First Principles: A Person May Cause Evil To Others Not Only By His Actions But By His Inaction, and In Either Case, He Is Justly Accountable To Them For the Injury

“A person may cause evil to others not only by his actions but by his inaction, and in either case he is justly accountable to them for the injury.” – John Stuart Mill, in On Liberty

Posted in First Principles | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Thought For the Day: Life is Just A Short Walk From the Cradle To the Grave and It Sure Behooves Us To Be Kind To One Another Along the Way

“Life is just a short walk from the cradle to the grave and it sure behooves us to be kind to one another along the way.” – Alice Childress, playwright, author, and actor (12 Oct 1916-1994)

Posted in Thought For the Day | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Like Wanderers Seeking

Sylvania Square - Father Thyme Revisited
Like Wanderers Seeking
by Michael Doyle

Like wanderers wandering a lovelier way
We plant the seeds that bring the new days
With a fullness of dreams filling our hearts
We loosely planned how the days would start

But kept the freedom breathing in and out
Never steadfastly demanding there be no doubt
But giving the wiggle room of how a day goes
With so much out of our control as it flows

There are so few straight roads without curves
But these become the paths that we earn and deserve
As we let the GPS guide us across the states
Being willing to change and even arrive a bit late

Breathing in to breathe out, the cold nips the air
And we talk for hours on the drive without a care
Taking in all that the world herself has to show
This is the way this wandering family is willing to go

New and future journeys form plans for the future
As we dream together and find that we will nurture
The plans that happen to happily come together
And for myself, I don't think it could be any better

(c) October 11, 2023 Michael Doyle
All Rights Reserved
Let's Fly a Kite at LeLoo's World - An Autumn's Carousel

Posted in Poetry and Poems | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

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

“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)

Posted in First Principles | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

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 , , , , , , | Leave a comment

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 , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

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 , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

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 , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

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 , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

The With-Ness of Our Witness

Freedom Gospel Church - I Asked the Lord To Make Me His Surfer
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
Lazy Rabbit Spring & Easter -Salvation's Cup

Posted in Poetry and Poems | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment