“Facts are stubborn things; and whatever may be our wishes, our inclination, or the dictates of our passions, they cannot alter the state of facts and evidence.” – John Adams (1770)
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First Principles: Facts Are Stubborn Things; and Whatever May Be Our Wishes, Our Inclinations, Or the Dictates of Our Passions, They Cannot Alter the State of Facts and Evidence
Posted in First Principles
Tagged Alter, Dictates, Evidence, Facts, First Principls, Inclinations, John Adams, Passions, State, Stubborn Things, Wishes
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Thought for the Day: Art Washes Away From the Soul the Dust of Everyday Life
“Art washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life.” – Pablo Picasso
Posted in Thought For the Day
Tagged Art, Dust, Everyday Life, Pablo Picasso, Soul, Thought For the Day, Wash
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First Principles: If Everyone Were Clothed With Integrity, If Every Heart Were Just, Frank, Kindly, the Other Virtues Would Be Well-Nigh Useless
“If everyone were clothed with integrity, if every heart were just, frank, kindly, the other virtues would be well-nigh useless, since their chief purpose is to make us bear with patience the injustice of our fellows.” – Molière (1622-1673)
Posted in First Principles
Tagged Bear, Chief Purpose, Clothed, Every Heart, Everyone, Fellows, First Principles, Frank, Injustice, Integrity, Just, Kindly, Moliere, Other Virtues, Patience, Useless
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Thought For the Day: Besides the Noble Art of Getting Things Done, There Is the Noble Art of Leaving Things Undone. The Wisdom of Life Consists In the Elimination of Nonessentials
“Besides the noble art of getting things done, there is the noble art of leaving things undone. The wisdom of life consists in the elimination of non-essentials.” – Lin Yutang, writer and translator (10 Oct 1895-1976)
Posted in Thought For the Day
Tagged Done, Elmiination, Leave, Life, Lin Yutang, Noble Art, Non-Essentials, Thought For the Day, Undone, Wisdom
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First Principles: Blessed Is the Man Who Perseveres Under Trial, Because When He Has Stood the Test, He Will Receive the Crown of Life That God Has Promised To Those Who Love Him
“Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.” – James 1:12 (New International Version)
Posted in First Principles
Tagged Blessed, Crown of Life, First Principles, God, James 1:12 (NIV), Love, Man, Persevere, Promise, Receive, Test, Trial
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Thought For the Day: Hatred Is Like Drinking Poison and Expecting The Other Person To Die
“Hatred is like drinking poison and then waiting for it to kill your enemy.” – Buddha
Posted in Thought For the Day
Tagged Buddha, Die, Drink, Expect, Hatred, Other Person, Poison, Thought For the Day
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The With-Ness of Our Witness
The With-Ness of Our Witness
by Michael Doyle
God isn't a cosmic killjoy out to deal
Out the harsh things that keep it real
God is faithful and loves celebration
And lessons he often teaches are with elation
We sometimes arrive a little rough around the edges
Some of us, walked off from the ledges
As we find our way through our days
Learning how to walk in His Godly ways
The Four Gospels begin Christ's living tale
Of being perfection among us that did prevail
In doing this well, he gained great traction
Humbly showing God's love in His holy actions
Jesus knew His death and His resurrection
Would be responsible for man's connection
Allowing u all to bridge our way past sin
And find our way to be with the Father again
Pentecost brought the Spirit as we were reborn
Allowing all blessings received to pour in
Cutting to the heart as God gave His promises
And we began to learn to live out our good purposes
The key to this holy celebration
Is to discern and save ourselves from this generation
Breaking the bread with al in our communion
Holding this truth in common experienced by this union
The Acts of the Church have a natural flow
If we evidence this, our family will extol
Giving our lives and freed as Christ saves
Our God has powerfully raised from His grave
Wrestling with God, we find where we best fit
It's odd isn't it? How it is that we forget
Repentance and being baptized lead our way
For the lifestyle that brings our best days
Below our mask, we know we live with our sin
But sweet freedom is given us by our holy friend
As we learn, love, and practice our liturgy
This is the edifying protection of God's legacy
Communion comes as a reminder of Christ on the Cross
Who gave His all to save us all from the sin's loss
Freely given, and sparking the true borne conviction
That points our lives' journey in their right direction
Although sometimes this can be quite confusing
When we gather in community, there's no refusing
Life with others within our faithful community
