Todays 3rd F message came from the Courageous Bible study (based off the movie) Its a great Bible study that helps identify what it takes to become the courageous man that God has called us out to be.
COURAGEOUS LEADERSHIP
John Hagee defines leadership as, “the discipline of deliberately exerting
special influence within a group to move it toward goals of beneficial permanence that fulfill the group’s real needs.” I feel that the most significant word in this sentence is ‘influence’ and so we can say in brief, “Leadership is Influence.” Growing up, the image I had of a leader was that of someone who headed an institution. But I soon realized that I was a leader in my home, in my church and in my friends’ circle because of
the influence I exerted on these groups. As we go higher in our leadership position we influence more people. We can identify people as good or bad leaders depending on what kind of influence they exert.
Nehemiah is an example of an excellent leader. When it was reported to him about the miserable state of the Jerusalem wall, he was a captive in a foreign land. His
immediate reaction was of great sorrow. But he also fasted and prayed, confessing the sins of the Israelites and asking for God’s guidance in his future endeavors. He saw the need and heard the call. He already had a good job of being the king’s cup bearer, but took the risk of pursuing a difficult task. He faced mockery but continued to deal with injustice. Indeed he motivated and gave leadership and direction to a
hopeless and demoralized people. Nehemiah’s dependence on God and his positive influence on the people enabled them to rebuild the wall in fifty two days. Not only did he rebuild the wall he also made the people confess their sins and affirm their faith in God’s Law. The book of Nehemiah ends with a simple prayer, “Remember me with favor, O my God.”
When we look around us we will notice that people are looking for good leaders. Jesus was moved with compassion when He saw the multitudes that “were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.” (Matt.9:36). Are we ready to be the godly influencers
Proverbs 11 Where there is no counsel, the people fall; But in the
Congrats to Waler for pulling off an excellent VQ Warm-O-Rama! Glad to finally get you in the line-up; great job brother. PAX can’t wait for your official VQ. Kudos to the dirty dozen who won THAT FIRST BATTLE in the Gloom and posted in the rain to do a lot backwards, hence the title of this Backblast…
Warm-O-Rama: (YHC tried to remember the details, hope this is accurate)
SSH – 20 IC
Mt. Climbers – 20 IC
Imperial Walkers – 21 IC
Merkins – 10 IC
Cherry Pickers – 16 IC
The Thang: Waler handed it over to YHC and off we went…bass ackwards
Nur to Willow Street,
Mosey to Mulberry Street,
Nur toward new entrance for H.O.B. Elementary School,
Mosey to pick up the six,
Nur to entrance of H.O.B. Elementary
Wosey to other side of storm pond, partner up for a little trip to…
Burpback Mountain:
Partner 1 mosey’s to bottom of hill, then Nur back to the top,
Partner 2 does Burpees
Partners swap & rinse and repeat until Burpees are complete
Team Goal: Completed 100 Burpees cumulatively. Just keep moving! “I hate Burpees, let’s do Burpees” was the name of the game.
PAX got a breather at 50 Burpees for the 3rdF:
Andy Stanley shared a quote this past Sunday from Albert Speer which really caught my attention; so much so that I wrote it down right away.
First, if you don’t know who Albert Speer was, you’re not alone. He served as the Minister of Armaments and War Production in Nazi Germany during of World War II. He was convicted at the Nuremberg trials and sentenced to 20 years in prison.
Speer later died in 1981. And as a right hand man of Adolph Hitler, we’d not typically think of him, a Nazi, as a man worthy of quoting, moreless someone to learn something/anything from.
Still, there are lessons to be learned even from some who’ve gained them the hard way. In his memoirs titled: Inside the Third Reich, Speer gave this profound statement: “Resist the evolution of a court.”
When you begin to understand his statement, it is incredibly powerful and poignant. It means to resist the development of a group of people around you, so-called friends, who will tell you only what you want to hear.
The Bible refers to this in reference to the end times and sound doctrine, but I also want us to apply it today in terms of that big word: ACCOUNTABILITY.
