Tag Archives: personal growth

Should I Celebrate My Own Birth?

Posted on May 14, 2026 by mitchteemley

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 →

Posted in Culture, Humor | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 148 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

Live a Worthy Life

Posted on April 6, 2026 by mitchteemley

Photo by Christian Holzinger Thought for the Week Live a Worthy Life: No one who lived for riches or fame or power ever died satisfied. So live a life “that neither moth nor rust can destroy.” It may or may not … Continue reading →

Posted in Culture, Quips and Quotes | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 19 Comments

Truth Is a Hard Path

Posted on February 9, 2026 by mitchteemley

Photo: David John Terry (pinterest.com) Thought for the Week: Truth Is a Hard Path Truth Is Not Comforting It’s rocky and unpredictable, refusing to show us what we thought it would. Truth is a hard path to stay on: it … Continue reading →

Posted in Culture, Quips and Quotes | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 25 Comments

Healthy Trees Never Stop Growing

Posted on February 2, 2026 by mitchteemley

Thought for the Week: Healthy Trees Never Stop Growing “If a tree’s strength is judged while it is still a seed, it is mistaken as weak.” ~Idowu Koyenikan “The media only writes about the sinners and the scandals. But that’s … Continue reading →

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I Honestly Had No Idea

Posted on January 22, 2026 by mitchteemley

I Honestly Had No Idea Forty-Three Years Ago… I met a woman who would change my life forever. And almost entirely for good. The “almost” being purely subjective, since those are the parts of each other we haven’t finished sculpting … Continue reading →

Posted in Humor, Memoir | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 113 Comments

Give and You Will Receive?

Posted on January 13, 2026 by mitchteemley

Photo by Jorg Angeli Give and You Will Receive? What I Really Want From Others It’s embarrassing to admit, but what I really want from others is their attention. I want to be understood and appreciated. Why? Because to Little … Continue reading →

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

Watch and Pray So That…

Posted on January 11, 2026 by mitchteemley

“Watch and pray so that you don’t fall into temptation. For the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.” ~Matthew 26:41    In pondering Jesus’ words… It occurred to me that he doesn’t say, “Don’t be tempted.” Why? Because … Continue reading →

Posted in Culture, For Pastors and Teachers, Humor, Quips and Quotes, Religion/Faith | Tagged , , , , , , , | 21 Comments

Dear God, We Need to Talk

Posted on January 8, 2026 by mitchteemley

Image source: Deconstruction of Negative Labels Dear God, We Need to Talk My Note to God Dear God, we need to talk. I understand why you’ve allowed me to suffer in the past. Because I learned from those trials and, heck, … Continue reading →

Posted in Culture, For Pastors and Teachers, Humor, Quips and Quotes, Religion/Faith | Tagged , , , , , , , | 49 Comments

We’re Here to Grow Our Souls

Posted on January 5, 2026 by mitchteemley

Artwork by Marek Ruzyk Thought for the Week: We’re Here to Grow Our Souls I still have a lot left to learn. But one thing I know is this: We’re not here to simply live until we die. We’re here … Continue reading →

Posted in Culture, For Pastors and Teachers, Quips and Quotes | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 40 Comments