Author name: Chappie

Grit Mill Grit [with a Ruck]

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DATE: 3/24/21

QIC: Chappie

The Grit Mill was greeted by 8 PAX who won THAT FIRST BATTLE against the fartsack and posted for a ruck beatdown–tailored by YHC to limit being too mobile with hopes of bringing some recovery to an ankle feeling every bit of 53-yrs-old.

PAX included FNG Steve McDougall (n.k.a MacDaddy). As YHC was welcoming our FNG, he asked if YHC knew him or remembered him. He looked familiar but had to jog YHC’s memory. Amazing! Steve was the guy who came into my room when I was hospitalized with COVID19 back in December. Then, he put a new IV in my arm, we talked for awhile, YHC EH’d him (anywhere, anytime, baby!). But the most remarkable thing YHC remembers is that before Steve left my room, he knelt beside my bed, grabbed my hand, and prayed for my recovery. That’s a HIM right there! Since that week in mid-December Looney Tunes EH’d him as well. Sometimes it takes a few contacts with F3 HIM before guys will actually post. EH! EH! EH! Welcome to F3 MacDaddy! (So named because he’s carried several “Mac” nicknames, especially in the USMC, but now he’s got 5 children.)

Anyway, YHC created a ruck workout with some Grit (he hopes) but with limited mobility (travel), and here’s how it all went down:

WARM-O-RAMA:

  • SSH – 18 IC
  • Windmill – 10 IC
  • Ruck Jump Squats (side jump over ruck, squat. rinse & Repeat) – 10 OYO
  • Cherry Pickers – 10 IC

Now, for some Jack…

  • Smurfjacks – 10 IC
  • Swartzjacks – 10 IC
  • Splitjacks – 18 IC
  • Sealjacks – 18 IC
  • Bombjacks – 10 OYO

THE THANG:

  • Deadlifts x 50 ☆ Overhead carry around library
  • Ruck Step Ups x 50 (sc) ☆ Suitcase carry around library (half/half)
  • Overhead Shoulder Press x 50 (sc) ☆ Lunge-walk 1/2 around library
  • Ruck Pull Side-to-side x 50, (due to time) FOLLOWED BY Ruck Merkins x 50

The following 3rdF was shared mid-workout:

UPDATED 3/24/21 for the Grit Mill

If you’ve been around F3 First State for any length if time, then you know I often share 3rd F messages based upon my personal military experiences. This one has 3 core components: A military experience, an F3 leadership principle, and a biblical text that most are at least familiar with.

Let’s start with the biblical text and work backwards. When I enlisted to join the PA Army National Guard (“Roll on!”), we were sent off to “pre-basic” right before we shipped out to Ft. Sill, OK (and other places) for regular Army Basic Training. On the first night of pre-basic, after lights-out, nobody knew what to say or if they should say anything at all! All of us troops just lay there in our “racks” in silence. I thought about it for what seemed like an eternity, but after only a minute or two, there in the darkness, I decided to say the Lord’s Prayer…OUT LOUD!

My fear was that nobody would join me. And we were all feeling a little scared —- I’d call it a fear of the unknown about what was ahead of us—completely unfamiliar territory—as we were entering a new phase of life, a part of which would be dominated by Drill Sergeants…doing what Drill Sergeants do!!! (We had drill sergeants in pre-basic there at Ft. Indiantown Gap.) So as I began to recite the Lord’s Prayer, imagine my surprise when everyone else in our barracks chimed in, and 40-some men recited the prayer together!! I think it settled all our hearts that first night.

I did it because my desire was to be a good witness. And I did it because I suspected everyone else lying there in the dark held the same fears I had (their joining in the prayer affirmed this reality). However I DID NOT do it to demonstrate leadership. Yet in doing so, I would say that I discovered leadership. I unknowingly began to discover a principle of leadership, a principle defined in F3 as Individual Initiative (I2). As our workouts are always PEER-LED Individual Initiative (I2) comes to the forefront. Here’s a summary of what we must all do as leaders to instill and grow Individual Initiative:

  1. A leader must teach what he knows
  2. A leader must make clear the mission
  3. A leader must reward I2 whenever and wherever he sees it. “Leaders always get more of what they reward and less of what they punish.”

I couldn’t have defined it that night way back in Nov. 1989 when I found myself leading 40 other [YOUNG] men in the Lord’s Prayer, but in inadvertently taking the initiative, I BEGAN to discover this critical principle of leadership which also applies in many areas of life; it IS that which helps to define each of us as HIGH IMPACT Men: INDIVIDIAL INITIATIVE! It doesn’t matter whether an opportunity arises at home, in the workplace, or in the community in which you serve…Take the initiative and lead!

COT:

  • Number-Rama
  • Name-O-Rama – naming of FNG
  • Announcements: Rucking in Millsboro for Roving RuckF3st Friday, followed by Bible Study at the Country Kitchen
  • Prayers: For Beau’s family as they grieve the loss of this little boy; for Gavin and a miracle to heal his spine; for Woodstock facing some big stuff today (details to be shared later). For all of the men in the circle to be intentional with Individual initiative today.

