Author name: Johnny Hopkins

Super 21 – “Rump Skin” or Ruxpin

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Date: 08/14/18

QIC: Fireplex

Warm up

SSH – 21 IC

Cherry Pickers – 21 IC

Prisoner Squats – 21 IC

Windmills – 21 IC

Patriot Run around the block – .48 mile

The Thang

The Super 21 as it appears in the Exicon.  1 Merkin to 1 Big Boy Sit up.  2 Merkins to 2 Big Boy Sit-ups.  3 Merkins to 3 Big Boy Sit-ups, etc., etc., etc.  But wait there is a twist….after each set completed of #1 though #5 complete 21 Imperial Walkers.  After each set completed of #6 through #10 complete 21 Mountain Climbers.  After each set completed of # 11 through #15 complete 21 Monkey Humpers.  After each completed set of #16 through #20 complete 21 Prisoner Squats.  After the final set of 21 Merkins & 21 Big Boys then finish strong with 21 Burpees.

Q received multiple reports of the loss of “Rump Skin” due to PAX choice of completing the set on the asphalt instead of the available wet grass that was just steps away.  I think our FNG dodged the bullet on this one when he received his F3 name…:)…Welcome Ruxpin…..

F3 Message

Q spoke about several characteristics of leadership as gleaned from an article by Thomas A. Merrill as it appears on fireengineering.com.  “Mr. Merill  is a 35-year fire department veteran and a former chief of the Snyder Fire Department in Amherst, New York. He is a fire commissioner for the Snyder Fire District. He served 26 years as a department officer including 15 years in the chief officer ranks. Merrill recently completed five years as chief of department. He has conducted various fire service presentations throughout the Western New York area as well as at FDIC. He also is a fire dispatcher for the Amherst (NY) Fire Alarm Office.”  Mr. Merrill stated that ” it is important for leaders to exercise good judgement and strive to lead their department in a positive manner; otherwise, so much of what I call wasted energy is invested in leadership quandaries that can truly bog down an organization and prevent good work from getting done.  It can also cause good people to leave.”  This observation can be applied to any business, group or organization.  Mr. Merrill went on to identify 8 “must have” traits that all leaders should possess.  The first is ownership and responsibility for any success or failure.  The ability to admit mistakes, be accountable, and move forward.  The second is consistency.  “A good leader will do jobs for which he is responsible in a consistent and regular manner, all while maintaining a positive attitude.  The third is being tired.   “All leaders should expect to be tired.  Simply, if you are doing your job as a leader, you will be tired.”  You may need to put in the extra time and effort to accomplish tasks with excellence.  The fourth is a positive example.  “All great leaders have learned to lead by their own personal example.  “Learn to lead by the power of your example, not by examples of your power.”  The fifth trait is organization.  “All leaders need to develop an organizational plan that works for them.  Find a system that works for you and strive to be as organized as possible.”  The sixth is Integrity.  “People are watching you all the time; they pay attention to what you say and how you handle yourself.  Once it’s lost you may never get it back.  A leader without integrity is certainly not a professional in any organization.”   The seventh identified trait of a great leader is honesty.  “Coupled with integrity, honesty is equally as important. Don’t ever think your people won’t know if you lie to them. Similar to losing integrity, once you are branded a liar, it sticks to you forever and your people will lose all trust and confidence in you. It’s okay to not have an answer to a question. It’s okay to not know how to do something. It’s not okay to make up answers and pretend to be something you are not. Be upfront and honest with your membership at all times, and don’t ever lie to them.”  The last trait identified by Mr. Merill is trust.  “All good leaders are trustworthy. Your members must know that you have their backs at all times. They need to know that when you tell them you will do something or get an answer for them, you will follow through and do it.  Learn to gain your members trust, and more importantly, work hard to maintain it.”

Our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, possessed all of the traits identified by Mr. Merill and so many more.   As a leader and teacher he was judged and scrutinized mercilessly.  He humbly served and provided the ultimate sacrifice in laying down his life so that we might have the opportunity to choose everlasting life.  Is he your President, Chief, Chairman, CEO…..??

James 3:1 New King James Version (NKJV)  1 My brethren, let not many of you become teachers, knowing that we shall receive a stricter judgment.

James 4:10 New King James Version (NKJV)  10 Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up.

Matthew 20:26 New King James Version (NKJV)  26 Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you, let him be your servant.

Count-O-Rama, Name-O-Rama, and the Circle of Trust.  Welcome to FNG (Ruxpin).  Prayers the Savini Family, Betts Family, and Sanders.  Please keep all our HIM in your thoughts and prayers as we go about the business of being HIM.

