Tag: spaceman

“LID” UP

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Date: 01/07/2023

AO: Aegis, Georgetown, DE

QIC: Fireplex

Warm up

SSH – 20 IC

Windmills – 15 IC

Bolt 45’s IC (4 Count) – 15 squats to halfway down.  15 squats halfway to full down.  15 full squats.

Cherry Pickers – 15 IC

Hydraulic Squats – 10 (6 Count)   

The Thang

Round #1 – Karaoke around the circle switching directions at halfway and complete 10 hand release merkins.  Round #2 – Nur around the circle and complete 20 LBC’’s.  Round #3 – ass kickers around the circle and complete Aiken legs – 10 squats, 10 box jumps, 10 lunges (5 each Leg), 10 Mike Tyson’s (5 each Leg).  Round #4 – high knees around the circle and complete ATM’s – 10 alternating “merkin” shoulder taps, 10 tempo merkins, and 10 fast merkins.  Round # 5 – Lieutenant Dan around the circle and complete 10 four count mountain climbers.  Round #6 – Toy Soldier march around the circle and complete a set of 11’s.  1 big boy to 1 merkin, two big boys to 2 merkins ascending to 11 of each.  Round #7 – mosey 10 laps around the circle and complete ascending Burp & Merks up to 10 merkins.  The twist is we are going to repeat each of the previous exercises before starting the next lap around the circle.

F3 Message – 01/07/23

Count-O-Rama, Name-O-Rama, and the Circle of Trust.  Please keep all our HIM in your thoughts and prayers.   


GOD ALL OVER YOUR DAY – #8016

Monday, October 2, 2017
 
When I’m on the road and staying in a motel, I’m often leaving pretty early that day for the responsibilities I have. But by the time I return late that night, something amazing has happened. The bed is made and I didn’t make it! I’ve got new, clean towels! I didn’t find them. Everything’s straightened and neat. I even get these cool little soaps now that are in the bathroom! The Room Fairy has been there! Now, I know that not because I’ve seen the maid (actually I haven’t), but because I can see the results of her work all over the place.
I’m Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about “God All Over Your Day.”
He is, you know. It’s not unlike that maid scenario. You may not see the one who made the difference, but you can sure see the difference that He made, if you’re looking for it.
If you’ve ever been to one of those church meetings where they ask people to share their favorite verses, you’ve probably heard somebody mention our word for today from the Word of God. It’s a lot of people’s favorite verse. Proverbs 3:5-6, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding.” Notice what’s the opposite of trusting in the Lord with all your heart: trying to figure it out for yourself, doing what you think is best – leaning on your own understanding.
Now comes a formula for finding out what God wants you to do in any given situation. Well, we need that. Verse 6 says, “In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will direct your paths.” Now, God says, “If you want to know My heart for you, acknowledge Me in every situation you’re in.” You know what acknowledge means. Have you ever been in a new place or a roomful of people and you’ve gone totally un-greeted, un-noticed? Well, you were saying to yourself, “Hey, I wish someone would acknowledge me. I wish someone would notice I’m here.” See, God knows that feeling. He shows up all through our day, and we often never notice Him. We don’t acknowledge Him.
The other day I was really blessed in a place not normally associated with blessing-the dentist’s office. I was in the waiting room and I saw an old friend with his wife-they’re both in their 90’s. He’s working very hard to care for his wife because her health is deteriorating. Because it had been raining when they came in, my friend asked the dentist if he could help him get his wife out to the car. My dentist came back in, really touched by what had happened in those two minutes-so touched that he brought it up two more times. He said, “When I went out with George and his wife, it wasn’t raining. And George said, ‘Isn’t it great that the Lord stopped the rain long enough for us to get out to the car?’ Then he just looked heavenward and said, ‘Thanks, Father.'”
Now that’s acknowledging Him. That’s noticing God’s working in the details of your day. And that’s where praise comes from, where joy comes from, where a victorious attitude comes from in the toughest of times. But you have to go into your day looking for God at work. If you don’t, you’ll miss God and you’ll miss the joy. But if you do train your heart to go on a daily God-hunt (God-sightings, you know), you’ll experience what the great preacher Charles Spurgeon talked about when he said, “He who looks for providences (or God-actions) will never lack a providence to observe.”
If you haven’t been seeing God a lot lately, it’s because you haven’t been looking. You may have been focused on your circumstances, or other people, or yourself or what’s stressing you out. You’ve missed the fingerprints of God all over your day. The little mercies, the small miracles, the interventions, the protection, the encouraging surprises, the bad things that didn’t happen. I know there’s never a day where He doesn’t show up because the Bible says His “mercies are new every morning!”
In those transformed motel rooms, I seldom see the maid, but I see the results of her work. In the little and big moments of your day, you may not see God, but you can see the results of His work on your behalf because you’re His much-loved child. You’ll see God all over your day if you’re looking for Him.

Respectfully Submitted,

Fireplex

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Jugs, Jugs, and more Jugs…

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Date: 8/31/2022

QIC: MacDaddy

18 Outstanding HIM including one FNG beat the fartsack and showed up for a GritMil beat down. We had such a good turnout we had to overcome and adapt to our situation in order to have enough coupons for everyone. Big thanks to Chief Quattro for lending out various weighted objects to fulfill the order.