Good times getting after it with rucks. Awesome to see some growth at the Milford, DE AO The Gri[s]t Mill. As always, humbled to Q, but even more humbled to have an FNG join us who cared for YHC when hospitalized with the Rona. Again, welcome to F3 MacDaddy.

Chappie, out!

March Merkin Tour de Force

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DATE: March 2, 2021

QIC: Chappie

The first workout for March arrived and so did 14 PAX for YHC’s March Merkin Tour de Force. It’s March so there’s got to be Merkins; lots of Merkins! Plenty today but no doubt there’s more to come.

Disclaimer:

  1. Welcome to F3!
  2. F3 is a non-profit men’s workout group. We don’t own anything and, therefore, make no claims on rights or permissions from the church. The church therefore assumes no liability, nor does F3 (i.e. you can’t sue us).
  3. You are here of your own accord
  4. I’m not a professional, so anything I instruct you to do is only a suggestion, but give your maximum effort. It’s you against you!
  5. If there is an exercise you shouldn’t do, modify. 6. We will not leave you behind, but we won’t leave you where we found you either!

F3 has 5 Core Principles we adhere to:

  1. We are: Open to all men
  2. We are: Always free
  3. We are: Always outdoors…rain or shine, hot or cold
  4. We are: Always peer-led in rotating fashion
  5. We: Always end with a COT

WARM-O-RAMA:

  • SSH – 10 IC
  • Swartzjacks – 10 IC
  • Stop & Go Merkins (Down, hold 2, 3 up, rep) – 10 IC
  • American Hammers – 18 IC
  • Single Arm Flying Squirrels (5 each arm) – 10 OYO
  • Imperial Squat Walker – 10 IC
  • Cherry Picker – 10 IC

*Walk-thru explanation of Starfish Stations (group up – groups of 3 to 4 PAX)

THE THANG:

STARFISH/MARCH MERKIN TOUR DE FORCE: Groups picked a station and began working toward completing each one. Not all stations were completed by all PAX, but March definitely came in like a lion (i.e. Plenty-O-Merkins = Plenty-O-Roarin’…and man, those Swerkins!). Here’s each station:

  • 100 Merkins
  • 100 Plankjacks (5 Brick Merkins @ quarters, brick under PAX and down all the way to touch with chest)
  • 100 Drydirks (Drydocks w/feet on boardwalk benches)
  • 100 Swerkins (10 reps/10 sets, lap to platform and back after each set, resume)
  • 100 Tilted Kilts (Gas Pumpers tilted on side, feet over top of parking block, 50 reps each side)
  • AFTER first station PAX returned to center platform to complete 10 Burpee Step-ups. Subsequent rounds: 5 Burpee Step-ups

Overtime Grand Finale Crowd Pleaser: JACK WEBB! (Ratio: 1 Merkin, 4 OHC… to 10 Merkins, 40 OHC’s)

Arms. What arms? You didn’t need them today, did you?

YHC shared the following 3rdF somewhere around mid-workout:

IF – By RUDYARD KIPLING

If you can keep your head when all about you 

Are losing theirs and blaming it on you,   

If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,    

But make allowance for their doubting too;   

If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,    

Or being lied about, don’t deal in lies,

Or being hated, don’t give way to hating,    

And yet don’t look too good, nor talk too wise:

If you can dream—and not make dreams your master;       

If you can think—and not make thoughts your aim;   

If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster    

And treat those two impostors just the same;   

If you can bear to hear the truth you’ve spoken    

Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,

Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken,    

And stoop and build ’em up with worn-out tools:

If you can make one heap of all your winnings    

And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss,

And lose, and start again at your beginnings    

And never breathe a word about your loss;

If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew    

To serve your turn long after they are gone,   

And so hold on when there is nothing in you    

Except the Will which says to them: ‘Hold on!’

If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,       

Or walk with Kings—nor lose the common touch,

If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you,    

If all men count with you, but none too much;

If you can fill the unforgiving minute    

With sixty seconds’ worth of distance run,   

Yours is the Earth and everything that’s in it,       

And—which is more—you’ll be a Man, my son!

—————————

YHC heard this poem a few weeks ago and immediately looked it up, then sent it to my oldest son in California. The poem is embedded throughout with biblical wisdom. While not all of it is found in 1 Cor. 16:13-14, much of it is captured in the phrase “act like men.” That phrase ought to echo in our hearts in minds throughout each day. When we’re making decisions or responding to situations and opportunities we ought to be asking ourselves how would a man act in this moment. Responding is such a manner will inevitably lead to being HIM; it will lead us to becoming better husbands, fathers, neighbors, co-workers, etc.

