Monthly Archives: January 2019

Fun With Nature: Terns

Posted on January 31, 2019 by mitchteemley

Terns, seabirds of the same family as gulls, are extremely selective in their pairings, prompting Charles Darwin to coin the phrase, “One good tern deserves another.” Known for their distinctive sound, “kee-WAH,” terns are particularly fond of eating sand eels, … Continue reading →

Posted in Humor, Quips and Quotes | Tagged , , , , , , , | 16 Comments

Up to you

Posted on January 30, 2019 by mitchteemley

My Featured Blogger this week, Rita Sommers-Flanagan, creator of the blog site Short visits with an honest God (and numerous books on clinical psychology) will make your heart hurt and your brain burn (or possibly the other way around). If … Continue reading →

Posted in For Pastors and Teachers, Humor, Quips and Quotes, Religion/Faith | Tagged , , , , , | 4 Comments

Winter Truth

Posted on January 29, 2019 by mitchteemley

The world is born in the spring rejoices in summer and bundles its blessings in autumn ∴ But only in the winter does it learn who it is

Posted in Poetry, Quips and Quotes | Tagged , , , , , , , | 21 Comments

My Dress Rehearsal for Death

Posted on January 28, 2019 by mitchteemley

In the year 2000 I found a golf ball-sized lump in my neck. Not having swallowed any golf balls recently, I decided I’d better see a doctor. Dr. Yamagata was the opposite of the cold-but-efficient Asian doctor stereotype. He was … Continue reading →

Posted in For Pastors and Teachers, Humor, Memoir, Religion/Faith | Tagged , , , , , | 103 Comments

Count the Cost

Posted on January 27, 2019 by mitchteemley

“Count the cost… Those of you who do not give up everything you have cannot be my disciples.” ~Luke 14:28, 33 “(But) if you continue in my word, then you are truly my disciples. And you will know the truth, … Continue reading →

Posted in For Pastors and Teachers, Quips and Quotes, Religion/Faith | Tagged , , , , , , | 6 Comments

An Open Letter to President Trump

Posted on January 26, 2019 by mitchteemley

I posted this Open Letter to our newly elected president two years ago. I am re-posting it today, in part, to confess publicly that I have failed far too often to pray for him and for other world leaders, and … Continue reading →

Posted in Culture, For Pastors and Teachers, Quips and Quotes | Tagged , , , , , , | 19 Comments

Reaching for a Star?

Posted on January 25, 2019 by mitchteemley

“Without ambition one starts nothing. Without work one finishes nothing. The prize will not be sent to you. You have to win it.” ~Ralph Waldo Emerson Here’s a little late January guilt (you’re welcome): If you’re like me, you started … Continue reading →

Posted in Culture, Humor, Quips and Quotes | Tagged , , , , , , | 17 Comments

The Cure for Racism?

Posted on January 24, 2019 by mitchteemley

Four days ago, following a heavy snow, two kids from our neighborhood spotted the snow shovels in our garage. One of them already had a shovel, the other didn’t, so he asked if he could borrow ours in order to … Continue reading →

Posted in Culture, For Pastors and Teachers, Quips and Quotes | Tagged , , , , , , | 72 Comments

Transcendence

Posted on January 23, 2019 by mitchteemley

My Featured Blogger this week, creator of the thought-provoking blog Life Less Ordinary, goes by the handle of Curry-N-Code. Why? Because, he says, he’s a foodie (a lover of curries in particular) and a computer code writer. He’s also, like … Continue reading →

Posted in For Pastors and Teachers, Poetry, Quips and Quotes, Religion/Faith | Tagged , , , , , | 4 Comments

The New Death Penalty

Posted on January 22, 2019 by mitchteemley

The death penalty is dying. Even in many American states where it’s still legal, it’s no longer actually practiced. Why? One key reason is that too many innocent people have been wrongly executed. It’s interesting, therefore, that character assassination is … Continue reading →

Posted in Culture, For Pastors and Teachers | Tagged , , , , , , | 73 Comments