Baaa

A Grand Old Focker

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DATE: 14 JUNE 2023

QIC: Focker

YHC took the Q today on the 248th birthday of the United States Army and the day we honor the flag of this great nation. The warm up consisted of 6 exercises for 14 repetitions since today is 6/14. The beatdown consisted of 8 exercises for 31 repetitions each for a total of 248 repetitions to honor the 248th birthday of the US Army. After completion of all 8 exercises we did a short lap in the parking lot. After the last round of exercises we completed a long lap and ended the beatdown with a Sherlock Shuffle. We completed 3 rounds of the 8 exercises. Upon completion of the COT all HIM present lined up and recited the Pledge of Allegiance to the flag.

WARM-O-RAMA:

Hip Circles – 7 each direction

Moroccan Night Club – 14 IC

Turn & Bounce – 14 IC

Cherry Pickers – 14 IC

Windmill – 14 IC

SSH – 14 IC

THE THANG:

MERKINS – 31

SQUATS – 31

LBCs – 31

DIPs – 31

CALF RAISES – 31

FLUTTER KICKS – 31 IC

WIDE ARM MERKINS – 31

PLANK JACKS – 31

LAP

3 RD F:

The U.S. ARMY BIRTHDAY

America’s Revolutionary War began on 19 April 1775 with exchanges of musketry between British regulars and Massachusetts militiamen at Lexington and Concord. As their fellow citizen soldiers from New Hampshire, Connecticut and Rhode Island responded to the alarm, a state of war existed between the four colonies and the British government. Called the Army of Observation, a force of New Englanders surrounded Boston and had the British troops who occupied it under siege, but they needed help. They appealed to delegates who represented all thirteen colonies to join them in the struggle for American liberty.

When the delegates to the Second Continental Congress convened in Philadelphia on 10 May, they soon learned that armed men commanded by Ethan Allen and Benedict Arnold had captured the British forts at Ticonderoga and Crown Point on Lake Champlain in New York. The constitutional crisis, in which Americans sought a redress of grievances from the British king and Parliament, had become open hostilities. The delegates realized that even though many desired reconciliation, they would now have to address the new military situation. The Congress took the next step that eventually transformed a local rebellion into a war for independence when it established the Continental Army: the force we know today as the U.S. Army.

On 14 June 1775, Congress “Resolved, That six companies of expert riflemen, be immediately raised in Pennsylvania, two in Maryland, and two in Virginia… [and] as soon as completed, shall march and join the army near Boston, to be there employed as light infantry, under the command of the chief Officer in that army.”

The delegates then prescribed an oath of enlistment that required the soldiers to swear:

“I have, this day, voluntarily enlisted myself, as a soldier, in the American continental army, for one year, unless sooner discharged: And I do bind myself to conform, in all instances, to such rules and regulations, as are, or shall be, established for the government of the said. Army.”

The next day Congress voted to appoint George Washington “to command all the Continental forces” and began laying the foundation for “the American army.”

The Origins of Flag Day

That the flag of the United States shall be of thirteen stripes of alternate red and white, with a union of thirteen stars of white in a blue field, representing the new constellation. 

This was the resolution adopted by the Continental Congress on June 14, 1777. The resolution was made following the report of a special committee which had been assigned to suggest the flag’s design.  A flag of this design was first carried into battle on September 11, 1777, in the Battle of the Brandywine. The American flag was first saluted by foreign naval vessels on February 14, 1778, when the Ranger, bearing the Stars and Stripes and under the command of Captain Paul Jones, arrived in a French port. The flag first flew over a foreign territory in early 1778 at Nassau, Bahama Islands, where Americans captured a British fort.

Both President Wilson, in 1916, and President Coolidge, in 1927, issued proclamations asking for June 14 to be observed as the National Flag Day. But it wasn’t until August 3, 1949, that Congress approved the national observance, and President Harry Truman signed it into law.

NUMBER-RAMA:

NAME-O-RAMA:

COT / BOM:

Announcements: Labor Day beatdown at the boardwalk on Labor Day. Sherlock will post more about kickball tournament. Prayer requests: Quattros father-in-law and family, Ruxpins M and family, my son and his upcoming surgery. All the unspoken needs and intentions of all HIM present and the HIM in our group.

Benvenuto Boob Job

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DATE: 9 MARCH 2023

QIC: Focker

YHC took his Q today on day 65 of his 75 Hard and his 50th workout of the year. Being that it is March Merkin Madness in the F3 First State my workout was focused on merkins and leg work. A daily principle of 75 Hard is reading 10 pages of a self help book and I chose to share from a book I’ve been reading titled ATOMIC HABITS by James Clear for the focus of my 3rd F.

WARM-O-RAMA:

  • X15 IC SSH
  • x15 IC Imperial Walkers
  • x10  Fwd Arm Circles
  • x10  Bwd Arm Circles
  • x10 Hip Circles each direction
  • x10 Knee Circles each direction
  • x15 IC Seal Claps

THE THANG:

  • x10 OYO Merkins
  • x10 OYO Diamond Merkins
  • — x15 IC SSH —
  • x10 OYO HR Merkins
  • x10 OYO Wide Merkins
  • — x15 IC Imperial Walkers —
  • x10 OYO Ranger Merkins
  • x10 OYO Crucible Merkins
  • — x15 IC Squats —
  • x10 OYO R Stagger Merkins
  • x10 OYO L Stagger Merkins

x15 each OYO:

  • Chinook Squats (3 overhead arm circles then squat)
  • Alt. Lunges
  • Jump Squats
  • Dead Lifts

Repeat all of the above x3
Total 240 Merkins, x225 Leg Exercises

3 RD F:

5 Life-Changing Lessons From Atomic Habits

Atomic Habits by James Clear is an excellent resource when it comes to guides on habit and behavior change.

