Warm-Up- Side straddle hops , Cherry Pickers, Moroccan Nightclubs
The Thing!
Mosey to the courthouse- Split into 2 groups. From starting point one at a time, Alligator Merkin to the staircase. Bunny Hop up each step, squats on each step coming down, then jail break back to starting point. While waiting for group member to return all other members doing 50 American Hammers, 20 Big Boys, 50 LBC’s.
Patriot Run to the School.
11’s- Start at line with 10 Merkins and 1 Burpee. Mosey to next line and do 9 Merkins and 2 Burpees. So on until reach 1 Merkin and 10 Burpees.
Patriot Run back to Courthouse
Get back into groups. Bear Crawl to steps, Merkin up each step, Run down next set and back to group. While waiting for group member to return all other members doing 50 American Hammers, 20 Big Boys, 50 LBC’s.
Mosey Back to Start Point
3rd F– Story, A young couple moved into a new neighborhood. The next morning while they were eating breakfast, the young woman saw her neighbor hanging the wash outside. “That laundry is not very clean,” she said. ” She doesn’t know how to wash correctly. Perhaps she needs better laundry soap.” Her husband looked on, but remained silent. Every time her neighbor would hang her wash to dry, the young woman would make the same comment. About a month later, the woman was surprised to see a nice clean wash on the line and said to her husband, “Look, she has learned how to wash correctly. I wonder who taught her this?” The husband said, “I got up early this morning and cleaned our windows.”
And so it is with life. What we see when watching others depends on the purity of the window through which we look.
“Why do you look at the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye?” Matthew 7:3
Our perspective of other as well as the world varies according to how clean we keep our windows.
F3 First State doesn’t have hills by comparison to some other regions, we’re on the coast of Delaware and it would be nothing short of proper to call us “flat-landers.” Nonetheless, what hills we have we try to utilize. One location was fondly dubbed “Oh Hill No!” a number of years ago; its a grassing hill that rises to the Milton, DE water tower. Another is the hill on the street adjacent to it, aptly referred to as Merlot Hill–yes, that’s the reason why–and yes, the FNG was promptly given that nickname. Anyway, today it wasn’t “Oh, hill no!” it was “Oh, hill yeah! Like YHC said, we don’t have many [real] hills, so it was simply time to embrace the suck. But…it all started with a VQ Warm-O-Rama by the one and only Deez.
WARM-O-RAMA:
Moroccan Night Club – 26 IC
Merkins – 10 OYO
Cherry Pickers – 21 IC
Merkins – 10 OYO
SSH – 20 IC
Merkins – 10 IC
Chairman Lap
Great job by a self-confessed very anxious Deez on his first time ever Warm-O-Rama
THE THANG:
PAX prepared to mosey to Merlot Hill, YHC divvied up some restrictor plates (1 40lb sandbag/2 20lb sandbags) among the normally faster PAX for making our .5 mile trek to the hill. Cool thing happened, PAX passed them around the entire journey there and back. In an act of genuine camaraderie every HIM embraced the suck.
Once at the base of the hill YHC set us up for a set of 11’s (i.e. not enough time for 21’s). Sandbags? Well, grab one whenever it becomes available either on your way up the hill or on your way down. They were vying for these things! Crazy PAX! Sandbags are for kids.
Big Boys at the bottom, 1 – Merkins at the top, 10 (Keep going until the numbers are switched 10 – 1)
For the PAX on teams participating in the @F3Alliance Merkins & Miles Challenge, the wrap up was an additional 10 Merkins to get to a total of 100 during the workout.
Midway through the set of 11’s YHC circled-up PAX for the following 3rdF:
If you’ve ever had a long year then you can probably relate to the lyrics of Toby Mac’s song titled Faithfully. Lyrics:
It’s been a long year
It almost took me down,I swear
Life was so good
I’m not sure we knew what we had
I’ll never be the same man
I’ll never feel like I felt before
It’s been a hard year
It almost took me down
Refrain But when my world broke into pieces
You were there faithfully
When I cried out to You, Jesus
You made a way for me
I may never be the same man (YHC’s commentary: Hard times change a man, for better or worse, depending upon who or what we depend…)
But I’m a man who still believes
When I cried out to You, Jesus
You were there faithfully
The song goes on to for several more verses… Refrain, Refrain, Refrain… Check out the full song here…
If you don’t know; the story behind the song is that Toby Mac and his wife lost their oldest son, Truitt, to an overdose in Oct. 2019.
