“The general principles on which the Fathers achieved independence were the general principles of Christianity.” – John Adams
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First Principles: The General Principles On Which the Fathers Achieved Independence Were the General Principles of Christianity
Posted in First Principles
Tagged Attributes, Believe, Christianity, Eternal, Existence, First Principles, General Principles, God, Immutable, Indepndence, John Adams, The Fathers
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For All the Dickens…
For All the Dickens...
by Michael Doyle
It's on all these places and pages of the past
That we look back on the things that didn't last
When we do it is a surety that we will find
All those chains that constantly come to bind
Us so completely to our ghosts and shadows
Just short of our lives' disappointing shallows
In the depths, as it were, on the tenement walls
Like flickers from the flames that we recall
This then twists itself into a ghostly Christmas tale
One in which humanity's better nature prevails
As hope shines its light across this ancient earth
And true love is given for all that it is worth
Its worth, dear listeners, is just about everything
Love known and shown is the joy behind why we sing
It warms the hearts on even the most chilling of nights
And is the sum of what makes this season so bright
In this world, there are doubts enough and reasons to fear
It's the wrap-up of the pessimism that fills much of the year
But tonight, if only one night, we feel a Christmas cheer
Looking on that star, living our dreams as we travel as far
As the beat of our hearts as we look up into the skies
With a hallelujah, Noel, with a smile in our excited eyes
We finally know the truth behind the birth that holy morning
When God came to walk among us bringing us love and warming
On this one day, we pull fire from the chains of our strife
Sharing the sacred spark as we warm our souls in this life
This is a dream turned to joy that we find on Christmas Day
When even an older man turns into a boy lost up in play
While others struggle to find just one sort of right ending
The writer's soul knows the certainty of a new beginning
Felt until the nod of love brings him an enchanted sleep
Escaping to an unintentional smile that he feels too deep
Two selves, too often, struggle deep and dark within
He prays toward holiness while wretched in his sin
On his shoulders are two voices struggling to win
The shadows in his heart cause him to write yet again
It is ever his hope to lighten the burden of others
Through the words he writes, one after another
Finding his utility in pursuing a sense of frivolity
That perhaps brings some pleasure in its joviality
Yet still he stumble onward toward his nameless grave
Knowing only that love and Jesus are able to save
Confronting the mirror's solitary craven reflection
He whispers mantras to honor Christmas with right intention
When those having ability hold a hand out to fellow man
They hold the Christmas spirit as only those able can
And in so doing, they heed the universe's greatest call
Restoring a little bit of the heaven lost within the fall
(c) December 19, 2023 Michael Doyle
All Rights Reserved
Posted in Poetry and Poems
Tagged Beat, Bind, Birth, Bright, Chains, Christmas Cheer, Christmas Tale, Depths, Dickens, Doubt, Dream, Earth, Everything, Excited Eyes, Fear, Find, Flames, Flickers, Ghost, Ghosts, God, Heart, Holy Morning, Hope, Humanity, Last, Light, Love, Night, Noel, Pages, Past, Places, Poetry and Poems, Prevail, Reason, Recall, Season, Shadows, Shallows, Shine, Sing, Sky, Smile, Star, Sum, Surety, Tenement Walls, This World, Travel, True Love, Truth, Walk Among Us, Warm, Warming, Worth
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First Principles: To the Distinguished Character of Patriot, It Should Be Our Highest Glory To Add the More Distinguished Character of Christian
“While we are zealously performing the duties of good citizens and soldiers, we certainly ought not to be inattentive to the higher duties of religion. To the distinguished character of patriot it should be our highest glory to add the more distinguished character of Christian.” – George Washington, The Writings of Washington, pp. 342-343
Thought For the Day: Reflect Upon Your Present Blessings – Which Every Man Has Many – Not On Your Past Misfortunes of Which All Men Have Some
“Reflect upon your present blessings—of which every man has many—not on your past misfortunes, of which all men have some.” – Charles Dickens
Posted in Thought For the Day
Tagged Charles Dickens, Many, Misfortune, Past, Present Blessings, Reflect, Some, Thought For the Day
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What Can Be Said of A Woman’s Touch?
What Can Be Said of A Woman's Touch?