In this book, Clear provides a highly effective, practical, and step-by-step framework to how to start good habits and how to end bad habits. This framework is based on the best techniques from behavioral science.

The purpose of the book is to help you achieve remarkable results more efficiently and methodically. It is filled with countless examples from smoking, reading, meditating, exercising, writing, biting nails, drinking more water, managing social media, sleep, and more.

If you’re looking to upgrade yourself and move towards becoming the best version of yourself, then Atomic Habits is a read for you.

1 — The Power of Compounding

“1% better every day for a year will compound to nearly 38 times better”.

1% really does matters over time. Clear begins the book with a very compelling story of a cycling coach who helped the British cycling team make lots of very small improvements which added up to big results.

Tiny changes in our habits can change the trajectory of our lives in ways that we can’t even notice until many years into the future looking back. In both good ways and bad. You are your habits. Far too often, we convince ourselves of one-night miracles or that massive success is only possible through massive actions. However, it is the tiny improvements, that aren’t even noticeable at first, that create incredible change.

If you make a very small 1% improvement in your health, your time management, or your relationships and keep that improvement over the next year or 365 days, that 1% improvement can really pay off. This can take off exponentially if you make a 1% improvement today, and then make another additional 1% improvement tomorrow, and repeat making these small improvements over the next year.

Habits are the compound interest of self-improvement. The same way that money multiplies through compound interest, the effects of your habits multiply as you repeat them. They seem to make little difference on any given day and yet the impact they deliver over the months and years can be enormous.

2 — Goals vs Systems

“You do not rise to the level of your goals. You fall to the level of the systems”.

The way we generally think about goals is slightly flawed. We want to achieve something and hence go ahead and set a goal for ourselves, but we don’t think beyond. Often, we are so tunnel-visioned that we forget how to set up steps to achieve our goals and sometimes when we do reach our goals we don’t know what to do next.

Both successful and unsuccessful people have the same goals but only a select few achieve them. So then the question is what’s the difference between them and how important is setting up the right goals?

Fundamentally goals are about the results you want but systems are about the process that leads to it. Our systems can replace motivation with routine. For example, instead of telling yourself “I should do some exercise to get fit”, you’re saying “It’s Monday — time to exercise”.

3 — Change Your Identity

The most effective way to change your habits is to focus not on what you want to achieve, but on who you wish to become.

The ultimate form of intrinsic motivation is when a habit becomes part of your identity. True behavior change is identity change. The ultimate aim for any habit is to change your identity into something you want to become. So instead of an outcome-driven habit or action, you need to shift towards an identity-driven habit system

The Three Layers of Behavior Change:

  1. Outcomes: changing your results, e.g. losing weight. Most of the goals you set are at this level
  2. Process: changing your habits and systems, e.g. developing a meditation practice. Most of the habits you build live at this level
  3. Identity: changing your beliefs, e.g. your worldview or self-image. Most of the beliefs, assumptions, and biases you hold are associated with this level

4 — The Habit Loop

A habit is a behavior that has been repeated enough times to become automatic. Their ultimate purpose is to solve problems on an auto-pilot mode (with as little energy and thought as possible).

Any habit is essentially a feedback loop of four phases:

1 — Cue (Make it obvious): The starting point or simply, what triggers your brain to initiate a behavior. The bit of information that predicts a reward.

2 — Craving (Make it attractive): the motivational force behind every habit. You don’t crave the habit itself, but the change in state it leads to or the pleasure associated with it (e.g. you do not crave smoking a cigarette, you crave the feeling of relief it provides).

3 — Response (Make it easy): the actual habit/action you perform, as a thought or action. Whether a response occurs depends on how motivated you are and the amount of friction associated with the behavior. If the motivation is greater than the friction you need to overcome to perform the action this phase will be initiated.

4 — Reward (Make it satisfying): the end goal of every habit. We chase rewards because they satisfy our cravings and teach us which actions are worth remembering in the future.

Let’s apply these practical tips to someone who is looking to work out consistently.

Set your athletic clothes, shoes, water bottle and bag somewhere they are clearly visible in your room (cue). Follow a simple workout routine that’s fun and efficient that fits within your schedule (craving). Train at home, or choose a gym that is as close to home as possible (response). Log the workout in your journal or calendar. Progress makes you feel good (Reward).

5 — The Goldilocks Rule

“Start small, be consistent and keep moving”

It is important for us to not get carried away when setting goals and targets. Human motivation peaks right at the edge of comfort, just slightly challenging from their present abilities, neither too hard nor too easy. Therefore, it is important that whenever you are starting a new habit, the set expectations are not too insane. Build up slowly so that these new challenges keep you engaged and motivated.

Atomic Habits is useful to you if you want to develop better habits, quit bad ones or find ways to increase your motivation.