I’ve never lost a child, and I won’t even pretend to know the pain of that experience. But he does say that Jesus was there faithfully. And I don’t know if anybody in this circle has experienced losing a child, but I can tell you this: Whatever the cause, we’ve all experienced, or will experience, some REALLY long/hard years.
I’ve pastored a church where for the first few years a small group of people wanted my head on a platter…non-stop! They were hard years!
I inexplicably went through 2 years of depression where I was immobilized, then tormented, daily, by plans of ending it all. (Thank you to Ruxpin for speaking about this recently…guys find it extremely difficult to broach this subject, but it has to be talked about.)
I’ve faced long years with each of my boys, wondering if they’d ever turn the corner
And I’m certain you’ve had long years too! Regardless of whatever it was that made that year (those years) long, the truth that matters most, and the one we sometimes need to look for to see is that…
(Refrain adapted) …when my world broke into pieces God was there faithfully | When I cried out to You, Jesus | You made a way for me | I may never be the same man | But I’m a man who still believes | When I cried out to You, Jesus | You were there faithfully
That’s Toby Mac’s testimony, and it’s so relatable because it’s ours too! Yet it’s not the promise of the song that captures us, but rather it is the promise of Scripture:
In Deut. 31: 6-8 Moses told Joshua 2x, “Be strong and courageous…God is the One who goes with you. He will not fail you or forsake you.” (Comment: Sometimes we need to hear it from someone else.)
In 1 Chron. 28:20 David said to Solomon, “Be strong and courageous, and act; Do not fear nor be dismayed…for the Lord God, my God, is with you. He will not fail you nor forsake you.” (Comment: Promises of God also have to be passed down from generation to generation. Others must hear it from us that “My God, the One true God, the God in whom I have come to trust, is with you.)
The promise is found also in 1 Kings 8:57 “May the Lord our God be with us…may He not leave us nor forsake us.” (Comment: Here it a blessing we’re calling down upon ourselves.)
And in Joshua 1 God spoke directly to Joshua and promises him 2x in the first nine verses: “I will be with you; I will not fail you or forsake you.” And, “For the Lord your God is with youwherever you go.” (vv.5, 9) (Comment: While we may need to hear it from others, or while we may be speaking forth this promise to someone who needs to hear it; the greatest moments are when we hear God speaking directly to us. BUT…that means we have to be listening. These promises are for those listening and longing to hear from God, to walk with God, and to trust Him and pursue Him with their whole heart. They are not for those pursuing a life without Him. …long silent pause…)
We find the same promise(s) in the NT:
In a passage referred to as the Great Commission, in Matt. 28:20 Jesus’ parting words to His followers included the same promise, “All authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth, “Go therefore [in My authority] and [as you are going] make disciples [followers of Christ] of all nations [people groups], baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you,” and here it is: “I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”
One last place the promise is found is Hebrews 13:5 “…for He [Jesus] Himself said, “I will never desert you, nor will I ever forsake you.”
Anytime something is repeated, it’s because we need to hear it [again!]. And I don’t know who needs to be assured of this today, or who will need to hear this promise’s echo in the future, but it is God’s promise to us; one that we can all likely attest is true, that when everything breaks into pieces, when we’re in our darkest hour, and when we’ve come to a place of pain that we’ve never felt before, or when it has just simply turned into a long year, Jesus will be there with us faithfully. For “He will never leave us nor forsake us.” HIM rely on the Lord [especially] during those times.
After PAX wrapped their remaining rounds of 11’s, we grabbed the restrictor plates and headed back to the AO. Again, in a genuine display of camaraderie PAX were vying over the sandbags. Gimme, gimme, gimme…in a very unselfish and selfless way!
COT:
Number-Rama – 19 PAX won THAT FIRST BATTLE and posted in yet another glorious Gloom
Name-O-Rama
Announcements:Turkey Day workout will be a full hour (05:15 – 06:15 hrs.), followed by Coffeeteria at Quattro’s, followed by a few hours of killing targets. (BYOG – Bring Your Own Guns & BYOB – Bring Your Own Bullets, or just show up and get a feel for shooting. Ah…I love the smell of gunpowder in the morning! …sorry, there will be no Napalm.)
PRAYERS: For Rob; for the family who lost their 21-yr-old son to a heart attack; for a couple of other requests slipping YHC’s mind as of the writing of this Backblast. Nonetheless, God knows, He remembers)
Bolt 45’s IC (4 Count) – 15 squats to halfway down. 15 squats halfway to full down. 15 full squats.