Here (1 Cor. 16:13-14) the Bible says, “Be on the alert, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong. Let all that you do be done in love.” (emphasis added)

Here are 5 quick commands for you today which, if you do them, will help you to be a HIM…a better husband, father, man:

  1. Be on the alert
  2. Stand firm in the faith
  3. Act like men
  4. Be strong
  5. Let all that you do be done in love

As mentioned, everyone got in their fair share of Merkins–it’s March!

COT:

  • Number-Rama
  • Name-O-Rama
  • Announcements: ShamRuck Family Ruck coming up on Mar. 13 +@ 3:17 p.m. Meeting at Georgetown Circle (Aegis AO) and rucking to McDonalds for a Shamrock Shake. Also, we’re planning to strengthen our 2nd & 3rdF’s by starting a study of the book Chosen Suffering by Tom Ryan, Head Coach of the Ohio State wrestling team. Up for discussion: Do study at Saturday Coffeeteria or on Mondays from 0500-0600hrs? Starting end of March or early April. Watch for the poll on our F3 First State Groupme. GREAT BOOK! Recommended reading by Toy Soldier.
  • Prayer: We lifted up baby Beau, his body is rejecting the new heart and he’s back on the transplant list; continue prayers for Gavin – praying for a miracle for this young man to walk again after being paralyzed from a snowboarding accident in January

Honored to Q up the first March Merkin Madness beatdown with a Tour de Force. Welcome to March gentlemen!

Shaky arms,

Chappie, out!

Bass Ackwards

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DATE: 02/09/21

QIC: Chappie

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,
  • Mosey to 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.

~Chappie, out!

Jan Two-Six for the Seven-Five

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DATE: 1/26/21

QIC: Chappie

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

—————————————————————————

YHC took a brief moment to share the 3rd F:

Ephesians 5:25 says, “Husbands love your wives, just as Christ also loved the 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 loved the 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.

————————————————————————–

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

Movement to Union St.
• 75 – Ruck Merkins

Post “One-Niner” Debut

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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

Chairman lap 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!

~Chappie out!

No Excuse November

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DATE: 11/3/20 **ELECTION DAY**

QIC: Chappie

Turned out to be yet another Baker’s Dozen consisting of the 13 HIM who won THAT FIRST BATTLE and posted on the first truly cool gloom workout of Fall 2020. Bad weather cannot stop these men–No Excuse November has begun!

Here’s the skinny: YHC tried to bring some new exercises to the Gloom…

WARM-O-RAMA:

  • SSH – 18 IC
  • Windmill – 18 IC
  • Imperial Walker – 18 IC
  • WTHEKS – 18 IC
    • (What The HEKS = High Elbow Knee Slide) [Bearcrawl position. Alternate raising high elbows up & over your back, twist & slide opposite knee under. Rinse & Repeat]
  • Cherry Pickers – 15 IC
  • Swartzjacks – 18 IC

THE THANG:

Legs

  • Broad Jump Squats – 10 rounds OYO
    • [BJ, squat, turn around in air, BJ back, squat, turn around, BJ, rinse and repeat]
  • Partner Pushes – 3 rounds across the lot & back, alternating who pushes
  • Lunge Thrusts – 3rounds per leg
    • [Lunge right leg, thrust high knee following lunge. 5 reps same leg. Swap. Rinse & Repeat]
  • BPJ’s, (Bad Parking Jobs) a.k.a. Line Touches
    • [Side-shuffle, touch parking line, side-shuffle back, touch parking line. Rinse & Repeat]

Shoulders

  • Curbside Carolinas [Feet together, up on curb, butt in air, Carolina Drydock] – AMRAP OYO, resting means your finished. Ruxpin was last man standing
  • Shmerkin – 5 rounds OYO
    • (Shuffle Merkins) [Plank position, shuffle right 3 “steps”, 5 Merkin, shuffle left 3 “steps”, 5 Merkins Rinse & repeat]
  • Swerkins – 5 reps, boosted to 10 Reps at half, swap w/partner, while remaining PAX ☆RR Tracks across lot, mosey back, rinse & repeat til all PAX work through the RR Tracks

☆ Mosey 30, 20, 10 around the short block

3rdF Beak in Action | YHC shared the following:

Years ago Lt. Sakowski was the leader of our Field Artillery survey team when I served in PA’s 28th ID BTRY F 109th FA. After completing a successful mission during a field training exercise, Lt. Sakowski and our Platoon Sergeants decided to reward our team’s hard work with a bit of what I’ll call a “field picnic” — after several days of eating MRE’s for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, we were ready for a change! They’d snuck back to the PX and picked up some rolls, cold-cuts, lettuce, tomato, pickles and some other snacks, etc.

Our Lt. had scouted out an “off the grid” spot and in the midst of making our way there with 3-4 vehicles right behind his, Lt. Sakowski’s driver hit the brakes, and our Lt. stood up to extend through the top of his uncovered/topless 1/4-ton Jeep and began shouting to turn around and high-tail it back to where we’d come from. Based on the nature of his commands, the tone of his voice, and the look on his face, nobody asked a question and we got out of there fast!