NUMBER-RAMA:

NAME-O-RAMA:

COT / BOM:

Announcements included: RovingRuckFest in The Boro tomorrow, Memorial Day is coming up, and the F3 Family ShamRuck on Friday March 17th in Lewes, meeting at the Library with a ruck to Dairy Queen. See Deez’ post on group me for further details.

Prayers were lifted up for our brother T-Rex and his father, Sherlock and his father, Fireplex and his father. Additional grace and strength was requested for all the unspoken needs for all HIM of F3 First State to continue to be men of leadership in their homes and communities.

FOCKER OUT!

Roll & Rock

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QIC: Chappie

Date: 2/28/23

A double-deuce of PAX (22) won #thatfirstbattle and posted for YHC’s Roll & Rock workout: I.e. Roll the dice and rock out the reps and run. So it could be called Reps & Run as well, but that’s just not as catchy. YHC has been on a hiatus so it was good to be back out in the Gloom. Welcome to this morning’s two FNG’s: Lil’ Joe (yes, Hoss brought him) and Snagglepuss; so named because he posted last week, but he exited Stage Left after YHC Rick Rolled him. IYKYK. Oh, there were many other nickname options like Houdini, Stage Left, Casper, Walk-Off, etc., however, when an FNG states he doesn’t particularly like a name, well, he gets THAT name–it’s just the F3 way! Lol. Again, welcome to F3FirstState Lil Joe and Snagglepuss! That being said, here’s how things went down…

COP/Official Disclaimer given

WARM-O-RAMA:

  • SSH – 18 IC
  • Hip Circles – 10 L, 10 R OYO
  • The MOTIVATOR – Always a crowd-pleaser
  • Cherry Pickers – 18 IC
  • Imperial Walker – 15 IC

THE THANG: (no standing around, no stopping, only Planking acceptable)

The Brief: Roll the Dice & Rock the reps, then run. Clydesdales run the short lap (.27 miles); Shivering Whippets run the long block (.05 miles)

Round 1 – Rolled a 14

  • Burp-Jacks – 14
  • 4-Count Freddie’s – 14 IC
  • A2G Squats – 14 IC

Run around respective blocks

Shared 3rdF, check it out at this link: https://www.instagram.com/reel/CnmhFsXL0Z0/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=

Here’s YHC’s adapted hard copy:

This is from Skip Bertman when he was head baseball coach at LSU and led the Tigers to 5 National Championships: Let’s say you have 25 nickels to represent 25 guys on the team, in your group, or at your respective workplaces. (Bertman stacks the nickels)

Boy, they’re easy to stack, aren’t they? We can put ’em right on top…on top of one another, and you can stack all 25, not much of a problem. We can stay together, we can be one. But, boy, if you have one guy, bent out of shape, not in the system; some guy who’s not with it (kinda just settled on doing his own thing his own way). I guess we could carry him for awhile [places bent nickel on top of stack]. If you had two guys, maybe we can carry…maybe two guys like that [places 2nd bent nickel on stack]. But they can offer no foundation, you see. If they’re bent out of shape, not with the team, group, or company) there’s no chance that we’re going to be able build on top of these guys [places bent nickels on bottom and tries placing others on top]. There’s no chance they can help any of us. If we try and put ’em in the middle and we try and stack some guys on them, but they’re bent out of shape—their altitudes are different than the rest…it’s just not going to happen, boys! [Bertman places bent nickels in middle with nickels on top, they fall]. You can’t be bent out of shape (just doing your own thing, in your own way, if your part of something bigger). HIM gotta be with the team (the group, the company and they gotta stay together and gotta be One as they strive to carry out the mission of that team, group, or company that hired them. Or as Skip Bertman said, “You gotta remember the nickel demonstration.”

Time to roll again…

Round 2 – Rolled a 6

  • Bearcrawl out/Crawlbear back (count only left step) – 6 steps
  • Dying Cockroaches – 6 IC (double count)
  • Lunges (count only left step) – 6 out/back

Run respective blocks

Round 3 – Rolled a 15

  • Hand-Release Merkins – 15 OYO
  • Triple Threat Gas Pumpers (side-middle-side) – 15 IC
  • MJB’s – 15

Omaha due to time: All PAX run short block

  • Clydesdale total run distance = .81 miles
  • Shivering Whippets total run distance = 1.27 miles

Note to self: Mumblechatter Radar detected words to the effect, that, “We need to do some more running...”

COT:

  • Number-Rama – 22 PAX
  • Name-O-Rama – FNG’s named Lil Joe & Snagglepuss
  • Announcements: Happy 51st Birthday to Ruxpin…REEESPECT! ShamRuck (family ruck) coming up Friday, March 17 @ 6:30. Stepping off from the Aegis AO. ShamRuck FAQ’s: see Deez.
  • Prayers: T-Rex’s dad; travel mercy for Chauffer; Blockbuster’s success going before Soldier-of-the-Month Board today, etc., and for God to help us all to be HIM instead “bent nickels”

YHC is glad to be back out. Thanks men!

Chappie, out!