Warm-Up
Side-Straddle-Hops X 20
Bolt 45s
Merkins X 20
Cherry Pickers x 20

The Thang
Mosey to Basketball “Field”

Round 1.
With 1 gallon jugs
50 Bicep Curls
Sprint to opposite end of B-Ball court, 5 Burpees
NUR back to start and 50 Bicep Curls
Everyone does Squats until 6 is in.

Round 2.
With 1 Gal Jugs
50 Overhead Shoulder Presses
Walking lung to opposite end of B-ball court, 5 Burpees
NUR Back to start and 50 Overhead Shoulder Presses.
Everyone does Squats until 6 is in.

Round 3.
With 1 gal jugs, lay flat on back for 50 tri-cep extensions (Skull Crushers) with 1 gal jugs
Scissor run to other side of B-ball court, 5 Burpees.
Scissor run back to Start, 50 Tri-Cep extensions with 1 gal jugs.
Everyone does Squats until 6 is in.

Round 4.
With 1 Gal jugs 50 Juggerbell Swings with squat.
Tightrope Walk with arm out to other side of B-Ball Court, 5 Burpees
NUR back to start for 50 Juggerbell Swings
Everyone does Squats until 6 is in.

3rd F
Being a Man who Leads

In the Bible Paul explains in 1 Corinthians 11, where he says, “The man is the head of the woman…For man does not originate from woman, but woman from man, for indeed man was not created for the woman’s sake, but woman for the man’s sake. This is Paul upholding the concept of a man’s leadership in the family by appealing to the order of creation, and the fact that man was created first, then the woman as a helper to man. Later on in Ephesians Paul addresses a married man’s role as head of his own home. Paul establishes that God’s design is that the husband is “the head of the wife, as Christ also is the head of the church”. Then the bible gives specific instructions on how husbands are to fulfill their leadership role, beginning with the important command: “Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loves the church”.

Let’s think about the for a second. How much does Jesus love His church. This love would be described as a sacrificial, purifying, caring, unbreakable, Christ-like love. Christ’s love for the church is a model for husbands to follow, and is a living illustration of the redemptive love of Christ. One of the greatest act of love anyone could do for another is to sacrifice their own life for them. (Acts 20:28 – Christ purchased the church with His own Blood).

Now the question to ask is, if we are to love our wives with that same kind of love, how to we compare? Well, the answer is we all fall short, and we do not even come close. But that’s okay, because Christ has set the standard, so we now know where to aim.

Some more questions we could ask ourselves is:

How are we sacrificial in our own home?

Are we so self-focused that we are not aware of the needs in our home?

Are we willing to sacrifice our time to listen to & comfort our wives and provide emotional and physical security?

Who is the spiritual leader in the home?

If you are a Christian man, then you will recognize that success in your home is far more important than success in your career.

So when we leave here today, let’s note where it all begins, with the command, “Husbands, love your wives”.

C.H. Spurgeon said,

“A husband loves his wife with a constant love, and so does Christ his church. He will not cast her away tomorrow having loved her today. He does not vary in his affection. He may change in his display of affection, but the affection itself is still the same. A husband loves his wife with an enduring love; it will never die out. He says, “Tell death us do part will I cherish thee”, but Christ will not let death part his love to his people. Nothing shall separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

So gents, with that said, we now know God’s standard when it comes to being a Godly husband, a leader in our home, and a father to our children. Let’s use that in our life to better serve our family.

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“Hill”denburg Blimps

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Date: 03/08/2022

AO: CHOP, Milton, DE

QIC: Fireplex

Warm up

SSH – 30 IC

Cherry Pickers – 20 IC

Bolt 45’s IC (4 Count) – 15 squats to halfway down.  15 squats halfway to full down.  15 full squats.

Windmills – 20 IC

Mosey .5 miles to Oh Hill No !

The Thang

Pax completed the modified “HILL”denburg BLIMPS routine at Oh Hill No.  We modified the sprint portion to a NUR up and run down Oh Hill No and perform 1st exercise, NUR back up Oh Hill No and run down and perform 1st exercise again. Plank it up until all PAX are in.  That completes one round.  Rinse and repeat until all 6 Rounds with the exercises as identified below are complete. Round # 1 – 10 Burpees, Round #2 – 20 Lunges (10 each leg). Round #3 – 30 Imperial Walkers. Round #4 – 40 Merkins. Round #5 – 50 Plank Jacks. Round #6 – 60 Squats. Round #5 and Round #6 were completed back at the CHOP by those that had extra time.

Mosey .5 miles back to CHOP

Count-O-Rama, Name-O-Rama, and the Circle of Trust.  Please keep all our HIM in your thoughts and prayers.    

F3 Message 03/08/22

STRONG STORMS AND SHALLOW ROOTS – #3857

Tuesday, October 23, 2001

John and Becky were gone when this huge windstorm hit their neighborhood recently. Although no one could be sure a tornado was involved, the winds were clocked at 70 miles an hour. John and Becky told me that when they returned later that day, their street was closed. A huge pine tree had been blown down, and it fell right across the road. Now other kinds of trees had lost some branches, but the wind had actually totally uprooted this evergreen. Well, a neighbor explained to John that it really isn’t that hard to uproot a pine tree – no matter how big it is. Because even though it’s a big tree, it has shallow roots – so it’s relatively easy to bring it down.

