Chattahoochee

Field of Dreams [a.k.a. Burpee Delirium]

Great times! For this time of year as PAX rotate out on vacations it was awesome to have 11 HIM drop the DRP and post for the Field of Dreams [delirium] workout. It wasn’t always this way, so its exciting to still see double digits when others are out. Plant, Grow, and Serve small workout groups of men for the invigoration of male community leadership–on mission!

So here’s the skinny, it went a lil’ something like this:

WARM-O-RAMA:

  • SSH’s – 18 IC
  • SwartzJack’s – 20 IC
  • Seal Jack’s – 18 IC
  • Plank Jacks – 18 IC
  • Merkins – 10 OYO
  • Crab Flippers – 18 IC
The Big Dice

THE THANG:

Upon returning to the AO following a nice brisk 0.5 mile Patriot Run around the block, PAX divided into 2 teams. Teams took turns rolling the 3 dice until reaching the opposite end of the field.

  • ROUTINE: Roll dice, both teams Bear Crawl to dice, execute the corresponding number of Burpees rolled (teams were to remember total number rolled. Team with highest number determined the punishment of lower scoring team at the end of the field).
  • Team 1 rolled 4x – Roll dice, Bear Crawl, Burpees. Rinse & Repeat…
  • Team 2 rolled 3x – Roll dice, Bear Crawl, Burpees. Rinse & Repeat…
  • Team 1 Rolled the highest number, though neither team remembers the exact number due to burpee delirium. Guestimates are as low as 77, but it was more likely closer to 100.
  • Da MATH: Neither team rolled less than 11 (77 Burpees would be the bare minimum), but there were rolls of 16, 14, 13, and 12. I.e. just know that the PAX executed ALOT OF BURPEES!
  • Rolling the highest accumulated number, Team 1 determined they would do 15 Merkins, while Team 2 was assigned 30 Merkins.

PAX took the long Mosey back to the AO, taking turns swapping out holding the dice overhead. They’re not heavy but THAT did create a different dynamic for the mosey.

Meanwhile back at the AO: 3rdF Message

(The following thoughts adapted from R. Kent Hughes in Disciplines of a Godly Man)

Harry Blymires, in (The Christian Mind) said, “The Christian mind  has succumbed to the secular drift with a degree of weakness and nervelessness unmatched in Christian history.” He sees our generation as suffering from religious anorexia (anorexia religiosa), a loss of appetite for Christ.

The bottom line is: this comes from a declining willingness to properly program the amazing instruments God has given us. Christians leave their 12 billion cells unguarded and unthinking—and undisciplined. When we turn to God’s Word, we’re aware that the Biblical writers understood the problem in a less technical way. “Above all else, guard your heart,” says Proverbs, “for it is the wellspring of life” (4:23). “For as a man thinks within his heart, so is he” (Prov. 23:7). The Scriptures tell us rightly that INPUT DETERMINES OUTPUT — that our PROGRAMMING DETERMINES PRODUCTION.

The one thing that will always shape your life is the condition of your heart. The Apostle Paul told us in Philippians to think on explicitly positive things: The true. The noble. The right. The pure. The lovely. The admirable. This is more than the power of positive thinking. They all defy negative exposition. I.e. each is a matter of personal choice — and our choices make all the difference in the world. We all can CHOOSE a thought “program” which will produce a Christian mind.

2 AREAS OF PERSONAL APPLICATION:

#1 – I have great sympathy for those whose past has been a series of bad choices. I understand that if over the years one has chosen the impure and the illusory and the negative, it is very difficult to change. But as a biblical thinker I give no space to myself or to anyone else who rationalizes his present choices by the past. Brothers, as followers of Christ we are free to have a Christian mind/a biblical worldview. It IS within our reach, and it is our duty.

#2 – We should be aware of the wise warnings against using words like “all,” “every,” and “always” in what we say. Using absolutes is dangerous. But I’m going to do it anyway. Here it is: IT IS IMPOSSIBLE FOR ANY FOLLOWER OF CHRIST WHO SPENDS THE BULK OF HIS EVENINGS, MONTH AFTER MONTH, WEEK UPON WEEK, DAY IN AND DAY OUT WATCHING THE TV AND WATCHING VIDEOS TO HAVE A CHRISTIAN MIND. This is ALWAYS true of ALL Christians in EVERY situation.  A biblical mental program cannot exist with worldly programming. Again, INPUT DETERMINES OUTPUT — PROGRAMMING DETERMINES PRODUCTION.