FOCKER can HIIT

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DATE: 15 February 2023
QIC: Focker
11 PAX won the first battle of the day by getting out of bed and posting in the gloom for a beatdown. YHC has been undertaking the 75 Hard for 43 days now and has been doing extra workouts using the iFit app at home, which inspired todays HIIT beatdown. The beatdown uses a 5:1 work to rest ratio doing 50 seconds of an exercise followed by 10 seconds of rest. The PAX will perform 5 exercises for 4 rounds.
WARM-O-RAMA:
• HIP CIRCLES OYO – 10 EACH DIRECTION
• TURN AND BOUNCE – 15 IC
• CHERRY PICKERS – 20 IC
• SSH – 25 IC
• IMPERIAL WALKERS – 20 IC
• STARTING AT BENVENUTO ENTRANCE MOSEY DOWN AND BACK TO THE ENTRANCE LANE (0.1 MILE) WOSEY TO CORNER OF BUILDING AND BACK (0.05 MILE)

THE THANG:
HIIT BEATDOWN 5:1 WORK REST RATIO (50 SECONDS EXERCISE AND 10 SECONDS REST) 5 MOVEMENTS FOR 4 ROUNDS
• LATERAL HOP / HIGH KNEE ALTERNATING LEFT / RIGHT
• INCH WORM – WALK OUT TO PLANK TO GROUND OR MERKIN THEN WALK BACK UP
• ALTERNATING REVERSE LUNGES
• HEEL TAP (4) / ALTERNATING SIDE STEP JACK OR SSH
• PLANK WITH ALTERNATING STEP FORWARD OR JUMP IN AND BACK OUT
After two rounds YHC circled the PAX up for his 3rd F. Upon completion of the 3rd F all PAX circled up and completed the remaining 2 rounds.

3 RD F:
OVERCOMING DISAPPOINTMENT
“I will never forsake you or abandon you.” Hebrews 13:5
Let’s face it, there is no way around it, we will all experience disappointment. It is a natural and normal part of life. We have high expectations for ourselves and others, but often, we don’t live up to those expectations.
Debbie is disappointed that she didn’t get the job that she thought was a perfect fit for her skills. She is disappointed in herself, the company and the process. Her disappointment turned into discouragement.
Bill is disappointed that after the undefeated season his baseball team enjoyed, they lost in the finals to a team they should have beaten. Bill is disappointed in himself, his teammates and coaches. He questioned whether he should return nex t season.
Sue thought she and Tom had the perfect marriage until the day Tom announced he was leaving her and the kids because he had fallen in love with his secretary. Sue’s disappointment turned quickly to depression and desperation.
Brian anxiously awaited the results from his surgery. He was disappointed when the surgeon told him that the cancer was worse than they expected. He was disappointed with the doctor and discouraged and angry with God.
“We must accept finite disappointment, but never lose infinite hope.” –Martin Luther King,Jr.
Yes, we will all experience disappointment.
So what can we do when we experience disappointment? And, how do we keep from becoming discouraged or depressed?
Here are some thoughts:
Take some time to grieve. Often these disappointments are devastating. They require time to heal, to reflect, and to try to understand. Know, however, as St. Paul tells us in Romans, We know that all things work for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose. (8:28)
Examine our Perspective and expectations. We have high expectations for others. And, often time’s people won’t live up to our vision of them. This is especially true for family members. We sometimes have unrealistic expectations for our children, spouses and parents. It has been said that when you have high expectations, you are setting yourself up for disappointment. Put your expectations into their proper perspective.
Turn toward and not away from God. When people are discouraged they often make the mistake of blaming God, of going into a shell, no longer attending church and they stop praying. These are times to turn toward our Lord. To gain strength from His promise to us, that He is with us always, that He will never abandon us, that He will see us through the problem and gives us a way out.
Focus on hope. We need to put our faith in God that he will give us a reason to hope. If we dwell on our Lord, and not on the disappointment we will begin to see that there is a light at the end of the tunnel. And, that light begins with our hope.
“Rejoice in hope, endure in affliction, persevere in prayer.” –Romans 12:12
Be grateful for the good things in our lives. Often we spend so much time on our problems and disappointments that we fail to take a look at the blessings. We may have lost out on that job, but there will be other opportunities and we still have the God given skills. We may be disappointed at losing the big game, but we still have a season full of good memories to motivate us next year. In all circumstances give thanks, for this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus. –1Thessalonians 5:18

We will all face disappointments during our lives. Dealing with disappointments by trusting in God and His promises will go along way to improving your mental health and happiness.
DROWNING RATS EXPERIMENT
YHC discussed and experiment that was conducted in the 1950s where a scientist put rats in a bucket of water and after a few minutes they would drown and die. However, during his experiment at the moment when the rats had given up and about to die he pulled them out of the water and revived them in his hand. Once they were recovered he placed them back into the water and they continued to swim for over 60 hours before drowning. The scientist surmised that because they were saved once before the rats had hope for being saved again and with that hope they were able to swim longer.

NUMBER-RAMA: 11 – PAX

NAME-O-RAMA:
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
Roving ruckfest this Friday in Georgetown. New AO in Lewes beginning next week 2/22/2023 at Beacon Middle School. Sherlock will be taking the helm of NANTAN while our ever faithful leader Chappie has to step away to handle his affairs. The Grit Mill is in need of a new Site Q.

COT / BOM:
We lift Chappie up with our prayers as well as Woodstocks mother as she undergoes a surgical procedure today. Also offered up in prayer were all the unspoken needs and attentions of all HIM present and those not present.

