Tag Archives: advice

How to Fix Almost Everything

Posted on August 20, 2025 by mitchteemley

Photo by Andrea Piacquadio “Almost everything will work again if you unplug it for a few minutes, including you.” ~Anne Lamott ζ

Posted in Culture, Humor, Quips and Quotes | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 41 Comments

Ready or Not, You’re a Teacher!

Posted on August 4, 2025 by mitchteemley

Photo by Alexander Krivitskiy Thought for the Week Five years ago today, I met the future. His name was Jaylen. He and I had been matched as mentee and mentor by a local social service organization. How did I feel? … Continue reading →

Posted in Culture, Quips and Quotes | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 23 Comments

You Can’t Live on Ego Candy

Posted on August 3, 2025 by mitchteemley

Compliments are like candy. They’re pleasurable in small amounts. But the moment we try to live on them we grow weak and sickly. Just ask any miserable, spiritually undernourished pop idol, sports hero, or movie star. Adulation isn’t nutrition. True, … Continue reading →

Posted in Culture, For Pastors and Teachers, Quips and Quotes, Religion/Faith | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 48 Comments

Writers: How to Use Dramatic Reversals

Posted on July 17, 2025 by mitchteemley

Source: The Phoblographer Tips for Writers Dramatic tension is the key to an engaging storyline. Or even an essay or blog post, for that matter. This takes the form of rising action, a series of reversals–escalating problems or crises–that must … Continue reading →

Posted in Culture, Humor, The Wishing Map, Writing | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 37 Comments

Going Beyond 20/20 to Infinite Vision

Posted on June 30, 2025 by mitchteemley

Thought for the Week 20/20 isn’t perfect. It’s simply normal vision. The first 20 represents the ability to see clearly from 20 feet away. The second represents your ability. So if someone brags about having “20/20,” they’re actually bragging about … Continue reading →

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A Message From My Inner Child

Posted on June 25, 2025 by mitchteemley

“We always feel younger than we are. I carry inside myself my earlier faces, as a tree contains its rings. The sum of them is me. The mirror sees only my latest face, while I know all my previous ones.” … Continue reading →

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Let’s Do it Better This Time

Posted on June 23, 2025 by mitchteemley

Thought for the Week It’s true for all of us, isn’t it? There are times we take action without listening, react without thinking, spend without earning, criticize without waiting, pray without forgiving, quit without trying. So here’s a thought: Let’s … Continue reading →

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Knowing Why We Are Here Matters

Posted on June 16, 2025 by mitchteemley

Thought for the Week An agnostic friend asked, “What is the purpose of life? Why don’t religions tell us?” I responded, “Actually, Jesus and others in the Bible do tell us the purpose of life. It’s to know and love … Continue reading →

Posted in For Pastors and Teachers, Quips and Quotes, Religion/Faith | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 27 Comments

Friday the 13th in Living Color!

Posted on June 13, 2025 by mitchteemley

Friggatriskaidekaphobia means fear. Not fear of pronouncing the word wrong–that’s inevitable–but fear of Friday the 13th. Many people actually avoid leaving their homes on this infamous calendar date. In a sense, in order to avoid the imagined darkness outside, they embrace … Continue reading →

Posted in Culture, Humor, Popular Culture & Entertainment | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 54 Comments

How to Tell Failure From Success

Posted on May 28, 2025 by mitchteemley

Failure is the first milestone on the road to success, and the second…and the third…and the fourth… The more ambitious the destination, the more milestones there’ll be. So keep going, because it only becomes the road to failure if you … Continue reading →

Posted in Quips and Quotes | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 58 Comments