Where the Bible says “think about such things” (Phil 4:8), the word that is used is “logidzamai”, from which we get the mathematical computer-like word logarithm. It means a “deliberate and prolonged contemplation as if one is weighing a mathematical problem.” It’s like getting junk mail versus getting the new Shooters Magazine, Runners World, etc. Or like getting junk emails versus emails from F3 or GoRuck, etc. You throw out the junk after a brief scan, but you take deliberate and prolonged contemplation over the new items from your favorite sources.

Even more so, we are to think about the good and positive elements God wants us to put into our computers/minds. God calls HIM in His Word to a massive and positive discipline of the mind. You cannot be profoundly influenced by that which you do not know. I.e. INPUT DETERMINES OUTPUT — PROGRAMMING DETERMINES PRODUCTION.

Oh, how I love your law! I meditate on it all day long. Your commands make me wiser than my enemies, for they are ever with me. I have more insight than all my teachers, For I meditate on Your statutes. I have more understanding than the elders, For I obey your precepts.” (Psalm 119:97-100)

Last but not least A Round of Mary:

  • Flutter Kicks – Courtesy of Chattahoochee
  • Box Cutters – Courtesy of Vanilla
  • Big Boys – Courtesy of Gump
  • LBC’s – Courtesy of Summit
  • American Hammers – Courtesy of Ying Ying

COT/BOM:

  • Announcements: Warm-Up VQ scheduled for Gump @ Primis. Be there!
  • Prayers: Chattahoochee, Bill Crouch, YHC, etc. Plus, as always prayers were lifted up for each PAX to be a HIM in his home, his workplace, and in his community in which he serves.

That’s a wrap. Lot’s of PAX on vacation but we still posted 11! Way cool to see the continued growth of this group and of each individual PAX getting stringer and better as they keep posting. YHC was once again honored to lead!

Aye!

~Chappie, out!

Blame it on the Milkshake

Date: 07/04/19

AO: CHOP, Milton, De.

QIC: Fireplex

Warm up

SSH – 20 IC

Plank Jacks – 20 IC

Cherry Pickers – 20 IC

Ballerina Toe Squats – 20 IC

Mountain Climbers – 20 IC

Windmills – 20 IC

The Thang

Patriot run .5 miles to “Oh Hill No”. 

PAX partnered up for B.O.M.B.’s on the Hill.  One PAX Soldier Crawls (Spiderman Crawl) up the hill and mosey’s back down while his partner completes a series of exercises.  Each team completed a total of 50 burpees, 100 Overhead Claps completed as SSH’s, 150 Merkins, 200 Big Boy Situp’s, and 250 Squats.  However, Q had each PAX carry his own weight and complete half of that total exercise amount before moving on to the next exercise….25 Burpees, 50 Overhead Claps completed as SSH’s, 75 Merkins, 100 Big Boy Situp’s, 125 squats.  A little chatter in regards to the pain station prompted a response by Q to blame it on the milkshake he indulged at the fireworks display last night.

F3 Message – See below

Mosey .5 miles back to CHOP by way of the Patriot Run.

Count-O-Rama, Name-O-Rama, and the Circle of Trust.  Please keep all our HIM in your thoughts and prayer.  Save travels and a shout out to Bovine and Chappie as they were completing a 17.76 mile Ruck during this morning’s beat down. 

F3 Message 07/04/19 – Excerpts were utilized by Q from the re-post below from Christianity Daily as well as Billy Graham Evangelistic Association.

Happy Independence Day 2017: Bible Verses and Quotes To Reflect On What Freedom Means In America

JUL 02, 2017 07:26 PM EDT

From Christianity Daily.com

Fourth of July marks the moment in history when representatives of a new government uprising signed the Declaration of Independence in the United States on July 4, 1776. The document listed grievances suffered by the U.S. colonies under British monarchy and justified a desire for liberty. It was penned by Thomas Jefferson. Also known as Independence Day, it is an annual holiday that symbolizes freedom. It is celebrated nationwide in 2017 on Tuesday, July 4.

Although declared in 1776, Americans were not delivered from bondage until 1783. The high cost of freedom was paid for in blood, in what historians estimate to be the death of 25,000 American Patriots. It took eight years, four months, and fifteen days of war between America and Great Britain during the American Revolution to be fully attained.