Respectfully Submitted,

Fireplex

SUPER DOOPER SHELDON COOPER – WAIT…WHAT? ON A HILL?

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07/19/2018

QIC: Fireplex

AO: CHOP Milton, De.

PAX:  Chairman, Chattahoochee, Leatherman, Skipper, Waterfall, & Fireplex.

Warm up

SSH – 20 IC

Cherry Pickers – 15 IC

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

Windmills – 15 IC

The Thang

Mosey 0.5 mile to “Oh Hill No” to complete the Thang.  Complete 10 Burpees, 10 Squats, 10 Merkins & 10 Big Boys.  Nur up the hill and run down and complete 9 Burpees, 9 Squats, 9 Merkins, & 9 Big Boys.  All completed OYO.  Rinse and repeat in descending order until reaching 5 of each exercise.  Extra credit and a shout out to Leatherman who did not hear the descending order part of the exercise and he completed 10 of each during each cycle of the exercises.  The F3 message (see below) was an opportunity to catch a breather, and because of time we did not complete the exercises descending all the way to 1 of each.  However, Chairman decided to “poke the bear”.  We added one full exercise evolution that was comprised of a crawl bear up the hill and bear crawl down, where we completed the next cycle of Burpees, Squats, Merkins & Big Boys before moseying 0.5 mile back to the AO.

F3 Message

Q spoke about Caleb and how he had spent 45 years in the wilderness in his obedience to God when others that were filled with disbelief created that exile.  He persevered when it would have been easier to fold.  Once all the disbelievers had passed away, and the promised land was realized, he went on at 85 years old to defeat the Anakites to take the hill country that he had been promised.  Caleb did not give up much like Jim Kelly, Hall of Fame QB of the Buffalo Bill who received the ESPY Jimmy V award for perseverance on 07/18/18.  His life is a testimony to perseverance as he led his team four times to the Super Bowl and was defeated each time.  He has two lovely daughters but had a son that was born with Krabbe’s disease which is a deadly nervous system disorder.  His son passed at the age of 8.  Mr. Kelly has battled cancer himself having been diagnosed in 2013 with oral cavity cancer that had been in remission.  Recent reports are that the cancer has returned.  I am sure that he will face that diagnosis as he has faced all other adversity; while all the time praising God and living for Him as is evident from the quotes below.

“We are shocked, heartbroken, sad, angry, confused, and just darn tired,” Jill Kelly said in her post. “Yet, despite how we feel, we KNOW that God is a promise maker and keeper.”

Kelly, who remained a towering force in Buffalo and in the N.F.L. despite all of his Super Bowl appearances ending in losses, said he was relying on what he called the “four Fs”: faith, family, friends and fans.

“With all of you by my side we will fight and win this battle together,” he said. “Staying ‘Kelly Tough’ and trusting God will carry us through this difficult time.”

“O Hill NO” doesn’t seem so steep and exercises don’t seem so taxing when you are inspired by these stories of facing such huge adversity.

Count-O-Rama, Name-O-Rama, and the Circle of Trust.  Prayers for traveling mercies for Chappie, peace for an upcoming event for Leatherman, heat related health concerns for brother Firemen responding to recent alarms.   Please keep all our HIM in your thoughts and prayers.

Respectfully Submitted,

Fireplex

SHELDON COOPER – NOT ON A HILL!

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06/19/2018

AO -Milton, De.

PAX – Chappie, Toy Soldier, Summit, Vanilla, Waterfall, & Fireplex

QIC – Fireplex

Warm up

SSH – 25 IC

Cherry Pickers – 25 IC

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

Windmills – 25 IC

Inch worms  – Approx. 70 ‘(7 Parking Spaces)

Bear Crawls – Approx. 70’ (7 parking Spaces)

The Thang

The Sheldon Cooper – Not On a Hill! –  We did not mosey to “Oh Hill No” to complete the Thang as was originally planned.  Q will save that one for a Saturday or for a much cooler morning.  Complete 10 Burpees, 10 Squats, 10 Merkins & 10 Big Boys.  Run around the AO (Capri Lap that measures by Google Earth at .26 miles) and complete 9 Burpees, 9 Squats, 9 Merkins, & 9 Big Boys.  Run Capri Lap after each set.  Descending until reaching 5 of each exercise as time was not in our favor to descend all the way to 1 of each exercise.  79o and very humid conditions at 5:15 a.m. worked against all HIM.

