Author name: Johnny Hopkins

17 Again

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Date: 04/02/19

AO: CHOP, Milton DE.

QIC: Fireplex

Warm up

SSH – 17 IC

Cherry Pickers – 17 IC

Bolt 45’s…er…Bolt 51’s – IC (4 Count) – 17 squats to halfway down.  17 squats halfway to full down.  17 full squats.

Windmills – 17 IC

Moroccan Night Clubs – 18 IC – Q was Daydreaming

The Thang – Q had provided this beat-down about a year ago, and with Baseball season underway, felt it appropriate to bring it back.

Mosey to open lot at Shipbuilders. PAX counted off and paired up. As one PAX worked on each leg of the Cycle, the other PAX worked on the Super 21 routine rotating after each base of the Cycle was completed.

Super 21 Routine – 1 Merkin & 1 Big Boy Sit up, 2 Merkins & 2 Big Boy’s, 3 Merkins & 3 Big Boy’s, repeat until reaching 21 of both.  Equals 231 of each exercise.

The Cycle – From home plate, bear crawl to 1st base, 3 burpees, crawl bear back to home…. from home plate, bear crawl around the bases to 2nd base, 6 burpees, crawl bear back to home…. from home plate, bear crawl around the bases to third base, 9 burpees, crawl bear back to home…. from home plate, bear crawl around the bases to home plate. FYI…bases are 90 ft. apart.

Toy Soldier Set – 50 LBC’s, 25 E2K’s x2, 25 Big Boys OYO. If PAX completed the Super 21 prior to their partner completing the natural cycle, then a toy soldier set would fill the down time.

Wosey back to AO with F3 Message en-route as time was a factor.

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

F3 Message 04/02/19

© Chris Sperry, Baseball/Life, LLC 

Written by Chris Sperry

Chris Sperry is a baseball consultant who develops players and amateur coaches, assists professional scouts, and counsels families of prospective college-bound student-athletes. He holds a Bachelor’s of Business Administration from the University of Portland, the same institution at which he served as head baseball coach for 18 years. His key interests are in player and personal development as they pertain to a life in and beyond sports.

