“What is life? It is the flash of a firefly in the night. It is the breath of a buffalo in the winter time. It is the little shadow which runs across the grass and loses itself in the Sunset.” – Crowfoot
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Thought For the Day: What Is Life? It Is the Flash of A Firefly In the Night. It Is the Breath of a Buffalo In the Winter Time. It Is the Little Shadow Which Runs Across the Grass and Loses Itself In the Sunset
Posted in Thought For the Day
Tagged Breath, Buffalo, Crowfoot, Flash, Grass, Life, Night, Shadow, Sunset, Thought For the Day, Wintertime
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It Strives To Make Things Right
It Strives To Make Things Right
by Michael Doyle
Despite what the day brings,
Some of us are simply broken things.
It's not a crime to count on self-defense.
To believe otherwise is simply a false pretense.
A father takes his congregant's confession,
Willingly making his valid concession
That we cannot fix the things that break us in two,
And the ways back are as shallow as they are few.
The look on the prisoner's face is ashen gray.
He'd like to speak, but doesn't know what to say.
The cold of winter makes us suffer.
The life that we know offers no buffer.
We ride hard into the dark night,
A vow of poverty doesn't make betrayal right.
Pride for penance only leads to greed.
Drunken counsel tells how a man in a collar still has needs.
The path traveled is finished before it's begun.
Sometimes life's battles cannot be won.
The world is full of betrayals and denials.
The best of us walk as if we are on trial.
God help us all if we give in to savagery.
The rest we need is something legendary.
We surrender our freedoms to form a government.
Doubtlessly, few would call this a real improvement.
The gain we seek is the guidance needed
To questions, even the angels would have pleaded.
Being worthy of our gravest concerns
As to how little truth there is left to discern.
There's an ocean in a drop.
There's a hope that will never stop.
There is courage in the darkest night.
It strives to make things right.
(c) December 29, 2025 Michael Doyle
All Rights Reserved
Posted in Poetry and Poems
Tagged Broken Things, Cold of Wnter, Concession, Confession, Crime, Dark Night, Day, False Pretense, Father, Few, Fix, Greed, Life, Penance, Poetry and Poems, Pride, Prisoner, Ride Hard, Right, Self-Defense, Speak, Strive, Suffer
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Thought For the Day: Let Us Be Grateful To People Who Make Us Happy, They Are the Charming Gardeners Who Make Our Souls Blossom
“Let us be grateful to people who make us happy, they are the charming gardeners who make our souls blossom.” – Marcel Proust
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Tagged Blossom, Charming Grdeners, Grateful, Happy, Marcel Proust, People, Soul, Thought For the Day
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First Principles: The Greater Part of Our Misery or Unhappiness Is Determined Not By Our Circumstance But By Our Disposition
“I am determined to be cheerful and happy in whatever situation I may find myself. For I have learned that the greater part of our misery or unhappiness is determined not by our circumstance but by our disposition.” – Martha Washington
Eyes On the Future
Eyes On the Future
by Michael Doyle
There will be seasons of favor.
These times are the times to savor.
Calling our minds toward the future,
And thinking about what to nurture.
The prophet Jeremiah spent his years
Bringing the Israelis through their tears
To bravely come all the way forward
To serve our mighty Lord.
The Lord knows us from the womb,
And in His kingdom, He makes room.
His words are put in mouths to speak,
Giving us strength when we are weak.
False gods and leaders stand in the way.
The fear of the Lord saves the day.
We stand fortified by God's word
To win our victory as it is inferred.
Look to the future, and you will see,
The almond tree points toward all that will be.
The beekeepers lament the issues of pollination
As the move honey bees across this broken nation.
Leaders must rise despite persecution and trials
With certainty to lead beyond survival.
Judgment is something learned with growing maturity.
Our troubles are distinguished and become opportunity.
The weeping prophet cried his truth.
He faced many troubles from his youth.
Humbling ourselves to embrace repentance,
The warnings came true with our acceptance.
To face this world, we need rational theology,
Like a boiling pot filled by God's divinity.
Sovereign and in control, God brings to light
All things needed to make life right.
We learn to fortify against the world's sin
That surrounds and is in us again and again.
We must fortify our holy community.
We do this for the love of God's family.
We serve one another as pillars and walls,
Forging our identities, however God calls.
Holding up and holding out, things that don't serve
To help God's people live our their purposes.
Timeless truth is adhered to day after day,
In all the weirdness that will come our way.
We will stand on full grace and generosity,
And we will truly live by this theology.
All of this is for the benefit of God's family.
