Tag Archives: meaning of life

Yes, Your Life Has a Purpose

Posted on September 29, 2025 by mitchteemley

Thought for the Week We are not the only creatures on earth who look up at the stars. But we are the only ones who look up and ask, “Why?” “Yes, your life has a purpose,” said Rhema. “What?” Gina … Continue reading →

Posted in Culture, Quips and Quotes, The Wishing Map | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 29 Comments

The Biggest Leap of My Life

Posted on August 26, 2025 by mitchteemley

My Real Memoir “You don’t have to cough,” I told God. To wit, “You don’t have to make a sound or produce a theatrical burst of light for me to believe you’re here.” In fact, looking back, it seemed God … Continue reading →

Posted in Culture, For Pastors and Teachers, Humor, Memoir, Religion/Faith | Tagged , , , , , , , | 36 Comments

My Heart Was in Your Hands

Posted on August 2, 2025 by mitchteemley

Thank you, everyone, for your prayers and encouraging words! It looks like I may be around for a while. My heart procedure was deemed a success. A dicey one, mind you. I have tachycardia due to premature ventricular contractions. Translation: … Continue reading →

Posted in Humor, Memoir | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 203 Comments

Looking Back: Ten Years Ago Today

Posted on July 14, 2025 by mitchteemley

Image by Johannes Plenio Thought for the Week Oh, how the world has changed. Ten years ago, I’d just seen Pixar’s Inside Out and cried like a baby; president Obama was normalizing relations with other countries; and Donald Trump had … Continue reading →

Posted in Culture, Memoir | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 77 Comments

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

Running the Race Set Before Me

Posted on June 1, 2025 by mitchteemley

It’s true, Jesus is my hero. But he’s so much more than that. And, yes, I’m aware that some (non-historian) people believe he never existed. Or that he was only loosely based on an obscure, deluded rabbi. And then later … Continue reading →

Posted in Culture, For Pastors and Teachers, Quips and Quotes, Religion/Faith | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 32 Comments

This Is the Only Thing That Matters

Posted on May 31, 2025 by mitchteemley

“The only thing that matters is faith expressing itself through love.” ~Galatians 5:6 So love who you can as much as you can for as long as you can ≅

Posted in Culture, For Pastors and Teachers, Quips and Quotes, Religion/Faith | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 24 Comments

How to Remember Your Future

Posted on May 19, 2025 by mitchteemley

Thought for the Week Thirteen Years. That’s how long Marcel Proust spent writing and expanding his seven-volume autobiographical novel. He obsessed over getting every detail right, and leaving nothing out. Only no one would publish it. So he published it … Continue reading →

Posted in Culture, Memoir | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 37 Comments

Slowly Drowning With No One “Up Top”

Posted on April 29, 2025 by mitchteemley

“Deep Sea Diver” by TolyanMy My Real Memoir I was busy, but not fulfilled. When I wasn’t writing, directing, acting, or falling in love, I felt empty, isolated. My big little academy The Newport Institute of the Arts had become a turnkey … Continue reading →

Posted in Culture, Humor, Memoir, Religion/Faith | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 38 Comments

This Is the Meaning of Life

Posted on April 27, 2025 by mitchteemley

I don’t usually get choked up over doctrinal statements. But the first time I read this summary of the purpose of human life drafted by the Westminster Assembly, a gathering of English and Scottish clergy in 1646, something in me … Continue reading →

Posted in For Pastors and Teachers, Quips and Quotes, Religion/Faith | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 47 Comments