Looking out for my daughters with empathy As this modern age drips with anxiety There are so many issues and concerns seen It quickly overwhelms any human being
It has become an epidemic across this nation Where morbid complexity gives way to depression Rising from the sweltering depths of the pandemic A nation of angst has grown somehow systematic
Entering high school, it seems so much matters As leaving middle school, friends seem to scatter A parent wishes for life to become a smooth roll But instead, watches life's issues take their toll
Sometimes scared and embarrassed by things seen As they scroll through social media's vivid screens It's increasingly hard to connect to any community There's only so much to be done with one's family
I watch each of them wise beyond their knowing Taking fatherly delight in watching their growing I see them taking steps in their development Increasingly, I am there only to offer encouragement
It's up to my daughters as their own human beings To keep confidence, seeking competence and meaning I whisper to them to never, ever fear the shadows And that I love them more than they can truly know
When they get lost in life's darkness and blight I call them quietly to always focus on the light There it is, where they are, waiting for their sight If their courses need correcting, they'll set it right
I see them sometimes feel failure as they learn But their sense of this is better than some will earn There is no point in living hard and pressuring oneself Not all of life's lessons will come from bookended shelves
In this age of internet connection, so much alienation Comes to be the pattern that needs constant detection Therapy and medication are not needed, nor a stranger's love I try to show them to keep their heads praying to the above
Heaven may not speak loudly, but listen close to hear And you'll find your way through anything you might fear This crisis and challenge is pervasive across our community But my daughters will know they've got their loving family
(c) August 27, 2024 Michael Doyle All Rights Reserved
“There is not a more important and fundamental principle in legislation, than that the ways and means ought always to face the public engagements; that our appropriations should ever go hand in hand with our promises. To say that the United States should be answerable for twenty-five millions of dollars without knowing whether the ways and means can be provided, and without knowing whether those who are to succeed us will think with us on the subject, would be rash and unjustifiable.” – James Madison (1790)
“The best index to a person’s character is (a) how he treats people who can’t do him any good, and (b) how he treats people who can’t fight back.” – Abigail Van Buren (August 1980)
To weave the fabric of lasting bonds To feel first love and move beyond It is a path that is a kind of worship Making us into a resilient relationship
Losing you would be to die without dying The tears ripping me apart without crying The weight of your soul is felt in your walk This late hour holds this as more than talk
Five promises that will help us to thrive Five promises that will help our love survive I will be here for you in the no matter what We will remind each other if ever we've forgot
We make again commitments of loving trust Knowing no other way than we simply must Knowing that communication begins with respect Promising in the good and bad, we won't neglect
Truth is the cornerstone of our loving intimacy We promise to embrace the depths of vulnerability Honesty is embraced without fear as our currency The bridge between us is lived in our integrity
Five promises that will help us to thrive Five promises that will help our love survive I will be here for you in the no-matter-what We will remind each other if ever we've forgot
Cultivated compassion becomes a promised tapestry Tending to each other's wounds, we are sanctuary Unwavering, we seed our garden with needed kindness Promising understanding light instead of blindness
We prioritize growth for each other and loved together Nurturing passion and making our shared dreams better Each obstacle and challenge is another opportunity Lived as stepping stones that will bring stronger unity
Five promises that will help us to thrive Five promises that will help our love survive I will be here for you in the no-matter-what We will remind each other if ever we've forgot
We promise to cherish the small moments that we weave Each a part of the tapestry shared as we believe Shoulder to shoulder, we stand strong in our solidarity Holding hands in times of joy and sorrow's soul sincerity
But most of all, we promise to choose love every single day In life's ebb and flow, we promise to live love in every way Letting each other's love always be our best guiding lights Leading us through our best days and in our darkest nights
Five promises that will help us to thrive Five promises that will help our love survive I will be here for you in the no-matter-what We will remind each other if ever we've forgot
(c) August 26, 2024 Michael Doyle All Rights Reserved
In the Christian community There are blessings in our family It's a provident bit of spiritual wealth That keeps us in godly health
Attending to our lives through celebration That holds the Trinity in fascination As we live our lives in the walk Keeping in stride with our talk
Jesus stepped into our shoes As He walked among us with His views Confident of our place in eternity Targeted in our struggles against the Adversary
As children of God, it is quite simple We cause all of Hell to tremble Despite the bumps on our daily roads The story of God continues to unfold
All we do through God has its season Laid out for us by God's pure reasons All is bent and lent in contemplation With the ransom paid for our redemption
There is a debt of grace, we cannot pay As we serve God's purposes on the way As stewards of the gifts God has given And we live our lives among the forgiven
We live His gospel in every situation As we live in the outside world with circumspection Addressing the wounds and needs of others Walking in humility and serving our brothers
Sisters, parents, and children all have their needs This is the backstory of the Bible we read His is a love story needing to be told As we minister to all as life unfolds
Unapologetically, this good news is for everyone Declared for the goodness of God and His Son We must speak the truth with all true humility It's for the good of all God's family
We live out the truth throughout our days Full of hope, and singing out our praise This is our choice that flavors our songs Living the love of God's family to which we belong
(c) August 25, 2024 Michael Doyle All Rights Reserved
” For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast.” – Ephesians 2:8-9
Exceptions seldom make the rule Foolish thinkers need their school Those who dwell on the mystery Of why so few rose against slavery
It is a cowardice of culture That we cannot afford to nurture Let's recall a moment of history Lived by a man driven by theology
Revelations spoke their prophecy Visions of freedom and liberty Despair and loneliness drove action Until Nat Turner would know satisfaction
It's not one of the easy lessons of history But one written in blood and brutality Right as right, a fight becomes relevant As rage rose in voice and experiment
Nat Turner would seek to remold destiny Though he's barely whispered of in history In this barbecue, at a place called Cross Keys Nat Turner's resolution led him to his knees
Turning up toward God's vision, he took resolution Determining then and there in favor of revolution Having lived his theology and sure of dignity He knew then the path forward was incendiary
He would burn this scourge from the souls of all As his Lord God, he would have sinners recall Those who dared to keep other men slaves in fields Would have their cursed wickedness revealed
But death begets more death, whatever the inspiration Nat Turner was hunted down, and slavery haunted the nation For thirty more years, until forced into a savage Civil War That almost divided the nation as asunder it was tore
Our republic has been a mix of optimism and pessimism It is a nation full of promise but open to much criticism While some have known poverty, there is opulent luxury It is a hard road to walk the road of American history
Victory has bred one too many ironic, disappointed sighs Still, this is the greatest republic under earthly skies Only education in God and science will better this country Until at last equal opportunity will deliver true liberty
(c) August 24, 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
