"A pessimist is one who makes difficulties out of his opportunities and an optimist is one who makes opportunities out of his difficulties." - Harry S. Truman

You know it's going to be an interesting day when the first item on the to-do list is killing chickens.
It went as well as a project like that can go. The hardest part is catching them, and for some reason the ankle hook system I've used in the past was pretty much a FAIL this time around. Lucky, the rooster, was the last one to meet his destiny, and he put up a fight. He decided his best chance of escape was out the coop door, and because I was between him and freedom he gave it (me) a charge. It didn't work, and I took advantage of his attempt to latch on to him. But in the confrontation he knocked my hat and glasses off.
I'm pretty much blind without my glasses  that were now somewhere on a 5'x7' coop floor covered by straw. In other words, they were invisible even if I could see without them.
I could see well enough to chop Lucky's head off and then got down on my hands and knees and pulled the straw out one handful at a time until the glasses showed up. Whew!

I spent the next two hours with the Husqvarna gas powered string trimmer cutting down the 24" pasture grass that had taken over almost everything between MoHo and the creek. That thing gets heavy after about 45 minutes.

After lunch I prepped another raised bed for Pam, who already has it planted with cucumbers and cauliflower (why????).

Then I went to work on the coop, which needed a thorough cleaning before the day-old chicks go in there.

I'm exhausted.

Our church has a developed small group ministry and Pam and I attend one that includes three other couples  in their late 30's and a single lady in her 50's. On paper the groups are supposed to discuss the sermon from the previous Sunday using question prepared by the Pastor of Discipleship. Ours never does. I'm not sure why, but the host/leader has decided it should be a more interpersonal time and he usually prompts us to share (there's my favorite word again) a "happy and crappy" from our life, or something similarly touchy-feely. (oops. My bias is showing.)

I understand that people the age of most of our group tend to be pretty focused on their lives, concerns, and issues. And the setting has turned out to be of great support to one member going through extremely difficult times.

But I miss talking about the Bible. Whether it's a passage, a doctrine, a topic, I like to engage with Scripture in a meaningful way. And for younger adults there's so much that applies to life.
What is materialism? What biblical principles should guide parenting? How should the resurrection and the life to come affect daily life in the here and now? Should the Christian, should the church be agents for social change? How can we represent the gospel without being crazy Bible thumpers?

I miss having my mind engaged.