Second Timothy 4:3 says, “For the time will come when they will not tolerate sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance with their own desires.”
In other words, men will not want to hear the truth and as a result they will hang around— they will gather a court of—those who tell them only what they want to hear and tickle their ears.
Truth is, there is no such thing as autonomy, there’s no such thing as a self-made man, there’s no such thing as a man who can fully hold himself accountable. Can you hold yourself accountable? No!
Accountability by definition requires a shield-lock with others who will speak truth to us. Accountability is about ideal relationships between men.
Here’s how Dredd started his chapter on accountability in his book F3 Q Source:
“The HIM seeks accountability because his life is not his own. No matter how dedicated or deliberate a HIM is in the building of his Guardrails, there will be some stretches of his road that he will not be able to protect through his own Bricklaying. These are a man’s Blind Spots, the hardwired gaps in his nature that he cannot protect without help.” (103)
“Because he is a servant who lives for the mission, the HIM treats his blind spots like any other obstacle in his life—as a problem that impedes movement. Because a problem can and must be remedied, the HIM does so by seeking accountability.” (104) The HIM does so by “resisting the evolution of a court.”
“Nobody likes being held accountable, held to a standard through enforcement and consequence. But accountability shines the light of hope into a man’s blindspots.” (104)
As HIM let’s strive to resist the evolution of a court; let’s strive to develop the F3 First State 2ndF (Fellowship), and let’s strive to stay out of the danger zone of [perceived] autonomy and, instead, develop ideal relationships between some of the guys in this group for mutual accountability! You’re in danger if you don’t have another man or two who can tell you the truth, brutal truth if need be.
RESIST THE EVOLUTION OF A COURT!
After completing Burpback Mountain, PAX returned to the AO…mostly bass ackwards.
Nur up Mulberry Street toward AO,
Moseyto pick up the six,
Mosey Left onto Clifton Street til PAX are together,
Prison Break for 10 secs.,
Mosey to Union Street,
Mosey up Union,
Prison Break for 10 secs.,
Nur rest of the way back to the AO
Round of [wet] Mary: (Must be in cadence)
Hello Dolly (sitting) – Compliments of Ruxpin
Flutter Kicks – Compliments of Chattahoochee
Big Boys – Compliments of Waterboy
Big Boys (Again!) – Complements of Woodstock
Crab Jacks – Compliments of Fireplex
“Reverse Plank” – Compliments of Quattro 😉
A Round of Mary
Time!
COT:
NUMBER-RAMA
NAME-O-RAMA
Announcements: PAX will be doing the Rucking Challenges “Love Your Ruck” rucking challenge for this week’s Roving RuckF3st Friday (2/12) in Georgetown. Join the fun and love your ruck!
Prayers: Praise for successful implant of Pacemaker in Chairman’s dad, Denny, expected to be released today. Continued prayers for Gavin. YHC’s son was able to visit with him for about 1 hr. on Friday. Gavin is overwhelmed at times by what the future holds, whether he will ever walk again or not. We’re continuing to pray for a miracle by the hand of the God for whom all things are possible. Prayers for all PAX that we’d make ourselves accountable to a few guys in the group so that we’re more successful at being HIM in our homes, workplaces, and the communities in which we serve. RESIST THE EVOLUTION OF A COURT!
Lots of Nur today. I.e. bass ackwards, legs will be feeling it tomorrow. But, hey, you can’t skip leg day…unless, of course, you do (shout out to the Fartsackers, you got lapped)!
Grateful for the opportunity to lead once again, and honored to introduce Waler into the Q rotation.
