A quintessential road trip brings to mind That Autumn has come to leave Summer behind Many roads can be taken, traveling any way To capture the colors that make up our days
Autumn falls like leaves becoming flowers There is reverence felt in the passing hours Each leaf knowing that life is the best gift As they look to the sky, living even as they shift
The Fall winds blow as the chill comes climbing Leaves blow wild all around and constantly rising Only to blanket the ground under their trees Waiting to be raked up under Autumn's breeze
Mother Nature whispers it's time to start again Squirrels and chipmunks forget they were friends As they busily gather nuts for their Winter's feast But otherwise, they seem untroubled at the very least
At night, our campfire is the ending of our day As it calls to us to rest and find our getaway There are so many hustles that steal life away Autumn brings the peace of another well-lived day
The first breath of Autumn came two days ago But, like the Fall, catching up came a little slow Two days later, I can no longer wait or hesitate To remark upon the first day of Autumn's passing date
Everywhere, the winds of change have begun to blow Colors fall like a baptismal shower; we love its flow Carved smiles of a thousand pumpkins start to glow Where everywhere the days are beginning to go down slow
(c) September 24, 2024 Michael Doyle All Rights Reserved
“The Bible contains the most profound Philosophy, the most perfect Morality, and the most refined Policy, that ever was conceived upon Earth. It is the most Republican Book in the World.” – John Adams, in a letter to Benjamin Rush (February 2, 1807)
I've been speaking in tongues Seems like ever since I was young Saying things that make you think Straight up to the edge of a blink Thinking those things we shouldn't say That's how I roll in my day-to-day
If you can read this as written Then death hasn't found you bitten Look around; you're still here The only thing to fear is fear Don't let it eat you up until you're gone Keep on with your state of rolling on
I listen closely to the blowing wind Knowing that it has often been my friend I've listened to the silence and heard it speak There, on the lone trail of the tallest peak I say listen to your heart that somehow knows I've seen it on your face, where it shows
There is so much that remains to be done As I gaze contently at today's rising sun Thinking that we are not gone until we're gone Thinking of our children who will live to carry on I wonder what new dreams might yet somehow arise And hoping that I might yet again look into your eyes
(c) September 23, 2024 Michael Doyle All Rights Reserved
“The same prudence which in private life would forbid our paying our own money for unexplained projects, forbids it in the dispensation of the public moneys.” – Thomas Jefferson (1808)
“Very few established institutions, governments, and constitutions … are ever destroyed by their enemies until they have been corrupted and weakened by their friends.” – Walter Lippmann, journalist (23 Sep 1889-1974)
It's one of the most intriguing dances This life under the God of second chances Rock solid beliefs guide my way As I live my best each and every day
Kept alive by the library, we live From this, I learn to love and forgive Pen-to-pad, written by the Spirit Every word through faith as I hear it
The Bible imparts wisdom given by the Spirit Each of its books points to the Son; if we'll hear it The Old Testament has the New contained The New Testament is the Old explained
There are times that I cannot comprehend But I know Jesus, personally, as a friend Though unbelievers point to apparent contradictions Misidentifying is their own lack of comprehension
The cross points to both justice and mercy Two-for-one is not a matter of embedded heresy But the vital truth that has become revealed And through this, our souls become fulfilled
Christians remain intentional as we approach life's test In God's words and promises, we come to rest The Word of God penetrates to the depth we obey Knowing one day, we will give account for our ways
Life can come at us with exhaustive adversity From point to point are moments of extremity And all we can do is hope, pray, and endure Until God Almighty sees fit to give us the cure
Critical seasons bring their own witness Through belief in God, we build our fitness To the degree that we are persistent We find that the Biblical outcomes are consistent
It is observable throughout mankind's history That we see the fingerprints of Christianity Through the good works of carrying out God's will Freedom and liberty grow and are jointly revealed
Throughout scripture, we find paired sets of meaning These work to live us into being better human beings Bearing fruits of faith worked daily into our life All these bring us more peace within life's strife
In our circumstances, God's word cuts through to reveal The soul, spirit, and flesh that must be healed We are born to find our way toward our redemption There has only been Jesus set aside as the exception
Our thoughts become attitudes that become our action The closer we are to God's will, we find satisfaction Keeping this understanding helps shape our minds Walking the rest and leaving our troubles behind
Submitting our lies to the faith that we profess Yielding not to sin but in confidence, we do confess That we will approach our God in familial confidence We become ready to make Heaven our ready residence
This, then, is where we will spend our blessed eternity Received as the endpoint of our life's traveled journey God's love and compassion is easily given to each of us Given by love even when not asked for and simply because
... We are heirs to His kingdom
(c) September 22, 2024 Michael Doyle All Rights Reserved
“The Christian does not think God will love us because we are good, but that God will make us good because He loves us; just as the roof of a sunhouse does not attract the sun because it is bright, but becomes bright because the sun shines on it.” – C.S. Lewis
“For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.” – Hebrews 4:12 (NIV)
Rolling down the back road Going places, I've been told Hold to the roots of this nation Beyond the small towns lay my destination
Mom-and-pop stores dotting the places Finding myself in these pleasant traces I found myself looking easy halfway around There's a lot of life to these small towns
Spotify went out and searched the radio I heard a tune with words and a nice melody It was smooth truth told with an even flow I think I'm turning just a little bit country
The songs were pulling hard at my heart Feeling sentimental as I heard tune after tune I listened to every note played, finish and start And I found myself singing along at half past noon
There's so much truth expressed plainly So quickly, I found myself in empathy With every note and word in the melodies It seems so pleasing this little bit of country
Spotify went out and searched the radio I heard a tune with words and a nice melody It was smooth truth told with an even flow I think I'm turning just a little bit country
(c) September 21, 2024 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
ALOHA PROMISES FOREVER 