In Nashville, Tennessee, during the first week of January, 1996, more than 4,000 baseball coaches descended upon the Opryland Hotel for the 52nd annual ABCA convention. Nineteen times since, many of the same professional, college, high school, youth, and a slew of international coaches from passionate and developing baseball nations have gathered at various convention hotels across the country for two-and-half days of clinic presentations and industry exhibits. Sure, many members of the American Baseball Coaches Association have come and gone in those years; the leadership has been passed, nepotistically, from Dave Keilitz to his son, Craig; and the association — and baseball, in general — has lost some of its greatest coaches, including Rod Dedeaux, Gordie Gillespie, and Chuck “Bobo” Brayton. I have attended all but three conventions in those nineteen years, and I have enjoyed and benefited from each of them. But ’96 was special — not just because it was held in the home of country music, a town I’d always wanted to visit. And not because I was attending my very first convention. Nashville in ’96 was special because it was there and then that I learned that baseball — the thing that had brought 4,000 of us together — was merely a metaphor for my own life and those of the players I hoped to impact. While I waited in line to register with the hotel staff, I heard other more veteran coaches rumbling about the lineup of speakers scheduled to present during the weekend. One name, in particular, kept resurfacing, always with the same sentiment — “John Scolinos is here? Oh man, worth every penny of my airfare.” Who the hell is John Scolinos, I wondered. No matter, I was just happy to be there. Having sensed the size of the group during check-in, I woke early the next morning in order to ensure myself a good seat near the stage — first chair on the right side of the center isle, third row back — where I sat, alone, for an hour until the audio-visual techs arrived to fine-tune their equipment. The proverbial bee bee in a boxcar, I was surrounded by empty chairs in a room as large as a football field. Eventually, I was joined by other, slightly less eager, coaches until the room was filled to capacity. By the time Augie Garrido was introduced to deliver the traditional first presentation from the previous season’s College World Series winner, there wasn’t an empty chair in the room. ABCA conventions have a certain party-like quality to them. They provide a wonderful opportunity to re-connect with old friends from a fraternal game that often spreads its coaches all over the country. As such, it is common for coaches to bail out of afternoon clinic sessions in favor of old friends and the bar. As a result, I discovered, the crowd is comparatively sparse after lunch, and I had no trouble getting my seat back, even after grabbing a plastic-wrapped sandwich off the shelf at the Opryland gift shop. I woke early the next morning and once again found myself alone in the massive convention hall, reviewing my notes from the day before: pitching mechanics, hitting philosophy, team practice drills. All technical and typical — important stuff for a young coach, and I was in Heaven. At the end of the morning session, certain that I had accurately scouted the group dynamic and that my seat would again be waiting for me after lunch, I allowed myself a few extra minutes to sit down and enjoy an overpriced sandwich in one of the hotel restaurants. But when I returned to the convention hall thirty minutes before the lunch break ended, not only was my seat not available, barely any seats were available! I managed to find one between two high school coaches, both proudly adorned in their respective team caps and jackets. Disappointed in myself for losing my seat up front, I wondered what had pried all these coaches from their barstools. I found the clinic schedule in my bag: “1 PM John Scolinos, Cal Poly Pomona.” It was the man whose name I had heard buzzing around the lobby two days earlier. Could he be the reason that all 4,000 coaches had returned, early, to the convention hall? Wow, I thought, this guy must really be good. I had no idea. In 1996, Coach Scolinos was 78 years old and five years retired from a college coaching career that began in 1948. He shuffled to the stage to an impressive standing ovation, wearing dark polyester pants, a light blue shirt, and a string around his neck from which home plate hung — a full-sized, stark-white home plate. Seriously, I wondered, who in the hell is this guy. After speaking for twenty-five minutes, not once mentioning the prop hanging around his neck, Coach Scolinos appeared to notice the snickering among some of the coaches. Even those who knew Coach Scolinos had to wonder exactly where he was going with this, or if he had simply forgotten about home plate since he’d gotten on stage. Then, finally. “You’re probably all wondering why I’m wearing home plate around my neck. Or maybe you think I escaped from Camarillo State Hospital,” he said, his voice growing irascible. I laughed along with the others, acknowledging the possibility. “No,” he continued, “I may be old, but I’m not crazy. The reason I stand before you today is to share with you baseball people what I’ve learned in my life, what I’ve learned about home plate in my 78 years.” Several hands went up when Scolinos asked how many Little League coaches were in the room. “Do you know how wide home plate is in Little League?” After a pause, someone offered, “Seventeen inches,” more question than answer. “That’s right,” he said. “How about in Babe Ruth? Any Babe Ruth coaches in the house?” Another long pause. “Seventeen inches?”came a guess from another reluctant coach. “That’s right,” said Scolinos. “Now, how many high school coaches do we have in the room?” Hundreds of hands shot up, as the pattern began to appear. “How wide is home plate in high school baseball?” “Seventeen inches,” they said, sounding more confident. “You’re right!” Scolinos barked. “And you college coaches, how wide is home plate in college?” “Seventeen inches!” we said, in unison. “Any Minor League coaches here? How wide is home plate in pro ball?” “Seventeen inches!” “RIGHT! And in the Major Leagues, how wide home plate is in the Major Leagues?” “Seventeen inches!” “SEV-EN-TEEN INCHES!” he confirmed, his voice bellowing off the walls. “And what do they do with a a Big League pitcher who can’t throw the ball over seventeen inches?” Pause. “They send him to Pocatello!” he hollered, drawing raucous laughter. “What they don’t do is this: they don’t say, ‘Ah, that’s okay, Jimmy. You can’t hit a seventeen-inch target? We’ll make it eighteen inches, or nineteen inches. We’ll make it twenty inches so you have a better chance of hitting it. If you can’t hit that, let us know so we can make it wider still, say twenty-five inches.’” Pause. “Coaches …” Pause. ” … what do we do when our best player shows up late to practice? When our team rules forbid facial hair and a guy shows up unshaven? What if he gets caught drinking? Do we hold him accountable? Or do we change the rules to fit him, do we widen home plate? The chuckles gradually faded as four thousand coaches grew quiet, the fog lifting as the old coach’s message began to unfold. He turned the plate toward himself and, using a Sharpie, began to draw something. When he turned it toward the crowd, point up, a house was revealed, complete with a freshly drawn door and two windows. “This is the problem in our homes today. With our marriages, with the way we parent our kids. With our discipline. We don’t teach accountability to our kids, and there is no consequence for failing to meet standards. We widen the plate!” Pause. Then, to the point at the top of the house he added a small American flag. “This is the problem in our schools today. The quality of our education is going downhill fast and teachers have been stripped of the tools they need to be successful, and to educate and discipline our young people. We are allowing others to widen home plate! Where is that getting us?” Silence. He replaced the flag with a Cross. “And this is the problem in the Church, where powerful people in positions of authority have taken advantage of young children, only to have such an atrocity swept under the rug for years. Our church leaders are widening home plate!” I was amazed. At a baseball convention where I expected to learn something about curveballs and bunting and how to run better practices, I had learned something far more valuable. From an old man with home plate strung around his neck, I had learned something about life, about myself, about my own weaknesses and about my responsibilities as a leader. I had to hold myself and others accountable to that which I knew to be right, lest our families, our faith, and our society continue down an undesirable path. “If I am lucky,” Coach Scolinos concluded, “you will remember one thing from this old coach today. It is this: if we fail to hold ourselves to a higher standard, a standard of what we know to be right; if we fail to hold our spouses and our children to the same standards, if we are unwilling or unable to provide a consequence when they do not meet the standard; and if our schools and churches and our government fail to hold themselves accountable to those they serve, there is but one thing to look forward to …” With that, he held home plate in front of his chest, turned it around, and revealed its dark black backside. “… dark days ahead.” Coach Scolinos died in 2009 at the age of 91, but not before touching the lives of hundreds of players and coaches, including mine. Meeting him at my first ABCA convention kept me returning year after year, looking for similar wisdom and inspiration from other coaches. He is the best clinic speaker the ABCA has ever known because he was so much more than a baseball coach. His message was clear: “Coaches, keep your players — no matter how good they are — your own children, and most of all, keep yourself at seventeen inches.” He was, indeed, worth the airfare.

Proverb 22:6 New King James Version (NKJV) – 6 Train up a child in the way he should go,
[a]And when he is old he will not depart from it.

Matthew 7: 13-14 New King James Version (NKJV) – 13 “Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it.14 [a]Because narrow is the gate and [b]difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.

Big Bang Beatdown

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Date: 03/07/19

AO: CHOP, Milton, DE.

QIC: Fireplex

Warm up

SSH – 25 IC

Cherry Pickers – 20 IC

Thigh Masters – 15 IC Each Leg

Windmills – 20 IC

Jimmy Crickets – 10 OYO

The Thang

Captain Therkins at CHOP – 1 big Boy to 4 American Hammers; 5 Merkins .  2 Big Boys to 8 American Hammers; 5 Merkins….You see the pattern…. complete in ratio up to 10:40 with 5 Merkins for each cycle.