I’m Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A WORD WITH YOU today about “Strong Storms And Shallow Roots.”

Now, there are a lot of “pine-tree-Christians”–some even big and beautiful Christians–who have shallow roots. And that’s why they keep falling.

Jesus talked about vulnerable believers in our word for today from the Word of God, Luke 6:46-49. He says, “Why do you call Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say? I will show you what he is like who comes to Me and hears My words and puts them into practice. He is like a man building a house, who dug down deep and laid the foundation on rock (or developed deep roots). When a flood came, the torrent struck that house but could not shake it, because it was well built. But the one who hears My words and does not put them into practice is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation (or had shallow roots). The moment the torrent struck that house, it collapsed and its destruction was complete.”

Now, that’s two kinds of Christians–just like two kinds of trees: one with deep roots that can withstand a storm and one with shallow roots that gets felled by the storm. With the times we’re living in becoming more stressful and more uncertain–and even dangerous–it’s pretty important to be sure that your commitment to Jesus is deeply rooted.

Shallow spiritual roots come in several varieties. There’s environmental faith–the kind that is strong when you’re in your Christian world but caves in when you’re not. And then there’s second-hand faith. That’s a faith that isn’t really yours firsthand–it’s rooted in your parent’s Christianity, or your church’s faith, or your pastor’s faith, or your Christian friends. There isn’t much really going on directly between you and Jesus. That will never survive a storm.

Stagnant faith–that’s another form of shallow roots. Not much new has happened between you and Jesus for a long time, and consequently, He seems farther–He seems less real than He used to. And when a test or temptation hits, it won’t be enough to keep you standing. And one other kind of “shallow-roots-Christianity”–event faith–the kind that depends on the next spiritual event, the next high, the next big, Christian experience to keep you going. In between, you go into a deep valley. That kind of relationship with Christ is going down eventually.

Jesus’ parable about the two houses is a call to a strong foundation – to deep roots. And He tells us the difference between storm-proof and storm-wrecked faith. It’s not whether or not you know what He says. Both the man whose house stood and the man whose house fell, “heard” what Jesus said. The difference was putting what Jesus said into practice.

The question is, are you regularly getting into God’s word on you own–and then immediately going out and acting on what you read? It’s immediate assimilation of God’s words into real life situations that makes you a little stronger each day. So you read or listen to God’s Word asking these two questions: “What did God just say to me?” and “What am I going to do differently today because of what He said?”

And every time you do that, your roots go a little deeper into Jesus. Meetings won’t do it, theology won’t do it, a great Christian environment won’t do it. It comes from letting Jesus change you through His Word a little bit each day. That is spiritual reality. That is deep roots. The kind that will leave you standing strong no matter how fierce the storm.

Respectfully Submitted,

Fireplex

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This is How Winning is Done

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Date: 01/22/22

AO: Aegis, Georgetown, DE

QIC: Fireplex

Warm up

SSH – 30 IC

Cherry Pickers – 30 IC

Bolt 45’s IC (4 Count) – 15 squats to halfway down.  15 squats halfway to full down.  15 full squats.

SSH – 30 IC

Windmills – 30 IC

SSH – 20 IC

The Thang

Mosey to County Building Steps.  Each PAX crosses the steps without skipping any steps.

Mosey to Armory steps and completes Aiken legs – 20 squats, 20 box jumps, 20 lunges (10 each Leg), 20 split Jacks (10 each Leg).  The twist is that each PAX will take each step up and each step down before performing each individual exercise of Aiken legs.  Rinse & Repeat.

Mosey to Library and complete the Burp & Merk – Burpee with ascending merkins up to 10.  Each PAX will Bear Crawl to each parking space and complete a Burpee with a merkin.  Bear Crawl to the next space and complete a Burpee with two merkins.   Continue until completing a Burpee with ten merkins.

F3 Message – See below

Mosey to School and complete the bottom feeder/deconstructed toy soldier set exercise.  Crab walk to first sidewalk and complete 100 LBC’s.  Crab walk to second sidewalk and complete 50 E2K’s to one side.  Crab walk to third sidewalk and complete 50 E2K’s to the other side.  Crab walk to fourth sidewalk and complete 25 big boy sit-ups.   

Mosey back to Aegis.  PAX completed @.9 mile for the workout

Count-O-Rama, Name-O-Rama, and the Circle of Trust.  Please keep all our HIM in your thoughts and prayer. 

KEEPING YOUR FEET MOVING – #2918

You may not be able to tell over the radio – but I’m not a very big guy. Oh, I’m big inside. But outside, more of a Volkswagen than a semi. Which makes it amazing that both my sons ended up playing line in football. That’s usually where they put the monsters. Actually, we used to joke that linemen wore their IQs on their jerseys – you know, like 75. But it was brawn more than brains they needed to either hold the line while their opponents were trying to move them or to break through those gorillas on the other side of the line. There are just a few simple instructions that every coach wants every lineman to learn and live by. Our guys heard this one all the time – “Keep your feet moving.” No matter what. Even if it feels like you’re going nowhere. Even if you’re getting hammered. Even if you think it’s doing no good. As long as you keep driving – as long as you keep your feet moving – you’re making a difference. The alternative – getting knocked down.