21 All i/c Seal Jacks Seal waves Imperial walkers Mountain climbers Ssh Windmill
The Thang
Mosey to the playground behind old HOB
2 Rounds
2 plankswerkins (hands in swing, merkin, extend arms out like superman, return to start) 4 pull ups 8 swerkins 12 hanging knee raises 16 big boys
3rd F Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways. Let the lowly brother boast in his exaltation, and the rich in his humiliation, because like a flower of the grass he will pass away. For the sun rises with its scorching heat and withers the grass; its flower falls, and its beauty perishes. So also will the rich man fade away from the midst of his pursuits. Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him. Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God,” for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one. But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death. Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers. Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change. Of his own will he brought us forth by the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures. James 1:2-18 ESV
2 rounds
2 hanging leg lifts 4 pull ups 8 swerkins 12 hanging knee raises 16 big boys
Mosey back to CHOP
Round of Mary 20 big boys 11 big boys i/c, 1 up, 2-3 down
Number Rama Name Rama COT
11 HIM showed today: Waterboy, Doubtfire, Fireplex, Chattahoochee, Chappie, Ruxpin, Strudel, Looney Tunes, Woodstock, Semi, Quarto
You: If you got whooped by your fartsack this morning
If your fartsack hit you as hard as Poirier hitting McGregor, if you’re reading this from a distance, or, if you sadistically enjoy recalling what you’ve been through in the Gloom, here’s how it went down:
WARM-O-RAMA:
SSH – 10 IC
Swartzjacks – 10 IC
Windmill – 15 IC (via Woodstock)
Toy Soldier Squat Jumps (Toe touches [Toy Soldier], Jump w/hands to side & slightly out, down to Squat – Rinse & Repeat)
Single Arm Flying-Squirrels – 5 each arm, OYO
Seated Reverse Crunch – 15 IC (On six, hands to side/slightly back for stability, Feet 6″, knees together, bring up to chest, extend back out to 6″, knees slightly spread, bring to chest, extend back out to 6″, rinse & repeat)
WACH Merkins – 10 OYO, Wide-Arm to Close Hand (Wide-Arm down, on Up hands come off ground and go to Close Hand, back up, hands go to Wide-Arm, Rinse & Repeat)
TODAY, GOTTA KEEP MOVING! — We’re going to do a few sets of double-deuces as we go (22 double-time steps under ruck to increase pace and to remember the average veteran suicide rate is 22/per day).
THE THANG: *Rest position for each workout is Plank, if you stop moving plank it up!
RUCK UP – 30lbs • 10 – No Crawl Dragon (Stationary w/ruck)
Movement to dentist office: • 75 – Ruck Squats
Movement to Orchard St. • 75 – Shoulder to Shoulder
Movement to Mulberry St. • 75 – Ruck Swings
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YHC took a brief moment to share the 3rd F:
Ephesians 5:25 says, “Husbands love your wives, just as Christ also lovedthe church and gave Himself up for her.”
As I was laid up with Covid19 in early December I’d announced on the F3 First State Groupme that I was going to “make the best of my time” by watching every episode of Band of Brothers. I mean, really, who ever gets the time to do that? None of us! We’re hard-working family oriented HIM! I was licking my chops with anticipation of an uninterrupted block of quarantine so that I could watch the series without excuse. I assumed I’d be down for 3-4 days and then jump back into action (well, I did not expect to be out over a month!).
What I also did not anticipate was that Band of Brothers would have to wait. I tested positive, so that meant my wife (a school teacher) also had to quarantine and teach from home. Have you ever tried to watch Band of Brothers while your wife is teaching 4th graders remotely from the next room? It really doesn’t work…at all. Band of Brothers was out!
Another blissful thing I did not anticipate as I lay on the couch growing worse each day, was the joy I had watching and listening to my wife teach her students. While I initially fussed (under my breath, of course) about being unable to watch the B.O.B. series, I was met with the pleasure of hearing/seeing my M teach. I’d sacrifice B.O.B. again to hear/see her do what she does. I honestly believe she’s THE BEST teacher around! I always have. I’d say that even if she wasn’t my M. She is one of those rare people who is doing what she loves, so she loves what she’s doing. She is one of those rare people who is doing EXACTLY what they’re called to do–and it is most obvious not only in the way she teaches, but, as much, in the way she genuinely loves each of her students.