Once we finally made it to the location he’d originally picked, Lt. Sakowski owned up to what he had done — he discovered he was leading our small convoy directly through the middle of an Impact Area! For those unfamiliar with what that is, it’s an area where bombs are dropped and into which Artillery and other weapons are fired during live-fire training exercises. I.e. YOU DON’T WANT TO BE IN AN IMPACT AREA!!

Outside of the fact that if you’re in there you’re a target), the moral of the story is that everyone one of us in our artillery survey team, not to mention everyone in my entire unit, would’ve followed Lt. Sakowski anywhere, especially into battle! He was a rare leader! He was a proven leader! He was a humble leader. He was a great leader who was highly respected by all. His leadership was defined by consistently leading well on all occasions, not by that single incident of taking us into an extremely dangerous area. Even in that moment he took full responsibility of what could’ve been a catastrophic mistake.

Let’s go ahead and call it “NO EXCUSE NOVEMBER,” not just in terms of posting or not posting, but in all we do. We’d all do well to stop making excuses and blaming others for failures. We’d do well to own up to OUR mistakes (and sins) so that we’re able to learn from them and grow into better leaders as a result…better leaders in our homes, in our workplaces, and in the communities in which we serve. We’d do well to take ownership and responsibility and lead even where someone else has come up short.

One biblical example of this that I’m thinking of is Peter… He exhorted the elders as a “fellow elder in 1 Peter 5:1 to, “Shepherd the flock of God among you…” Where did those words come from? See John 21 where, at a post-resurrection breakfast along the beach, Jesus pulled Peter aside and asked him 3 times, “Peter, do you love Me?” Each time Peter responded with, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you” and each time Jesus responded with, “then shepherd my sheep.” Remember Peter was the one who openly denied Christ. He was a failed leader, a broken leader. In all practicality, we assume Peter’s repentance, his ownership of sin and failure. He was humbled and broken; but lesson learned he was restored and then Jesus recommissioned him with the words…follow me!

Abs

Here’s what YHC had planned next:

  • Big Boy Heal Touches
    • [Lying flat, arms extend on ground behind head. 1 knee upward toward chest, torso up extending both arms to touch both sides of same heal, back down, raise to opposite heal, back down. Rinse & repeat]
  • Crazy Dolly
    • [On six, hands in ground near hips, torso in recliner position. Feet at 6″, spread out like Dolly, bring feet together, then knees to chest, back out, spread feet like Dolly, feet back together, knees to chest. Rinse & repeat]
  • Boardwalk Big Boys
    • [Partner hold feet, six on edge of Boardwalk Bench, lay back 1/2 – 3/4, back up. Consistent motion. 5 reps, swap with partner, rinse & repeat]
  • Boardwalk Liars
    • [Partner holds feet, lie on stomach with upper torso extended over edge, hands behind head, lower down then back up. 5 reps, swap with partner. AMRAP while other PAX☆RR Tracks across lot, mosey back]

EXTRAS:

  • Rosie – AC/DC version, 05:36 mins. of Rosalita! (Extra credit if done at home)
  • Dragon Tires
  • RR Tracks across the field
  • Wall Work

We ran out of time, so Here’s what we actually did:

  • Mary – 3 rounds: 4-Count Freddies (Quattro); American Hammers (Woodstock); Flutter Kicks (Leatherman)

COT/BOM:

  • Announcements: Another fundraiser 5k coming up, Quattro to push out the details to PAX on Groupme; Woodstock likely to miss 11/5 VQ due to travels and looking to swap Q’s with another PAX. BIG NEWS: Today was last day single “reeespect” for Streudel, tomorrow the beast turns 60 and gains double-reeespect in the COT! Remember, it’s No Excuse November” so lets be HIM, eliminate the excuses we’re prone to make, and, who knows, perhaps we’ll develop some new habits that’ll carry us beyond November.
  • PRAYERS: It’s Election Day… nuf said; Chattahoochee’s 2.0, Taylor, recovering from tonsillectomy; Woodstock safe travels to pick up a plane; etc.

~Chappie, out!

Dicey, That’s All. Dicey

, , , , , / Leave a Comment / Milford, The Grit Mill / By

DATE: 10/7/20

QIC: Chappie

Six HIM got better today by winning THAT FIRST BATTLE and leaving the fartsack behind, demonstrating their grit at the Grit Mill for a Dicey Chappie Burpee beatdown. It went a lil’ something like this…

WARM-O-RAMA:

  • SSH – 18 IC
  • Prison Merkins – 10 IC
  • Swartz Jacks – 18 IC
  • Shoulder Tap Merkins – 10 OYO
  • Seal Jacks – 18 IC
  • Carolina Drydocks (AMRAP, to last man ‘standing’) *Ruxpin outlasted all, won the last man standing award: Kudos for the push!

Mosey to lot behind Calvary United Methodist.