Well, I’m Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You about “Keeping Your Feet Moving.”

The Divine Coach has assigned you a position to play right now. And He has a word for you today from our for today from the Word of God. Galatians 6:9 – “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.” Or in the words of a football coach to the guys on the line – “Keep your feet moving, no matter what. It’s true in football – it’s true in following Christ. If you stop driving, if you stand still, you’re going to get knocked down. And you’ll stop making a difference.

It could be that you’ve been taking some pretty hard hits lately. Don’t become weary in doing good – keep your feet moving. Maybe you feel like nothing’s moving – you’re not seeing much in the way of results – the good you’re doing doesn’t seem to be doing much good. Your Coach’s word – keep playing your position. Keep your feet moving in God’s direction. This isn’t about results. It’s about faithfulness at your position.

There was a point where you knew God was leading you in this direction, when you felt motivated to make a difference or to start living God’s way. But you’ve been hit hard a few times. Maybe things seem to have gotten worse instead of better. Or it could be that there has not been much appreciation for what you’ve done, or much progress. The feeling isn’t there like it was at the beginning. You’re tired of driving in the direction God led you. Your feet are slowing down, or you’re standing still. You’re tempted to give up – on your ministry, on your marriage, on financial freedom, on conquering the old you, on the miracle you’ve been praying for.

And along comes God today saying, “The payoff is coming. You will break through if you keep driving in this direction – even when you feel like quitting.” He likens it to a farmer waiting for his harvest – there’s a lot of work and investment without any visible result for a long time.

And then one day, that crop appears – if he doesn’t give up on it. The harvest of all you’ve put in depends on one very big if – “if you do not give up.” In the words of a wise old man of God, “Never doubt in the darkness what God has told you in the light.”

There’s no standing still on this Jesus-road. If you do, you get knocked down. There are some wonderful victories, some powerful breakthroughs later in the game – if you keep your feet moving.

Respectfully Submitted,

Fireplex

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November’s Finale with, Um…Rucks!

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DATE: 11/30/21

QIC: Chappie

The last day of November brought a nice chill that needed to be worked off with some heat. 18 PAX won that first battle and posted. including FNG Fudd. (There were some “no questions asked” nicknames being thrown around so we settled on the more innocent “Fudd” instead.) Welcome to F3 brother!

We started the day with an excellent VQ Warm-O-Rama by Sherlock. It went something like this:

WARM-O-RAMA:

  • SSH – 20 IC
  • Squats – 20 IC
  • Spidey Reaches – 10 each side OYO
  • Cherry Pickers – 20 IC

At this point YHC took over the Q, and here’s how it went down…

THE THANG:

First, some more warm-up:

  • Partner Leg Throws – 18 each PAX
  • Partner Ruck Pass – 10 each PAX (partners interlock heals in Sit-Up position, pass ruck, do American Hammer w/ruck, then all the way back w/ruck overhead, then Sit-Up passing ruck to partner. Rinse & repeat til each PAX completes 10 reps)

Now…the Thang: Everyone grab a ruck (for those without, grab cindy)

2 Sets:

  • 10 Walking Ruck Lunges (Ruck OH)
  • 10 Plank Pull Throughs
  • 10 OH Press
  • (Rinse & Repeat 2x)

Mosey the short block: Prison Break to Willow St., Mosey to Union St., Prison Break back to the AO. Gassed! 10-count by TRex and another followed by Semi. Whew!

F3 3rdF shared at the break (See below)

2 Sets:

  • 10 Ruck Squats
  • 10 Ruck Merkins
  • 10 Ruck high Pulls
  • (Rinse & Repeat 2x)

Ruck Suitcase Carry around the short block, switching as necessary, back to the AO.

Time expired, time for the COT. Good work by everybody. TRex committed to posting at every workout this week, have at it brother. Who else is in?

COT:

  • Number-Rama: 18 very cool PAX
  • Name-O-Rama
  • Naming of FNG: Welcome again to Fudd! (Still, your Hospital Name, Blayze, has to be one of the coolest out there!)
  • Announcements: YHC invited PAX to consider joining the protest Saturday at Beebe Hospital, protesting the vax mandate being forced upon all healthcare workers by Dec 24th (or they will be terminated. Those we were gathering to pray for and calling heroes for sacrificially fulfilling their duties in 2020, now need our support as they are being made into villains. Let’s show up Saturday at Beebe, from 9-11am, and demonstrate our support for them.
  • Prayers: Safe travels for Sherlock on his hog hunt; for Woodstock helping to clean out a perished friend’s home, etc.; for Quattro, facing some business/family decisions this week; for YHC traveling to Frederick for an executive committee meeting (self-retracted as of this writing) and for YHC’s sister, Tonia, facing devastating, life-altering surgery. Others…the Lord knows and never forgets. Finally, prayers that all PAX would be mindful this Christmas that the birth of Jesus Christ tells us that God desires that we have a relationship with Him–it’s NOT about religion, but relationship. We know this because He came to common man, not kings. (Again, see 3rdF below.)