The Oxford dictionary defines freedom as “the power or right to act, speak, or think as one wants without hindrance or restraint.” It is also defined as the “absence of subjection to foreign domination or despotic government,” and “the state of not being imprisoned or enslaved.” Christianity Daily compiled a list of Bible verses and quotes that shed light on the true meaning of freedom.

4 Things the Bible Says About Freedom

By BGEA   •   July 1, 2019   •   Topics: HolidaysLifestyle

By Billy Graham Evangelistic Association

As the United States of America celebrates Independence Day on July 4, it’s worth noting the nation was founded upon the idea that God created human beings to be free. The Declaration of Independence states that people “are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”

But what is “liberty,” exactly? Is freedom based upon the country where you live, or can it have a deeper meaning?

Here are some key ideas from the Bible about freedom—including how to find true freedom in your life.

1. People have been searching for it for thousands of years.

The quest for freedom is a theme found throughout the Bible, from Genesis to Revelation. Just three chapters into the story of God’s creation, humanity gave up its freedom by choosing to rebel against God. From that time forward, the perfect freedom God created in the Garden of Eden was gone, and the long-term effects were both physical and spiritual.

The Old Testament of the Bible records how God’s people lost their physical freedom time and again as various empires overtook them (most notably the Egyptians, as recorded in the book of Exodus).

The loss of physical freedom was often tied to spiritual disobedience like worshiping false gods. But time and again, the one true God forgave His people and rescued them. When God freed the Israelites from slavery in Egypt, He was foreshadowing the arrival of Jesus Christ, who came to free humanity from sin—the spiritual slavery that leads to death.

Today, many people are living in spiritual slavery without realizing it. They chase false gods of money, success, personal comfort and romantic love—only to realize they still have an emptiness that can’t be filled by any of those things.

>> Everyone worships something. Read Billy Graham’s short answer about the definition of an idol.

2. God’s answer to our loss of freedom has always been Jesus Christ.

When Jesus began his short period of ministry on the earth, He announced He was the One that God’s people had been waiting for since the fall of humanity. He did this by reading a particular passage from the book of Isaiah—a passage his listeners knew was referring to the Messiah, or the Savior of the world.

The words had been written hundreds of years earlier and spoke of a new freedom that was coming in the future. When Jesus stood up to read, He was saying the future had arrived. Liberty would come through Him.

“And the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written,

‘The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,
because he has anointed me
to proclaim good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives
and recovering of sight to the blind,
to set at liberty those who are oppressed,
 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.’

And he rolled up the scroll and gave it back to the attendant and sat down. And the eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him. And he began to say to them, ‘Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing’” (Luke 4:17-21, emphasis added).

>> Read Billy Graham’s short devotion, “Truth Brings Freedom.”

3. Jesus came to free us from death, sin and anything that enslaves us.

The core message of the Christian faith—the Gospel—is that Jesus Christ rescues us from the slavery of sin and offers true freedom in this life and beyond. This is what Jesus said:

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16).

The Good News—the best news ever—is that faith in Jesus frees us from the death we deserve for sinning against God. It frees us from the punishment that would be inflicted upon us at the end of our lives for the evil things we’ve thought and done.

While Christ followers still battle with sin, they are no longer slaves to it. Through the power of Christ, His people can be set free from the bondage of greed, vanity, pride, pornography, addiction, abusive behavior, gluttony, selfishness—and any other sin under the sun. Here’s what Jesus said about the freedom He offers:

“If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free” (John 8:31-32). 

“Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who practices sin is a slave to sin. The slave does not remain in the house forever; the son remains forever. So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed” (John 8:34-36).

>> Watch Billy Graham’s powerful message, “Truth and Freedom,” from his 1969 New York City Crusade.

4. God gives us freedom to choose our own path.

God created human beings, not robots. We don’t have to accept the freedom He offers us through Jesus Christ. He gives each person the free will to accept or reject His salvation. But the Bible warns that hell is a real place where real people end up when they knowingly reject the truth.

Likewise, those who choose Christ are not forced to obey Him at every turn. But God makes it clear: the best life is one that’s devoted to honoring Him. As the Apostle Paul explained to some of the first Christians:

“’All things are lawful for me,’” but not all things are helpful. ‘All things are lawful for me,’ but I will not be dominated by anything” (1 Corinthians 6:12).