Windmills – 15 IC
Jiminy Crickets – 10 OYO
Mosey @.5 miles to “Oh Hill No”
The Thang
The Super Sheldon Cooper on “Oh Hill No”. Inch worm with a merkin up the hill, Crawl Bear down and complete 10 Burpees, 10 Squats, 10 Merkins & 10 Big Boys. Dragon Crawl up the hill, Crawl Bear down and complete 10 Burpees, 10 Squats, 10 Merkins & 10 Big Boys. For the final round, complete a Bear Crawl up the hill, Crawl Bear down and complete 10 Burpees, 10 Squats, 10 Merkins & 10 Big Boys. F3 Message and Dragon Crawl @ 50ft. before moseying back to the CHOP.
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.
Politicians – promises. They’re almost synonyms. And, man, we’ve been through the election campaigns. And, of course, you know, we’re probably on promise overload! You get it from the time they declare their candidacy. “He broke his promise!” “He can’t keep that promise!” “If I’m elected, I promise…”
Elections raise hopes. Reality often crushes them, doesn’t it? The promises often seem to get swept away and trashed with the victory celebration confetti. Fact is, no politician keeps all their promises. Sometimes, well, because they never meant to, sometimes because of unforeseen circumstances, and often just because he/she simply doesn’t have the power to deliver what they promised.
I’m Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about “So Many Promises.”
Now, it’s not just politicians. Look, we parents make a lot of promises – too many of which we either forget, neglect or just fail to keep. The promis-er may forget. The promis-ee never does. Most of us can still remember, like years later, the parents’ promises that never happened.
We make promises at work, at church, to friends. Raising expectations, and then dashing them by never following through. We lose what takes years to gain and just a day to lose – trust. We shake our heads in disgust at the politicians’ words that seem so hollow in light of their broken promises. Forgetting the “trail of tears” that we ourselves have left with the things we said but never did.
I stood before an altar years ago and made some of the biggest promises of my life. I told the woman I loved – and, more importantly, I told God – that I would love and care for her and be committed to her “’til death do us part.” She staked her life on my promise, and the Lord, in the Bible’s words, was “acting as the witness” of my “marriage covenant.” That’s what the book of Malachi says (Malachi 2:14). I found myself listening again and then again to those promises I made that day to try to be sure I was keeping them.
I learned the hard way, that in every relationship, you think before you promise. And do whatever it takes to deliver when you do promise. Now, our word for today from the Word of God, Ecclesiastes 5 beginning in verse 5 says this: “It is better not to vow than to make a vow and not fulfill it. Do not let your mouth lead you into sin.” King David described the man God will honor as one who “keeps his oath even when it hurts” (Psalm 15:4).
After so many soaring speeches in political campaigns, I wrote these words in my personal journal: “A political season shows that humans promise what they ultimately lack the power to deliver, and hopes are dashed. But my hope is based on a Savior who, by beating death, has shown me He can do anything and everything He has promised!” Man, that’s awesome!
Well, He promised, “My God will supply all your needs” (Philippians 4:19). And in a thousand amazing ways, He always has. He said, “Your strength will equal your days” (Deuteronomy 33:25), and there’s never been a day He didn’t deliver. He promised “they who honor Me I will honor” (1 Samuel 2:30), and He’s come through every time I’ve risked to do the right thing. He told me, “I am the Lord your God who directs you in the way you should go” (Isaiah 48:17), and He’s done it at every crossroads.
I’m sure, beyond any shadow of a doubt, that He will keep the promise on which my eternity rests, “God has given us eternal life, this life is in His Son. He who has the Son has life…you who believe in the name of the Son of God…know that you have eternal life” (1 John 5:11-13).
I have no fear of death. I have no doubt about heaven, because I’ve put my trust in the only One who can forgive my sins – the One who died for them. I trust in the only One who can give me eternal life – the One who walked out of His grave. And He waits to do that for you. In a world of littered promises, this Jesus will deliver the life and eternity He promised if you’ll grab Him today with all your trust like a drowning person grabs a lifeguard.
Our website is there to help you do that. I hope you’ll go there today. It’s ANewStory.com. You can plant both your feet on His promises and you’ll know He’ll deliver. He has no unforeseen circumstances. He cannot lie. And nothing is too hard for the Lord.
It was a bit chilly this morning so a good warm up was called for but with YHC still dealing with a sprained ankle the choice of exercises was limited but got the job done.
Bat Wings: Done to a 4 count cadence. 20 Forward arm circles HOLD 20 Backward arm circles HOLD 20 Seal claps HOLD 20 Overhead claps
Mountain Climbers 20 IC
Turn and Bounce 20 IC
Cherry Pickers 20 IC
Hairy Rockettes 20 IC
Moroccan Nightclub 20 IC
BOLT 45s
After getting sufficiently warmed up all PAX moseyed to the Arena’s parking lot.
