Tag Archives: giving

So Many Holidays, So Little Time!

Posted on November 28, 2022 by mitchteemley

“Look, brothers, I painted a selfie!” Thought for the Week Hey, it’s Cyber Monk Day–why is everybody shopping online when we should be deep in spiritual contemplation…about all the money we’ve spent? Yes, I know it’s Cyber Monday. It’s just … Continue reading →

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

Person to Person

Posted on October 3, 2022 by mitchteemley

  Thought for the Week How often do we get stuck on numbers. I know I do, thinking that unless I can sweep across the land like a good-deeds crop duster, eradicating all the world’s pain and suffering (or ignorance, … Continue reading →

Posted in For Pastors and Teachers, Quips and Quotes | Tagged , , , , , , , | 44 Comments

Be a Fountain

Posted on February 27, 2022 by mitchteemley

Photo by Trudy E. Teemley The way of this world is to take, but Jesus called his followers to reverse that formula, saying, “Freely you have received; freely give” (Matthew 10:8). In other words, we’re called to: “Be a fountain, … Continue reading →

Posted in For Pastors and Teachers, Quips and Quotes, Religion/Faith | Tagged , , , , , , | 16 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

Life Together

Posted on February 21, 2021 by mitchteemley

Have you ever moved, almost without realizing it, from learning about another’s burdens to helping carry them? Indeed, if we don’t share one another’s burdens, are we even truly alive? ~The Wishing Map

Posted in For Pastors and Teachers, Quips and Quotes, Religion/Faith, The Wishing Map | Tagged , , , , , | 10 Comments

My Experiment in Becoming Human

Posted on October 15, 2020 by mitchteemley

Give and You Will Receive Knowing and doing aren’t the same thing. In my last Experiment in Becoming Human, I wrote about ceasing to try and get something from others, and being set free to give. “In quietness and confidence … Continue reading →

Posted in For Pastors and Teachers, Memoir, Quips and Quotes, Religion/Faith | Tagged , , , , , | 29 Comments

More Blessed to Give

Posted on May 5, 2019 by mitchteemley

Dear self: Remember this. And then remember it some more. “It is more blessed to give than to receive.” ~Acts 20:35

Posted in For Pastors and Teachers, Quips and Quotes | Tagged , , , , , , , | 17 Comments

Blessed to be a Blessing

Posted on February 10, 2019 by mitchteemley

“It is more blessed to give than to receive” (Acts 20:35). But it is also a blessing to learn how to receive. Many of us spend our lives blessing ourselves–striving to make sure all of our own needs (real and … Continue reading →

Posted in For Pastors and Teachers, Quips and Quotes, Religion/Faith | Tagged , , , , , , | 20 Comments

The Spirit of Christmas

Posted on December 25, 2018 by mitchteemley

May the spirit of Christmas the yearning to give inhabit your heart for as long as you live “Freely you have received. Freely give.” ~Matthew 10:8

Posted in For Pastors and Teachers, Quips and Quotes, Religion/Faith | Tagged , , , , , , | 33 Comments

No Santa Claus?

Posted on December 8, 2018 by mitchteemley

I was six when my parents told me there was no Santa Claus: My response (according to my mom) was, “Whew! You finally know?  I’ve known for a long time, but I wasn’t sure you did, and I didn’t want … Continue reading →

Posted in Culture, For Pastors and Teachers, Humor, Memoir | Tagged , , , , , | 17 Comments