“For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another” (Galatians 5:13).

>> What is “the judgment,” and why did Jesus have to die for our sins? Listen to Billy Graham’s message.

Final thoughts on freedom

From cover to cover, God’s Word points to freedom in Christ. And God doesn’t leave us wondering how to grab hold of the freedom He offers. It starts with acknowledging our brokenness—and admitting we are slaves to sin. And it ends with choosing Jesus and following Him daily. Only He can break the bonds of slavery and lead us to true freedom, now and forever.

Choose Jesus today, and find out what true freedom feels like.

Respectfully Submitted,

Fireplex

VQ2 Rain of Pain

NAME O RAMA

GLOOM FACTOR: 05:15 66° and raining

10 Pax showed for a rainy morning beatdown at the hands of Doubtfire

WARMARAMA:

20 SSH IC

20 Windmills IC

20 Cherry Pickers

20 Smurf Jacks IC

THE THANG:

Mosey to Food Lion, Bear Crawl from light pole to light pole and do 25 Burpees, Crawl Bear back to opposite light pole and do a 60/30/15 Toy Soldier set

Mosey to Car Wash via Morris Ave.

3rd F: PRAYER

Prayer is much more than bringing to God your list of wants, desires, and needs. It is a radical act of worship that reminds you of who you are, who God is, and what life is all about. Prayer is surrender:

  1. Prayer is surrender to the reality that there is someone more ultimate than you.
  2. Prayer is surrender to the reality that life isn’t just about you.
  3. Prayer is surrender to the reality that you need help.
  4. Prayer is surrender to the reality that there is wisdom greater than ours.
  5. Prayer is surrender of your right to live as you choose.
  6. Prayer is surrender of your hopes to God’s grace.

PAX were encouraged to step up their prayer life and to make it a daily habit to be prayer warriors and to consistently lift our M’s, 2.0’s, careers, and community to our heavenly Father.

THE THANG continues at the carwash:

Crab Walk to end of Island and do 25 Groiners

Walk Crab back and do 20 Merkins

Mosey back to AO

MARY:

6″ leg lift – 30 count

6″ leg lift – 30 count (thanks Fireplex)

Dolly’s – 10 IC

Big Boyz – 15 OYO

Elbow Plank – 10 count by 10 PAX (total 100 count)

COT

Normandy 75th Ruck Q

More great numbers for a Saturday, 11 PAX posted for a beatdown at the Aegis–including 1 FNG. Welcome shout out to Ox! Again, brother, remember it doesn’t get easier but you get better/stronger/faster. Keep posting. A few PAX got in some pre-ruck action: Shout out to Ruxpin, Leatherman, & Summit (bought a ruck, so he’s neck-deep now! 😉 )

Most of what was done and most of what YHC shared was captured in screenshots, so after the warmup info, those items will simply be posted. So here goes…

Warm-O-Rama:

  • SSH – 30 IC
  • Seal Jacks – 30 IC
  • Crab Flippers – 30 IC (a.k.a. Cherry Pickers)
  • Windmill – 15 IC
  • Sebif – 15 IC (Something Else But I Forgot)

All warmup repetitions were either 30-count or combined to be a 30-count, as esplained by YHC in recognition of his grandfather’s unit — the 508th PIR — which jumped into Normandy and subsequently fought for the next 33 days til getting a reprieve and being sent back to England to prep for their next mission. This day marked day 3 since jumping in…so the countdown was on at 30 reps.

508th PIR – “Red Devils”

PAX were informed through commo channels to bring a ruck if they owned one. A few extras were on hand, but 40# sandbags sufficed otherwise. The Thang, courtesy of GORUCK, would commence at Georgetown’s WWII Memorial since this past Thursday was the 75th Anniversary of D-Day.

The Skinny:

Ruck Q courtesy of GORUCK

PAX rucked 1 Mile to the field at the corner of W. North & Pleasant Streets, completed the above workout following YHC’s 3rdF, then rucked 1 Mile to return to the WWII Memorial at the Georgetown Circle. The excellent pace was set by the PAX doing a 30-steps shuffle during the ruck to and fro.

1 mile 2x

Here’s the 3rdF shared for a breather:

YHC took the PAX into a little OT, but no one’s feelings were hurt…at least he doesn’t think so.