Crawling is for Pooh

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Date: 02/07/2023

AO: CHOP, Milton, DE 19968

QIC: Pooh – Warmup VQ & Fireplex – Q

Warm-up

SSH – 21 IC

Cherry Pickers – 15 IC

Moroccan Night Clubs – 20 IC

Windmills – 20 IC

The Thang

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

Pax completed a Toy Soldier set consisting of 100 LBC’s, 50 E2K’s each side, and 25 Big Boy ‘s.

Hydraulic Squats – 10 IC (6 Count)

“Chairman Lap” out the back driveway of the CHOP, to the left on Willow, left on Union and to the left back to CHOP parking lot.  Approx. .25 miles.

All Pax were asked to complete a set of 21’s approx. 30 yards apart. Complete 20 merkins and bear crawl approx. 30 yards and complete 1 Bobby Hurley.  Bear crawl back the @30 yards and complete 19 merkins, then bear crawl back and complete 2 Bobby Hurleys.  Continue until you complete 15 merkins and 6 Bobby Hurleys. Pax took a breather for the F3 message after which they finished strong with 10 Burpees, a 30 yard bear crawl, 10 burpees, and a 30 yard bear crawl.

F3 Message 02/07/2023

BOUNCING BACK WHEN YOU BLOW IT – #3801

Monday, August 6, 2001

I’m about 5’8″. You probably know that because I sound about that tall, right? Years ago, I was carrying 210 pounds on this little 68″ body. Goodyear actually offered me a job as their blimp. But thankfully, I have weighed about 45 to 50 pounds less than that for a lot of years. Of course, I’ve still got the same metabolism that inflated this body many years ago. So, ohhh, do I know about dieting! And I also know the point at which your diet is in the greatest danger. OK, you’ve really been good…the scale has been giving you good news the last couple of weeks…your diet discipline is holding. Then somebody offers you something that you just can’t resist–let’s say, a few french fries. You consume them in one bite. So, you buy a whole order of fries for yourself. And now you feel bad. You have blown your diet. You could just get back on track right then. But no–you say to yourself, “I blew it! I’ve failed! Oh well, what’s the use? I might as well have a milk shake to wash down those fries. Hey, and anybody got the number of Pizza Heaven?” Yeah, you messed up. So you give up–and soon return to your former roundness.

I’m Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A WORD WITH YOU today about “Bouncing Back When You Blow It.”

Now, it’s a shame when one or two failures make you give up on your diet. Or, more importantly, on living like Jesus wants you to live.

Maybe it’s a pattern you know all too well. Like a dieter, you’ve made up your mind to change–to do things Jesus’ way. You’re living right, you’re doing well. But one day you mess up and fall back into something the old you would do. And you feel ashamed. Now right here is the point–in dieting or being a disciple–that will determine whether or not this is a brief detour or a huge defeat. What will you do when you’ve blown it? Now, you can clean up or give up. And, believe me, Satan is gonna be right there whispering, “What’s the use? You tried this Christian thing, and look at you! You’re a spiritual lose. You’ll never make it. This is too hard for you. Give it up, man.”

Now, Jesus said Satan is capable only of telling lies–and this is no exception. But he wants to take one defeat and turn it into many defeats…to use this one detour to get you to turn back completely. And maybe you have. Well, it’s time for the truth. Our word for today from the Word of God, Proverbs 24:16, “Though a righteous man falls seven times, he rises again.” Notice it doesn’t say, “a righteous man never falls.” It says that when he falls, he gets right back up and starts walking again! See, that’s God’s intention for you when you’ve messed up.

That’s why He invites us in 1 John 1:9 to “confess our sins” because “He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” It’s not Jesus standing there, condemning you for falling. God says, “there is no condemnation in Christ Jesus” (Romans 8:1) No, that’s your enemy trying to pull you into a cycle of defeat. Live right…then mess up…then feel ashamed…then you give up…then you mess up a lot more…and then you crash spiritually. That’s the cycle of defeat. But Jesus is saying, “One failure is one failure. And the only people who never fell down are people who aren’t trying to walk. Bring that sin to My Cross. Let me clean you up. Tomorrow’s a new day!”

So when you mess up spiritually, it’s either the cross or a crash. Bring that sin straight to Jesus’ cross, and you can get up and keep going. Believe the “what’s the use?” lie, and you’ll crash. Because of Jesus, no failure is final. If you’ve fallen, you can get up, in the forgiveness and power of your Savior.

Now take it from a veteran dieter–it’s a terrible mistake to give up just because you mess up. Today’s failure doesn’t have to sink you tomorrow. You have a Savior who makes each new day a brand new beginning.

Respectfully Submitted,

Pooh & Fireplex

“Farewell Library Tour”

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Warm up 

We are just a group of men who lead others, there are no professionals here, you have to pay for them, this is free. If your sue happy spill your Dunkin coffee but don’t confuse them with me cause I and we don’t have anything and your being told you can’t sue any of us. If you can’t do something we are doing tailor it for yourself, but do something and get stronger 

23 cherry pickers

23 fairy jacks

23 Moroccan night club

The thang 

Snowflake plank 1 minute 

23 mountain climbers 

Snowman shuffle to the stairs, up the stairs, and down the stairs, and back around

 23 merkins

23 LBB

Stairs Tour

23 squats 

23 American hammers 

Stairs Tour

Bear crawl  (side lot) light poles and back

23 big boys 

23 calf raises

3rd F 

Proverbs 27:17 “As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another”

We all come here daily, weekly, monthly or once upon a time, Specially this location has been once a week, as the iron has sharpened a mighty strong blade here it has allowed us to slice open the seems. This piece of iron has upheld the mission of F3, plant, serve, and grow. When this location was planted it only served a small group which has now grown and out grown our iron. 

