“No mound of parchment can be so formed as to stand against the sweeping torrent of boundless ambition on the one side, aided by the sapping current of corrupted morals on the other.” – George Washington (1789)
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First Principles: No Mound of Parchment Can Be So Formed As To Stand Against the Sweeping Torrent of Boundless Ambition
Posted in First Principles
Tagged Ambition, Boundless, Corrupt, Current, First Principles, Form, George Washington, Morals, Mound, One Side, Parchment, Sap, Stand, Torrent
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The Path of Generosity
The Path of Generosity
by Michael Doyle
Standing on a mountain of epiphany
Still, wondering what might come for me
This is no moment of bumper-sticker fame
Some of the things happening are a shame
Reaching out for all the unreached
Bringing the resources so that the gospel is preached
We rise up strong in our connections
And in the promises of our resurrection
Standing up to speak truth to power
Bringing the church to the unchurched in this hour
It brings us back to the top of Mount Kilimanjaro
We forge forward toward a better tomorrow
We glow in the darkness filled with opportunity
The more we give space for the spiritual economy
Of giving that which have available to give
These are the moments by which we best live
Like the feeding of fish and loaves to the five thousand
The Lord teaches in parables that we might understand
Giving all we give with a spirit of right-minded gratitude
That provides the generosity needed with a right attitude
It's a spiritual matter in light of our circumstances
That allows us to give within our provided chances
And to reach satisfaction that allows us to truly give
In return for all the blessings we are given to live
We are to give to others freely and absolutely
Walking our walk with virtuous nobility
Giving offerings of plenty within the Lord's space
Of connected-dots from within our God's embrace
Rather money or time; this is a tithe we must live
Giving in kindness that which we are able to give
10% is next to nothing when we consider we are given more
And realize that with God's plan, there would be no more poor
Instead of destroying life, we need to learn to build
If we are to have the best that life might yield
Teaching our children to dream of all their possibility
So they might learn to see the best regardless of probability
And that despite obstacles, there can be a path of good
When the power of the holy gospel is fully understood
It is not a matter of anything being too complicated
But instead, it is the matter of being God-fated
We start by copying Jesus in what it is we do
Bumping into the scripture in all that we do
And learning to complain less while living out this story
These then are the keys to the Kingdom's glory
(c) October 15, 2023 Michael Doyle
All Rights Reserved
Posted in Poetry and Poems
Tagged Blessings, Bumper-Sticker, Chance, Christmas Spirit, Church, Circumstances, Connection, Darkness, Embrace, Epiphany, Fame, Feed, Fish and Loaves, Five Thousand, Forge, Generosity, Give, Gospel, Gratitude, In Light Of, Live, Mount Kilimanjaro, Nobility, Opportunity, Paralable, Path, Poetry and Poems, Preach, Promise, Reach, Resurrection, Right Attitude, Satisfaction, Shame, Space, Speak, Spiritual Economy, The Lord, Tomorrow, Truth to Power, Unchurched, Understand, Unreached, Wonder
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Thought For the Day: The Higher We Soar the Smaller We Appear To Those Who Cannot Fly
“The higher we soar the smaller we appear to those who cannot fly.” – Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche, philosopher (15 Oct 1844-1900)
Posted in Thought For the Day
Tagged Appear, Fly, Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche, High, Small, Soar, Thought For the Day
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First Principles: Give and It Shall Be Given Unto You; Good Measure, Pressed Down, and Shaken Together, and Running Over, Shall Men Give Into Your Bosom
“Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom.” – Luke 6:38 (NIV)
Posted in First Principles
Tagged Bosom, First Principles, Give, Given Unto You, Good Measure, Luke 6:38 (NIV), Men, Pressed Down, Running Over, Shaken Together, Shall
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Searching For Signals
Searching For Signals
by Michael Doyle
Trying to save our souls
In the messes we make
Spinning out of control
Though all of our mistakes
Pressing out from the underground
To be just who it is that we are
A part of all that we have found
In the taking of this way too far
But it's never far enough
Even with better living through chemicals
I'm calling my own bluff
While feeling slightly lyrical
Pushed down paths of preconception
Of who I'm supposed to be
Lost inside my self-deception
Is there any possibility?