Number-Rama: 11!

Name-O-Rama: Not sure what happened but Bovine got really confused; he thought he was Doubtfire! 🙂 FNG named Ox. Welcome to the tribe!

COT/BOM:

  • Announcements/Prayers
  • A few met up for coffeeteria at what America runs on, and had some great 2ndF.

Grateful for the opportunity to Q at the Aegis…more grateful for the opportunity to share about my Pappap and the 508th…and ever grateful for that greatest generation! Aye! Thanks for your ear, men! Awesome push by all.

Chappie, out!

Toy Soldier’s D-Day Beatdown

Date: 6/6/19

QIC: Toy Soldier

Warm-up: SSH, Sun Goddess, Smurf Jacks, Hairy Rockets, Mountain Man Poopers.

The Thang

Mosey to HO Brittingham Elementary School. Share 10 facts about D-Day throughout the workout.

  • High Knee run from 1st light post to 2nd
  • Lt. Dan from 2nd post to 3rd
  • walking lung 3rd post to 4th
  • bear crawl 4th to 5th post
  • merkin crawl (merkin and move laterally and merkin until arrows on road)
  • 30 Burpees
  • 30 Bigboys
  • Mosey around parking lot
  • 20 Bobby Hurleys
  • 20 Flutter Kicks
  • Mosey around parking lot
  • 10 Iron Mikes IC
  • 10 Outlaws
  • Mosey to AO

On 6 June 1944, British, US and Canadian forces invaded the coast of Normandy in northern France.The landings were the first stage of Operation Overlord – the invasion of Nazi-occupied Europe – and aimed to bring an end to World War Two. By night-time, around 156,000 Allied troops had arrived in Normandy, despite challenging weather and fierce German defences. At the end of D-Day, the Allies had established a foothold in France and within 11 months Nazi Germany was defeated and the war was over.

Here are 10 things you may not have known about the operation:

1. Photography appeal

As early as 1942, the BBC launched a bogus appeal for photographs and postcards from the coast of Europe, from Norway to the Pyrenees. It was actually a way of gathering intelligence on suitable landing beaches and Normandy was settled on. Millions of photos ended up being sent to the War Office and, with the help of the French Resistance and air reconnaissance, military bosses were able to target the best landing spots for D-Day.

2. Phantom army

The Allies put a lot of effort into trying to convince the Germans that the invasion was going to be near Calais, not Normandy. They invented phantom field armies based in Kent as part of their D-Day deception plan, named Operation Fortitude. They built dummy equipment – including inflatable tanks – parachuted dummies, used double agents and released controlled leaks of misinformation which led the Germans to believe the Allies were going to invade via the Pas-de-Calais and Norway. The Germans took the bait so much that even after D-Day they held many of their best troops in the Calais area expecting a second invasion.

3. Two million troops

By 1944 more than two million troops from more than 12 countries were in Britain preparing for the invasion. On D-Day, Allied forces consisted primarily of US, British and Canadian troops but also included Australian, Belgian, Czech, Dutch, French, Greek, New Zealand, Norwegian, Rhodesian [present-day Zimbabwe] and Polish naval, air and ground support.

4. Weather watching

The officers organising the operation were very particular about the timing of D-Day. They wanted a full moon with a spring tide so they could land at dawn when the tide was about half way in – but those kind of conditions meant there were only a few days that could work. They chose to invade on 5 June, but ended up delaying by 24 hours because of bad weather. It was Group Captain James Martin Stagg who made the vital forecast and persuaded General Eisenhower to change the date.

5. Rommel’s shoes

In fact, the forecast was so bad that the German commander in Normandy, Erwin Rommel, felt so sure there wouldn’t be an invasion he went home to give his wife a pair of shoes for her 50th birthday. He was in Germany when the news came of the invasion.

6. Sleeping Hitler

When the D-Day forces landed, Nazi leader Adolf Hitler was asleep. None of his generals dared order reinforcements without his permission, and no-one dared wake him.Crucial hours were lost in the battle to hold Normandy. When Hitler did finally wake up, at around 10am, he was excited at news of the invasion – he thought Germany would easily defeat the Allies.