Band of Brothers you’ve got nothing on my M! I loved watching and hearing her in action. There’s no way I could’ve (or should’ve) demanded she teach elsewhere in our house just so that I could corner the market on watching an HBO series. I love the whole series; it’s excellent! I’ve watched it before…a few times, but I was blessed instead to follow the Biblical counsel of the Apostle Paul to the Ephesians: “Husbands love your wives, just as Christ also lovedthe church and gave Himself up for her” (5:25). As HIM let’s pursue sacrificial ways (great & small) to demonstrate our love for our wives–giving them our all as Christ gave His all for the church.
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Movement to Shipbuilders • 75 – Ruck Deadlifts
Movement return to AO, Endex
NUMBER-RAMA
NAME-O-RAMA:
COT:
Announcements: Nuttin honey
Prayers: Rocky family lifted up during their time of grieving the loss of a loved one; our brother Streudel lifted up as he’s facing some tests/results today.
Ruck workout complete, to include many reps in honor of the 75th Ranger Regiment, four sets of double-deuces to be kept aware that there are an average of 22 American vets daily who take their own lives, and a total of .86 miles.
Shout out to Chattahoochee celebrating his 4-yr-Manniversary today. He was our longest serving Site-Q and is one of the most consistent PAX you will see. Follow him! Great to know you brother!
Always honored to lead. Thanks to all the PAX who won THAT FIRST BATTLE, dropped the DRP, and posted even knowing it was going to be a ruck beatdown. Let’s keep getting comfortable being uncomfortable. Aye?
Aye!
~Chappie, out!
Ran out of time. Here’s what we missed:
Movement to Pediatrician’s at Willow St. • 75 – Ruck Pulls
All i/c 21 Seal jacks 21 Plank jacks 21 Mountain man pooper 21 Cherry picker Capri lap – side shuffle across parking lot, nur, side shuffle, and mosey 21 SSH 21 Seal waves 21 Imperial walkers 21 Crab flippers
The Thang
Each HIM grabs 2 coupons.
Do 21 of the following exercises: Curls – bear crawl across parking lot, nur back Big boys – Lt. Dan across parking lot, nur back Abyss merkins – mosey across parking lot, Dan Lt. Back Rows (per arm) – side shuffle across parking lot, nur back High pull – side shuffle opposite direction across parking lot, nur back
3RD F Disciplines of a Godly Man A Great Friendship 1 Samuel 13-20
Man maker – muder bunny across parking lot Over head carry across parking lot
Bolt 45’s – 15 squats full up to half way down, 15 squats half way down to full down, & 15 squats full motion. All completed IC as a 4 count.
American Hammers – 50 IC
Cherry Pickers – 20 IC
Mosey @.5 miles to Holy Hill
The Thang
1st & 10 Routine per the Exicon…Well sort of….:)…..Perform 10 merkins and 1 burpee. Nur up the hill and run down. Perform 9 merkins and 2 burpees. Nur up the hill and run down. Perform 8 merkins and 3 burpees. Nur up the hill and run down. You recognize a pattern developing here. Pax took a break for the 3rd F (see below) after completing the round starting with 5 merkins. After the break for the message, all HIM completed the rounds down through 1 merkin and 10 burpees with a final Nur up the hill and the run down.
Mosey @.5 miles back to CHOP.
Count-O-Rama, Name-O-Rama, and the Circle of Trust. Prayers were offered for multiple needs within the attending PAX, but please keep all our HIM in your thoughts and prayers.
I heard a while back about a novelty company that made a lot of money on people having birthdays that they might not be real excited about. You know, like those milestone birthdays: 40, 50, 60. I’ll stop there. Of course, if you’re sad about how many birthdays this is, consider the alternative. That means you’ve stopped having birthdays, and that’s not good. This company actually produces a whole line of birthday products called “Over the Hill.” Maybe you’ve seen them. There are these black balloons with these words on them, black banners, cards; all kinds of dark little reminders that tap into the very things you don’t want this birthday to mean. A friend of mine was facing the classic Baby Boomer crossroads of turning 60 and was talking about it to an older man that he knew. And that man said something that made me laugh several times since then. He said, “Hey, how can I be over the hill when I’ve never even made it to the top yet?”