THE THANG:
Once all PAX arrived to the parking lot we formed a circle approximately 30 feet around a speaker and the F3 Workout deck. PAX were informed that we would Bearcrawl to the deck YHC would pick 5 cards then we would Crawlbear back to original position do the stated exercises on the cards with the following guidance: Cards 2-10 would be the card value plus 10 repetitions, Royals – 25 repetitions, ACE – 50 repetitions. Upon completion of the round PAX would Bearcrawl back and another PAX identified by YHC would choose 5 more cards and repeat as time allowed.
ROUND ONE:
Plank Jacks – 25
Standing Lunges – 20 each leg
Diamond Merkins – 25
Flutter Kicks – 20 IC OYO (supposed to Rosalitas but no one knew what that was)
Lunge Walk – rotated the circle until back to original position
ROUND TWO: Chosen by Spreader
Flutter Kicks – 50 IC OYO
Calf Raises – 50
Dips – 25
Hand Release Merkins – 15
Squats – 13 (Card was WOJO Squats but again we improvised for the unknown)
THIRD F:
The Fisherman and the Businessman
Once upon a time there was a businessman who was sitting on the beach in a small Italian village.
As he sat, taking a brief break from the stress of his daily schedule, he saw a fisherman rowing a small boat back into the harbour. In the boat were a few large fish.
Impressed, the businessman asked the fisherman, “How long does it take you to catch so many fish?” To which he replied “Oh, not so long.”
The businessman was confused, “Why don’t you fish for longer to catch even more?”
“More? This is enough to feed my entire family and even offer some to my neighbours,” the fisherman said.
“So what do you do for the rest of your day?” Enquired the businessman.
The fisherman replied, “Well, I’ve usually have caught my fish by late morning, at which point I go home, kiss my wife, and play with my kids. In the afternoon, I take a nap and read. In the evening, I go to the village to have a drink with my friends, play guitar, sing, and dance into the night!”
Putting his entrepreneurial hat on, the businessman offered a suggestion.
“I have a PhD in business! I can help you become much more successful. From now on, you should spend longer at sea and catch as many fish as possible. When you’ve saved enough money, buy a bigger boat to catch even more fish. From there, you’ll soon be able to buy more boats, set up your own company, build a production plant to can the fish and control distribution, and move to the city to control your other branches.”
To this, the fisherman asks, “And after that?”
The businessman laughs, “After that, you’ll be able to live like a king, take your company public, float your shares and be rich!”
“And after that?” Asks the fisherman once more.
“After that, you can retire, move to a house by the sea, wake up early in the morning to go fishing, then return home to play with your kids, kiss your wife, take a nap in the afternoon and join your friends in the village to drink, play guitar and dance into the night!”
Puzzled, the fisherman replies, “But isn’t that what I’m doing already?”
Moral of the story:
Be content with what you have. Do you really need to keep pushing for more? Stress is often a choice.There’s joy and peace in simplicity.
Philippians 4: 6-9
4 Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! 5 Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. 6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.8 Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. 9 Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.
After the 3rd F all PAX moseyed pack to the Grit Mill.
COT:
Announcements: Roving Ruck at Aegis this Friday
Prayer requests: Sherlocks father, YHCs family with his 2.0s being sick and his brother and nephews as the year anniversary of their wife and mother tragically passing away approaches.
Kudos to Beeker (Hospital name: Corbin Bean) for getting in his VQ Warm-O-Rama. Great job brother; it was awesome for YHC (Hospital name: Todd Bean) to tag-team with you and get you into the Q rotation.
Here’s how it all went down this Gloom:
WARM-O-RAMA:
Um…yeah, YHC has little recollection of everything we did, but it was well executed and sufficient for getting our heart rates up and warming up the PAX for the following
THE THANG:
Had to start with a Bearcrawl across the freshly resealed parking lot. Boom! After years of complaints by those who have soft and supple hands, it has to be said: That thing is clean. PAX just couldn’t wait to use it!
PAX grouped up in gaggles of 5–couldn’t have planned it better; there were 20 PAX and we needed 4 groups for 4 stations:
Station #1: At this station groups had to Prison Break to Willow St, and Mosey back. This was the time-setter station, as after PAX went down a back groups would move to the next station.
Station #2:Swerkins AMRAP. How about that? 5 PAX in each group and 5 swings for Swerkins.
