“The giver of every good and perfect gift has called upon us to mimic Gods giving, by grace, through faith, and this is not of ourselves.” – St. Nicholas of Myra
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First Principles: The Give of Every Good and Perfect Gift Has Called Upon Us To Mimic God’s Giving, By Grace, Through Faith, and This Is Not of Ourselves
Posted in First Principles
Tagged Faith, First Principles, Gift, Giver, God's Giving, Good, Grace, Mimic, Perfect, St. Nicholas of Myra
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On Gifts and Gifting
On Gifts and Gifting
by Michael Doyle
Much of our lives come down to chance
That small part that God gives us to dance
Each of us is gifted as we are and will be
This raises the question delicately
Hasn't God given us all and asked us to do
What we can do to be and remain faithfully true
Not to be overboard into the edges of the sublime
But what are we to do with our God-given time
After all, God gave His only son to humanity
What can we give back with all our due humility?
The Wisemen gave gold, frankincense, and myrrh
I sit here with my chilling coffee and stir
Wondering at passersby and the missed opportunity
To find the good and give the good without vanity
As a steward aware that it's hitting my nerve
That we are to live love and find our chances to serve
Everything is a gift to steward wisely every day
Being fully aware this is our charge in every way
Perhaps these opportunities aren't wrapped as we'd expect
But we would be the worst fools if we choose to neglect
It takes our open hands and hearts to receive grace
Once we've reached this decision, it's ours to embrace
That each given gift to us is to be used for His glory
This, then, is the truth of every Christian story
(c) December 5, 2024 Michael Doyle
All Rights Reserved
Posted in Poetry and Poems
Tagged Dance, Faith, Gift, Give, Poetry and Poems, Steward, Wisemen
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Thought For the Day: Government Spending Is Taxation…I’ve Never Heard of A Poor Person Taxing Himself Into Prosperity
“Government spending is taxation. When you look at this, I’ve never heard of a poor person spending himself into prosperity; let alone I’ve never heard of a poor person taxing himself into prosperity.” – Arthur Laffer
Posted in Thought For the Day
Tagged Arthur Laffer, Government Spending, Poor Person, Prosperity, Spend, Tax, Taxation, Thought For the Day
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First Principles: I Cannot Undertake To Lay My Finger On That Article of the Constitution Which Granted A Right To Congress of Expending, On Objects of Benevolence, the Money of Their Constituents
“I cannot undertake to lay my finger on that article of the Constitution which granted a right to Congress of expending, on objects of benevolence, the money of their constituents.” – James Madison
Posted in First Principles
Tagged Article, Benevolence, Congress, Constituents, Constitution, Expend, First Principles, Grant, James Madison, Money, Right
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What’s the Horror?
What's the Horror?
by Michael Doyle
What's the horror, you might ask.
It seems my life is an endless task
It seems what I take off the list
It only points to things that I've missed
In this rush toward year's end
It seems I've not been my friend
So much is left completely undone
Aren't the holidays supposed to be fun?
There are so many significant deadlines
They all rush at me like exploding landmines
I wish I were a pearl of a changing shell
I need someplace else to hide and dwell
What I'd give for streamlined productivity
When I focused instead of living at liberty
There's a reluctance to do anything at all
When you've hit the edge of your resistance wall
My guess is that it's not really something to repress
There's something to be said for the human mess
Let's all hail the blessed power of entropy
Can I get an amen? Or at least a little empathy?
Living is for the living gained from what we learn
All the happy little sorrows that we come to earn
But let's not ruin this time of blessed holidays
The new year will bring its own share of these days
(c) December 4, 2024 Michael Doyle
All Rights Reserved
Posted in Poetry and Poems
Tagged Amen, Ask, Deadlines, Earn, Edge, Empahty, Endless Tasks, Entropy, Focus, Fun, Gain, Guess, Hall, Happy, Hide, Holidays, Horror, Human Mess, I, Impress, Landimes, Learn, Liberty, List, Missed, My Friend, My Life, New Year, Pearl, Poetry and Poems, Point, Productivity, Reluctance, Ruin, Rush, Share, Shell, Sorrow, These Days, Undone, Wall, Year's End
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First Principle: The Importance of Piety and Religion; of Industry and Frugality; of Prudence, Economy, Regularity and An Even Government; All…Are Essential To the Well-Being of A Family
“The importance of piety and religion; of industry and frugality; of prudence, economy, regularity and an even government; all … are essential to the well-being of a family.” – Samuel Adams (1780)
Posted in First Principles
Tagged Economy, Essential, Even Government, Family, First Principles, Frugality, Importance, Industry, Piety, Prudence, Regularity, Religion, Samuel Adams, Well-Being
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Thought For the Day: Without Music, Life Would Be A Mistake
“Without music, life would be a mistake.” – Friedrich Nietzsche, Twilight of the Idols
Posted in Thought For the Day
Tagged Friedrich Nietzche, Life, Mistake, Music, Thought For the Day, Twilight of the Idols
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As I Speak This
As I Speak This
by Michael Doyle
A lighthouse guides my way
In the darkness, I will pray
A thousand generations find victory
In the Lamb's sweet majesty
The most excellent name on high
Is written across a wounded sky
Crying holy across all creation
It gives the strength and fascination
All of the righteousness of His name
Gives us grace without blame
We are lifted high from all loss
In the forgiveness of the cross
His name above them all
I hear His Holiness call
How could I not respond with love
Giving my all to the kingdom above
I'll sing this holy song
And I know where I belong
Take away my weakness
Given love and glory as I speak this
(c) December 3, 2024 Michael Doyle
All Rights Reserved
Posted in Poetry and Poems
Tagged As I Speak This, Belong, Creation, Crying Holy, Darkness, Forgiveness, Grace, Guide, High, Holy Song, Kingdom, Lighthouse, Loss, Love, Love and Glory, Poetry and Poems, Pray, Respond, Righteousness, Speak This, Strength, Sweet Majesty, The Lamb, Thousand Generations, Victory, Weakness, Wounded Sky
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First Principles: In Questions of Power, Then, Let No More Be Heard of Confidence In Man, But Bind Him Down From Mischief By the Chains of the Constitution
“In questions of power, then, let no more be heard of confidence in man, but bind him down from mischief by the chains of the Constitution.” – Thomas Jefferson (1798)
Posted in First Principles
Tagged Bind, Chians, Confidence, Constitution, First Principles, Man, Mischief, Power, Question, Thomas Jefferson
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Thought For the Day: Education Without Values, As Useful As It Is, Seems Rather To Make Man A More Clever Devil
“Education without values, as useful as it is, seems rather to make man a more clever devil.” – C.S. Lewis
Posted in Thought For the Day
Tagged C.S. Lewis, Clever, Devil, Education, Man, Thought For the Day, Useful, Value
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