Tag: Sherlock

A Little Dicey

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DATE: 19 May 22

QIC: Chappie

YHC and Focker were stand-ins for Mr. Mom, who pushed back his VQ to next Tue., May 24, as he was “feeling under the weather.” (Stay tuned) Focker adjusted to the change order and got in his VQ Warm-O-Rama. The guy’s a natural! Time to get him in the Q rotation. Focker warmed up the 14 PAX who won THAT FIRST BATTLE (over the fartsack) like this:

WARM-O-RAMA:

  • Disclaimer given
  • Finkle Swings – 10 each leg, OYO
  • Turn & Bounce – 15 IC
  • Windmill – 15 IC
  • MNC – 20 IC
  • SSH – 20 IC
  • Flutter Kicks – 20 IC

Focker said he forgot how hard it was to do cadence while exercising. But YHC observed that his old Army days came right back. The dude’s a natural! And major Tclaps to Focker: He just jumped into F3 a month or two ago and he just doesn’t miss! Consistency is key. Look up consistency in the dictionary and you’ll find Focker’s pic. Keep posting brother, you’re on to something!

Resemblance (in name only)

YHC broke out the big dice for the dicey weather. Here’s how it went down:

THE THANG:

4 Big Dice, roll ’em down the field as far as you can, PAX make their way to the dice via Bear Crawl or Crawl Bear and do that number of reps…

First Roll: 17

  • Bear Crawl to Dice
  • 17 Burpees
  • 17 X’s & O’s

Second Roll: 6

  • Crawl Bear to Dice
  • 6 Burpjacks
  • 6 V-Ups

Third Roll: 14

  • Bear Crawl to Dice
  • 14 Burp-N-Merks (Total Merkins = 105)
  • 14 E2K’s (each leg)

PAX circled up and took in 3rdF at this point: “Habits eat Willpower for Breakfast” (see below). After the 3rdF it was a Prison Break back to the parking lot.

PAX partnered up for Partner Push across the parking lot and back, while 5 PAX would rotate over to the swing-set to swap out for AMRAP Swerkins. Most got in…

  • Partner Push – 3 rounds
  • Swerkins – 3 rounds, AMRAP

Round of Mary:

  • 4-Count Freddies – 51 IC (at the hands of YHC)
  • Flutter Kicks – 20 IC (at the hands of Drago)
  • 6″ Hold – 3 rounds of 10-Counts (YHC)

That was a wrap.

NUMBER-RAMA

NAME-O-RAMA

COT/BOM:

  • Announcements: Get the word out about the Memorial Day Mini (CSAUP), menu sign-up will be posted today or tomorrow, and don’t forget to bring a brief bio of a fallen warrior to share sometime during the workout. Roving Ruckf3st Friday will be at CHOP.
  • Prayer: For Fireplex’s dad, Johnny, battling cancer. For YHC’s M’s Uncle Donnie, given a week to a month to live (cancer). For Chauffer’s M and family. And for Quattro’s M’s feet…

Always happy to Q, thanks Mr. Mom for extending the opportunity. Glad to be your stunt double. Can’t wait to see what you unveil at your VQ.

Chappie, out!

The following is the 3rdF shared mid-workout: (Highly adapted from Steve Moore)

I recently heard the statement by Steve Moore that HABITS EAT WILLPOWER FOR BREAKFAST. Good or bad, your habits will dominate your willpower. Period. Hence, the saying in workout circles “You don’t need motivation, you need discipline.” Discipline forges habits and whether you’re trying to make or break a habit, willpower eventually subsides.

Understanding the power of habit is critical! The difference between ordinary and extraordinary in every area of daily life physically, spiritually, relationally, financially, and intellectually, etc. isn’t one shining moment of overachievement. It’s a series of meaningful but modest actions over time.

WILLPOWER CAN GET YOU STARTED, initiating positive change, but [Good] Habits will enable you to follow through consistently.

HABIT FORMATION: There’s common agreement that habits include a REWARD, a ROUTINE, and a CONTEXT.

REWARD: Can be as simple as the feeling of satisfaction you get from doing something that aligns with your goals, makes you feel good, or achieve a desired outcome.

ROUTINE: The specific sequence of actions that produce the reward. This is where your brain connects all the individual action steps and bundles them for retrieval later. (i.e. like getting up and driving here this morning, you didn’t have to think about it step-by-step; it is routine. And that’s the way we want our habits to be.)