Station #3:Curb-Stop Leg-lifts AMRAP How about that? 5 PAX in each groups and 5 curb stops for Leg Lifts
Back to station #1, Rinse & Repeat AMRAP. PAX rotated through the stations 3x, taking a 3rdF breather mid-way, after which YHC got in the old stand-by Side-Straddle-Hops, then Seal Jacks, before resuming the workout. Somewhere in there we snuck in a Chairman Lap, before closing out with a short round of Mary: 4-Count Freddies – 25 IC, courtesy of YHC, and Superman/Banana, courtesy of Quattro
The following 3rdF shared by our Q, Chappie:
In the year 1519, Hernán Cortéz arrived along the Yucatan Coast off of Veracruz, Mexico with 600 (300?) men and, upon arriving and disembarking their ships, Cortés sounded the order to “burn the ships!” Before moving inland Cortéz destroyed 10 of his 11 ships, cutting off he and his men’s only hope of retreat and leaving them with no option but to conquer.
We can use this as a metaphor today to venture into new territories, to explore the unknown, and to take what we might see as potentially hazardous risks (followers of Christ cannot help but to take faith-filled risks). Sometimes, even when there is uncertainty we must burn the ships, we must lead others to burn the ships. I.e. we need to eliminate the off-ramps in our own lives, or maybe in our workplaces, our churches, our teams, etc., so that we can make certain we’re not avoiding the challenges, and make certain there is no turning back. (That’s a great hymn btw.)
In whatever the case may be the story of burning the ships is as relevant a metaphor as ever; for in many cases if you leave the ships in the harbor, you’re not fully committing to whatever the task, or mission, or vision might be.
We workout at O-Gawd-Thirty just about every morning because it’s part of the physical, mental, and spiritual challenges we’ve accepted. Why? Because F3 workouts increase your ability to be an asset in your home, your workplace, and the communities in which you serve. We do this “fitness, fellowship, and faith” stuff so that we’re more capable physically, mentally, & spiritually to lead our families & solve problems, etc. If we live in accordance with the mantra “burn the ships” it will serve as a metaphor for eliminating the excuses we’re prone to, and the backup plans we usually have in place. “Burn the ships” says the only option is to conquer, the only option is victory, the only option is to succeed! Burn the ships and you will have no other option!
There’s another man who said that. Well, actually, He said it a little differently: In Luke 9:23 Jesus said “If anyone wishes to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me.” You know, right after that in vv. 57-61 Jesus actually turned 3 people away, who said they would follow Him wherever He’d go. Each had excuses and Jesus called them out on it: One realized they’d be without a place to lay their heads, another wanted to wait until his after father died, and the third wanted to spend some time at home first. The context tells us they took the off-ramp; it implies they turned back instead of following Jesus. Then in v. 62 Jesus said, “No one, after putting his hand to the plow and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.”
Gentlemen, HIM put their hand to the plow and never look back! (Ask the farmers…)
HIM take up their cross daily and follow Jesus.
Gentlemen, HIM “burn the ships!” Excuses are not an option.
YHC is always grateful for the opportunity to lead at @f3firststate. We have more and more PAX being added to the Q list (men are stepping up), so opportunities are becoming more sparse–a good problem to have! Hey, that’s what we’re about…planting, growing, and serving.
COT:
Announcements: Shirt order down to last day, 10/19 at midnight. 2.0 Workout this Saturday at the Aegis AO.
Prayers: Semi’s 2.0 traveling back to college; Quattro’s family fighting “the big green monster”; Fireplex’s Dad; and Ruxpin’s M; etc.
A little moist this morning at the CHOP for Ruxpin’s Revenge
Date: 10/04/2022
AO: CHOP, Milton, DE
QIC: Fireplex
Warm up
SSH – 20 IC
Windmills – 20 IC
Bolt 45’s IC (4 Count) – 15 squats to halfway down. 15 squats halfway to full down. 15 full squats.
Hydraulic Squats – 10 IC (6 Count)
Bataan Death March – A Patriot run with the last PAX completing 2 burpees before running to the front. It took two chairman laps for all 17 HIM to complete their opportunity to do the burpees.
The Thang
The Super 21 as it appears in the Exicon. 1 Merkin to 1 Big Boy Sit up. 2 Merkins to 2 Big Boy Sit-ups. 3 Merkins to 3 Big Boy Sit-ups, 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 Boy Sit-ups, then finish strong with 21 Burpees. All PAX were asked to complete the remainder at home if they did not complete the entire set.
Count-O-Rama, Name-O-Rama, and the Circle of Trust. Please keep all our HIM in your thoughts and prayers.