Humbled and excited to Q, aye!

Chappie, out!

SHEPHERDS & FISHERMEN

This past Sunday was the first Sunday of Advent—I love this season because in it we recall and celebrate the Birth of Christ (Coming/Advent). It was foretold by the OT prophets 900, 700, 500 years before it happened. I love this time of year also because it reminds me of the only 2 times a year we went to church when I was a kid (Easter & Christmas). I remember the ambiance of the Christmas Eve candle light service at First Moravian Church in my hometown like it was yesterday.

In the four verses of great Christmas hymn Angels We Have Heard On High, we sing of the angels visiting lowly shepherds and the shepherds’ response.

Here’s what I think is one of the most incredible things about God: He wants us to know Him through relationship, not religion. This is evident in the song, but it was evident first in the Scriptures.

“The angels coming to men who worked menial [lowly] jobs in the fields and informing THEM of the birth of the Son of God symbolizes that Christ came for all people, rich or poor, humble or powerful. The angels’ words as recorded in Luke 2, “Fear not: For behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people,” paired with Jesus’ own parables concerning shepherds and their flocks, symbolizes that it would be the common man and not kings or religious leaders who would first carry the story of Jesus’ life to the masses.”

It has been the Called man, not the Cleric, and really always has been, who has spread the message of Jesus Christ’s birth, life, death, and resurrection. Think of who it was to whom Jesus first said “follow Me“: Was it not to Fishermen? Common men? As you hear and sing this song for Christmas, keep this one thing in mind: It is the common man, not kings who carry the story of Jesus’ life. For you and I to be HIM, the story of Jesus in our own lives, OUR own transformation by trusting in Jesus Christ, must not only be heard but it must be seen, especially by our children (not to mention those around us). When mom tells the story, the kids will be more prone to go to church and become followers of Christ. But when we as dads—common men, not kings—tell the story of Jesus Christ, the statistics make a significant leap, they actually go through the roof! I.e. When you and I share this story of the incredible, special relationship available between God and man with our own children, we—common men—are acting/behaving like HIM.

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“Thanksliving”

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Date: 11/25/2021

AO: CHOP, Milton, DE

QIC: Fireplex

Warm up

SSH – 20 IC

Cherry Pickers – 20 IC

Bolt 45’s IC (4 Count) – 15 squats to halfway down.  15 squats halfway to full down.  15 full squats.

Windmills – 20 IC

Mosey @ .5 miles to the Goshen Hill

The Thang

Thanksgiving Workout: Set 1

  • Mountain Climbers x 25
  • Squats x 20
  • Side Straddle Hops x 30
  • Side Lunges x 20 (10 each side)
  • High Knees x 25
  • Plank x 1 minute

Nur up the Hill

Thanksgiving Workout: Set 2

  • Burpees x 20
  • Lt. Dans’s x 20
  • Tuck Jumps x 10 or Bobby Hurleys x 20
  • Merkins x 30
  • Apolo Ohno’s x 20
  • Side Plank’s x 30 sec (each side)

Mosey @.5 miles to the Hill by the Boat Dock Stopping to Squat Broad Jump Across the Footbridge Behind Irish Eyes

Dragon Crawl Up the Hill & Run Down

Thanksgiving Workout: Set 3

  • 50 LBC’s
  • 25 E2K’s each side
  • 15 Big Boy Sit-ups

Mosey @.5 miles back to CHOP

F3 Message – 11/25/2021

A “MAGIC WORDS” THANKSGIVING

November 25, 2019

My parents told me they were the “magic words.” But they would often have to remind me, “And what are the magic words again, Ronnie?”

I still need a reminder. “Please.” “Thank you.”

Actually, “thank you” can be almost magical. Because like valuable collectibles, those words are getting to be pretty rare.

We need a day called Thanksgiving. To remind us we should be thanksliving.

Just watch the reaction when you thank the Walmart checker for working on a weekend or a holiday. Or the custodian for keeping this a nice place to be. Or the housekeeping lady for being the angel who magically makes your hotel room a welcoming place to come back to. Or the teacher for all the time she invests in preparation and shaping young lives.

Don’t be surprised if they’re surprised. You may be one of the few – or the only – person who stops to say thank you. You’ve made their day. You’ve let them know they’re not taken for granted. That someone actually notices and values what they do. You’ve gotten them back in the ring for another round.

Because we’re in the Age of Entitlement. “The belief that one is inherently deserving of privileges or special treatment.” Gratitude dies on the altar of entitlement. “I have this coming.”

As a Jesus-follower, I’m struck by this Bible description of what following Jesus looks like. “Let your lives be built on Him…and you will overflow with thankfulness” (Colossians 2:6).

Unfortunately, we’re more likely to overflow with negativity. Seldom praising the people we live or work with – but faithfully pointing to what’s wrong with them. Which they already know all too well.