The Sheldon Cooper Routine (Big Bang Beatdown) at the CHOP.  10 Burpees, 10 Squats, 10 Merkins, 10 Big Boys.  A lap around the block @.25 miles.  9 Burpees, 9 squats, 9 merkins, 9 big boys.  A lap around the block @.25 miles. PAX worked the descending routine until all HIM completed the round of 6 of each exercise.   

F3 Message – See Below  

Count-O-Rama, Name-O-Rama, and the Circle of Trust.  Prayers were offered for multiple needs within the attending PAX including healing prayers for Waterfall’s Grandfather and Chairman’s Mom and Dad.  Please keep all our HIM in your thoughts and prayers.

Q provided the F3 Message from the internet as copied and utilized from the Ron Hutchcraft Ministries Website. Q was on call for the past two weeks for jury duty in the Superior Court of Delaware and was able to find a strong word from Mr. Hutchcraft. Q tried to tie it all together as it pertains to having a Savior that paid for our sins when we are all guilty and not worthy of the gift of eternal salvation that Jesus provided for us by way of the Cross. All we have to do is accept, receive and trust Him as our Lord and Savior and live a life that keeps him in the center of all we do.

NOT GUILTY by Ron Hutchcraft Ministries

“There are verdicts given in court rooms all over the country every day, but most of them don’t affect you. One verdict that really does affect you is the one that determines where you’ll spend eternity.

It’s God’s verdict. You ask: “Was I good enough? Will I make it to heaven when I die? Was I guilty or not guilty with God?” The verdict is not in a sealed envelope. It’s in an open book, and you don’t have to wait to find your verdict from God.

The Word of God in Romans 3:19 says, “Every mouth will be silenced. The whole world held accountable to God. No one will be declared righteous in His sight by observing the law…” That means doing good things. Chapter 3:10 says, “There is no one righteous, not even one…” Everyone is guilty. Verses 22-23 say, “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” ( Romans 3)

The verdict is in on each of us – Guilty before God. We have broken His laws over and over. We’ve hijacked the life our Creator gave us and run it ourselves. We’ve been our own god. Not only is the verdict in, the sentence has been pronounced. In Romans 6:23 it says, “The wages of sin is death.” Some are going to try to plead the good they have done. It’s not enough. No one is righteous, not even one.

A death penalty cannot be paid by doing good. Someone has to die. Our sin leaves us condemned in the court room of God. Our sentence is described in one word – hell. This reading of the verdict is followed by an amazing offer of a pardon. It says in the next verses that we are justified freely by God’s grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus through faith in His blood. In other words, someone has come to pay your death penalty – God’s own Son.

Our only hope of ever being right with God, of ever going to heaven, is placing all our hope in Jesus Christ, the One who died as our substitute. If you think that your religion or your goodness is going to satisfy God’s verdict, the Bible says it won’t. Jesus died so He could forgive your sin and erase it from God’s book, and trade the death penalty you deserve for the eternal life you don’t deserve. You just have to put your total trust in Him to be your Savior. If you never have, if you’re not sure you have, don’t risk another day without Him. The bad news is that you’re guilty before God. We all are, and the sentence is death. If you belong to Jesus Christ, because you have put your trust in Him, you can have the Son of God as your defense attorney before His Father, and a guaranteed verdict of “Not Guilty” – free to go home to the heaven He has prepared for you.”

Respectfully Submitted,

Fireplex

Critters Abound

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Date: 02/25/19

AO: CHOP, Milton , DE.

QIC: Fireplex

Warm up

Seal Jacks – 25 IC

Smurf Jacks – 25 IC

Crab Jacks – 25 IC

Monkey Humpers – 25 IC

Jimmy Crickets – 10 OYO

The Thang

Black Snake run ½ mile to “Oh Hill No”.  PAX split into teams of two.  One PAX dragon crawls up the hill and crab walks down while the PAX at the base of the hill performs crab cakes OYO AMRAP.  One PAX crawl bears up the hill and bear crawls down while the PAX at the bottom performs the Dancing Bear OYO AMRAP.   One PAX boo-boo Bear crawls up the hill and duck walk down while the PAX at the bottom performs Gorilla Humpers OYO AMRAP.

F3 Message: See Below

Mosey back Black Snake style 1/2 mile to the AO. 

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 02/25/19 – Excerpts from the Ashes to Beauty Blog By Lily from California. June 13, 2014

To keep in theme of the beat-down using the animals or critters found in the exicon, Q found a teaching from a blog site from a young lady just identified as Lily that calls her blog “Ashes to Beauty”. She identified 10 different animals that we can learn spiritual lessons from….

  1. “Deer – sure footed, graceful and beautiful. Sure-footedness comes from the firm foundation of God in our lives, and the simplicity of God’s way. Gracefulness and beauty comes when we walk in the Spirit.   Our ‘spiritual’ feet like become like the feet of a deer; confident, able to gracefully make it through the obstacles of life.
    32 It is God who arms me with strength
        and keeps my way secure.
    33 He makes my feet like the feet of a deer;
        he causes me to stand on the heights. Psalms 18:32-33 (NIV)”
  2. “Eagle – Soaring, faithful and unafraid of storms. 31 but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint. Isaiah 40:31 (NIV)”
  3. “Ants – Hardworking, purposeful, cooperative, foresightful.
    6 Go to the ant, you sluggard;
        consider its ways and be wise! Proverb 6:6 (NIV)”
  4. “Lamb and Sheep – Innocent, relational, knows the Shepherd’s voice.
    27 My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. John 10:27 (NIV)”
  5. “Camel – Persevering, steady pace, sojourner.
    14 I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. Philippians 3:14 (NIV)”
  6. “Locusts – Powerful when unified, initiative.
    27 locusts have no king,
        yet they advance together in ranks; Proverbs 30:27 (NIV)”
  7. “Dove – Innocent, Harmless, symbolic of peace.
    16 “I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves. Matthew 10:16 (NIV)”
  8. “Sparrow – Trusting, Joyful.
    25 “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? 26 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. Are you not much more valuable than they? 27 Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life[a]? Matthew 6:25-27 (NIV)”
  9. “Ox – Patient, servant’as heart, knows his Master.
    3 The ox knows its master,
        the donkey its owner’s manger,
    but Israel does not know,
        my people do not understand.” Isaiah 1:3 (NIV)”
  10. “Lion – Strong. bold, fearless, confident. One of Jesus’ titles is the Lion of Judah. The lion denotes great strength, power, majesty, the King of all! Lions are strong, powerful, fearless, bold and confident – qualities that are universally admired, and worthy of emulating. Jesus, is both the Lion and the Lamb. It is an interesting paradox, but it shows the perfect balance between Jesus’ power and authority, as the conquering King – yet at the same time His sacrificial love, goodness, kindness and compassion. 5 Then one of the elders said to me, “Do not weep! See, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has triumphed. He is able to open the scroll and its seven seals.” Revelation 5:5 (NIV)”