The book is called Good to Great. It’s a thought-provoking book on management written by Jim Collins and a research team that he headed. They identified eleven of the most effective companies in the United States, and then they pursued this question: “What specifically makes these companies so different?” This research actually challenged many of the author’s preconceptions. There were actually lots of surprises. Interestingly, the first thing Collins and his team point to as common to every one of these consistently successful companies is this, and it is a surprise – the modesty of the various CEOs who led them. They suggest that the starting point of a great company is a humble leader – highly focused, sometimes driven people – but known for being gracious, self-effacing, understated. I guess in a word, humble.
I’m Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about “The Surprising Secret of Greatness.”
If you’ve listened much to what Jesus says about leadership, those recent “discoveries” shouldn’t be a great surprise to you. In Mark 10, beginning with verse 42, our word for today from the Word of God, Jesus presents what most people believe about being a leader – and then the truth according to Jesus.
He says: “You know that those who are regarded as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them…not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all.” Then Jesus backs it up with the way He lived His own life: “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many.”
Jesus believes that you can earn your authority in people’s lives by serving them, by putting them first, by helping them succeed. And, sure enough, the most contemporary research only reinforces the importance of humility in leadership. The Good to Great authors illustrate their conclusions in this area with what they call windows and mirrors. When these successful CEOs do something right, they walk over to a window and point to all the reasons out there (especially all the other people) that are the reasons for their success. When they do something wrong, they walk to a mirror and they assume the blame themselves. Less effective leaders? Well, the authors say they do it just the other way around – when things go wrong they point out the window and point to excuses and explanations. When things are going right, they go to the mirror to admire the one who deserves the credit they think.
Whether you’re in a position to lead your children, or lead a business, or a staff, or a church, a class, a project, a ministry, don’t fall for the popular lies about leading people – that success means being pushy or punishing, pulling rank, playing politics, manipulating, promoting yourself. No, it’s humble servanthood that is the surprising secret of success. That’s humility as in always being teachable, and courteous, vulnerable, willing to accept responsibility rather than place blame; caring about the person, not just the project.
Former Attorney General John Ashcroft’s godly father tried to prepare him for life in the nation’s Capitol after his son had gotten elected to the United States Senate. Listen to what he said, “John, the culture of Washington is a culture of arrogance.” (By the way, most power-centers are.) He said, ” But the culture of Jesus is a culture of humility. Don’t get sucked into the culture of arrogance.”
That’s good advice for any of us who have someone to lead. Remember, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble” (1 Peter 5:5).
Doodle, Pick, Bolt, Woodstock, SinkO, @quattro, Schwartz, Peddles, Bunt, Wood, @semi, @trex, @ruxpin, @toy-soldier, @chattahoochee, Chauffer, @chappie, Probe, @fireplex, Bubba, and @yukon posted for a Hurricane of Pain on a moist Saturday morning beat down.
Warm-O Rama
20 Side Straddle Hops-in cadence
20 Cherry Pickers-in cadence
20 Mountain Climbers-in cadence
20 Windmills-in cadence
Mosey to Georgetown Middle School front lawn
The Thang (partner up)
Phase 1: Partner #1 does AMRAP Mountain Climber while partner #2 Jail Breaks to next sidewalk and completes 10 Burpees. Partner #2 then does AMRAP Mountain Climber while partner #2 Jail Breaks to sidewalk and completes 10 Burpees. Hold Plank for the 6.
Phase 2: Partner #1 does AMRAP LBC while partner #2 Bear Crawls to next sidewalk and completes 10 Iron Mikes. Partner #2 then does AMRAP LBC while partner #1 Bear Crawls to sidewalk and completes 10 Iron Mikes. Hold 6″ for the 6.
Phase 3: Partner #1 does AMRAP Jump Rope while partner #2 Duck Walks to next sidewalk and completes 20 Merkins. Partner #2 then does AMRAP Jump Rope while Partner #1 Duck Walks to sidewalk and completes 20 Merkins. Hold 6″ for the 6.
Phase #4: Partner #1 does AMRAP Side Straddle Hops while partner #2 Crab Crawls to last sidewalk and completes 20 Gas Pumpers. Partner #2 then does AMRAP Side Straddle Hops while partner #1 Crab Crawls to sidewalk and completes 20 Gas Pumpers. Plank for the 6.
For a little breather we Mosey’d around the front lawn on the sidewalk following Bunt’s lead then circled up for the Third F.
We then reversed the exercises to get back to the other side of the lawn.
For a little breather we Mosey’d around the front lawn on the sidewalk again following Fireplex’s lead.
As a unit NUR to third sidewalk. AMRAP Squats for 6.
