rights Reserved
Posted in Poetry and Poems
Tagged Abounding, Abundant, Bible, Broken Hearted, Burn, Called, Care, Christianity, Community, Completeness, Darkest Hour, Devastation, Done, Embrace, Faith, Fires, Fix, Forgiven, God, God's Face, God's Family, God's Ways, Good News, Grace, Hang Tough, Head, Heart, His Will, Holy, Holy Conversation, Jarred, Jesus, Learn, Love, Marked By God, Overlfowing, Peace, Poetry and Poems, Power, Priority, Reveal, Serenity, Shalom Charis, Shape, Share, Sorrow, Spiritual Gift, Talk, Unashamed, Unmerited Favor, Walk, World's Strife
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Thought For the Day: Faith Is the Strength By Which A Shattered World Shall Emerge Into the Light
“Faith is the strength by which a shattered world shall emerge into the light.” – Helen Keller
Posted in Thought For the Day
Tagged Emerge, Faith, Helen Keller, Light, Shattered, Strength, Thought For the Day, World
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First Principles: I Have Told You These Things, So That In Me You May Have Peace. In This World You Will Have Trouble. But Take Heart. I Have Overcome the World
“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” – John 16:33
Posted in First Principles
Tagged First Principles, Heart, John 16:33, Overcome, Peace, Things, Told, Trouble, World
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In the Snows of France
In the Snows of France
by Michael Doyle
Doc was a medic
Running from hole to hole
There wasn't a fox
Who didn't know his soul
The Germans kept coming
With machine guns drumming
Sounding off in the darkest night
The 101st prayed for the morning light
A little drip of morphine
Might soften the pain
The mortar rounds kept coming
Like the worst kind of hard rain
The wounded were his friends
And the shelling wouldn't stop
On Doc, they could depend
On one knee in prayer, they went deep
These were prayers full of grace
While no courage could fully brace
The boys to get them through the night
Each was trying to hold on to the morning light
A little drip of morphine
Might soften the pain
The mortar rounds kept coming
Like the worst kind of hard rain
The men advanced on the move
Through the falling snow
Though each hoped it would improve
It's no secret, what dead men know
Each of us has numbered days
Though we don't know how it will end
Each of them had dreams enough to amaze
They would kill and die for their friends
A little drip of morphine
Might soften the pain
The mortar rounds kept coming
Like the worst kind of hard rain
The young man died a virgin
Though he was as brave as any man
If only his company had had a surgeon
But the medics do the best that they can
They were called lucky to survive
To walk from that battle half-alive
Each of them would remember that day
When the best they had left was to pray
A little drip of morphine
Might soften the pain
The mortar rounds kept coming
Like the worst kind of hard rain
(c) January 11, 2025 Michael Doyle
All Rights Reserved
Posted in Poetry and Poems
Tagged 101st Airborne, Amaze, Battle, Brave, Company, Dead Men, Doc, Dreams, End, Falling Snow, Foxhole, France, Friends, Grace, Half-Alive, Hard Rain, Hold On, Hope, Kill and Die, Know, Lucky, Machine Guns, Man, Medic, Medics, Morning, Morphine, Mortar Rounds, Night, Numbered Days, On the Move, Pain, Poetry and Poems, Prayer, Rememver, Secret, Shelling, Snow, Soul, Surgeon, Survive, The Boys, Virgin, Wounded, Young Man
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Thought For the Day: No One Is Useless In This World Who Lightens the Burdens of Another
“No one is useless in this world who lightens the burdens of another. “ – Charles Dickens
Posted in Thought For the Day
Tagged Another, Burdens, Charles Dickens, LIghten, No One, Thought For the Day, Useless, World
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