7. Commonwealth strength

While America formed the biggest national contingent, the combined force of Commonwealth service personnel – mostly British and Canadian – was greater. Of the 156,000 men who landed in France on 6 June, 73,000 were American, and 83,000 British or Canadian. The Commonwealth naval contingent was twice that of the Americans.

8. Bloody Omaha

There were five beaches that were chosen for the operation, codenamed, from east to west, Sword, Juno, Gold, Omaha, Utah. Casualties varied widely – on “Bloody Omaha”, where around 4,000 men were killed or wounded, one US unit landing in the first wave lost 90% of its men.On Gold Beach, by contrast, casualty rates were around 80% lower. The fighting during the Battle of Normandy, which followed D-Day, was as bloody as it had been in the trenches of World War One. Casualty rates were slightly higher than they were during a typical day during the Battle of the Somme in 1916.

9. Smashed toilets

The vibration of HMS Belfast’s guns firing during D-Day was so powerful it actually cracked the crew’s toilets.

10. Pub test

Having been given his top-secret mission to attack the Merville battery on D-Day, Terence Otway had to be certain his men wouldn’t spill the beans ahead of 6 June 1944. He sent 30 of the prettiest members of the Women’s Auxiliary Air Force, dressed in civilian clothes, into village pubs near where his soldiers were training.

It Ain’t Over

Date: 06/01/19

AO: Aegis, Georgetown, De.

QIC: Fireplex

Warm up

SSH – 20 IC

Chilly Jacks – 15 IC

Cherry Pickers – 15 IC

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

Mountain Climbers – 15 IC

Windmills – 15 IC

Dips – 15 IC

The Thang

Mosey to County Building Steps.  Each PAX crosses the steps without skipping any steps.

Mosey to Armory steps and completes Aiken legs – 20 squats, 20 box jumps, 20 lunges (10 each Leg), 20 split Jacks (10 each Leg).  The twist is that each PAX will take each step up and each step down at the Armory before performing each exercise.  Rinse and Repeat.

Mosey to Library and complete the Burp & Merk – Burpee with ascending merkins up to 10.  Each PAX will Bear Crawl to each parking space line (parallel parking spaces) and complete a Burpee with a hand release merkin.  Bear Crawl to the next space and complete a Burpee with two hand release merkins. Bear Crawl to the next space and complete a Burpee with three hand release merkins. You see the pattern now….:)…..Continue until completing a Burpee with ten hand release merkins over the course of 10 parallel parking spaces. @250 ft. 

Mosey to School and complete the bottom feeder/deconstructed toy soldier set exercise.  Crab walk to first sidewalk and complete 50 LBC’s.  Crab walk to second sidewalk and complete 15 E2K’s each side.  Crab walk to third sidewalk and complete 15 E2K’s each side.  Crab walk to fourth sidewalk and complete 20 big boy sit-ups. The overall length of the exercise area was approx. 435 ft.

F3 Message – See below

Mosey back to Aegis.  PAX completed @.9 mile mosey excluding the pain stations.

Count-O-Rama, Name-O-Rama, Naming of FNG (Welcome Kaisy !!) and the Circle of Trust.  Please keep all our HIM in your thoughts and prayer. 

F3 Message 06/01/19

Ron Hutchcraft Ministries

IT AIN’T OVER! – #2581
“Well, some of us had to wait almost 20 years for it – but the 1996 New York Yankees finally won the World Series. Now they had to be the champs to do it – the Atlanta Braves. And after the first two games of the best-of-seven series, I thought the Yankees had gone into a coma – they got creamed. Ah, but that’s when it got exciting – they came back to win next two games. The series was tied at two games apiece, of course – and the then Yankees appeared to doze off again in Game Five – they were behind 6-0! Speaking of dozing off, that’s what at least one Yankee fan did – including the guy I heard buying a newspaper the next day. He saw the headline announcing that the Yankees had come back and won that game 8-6! He grabbed that newspaper, saw the outcome of the game, and then said some things I can’t quote – after which he said, “I can’t believe it! I gave up on them in the seventh inning and went to sleep!” He missed a great victory.

Well, I’m Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about “It Ain’t Over!”

Our word for today from the Word of God is a verse we need at least several times a year, I think. Maybe this is one of your days for it and God knew that. Galatians 6:9 – “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time, we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.”