Respectfully Submitted,

Fireplex

Holy Hill

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Date: 01/29/19

AO: CHOP, Milton, De.

QIC: Fireplex

Warm up

SSH – 20 IC

Cherry Pickers – 20 IC

Windmills – 20 IC

Bolt 45’s – 15 squats full up to half way down, 15 squats half way down to full down, & 15 squats full motion.  All completed IC as a 4 count.

Mosey approx. 1/2 mile to “Oh, Hill No”

The Thang 

The Modified Slugger & Toy Soldier Routine.  Crawl Bear up the Hill and Bear Crawl down and complete 20 Diamond Merkins, 20 wide armed merkins and 20 Hand Release Merkins.  Crawl Bear up the hill and Bear Crawl down and complete a Toy Soldier Set 50 LBC’s, 30 E2K’s each side and 20 Big Boys.  Rinse & Repeat as time allows. F

Mosey back 1/2 mile to the AO. 

Count-O-Rama, Name-O-Rama, and the Circle of Trust.  Prayers were offered for multiple needs within the attending PAX and their families, but please keep all our HIM in your thoughts and prayers.

F3 Message

Q spoke about waiting on the Lord and sometimes that requires that we be still and rein things in a bit. In regards to the beat-down, we completed one evolution of the Holy Hill Thang, but concentrated on quality of the exercises and not the quantity. Of course the crawl bears up the hill caused “Holy Hill” to erupt from the participating PAX…:)…

Q went on to paraphrase and quote a segment on how to exercise your faith and three ways to build your spiritual muscles as written by wife and mother Elana Anthony who holds a certification as a group fitness instructor among many other academic achievements. Ms. Anthony states the first way to build spiritual muscles is to Wait on God. In other words, be still and allow God to work. Be patient and wait on God’s perfect timing. Please read excerpts below from he 2014 posting.

Exercise your faith: 3 ways to build spiritual muscles–Part 1

By Elana Anthony, June 9, 2014 at 10:58 am

“1. Wait on God. It may be hard. It may seem as if nothing is happening. And every part of your flesh wants to DO SOMETHING, because we don’t equate waiting with doing, and yet, that is exactly what we should do, for waiting is an exercise that builds our spiritual muscles. Waiting gives us strength. A popular Scripture that teaches us this can be found in Isaiah 40: 31 which says, “But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.”

“2. Draw your strength from God and not on your own self-reliance. Don’t take matters in your own hands. Usually while waiting, we get frustrated and antsy, and again, want to DO SOMETHING. In times like these, don’t rely on your strength. Ephesians 6: 10 tells us to “…be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.” It’s His strength that sustains, not our own. Now this doesn’t mean that there aren’t positive things we can do to keep ourselves busy so as to not go crazy during periods of silence. What was the other exercise I did to build my spiritual muscles and make it through the wilderness? I saturated my mind with the Word of God. I focused exclusively on His promises. This leads me to my last point to exercise your faith.”

“3. Focus exclusively on God. Not the doctor’s report. Not the Dow Jones. Not the news. Not the latest business reports. Not career updates. Not the latest on the economic rise or plunge. Not on the health prognosis. And especially not on the blessings of others. To exercise your faith and build spiritual muscles, you must “fix your eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith” (Heb 12: 2).

“So if we’re waiting, we are gaining power.”

“When we’re reliant on God, then we are strengthened by His power.”

“And if we are focused exclusively on Him, our faith is being made perfect. We are becoming like Paul. God is teaching us contentment so that we can be happy and assured no matter what happens. Whether we have a job or not, we can be content. No matter what the doctor reports finding, we can know that we are covered by the blood of Jesus and healed by His stripes. No matter if we have a steady income or periods of drought, we can know with complete assurance that the Lord is a provider and is right there with us. We are not alone”.

“Exercise your faith. Build your spiritual muscles. And be blessed!”

Respectfully Submitted,

Fireplex

B.O.M.B.S. Away

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Date:  12/13/18

AO:  Milton, De.

QIC:  Fireplex

Warm up

SSH – 25 IC

Cherry Pickers – 20 IC

Windmills – 20 IC

Burp & Merk – Burpee with ascending merkins up to 10

Mosey approx. .54 miles to new H.O.B. Elementary flag pole

The Thang 

B.O.M.B.S. – 50 Burpees,  100 Overhead Claps, 150 Merkins, 200 Big Boy Sit-ups, 250 Squats.  PAX partnered up and worked on exercises while partner ran the circuit around the front parking lot approximately .22 miles switching off after each lap.  Each PAX completed half of the listed exercises.