I’m Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about “Time is Slipping Away.”
After I stopped laughing, I realized that’s how a lot of folks feel about their life. Where did it go? How can it be flying so fast? Especially when there’s so much I thought I would have or do by now and I haven’t. Job said it this way in the Bible, “My days are swifter than a runner” (Job 9:25).
I remember telling the quarterback of our high school’s freshman football team, “Hey, Chris, you’re going to blink your eyes and suddenly you’ll be a senior playing your last games.” He smiled, “Yeah, whatever.” One day in the senior locker room, he reminded me of what I had told him when he was just starting high school. He said, “Where did it all go so fast? Wasn’t I a freshman just yesterday?” I well know the feeling.
Our word for today from the Word of God, James 4:13-14 put our little journey on this planet into perspective. The Bible says, “Now listen you who say, ‘Today or tomorrow we will go to this city or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.’ Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.”
And at that point, now I’m… this is me talking, “It’s all about eternity.” A friend of mine was at a class reunion where he was talking with a classmate who had become a very successful physician. As the conversation turned somehow to talking about God, the doctor just said very candidly, “Frankly, I’m nervous about eternity.”
You know what? We should be, if we’re not ready for the God we’re going to meet on the other side. Actually, the Bible tells us that we couldn’t be more “unready” to meet God. Isaiah 59:2 says, “Your sins have separated you from your God.” The Bible makes it clear that we’re all in deep trouble with God because as it says, “all have sinned and fallen short of God’s glory” (Romans 3:23). We’ve been so busy pursuing the elusive goal of happiness and success that we have forgotten eternity.
And waiting to get ready for it is just foolhardy. As the Bible says, “Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring forth” (Proverbs 27:1). How many funerals have we been to of people who thought they had more time; maybe lots more time, and suddenly it was over.
We’re not ready for eternity unless every sin of our life has been erased from God’s book. And there’s only one person who can do that: the person who died to pay for that sin, and that is Jesus. In the words of the Bible, He “made peace (with God) through His blood, shed on the cross” (Colossians 1:20). The choice is simple. Either we put our trust in Jesus and His death for our sins, or we pay that death penalty ourselves – forever. Jesus came to give us heaven. Once you come to His cross and put your total trust in what He did there for you, death is no longer the end, it’s just the beginning! All death can do, then, is take you to heaven if you belong to Jesus.
If you don’t belong to Him, if you’re not sure you do, don’t risk another day without Him. The Bible says, “Today, if you hear His voice, do not harden your heart” (Hebrews 4:7). I urge you as soon as you possibly can today to say, “Jesus, you died for my sins so I don’t have to. You’re my hope. I’m Yours.”
Listen, our website is there to help you cross that line. And I’d encourage you to go there today. It’s ANewStory.com.
The days, the years really do fly faster than we ever dreamed; each bringing us closer to our last day. There’s just such peace in knowing you’re ready for eternity whenever it comes.
The Super 21 “Streudel Special”. 1 Merkin to 1 Big Boy Sit up. 2 Merkins to 2 Big Boy Situps. 3 Merkins to 3 Big Boy Situps, etc., etc., etc. But wait there is a twist….after each set completed of #1 though #5 you will do 21 Imperial Walkers. After each set completed of #6 through #10 complete 21 Mountain Climbers. After each set completed of # 11 through #15 complete 21 Monkey Humpers. After each completed set of #16 through #20 complete 21 Prisoner Squats. After the final set of #21 Merkins to 21 Big Boys then finish strong with 21 Burpees.
F3 Message
Count-O-Rama, Name-O-Rama, and the Circle of Trust. Please keep all our HIM in your thoughts and prayers.