God is challenging the mistake we make so often that costs us His best – we give up too soon. Like that sleeping Yankees fan. He looked at the way the game seemed to be going, decided it was as good as over, and he missed a great victory. Well, God doesn’t want you to make that same mistake with something you’ve been hoping for – something that looks like it just isn’t going to happen. You’re tempted to give up. But God is flagging you down to say, “Don’t become weary in doing good – the harvest you’ve hoped for is coming.” Like Yogi Berra said, “It ain’t over ’til it’s over.”

The problem is we look at the score right now and lose hope. But on God’s scoreboard, it’s only the third inning, or maybe the sixth or the seventh. But, you may be saying, “There just isn’t enough time for it to happen now,” or “I can’t see any way it could happen now” – be careful. You’re underestimating your all-powerful God – the One who delivered an entire nation from Egypt in one night!

But we tend to assume what the final score will be based on the score in the middle of the game. And that’s when we give up and start taking God’s will detours – we panic, we put together some patchwork solution of our own, we start leaning on our own understanding instead of trusting in the Lord with all our heart, or we just stop hoping, or praying, or working for it.

Which leads me to that wonderful challenge I heard years ago from a seasoned old saint – “Never doubt in the darkness what God has told you in the light.”

Or, don’t give up in the middle of the game, or don’t give up even if it’s near the end of the game. You can’t tell what God is going to do for a wonderful finish to this game. God has a way of hitting a bases loaded, grand slam home run in the bottom of the ninth with two outs – if you don’t give up before that harvest comes! I just hope you don’t miss that grand finish because you gave up on the game too soon!” From Ron Hutchcraft Ministries #2581″

Dawn and I were blessed with the opportunity to share an incredible blessing with a terminally ill seven year old.  He had an inoperable brain tumor.  We attended a Phillies game through a great organization where Dawn coordinated the efforts on the families behalf.  The young man and his family are huge Phillies fans.  The game we attended happened to be the ring ceremony for 2008 World Series champions, but the 2009 Phillies had yet to win.  Down 10 – 3 in the seventh the Phillies put together an improbable rally that included four walked in runs by the Atlanta Braves.  I’ve coached little league teams that haven’t matched that feat.  I’m not convinced that God is a Phillies fan, but I choose to believe that he may have answered a very sick little boys prayers on that day.  We were blessed to have been a part of that special game, and to share in comforting that very brave young man before the Lord took him home. 

Respectfully Submitted,

Fireplex

Ace of Bases VQ Beatdown

May 25, 2019 Doubtfire VQ

Warmup: 15 Flying Phelps, Butt Kickers around the fountain, 15 SSH, 15 Cherry Pickers, 15 Windmills

The Thang: Mosey to Little League Fields for Ace of Bases. Bear Crawl to each base and do 10 Bobby Hurley Burpees, Then Crawl Bear to each base and do 20 Merkins

3rd F Paul Tripp: The grand illusion of every act of sin is that we can be disloyal to God and everything will work out in the end.

We all do it sometimes and in some ways. In little and not so little moments of disloyalty to God, we work to excuse ourselves and convince ourselves that it will all be okay in the end. In private moments of moral self-conversation we say: “I can handle this, it will be okay.”, “I’ll only do it this once.”, “I really didn’t have much of a choice.”, “It’s not really such a big deal.”, “Other people do it all the time.”, “It’s not really clearly forbidden by the Bible.”, “What else could I do?”, “I just chose the lesser of two evils.”, “God is good, he’ll forgive me.”, “It’s not like I do this all the time.”, “Doesn’t God want me to be happy?”

Each statement is designed to relieve the burden of conviction. Each is meant to mask the reality that we have chosen to be disloyal to God, rebellious to his authority, and resistant to his call. Each is meant to cover the true allegiance of our hearts. Each is designed to enable us to feel okay about what God clearly says is not okay. Each is meant to make sin look not so sinful after all. Each is meant to ease our fear that sin really is destructive and that it rally does lead to death.

These are moments when we are all tempted to give in to the delusional logic of Adam and Eve in the garden of Eden. In the mundane moments of our daily lives, we buy into the fallacy that we can step over God’s loving and wise moral boundaries without consequences.. In myriad little moments, we’re morally disloyal to the One who is our wisdom, righteousness, and hope. And what’s important about this is that the character of a life isn’t set in three or four big moments of life, but in ten thousand little, virtually unnoticed moments. These acts of disloyalty expose the war that still rages for the rulership of our hearts and the depth of our ongoing need for rescuing and forgiving grace. Isn’t it good to know that that grace is ours in Christ Jesus!