Is needed to play our true part in God's family
We need additions that bring the right association
That comes to assign our part in these connections
Bring us past the pews into the circles of familiarity
Is it is here that the skin of the game builds our legacy
It doesn't take a specific language, or a given culture
To come together to share, thrive, and through this nurture
All our fractured souls that are in need of God's grace
Only the love of sacred hearts that join in loving embrace
It is in this blessed communion of the saintly souls
That we sinners off the holiest of praise that extols
The very best of all that we have faith that we can be
Pierced through the heart, better together, as God's family
It's a beautiful thing that we have each other in this journey
Gathered together to find our way toward our heavenly destiny
Empowered as we are by the source of the force to right our course
Set by the author of our faith and offered as an infinite resource
Commanded as we are to love one another; daily; hourly; always
From the moment of our restoration to the end of our days
So that the world can easily know who it is that we follow
And see the proof of our ways in knowing our love is not hollow
(c) October 8, 2023 Michael Doyle
All Rights Reserved
Posted in Poetry and Poems
Tagged Action, Bridgee, Celebration, Connection, Cosmic Killjoy, Deal, Death, Edge, Elation, Four Gospels, God, Godly Ways, Hars, Pentecost, Poetry and Poems, Prevail, Real, Reborn, Resurrection, Rough, Sin, Teach, Traction, With-Ness, Witness
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Thought For the Day: Some Day We Shall Know How To Heighten Creativity. Until Then, One of the Best Things We Can Do For Creative Men and Women Is to Stand Out of Their Light
“When Alexander the Great visited Diogenes and asked whether he could do anything for the famed teacher, Diogenes replied: “Only stand out of my light.” Perhaps some day we shall know how to heighten creativity. Until then, one of the best things we can do for creative men and women is to stand out of their light.” – John W. Gardner, author and educator (8 Oct 1912-2002)
First Principles: A Generous Person Will Prosper; Whoever Refreshes Others Will Be Refreshed
“A generous person will prosper; whoever refreshes others will be refreshed.” – Proverbs 11:25
Posted in First Principles
Tagged First Principles, Generous, Others, Person, Prosper, Refresh, Refreshed
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Step Inside A Haunted Mansion
Step Inside A Haunted Mansion
by Michael Doyle
What if death was not the ending
But instead, just a new beginning?
What if the paranormal was real
And not just something that we feel?
Skepticism has its own kind of turning
In all walks of life, we keep learning
As God moves in His mysterious ways
To bring the truth of life to our numbered days
We find our ghosts want us to return
To the point where we've come to discern
The reasons life is often found wanting
And the lessons leading to true haunting
Seven years of bad luck are said to follow
In the shattered mirrors grown hollow
Consisting of the fears they've come to reveal
When there is nothing substantial to conceal
It's whispered that ghosts like the fight
As they return to scare us after midnight
Blinded, as we are, by their ghastly sight
That comes to each of us as our personal fright
There's a grandeur that comes with the pessimism
Found inside a New Orleans' sense of spiritualism
Watched steps taken even with no hope to save
We mortal beings from those beyond the shallow grave
A seance seeks answers needed to be found beyond
From disquieted spirits that cannot quite move on
However, it is that they come with good intent
When you play with the Devil, you are left hell-bent
There inside the crystal ball laced with lead
Is the medium's voice that talks with the dead
The ghosts have come out for their final play
All that's left for us is to quietly pray
Dark spirits are trapped inside that crystal ball
Grasping outward as the dark of midnight falls
They come bearing bad news for all to hear
And it message given begins with succumbing to fear
(c) October 7, 2023 Michael Doyle
All Rights Reserved
Posted in Poetry and Poems
Tagged After Midnight, Answers, Bad Luck, Bad News, Beginning, Beyond, Blind, Conceal, Crystal Ball, Dark Spirits, Dead, Death, Devil, Discern, Disquieted Spirits, Ending, Fear, Fears, Feel, Fight, Final Play, Follow, Ghastly Sight, Ghosts, God, Good Intent, Grandeur, Grasp, Gravee, Haunted Mansion, Haunting, Hear, Hell Bent, Hollow, Inside, Lead, Learn, Life, Medium, Message, Mirror, Mortal Beings, Move On, Mysterious Ways, New, New Orleans, No Hope, Numbered Days, Our Ghosts, Paranormal, Personal Fiight, Pessimism, Play, Poetry and Poems, Point, Pray, Real, Return, Reveal, Save, Scare, Seance, Skepticism, Spiritualism, Step, Substantial, Succumb, Trap, Truth of Life, Turn, Voice, Walks, Wanting, Watched Steps, Whisper
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