Monthly Archives: July 2024

The Hole in Her Heart

Posted on July 16, 2024 by mitchteemley

Left: photo by Gerhard Litz     –     Right: Dar, age 16 My Real Memoir My new love and I had let go the safe shores of our previous lives–Darlene (“Dar”) her childhood religion, and I my small-town fame. We … Continue reading →

Posted in Humor, Memoir | Tagged , , , , , , , | 29 Comments

“They” Are Us

Posted on July 15, 2024 by mitchteemley

Thought for the Week We love to see the privileged taken down. That’s our way with idols: first we worship them, then we grind them down to make new gods. Does anyone have a get-out-of-scandal-free card? Yes, the poor and … Continue reading →

Posted in Culture | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 25 Comments

The Divine Formula

Posted on July 14, 2024 by mitchteemley

Do you remember the Periodic Table of Elements from chemistry class? Pretty cool, but it missed the two most important elements: N1 “They were together N1 (in one) accord, continually devoting themselves to prayer.” ~Acts 1:14 N2 “Then He said … Continue reading →

Posted in For Pastors and Teachers, Humor, Quips and Quotes, Religion and Faith | Tagged , , , , , | 13 Comments

Dreams That Speak to Us

Posted on July 13, 2024 by mitchteemley

Image by Collin Baptiste “Most dreams are surreal mashups. But not all. Some are actually trying to tell us something. And the trick is to discern what.”* ~The Wishing Map φ *I write here about a dream some years back … Continue reading →

Posted in Fiction, For Pastors and Teachers, Quips and Quotes | Tagged , , , , , , | 13 Comments

Prophetic Dreams?

Posted on July 13, 2024 by mitchteemley

Image by Rogier Hoekstra The Wishing Map is a full-length fantasy that is being posted episodically at this site. To read the previous episode click here. To read it from the start, click here. In search of an elusive Beast, and prodded by a pushy sword, Gina … Continue reading →

Posted in Fiction, Storytelling | Tagged , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Monster Movie Night (Funny Edition)!

Posted on July 12, 2024 by mitchteemley

What’s that, you’ve never seen the “cult classic comedy” (MovieWeb) Notzilla that I wrote and directed? Inconceivable! Or only once? Not enough! Round up your family, friends and pets to watch the least-scary (but possibly funniest) monster ever to roar across … Continue reading →

Posted in Entertainment and Popular Culture, Humor, Movies | Tagged , , , , , , | 18 Comments

My Dress Rehearsal for Death

Posted on July 11, 2024 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 friendly … Continue reading →

Posted in For Pastors and Teachers, Humor, Memoir, Religion and Faith | Tagged , , , , , | 68 Comments

Tips for Writers: Are You a Vulcan or a Klingon?

Posted on July 10, 2024 by mitchteemley

Whether you’re a get-to-the-point communicator or a wild-and-wooly wordsmith, you’ll be a better writer if you tap both sides of your brain: the logical, pragmatic, Vulcan side, and the intuitive, sensory, Klingon side. How? By employing words from the two … Continue reading →

Posted in Humor, Quips and Quotes, Writing and Blogging | Tagged , , , , , , | 36 Comments

The Girl in the Shadow

Posted on July 9, 2024 by mitchteemley

Image by kimerajam My Real Memoir The best part of the summer, my epic strep throat notwithstanding, was behind me. I repeated my Shakespeare class with a professor who was dull but, unlike the previous one, at least recognized me as … Continue reading →

Posted in For Pastors and Teachers, Memoir | Tagged , , , , , , , | 19 Comments

Willpower vs. Wordpower

Posted on July 8, 2024 by mitchteemley

Thought for the Week Willpower! It’s the key to rebooting our lives, to making all of our bad habits go away and all of our dreams come true. Right? And for people of faith, it’s the key to stopping “that … Continue reading →

Posted in For Pastors and Teachers, Quips and Quotes, Religion and Faith | Tagged , , , , , , | 39 Comments