Mosey to JOP for Dorrice Burns: PAX in plank position in circle facing inward. Rotate to adjacent PAX position after each exercise while remaining in plank position in clockwise manner after each exercise. 1st position – plank for 30 count, 2nd position – 10 merkins IC, 3rd position – 10 angle grinders IC, 4th position – 30 count plank, 5th position – 10 groiners IC, 6th position – 10 zebra butt kickers IC.

Mosey back to AO for Mary: 20 flutter kicks, 20 LBC’s, 20 American Hammers

Name o rama, COT, Welcome FNG (Zach Hayes AKA Bovine) Total 2.67 miles, Coffeteria Memorial day pre plan at Starbucks

Aiken Legs

May 21, 2019

Warmup: 30 SSH, 18 Cherry Pickers, 18 Windmill, 18 Moroccan Night Clubs, 18 Mountain Climbers

The Thang:

Mosey to HOB
Aiken Legs: 2 Rounds of 20 Squats 20 Box Jumps 20 Lunges (10 each leg) 20 Split Jacks (10 each leg forward) Brief discussion about HOB, Q’s elemetary school.


Mosey to Rogers Signs, 10 Burpees, brief discussion about Q spending time as kid at old sign shop.

Mosey to Big Johns
20 Hand Release Merkins 20 Werkins 20 Merkins 10 Diamond Merkins 10 Ranger Merkins. Brief discussion about passing of John Megee and Q spending lot time as kid between John’s house, Q’s Mom Mom’s house, and Far (fire) House.

Mosey to Bodies. Brief discussion about Q’s baby sitter at corner Magnolia and Mulberry Street. Toy Soldier set: 35 LBCs 25 E2Ks 15 Big Boys

Mosey back to CHOP.

Number-O-Rama & Name-O-Rama. Circle of Trust with prayers for Semi’s field trip to DC and Chayanne ad her baby.

Watch “May 21 F3 Workout, CHOP, Milton, DE” on YouTube
https://youtu.be/ctkV8LTgBfM

Full body beat down

5/18/19. Georgetown,DE. Nugget on Q.

Warm up- SSH, cherry picker, windmill, hairy rocket, mountain climbers.

Mosey to alley for mike Tyson set. 5 M.T.’s then bear crawl, 4 times.

Mosey around the corner to court house for bolt 45 set.

Mosey to middle school for 3rd F on proverbs 12 “to learn you must love discipline, it is stupid to hate correction…”

Four style ‘crawls’ inchworm to first side walk, bear crawl to second, duck walk to third and dragon crawl to fourth.

Mosey to church for ab set. 10 windshield wipers, 20 leg raises, 30 reverse crunches, 40 long arm crunches, 50 lbcs.

Mosey to next church for arm set. 10 each of merkins, pike press, ranger style, diamond style and tricep extension.

Mosey to circle!

We welcomed my brother in law to the F3 group today, Kolbi, and he received the nick name ‘Truck Stick’! Welcome brother!

Monkey-A-Round

5/14/2019

QIC: Vanilla

Warm-O-Rama

Here’s the truth…QIC hit snooze and was late to his own beatdown. So, truth be told, the on-time PAX lead the Warm-O-Rama and I don’t have a clue what they did! Shoutout to the dozen PAX who extended grace for my tardiness and still followed my lead upon arrival!

Once QIC arrived, we got right to it w/ a “Friendly” Patriot Run to Milton Memorial Park

The Thang: Monkey-A-Round

PAX rotated between 5 stations doing as many reps as possible for as many rounds as possible. Rotation happened when PAX running at station 5 completed their loop.

  1. Pull Ups
  2. Swerkins w/ Tuck (Complete a merkin with feet in swing then pull feet in for a tuck – BRUTAL!)
  3. Box Jump to Incline Merkin
  4. Forearm Plank
  5. Run loop around gazebo

PAX completed 6 rounds in 20 minutes.

3rd F Message: Excerpt from “Finishing Strong” by Steve Farrar on Vision

Patriot run back to AO

Ended with Number-Rama, Name-O-Rama, & COT/BOM

Humbly Your QIC,

Vanilla

https://youtu.be/FCWpirde8gk
Scroll to Top