Mosey back .43 miles by a revised route to the AO.  All HIM completed just short of a mile for the mosey to and from the school as well as an additional mile running around the parking lot for their portion of the beat down.

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

Q shared a blast from the past regarding watching the Peanuts Christmas Classic as a kid and how they handled the message of what Christmas is really about as told through the animated character Linus.  This information was found and utilized in this back-blast from a post by Gregg on December 9, 2008 on the Archive Attic in the Gazette in Cedar Rapids    

“During the making of the animated Christmas classic A Charlie Brown Christmas, Peanuts creator Charles Schulz had a meeting with Lee Mendelson, the show’s producer, and Bill Melendez, its lead animator. The discussion concerned Schulz’s insistence about including a New Testament scripture reading of the Christmas story from the Bible.The scripture reading was to be spoken by Peanuts character Linus Van Pelt in response to Charlie Brown’s lament, “Isn’t there anyone who knows what Christmas is all about?” Mendelson and Melendez both voiced their concern about the reading, with Melendez telling Schulz, “It’s very dangerous for us to start talking about religion now.” Schulz answered him by saying, “Bill, if we don’t,who will?” In the end, the scripture reading was retained, and the CBS special was the second-most watched show of the week when it debuted on December 9,1965.”

Linus’ King James version scripture reading from Luke 2: 8-14, read:

“And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And,lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone roundabout them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, Fear not:for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this [shall be] a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.

“That’s what Christmas is all about,Charlie Brown.”

  

Leftovers

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Date:  11/27/18

AO: Milton, De.

QIC:  Fireplex

Warm up

SSH – 20 IC

Cherry Pickers – 15 IC

Windmills – 15 IC

Bolt 45’s – 15 squats full up to half way down, 15 squats half way down to full down, & 15 squats full motion.  All completed IC as a 4 count.

Mosey approx. ½ mile to “Oh Hill No” amidst “joyful” grunts and groans of anticipation from all HIM…J…

The Thang

Lovingly dubbed  “Leftovers” as the routine refers to the completion of a previous Q that was stopped short due to time, high temperatures and humidity.

The Sheldon Cooper was completed utilizing the hill.  Each PAX Completed 10 Burpees, 10 Squats, 10 Merkins & 10 Big Boys.  Nur up the hill and mosey down to complete 9 Burpees, 9 Squats, 9 Merkins, & 9 Big Boys.  Descending until reaching a set of 5 of the exercises.  Some PAX worked ahead and completed down to the round of 1 in the designated time.  When the 6 was in at the set of 5, we took a break for the F3 Message.

Mosey back ½ mile to the AO.

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 – 11/27/18

Q shared a message from Crosswalk.com that spoke to being thankful and grateful for what God has provided and how we should all have a heart of thanksgiving.  The message was written by Debbie McDaniel who is a writer, pastor’s wife, mom to three amazing kids (and a lot of pets).

Excerpts from the post by Debbie McDaniel:   

“We have so much to be grateful for in this life. Each and every day. But reality is that sometimes constant life demands, struggles, and worries give more room to defeat than to a heart of thanks. Or we forget, in the midst of busyness and pressures, just to pause and give thanks, for all that God has done, and continues to do in our lives.  Sometimes it really is a sacrifice to offer praise and thanks. We may not feel like it. We’re struggling. We’re weary. Or maybe, we feel like He let us down. We think God seems distant, like he’s far away, or doesn’t really care about what’s troubling us. Painful life blows and losses might have recently sent us spiraling.  But here’s what can make a lasting difference. We have a choice, every day, to give him thanks. And with a heart of thanksgiving, we realize that no matter what we face, God doesn’t just work to change our situations and help us through our problems. He does more. He changes our hearts. His power, through hearts of gratitude and focused minds on Him, releases the grip our struggles have over us. We’re strengthened by His peace, refueled by His joy.  God’s Word is filled with many reminders of how powerful and vital a thankful heart can be in this world.”

The Power of a Grateful Heart, 7 Things It Can Do:

-“It gets our eyes off ourselves, and helps us to focus back on God”.

– “It reminds us we’re not in control, but that we serve a Mighty God who is. It keeps us in a place of humility and dependency on Him, as we recognize how much we need Him.”

– “It helps us to recognize we have so much to be thankful for, even all of the little things, which often we may forget to thank Him for…but they really are the biggest, most important things in this life. It takes our attention off of our problems and helps us instead to reflect on, to remember, the goodness of His many blessings.”

-“It reminds us that God is the Giver of all good gifts. We were never intended to be fully self-sufficient in this life. A grateful heart reminds us that ultimately God is our Provider, that all blessings and gifts are graciously given to us by His hand”.

– “A heart of gratitude leaves no room for complaining. For it is impossible to be truly thankful and filled with negativity and ungratefulness at the same time.”

– “It makes the enemy flee. The forces of darkness can’t stand to be around hearts that give thanks and honor to God. Our praise and thanksgiving will make them flee.”

– “It opens up the door for continued blessings. It invites His presence. Our spirits are refreshed and renewed in Him. God loves to give good gifts to His children. He delights in our thankfulness and pours out His Spirit and favor over those who give honor and gratitude to Him.”

“O Come, let us sing for joy to the Lord; Let us shout joyfully to the rock of our salvation. Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving; let us make a joyful noise to him with songs of praise! For the Lord is a great God, and a great King above all gods.”  Ps. 95:1-3

“Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise! Give thanks to him; bless his name! For the Lord is good; his steadfast love endures forever, and his faithfulness to all generations.” Ps. 100:4-5

“Give thanks to the Lord for he is good, his love endures forever.” Ps. 118:29

Respectfully Submitted,

Fireplex

 

 

Stiff and Thor

, , , , , , / Leave a Comment / Georgetown / By

Date: 10/20/18

AO: Georgetown, De.