F3 Message 

Q shared some personal reflections on Father’s Day.  The focus placed on positive influences of a Father that instilled a gift of work ethic that included follow through on commitments and obligations.  I am forever grateful for that gift.

Q shared excerpts from a word found online from the Everyday Christian published in 2009 by Chuck Mason .  The full message as posted by Mr. Mason appears below.

“In Numbers chapters 28-30, Moses prepares the Israelites to enter the promised land by reviewing God’s rules on offerings, sacrifices, celebrations and vows. Moses is going to die and Joshua has been appointed to take over. So the generation has changed, the leadership is about to change, but the ways of God never change. Isn’t that refreshing? When God says something, He means it. He is faithful and true to His word; He can be counted on.

Unfortunately that isn’t always true for you and me. Numbers 30:1-2 says “This is what the LORD commands: When a man makes a vow to the LORD or takes an oath to obligate himself by a pledge, he must not break his word but must do everything he said.”

Our words are important to God. When we make a commitment to someone we should keep it. He takes our promises to others and to Himself very seriously (whether we do or not). Let’s face it, we all have good intentions, but many times we don’t follow through on them.

Jesus spoke about this as well in Matthew 5:34-37: “But I tell you, Do not swear at all: either by heaven, for it is God’s throne; or by the earth, for it is his footstool; or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the Great King. And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make even one hair white or black. Simply let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No,’ ‘No’; anything beyond this comes from the evil one.”

This is a scripture I have used over and over again with my daughters. The first time it came up was when I overheard them in the back of the van doing a “pinky promise”. This verse came to mind and I explained to them that Jesus wants us to be so honest and careful with our words that any kind of “special promise” is unnecessary. The other important parenting application of these words from our Savior is that when Mom or Dad says “no”, we mean “no” so there is no need to ask again. It is easy to see that breaking a commitment to do something you said you would do is wrong, but sometimes a little less obvious when it is applied in the other direction. When we say “no” and then later give in, we are sinning according to this scripture. In order to properly model this biblical principal to our kids we must allow our “no” to mean “no”. Eventually they will understand that asking again and again is of no profit.

Too many times in our culture, our promise is like saying “unless something better comes along.” This command of the Lord says we should not break our word, period. We may very well change our mind about something, but we still do not break our word. I once heard a male celebrity say of his wife: “We’ll stay together as long as things are good.” You may have guessed–they are divorced today.

Whether we are joining a team, an activity or a class, God expects us to fulfill our obligations. Volunteer work, job, church, marriage, home mortgage, etc., we should live up to our word. In many circles today, the breaking of an oath is just standard business practice–but before God, it is simply sin.

Because God takes our vows so seriously, sometimes it is better not to make a vow. Ecclesiastes 5:5 says, “It is better not to vow than to make a vow and not fulfill it.”
This passage goes on to say “do not let your mouth lead you into sin”. We need to carefully consider our words and the commitments we make for ourselves and for our family. Vowing is voluntary and should stay in line with what pleases God. We need God’s direction in making vows. Take some time, don’t answer someone rashly, seek the Lord’s best and His wisdom before making a decision.

If you find yourself breaking commitments you’ve made on a regular basis, it may be that you are overcommitting yourself to begin with. Too many times we think everything looks good, there are so many opportunities for “good” things, activities and social events and we want to do them all, but it is not feasible or realistic for us or for our families. We must be discerning, prayerful, cautious about how we commit ourselves and our family. We need room in our days, our weeks and our lives. If the only speed in your life is “rush”, this can be a sure sign of overcommitment.

So, what about you? How does the Lord want you to apply this scripture? Ask yourself these questions:

Can I be trusted?

Am I known for my integrity?

Does my “yes” mean “yes” and my “no” mean “no”?

Think of the last 3 obligations you made. Did you completely fulfill them?

What am I teaching my kids regarding commitments? From my example and from what I require of them with their commitments?”

Count-O-Rama, Name-O-Rama, and the Circle of Trust.  Prayers specifically for the Pedrick Family, Jones family, Aaron, Stealth & Toy Soldier.  Please keep all our HIM in your thoughts and prayers.

Respectfully Submitted,

Fireplex

NO MERCY-IT WAS ALMOST A MILE !

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5/29/18

10 HIM posted for a “No Mercy Beat-Down”

PAX:  Toy Soldier, Leatherman, Ying-Ying, Chattahoochee, Chairman, Waterfall, Summit, Pre-cut, Chappie, and Fireplex.

QIC:  Fireplex

AO:  Milton, De.

