Professor Hinkle's heart was just in the wrong place...

September is always a tough month for me from a work standpoint. That's by no means a complaint. Just a a fact. I'm very thankful to have not only a job when so many people don't...I'm actually blessed with a job I greatly enjoy.

This past month, I probably overextended myself just a bit more than usual. In addition to the craziness of work, preparing for my weekly Sunday School class and. oh yeah, being the dad of three active girls, I also agreed to be a presenter in a new weekly series at church called Essentials. My segment on the Bible started last week, so my preparation work was ongoing throughout the month.

If you've never taught a Sunday School class or lead a Bible study group, let me state you are really missing out on a blessing. The time and effort required to prepare for either ministry is time with the Holy Spirit I absolutely treasure and adore. Actually, the time is also tremendously edifying for me personally and strengthens my daily walk as well.

While I've been a tad stressed over the overall load of responsibilities over the past month, I was never even remotely tempted to cut corners in any of the areas mentioned. Truth is, my time with you here was about my only sacrifice...but I promise to make up for that neglect as we scream toward the holidays. As the readership of this personally reflective blog has steadily increased, I do feel a certain obligation to produce. Yes, there may be a touch of egocentricity kicking too...but I truly relish in the thought that maybe, just maybe, one of my anecdotes or observations might bring a smile to someone on a day when smiles have been hard to find...or, maybe provoke someone to interreflect on God's love in their life.

I've got to get beezsy, beezsy, beezsy...






I also feel a sense of duty with this blog. My original tone has shifted a little from political perspectives of a Christian man trying to figure out God's place in all of this mess we call civics to more of a reflection on my daily walk. I'm just a normal kind of bloak struggling in a fallen world like everyone else...I just happen to like writing about it. One of my good friends and fellow bloggers will occasionally point out the element of narcissism in that fact, and she's very much right. But, I also look at Tony C Today as an opportunity to serve God in the quirky way he blessed me. Yet another blogging friend, David Johndrow, says if sarcasm is a spiritual gift...the two of us are destined for patriarchal status when we're finally martyred.

Let me close by sharing this with you. Despite the seemingly unnecessary stress of taking on too many responsibilities at once, I started a new month sharing even more time with the young people in my Sunday School last night for dinner. Through their fellowship, discussions, inquiries and even shared trials and troubles, God has poured more blessing on this old boy than I could ever possibly deserve. I'm very thankful to be busy...for Him and His glory.

Don't sell yourself short of the same blessings. Get busy for God and then get ready to be blessed.