THE THANG: (Partner up: 6 PAX, 3 Teams)

Routine: Roll THE BIG DICE (3) down parking lot, Bearcrawl/Crawlbear (at the whims of the Q) to the dice, do # of Burpees rolled. Roll again (Next team). Rinse and repeat to opposite end of lot. Covering the distance, each team got 2 rolls.

Remember team totals. Highest total wins, and winning team dictates what losing teams must do (Ab work)

Team #1: Waterfall & Gump – 2 rolls totaling 23

Team #2: Ruxpin & Chappie – 2 rolls totaling 30 *Winners

Team #3: Woodstock & Eugene – 2 rolls totaling 20

Total Number of Burpees = 73

Team 2 dictated the losers had to do 73 LBC’s, of course, all PAX joined the fun.

YHC shared the following 3rdF here:

“Out of every hundred men, ten shouldn’t even be there, eighty are just targets, nine are real fighters, and we are lucky to have them, for they make the battle. Ah, but the ONE, the ONE is a warrior, and he will bring the others back.” ~ Heraclitus

Are you one of “the real fighters”? Are you “the ONE” who is the warrior? To some degree this is why we train ourselves under the burdens we do…to prepare ourselves to be THE ONE who “will bring the others back.” You see here what Heraclitus said was that THE ONE was not only about the fight, he was about the others.

“‘I believed therefore, I spoke,’ we also believe, Therefore, also we speak.”  2 Corinthians 4:13

Jeff Schreve shared: “The life of the Apostle Paul is a story of grace, glory, and suffering.  God worked miracles in and through Paul as He used him to speak the truth in love and lead multitudes to faith in Christ. As Paul presented the truth of man’s utter sinfulness and the Savior’s sacrifice and victory over sin, death, hell, and the grave, many people had their feathers ruffled.  In fact, both Jews and Gentiles often reacted to the gospel message with violence.  Paul was beaten, whipped, and imprisoned numerous times for preaching the truth and obeying the Lord.  His unwavering commitment to Christ and His Word resulted in his beheading under the persecution of Emperor Nero.

Could Paul have avoided all the suffering?  Yes!  He could have easily quit preaching the unadulterated truth.  He could have dialed down his message to tickle the ears and fit in with the sinful culture.  He could have bowed to the demands of Rome and played ball with the corrupt Jewish religious leaders.  He could have turned his back on his Lord and his calling and saved himself a ton of grief and pain.  He could have wilted under the pressure, but he did not!  He truly believed that Jesus died and rose again, therefore he spoke the truth without stutter, stammer, apology, or equivocation.  He was faithful to Jesus Christ all the way to the finish line, regardless of the circumstances and the backlash.”  The Apostle Paul was THE ONE who was a warrior for Christ.

I believe we are living in the last of the last days.  The signs of Christ’s return are all around us.  One of the telltale signs is the hatred we’ll receive for standing up for the Lord and His Word, especially without compromise or apology. America used to value Christianity and uphold the authority of the Word of God—but those days are gone.  Today, faithful followers who hold to the clear teachings of Scripture are vilified, mocked, scorned, marginalized, and attacked.  Can physical violence be far behind?  I think not.

What’s the answer?  Should we water down the message to make it more palatable to a sin-sick world?  Never!  If we really believe, we will speak up and speak out, just as 2 Cor. 4:13 states.  And if we grow silent in the face of persecution, moral decay, and social lunacy, did we really ever believe at all?”

So, this is about being THE ONE, or at the very least being a real fighter…for the sake of others. Don’t merely be a target. Fighting “to bring the others back” [to Christ], HIM train themselves physically, spiritually, emotionally, mentally and morally to be real fighters, even if it means standing alone for the sake of their family, their church, and the communities in which they serve.

————————————

PAX mosey’d back to the beginning point at other end of parking lot, did about 4 mins of Plank Pulls with the sandbag mini’s (PAX planked side-by-side and pulled sandbags bag and forth between them).

Return mosey to AO, alternating with sandbags overhead between PAX.

COT/BOM:

  • Announcements: Headless Horseman Ruck WOD, Roving RuckF3st Friday, Oct. 30 at CHOP in Milton. Sign up to earn the patch at rucksonparade.com DONUT RUCK, (Family Ruck) Saturday morning Oct. 31 following the workout in Georgetown. Plan is to meet at Del Tech and Ruck around campus to Dunkin…because America runs on Dunkin! Patches will be earned by all! Great opportunity for some family 2ndF among the PAX
  • Prayers: Prayers for Allen Chorman (Woodstock’s dad, recovering from open heart surgery); for Dietrich (Waterfall’s 2.0, starting school today); for Carol (Chappie’s M, having elbow surgery tomorrow morning); for Eugene (a personal struggle over last few days); for Peddles and all the BMX competing this weekend in Milford.

Another workout, another Q. Privileged and honored to lead. Shout out to all who posted!

~Chappie, out!

