Tag Archives: compassion

Can We Reverse Our “Wing Flaps”?

Posted on May 18, 2026 by mitchteemley

Photo by Nathan Dumlao Thought for the Week Regarding the Butterfly Effect… Can we reverse our “wing flaps”? I find the idea intriguing that the mere flap of a butterfly’s wing in, say, Nebraska could start a chain reaction leading … Continue reading →

Posted in Culture, For Pastors and Teachers, Memoir, Quips and Quotes, Religion/Faith | Tagged , , , , , , , | 43 Comments

Our Butterfly Effect

Posted on May 17, 2026 by mitchteemley

Seek First the Kingdom of God Each of Us Has a Role to Play It’s our butterfly effect. People tend to think of Matthew 6:33 as a promised reward for righteousness (or justice), and in a sense it is that. … Continue reading →

Posted in Culture, For Pastors and Teachers, Quips and Quotes, Religion/Faith | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 22 Comments

Carry One Another’s Burdens

Posted on April 19, 2026 by mitchteemley

Galatians 6:2 Doing Life Together Have you ever moved, almost without realizing it, from learning about another person’s burdens to helping carry them? Indeed, if we don’t carry one another’s burdens, are we even truly alive? It is possible, and … Continue reading →

Posted in Culture, For Pastors and Teachers, Quips and Quotes, Religion/Faith | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 28 Comments

Slow-Growing Beauty

Posted on April 13, 2026 by mitchteemley

Thought for the Week Slow-Growing Beauty. I captured this image of a budding magnolia tree on an early spring walk. It was the first time I’d ever bothered to photograph buds. In fact, I rarely even noticed them. Instead, early … Continue reading →

Posted in Culture, Quips and Quotes | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 43 Comments

Time for a Feel-Good Friday the 13th!

Posted on March 13, 2026 by mitchteemley

After watching a family working in their garden, this tiny fox “adopted” them (boredpanda.com) It’s time for a feel-good Friday the 13th. After all, some people find Friday the 13ths terrifying. And the rest of us? The current state of … Continue reading →

Posted in Culture, Quips and Quotes | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 45 Comments

Is Love the Ultimate Force?

Posted on February 16, 2026 by mitchteemley

From my novelization of the movie Healing River Thought for the Week: Is Love the Ultimate Force? Last Weekend… Most of the world celebrated Valentine’s Day, love’s official calendar day. Which, unfortunately, has a rep for being a sales gimmick … Continue reading →

Posted in Culture, Movies, Quips and Quotes | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 39 Comments

The Two-Way Power of Forgiveness

Posted on February 1, 2026 by mitchteemley

Broken Stone, Abel Tasman National Park, New Zealand (photo by Victor Guntin) The Two-Way Power of Forgiveness David Seamands, author of the counseling classic Healing for Damaged Emotions, once told my friend, pastor Jerry Kirk, that half the people in … Continue reading →

Posted in Culture, For Pastors and Teachers, Quips and Quotes, Religion/Faith | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 38 Comments

I Have to Defend My Kid!

Posted on January 10, 2026 by mitchteemley

I Have to Defend My Kid! No Need to Defend Myself But, like all parents when their child is misunderstood, I have to defend my kid. Who, in this case, happens to be a 90-foot-tall lizard. Make no mistake: My … Continue reading →

Posted in Humor, Movies, Popular Culture & Entertainment | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 27 Comments

Let Your Light So Shine Before Others…

Posted on January 4, 2026 by mitchteemley

Let Your Light So Shine Before Others… We were created to be conduits of grace. God doesn’t just rain down grace from the heavens, he distributes it through us. Why? Because he wants us to be like him. And if … Continue reading →

Posted in Culture, For Pastors and Teachers, Quips and Quotes, Religion/Faith | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 17 Comments

When All the World Seems to Die

Posted on December 13, 2025 by mitchteemley

All photos copyright © Mitch Teemley Who doesn’t love autumn? And by “autumn,” of course, I mean mid-fall when all of the leaves on the trees have turned to gold and amber and rubies. But what about late fall when … Continue reading →

Posted in Culture, For Pastors and Teachers | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 39 Comments