QIC:  Fireplex

Warm up

SSH – 25 IC

Cherry Pickers – 20 IC

Windmills – 20 IC

Bolt 45’s – 15 squats full up to half way down, 15 squats half way down to full down, & 15 squats full motion.  All completed IC as a 4 count.

The Thang

As a first pain station, all PAX completed a round of Captain Thor – 1 Big Boy sit up to 4 American hammers in ratio up to 10:40 before leaving the CHOP to complete three additional pain stations.

Mosey to Georgetown Public Library where we Bear Crawled for 8  parking spaces (@80 ft.) and completed ATM’s – 15 alternating shoulder taps (4 count), 10 tempo Merkins, and 10 fast merkins.  Crawl Bear back (@80ft.) and completed another evolution of said ATM’s.

Mosey to the front steps of the Georgetown Elementary School and completed a toy soldier set that included 50 LBC’s, 30 E2K’s each side, and 20 big boys.

F3 message before leaving second pain station.

Mosey to old NAPA store where we completed a descending round of Super 21 without any recovery exercises between the rounds.  21 merkin, 21 big boy.  20 merkins, 20 big boys, etc. descending to the round of 10.  Time was a factor and Q challenged each HIM to complete the descending rounds to 1 merkin, 1 big boy OYO at home.

Mosey back to CHOP.  Total – 1.0 mile overall mosey

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

Q shared a message in regards to Fellowship.  The online definition of fellowship is a “friendly association, especially with people who share one’s interest.”  Q went on to describe Christian fellowship as found on Bible.org.  Q shared excerpts from that teaching as part of the F3 Message as posted below.

Lesson 4: True Christian Fellowship (Philippians 1:3-8)

True Christian Fellowship means sharing together in the things of God

There are five strands of true fellowship in the verses of Philippians 1:3-8.

1.  True fellowship means praying for one another (Philippians 1:3-4).  In Ephesians 6:18 we’re told to “pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints.” In 1 Thessalonians 5:17 we’re told to “pray without ceasing.” Romans 12:12 tells us to “be devoted to prayer.” These verses do not mean that we are to quit our jobs and spend all day every day in prayer.  But the prayers of the saints are part of God’s method for accomplishing His sovereign will. And He uses prayer to change the heart of the one doing the praying, as well as to work in the hearts of others.  If you’re having trouble with another believer, even if it’s your mate or a family member, pray often for that person. It’s hard to stay angry at someone you’re praying for daily! James Boice states, “I think that ninety percent of all the divisions between true believers in this world would disappear entirely if Christians would learn to pray specifically and constantly for one another” (Philippians, An Expositional Commentary [Zondervan], p. 49).

2.  True fellowship means serving God together (Philippians 1:5 & 7).  The church is a fellowship of those who serve Jesus because He bought them with His blood.  Every Christian has a role to fulfill by serving in Christ’s army. The Lord saved you to serve, and serving Him isn’t always easy or free from strife and conflict. But it knits us together in fellowship when we join in serving Him. True fellowship means praying and serving Christ together.

3.  True fellowship means trusting in God’s sovereign working in one another (Philippians 1:6).  Verse 6 means that I’m not responsible to change others. I am responsible to minister God’s love and truth to others in a sensitive manner. If a brother is clearly wrong about a major truth or in sin or immature in the way he’s living, I am responsible to come alongside and do all I can to help him change and grow. If it’s a serious heresy or sin that he’s involved in, I may eventually need to separate from him. But at the same time, I can trust that it’s God’s job to change that brother. If God has truly saved him, God will finish the job. So I can relax, accept him where he’s at with the Lord, encourage him in areas of weakness, but also learn from him in areas where I need to grow.

4.  True fellowship means partaking together of God’s grace (Philippians 1:7).  Grace doesn’t mean that we tolerate sin and shrug off sloppy living. We sometimes need to confront; we need to help one another face and overcome faults. But if we remember that we’re all partakers of God’s undeserved favor, we’ll give one another more room to grow. We’ll be more patient and forbearing with one another. True Christian fellowship is a sharing together in God’s abundant grace.  Thus true fellowship means praying and serving together; it means trusting in God’s faithfulness and grace.

5.  True fellowship means heartfelt affection for one another (Philippians 1:8).  Sin divides us from those who are different from us racially, culturally, or in other ways. But the love of Christ unites us, not just intellectually, but with heartfelt love. Such love isn’t manipulative, trying to use the other person for our own advantage. It truly seeks God’s best for the other person, even at personal inconvenience or sacrifice.

Philippians 1:3-8 New International Version (NIV)  3 I thank my God every time I remember you. 4 In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy 5 because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, 6 being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.  7 It is right for me to feel this way about all of you, since I have you in my heart and, whether I am in chains or defending and confirming the gospel, all of you share in God’s grace with me. 8 God can testify how I long for all of you with the affection of Christ Jesus.

Respectfully Submitted,

Fireplex

 

 

 

 

Sore without Thor !

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

Date: 10/11/18

AO:  Milton, De.

QIC:  Fireplex

Warm up

SSH – 25 IC

Cherry Pickers – 20 IC

Windmills – 20 IC

Squats – 15 IC (4 Count)

The Thang

Patriot run to two pain stations.  We didn’t make it to the Toy Soldier or the Captain Thor stations as time became a factor.  Q will save the second two stations for a future beat-down.