CONTEXT: Is any part of the situation or environment that serves as a trigger for the routine. For example: When I started going to F3 workouts in SC, I was a night-owl, always have been. I immediately found it difficult to stay up til 1 or 2 a.m. AND get up to workout. I had willpower, but needed new habits because eventually the old habit of staying up half the night would eat my willpower for breakfast! I’m at my best when I get to bed at a decent time (new habit). The reward is that I’m able to make the workouts and stay physically fit. The routine, as I mentioned the other day, is that I wake up at 4 a.m. no matter what (regardless of whether I’m working out), and the context quite simply is physical fitness, camaraderie (fellowship), and faith (mine is strengthened because of walking through life with you guys and being part of something bigger). I want to engage in these practices because the value is compounded over time. The same could be said for working hard, eating healthy, investing in a friendship, etc.

Yet, because WILLPOWER is a diminishing resource, WILLPOWER must focus on building a habit, not on completing a task (i.e. anybody can do something 1x or 2x…). There’s a difference. WILLPOWER helps establish the context and routine. But the power of habit enables consistency and compounds the benefits/reward over time.

Since there’s great wisdom in the Word of God I’ll leave you with this: The Bible warns against bad habits (which enslave) but it also exalts good habits, discipline, and self-control:

  • 2 Peter 2:12 warns we’re not to be like irrational animals, creatures of instinct, born to be caught and destroyed. Turned into food, clothing, wallets, boots…
  • Prov. 25:28 says, “A man without self-control [good habits] is like a city broken into and left without walls.”
  • Prov. 13:4 “The soul of the sluggard craves and gets nothing, while the diligent (HIM w/good habits) is richly supplied.”
  • 2 Tim. 1:7 “God have us a spirit NOT of fear but of power and love and self-control.”
  • Gal. 5:22-23 “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, self-control; [and the kicker is…] against such things there is no law.” !!!

Habits eat WILLPOWER for breakfast, be sure to develop good ones (habits).

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Can’t Hurt Me

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Warm-up
• The Cheerleader – 20 IC
• Bat Wings
o Arm Circles forward – 20 IC
o Arm Circles backward – 20 IC
o Seal Claps – 20 IC
o Overhead Claps – 20 IC
• Mountain Man Poopers 20 IC
• Hairy Rockets 20 IC

The Thang: Mosey to Ace Hardware
• Imperial Squat Walker-20 IC
• Bear Crawl parking spot to next parking spot
• Bobby Hurley 25 OYO
• Lt. Dan to next parking line
• 50 Merkins (10 diamond, 10 wide finger tips out, 10 Ranger, 10 wide tips forward, 10 plyo merkins)
• Crawl Bear to next parking line
• American Hammers – 25 IC
• Walking lunge to next parking line
• Double Shot Jackies – 25 OYO (burpee variation with plank jack and SSH)
• Crab Walk across stones
• Third F
• Mosey around building
• Iron Mikes – 12 IC
• Marionettes – 10 each direction OYO (big boy sit up to left, center and right of feet)
• Mosey to AO
• Number-rama
• Name-arama
• COT


Message:
Excerpt from David Goggins: Can’t Hurt Me
Truth Hurts
Call yourself out! Nobody likes to hear the hard truth. Individually and as a culture, we avoid what we need to hear most. Tell the truth about real reasons for your limitations and you will turn that negativity, which is real, into jet fuel. There is no more time to waste. Hours and days evaporate like creeks in the desert. That’s why it’s okay to be cruel to yourself as long as you realize you’re doing it to become better. We all need thicker skin to improve in life.

I brainwashed myself into craving discomfort. If it was raining. I would go run. Facing that mirror motivated me to fight through uncomfortable experiences.

In a society where mediocrity is too often the standard and too often rewarded, there is an intense fascination with men who detest mediocrity, who refuse to define themselves in conventional terms, and who seek to transcend traditionally recognized human capabilities. This is exactly the type of person they seek. The man who finds a way to complete each and every task to the best of his ability. The man who will adapt and overcome any and all obstacles.

Challenge 3
The first step in creating a calloused mind is stepping outside you comfort zone on a regular basis. Write down all the things you don’t like to do or that make you uncomfortable. Especially those things you know are good for you. Doing something that sucks every day. Doing things even small things that make you uncomfortable will make you strong. The more often you get uncomfortable the stronger you’ll become.