As a unit Jail break to second sidewalk and standing long jump to first sidewalk. AMRAP Squats for 6.
As a unit Side Shuffle to third sidewalk. Al Gore for 6.
As a unit Side Shuffle to first sidewalk. Al Gore for 6.
Mosey back to circle (long way…of course) for Number Rama, Name-O Rama and Circle of Trust.
Third F
The Right Thing is often the Hard Thing. In F3 we often say, “Do the hard things!” More often than not the hard thing is the right thing. David had been annointed as the King of Israel as King Saul had stepped out of God’s favor. It came to pass that as King Saul was searching for David in order to kill him David was hiding in a certain cave. King Saul entered the cave to relieve himself. David’s men told him he should kill Saul and claim his kingdom. David did not follow the instruction of his men, but waited on God’s timing to inherit the throne. The easy thing to do would have been to kill Saul while he was unsuspecting and in no position to defend himself and take the kingdom. We too are faced with taking the easy road or the right (hard) road. When faced with decisions in our day-to-day we can choose the easy (wrong) thing or the right (hard) thing.
QIC had his chance to bring it on this beautiful Gloom for the 1st time in a few months. IT was a great morning and thank you to all the HIM thgt made it out.
Warm o Rama
20 ssh
20 cherry pickers
15 windmills
The Thang
Mosey over to HOB front parking lot for a little bit of Running
10 burpees 1 lap
10 burpees 20 merkins 1 lap
10 burpees 20 merkins 30 Bobby Hurleys 1 lap
Insert 3rd F message here details below
10,20, 30, 40 squats, 50 LBC 1 lap
Return back to AO for COT Announcements and prayer requests
3rd f message
QIC GUMP announced that last week he and his M celebrated their 20th anniversary. There is no real secret to the success in this endeavor. Basic Biblical principals have led to years of success in our marriage. Beginning with forgiveness. QIC shared that 26 years ago his father found out that his mother was cheating on him and in a jealous rage turned a gun on his family and shot us. Years later, and a restored relationship with his dad, QIC gump needed some advice and asked his dad what he would have done differently, other than not picking up a gun of course. His father replied, ” I would have forgiven her and let her go in hopes that she would return”. With this said every successful relationship needs a foundation in Christ. Both partners need to practice forgiveness, and grace in order for the relationship to work and mature, and once you get thru the tough times the relationship is stronger than ever. Here are a few scriptures I found to back up my message:
And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you. Ephesians 4:32
Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering;
bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do.
Colossians 3:12- 13
Husbands, love your wives and do not be bitter toward them.
Colossians 3:19
Then Peter came to Him and said, “Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Up to seven times?” Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven. Therefore the kingdom of heaven is like a certain king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. And when he had begun to settle accounts, one was
brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents. But as he was not able to pay, his master commanded that he be sold, with his wife and children and all that he had, and that payment be made. The servant therefore fell down before him, saying, ‘Master, have patience with me, and I will pay you all.’ Then the master of that servant was moved with compassion, released him, and forgave him the debt. “But that servant went out and found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii; and he laid hands on him and took him by the throat, saying, ‘Pay me what you owe!’ So his fellow servant fell down at his feet and begged him, saying, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you all.’ And he would not, but went and threw him into prison till he should pay the debt. So when his fellow servants saw what had been done, they were very grieved, and
came and told their master all that had been done. Then his master, after he had called him, said to him, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you begged me. Should you not also have had compassion on your fellow servant, just as I had pity on you?’ And his master was angry, and delivered him to the torturers until he should pay all that was due to him. “So My heavenly Father also will do to you if each of you, from his heart, does not forgive his brother his trespasses.”
21 PAX posted at the CHOP on 15 Sept. 2022 for a little fun in the gloom.
Warm-up 30SSH, 20 CHERRY PICKERS,15 TOY SOLDIERS and 15 Windmills all IC
The Thang consisted of a mosey out the rear entrance and around to the front meeting back in the center of parking lot for 12 reps of 3 excercises most in cadence
12 merkins, 12 squats, 12 hello dollys
repeat mosey
12 diamond merkins, Bobby Hurleys, 12 dying cockroaches
QIC: Probe with the Warm-up VQ with Assistant QIC Fireplex
Probe worked hard on his Warm-up VQ. I may not have all the exercises identified or have the count exactly right as Probe directed us this morning…but then again…his count may have been a bit different anyway…..:)….Either way, I appreciate Probe and am thankful that he is willing to step up and lead.