The Bible bluntly declares, “The tongue has the power of life and death” (Proverbs 18:21). We’ve all felt the pain of names called, putdowns fired, anger dumped. Things that killed our joy, our confidence, our sense of worth. And then there are those few, but not forgotten, comments that were like wind beneath our wings. Among them, the powerful uplift of “thank you.”

Like “thank you” to your son or daughter for strengths you see in their character – their generosity, their smile, their sensitivity to hurting people, their passion. Their sense of humor, their discipline, their ability to organize, their insight, their honesty. They’ll flourish with your compliments. They’ll wither with your criticism.

With my wife no longer here to thank, I know it’s important to ask how long has it been since your spouse heard “Thank you”? For the difference you’ve made in my life. For the sacrifices, for listening, for loving me enough to tell me things I didn’t want to hear. And it means affirming them for positive changes. So much better than a boatload of nagging. As my Karen often said, “Water what you want to grow.”

Thanking an employee for their attitude or effort is that kind of “watering.” Being appreciative, rather than defensive, when someone shows you a fault or a weakness models humility and teachability.

Wherever there’s a “thank you” deficit, Thanksgiving is a good time to catch up. By hug. By phone. By text. By letter.

Of course, Thanksgiving is originally and primarily about thanking the God who is ultimately the Giver of every gift in our life. “Every good and perfect gift comes down from above” (James 1:17).

When you consciously look for “God-sightings” throughout your day, your worst day can still be a good day. You’ll bring blessing into the room with you instead of burdens. God’s showing up in my day constantly – a beautiful sunrise, an encouraging text, a welcome smile, locating something I can’t find, a helpful insight, the accident that didn’t happen. One writer said, “The thankful heart is like a magnet, and it goes through life picking up all the beautiful things all day long.” I love that!

Surprisingly, ingratitude is at the very heart of a lot of the darkness in our world. In our culture. In my heart. God diagnoses the brokenness in this world this way: “They neither glorified God nor gave thanks to Him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened” (Romans 1:21).

When we rocket through life, marginalizing the One who gave us our life, we start thinking wrong is right and we are God. Failure to sincerely thank God starts us down a road of hurtful choices, dead-end streets and a growing deficit of hope and meaning.

I know there have been times someone gave me a gift or sacrificed to help me, and I failed to acknowledge it. That’s how I’ve made God feel so many times.

Because no one has given me more – beginning with life itself. And no one has sacrificed more for me. One Bible writer says this about it: “Thank God for this gift too wonderful for words!” (I Corinthians 9:15).

The gift? “He did not spare even His own Son for us, but gave Him up for us” (Romans 8:32). Because there was no hope of ever knowing God, of being forgiven, of going to heaven without the death penalty for all my junk being paid.

So my Thanksgiving – this week…every day, doesn’t begin at a dinner table. It begins at the foot of an old rugged cross.

Respectfully Submitted,

Fireplex

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Same muscles, different way

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QIC:
Spaceman  – Warm-a-Rama
Semi – Thang

Warm-a-Rama
I/c
15 ssh
15 Windmill
20 Moroccan nightclub
15 plank jack
15 Cherry pickers

The Thang

Mosey to new HOB entrance

Pair off
Wheelbarrow to first light pole
Nur to second, switch
Wheelbarrow to next light pole
Plank for the six

Mosey to the playground

Complete 5 rounds of the following exercises:
12 each
Swerkins
Plyo merkins
Split squats
E2ks
Gas pumpers
Mike Tyson

3rd F
Love Dare
*Day 10 – LOVE IS UNCONDITIONAL*

Do something out of the ordinary today for your spouse—something that proves (to you and to them) that your love is based on your choice and nothing else. Wash her car. Clean the kitchen. Buy his favorite dessert. Fold the laundry. Demonstrate love to them for the sheer joy of being their partner in marriage.

but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
Romans 5:8 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/rom.5.8.ESV

Mosey back to CHOP

Number-Rama
NAME-A-RAMA
COT

17 HIM showed today: Blockbuster, MacDaddy, Fireplex, Chattahoochee, Chappie, Quarto, Ruxpin, Toy Soldier, Drago, Looney Toons, Chauffer, Doubtfire, Semi, Struedel, Spaceman, Whirlybird, Woodstock

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Gents pumping out 100 curls until arms are dead tired.

“Milk”, it does the body good!!!

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9/22/21 – QIC – MacDaddy.

One gallon of milk weighs 8lbs. So, why not grab two and do some high intensity training for the body.

With two, one gallon jugs in each hand, run from GritMil post to basketball court for 100 bi-cep curls.

For each exercise those who finish early do squat/shoulder press until the 6 are in.

Lunge walk to other end of B-ball court with jugs, then 100 shoulder presses.

Run with jugs to Mispillion River Walk Pedestrian Bridge for Lt Dan’s with squat/shoulder press across the bridge.

Rendezvous at the bocce ball court for 100 sumo squat/kettlebell swings or shoulder press.

NUR to other end of bocce ball court for 100 chest flys with feet 6″ above ground.

Run to Bicentennial Park Gazebo for 100 upright rows.

Break for 3rd F. Devotional on defining Faith and why is it so important.