Like most battle we fight in life they are won or lost in our minds.
Until you experience hardships like abuse and bullying, failures and disappointments, your mind will remain soft and exposed. Remembering what you’ve been through and how that has strengthened your mind can lift you out of a negative brain loop and help you bypass those weak, one second impulses to give in so you can power through obstacles.

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Block It Out

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Date: 04/05/2022

AO: CHOP, Milton, DE

QIC: Fireplex

Warm up

SSH – 31 IC

Windmills – 21 IC

Cherry Pickers – 21 IC

Imperial Walkers – 21 IC

Jiminy Crickets – 10 OYO

Hydraulic Squats -11 IC

The Thang

Grab a block and mosey to the dentist office.  Pax completed 20 Merkins each side with one hand on the block.  Pax utilized the block and a parking bumper to complete 20 abyss merkins.  Pax completed a Lt Dan for approx. 50 yards utilizing the block before moseying to Shipbuilder’s entrance for American Hammers with the blocks (IC) as well as 20 Big Boy Sit-ups.  Leaving that pain station each Pax completed a 50 Yard bear crawl with the block before moseying to the next pain station.  At that station each Pax completed a Bolt 45 set with the block all in IC.  All Pax woseyed down Willow Street with the block and then moseyed at the halfway point.  When reaching the end of the street or the final pain station, each Pax completed 15 Blockees.  Pax moseyed back to CHOP with their block.     

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

F3 Message 04/05/22

WHY YOUR LOAD SEEMS SO HEAVY – #8338

Maybe it’s a guy thing. Maybe it’s just a Ron thing. But I hate to waste time or waste effort. You know? Here’s what that it looks like when I’ve just returned from the grocery store to restock our empty refrigerator and shelves. I basically look like a mule – yeah, with bags all over my body, carried on almost every appendage. I don’t want to make any more trips to the car than absolutely necessary, oh no, no! So I’m willing to try whatever calisthenics, to tolerate whatever overload will enable me to get everything in the house in one trip. This approach has been known to have its problems. Sometimes I drop a bag or two or one of them rips open; thus, making more work. And I’ve got this shoulder. Yeah, wrecked it pretty well. You think it might be traceable to carrying too much too many times?

I’m Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about “Why Your Load Seems So Heavy.” 

There’s a price to pay for carrying too much at once. You might be paying some of that price right now; the stress, the anxiety, the fatigue, the frustration of those who carry more than they’re supposed to. I’m one of those. I know.

I also know how my Savior says I’m supposed to live. His instructions are very clear in our word for today from the Word of God in Matthew 6, beginning with verse 25. He says, “Do not worry about your life…look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your Heavenly Father feeds them…Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?…Why do you worry?…Do not worry…your Heavenly Father knows what you need…Therefore, do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”

First of all, you don’t have to be a Biblical scholar to pick up Jesus’ message here. He basically says it four times, “Do not worry.” If you looked at us stressed out, freaked out, worn out warriors, you might conclude this is one of the most disobeyed commands Jesus ever gave. We do worry – a lot. And in so doing, we carry a heavier load than we’re designed and equipped to carry. God has promised to give us what we need to carry today: daily bread, strength equal to your day, mercies new every morning, a cross to bear one day at a time, the renewing of our spirit day by day. But there’s no promise about carrying your tomorrow while it’s still today.

John Newton, the writer of “Amazing Grace” said, “Sometimes I compare the troubles which we have to undergo in the course of a year to a great bundle of sticks – far too large to lift. But God does not require us to carry the whole bundle at once. He mercifully unties the bundle and gives us one stick that we are to carry today and then another that we are to carry tomorrow, and so on. We might easily manage it, if we would take only the burden appointed for each new day. But we choose to increase our troubles by carrying yesterday’s stick over again today and by adding tomorrow’s burden to our load before we are required to bear it.” That’s great stuff!

John Newton nailed it. See, we add baggage from yesterday and the potential burdens of tomorrow to what we’re carrying today, and we start dropping things, and stumbling, and even hurting ourselves. So much of what we worry about tomorrow never happens. And you won’t have God’s promised resources to handle tomorrow until tomorrow. So no wonder you’re overwhelmed and discouraged! Dwelling on yesterday or tomorrow takes your focus off today so you don’t even do today very well!