As it says in Proverbs 20:4, “Sluggards do not plow in season; so at harvest time they look but find nothing” 

Clearly this group of HIM is not sluggards as harvest time has come here and there’s plentiful crop to carry into the next chapter…

Thank you to those who came, gritted it out, and have grown a bountiful crop of HIM

23 Freddy mercury 

23 reverse crunches 

Stairs Tour

23 dips 

23 merkins 

Stairs Tour

Ruxpin Homage Addition

Chappie Homage Addition

Sherlock Book reading Addition (Wall Sit 1:23 Seconds)

HIM performed 23 reps, as a remembrance of the year we left the library for our new site.

Announcements

We are growing, check groupme for updates, but not TRex’s post

Prayers- Rosco’s Friend as he recovers from a medical issue.

10 HIM posted on the snowy library finale.

Ye Old 4×4

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PAX: Baaa, Chappie, Chattahoochee, Chauffer, Drago, Fireplex, Flat Bottom, Focker, Probe, Quattro, Rooster, Roscoe, Ruxpin, Semi, Streudel, T-Rex, Whirlybird, Wildwing, Woodstock,

QIC: Chappie

DATE: 1/31/23

PAX at CHOP won #thatfirstbattle and posted for yet another surprise Chappie Q, who stood in the gap for Bunt who “called in sick.” YHC jumped at the opportunity and jumped into action with an oldie but a goodie–Ye Old 4×4! That is, 4 corners around the block x 4 exercises at each corner, plus the transitions from corner to corner around the CHOP’s .5 mile square. This workout has been done before and has been returned to from time to time as a bit of a measuring stick. It has been awhile, so…

WARM-O-RAMA:

YHC was all set up for a good warmup and completely forgot Roscoe was scheduled for his VQ Warm-O-Rama. Fortunately said PAX was mingling in the circle and ready to go. YHC doesn’t recall all the warm-up exercises, but kudos to Roscoe who did a great job leading. Thanks brother for being ready and NOT slipping into the shadows thinking maybe you could just do it another time. After that, off we went to get in the 4×4…

THE THANG:

PAX moseyed from the AO to the dentist office parking lot

Corner #1: Merkins (Corner of Union & Tobin)

  • 05 Diamond Merkins
  • 10 Ranger Merkins
  • 15 Regular Merkins
  • 20 Hand-Release Merkins

Transition to next corner: Lt. Danger to light pole, Mosey to corner #2…

Corner #2: Abs (Corner of Tobin & Mulberry)

  • 20 X’s & O’s
  • 20 E2K’s
  • 35 4-Count Freddie’s IC – A real crowd-pleaser
  • 60 Dying Cockroaches

Transition to next corner: Bearcrawl to power pole, Dragoncrawl to light pole, Karaoke rest of the way

**3rdF attached below was shared here after a 10-count (see below)

Corner #3: Legs (Corner of Mulberry & Willow)

  • 18 Smurf Jacks IC
  • 30 Calf-Raises OYO
  • The Bolt 45
  • 05 Compass Squats (Omaha’d from 10 for time’s sake)

Transition to next corner: 50% Jailbreak to church driveway, 75% Jailbreak to next corner)

Corner #4: Full body (Corner of Willow & Union)

  • 10 Burpees
  • 10 Plank Jacks (4-count)
  • 05 8-Count Body Builders (Omaha’d from 10 for time’s sake)
  • 10 Mule Kicks

Transition back to AO: Just a good ol’ fashioned Mosey

Returned to the AO at 0602 hrs. (apologies to the PAX). Had a few extras ready just in case there was time:

  • Jack Webb
  • Hands of Time

**3rdF shared at Corner #3:

In the OT book of Exodus, Ch. 7 begins a record Moses’ repeated visits with Pharaoh (King/Ruler) of Egypt to plead with him to “Let my people go!” God called Moses to lead Israel out of 430 years of Egyptian slavery. Each time Moses met with Pharoah he said no, or he said yes, only to turn around and recant Israel’s release to freedom.

Throughout this exchange with Pharoah, Moses warned with plague after plague–10 to be exact–and repeatedly we read that Pharaoh hardened his heart. But we also read the peculiar verse in Ex. 9:12 which says “the Lord hardened Pharoah’s heart.” I’ve always wondered about this, even at times fearing that God, in my own stupidity and rebellion, might harden my heart. But this goes against the concept of Free Will (the idea the we have the ability to interact with God voluntarily and NOT under compulsion).

I want to share some thoughts on this I recently discovered that helped me understand the verse. “Maybe you have your own thoughts on this verse, but let’s look at it another way–through the lens of a metaphor: Let’s say God is the sun, and let’s say Pharaoh is a leaf that IS NOT connected to the vine, and Moses is a leaf connected to the vine.