Health clubs and spas love January! Business skyrockets as December bulges turn to January workouts.
A “new year” sounds like a great time to work on a new you. Thus, the infamous New Year’s resolution. “A firm decision to do or not to do something.”
Sadly, research shows that about 88% of our resolutions won’t happen.
It’s not that we aren’t sincere about wanting to improve. We really do want to be healthier. Spend more time with the family. Get out of debt. Do better in school. Clean out the junk. In our house. Or in us.
So why do our great intentions so often end in failed commitments?
My work has put me in the middle of many folks’ efforts to change. From their experience – and too much of my own – I’ve seen four reasons we fail.
1. We’re not specific.
Goals have to be more than general intentions. “I’m going to be a better husband” … “I’m going to get in shape” … “I want to make more of a difference” – nice ideas. Not likely to succeed. “I’m going to give my wife all of my attention at least once a day” … “I’m not going to eat after 6 o’clock and I’ll spend 20 minutes on the treadmill each day” … “I’m going to volunteer at the shelter” – those are specific – and measurable – enough to give a person a decent shot at real change.
2. We’re not accountable.
A resolution between me, myself and I is just too easy to forget. But when you announce to several key people the commitment you’ve made, you’ve put yourself on the line to do it. Like the Bible says, “Two are better than one … if one falls down, his friend can help him up.”
3. We give up too soon.
Babies learn to walk by a process I call “step … boom!” They fall down, but they don’t stay down. They get up! Next time – “step, step, step … boom!” Until one day they’re rocketing across the room. Sadly, when we fall down in our effort to do better, we too often stay down. But one day’s failure is just that. One day. Keep it that way. Get up and keep walking!
4. We have a power shortage.
Especially when it comes to the changes that really matter. Breaking the cycle that’s hurting the people I love. Conquering the dark part of me that has brought me down again and again. Moving beyond the pain of my past. Attacking that fatal flaw that has cost me so much.
Every new year has the same last name. “A.D.” 2015. A.D. “Anno Domini.” The year of our Lord. Measured by how many years it is since Jesus Christ came.
My whole life has been “B.C./A.D.” The me I couldn’t change before Christ took the wheel of my life. And the changed life He’s made possible since I gave me to Him.
I thought I could only trust me to drive. But I drove into too many ditches. Ran over too many people. Crashed too often. I couldn’t get me to the man I want to be. I need to be. That the people I love need me to be.
Like one of the men who wrote the Bible. He said, “I want to do what is right, but I can’t. I want to do what is good, but I don’t … Who will free me from this life that is dominated by sin and death?”
I know that feeling. And I’ve found the power to change where that Bible-writer found it. “Thank God!” he said – “The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord.” It took the Man who died for my sin to give me the power to beat my sin.
My personal B.C. – a man I didn’t want to be. My personal A.D. – the man I could never have been without the great Life-Changer.
8 HIM beat the fartsack on this frosty morning for a little frosty fun. Q was thinking of introducing Lt. Michael Murphy to the PAX bit do to excessive Merkins at the grit mill yesterday we met Cpt. THOR instead.
Warmup – 25 SSH, 20 Windmills, 20 cherry pickers, 15 smurf Jack’s, 20 mou train climbers, all IC. 10 arm circles forward 10 backwards to.
Approximately 1 mile run threw town ending at the old HOB elementry.
Captain Thor. 1 big boy 4 american hammers. 1:4 ratio until 10 big boys 40 american hammers are complete.
Mosey the short way back to CHOP
Toysoldier set 40 LBC, 25 E2KS, 15 BIGBOYS followed by 20 flutter kicks IC.
For.the 3rd F I spoke a little about my experiences 30 years ago on Jan 16th president George H. W. Bush announced the start of what would be called operation Desert storm a military operation to expel occupying Iraqi forces from iraq.
Well it didn’t quite feel like, as Madonna sings, “the very first time,” but its been more than a month since YHC Q’d thanks to COVID 19–THE “One-Niner” and it was great to be back! Had the opportunity to Q, thought long and hard about it, then jumped in headfirst.