So approach your load God’s way – take your busy life one day at a time, or maybe one stick at a time. That’s how you do a massive load. And about tomorrow? Take advantage of God’s awesome invitation, “Cast all your care upon Him because He cares for you.” (1 Peter 5:7)

Respectfully Submitted,

Fireplex

https://youtu.be/j8WbGSgL-0I

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Lawnmower

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QIC: Semi

Warm-a-Rama
20 seal jacks i/c
20 seal wave i/c
10 hip circles oyo
15 mountain man pooper i/c
15 Windmill i/c

The Thang

Each HIM grabs a coupon
Mosey to the old bank

10 chuck Norris merkin
5 kettle bell clean w/coupon per side
10 coupon merkin
5 kettle bell clean w/coupon per side
20 derkins
5 kettle bell clean w/coupon per side
30 urkins
5 kettle bell clean w/coupon per side

Capri lap around the parking lot

30 coupon flys, shoulders on the wall or curb
5 kettle bell clean w/coupon per side
30 coupon bench press, shoulders on the wall
5 kettle bell clean w/coupon per side
Bolt 45, heels on curb
20 gas pumpers, coupon between knees

3rd F

Told my story if how I got into F3

Mosey back to AO

Round of Mary
10 X n O’s, Waterfall
25 4 count Freddie, Woodstock

Number-Rama
NAME-A-RAMA
COT

8 HIM  showed today: Chappie, Ruxpin, Kwak, Woodstock, Waterfall, Sherlock, Looney Toons, Semi

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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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Hairy Starfish

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https://youtu.be/ny0cPhuxh_4

Date: 3/2/22

QIC: Chappie

Hairy Starfish? What’s with the title? Eh, nothing more than a reference to the typical “hair or the dog” (i.e. a revisit to some of yesterday’s March Merkin Madness with Ruxpin’s first respect! Q ) through YHC’s Starfish workout for today. Here’s how it went down…

First, PAX began with a lot of mumble chatter reflecting on yesterday’s brutality. But hey, they posted so YHC knows they’re up for more!

WARM-O-RAMA:

  • SSH – 18 IC
  • Windmill – 18 IC
  • IW – 18 IC
  • OH Squat Press – 18 IC
  • Shoulder Tap Merkins – 10 IC (kinda hairy…)
  • Cherry Pickers – 18 IC (nice and slow, all the way up and clap)

Mosey to Arena’s parking lot…

THE THANG:

The Starfish: 5 cones set up around the parking lot like 5 legs of a starfish, with 1 in the middle. PAX will do specific exercise at each cone, returning to the center cone after each one to do 10 Burpees or 10 Burpjacks. Check it out:

  • Cone #1: 100 Merkins (Kinda hairy, do sets of 10, 20, 25 or whatever, til you get ’em done)
    • To center cone: 10 Burpees
  • Cone #2: 100 LBC’s
    • Center Cone: 10 Burpjacks
  • Cone #3: 100 Squats
    • Center Cone: 10 Burpees
      • Inserted 3rdF here (see write up below)
  • Cone #4: 100 Drydocks
    • Center Cone: 10 Burpjacks
  • Cone #5: 100 Dips
    • Center Cone: 10 Burpees

Mosey back to the AO, hitting a Prison Break from the corner…

Among other things, from warm-up to workout that’s a total of 220 Merkins & 50 Burpees

NUMBER-RAMA

COT:

Announcements: ShamRuck family ruck coming Fri. March 18 @ 6:17 pm (likely Georgetown, details TBA)

Prayers: For Bill Sammons and family, especially daughter Ira, fleeing Ukraine to Poland; for Blockbuster in Army Basic Training

Here’s your daily 3rdF:

I’ve been reminiscing a lot since Blockbuster left on Sunday to head to Basic Training at Ft. Jackson. Having served as well of course, I have lots of memories to reminisce about—1 in particular came to my mind as I thought of Blockbuster facing the unknowns and the fears that go along with them.

It had to do with the Lord’s Prayer: After lights-out on the very first night of Basic Training, the DS’s exited the barracks and we all laid there in the dark in total silence in our bunks, not sure what to do or whether to talk or not, etc. After a few minutes of a dark eternity I debated within my own head whether to say the Lord’s Prayer [out loud]. I feared whether anyone would join me. I feared forgetting the words and messing it up. Certainly this first day and night carried its own sort of fears too. Like, what the heck did I get myself into? Finally I just went for it:

Matthew 6:9-13

There in the dark barracks everyone else joined in the beautiful chorus of reciting the Lord’s Prayer together. It’s the Prayer that Jesus taught his disciples when they asked, “Lord, teach us to pray” (Mt.6).

