Monthly Archives: December 2021

How Will We Remember 2021?

Posted on December 31, 2021 by mitchteemley

Most years don’t develop a “brand” until people have had a while to look back on them. Some are marked by positive events: 1945 (the end of World War II), 1964 (the Civil Rights Act and music –“the British Invasion”), … Continue reading →

Posted in Culture, Humor, Quips and Quotes | Tagged , , , , , , | 88 Comments

My Thursday Song

Posted on December 30, 2021 by mitchteemley

Vintage Music Video below* The end of the year always makes me think back on those moments that helped define me. The Daily Planet was, for many years, the biggest “moment” of my life. Marc was a skinny Polish-American Jew. … Continue reading →

Posted in Humor, Memoir, Popular Culture & Entertainment, Videos | Tagged , , , , , | 69 Comments

You Say You Want a Resolution…

Posted on December 29, 2021 by mitchteemley

Originally posted on The Twisting Tail:
For last year’s words belong to last year’s language. And next year’s words await another voice. T.S. Eliot Last year’s voiceHoarseSpeaks in gibberishIt may be crazyIt may have seen too muchOr nothing at all…

Posted in Humor, Quips and Quotes, Writing | Tagged , , , , , , | 11 Comments

Foods I Have Known and Loved

Posted on December 28, 2021 by mitchteemley

My Real Memoir The holidays are about love. And love is about family. And family is about food. Ergo, love is food. So, pardon me while I reminisce about when food and I first started going steady. Of course, my … Continue reading →

Posted in Humor, Memoir | Tagged , , , , , , , | 65 Comments

Caught in the Web of False Fate

Posted on December 27, 2021 by mitchteemley

Thought for the Week Jung was right. If we don’t understand our own unconscious impulses, we are slaves to them. But that doesn’t mean constant self-focus (“what do I feel, what do I think, what do I want?”). True self-knowledge … Continue reading →

Posted in For Pastors and Teachers, Quips and Quotes | Tagged , , , , , , , | 29 Comments

Blessed to be a Blessing

Posted on December 26, 2021 by mitchteemley

Today is Boxing Day, a day with its roots in the medieval tradition of placing alms and small gifts in the church Poor Box on Saint Stephen’s Day, the day after Christmas. By the early 1800s Boxing Day had become … Continue reading →

Posted in For Pastors and Teachers, Quips and Quotes, Religion/Faith | Tagged , , , , , , | 12 Comments

Merry Two Christmases!

Posted on December 25, 2021 by mitchteemley

Like many believers worldwide, our family celebrates two Christmases. First, we celebrate God’s gift to us. And then we give gifts to others. It’s the first that makes the second possible. Why? Because without His gifts of life and redemption … Continue reading →

Posted in For Pastors and Teachers, Quips and Quotes, Religion/Faith | Tagged , , , , , , | 49 Comments

A Personal Gallery of Holiday Images

Posted on December 24, 2021 by mitchteemley

Like most people, my wife and I snap pictures of holiday memories, fall getaways, Thanksgivings, winter daytrips and, of course, Christmas — Trudy magically Christmafies our home every year. Here’s a gallery of images (minus family-only photos) we’ve captured during … Continue reading →

Posted in Memoir | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 53 Comments

J.R.R. Tolkien’s Lost Christmas Poem

Posted on December 23, 2021 by mitchteemley

Many are unaware that the Lord of the Rings author was a lifelong Jesus-follower. Tolkien not only spoke openly of his faith, impacting the lives of many, including his close friend C.S. Lewis, but was also one of the translators … Continue reading →

Posted in For Pastors and Teachers, Poetry, Religion/Faith | Tagged , , , , , , | 52 Comments

A Holiday Tradition

Posted on December 22, 2021 by mitchteemley

Originally posted on 5thGenerationgirl:
I’m not sure why; during my adulthood, I’d jump out of my Halloween costume and begin preparing for Christmas. It wasn’t until one year at ages 10 and 17 my children asked why we never celebrate…

Posted in Quips and Quotes, Writing | Tagged , , , , , , , | 7 Comments