Run back toward the GritMil stopping at the Mispillian road bridge to finish up with walking lunges to post parking lot.

F3 = Fitness, Fellowship, FAITH

Faith defined according to the dictionary: Complete trust or confidence in someone or something.

Faith described in the bible can be found in Hebrews 11:1- Now faith is the certainty of things hoped for, a proof of things not seen. 

Another way to look at this verse is the persevering hope in the promises of God. God cannot lie, it’s not in His nature. Basically, Faith is taking God at His Word.

After this verse the writer points out various examples of believers that demonstrated a real saving faith in God. Read Chapter 10 & 11 of Hebrews.

The Greek word for Faith in the New Testament is the word Pistis. The Greek Lexicon puts it as, The conviction of the Truth, and in relation to Christ: A strong and welcome conviction or belief that Jesus is the Messiah, through whom we obtain eternal salvation in the kingdom of God.

So, why is Faith so important?

The bible says that Faith in Christ is the only way to be saved, because it is only by faith in Christ that we can be counted righteous in God’s sight (Galatians 2:16). It is only by faith in Christ that we can be reconciled to God (Romans 5:9-11). It is only by faith in Christ that we can receive eternal life (John 3:16). Jesus is the only mediator between God and man (1 Timothy 2:5).

So, how does faith work?

A, B, C’s of Salvation.

  1. A– ADMIT to God that you are a sinner.

Romans 3:23 – for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God…

Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

2. B – BELIEVE in Jesus Christ as God’s Son.

John 14:6 – Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father except through Me.

John 3:16 – For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish, but have eternal life.

3. C – CONFESS your faith in Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord.

Romans 10:9-10 – that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation.

See men, our 3rd F is more than just a belief in something. It is more than knowing that our brothers here will have our back. Society will even say faith is a sign of weakness. That it is a form of a crutch to get through life, But God says Faith is the most important aspect of our existence. It is by faith we will have reconciliation with a Righteous and Holy God, so that we will be with Him forever.

So, as we go throughout our day, we should all remember that God has freely given us the Gift of Salvation. We do not need to do anything to earn it, because Christ Jesus has already done the work for us.

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Semi’s 2.0 BDAY

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QIC: Semi

Warm-a-Rama
19 seal jacks i/c
21 plank jacks i/c
19 Imperial walkers i/c
21 seal waves i/c

The Thang

Mosey to food lion parking lot for a game of ultimate frisbee

2 merkins every turn over

3rd F
Talked about how the HIM have helped me in leading the soccer team I coach. How we HIM can point things out to each other and carry each other thru.

Mosey back to CHOP

Losing team did 20 bomb jacks
Wining team did 10 bomb jacks

Number-Rama
NAME-A-RAMA
COT

20 HIM showed today: Quarto, Toy Soldier, Wildwing, Chairman, Streudel, Woodstock, Flatbottom, Roundhouse, Blockbuster, Spaceman, Chappie, Semi, Fireplex, Chattahoochee, Doubtfire, Drago, Whirlybird,  Hideous, Mac Daddy, Chauffer

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Recovery Workout +1

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5 PAX won THAT FIRST BATTLE to post for a Chappie recovery workout +1. Meaning that it was a post Labor Day Beachday Beatdown +1 day, designed to get us moving but not to crush the soul. There’s something about working out in a group of 30, and there’s something about working out with a group of 5…bene’s on both ends of the scale. So here’s how things went down today:

QIC: Chappie

DATE: 9/8/21

WARM-O-RAMA

  • SSH – 18 IC
  • Mt. Man Pooper – 10 IC
  • Swartzjack – 15 IC
  • Moroccan Nightclubs – 30 IC
  • Imperial Walkers – 18 IC
  • Low Slow Squats – 18 IC

THE THANG

Mosey to wall at East end of Gigante parking lot (while sharing 20lb sandbags)

On the wall:

  • Round #1:
    • 10 Chest Bump Irkins/Bearcrawl 70’/15 MJB’s OYO, back to the wall
  • Round #2:
    • 10 Derkins/Crawlbear 70’/20 Bombjacks OYO, back to the wall
  • Round #3:
    • 20 Chest Bump Irkins/ Lt. Dan 70’/25 X’s & O’s OYO
  • Round #4:
    • 20 Derkins/Lt. Danger 70’/30 Gas Pumpers IC
  • Round #5:
    • People’s Chair with OHC’s, 1 round of 10 Counts per each PAX/Dragon Crawl 70’/35 Flutter Kicks IC

YHC shared the following apropos 3rdF, directly from Q Source:

(Excerpt taken from QSOURCE by David “DREDD” Redding, Q1.5, 50-52)

Accelerating the M requires both skill and love

Marriage is not easy–it is not supposed to be. But because he never quits working at it, the HIM ultimately develops the skills he needs to enjoy life with his wife. To avoid committing relationship malpractice with his wife, the HIM focuses on five points of marital Preparedness:

1. Maintenance = Deceleration     

The M will not prosper if the HIM thinks in terms of maintaining its vitality rather than Accelerating it.