He taught them a model of the structure of prayer which was never meant to be a repetitive recitation (used over and over). But that night I think we recited it as a way of not only acknowledging and confessing our fears [corporately], but also of crying out to God with one voice to say that we needed Him in that hour, in the weeks ahead, and in the season to come. And there was an Esprit de corps in that room! It was one of those moments that brought with it the peace and confidence which only God could provide.

We all seemed to know after that that God would carry us through BECAUSE we called out to Him. As men we tend to be self-made and self-reliant (but oftentimes as a result, self-destructive too). In times when we fear the unknown or we’re uncertain of what we’ve gotten ourselves into, or especially in times when God has led us in a specific direction, it is time to call out to Him, maybe even cry out to Him—depending on the circumstances.

God always answers. Isaiah 55:6-7 says, “Seek the Lord while He may be found; call on Him while He is near.” The disciples wanted to learn how to pray, how to call on God, so they asked. Many men think that it’s less than manly to cry out to Jesus, but from what I read it’s one of the manliest things we can do. I don’t know about you, but I’ve discovered over the years that I can’t make it on my own. That’s why I’m grateful we have each other in this circle, but we also need to call on God. Lean one each other, yes! but more than that we must lean on the Lord. So man up and call on God; it’s what HIM do. He always answers.

Always grateful to bring the grit to the Grit Mill. Appreciate the PAX who posted for 2-in-a-row and downed a little hair of the dog–starfish style!

Chappie Out, Aye!

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The Dead Cockroach Feb 3rd

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F3 is the place to be, for both you and me. Nobody here forces you to do what you do. We are here to help, not only when you yelp but also in our daily lives, for those things you can’t tell your wives. It’s time to get this show on the road, before our energy gets forever slowed.

Warm up

25 Cherrypickers, 25 Side straddle hops, 25 windmills

Mosey to ACE parking lot to do 25 merkins, 25 big boys, carry weights while others planked or bear crawled behind you, 25 jump squats, wall sit for 2 minutes, dead cockroach for 2 minutes, mosey to CHOP for Circle Burp and ended with 25 (3 count) flutterkicks.

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Gritmill

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Welcome to you all, we’re here to have a ball. This place is great, no matter your fate. Do what you can, but adapt your own plan if you need to. We don’t want you to turn blue, and surely you can’t sue. This is a place for HIM, not for the W-O-MEN. You are here on your own, well not really because you’re never alone. Let’s get this warmup started because I’m sure someone has already farted.

Warm up – Side Straddle hop (25), Lunges down parking lot and back, Rocking night club (25) , Cherry pickers (25)

Mosey to Calvary church to play 7 Diamonds

Round 1 – 7 Burpees at all four corners (mosey on long side and bear crawl short side between cones every time)

Round 2 – 14 (4) count flutter kicks at all four corners

Round 3 – 21 merkins at all four corners

3rd F – The people we surround ourselves with either raise or lower our standards. They either help us to become the best version of ourselves or encourage us to become lesser versions of ourselves. We become like our friends. No man becomes great on his own. No woman becomes great on her own. The people around them help make them great. We all need people in our lives who raise our standards, remind us of our essential purpose, and challenge us to become the best version of ourselves.

Round 4 – 28 squats at all four corners

Round 5 – 21 crunches at all four corners

Round 6 – Lunge to end of parking lot then jailbreak to side and lunge back up to beginning.

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Doce Dias De Navidad La Parte Dos

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Date: 12/16/2021

AO: CHOP, Milton, DE

QIC: Fireplex with an Assist by Quattro when the tones dropped for Station 85 for a medical assist

Welcome to an FNG that was named in the Circle of Trust – Grub-It-Is ?? whatever that means…:)…

Warm up

12) Side straddle hops – IC (4 Count)

11) Big boy sit-ups OYO

10) Jiminy crickets OYO

9) Donkey kicks – OYO

8) Windmills – IC (4 Count)

7) Mountain climber IC (4 Count)

6) Goofballs (ladder climbers) – IC (4 Count)

5) Cherry pickers – IC (4 Count)

4) American hammers (4 Count)

3) Mountain man poopers – IC (4 Count)

2) Tempo merkins (4 Count)

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

The Thang – 12 Days of Christmas Part Two…..or…… Doce Dias de Navidad La Parte Dos

Each exercise was completed and repeated in descending order just as the Twelve days of Christmas Song would be sung. You get the idea…..