  1. Patriot Run .4 tenths of a mile to Food Lion. Bear Crawl across parking spaces (@82 ft.) and complete ATM’s – 15 alternating shoulder taps (4 count), 10 tempo Merkins, and 10 fast merkins.  Crawl Bear back (@82 ft.) and complete another evolution of said ATM’s.
  2. Patriot Run .4 tenths of a mile to Ace Hardware. Completed a round of Super 21 without any recovery exercises between the rounds. 1 merkin, 1 big boy.  2 merkins, two big boys, etc. ascending to 21.  Brutal….a lot of grunting and wind breaking.

Patriot Run .3 tenths of a mile back to the AO

Total: 1.1 mile overall patriot run

F3 Message

Several excerpts below from Ron Hutchcraft Ministries, Courage for the Unknown #8180

“Our word for today from the Word of God in 1 Thessalonians 5:24. “The One who calls you is faithful and He will do it.” Your Heavenly Father says, “Look, I got you onto this road. Take hold of My hand because I’m going to lead you and I’m going to take care of you all the way.”  Listen to Moses’ summary of what God does for us when He is leading us into the unknown. “Do not be terrified…the Lord your God, who is going before you, will fight for you. In the desert you saw how the Lord your God carried you, as a father carries His son…He went ahead of you on your journey…to show you the way you should go” (Deuteronomy 1:29-32).  Well, there’s your guarantee. You can keep walking confidently into the unknown because your Father is committed to coach you as to where to step next, to carry you when you can’t go any farther, to cover you with His protection from harm, and to care for you, providing every need. He’s called you. He’ll do it!  So no matter how dark the road ahead looks, no matter how many bears there are, no matter how scared you feel, would you just grab hold of your Father’s hand and just keep walking in the direction that He is leading. ”

Q also shared a favorite poem along the same lines that reminds us that our Lord never leaves us or forsakes us even when we think we are going about things on our own…very comforting !

Footprints

“One night I dreamed a dream.
As I was walking along the beach with my Lord.
Across the dark sky flashed scenes from my life.
For each scene, I noticed two sets of footprints in the sand,
One belonging to me and one to my Lord.

After the last scene of my life flashed before me,
I looked back at the footprints in the sand.
I noticed that at many times along the path of my life,
especially at the very lowest and saddest times,
there was only one set of footprints.

This really troubled me, so I asked the Lord about it.
“Lord, you said once I decided to follow you,
You’d walk with me all the way.
But I noticed that during the saddest and most troublesome times of my life,
there was only one set of footprints.
I don’t understand why, when I needed You the most, You would leave me.”

He whispered, “My precious child, I love you and will never leave you
Never, ever, during your trials and testings.
When you saw only one set of footprints,
It was then that I carried you.”

By Mary Stevenson

Count-O-Rama, Name-O-Rama, and the Circle of Trust.  Continue to lift up Chappie, Chairman’s Mom, and Chattahoochee as they face various medical issues and procedures.  Please keep all our HIM in your thoughts and prayers.  Also, keep those in the path of Hurricane Michael lifted up.

Respectfully Submitted,

Fireplex

The Bear Did What on the Hill?

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

Date: 09/18/18

AO: Milton, De.

QIC: Fireplex

Warm up

SSH – 25 IC

Windmills – 20 IC

Cherry Pickers – 20 IC

Bolt 45’s – IC (4 Count) – 15 squats to halfway down.  15 squats halfway to full down.  15 full squats.  Actually this was BOLT 46’s as Q lost count…:)…

Mosey Indian Run Style .14 miles to the Wesleyan Church Parking Lot to complete Happy Jacks which were completed as 5 SSH IC followed by 2 Bomb Jacks.  Pax completed 4 evolutions completed in succession.

Bataan Death March – Indian run with a twist to the hill by the water tower around .4 miles.  The last person in line drops and completes five Burpees, then runs to catch up to the front of the line tapping the last person in line on his way by.  The last person drops and completes five Burpees, etc. etc. until reaching the hill by the water tower.

The Thang

At the base of “Oh, Hill No”, PAX teamed up to complete 100 merkins, 200 LBC’s & 300 squats.  One team member will crawl bear up the hill and bear crawl down while the other works on the exercises.  The hill is approx. .02 miles up and .02 miles down.  Here is the twist, each PAX must complete half of the designated exercises.  Once you have reached 50 merkins, 100 LBC’s and 150 squat’s, you will plank until your partner has completed his ascent and descent of the hill.  Continue the rotation until your team has completed the full amount of exercises.

Mosey .5 miles back to the AO for the Count-O-Rama, Name-O-Rama, and the Circle of Trust.  Please continue to keep Chairman’s Mom in your thoughts and prayers and all those affected by Hurricane Florence.  Please keep all our HIM in your thoughts and prayers.

F3 Message

We don’t always understand why God allows things to happen a certain way, or why our prayers are not always answered in a manner that is the most convenient for our earthly lifestyle.  We must always trust that God’s plan for our lives far exceeds anything that we could ever begin to imagine.  I found this poem by an unknown author that speaks to the fact that in all things God gives us everything that we actually need.

I Asked God – inspirationalstories.wordpress.com

July 25, 2007 — inspirationalstories

(Author Unknown)

I asked for strength and God gave me difficulties to make me strong.
I asked for wisdom and God gave me problems to solve.
I asked for prosperity and God gave me a brain and brawn to work.
I asked for courage and God gave me danger to overcome.
I asked for love and God gave me troubled people to help.
I asked for favors and God gave me opportunities.
I received nothing I wanted and I received everything I needed.

Proverbs 3:5-6 New King James version (NKJV) – 5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding;  6 In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall [a]direct your paths.

Philippians 4:19 New King James version (NKJV) –  19 And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.