Q School. Well, Kinda

, , , , , / Leave a Comment / Milford, The Grit Mill / By

Date: 9/23/2020

QIC: Chappie

YHC decided to take the route of building the confidence and competence of the Grit Mill PAX today with a Q’ing For Dummies style of workout. It was not quite a Q School but PAX simply kept moving and did some work by the numbers. Great morning for it as we added FNG Mr. Eugene H. Krabs to the crew to make it a Wednesday 6 PAX…we’ll call him Eugene for short. Here’s how it went down today:

Disclaimer given.

Announcement – We’re going to move around a bit today, workout, and practice a bit by the numbers (in cadence!).

Warm-O-Rama:

  • SSH – 18 IC
  • Squat – Woodstock
  • Moroccan Nightclub – 50 IC
  • Windmill – 18 IC
  • Cherry Pickers – 20 IC

The Thang:

(Mosey to parking lot at old bank)

BANK (Legs)

  • Al Gore (hold for 3 count, up for rep) – 18 IC
  • Split Jacks – 18 IC
  • Tempo Squats – Woodstock – 18 IC
  • Mountain Climbers – Waterfall – 20 IC
  • Sumo Squats – Ruxpin – 18 IC

(Mosey out rear to NW 2nd St. Left to parking lot behind Berry Short Funeral – ended up across the street at Christ Episcopal Church…watch our for that car!…and that car!)

BERRY SHORT (Abs)

  • 4-Count Freddies – 25 IC
  • Gas Pumpers – Woodstock – 15 IC
  • Hello Dolly – Gump – 18 IC
  • Flutter Kicks – 20 IC

3rdF Breather Taken here:

I picked up a thread on IG awhile back that applies to why we do the [hard] things we do. It was an exchange between two brothers who were talking about the limits of your body.

“Do you remember the marathon talk?” One of them asked. “I was complaining about doing a marathon on three weeks notice and you gave me the ‘what’s stopping you’ speech.” I asked him to elaborate, so he gave me a rough summary:

  • KW (brother): Whine, whine marathon wine.
  • CW (me): What’s the problem?
  • KW: It’s going to suck. I probably won’t even finish.
  • CW: Why? Are you going to quit?
  • KW: Well no. But I didn’t train for this.
  • CW: So you think you will reach a point at which you cannot physically take one more step?
  • KW: Well probably not. But I’ll be so slow!
  • CW: True. But that has nothing to do with whether or not you will finish. You make that decision yourself. And you’ll make it before the race starts. Kyle’s team started and finished 26.2 miles together in the Men’s Military — Heavy division of the race, which means they did the course in full uniform with boots and rucks weighing at least 30lbs each.

Kyle could barely walk for two days afterward, but as he put it, “that’s beside the point.”

It’s incredibly difficult to metabolically break the body of a healthy person. Yes, you can Kipping Pull-up your way to a torn shoulder, but if you’re moving in a way that doesn’t endanger you mechanically, your body can keep going through almost anything. The difficult part of learning this is when you realize that it’s your mind that doesn’t want to come along for the ride.

When you stop short (whether its a marathon, a 5k, a ruck, a marriage, or whatever manifestation of challenge life throws at you) it’s not that your body *can’t* keep going. It’s that on some level you’re making a decision not to.

Throughout life you will hear quitters come up with all kinds of excuses, as if everyone else isn’t going through the same kinds of excuses.

HIGH IMPACT MEN are not men of excuses, but of perseverance, endurance, and problem solving…overcoming any obstacles and adapting to any inconveniences.

SOME VERSES:

Galatians 6:9 ESV And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.

Romans 5:3-5 ESV More than that, we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.

Hebrews 10:36 ESV For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God you may receive what is promised.

(Mosey down N. Church, Left onto Front St. to parking lot at Social services — because of time PAX had to head for AO)

SOCIAL SERVICES (PAX choice, must be IC)

Clock ran out…never stopped here

(Mosey return to AO with several Prison Breaks along the way)

Number-Rama

Name-O-Rama

COT:

  • Naming of FNG: Again, welcome to Eugene! (Thin Spongebob SquarePants and Meding Seafood
  • Announcements: Donut Ruck info TBA in near future. Woo! Hoo!
  • Prayers: Woodstock’s dad, Allen Chorman, and family; YHC’s nephew, Aaron deployed; for social media “warriors” and our nation as we head toward elections, etc.

Always loving the Q!

Chappie, Out!