1– Tuck jump followed by a lap around the Church at end of each evolution

2 – Mountain climbers (4 Count)

3 – Hand release, diamond, wide & ranger merkins (3 ea.)

4 – LBC’s (4 Count)

5 – Burpees

6 – Donkey kicks

7 – Iron Mikes

8 – SSH’s (4 Count)

9 – Apolo Ohno’s

10 – Shoulder tap merkins – ATM’s

11 – Full motion squats

12 – Big boy sit-ups

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.  

F3 Message 12/16/2021 – Rinse and Repeat from Quattro’s Warmup VQ with Fireplex on 12/12/19

The Twelve Days of Christmas – True Meaning Behind the Lyrics

Ace Collins – From Crosswalk.com

To many people, the lyrics of the song “The Twelve Days of Christmas” seem strange beyond belief. The odd carol’s words might make one think it is a novelty song, in the vein of “Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer” or “My Favorite Things.” Though a host of modern internet sites and some magazine articles have tried to reduce “The Twelve Days of Christmas” to a little more than a silly Christmas carol, most scholars of the Catholic Church deem it a very important surviving example of a time when that denomination used codes to disguise their teachings. Originally a poem written by Catholic clerics, this song was transformed into a carol at a time when celebrating the twelve days of Christmas was one of the most important holiday customs. By understanding the meaning the clerics chose the twelve days as wrapping for their poem, the full impact of the tradition of the twelve days of Christmas can be understood.
 

The 12 Days of Christmas – True Meaning

On the first day of Christmas my true love gave to me . . . a partridge in a pear tree.

The partridge in a pear tree represents Jesus, the Son of God, whose birthday we celebrate on the first day of Christmas. Christ is symbolically presented as a mother partridge, the only bird that will die to protect its young.
 On the second day of Christmas my true love gave to me . . . two turtledoves.

These twin birds represent the Old and New Testaments. So in this gift, the singer finds the complete story of Judeo-Christian faith and God’s plan for the world. The doves are the biblical roadmap that is available to everyone.
 On the third day of Christmas my true love gave to me . . . three French hens.

These birds represent faith, hope, and love. This gift hearkens back to 1 Corinthians 13, the love chapter written by the apostle Paul.
 On the fourth day of Christmas my true love gave to me . . . four calling birds.

One of the easiest facets of the song’s code to figure out, these fowl are the four Gospels—Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.
 On the fifth day of Christmas my true love gave to me . . . five gold rings.

The gift of the rings represents the first five books of the Old Testament, known as the Torah or the Pentateuch.
 On the sixth day of Christmas my true love gave to me . . . six geese a-laying.

These lyrics can be traced back to the first story found in the Bible. Each egg is a day in creation, a time when the world was “hatched” or formed by God.
 On the seventh day of Christmas my true love gave to me . . . seven swans a-swimming.

It would take someone quite familiar with the Bible to identify this gift. Hidden in the code are the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit: prophecy, ministry, teaching, exhortation, giving, leading, and compassion. As swans are one of the most beautiful and graceful creatures on earth, they would seem to be a perfect symbol for the spiritual gifts.
 On the eighth day of Christmas my true love gave to me . . . eight maids a-milking.

As Christ came to save even the lowest of the low, this gift represents the ones who would receive his word and accept his grace. Being a milkmaid was about the worst job one could have in England during this period; this code conveyed that Jesus cared as much about servants as he did those of royal blood. The eight who were blessed included the poor in spirit, those who mourn, the meek, those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, the merciful, the pure in heart, the peacemakers, and those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake.
 On the ninth day of Christmas my true love gave to me . . . nine ladies dancing.

These nine dancers were really the gifts known as the fruit of the Spirit. The fruits are love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.
 On the tenth day of Christmas my true love gave to me . . . ten lords a-leaping.

This is probably the easiest gift to understand. As lords were judges and in charge of the law, this code for the Ten Commandments was fairly straightforward to Catholics.
 On the eleventh day of Christmas my true love gave to me . . . eleven pipers piping.