Respectfully Submitted,

Fireplex

Dora “Not” the Explorer

, , , , , / Leave a Comment / Georgetown / By

Date: 09/01/18

AO: Aegis at Georgetown, De.

QIC: Fireplex

Warm up

Windmills – 25 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.

Happy Jacks – 5 SSH IC followed by 2 bomb jacks.  5 evolutions completed in succession.

Merkin Mile – each ¼ mile Pax stopped and completed 25 merkins.  Pax completed half a mile on the way to the site of the “Thang” completing two sets of Merkins.  Pax completed the second half of the merkin mile with two sets of merkins in returning to the Aegis.

Chappie rolled in hot after Rucking around nine miles to the Aegis.  The man is a beast.

The Thang

From the Exicon – Doracides – Two Pax worked together to reach exercise reps of 100, 200, 300, & 400 of 4 different exercises.  One Pax worked on the exercises while the second Pax completed suicides to three designated waypoints.  The extra twist is at the waypoint of each suicide run; the Pax completed 1 burpee, then 2 burpees, and finally 3 burpees before returning to the starting point.  Once all three suicide sprints were completed, the Pax switched stations until all reps of each exercise were completed.  The exercises completed are as follows:  100 American Hammers, 200 Merkins, 300 LBC’s, & 400 squats.

Count-O-Rama, Name-O-Rama, and the Circle of Trust.  Continue to pray for Chappie’s family, the Savini family, the Draper family, Vanilla’s co-worker, and for our Nation as we approach another anniversary of 911.  Please keep all our HIM in your thoughts and prayers.  

F3 Message – Q shared the Third F before returning to the Aegis.

I was thinking hard about the upcoming anniversary of the death of my boss, my friend, and my mentor Thomas H. Draper.  He died on September 08, 2017 after suffering injuries sustained from a motor vehicle hitting him while riding his bicycle.  There is no easy way to handle the passing of those close to you, especially when you want to understand why God allows such tragedies to happen.  We are fast approaching the 17th anniversary of 911 where many lost their lives in such a horrific act of terrorism.  Why does God allow this?  I found this article by John Hawkins on Townhall.com that he had written after the Sandy Hook mass shooting that offers wisdom and insight as to why God allows tragedies.  I hope you find the same comfort and peace as I did when I read Mr. Hawkins words.

5 Reasons God Allows Tragedies Like the Sandy Hook Massacre To Occur by John Hawkins as written on Townhall.com

Posted: Jan 01, 2013 12:01 AM

“As a Christian, it can be difficult to reconcile all the evil that happens in the world with an all knowing, all powerful loving God who could stop it if He wants, but chooses not to do so. If our hearts break for the innocent children who were senselessly murdered at Sandy Hook Elementary, how can a God who loves us not feel the same way? If any of us had known what Adam Lanza was going to do, we would have done anything in our power to stop him, so why didn’t God? All too often we tend to quote some arcane scripture, chalk it up to God “moving in mysterious ways” and shrug our shoulders. While none of us have the authority to speak for God, there are plausible explanations for why God would choose not to intervene to prevent a tragedy.

1) He gives us free will: God didn’t make robots who were designed to execute His will. Instead He gave us the freedom to make our own decisions. He lets us choose between being right and wrong, good and evil or wise and foolish. We can follow Him or scorn Him. We can obey Him or ignore Him. We can take His advice or go our own way. It’s our choice…and sometimes choices have terrible consequences. But, of course, how could it be otherwise and still be a choice?

2) It’s a necessity for faith: “If God wanted to remove all doubt about his existence, He could do so — but, He doesn’t because the cornerstone of Christianity is faith. Imagine what would happen if bad things DIDN’T happen to good people. What if when an airline crashes, only the non-Christians die while all the believers walk away unscathed? What if the moment someone becomes an atheist, he is immediately struck by lightning and killed? What if every rape, murder, robbery, and painful illness only happens to non-believers? If that were the case, then no faith would be required to be a Christian.” 

3) He has a different perspective: Our God gave “His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” Imagine being in his place as Jesus was jeered, whipped and had to suffer and die in agony on the cross. What would run through your mind as your Son was crucified and uttered the words, “My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?” when you had the power to free Him, heal His wounds and strike down His tormentors at will. Our God made that sacrifice for each and every one of us so that we could be saved. That’s how much He cares for us. Yet and still, God has known the hopes, hurts, loves and secret dreams of all of us who’ve come into this world, lived our lives and passed on. After watching billions of people He cares for die and shouldering responsibilities we can’t even begin to fathom, God doesn’t see the world through the same eyes as we do.

4) We often turn to God in times of tragedy: One of the sad truths of human nature is that when we’re happy, healthy, loved, secure and our pockets are full, most of us think we already have all the answers and don’t turn to God. As C.S. Lewis wrote, “God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks to us in our conscience, but shouts in our pains: It is His megaphone to rouse a deaf world.” It’s not that God wants us to ache, causes it, or wishes for it to happen, but He realizes that’s often what spurs us in His direction. A long pleasant existence full of leisure, contentment and pleasure that ends with a trip to Hell because there was never a need to reach for God is a failed life.

5) Ultimately it’s about Heaven, not earth: What we do with our lives is no small matter. We should try to make the most of our talents, do what we can for others and make the most of what we have. But, it’s worth remembering that Billy Graham was right when he said, “My home is in Heaven. I’m just traveling through this world.” Our lives seem long and crucially important because it’s all we can see, hear, and touch, but God knows there’s an eternity that stretches beyond our time here. It can be incredibly painful when our time here ends with those we care about, but God gets to see the reunions in the next lifetime.”

John 16:33 New International Version (NIV) –  33 “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

John 3:16 New International Version (NIV) – 16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

Respectfully Submitted,

Fireplex

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