Warm up

SSH – 25 IC

Cherry Pickers – 25 IC

Bolt 45’s a.k.a. Fireplex 90’s IC (4 Count) – 15 squats to halfway down.  15 squats halfway to full down.  15 full squats.

Windmills – 25 IC

Mosey to the vacant lot by Shipbuilders Village – .35 mile.

The Thang

The “No Mercy Mile” as identified in the exicon – Pax begin at midpoint of front stretch on a standard track (we used a measured vacant lot).  Jog to turn 1: bear crawl to turn 2.  Jog to mid point on back stretch.  Do 25 merkins.  Jog to turn 3:  lunge to turn 4.  Jog to starting point perform 25 squats.  R&R three more times.  When complete will have bear crawled 400 yards, lunged 400 yards, performed 100 merkins and squats all while completing 1 mile.

*We reduced the jog portion of the exercise to a half mile since we jogged just short of a half mile to get to, and return from, the “thang” location.

With our legs inclined on a berm, we completed a series of ab exercises that we call the Toy Soldier Set that was named for the founder of the set – 50 LBC’s, 25 E2K’s (each side), 25 Big Boy Sit-Up’s OYO.

F3 Message

The 150 year history of Memorial Day was discussed.  History shows that the day honoring the fallen  was initially known as Decoration Day in the aftermath of the Civil War.  By the late 19th century it became known as Memorial Day and was signed into law as a National Holiday by President Lyndon B. Johnson in 1968.  We will never forget those who have given the ultimate sacrifice so that we might have all the freedoms that we enjoy today.

John 15:13 New King James Version (NKJV) –  13 Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends.

While we were on the subject of sacrifice, it seems only fitting to speak of the Most Ultimate Sacrifice Ever !  Jesus’ whole life was a sacrifice, as in the flesh He experienced the same temptations that we do.  However, He did not come to be served, but to serve us as He comforted, healed, preached, and gave all of Himself for mankind.  His Crucifixion was the ultimate sacrifice so that we can experience salvation from our sins through our commitment and faithful service in Him for the greatest gift we can only imagine – everlasting life!

Ephesians 2:4-9 New King James Version (NKJV) –   4 But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, 5 even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), 6 and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7 that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9 not of works, lest anyone should boast.

John 14:6 New King James Version (NKJV) –  6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.     

John 3:16 New King James Version (NKJV) –  16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.

Mosey back to AO – .11 mile.

Count-O-Rama, Name-O-Rama, and the Circle of Trust.  Please keep all our HIM in your thoughts and prayers.  Special prayer request for Chappie and his family.

Respectfully Submitted,

Fireplex

 

THE NARROW PATH

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5/22/2018

10 HIM posted for a Fireplex beat down

PAX:  Toy Soldier, Leatherman, Ying-Ying, Chattahoochee, Chairman, Waterfall, Vanilla, Summit, Chappie, and Fireplex

QIC:  Fireplex

AO: Milton, De.

Warm up

SSH – 20 IC

Cherry Pickers – 20 IC

Bolt 45’s a.k.a. Fireplex 90’s IC (4 Count) – 15 squats to halfway down.  15 squats halfway down to full down.  15 full motion squats.

Windmills – 20 IC

Moroccan Night Clubs – 20 IC

Burp & Merk – Burpees with ascending merkins up to 10 count.

The Thang

Mosey to Little League Park (@.75 mile) and divided the 10 HIM into two groups for two pain stations.  Each group completed both stations as described below.

Super 21 Routine modified in the spirit of time and sanity to a “Super 17” – 1 Merkin & 1 Big Boy Sit up, 2 Merkins & 2 Big Boy’s, 3 Merkins & 3 Big Boy’s, repeat until reaching 17 of both exercises.

The Cycle – From home plate, bear crawl to 1st base, 3 burpees, crawl bear back to home plate. From home plate, bear crawl around the bases to 2nd base, 6 burpees, crawl bear back to home plate.  From home plate, bear crawl around the bases to third base, 9 burpees, crawl bear back to home plate.

F3 Message

Excerpts from Coach John Scolinas message as written by Chris Sperry, Baseball/Life, LLC in 1996.  Coach Scolinas  applys the analogy of the width of home plate which is 17″ to our interaction with the many people and organizations that we touch or represent.  That we should never compromise or “widen” our strike zone.  We need to be accountable, not change the rules to accommodate a lesser standard.  In summary, Coach Scolinas said ” Coaches, keep your players-no matter how good they are – your children, and most of all, keep yourself at seventeen inches.”

Proverbs 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.

Mosey back to AO (@.75 mile)

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

Respectfully Submitted,

Fireplex

 

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