Now keep in mind the verse in John 15:5 where Jesus says, “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in Me and I in you, you will bear much fruit.” We know the sun is the same today, forever, and always, but it will have a drastically different effect on the leaf that is connected to the vine, compared to the one that is not. The sun causes the vine and everything connected to it to flourish and to have life in itself. While on the other hand, it causes the unattached leaf to harden, shrivel up, and to eventually die. The same sun, the same leaves. The difference is one is connected to the Vine and one is not.” (Source: kingdom.story.films )

COT:

  • Number-Rama – 19 PAX
  • Name-O-Rama
  • Announcements: Take a look at the nation site F3Nation.com and check out the information for GRT Event coming up in D.C. Mar 24, 25, 26. This is THE premier F3 event. Sign Up today.
  • BOM/Prayer: Praise for the outcome/justice in the trial mention in previous prayers; strong finish for Swartz’ wrestling season and for his school work as his marking period is coming to a close; prayers for YHC’s parishioner who lost her husband to suicide yesterday; prayers for Bunt to get well soon and return to action; prayers for other requests mentioned–forgotten as of this writing by YHC, but never forgotten by Sky-Q, our great God and King who will continue to keep our hearts pliable and teachable and full of life IF we remain connected to Him through faith in Jesus.

Always honored to Q and appreciate the call from Bunt to fill in.

Chappie, out!

Let It Glow!!

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The Beatdown…
Station 1:

triple threat merkins

LBCs

air squats

flutter kicks (4 count) 

Lap and Glow Stick Switch

Station 2:

 iron mikes (25 each leg)

mountain climbers (4 count)

leg raisers

Coupon curls 

Lap and Glow Stick Switch

Round 1 at each station: 40 reps each exercise (lap and glow stick swap)

Round 2: repeat with 30 reps (lap and stick)

Round 3: repeat with 20 reps(lap and stick)

Round 4: repeat with 30 reps  (lap and stick) 

3rd F:

While in Church last week, some guy talking up front made a profound statement that honestly made me feel a lot better about the Christmas season, and my thoughts concerning the gift of Jesus all together.  He said something to the tune of… “Jesus is the light during this season, and throughout every other season.” Id been thinking about that same thought a lot leading up to Christmas and Id been making that connection a lot ever since our family committed ourselves to following Jesus  during our baptism in August. To be honest, leading up to the baptism I had this sense of complacent calm that after we publicly pronounced our faith as a family… the commitment was openly made and the path with Jesus would just appear naturally, easily, and fluidly. While some of what I thought would happen was true, what took me by surprise was the overwhelming challenge that would hit me soon after. This path was going to be rewarding in so many ways, but it would not be without it’s hurdles, because the road bumps that I once ignored and dodged, or solved by taking the easy solution, now presented them selves as an obstacle that I had to handle in a way that He would be proud of. Take for example us… we’re all members of a society in which we’re trying to do the best we can. And with that, we have a huge responsibility to be a faithful role model. And to piggy back off whirlybird… your kids (and everybody else around you both old and young) do watch you. When you cuss when you smash a finger, when you lose your temper in traffic, when you tell your wife you love her and make her tea in the morning, when you own up to a mistake, and even when you think their eyes are closed with you during prayer… They’re always watching to see what they can learn from you. The big questions is, what are you showing them? From that knowledge I think it’s important that we own, accept, and embrace the challenge of not only knowing about the Lord, but truly walking so instep with Him so that anybody who’s watching knows exactly where you stand, and the sense of security and resolve that a Christ centered life gives you. Coupled with that incredible challenge is understanding and admitting that things aren’t always easy, we screw up… and we aren’t perfect. There’s an amazing path laid out in front of all of us that leads to forgiveness and salvation. That being said, the path that is laid out will lead you to challenges, tests worse than those in a 7th grade science class, and even some rejection and sadness that will test everything you stand for. The guidance and comfort that Jesus provides can give you what you need to conquer all of that. If it’s being a leader…. His words teach about that. If it’s guiding your children…. His lessons are perfect for that. If it’s being a better husband, there’s many important lessons to learn in the Bible, and if it’s commitment to a healthier life that serves as an example to our friends, family, and community (and possibly leads to a sweet patch) there’s wisdom about that too. So what stands in our way??? A commitment to taking that next step, embracing the challenge as one that YOU need to tackle, and walking with Him in order to meet your goal. Accept the challenge, own the challenge, embrace all of life’s hardships as a chance to learn and be blessed. Romans 8:18 reads “For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.”  A new year is upon us, and if you happen to stumble on your path or fall into darkness in 2023, Get back up into the light and move forward even faster, because He’s got your back, and those who are watching you will follow. 

Workout Continued…

  • Finish up as many reps at last station as possible with lap and stick swap in between.
  • Chappie lap to cool down!

Announcements and Prayer Time

“The Jerk” He hates abs!!

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6 HIM gathered together on a chilly morning to embrace the suck as YHC Gump was brought back from the dead with a surprise Q (thank you Sherlock much appreciated). We welcomed a HIM (Breakfast Club) from downrange back as he was visiting family for the Holidays.

Warm o rama

  • 20 SSH
  • 10 windmills
  • 10 grady corn
  • 15 crab flippers

THE THANG

In typical Gump fashion we went for a stroll through the GRITMILL. We Mosied the Riverwalk around for a warmup just to get us over to Gigante parking lot. Here we worked thru the 100 ab workout.