[Very] Active Recovery

, , , , , , , , / Leave a Comment / CHOP, Milton, DE / By

Date: 9/8/20

QIC: Chappie

9 PAX won THAT FIRST BATTLE and reported for a Chappie led [Very] Active Recovery workout–necessary after yesterday’s 4th Annual Labor Day Beach Day Beatdown. The sand, the water, the passing of the baton all called for some recovery today. Some took the route of fartsacking, others took to awakening the dawn at the CHOP AO in Milton, DE. Here’s how it went down:

WARM-O-RAMA

  • SSH – 18 IC
  • Seal Jacks – 18 IC
  • Swartzjacks – 18 IC
  • Smurf Jacks – 18 IC
  • IW – 20 IC
  • Plank Jack – 18 IC

THE THANG:

PAX stayed on the reservation and ran around the cones, doing Burpees at the start point each round:

  • 12 Burpees followed by 0.18 mile run
  • 11 Burpees followed by 0.18 mile run
  • 10 Burpees followed by 0.18 mile run
  • 09 Burpees followed by 0.18 mile run
  • 08 Burpees followed by 0.18 mile run
    • 3rdF Message breather here (Read below)
  • 07 Burpees followed by 0.18 mile run
  • 06 Burpees followed by 0.18 mile run
  • 05 Burpees followed by 0.18 mile run
  • 04 Burpees followed by 0.18 mile run
  • 03 Burpees followed by 0.18 mile run
  • 02 Burpees followed by 0.18 mile run
  • 01 Burpees followed by 0.18 mile run

Total = 78 Burpees, 2.16 miles

3rdF shared between rounds 8 and 7:

Winston Churchill is quoted as having given one of the shortest and one of the most profound speeches ever with the words: “Never, never, never, never give up.” The infamous speech, given on October 29, 1941 to the boys at Harrow School in London, was actually longer; as was the quote itself.

Still as powerful, Churchill said, “This is the lesson: Never give in, never give in, never, never, never, never, — in nothing, great or small, large or petty–never give in except to convictions of honor and good sense. Never yield to force; never yield to the apparently overwhelming might of the enemy.” It’s men like that who win wars!

This is a message boys need to hear and men need to hear. Those around us who are benefactors of our influence need to hear this message. Never, never, never, never give in. Never give up. Never quit. DFQ! (Regardless of how you feel!)

If I can share an honest moment with you, as I got involved in sports, or anything for that matter, when I was a kid…I quit! I quit everything! Literally! Why? First, because I could. Second, because  I never had any influence in my life to tell me not to [quit].

I was a really good baseball player. I quit! I played football, wrestled, ran track, was a Boy Scout, all between 7th – 11th grade and I ended up quitting every last one of those activities. As a grew up other factors were involved, but the one key factor in all of my quitting was my influencer, or lack thereof, — my Dad! I can count on one hand the number of times he came to watch my games, encourage me, and route for me. No joke! In fact, I was never encouraged to stick with anything.

I’m not looking for sympathy here, my Dad and I had some hard discussions and resolved the issues behind this long ago. What I AM DOING INSTEAD is offering you words I needed to hear, but didn’t until I was an adult; words that perhaps you’ve heard but maybe need to hear them again. And words that you perhaps need to share with someone else…a son, a daughter, a friend, a co-worker, etc.: “Never, never, never, never give in!” Never quit!

As a man and then as a father, I became the antithesis of my own Dad concerning this mindset; and that’s exactly what it is! I won’t give up. I won’t quit on anything! And I’ve never allowed my sons to quit on anything (and probably to a fault, I can count on about 2 or 3 fingers, the number of times I’ve missed any of their games or activities).

There are times, whether in a workout, a job, a relationship, a marriage or any other number of things which bring trials, when you’ll want to quit. Never, never, never, never give in! Your group needs you. Your team needs you. Your workplace may need you. And most importantly, your spouse and your family needs you. Never quit! Harken back to Churchill’s words! Furthermore, be the influencer who tells those around you the same thing!

The Apostle Paul said it this way: “I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 3:14) High Impact Men: “Never give up what you want most for what you want in the moment.”

Well, an [Active] recovery it was indeed, but all the PAX kept at it and kept working. As always it was a privilege for YHC to Q, even on the heals of a beachday beatdown. Shout out to the PAX who posted back-to-back!

COT/BOM:

  • Announcements: 1) Grit Mill moved to a Wednesday workout, starts tomorrow. 2) Serving the community this Saturday in Lewes. See Quattro for details.
  • Prayers: 1) For Allen Chorman (|Woodstock’s dad) facing heart surgery. 2) For marriages among the PAX. 3) For YHC’s M, who fell and hurt her right arm yesterday. 4) Etc. What YHC forgot, God’s got!

Chappie, out!

Walk this Way

, , / Leave a Comment / Milford, The Grit Mill / By

DATE: 8/27/20

QIC: Chappie

3 PAX jumped into action at the Grit Mill (1-yr-old AO) after winning TFB (THAT FIRST BATTLE…the fight with the fartsack) and posting for a Chappie beatdown. Nothing re-invented here but a good one (mumble chatter says) with the 4 x 4 borrowed from the CHOP. The 4 x 4 is a simple tour around the block, executing 4 exercises on each of the 4 corners, with select transitions in between. YHC introduced this routine a few years ago at the CHOP AO in Milton; it has since become a bit of a measurement for PAX to determine personal progress. YHC brought it to the Grit Mill…well, because it requires grit!