This is almost a trick question, as most think of the disciples in terms of a dozen. But when Judas betrayed Jesus and committed suicide, there were only eleven men who carried out the gospel message.
 On the twelfth day of Christmas my true love gave to me . . . twelve drummers drumming.

The final gift is tied directly to the Catholic Church. The drummers are the twelve points of doctrine in the Apostles’ Creed. “I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth. I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord. He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary. He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended into hell. On the third day he rose again. He ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and life everlasting.”

The Context & History Behind “The 12 Days of Christmas”

Teaching the Catholic faith was outlawed in sixteenth-century England. Those who instructed their children in Catholicism could be drawn and quartered. Thus, the church went underground. To hide the important and illegal elements of their teaching, clerics composed poems that seemed sill to most people. But these verses were veiled works that taught the church’s most important tenets. “The Twelve Days of Christmas” is said to be one of these teaching tools.

Most people today believe that the twelve days of Christmas start on December 12th or 13th and run through Christmas Eve or Christmas Day. But in fact, the first day of Christmas is December 25th and the final day is January 5th. Thus, for hundreds of years the Christmas holidays didn’t begin until Christmas Eve and didn’t end until Epiphany.

Why were these twelve days important? These dozen days were tied to more than just the teaching of the Catholic Church. A host of other denominations also celebrated the twelve days of Christmas. Some denominations celebrated Christmas in January and began to count the twelve days then. But whenever they began, the counting of the days became an important facet of each holiday season. Even in the Dark Ages, in some Eastern European churches, the twelve days of Christmas meant attending daily church services. For Christians who lived during this extremely difficult age, the twelve days were a time of rededication and renewal. It was also a period when small, simple, and usually symbolic gifts of faith were given to children. Thus, in both coded poems and public worship, the twelve days were considered a holy period.

For many Christians today, even the recognition of the twelve days of Christmas has been lost . . . for two reasons. The first is that when Epiphany lost out to Christmas as the day of giving gifts, many simply quit celebrating the twelve-day observance. The other reason is based more on the change in the fabric of culture than on overlooking the Christian holiday of Epiphany.

In ancient times, when most societies were rural, few people worked in the dead of winter. It was a time when many were spending long, dark days inside their homes, looking forward to winter’s chill giving way to the spring thaw. So devoting a dozen days to prayer, reflection, and attending church was not a huge undertaking. Yet with the coming of the Industrial Age and the regular year-round work schedules it brought, finding time to continue the activities that had been traditionally associated with the twelve days of Christmas became all but impossible for most people.

So the passing of the twelve-days custom probably had as much to do with “progress” as with anything else. As fewer and fewer churches and families participated in the tradition, it was all but lost. Yet in the obscure poem that was later turned into a popular carol, “The Twelve Days of Christmas” live on. And the twelve days described are actually a wonderful and complete picture of the Christian faith.

The “true love” mentioned in the song is not a sweetheart but the Catholic Church’s code for God. The person who receives the gifts represents anyone who has accepted Christ as the Son of God and as Savior. And each of the gifts portrays an important facet of the story of true faith.

So, just a silly song? On the surface maybe, but in reality, a refreshing reminder of the essential elements of Christian faith. The twelve days of Christmas may no longer be a widely recognized holiday tradition, but the days were an important bridge that connected persecuted believers of the past with the whole story of God’s plan. In the complicated world of today, a trip back to the not-so-distant past when Christians celebrated the twelve days of Christmas would only enhance the meaning of Christmas for everyone.

Ace Collins is the writer of more than sixty books, including several bestsellers: Stories behind the Best-Loved Songs of Christmas, Stories behind the Great Traditions of Christmas, The Cathedrals, and Lassie: A Dog’s Life. Based in Arkadelphia, Arkansas, he continues to publish several new titles each year. Ace has appeared on scores of television shows, including CBS This Morning, NBC Nightly News, CNN, Good Morning America, MSNBC, and Entertainment Tonight.

This article is part of our larger Christmas and Advent resource library centered around the events leading up to the birth of Jesus Christ. We hope these articles help you understand the meaning and story behind important Christian holidays and dates and encourage you as you take time to reflect on all that God has done for us through his son Jesus Christ!

Respectfully Submitted,

Quattro & 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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