  • PAX completed 100 of an exercise, first one to 100 called it and everyone was done, after the exercise we did a lap around the parking lot. The exercises were as follows:
  • 100 LBC- lap
  • 100 BBSU -lap
  • 100 flutterkicks single count- lap
  • 3rd F message
  • 100 doubletap LBC- lap
  • 100 American hammers- lap
  • finished up the workout the way we started and took a nice mosey back down the riverwalk to end the beautiful Gloom

3rd F message

Colossians 1:10-14

10 That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God;

11 Strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power, unto all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness;

12 Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light:

13 Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son:

14 In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins:

it was great spending the morning with all of you HIM, i will be back out regularly as soon as I can. It’s hard to drive from anywhere to get the kiddos on the bus by 610, and on the days my wife has off work I let her sleep in because Shes been working full time and going to college full time. Saturdays I take the kiddos out hunting. Just know our family has changed in the past 2 years and I am fully focused on serving them. See you Gents soon!!

Bombjacks, Blimps & A Crap Load of Burpees

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Date: 08/04/2022

AO: CHOP, Milton, DE

QIC: Fireplex

Warm up

SSH – 20 IC

Burpees – 10 OYO

Cherry Pickers – 20 IC

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

Jiminy Crickets – 10 OYO

Windmills – 20 IC

The Thang

Pax completed the Hindenburg BLIMPS routine from the Exicon at the CHOP.  We modified the sprint portion to a straight line across the CHOP Parking lot approx. .02 miles apart.  Sprint from the Church to the field behind CHOP and perform 1st exercise, sprint back to Church and perform 1st exercise, sprint back to the field and perform 1st exercise.  Sprint back to the Church and perform 1st exercise.  Plank it up until all PAX are in.  That completes one round.  Rinse and repeat for the remaining exercises as identified.  Round #1 – 10 Burpees. Round #2 – 20 Lunges (10 each leg).  Round #3 – 30 Imperial Walkers.  Round #4 – 40 Merkins.  Round #5 – 50 Plank Jacks.  Round #6 – 60 Squats.

F3 message –The 3rd F was shared after completing round #4.  See Below….  

PAX finished the beat down strong with more burpees OYO & AMRAP.

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

F3 Message 08/04/22

THE TROUBLE WITH SELFIES

January 9, 2017

Jim cracked me up with the story he told in his recent family newsletter.

He and his honey were enjoying some personal time at the Atlantic Ocean. Which is really big. Jim decided to take a picture of himself and the ocean. Which is really big.

Later, he made a disturbing discovery – which he reported this way. “I think I missed the ocean!”

Which is really big.

Oh, he’s in the picture, all right. But the Atlantic is nowhere to be seen.

Now how can a smart guy miss something as big and beautiful as the ocean?

By totally focusing on himself.

I’ve made that mistake. Missing the big thing because I was so focused on myself. I suspect I’m not alone.

When we’re hurting…when we’re grieving…when we’re grappling with a big problem – we tend to go inward and become all about ourselves.

We miss the person we married because we’re so focused on our frustrations with them. Before we married them, we magnified what we loved and minimized what bothered us. Now we’re all about our frustrations with them, forgetting all we loved about them.

So it’s selfie time. All about me. Losing sight of the one we once could not live without. So we stop loving like we did, and they start responding to the change.

We can miss our kids the same way. By dwelling on how they’re disappointing us, defying us, distancing themselves from us. So we’re sucked into a cycle of seeing – and talking about – only what they need to change. Not seeing – and talking about – the big picture of their strengths and their potential. We focus the lens on our hurt and fear and frustration – and miss the big stuff. The masterpiece God made and entrusted to us.

I know how much my picture can become a selfie when I’m going through a hurting time. Pain tends to make us selfish. Self-centered. Self-pitying. All those nasty self words.

But my Bible tells me that there’s always something bigger going on than the immediate situation. “All things work together for good to those who love God,” it says (Romans 8:28). And it quotes God as saying, “I know the plans I have for you, plans for good and not for evil, to give you a hope and a future” (Jeremiah 29:11).

There’s a Big Plan. For my good. But I’ll miss the big and beautiful part if all I focus on is my pain.

When my precious Karen was suddenly gone last May, my natural tendency was to be all about me – my grief, my life without her, my future.

But, thankfully, God quickly rescued me from my selfie. And began to show me what I could become through this greatest heartbreak of my life. I can honestly say my heart is more open than it’s ever been – open to God’s voice, open to letting my journey help others on their journey, open to the broken and breaking hearts all around me.

What’s scary is that our “selfie” focus can actually cause us to miss the biggest and most beautiful sight of all.

The God who made us.

We so want to have life our way that we live as if we’ve dethroned Him from the throne of our life. In the Bible’s words, “Each of us has turned to His own way” (Isaiah 53:6). And those “God, You run the universe, but I’ll run me” choices have “separated you from your God” (Isaiah 59:2).

All about me. Missing the God who’s the reason we’re here. Whose love we’re made for. Who thought we were worth sending His Son to die for.

The Ocean is right there, within my sight. Unless I’m blocking the view.

Respectfully Submitted,

Fireplex

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