Category Archives: Inspiration and Motivation

Change your world!

Make a Joyful Noise!

Posted on September 13, 2026 by mitchteemley

Make a joyful noise! Today is the second 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 … Continue reading →

Posted in For Pastors and Teachers, Inspiration and Motivation, Quips and Quotes, Religion and Faith | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 23 Comments

25 Years Ago This Week

Posted on September 10, 2026 by mitchteemley

The Tribute in Light, New York City 25 Years Ago This Week September, 2001 was a tumultuous month for my family. We’d sold our Orange County condo, the only home our children had ever known, and on Labor Day moved … Continue reading →

Posted in Culture, Inspiration and Motivation, Memoir, Photography, Quips and Quotes | Tagged , , , , , , , | 55 Comments

Forgivness and Mercy: Our Greatest Strengths

Posted on September 7, 2026 by mitchteemley

Wounded Lion, Lucerne, Switzerland Thought for the Week: Forgiveness and Mercy Our current culture loves to point out people’s failings. It makes us feel strong and righteous. But how often do we really know why others act–or fail to act–the … Continue reading →

Posted in Culture, Inspiration and Motivation, Quips and Quotes | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 30 Comments

What Is Prayer?

Posted on September 6, 2026 by mitchteemley

Photo © by Mitch Teemley What Is Prayer? It’s a deceptively simple question. Consider pondering each of the following perspectives thoughtfully and, of course, prayerfully.  “Prayer is a refusal to settle for what is.” ~Walter Brueggemann “To clasp the hands … Continue reading →

Posted in For Pastors and Teachers, Inspiration and Motivation, Quips and Quotes, Religion and Faith, Self-Improvement | Tagged , , , , , , , | 23 Comments

I’m Learning to Love My Broken Self

Posted on September 3, 2026 by mitchteemley

Image source: Kim Brown Today I’m Learning to Love My Broken Self Yes, I know the idea that we’re all broken isn’t a popular one. It seems many dislike the term because they assume it means either unfixable or unlovable. But … Continue reading →

Posted in Culture, For Pastors and Teachers, Inspiration and Motivation, Quips and Quotes, Religion and Faith, Self-Improvement | Tagged , , , , , , | 51 Comments

Commitment Takes Courage!

Posted on August 31, 2026 by mitchteemley

Photo by Andre Gaulin Thought for the Week: Commitment Takes Courage “Have you ever committed yourself to something without realizing it would permanently alter the course of your life?” ~The Wishing Map Planning is making a list of ‘Things to … Continue reading →

Posted in Culture, Inspiration and Motivation, Quips and Quotes, Self-Improvement, Writing and Blogging | Tagged , , , , , , , | 30 Comments

Why Do We Need to Believe in Him?

Posted on August 30, 2026 by mitchteemley

Photo by Mitch Teemley Why do we need to believe in him? One night many years ago, I ran into a young woman “witnessing” on a street corner. She told me Jesus loved me, but that I needed “to believe … Continue reading →

Posted in Culture, For Pastors and Teachers, Inspiration and Motivation, Quips and Quotes, Religion and Faith | Tagged , , , , , , , | 38 Comments

Time to Experience a Fool’s Odyssey

Posted on October 21, 2025 by mitchteemley

Dear blogger friends: I’m in the midst of a week-long project. And so, in an effort to avoid creative overload, I’m taking a break from blogging. Meanwhile, I’m inviting you to read my award-winning poetic novella, Fool’s Odyssey. To begin your … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Culture, Inspiration and Motivation, Poetry | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 12 Comments

Blessed Are the Weird People!

Posted on February 19, 2025 by mitchteemley

It was 1999 (as in “party like it’s…”). I was wearing khakis and a polo shirt, and was about to do a reading of my autobiographical poem Fool’s Odyssey for a room full of clove cigarette-smoking hipsters, identically clad in … Continue reading →

Posted in Humor, Inspiration and Motivation, Memoir, Poetry | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 56 Comments

My Own Private Easter

Posted on April 14, 2022 by mitchteemley

‘A Boy in the Forest’ by Pikila This is an excerpt from Fool’s Odyssey, an autobiographical narrative I wrote some years back, based on a journal I’d kept as a young man searching for the meaning of life. It seems … Continue reading →

Posted in For Pastors and Teachers, Humor, Inspiration and Motivation, Memoir | Tagged , , , , , | 19 Comments