by Michael Doyle
With a touch of her hand
He finds happiness again
With her look, he understands
What he is meant to ascertain
Her walking beside him
Makes his sight less dim
As he opens his heart to see
Her presence brings him tranquility
There is a peace in her eyes
That unwraps in pleasant surprise
There is the taste of her lips on his own
They whisper he is no longer alone
With the things of his heart unspoken
She's the wholeness restored, no longer broken
It is less of a fall than an unwrapping of arms
As he discovers the truth of her charms
One string strung together in time
Is the happiness of two souls that bind
And the fires of the heart shine happiness
Like two falling stars reaching out for bliss
(c) December 18, 2023 Michael Doyle
All Rights Reserved
Posted in Poetry and Poems
Tagged Alone, Arms, Ascertain, Beside, Bind, Bliss, Charms, Dim, Discover, Eyes, Fall, Falling Star, Fires, Hand, Happiness, Heart, Heart Unspoken, Lips, Look, Meant, No Longer Broken, Open, Peace, Poetry and Poems, Presence, Reach, Said, See, Shine, Sight, String, Surprise, Taste, Time, Togeher, Touch, Tranquility, Truth, Two Souls, Understand, Unwrap, Walk, Whisper, Wholeness, Woman's Touch
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First Principles: Nothing Is More Certain Than That A General Profligacy and Corruption of Manners Make A People Right For Destruction
“Nothing is more certain than that a general profligacy and corruption of manners make a people ripe for destruction. A good form of government may hold the rotten materials together for some time, but beyond a certain pitch, even the best constitution will be ineffectual, and slavery must ensue.” – John Witherspoon (1776)
Thought For the Day: The Most Potent Weapon In the Hands of the Oppressor Is the Mind of the Oppressed
“The most potent weapon in the hands of the oppressor is the mind of the oppressed.” – Steve Biko, anti-apartheid activist (18 Dec 1946-1977)
Posted in Thought For the Day
Tagged Hands, Mind, Most, Oppressed, Oppressor, Potent, Steve Biko, Thought For the Day, Weapon
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A Servant’s Heart
A Servant's Heart
by Michael Doyle
Jesus came to walk with us in humility
Doing this, He put on the ways of humanity
Making habit of our most common ways
To speak to us, being present in our days
His ways are the best for keeping relationship
Held close to our souls, and not just worship
God is near each of us in His daily presence
We must miss this is the nature of His essence
A million miracles are ignored as they change
Our lives come daily to serve and rearrange
Those things that come with prayers unceasing
And can be observed in our blessings increasing
Pushing back against human fear and insecurity
We become content and learn to walk with humility
Knowing our savior walked this world in humble ways
We, too, should walk our beliefs through our days
We, His followers, know our path remains ever true
This brings us the blessing of unity for me and you
Our place is to work together for good and in harmony
Putting on the ways and attitude of Christ's humility
Every tongue eventually confesses Christ's condescension
Derived from His choosing to give up His superior position
And becoming human to die on behalf of all humanity
From having to stoop to look down, He forsake His divinity
From His fingers, He set the universe in its place
Yet, He holds all of us in His gentle embrace
Born in that manger, He gave Himself for our redemption
In return, we must always keep this in our contemplation
This death submitted to led to our resurrection
Yet, so many fail to realize this vital connection
But with attention given, this shows God's submission
On behalf of humanity, the other half of the commission
Greatness comes in humility as written across the sand
That one thin line we live in with God's commands
These that rule our hearts, spilled out in that hour
Evidencing for us all that love is the greatest power
Living as the salt of the earth is God's one expectation
Holding our lights shining from the hills of inspiration
Following this soul shine is our spiritual intention
As we are servants attempt our best to live with attention
To make that right different in the places that we walk
Not just giving lip service in the words that we speak
These are the purposes of our acts in the great commission
We intentionally try to live our moments without omission
Instead, doing our best in taking on the habits of godly ways
Serving and loving others throughout our best days
Washing the corruption away from the filthiest streets
Humbling ourselves to wash this away from others feet
Busy as we believe we are, God brings us the opportunity
To serve our best grace and bear this with dignity
Paying heed to what will come to stretch our hearts
And keeping God's love in motion from the start
We must put the needs of others above our own
If we are to be the humble servants of the God's throne
We find a way to bless someone else each passing day
Keeping a servant's heart with attention enough to sway
That it will set us on the path of rightful attitude
In living out our lives with the humblest gratitude
Putting aside our fallen, decrepit ways of false pride
Instead, compassion and kindness keep us on God's side
(c) December 17, 2023 Michael Doyle
All Rights Reserved
Posted in Poetry and Poems
Tagged Attention, Behalf, Belief, Blessings, Close, Comission, Common Ways, Condescion, Confess, Contemplation, Content, Daily, Daily Presence, Days, Death, Divinity, Embrace, Essence, Every Tongue, Fear and Insesurity, Fingers, God, Habit, Harmony, Humanity, Humility, Ignore, Increase, Intention, Jesus, Line, Manger, Miracles, Observe, Poetry and Poems, Prayers Unceasing, Pushing Back, Realize, Rearrange, Redemption, Relationship, Resurrection, Sand, Savior, Servant's Heart, Soul Shine, Speak, Spiritual, Stoop, Submission, Superior Position, Unity, Universe, Vital Connection, Worship
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Thought For the Day: Humility Will Open More Doors Than Arrogance Ever Will
“Humility will open more doors than arrogance ever will.” – Zig Ziglar
Posted in Thought For the Day
Tagged Arrogance, Doors, Humility, Open, Thought For the Day, Will, Zig Ziglar
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First Principles: In Your Relationships With One Another, Have the Same Mindset As Christ Jesus
Imitating Christ’s Humility
“1Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, 2then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind. 3Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, 4not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.”
“5In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus…” – Philippians 2:5 NIV
Posted in First Principles
Tagged Christ Jesus, Comfort, Compassion, Encouragement, First Principles, Humilty, In, Interests, Joy, Like-Minded, Love, One Another, Philippians 2:5, Relationship, Same Mindset, Selfish Ambition, Share, Spirit, Tenderness, United, Vain Conceit, Value
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