Tag Archives: love

Our Butterfly Effect

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 and Faith | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 22 Comments

Family Is As Family Does

Source: boredpanda.com Size? Appearance? Race? Species? Meh. Family is as family does. When I was a young man, I rented a room from a therapist whose family had rejected him. So he’d learned to create families. He’d match up patients … Continue reading

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Should I Celebrate My Own Birth?

Image courtesy of Cake Designs It’s My Birthday, So What?* Should I celebrate my own birth? Merely soliciting “Congrats!” responses seems rather pointless. And as an essayist, I always want to have a point. But then, even as I type … Continue reading

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Every Day is Mother’s Day

Photo by Mitch Teemley Happy Mother’s Day! And remember, every day is Mother’s Day. I took this photo of my wife Trudy and our recently-born first child when Trudy was exhausted. And yet all I see is her bottomless, heart-melting … Continue reading

Posted in Culture, Memoir, Quips and Quotes | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 38 Comments

I Always Knew You Loved Me, Mom

I made the above Mother’s Day video a few years back. I’ve posted it here so you can share it with others, if you wish. To show it at a church or other public gathering, click here. Mom was twenty … Continue reading

Posted in Culture, For Pastors and Teachers, Humor, Memoir, Movies, Music and Videos | Tagged , , , , , , | 42 Comments

Madly in Love With God

Source unknown Getting Heaven Into Us Are you madly in love with God? Think of it this way: Your friend asks someone to marry them, and they say “yes,” and then your friend goes and tells everyone, “Guess what? I … Continue reading

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The Kindness of Strangers

All photos by Mitch Teemley, except Tulip the bulldog (by Elliot Teemley) She Was Completely Dependent Upon… The kindness of strangers. A few weeks ago, our firstborn Elliot was walking near their apartment, when they* spotted a rotund little bulldog … Continue reading

Posted in Culture, Humor, Memoir | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 63 Comments

Meet My Dear Friend Karla

From left to right: Karla  –  Sharing with school children  –  With her beloved dog  –  “Stay kind and curious!” Love With a Capital C for Cancer Meet my dear friend Karla. When she was first diagnosed with stage-4 NETs … Continue reading

Posted in Culture, Quips and Quotes, Religion and Faith, Writing and Blogging | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 59 Comments

Were We Made for Another World?

Saint Augustine of Hippo Strangers In a Strange Land Were we made for another world? Abraham felt that way. And Moses named his son Gershom, “foreigner,” because he said, “I have been a stranger in a strange land” (Exodus 2:22). … Continue reading

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Carry One Another’s Burdens

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

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