Here’s the skinny:
WARM-O-RAMA:
SSH – 18 IC
Swartzjacks – 10 IC
Smurfjacks – 10 IC
Splitjacks – 10 IC
Windmill – 10 IC
Cherry Pickers/Hairy Chiggers/Crab Flippers – 10 IC
Chairmanlap mosey around the short block
THE THANG:
PAX walked perimeter of church building (safety brief walk around), as they would mosey this route between exercises.
Pretty simple…spell your full name, taking laps around the church between each letter. See image below. (For those who Fartsacked this is an easy one to catch up on; it’ll take you about 45 minutes.) Check it out:
Somewhere in the middle of the middle names PAX took a breather for the following 3rdF:
F3 is about leadership. In fact, our F3 Mission Statement is: to Plant, grow, and serve small workout groups of men for the invigoration of male community leadership.
That means what we do here on a micro scale is to spill over into our homes, workplaces, and into the communities in which we live. It means that what we do as a group must spill over into the communities in which we exist: Milton, Milford, and Georgetown.
We’ve done a little of that over the past few years, collecting toilet paper and cooking breakfast for residents at the Home of the Brave, collecting crayons for the young girl distributing crayons to sick children at AI, collecting peanut butter for the Milton Food Pantry, painting the future shelter near Lowes, bringing food to the collection container on the Georgetown Circle, etc.
I’m bringing this to your attention to say that we need to be even more attentive to opportunities for us to lead [together] in our communities during 2021.
I’m also bringing it up today to refer back to a word that has been added to leadership in F3 circles in recent years (at least as far as YHC knows). This is for personal application and its a word mentioned in Dredd’s book Q Source. It is the word virtuous. Virtuous Leadership. That is a very particular kind of leadership.
Virtuous is defined as: Having or showing high moral standards. F3 exists to bring about leadership in men which is marked by its high moral standards.
We can look all around us in the world and see leadership which is absent of moral standards. The political realm is one place this is easily seen. Truth be told, in the end, leadership absent of high moral standards isn’t really leadership at all!
This was the substance of the statement by President John Adams when he stated: “Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate for the government of any other.”
Virtuous leadership means we’re not just leading in our homes, workplaces, and in the communities in which we serve, but that in each of those areas we are LEADING RIGHT.
In that vein the Bible says that leaders must “be above reproach…not self-willed, not quick-tempered, not addicted to wine, not pugnacious (quick to argue, quarrel or fight), not fond of sordid gain, but hospitable, loving what is good, sensible, just, devout, self-controlled.” (Titus 1:7-8)
This is the standard for leadership in Scripture because as go the leaders, so goes the home, the workplace, and the communities in which they serve.
In 2021 let us be HIM by striving to be men who practice virtuous leadership.
Names spelled in full, it was time to circle up:
COT:
Number-Rama
[Full] Name-O-Rama
Announcements: Just be smart and use common sense concerning how you feel and whether you post or not (see write up on GroupMe
Prayers: For those on IR and those in our community out of action due to Corona virus, get well soon; for the State of Georgia and their run-off elections today; for the nation (march & Trump rally in D.C. tomorrow, 1/6); etc.
Well, it didn’t feel like a Virgin Q, but physically, it felt like it was the first time YHC worked out in years–a full month of the “One-Niner” has ransacked YHC’s legs and lungs. Still, thankful for all the men who posted, humbled to have good health, and grateful to be back!
Bolt 46’s IC (4 Count) – 16 squats to halfway down (Q Lost Count). 15 squats halfway to full down. 15 full squats.
Cherry Pickers – 20 IC
The Thang
Mosey @.5 miles to O Holy Hill.