Every breath is to sanctify you and me.
The future starts now with what we choose to do,
Tripping in the right direction for me and you.
The more we seek God, the more we find,
The best for our future and the worst left behind.
This is life's song learned through improvisation.
It is, indeed, our sweetest lasting inspiration.
In these thoughts, I pray with right attitude,
Led forward in this season by my gratitude.
It is asked in all humility,
That our God bless our holy community.
(c)December 28, 2025 Michael Doyle
All Rights Reserved
Posted in Poetry and Poems
Tagged Bible, Brave, Christianity, Eyes, Faith, Forwrd Lord, Future, God, Jesus, Kingdom, Mind, Nurture, Poetry and Poems, Prophet Jeremiah, Room, Speak, Strength, Swasons of FAvor, Tears, Times To Savor, Womb, Words, Years
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Thought For the Day: Change Is the Law of Life. And Those Who Look Only To the Past Or Present Are Certain To Miss the Future
“Change is the law of life. And those who look only to the past or present are certain to miss the future.” – John F. Kennedy
Posted in Thought For the Day
Tagged Certain, Change, Future, John F. Kennedy, Law of Life, Miss, Past, Present, Thought For the Day
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First Principles: Stand At the Crossroads and Look; Ask For the Ancient Paths, Ask Where the Good Way Is, and Walk In It, and You Will Find Rest For Your Souls
“This is what the Lord says:
“Stand at the crossroads and look;
ask for the ancient paths,
ask where the good way is, and walk in it,
and you will find rest for your souls.
But you said, ‘We will not walk in it.’ – Jeremiah 6:16 NIV
Posted in First Principles
Tagged Ancient Path, Crossroads, First Principles, Good Way, Jeremiah 6:16 IV, Rest, Soul, Stand, Walk
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The Last Snow
The Last Snow
by Michael Doyle
This Winter has been warmer than those I recall.
I might have expected it after a lingering fall.
The last snow Indiana saw fell for a full night.
It kept falling through the passing morning light.
Piles of slush lasted for several lingering days,
And this went on until nature walked it back a ways.
The Spring-like heat taught us to not heed exaggeration.
As warm fronts spread throughout our beautiful nation.
Early morning plans require warm coats, boots, and sturdy shoes.
It's time to get outside for a hike to bounce off the blues.
Out among the winter trees, be they deciduous or evergreen,
It feels good to be alive and a warm-hearted human being.
Rings, when measured and counted, tell the age of trees.
But their comfort is best felt along a gentle breeze.
Zig-zag streets remind us of how our lives chase around,
Until they reach the conclusions in which we are found.
The quiet hours spent looking out the kitchen window,
They are spending time seeking signs of any coming snow.
The rumor is that we will find this coming Monday, acting bold
As we brace ourselves for a blast of good old Arctic cold.
We won't be seeing errant dandelions, nor will we see a blizzard.
The snowflakes will dance, but not enough to create a hazard.
The light snow will fall, forming a dusting to lace the ground.
And all of God's children will smile happily at what's been found.
(c) December 27, 2025 Michael Doyle
All Rights Reserved
Posted in Poetry and Poems
Tagged Blues, Fall, Full Night, Heat, Hik, Indiana, Morning Light, Morning Plans, Poetry and Poems, Slush, Snow, Spring, Warm, Warm Fronts, Winter
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Thought For the Day: If You Ask God For A Gift Be Thankful If He Sends Not Diamonds Pearls Or Riches But the Love and Trust of Friends
“Friendship is a precious gift that can’t be bought or sold. It’s value is greater than mountains made of gold. If you shall ask God for a gift be thankful if he sends not diamonds pearls or riches but the love and trust of friends. It is the friends you can call up at 4 a.m. that matter.” – Marlene Dietrich
Posted in Thought For the Day
Tagged Bought or Sold, Friends, Friendship, Gift, God, Gold, Love and Trust, Marlene Dietrich, Mountain, Precious Gift, Riches, Thought For the Day, Value
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First Principles: It Will Be Of Little Avail To the People That the Laws Are Made By Me of Their Own Choice If the Laws Be So Voluminous That They Cannot Be Read, Or So Incoherent That They Cannot Be Understood
“It will be of little avail to the people that the laws are made by men of their own choice if the laws be so voluminous that they cannot be read, or so incoherent that they cannot be understood.” – James Madison
Posted in First Principles
Tagged First Principles, Incoherent, James Madison, Law, Little Avail, Own Choice, Read, The People, Understood, Voluminous
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ALOHA PROMISES FOREVER 