It’s been over a year since the last Phone it in Friday, which I take as a good sign that I’ve been providing quality content on Fridays—or at least new content on Fridays—instead of simply offering up self-indulgent rehashes of past posts and various minor reflections.

In that post—“Phone it in Friday XVIII: Writing“—I wrote that “I keep thinking 1000 posts will be a good time to give the blog a rest and to reduce my output, but who knows if I’ll be able to stop?”

Well, I hit 1000 300 posts ago, and I’m still truckin’.

July is always a difficult time of the year for the blog, especially one ostensibly dedicated to covering politics and current events.  Quite frankly, there’s just not much going on this time of year.  The midterm elections are three-and-a-half months away, and everyone is enjoying summertime vacations.

I’ve been keeping busy with lessons, Town Council, Murphy, my family, my girl, and Bible study, but even lessons have slowed down a bit (much to my chagrin—I need to keep the cashola flowing).

In general, it’s a lazy time of year.  I’m thankful for the downtime and the opportunity to recharge.  I’m extremely thankful for leisurely mornings, in which I can really pour over God’s Word and spend ample time in prayer with Him.

On Wednesday I drove a small bus of students to a college tour in the Upstate of South Carolina, which required me arriving on campus around 7:30 AM—the same time I would show up during the school year.  That granted me the opportunity to try out rising early (5:30 AM) to read the Bible and pray.  It was a bit of a struggle getting up that early (for reference, I’m usually up by 6:30 AM regardless), and I was a bit tired that morning, but it was worth it to get that time with God, and proved that I can do it once school starts back if I’m willing to make that sacrifice for Him.

Otherwise, I’m just scribbling away here and hustling where I can.  I report back for duty two weeks from today, and classes start back on 17 August 2022, so I’m cherishing this time while I can, and making the most of it.

As for the blog, I’m planning on keeping up with it.  Lately it’s been a bit more of a challenge coming up with content, but I’m always alert to possible topics.  I’m also thankful to contributors like Ponty, Audre, and Michael (Son of Sonnet) for their submissions, which really ease the load substantially.

Long-term, I’d like to see more contributors to the blog; if you have something to submit, contact me here.

Thanks to all of my readers and contributors.  Your support is greatly appreciated.

Happy Friday!

—TPP