"The great thing about getting older is that you don't lose all the other ages you've been." - Madelene L'Engle

Moose flipping

I had a good day. I started early with 90 minutes of work at Starbucks working on Bible Project slides. Then to the office where I got the small group rosters finalized along with the monthly report form, both of which which I turned over to Dave. He'll assign two or three small groups to each elder and staff person and each month they'll use the report form to track their assigned small groups so UFC can make best use of this ministry effort.

Mid-morning I had coffee with Sean, one of the younger staff guys who is taking over the H.S. ministry. It was an opportunity to interact and get to know each other better. Good.

Then I made the next 10 days of Look Out emails.
The 40 or so people doing Bible Project attend an hour-long class before the worship service where we discuss what they've read the previous week and I then give them an overview of what they will read during the upcoming week. The typical day's schedule has them reading 3-4 chapters, depending on the chapters' lengths.
I don't want them just "reading words" to get through the day's chapters. So a few weeks ago I started sending them a Look Out email when I get up in the morning - usually about 3:30 - with something they should look for as they read. It might be a verse that's critical to the narrative, a word or phrase they should circle each time it occurs (e.g. "Spirit of the Lord"), or the three nouns in 2 Sam 7:16 that describe the core features of the Davidic Covenant.
Because I may or may not be ready for clear thinking at that hour of the morning I decided the smart move was to work ahead and have the Look Out ready for a week or two worth of reading.
That class is fun and I've rec'd good feedback on the Look Out emails. They're having the desired effect, keeping people engaged as they read.

I take my lunch to the office and eat it about 11:30 so I can leave at noon and head right to the gym. I'm trying to maximize my time there by pushing myself to increase reps and/or weight. I'm never going to be Arnold but I can see and feel the effects.
Speaking of Arnold, I read something he wrote - don't remember where I read it - about his comeback from surgery to replace a heart valve. The point of his essay was to say there aren't any magic routines, wonder supplements, or pieces of equipment that will get it done in a month. After surgery he had to start over with what were exhausting walks down the hospital hallway. Each day he worked hard to do a little more than the day before with very small incremental improvements. Eventually he got himself ready for his role in the next Terminator movie.
His takeaway: don't get sucked into buying an expensive piece of equipment that will become a clothes rack or spending money on supplements. Commit to a healthy diet and daily exercise that moves forward in increments. You'll achieve surprising results over a reasonable length of time.
Good advice.

So there's this:
1957 Ford/Gerstenslager
We've talked about some day getting out of goats and chickens and being free to take off to see the U.S. of A. This would make a cool RV conversion! Wash and clear coat the exterior, gut the interior and set it up as a small RV.
Crazy idea? Maybe. But why not take a run at it? I've done a lot of things that people thought were crazy but turned out to be fun, be expanding, a learning experience....
Do we stop taking risks because we get old or do we get old because we stop taking risks?
It's a no reserve auction so I'm keeping an eye on it. Chances are very slim that it will stay low enough to make economic sense but it's worth watching.