That I might ever understand
Life without acute observation
As a life lived out of hand
Somehow, we'll find our destination
Lost in the fog of our minds
Chasing circles of clever thought
Caught up in feeling our way blind
In the positions that we've caught
Looking past the Dadaism
In despair of not knowing our history
Searching desperately for optimism
As we reach to resolve our mysteries
We come to question our own identities
As we stand inside the dense fog
Pretentious in our grasp on reality
We stumble in our endless dialog
Someday every painting will be painted
As we watch our obsolescence pass
There will come a time with all devils sainted
And we'll have a hint of the meaning of this class
... that we call life
(c) October 14, 2023 Michael Doyle
All Rights Reserved
Posted in Poetry and Poems
Tagged Better Living, Blind, Bluff, Caught, Chemicals, Circle, Class, Clever Thought, Dadaism, Despair, Destination, Devil, Dialog, Enough, Far, Feeling, Fog, Found, Hint, History, Identity, Life, Lyrical, Make, Meaning, Mess, Mind, Mistake, Mystery, Observation, Obsolescence, Optimism, Out of Control, Painting, Path, Poetry and Poems, Position, Possibility, Preconception, Reality, Saint, Save, Search, Self-Deception, Signals, Souls, Underground
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First Principles: Legislation Can Neither Be Wise Nor Just Which Seeks the Welfare of A Single Interest At the Expense and To the Injury of Many and Varied Interests
“Legislation can neither be wise nor just which seeks the welfare of a single interest at the expense and to the injury of many and varied interests.” – Andrew Johnson
Posted in First Principles
Tagged Andrew Johnson, Expense, First Principles, Injury, Interests, Just, Legislation, Many, Neither, Seek, Single Interest, Varied, Welfare, Wise
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Thought For the Day: With Man This Is Impossible, But With God All Things Are Possible
“With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” – Matthew 19:26 (New International Version)
Posted in Thought For the Day
Tagged All Things, God, Impossible, Jesus, Man, Mankind, Matthew 19:26 (NIV), Possible, Thought For the Day
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Thought For the Day: Art Should Be Something That Liberates Your Soul, Provokes the Imagination and Encourages People To Go Further
“Art should be something that liberates your soul, provokes the imagination and encourages people to go further.” – Keith Haring
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Tagged Art, Encourage, Further, Imagination, Keith Haring, Liberate, People, Provoke, Soul, Thought For the Day
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First Principles: It Is A Principal Incorporated Into the Settled Policy of America, That As Peace Is Better Than War, War Is Better Than Tribute
“It is a principle incorporated into the settled policy of America, that as peace is better than war, war is better than tribute.” – James Madison (1816)
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Tagged America, Better, First Principles, Incorporate, James Madison, Peace, Principle, Settled Policy, Tribute, War
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Things of Sisterhood Observed In Nashville
Things of Sisterhood Observed in Nashville
by Michael Doyle
A resplendent marble temple sits in full scale
In Centennial Park, centering beautiful Nashville
With Athena's legendary wisdom in its representation
As a timely reminder of the city's due station
Built in thanksgiving for this modern Athens' dignity
It symmetry was set in place to honor the first century
A polychromed statue was sculpted within its naos chamber
And then adorned in severe style in the eyes of strangers
This journey had started based on the sort of promise
Unserious in nature, but still having its own purpose
The thought being of seeking out places yet to see
With the familial urge of places unseen, yet meant to be
Lake Watauga sits behind this work of wisdom and art
Near where if the trees could sing from their ancient hearts
They would sing songs about the world's need for mutual care
And the need for selfishness to abate if we'd only dare
It is said that Athena bested Poseidon when put to test
And as a father watching his daughters grow, it brings rest
To see my daughters become wise from classical learning
As I listen in on conversations that evidence their discerning
My budding artists discuss the divinity of many things
As the one builds robots and codes and the other sings
It does my heart good to see in this city of a million songs
That each of my daughters, in their own rights, belongs
This journey had started based on the sort of promise
Unserious in nature, but still having its own purpose
The thought of seeking out places yet to see
With the familial urge of places unseen, yet meant to be
Each of them like a goddess in her own right revealed
With a magic of smiles and wisdom that cannot be concealed
Thinking thoughts that bring a father a life of symphony
And it tells a story of beauty and bringing their epiphany
Life with them has been one often spent together on the road
As I have watched them blossom, enjoying as their lives unfold
We walked Centennial Park to see what else there was to see
And I smiled to myself knowing they'd live a life of discovery
(c) October 12, 2023 Michael Doyle
All Rights Reserved
Posted in Poetry and Poems
Tagged Art, Athena, Athens, Centennial Park, Chamber, City, Dignity, Full Scale, Journey, Lake Watauga, Marble, Nashville, Observe, Places Unseen, Poetry and Poems, Promise, Purpose, Representation, See, Sing, Sisterhood, Statue, Stranger, Temple, Things, Trees, Wisdom
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