WARM-O-RAMA
• SSH – 18 IC
• Low-Slow Squat – 10 IC
• Calf Raises – 15 OYO
• Calf Raises – Suzanne Somers style 15 OYO
• Grit Millkins (Hold plank for cadence, down/up for rep) – 18 IC
• Superman/Rip-cord – 3 rounds each (10 count)

THE THANG – Grit Mill 4×4 (4 corners x 4 exercise each for total body workout)

Corner #1: Upper body
• Drydocks – 5
• Wide-arm – 10
• Regular – 15
• Derkins – 20
Transition to corner 2: Lt. Dan

Corner #2: Abs
• Hooch Nightmares – 9 each leg IC (Borrowed from F3Naperville)
• 4-Count Freddie’s – 18 IC
• X’s & O’s – 18 OYO
• American Hammers – 18 IC
Transition: Bearcrawl/Crawlbear to pedestrian sign, Karaoke rest of the way to corner 3

Mid-Point break in action for 3rdF — An updated version of message from a few years back; here’s what YHC shared:

The words, “O well” were the trademark words of DS Allen, one of my Drill Sergeant’s in basic training. DS Allen was a SFC (platoon sergeant) and any time there was an issue or we got ourselves into a pickle of sorts, that’s what DS Allen would say…”Oh well, private!” He always said it real slow and cool, of course.

DS Allen taught me to walk circumspectly and to be watchful–a good discipline for all leaders…for all HIM.

Once while we were in the field the chow hall had trucked hot food out to us for lunch, a precious commodity especially in that stretch of winter where for about 2 weeks the average windchill was about -30. After eating chow I went to dump my trash in the trash-can, and as I was doing that, I kind of had my head down and wasn’t paying much attention to who else was around me. Another soldier came up and starting stuffing his trash into the can, but he was stuffing it down in between the trash-bag and the trash can instead of inside the bag. I distinctly remember trying to stop the guy, saying with a commanding voice, “Hey! Hey! Hey!” The other soldier put his hand firmly on top of my Kevlar helmet and promptly lifted my head. It was at that point that I discovered the “other soldier” was DS Allen! Oh man, I must have turned 10 shades of red or white as a ghost! I’m not sure. And while I was close to it, I’m still glad I didn’t come up swinging!

And DS Allen, well, he just stood there looking at me face to face, eye to eye. He cracked a “possum eatin’ crap” grin and then without saying a word, he turned and walked away. In that moment he taught me a lot about being a good leader, he could’ve really busted my chops but didn’t (he wasn’t worried about his own ego). Also without saying a word, he taught me yet another lasting leadership lesson: Walk circumspectly, be watchful and alert. Know who’s around you and what’s going on around you at all times.

Here’s how this applies: In Galatians 5:16 Paul wrote, “But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh.” Here the Greek word for walk is “peripateo“; it is from this that we get our English word parapet: A barrier which is an extension of the wall at the edge of a roof or terrace. This is a protective wall that keeps one from going over the edge. Paul was likening that to the Holy Spirit who the Lord has given to help us to walk circumspectly, to keep us from going over the edge.

Here’s what is really neat: In the same chapter in v. 25, he goes on to say “If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit.” But in this verse he uses a different word for walk. Here it is “stoicheo.” This word means to proceed in a row as the march of a soldier; to go in order. So the Bible says that living and walking by the Spirit is like marching precisely in formation, staying in step with the One who is leading us, the Spirit of God.

In both cases the Bible says, Walk this way. But in both instances in the passage, it is a walk that offers both the protection and leadership of the Spirit of God. Just some crucial things to think about which will help us to be the HIM God has called us to be. But whatever you do, don’t say, “Oh, well!”

Back at it for the final stretch…

Corner #3: Legs
• Sumo Squats (real ones) – 18 OYO
• Mexican Jumping Beans – 18 OYO
• Monkey Humpers – 18 IC
• Smurfjacks – 18 IC

Transition: Prison Break to corner 4


Corner #4: Full body
• Burpees – 18 OYO
• Mt. Climbers – 18 IC
• Flying Squirrels – 18 OYO
• Mule kicks – 18 OYO …Ouch!
Transition: Mosey return to AO

COT/BOM:

  • Announcements: Family Day at Bridgeville Rifle & Pistol Club is this Sat., 9/29 from 10-5; Leadership Pow-Wow Wed. 9/2 at Summit’s from 6:30 till (Dogs/Chips/Snacks, RSVP to Chappie ASAP)
  • Prayers: For F3 First State PAX and families; for Waterfall & Felicia as they work to resolve challenges with Dietrich; for YHC’s nephew, Aaron who is currently deployed; etc. God is good, what YHC forget, God did not–He’s got it covered.

The 4 x 4 proved it’s worth at the Grit Mill as well. Great push by the PAX, especially near the end to finish strong. Afterall, its not how you start, it’s how you finish.

Aye!

Chappie, out!

Post Workout Trip Home – who would want to miss this?
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