PAX performed 12 hydraulic squats in cadence with a weird 6 count, 12 best form LBC’s in 4 count cadence, & 12 best form merkins in 4 count cadence. Once complete Pax will nur up the hill and run down and plank for the 6. PAX completed 11 hydraulic squats in cadence, 11 best form LBC’s in cadence, & 11 best form merkins in cadence. Nur up the hill and run down and plank for the 6. Rinse and repeat in descending order until time became a factor. HIM completed 5 evolutions down through the round of 8.
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 – 12/24/20 – see below for Billy Graham & Ron Hutchcraft posts gleaned from the Internet…
In His Own Words – Billy Graham’s 1993 Christmas Message
December 21, 2020
The joyful Christmas message of peace on earth and goodwill to men seems clouded this year by events at home and around the world that dramatize the terrible increase in violence and crime.
We live in a world dangerously torn by hate and conflict, and people feel powerless to do anything about it. Many also know that their own hearts are driven by destructive passions and motives they cannot seem to control or change.
The decline in moral values is having a tragic effect on our society. People are concerned about their children, their families and their country and are desperately searching for answers. In taking God and religion out of our lives, we have lost our moral and spiritual bearings.
This Christmas season let us consider our spiritual heritage. Let us listen carefully to the angels’ words that continue to offer us hope, especially at this critical time.
“Fear not.” the angels said on that starry night in Bethlehem. “For I bring you good news of great joy, which shall be for all the people. For today in the city of David there has been born for you a Saviour, who is Christ the Lord.”
In a world more needy than ever, let us open our hearts to the child in the manger, who can bring us new life and new power over the violence, crime, and evils of our day.
The occasion was a city-wide art contest. They were told to paint paintings entitled “Peace.” While the judges were understandably attracted to this beautiful pastural scene that a local painter had painted. It was a green pasture. It was the puffy white clouds and the beautiful blue sky and a little boy going by with a fishing pole over his shoulder and a quiet brook and some birds. That got second place. First place – well, the picture was of an angry, stormy day at the seashore as the ocean was beating against the cliffs and the cliffs were stark and dark because of the darkness of the storm. The sky in this painting was angry and black, green and purple. You had to look twice to figure out what in world this had to do with peace. But if you looked halfway up the cliff these little baby birds were nestled underneath the wing of their mother, and they were sleeping totally oblivious to the storm that was howling all around them. Now it’s the Christmas season. It’s supposed to be about peace; but, if you feel the holiday pressure like I do, seems more like a storm, a stress which leads us into those birds.
Well, I’m Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about “A Christmas Survival Kit.”
Our word for today from the Word of God comes from Isaiah 30:15, “in quietness and trust is your strength.” What a great verse for the chaos that Christmas has become. You’re in the middle of it right now. The shopping – the entertaining – and getting all the cards out – “Oh, who did we forget. They sent us a card; we better send them one.” – All of the church events that are going on – maintaining all the family traditions that the kids insist on or you do – the guests are coming – family time – you know, they’re flying in – they’re driving in. Suddenly the Christmas season seems more like “Stress on Earth” than “Peace on Earth,” and then God speaks “in quietness and trust is your strength.”
If you are going to protect the heart of Christmas and not succumb to the hassle of Christmas, you must protect a quiet spot at the beginning of each day where quietness and trust will be your strength. Think about those birds in that painting. Peace was not the absence of a storm, it was peace right in the middle of it. They found their quiet spot. Well, the secret is the same for you. The more hectic the season is, the harder it is to get your quiet time with the Lord and the more you need it.
It would be tragic if Jesus gets lost in the process of you getting ready for His birthday. If anything, make your time with Jesus more top priority than ever. First of all because Christmas becomes an idol if it crowds out Christ. Secondly, you need to be with Him to keep everything in proportion. Unload your concerns on Him. Focus on the relationship with Jesus. It’s a love relationship above all else. Eliminate the overload. Ask the Lord if there’s things you can eliminate. Simplify as you ask for His wisdom. What’s your Christmas survival kit? “Quietness and trust is your strength.” It comes from non-negotiable times spent with the Prince of Peace, not peace that’s the absence of a storm but peace right in the middle of a storm.