For the HIM:

  • Movement is action taken in furtherance of purpose.
  • Momentum is the sustained Movement that results from Acceleration
  • To Decelerate is to decrease the pace of Movement

With this in mind, the HIM knows that he is either Accelerating or Decelerating in all his endeavors and relationships, particularly with his wife. There is no in-between state of nature such as “maintenance.” If you think you are maintaining, you are actually Decelerating because there is no Status quo. That is the myth of the plateau. Thus, the HIM never thinks of maintaining his marriage. He always focuses on Accelerating it.

2. The Culture is a Jester      

While the culture purports to embrace marriage, it is actually a hinderance to Acceleration. It breathes truthy-sounding lies like “my wife is my best friend,” and “we try every day to meet each other halfway,” and “we’re pregnant!” Why does our culture resort to Oprah Bombs like these when it comes to marriage? Probably because it doesn’t believe that anything so difficult can possibly be so good. The HIM knows the inverse to be true. Virtue takes work—it is the un-Virtuous act that comes easily and “naturally.”

3. There is no Fifty Yard Line     

Halfway is not good enough when it comes to the M. It is not a football game where husband and wife meet at the fifty-yard line for the coin flip. The HIM must drive the ball the full length of the field and stay in his wife’s red zone, regardless of whether she even breaks the huddle. To the Sad Clown focused on balance and fairness, this seems unfair and out-of-balance. Perhaps, but that’s what Acceleration requires when it comes to the M.

4. Your Wife is not Your Best Friend     

She is made for a much higher purpose. There is a pedestal in the life of the HIM that is set out for his wife and there is no room on it for his best buddy (that relationship is actually two more rings out on the HIM’s Concentrica). Nor is marriage a joint-venture within which man and wife have equal and identical roles. Husband and wife may both become parents, but it is only the mother who is pregnant. The lives of both husband and wife are changed by parenthood, but it is only the mother whose body is rearranged form the inside out, and only she who spends nine months in a state of complete vulnerability—during which the HIM is to be her stalwart and constant protector. The HIM does not let the culture confuse him. He knows his role, and it is nowhere nearly as important as hers.

5. Joy Trumps Happiness     

The culture often confuses joy and happiness interchangeably, but they are actually very different things. Happiness is a transitory positive feeling governed by mere external circumstances. Happiness is a full belly—it goes away when you get hungry again. In contrast, Joy is not so ephemeral. It is a permanent state of hopeful satisfaction that is unaffected by external happenstance. Joy cares not whether a man’s belly is full or empty. It requires a long view, well past the toils and triumphs of any given day. The HIM is a joyful man under any and all circumstances because his vision is cast at a point well beyond the day before him. His focus is on the end and beyond. What do joy and happiness have to do with marriage? Simple. A healthy and vital M is a lifetime pursuit. Anything designed to last a lifetime needs the pure fuel of Joy to grow and prosper. The short term warm and fuzzies of Happiness won’t do the trick. Happy-focused men give up on their marriages when the going is rocky because they are un-Happy. But the Joy-focused HIM views those same rough spots as the precise time to double-down on his Commitment to his bride. Anybody can stay married on a full belly. But it is within the crucible of hunger where the true bond between man and wife is formed.

Marriage is a Team, not a Community. It requires Proximity and purpose to succeed. It transforms a man from a selfish Happiness-junkie into a selfless Joy-seeker. The HIM knows if he fails at his M, nothing else he does will matter.

THE WHOLE CHAPTER IS WORTH A READ, check it out men!

Scripture Reference: (Ephesians 5:25-33)

25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her, 26 so that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, 27 that He might present to Himself the church [q]in all her glory, having no spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that she would be holy and blameless. 28 So husbands also ought to love their own wives as their own bodies. He who loves his own wife loves himself; 29 for no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ also does the church, 30 because we are parts of His body. 31 For this reason a man shall leave his father and his mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh. 32 This mystery is great; but I am speaking with reference to Christ and the church. 33 Nevertheless, as for you individually, each husband is to love his own wife the same as himself, and the wife must see to it that she respects her husband. (YHC’s emphasis added)

Mosey back to the AO

As our pool of Q’s grow here at @f3firststate it’s amazing to see newer PAX get into the rotation, first with a Warm-up VQ, then with a full VQ. The Q list grows long so it’s even more a privilege to Q when the opportunities come. Grateful to lead these 5 HIM at the Grit Mill. Glad to be in the rotation.

COT:

  • Number-Rama
  • Name-O-Rama
  • Announcements: Looks like our Hero’s Journey Gauntlet Ruck will be stepping off on Fri 9/10 at 2200 hrs. Plan: Ruck from the Grit Mill to CHOP and ending at the Aegis (hitting all our AO’s, i.e. The Gauntlet) for a 20 mile ruck, before partaking of the Saturday morning beatdown Q’d by the one and only Quattro. 20 miles = 20 years since 9/11. Looking forward to the challenge. Also: Fallen Angel: Call Sign – Extortion 17 showing tonight at 7 at Chauffer’s, all PAX welcome.
  • Prayers: Praise for YHC’s buddy Jeff being able to get up on his feet and walk across his hospital room yesterday; prayers for marriages of the PAX of @f3firststate; prayers for YHC’s oldest son, Zeke (a.k.a. Nature Boy)
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