Tag Archives: holiday

Make a Joyful Noise!

Posted on September 5, 2021 by mitchteemley

Tomorrow is the first day of Rosh Hashanah, the beginning of the Jewish new year, traditionally tied to the birth of Adam and Eve, which is to say the human race. Its biblical name is Yom Teruah, or the Feast … Continue reading →

Posted in For Pastors and Teachers, Quips and Quotes, Religion/Faith | Tagged , , , , , , | 19 Comments

Until We Are All Free

Posted on June 19, 2021 by mitchteemley

“…until we are all free.” Those words are illustrated every year in the holiday Juneteenth. Which commemorates not the official 1865 proclamation that all American slaves were freed, but the real date two months later when the last slaves in … Continue reading →

Posted in Culture, Quips and Quotes | Tagged , , , , , , , | 20 Comments

The Essence of True Sacrifice

Posted on May 31, 2021 by mitchteemley

Thought for the Week It’s Memorial Day in my country, the day on which honor those who’ve sacrificed their lives for the sake of others. But as deeply as the word “sacrifice” resonates, the key word is others. Martin Luther … Continue reading →

Posted in For Pastors and Teachers, Quips and Quotes | Tagged , , , , , , , | 14 Comments

Every Day is Mother’s Day

Posted on May 9, 2021 by mitchteemley

I took this photo of my wife and our recently-born first child when my wife was exhausted. And yet all I see is her bottomless, heart-melting love. “Call your mother. Tell her you love her. Remember, you’re the only person … Continue reading →

Posted in Culture, For Pastors and Teachers, Quips and Quotes | Tagged , , , , , , | 25 Comments

Heroes and Hypocrites

Posted on June 20, 2020 by mitchteemley

Juneteenth, June 19, 1865. President Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation finally became a reality when the last slaves were set free in Texas. It’s not surprising that the annual celebration of “Juneteenth” began there, or that it eventually bloomed into a national … Continue reading →

Posted in Quips and Quotes | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 37 Comments

Our Stay-Day-Vaycation

Posted on May 4, 2020 by mitchteemley

A Staycation Photoblog* *I caught a few typos after captioning the photos and uploading them (ahem, “Botatnical” garden?), and have no intention of going back and fixing them. It adds character, right? (Note: All photos except the first were taken … Continue reading →

Posted in Humor, Memoir | Tagged , , , , , , , | 44 Comments

Travelling Far to be Where We Are

Posted on August 9, 2019 by mitchteemley

August is the peak travel month in the U.S., the last chance to squeeze in that summer road trip or flight to somewhere exotic (definition: “anywhere but here”). Soon “fall” will return (two month before it actually does) and students … Continue reading →

Posted in Culture, For Pastors and Teachers, Humor, Memoir | Tagged , , , , , | 34 Comments

Forgiveness + Love = Freedom

Posted on March 17, 2019 by mitchteemley

I played a leprechaun in a high school musical, and forthwith adopted the leprechaun’s moniker, Og, as my nickname. But only last week did I learn via DNA testing than I am actually more Irish than anything else (39% to … Continue reading →

Posted in For Pastors and Teachers, Humor, Memoir, Religion/Faith | Tagged , , , , , | 27 Comments

Yule Log

Posted on November 29, 2018 by mitchteemley

It’s the end of November when my wife and I celebrate our yule log tradition: Wife: “You’ll log off that computer right now and help me with the Christmas decorations, if you know what’s good for you!” Me: (traditional festive … Continue reading →

Posted in Humor, Quips and Quotes | Tagged , , , , , , , | 38 Comments

Rough Grace

Posted on November 21, 2018 by mitchteemley

It was 30 years ago, just before Thanksgiving weekend, on one of the busiest travel days of the year. Los Angeles International Airport was crawling with pre-holiday misery. Planes were late and tempers were flaring. The holidays might be impending, … Continue reading →

Posted in Humor, Memoir, Story Power | Tagged , , , , , , | 32 Comments