Warm up
SSH – 20 IC
Moroccan Night Clubs – 20 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
Mosey @ .25 miles to the main entrance to H.O.B. Elementary when we completed Hydraulic Squats – 10 IC (6 Count) before continuing the Mosey @ .25 miles to the hill by the boat docks.
The Thang
Pax went right at a set of Doracides which is identified in the Exicon as follows: Two Pax worked together to reach exercise reps of 100, 200, 300, & 400 of 4 different exercises. One Pax worked on the exercises while the second Pax completed suicides to three designated waypoints by way of a NUR up the hill. Another extra twist is at the waypoint of each suicide run; the Pax completed 1 burpee, then 2 burpees, and finally 3 burpees before returning to the starting point. Once all three suicide sprints were completed, the Pax switched stations until all reps of each exercise were completed. The exercises completed are as follows: 100 American Hammers, 200 Merkins, 300 LBC’s, & 400 squats. Each Pax will make every attempt to complete their half of the total exercises.
Mosey @ .5 miles back to CHOP
F3 Message – QIC shared a confidential personal story with excerpts from the Ron Hutchcraft Word of the Day as documented below.
Count-O-Rama, Name-O-Rama, and the Circle of Trust. Please keep all our HIM in your thoughts and prayers.
Well, this is one of the busiest travel days in the year; people packing into airports and airplanes. Maybe not as much this year, but maybe you’re still heading out for whoever they like to be with over Thanksgiving. But you know what? A lot of air travelers are having to make that choice again: Do I want the scanner, or do I want the pat down? Yeah! Hum…
I’m Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about “A Personal Thanksgiving.”
So, I have sat and listened at times to all the opinions you hear on the news about Thanksgiving travelers’ privacy, and something in the Bible popped into my mind.
It’s our word for today from the Word of God, Hebrews 4:13. “Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight; everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of Him to whom we must give account.” Wow! God sees what we don’t want anybody else to see. The previous verse tells us that God sees and judges “the thoughts and attitudes of the heart” (Hebrews 4:12).
We’re talking all the dark stuff. The dirty thoughts, the adulterous desires, the seething jealousy, that volcanic anger, the endless lies, the backstabbing words, that hateful prejudice, the hurtful selfishness. He sees the egocentric pride we’ve got, and He knows about that long-harbored bitterness. “Everything is uncovered and laid bare” the Bible says.
Oh, we could try to rationalize it or minimize it or call it by a nice name, but it is what it is. It’s sin against God; sin against another person. Rotting trash is rotting trash, no matter how pretty the paper you wrap it in. And with God, it’s all unwrapped. No secrets. We think, “Hey, well, no one’s caught me.” If God knows, you’re caught. And He knows.
Our secrets are not only exposed to God, but they become the basis for us to be judged by God. Hear what God says again: “God will judge men’s secrets through Jesus Christ” (Romans 2:16). King David said in one of his psalms, “O Lord, You have searched me and You know me…You are familiar with all my ways” (Psalm 139:1, 3).
My first reaction: “Uh-oh.” Second reaction: “Good. One person I don’t need to hide anything from…I can’t hide anything from.” In fact, the first step to being free from the darkness inside is to say what the Prodigal Son said when he came home to his father: “Father, I have sinned against heaven and against You” (Luke 15:18). there’s just something liberating about being brutally honest about your sin as you bring it into God’s pure light. Jesus said, “You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free” (John 8:32).
And then comes the release that we desperately need but we don’t deserve. In God’s words, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins” (1 John 1:9). God stands ready to give us a spiritual shower called “forgiven” – and there’s no better feeling than knowing that you are finally clean.
That forgiveness is no cheap thing though. Revelation 1:5 says, “He loves us and freed us from our sins by His blood.” It took the shedding of the blood of God’s only Son, Jesus, to pay the penalty for all my junk. A cross He did not deserve; an excruciating death. God’s Son being cut off from God the Father because Jesus was carrying my sin, going through my hell so I could go to His heaven.
But our bill was paid. All we have to do is take for ourselves what He died for, turning from the sin-darkness that has poisoned our life. So, as I see recurring pictures this season of body scanners and hand searches, I’m thinking God doesn’t need any of that. He sees it all. He knew that what was hidden in the dark places would blow up my life and my eternity. So He acted to defuse it with the most extreme act of sacrificial love in history. He absorbed the “blast” Himself so I could board the flight to His heaven and be with Him forever.
Do you want to get started with Him? You want to experience this? Tell Him that today. Go to our website and find out there how to be sure you belong to Him. That’s ANewStory.com.
It is wonderful to live without fear of discovery, with a clean heart, and with nothing to hide.
