Chattahoochee

10 July 18

QIC: Chappie

This Backblast has less to do with the workout itself than it does its title–YHC will get to the explanation of what that means, but in the meantime here’s the breakdown for the sake of recall and as a catalyst of remedy for those who lost THAT FIRST BATTLE to the Fartsack.

With a good number of Q’s in the rotation there is a longer break in action than what most QIC’s prefer, so YHC was actually disappointed in what turned out to be more of a slow burn than a memorable beatdown. I.e. it seemed like a wasted opportunity to leave one’s mark on the other PAX’s minds and bodies. Gotta hate it when that happens! Okay, here’s how it went down:

Warm-O-Rama:

SSH – 20 IC

Moroccan Night Clubs – 18 IC

Italian Night Clubs  – 18 IC

Shell Picker, Shell Flipper, Cherry Pickers…WTB??? This somehow turned out to be some crazy, off-cadence, retarded form of the Windmill. Holy smokes, did YHC get inside of his own head for a brief moment! Thankful the PAX were gracious enough to give a good laugh from this total screwup, what else could they do? YHC has no idea What The Bombjacks he was  doing!

Okay…

Cherry Pickers – 10 IC

Windmill – 18 IC

Imperial Walker – 18 IC

The Thang:

Living next door to the AO has its privileges — YHC was able to work his way around the parking lot the night before and go to work with some sidewalk chalk (to write different exercises on the asphalt). 13 different stations. 1 PAX ran from AO to Willow Street and back while PAX did exercise at given stations. Switch on the return and continue rotation til all 13 were visited by all PAX. Here’s what was written:

1. Run to Willow and back – Good hustle by all PAX!
2. Sledge Hammer Row
3. Box Jumps
4. Slosh Pipe
5. Rapido Merkins (18) – swap – Rapido LBC’s (36) rinse & repeat. Rapido = as fast as you can
6. Hair Burners (compliments to Flutie Flakes, I think)
7. Squat Press Lunge w/cindy
8. Upright Rows w/40lb. ruck
9. Burpees
10. Tire Flip
11. Dragon Crawl
12. Burpjacks (exactly what it sounds like)
13. Plank

Somewhere in the middle YHC had the privilege to share the following 3rd F message:

Last Wednesday for an off-the-cuff 3rdf, I’d mentioned a “secret to success” borrowed from Jack Hayford that Mark Batterson mentioned in his book “If.” The secret? “Make decisions against yourself.”

We’re already onto something here in the Gloom, because, fact is, if you’re here it’s because you already made a decision against yourself. You can see how this applies to leadership.

As a secret to success it is exactly what the Bible teaches in Romans 8:4, where it says, “walk not according to the flesh…” If you know someone who has 6-pack abs, they made a decision against themselves to go to the gym when, as Mark Batterson writes, “the rest of us went back for seconds.” (57)

Not only does this apply to workouts, but many other areas of life:
• My nephew, Aaron, who once again is in Ranger School has repeatedly made decisions against himself toward accomplishing his goal of becoming one of the army’s elite combat leaders. He’s in swamp phase once again. Go Aaron!
• Earning any type of degree, whether it be a BS, BA, MA, or a PhD brings with it memories of going to the library instead turning on the TV. Those who earned degrees or other credentials made decisions against themselves. The piece of paper on their wall is a key that opens doors.
• Successful (and I should say fruitful because Paul does add, “walk not after the flesh, but according to the spirit”) athletes, musicians, professionals, ministry leaders, etc. are successful and fruitful in large part because they made decisions against themselves–both when it came to right/wrong issues, and often times when it came to personal convictions.

This is key because some decisions we have to make against ourselves are not right and wrong, or black and white. Paul also wrote in 1 Cor. 10:23, “everything is permissible—but not everything is beneficial.” We need to understand, then, that often times “if we really want god’s best, we won’t just say no to what’s wrong. we’ll also say no to what’s second best.” (Batterson 58)

We have to prepare for times when we must recognize that we cannot settle for what we want in the moment in exchange for what we want most! The kind of success and fruitfulness this refers to is that which involves sacrifice beyond what most of us are willing to make.

F3 workouts provide a superb laboratory in which to train ourselves and each other for this kind of leadership:

• Setting your alarm very early and posting in the Gloom (at O-Gawd-Thirty) for a workout which will push you past your limits…if that’s not making a decision against yourself, then what is?

Some are used to hitting that snooze button on the alarm, both literally & metaphorically speaking! When you’re not willing to make decisions against yourself, you’re kind of hitting the snooze button on success and fruitfulness in your spiritual life (temptation & sin), your family life, your work life, and in many other areas…you’re delaying doing the right thing—the hard thing—9 minutes at a time!

So, what do him do? As a general rule and practice, they are High Impact Men because they make decisions against themselves!

Well, that was the workout. A slow-burn, as mentioned, but a burn nonetheless.

Now allow YHC to explain the title of this Backblast; it’s more important than the workout itself. So…Keep Calm and Read on: Much Bigger Than We Are

If you follow what’s going on, either on F3Nation.com or F3MustardSeeds.com then you have at least some sense that F3 is Much Bigger Than We Are. We’re a Mustard Seed–pioneers!–and so we tend to think small, within the limits of our own line of sight. But we are Much Bigger Than We Are.

F3 is blowing up across the nation; we’re privileged to be a part of this explosion of men being rescued from Sadclown Syndrome and to rescue others from the same condition through Fitness, Fellowship, and Faith. Still, we tend not to see very far down the road from our own AO’s.

Each Tuesday Mustard Seed Nantaans from across the nation participate in a half-hour long conference call from 07:30 – 08:00. The call is about leadership and its where we encourage, challenge, build-up, and basically sharpen one another “as iron sharpens iron” (Prov. 27:17)

Yesterday’s call was different. It reminded me that while the fitness that brings men out, its the fellowship (the glue) that brings them back. We’ve been impacted by this incredible force in our lives, making us better leaders. But here’s how yesterday’s call was different:

Our call Q, Fountainhead (Columbia, SC), essentially began the call by telling us how hard a weekend it was for many of their PAX because F3 Gump had lost his 19-yr-old son this past Friday night in drowning accident. He talked about the camaraderie (2ndF) of other PAX that jumped into action to come along side Gump and his M. He’d also mentioned that Gump was a pastor there in Columbia.

Having lived in Columbia for nearly 3 years, I asked what Gump’s hospital name was. Since I’m also in ministry I figured I might at least know the pastor’s name.

I was utterly floored and speechless when Fountainhead told me Gump’s name was Scott Fleischer! Frankly, it was a punch in the gut. It still hurts; that’s why I’m writing because it helps to grieve rightly.

Here’s the thing. I didn’t know Scott from my time living in Columbia. I knew Scott and his M, Victoria and their 2.0’s Jack, Isabella, and Sam from my years pastoring in York, SC. Scott and I connected in York through ministry and immediately hit it off. Our families spent time together celebrating birthdays, eating dinners together, swimming, etc. Our kids (3 a piece) are practically the same ages. We got to know each other well before ministry took he and his family to Columbia. When I heard that Jack died on Friday my heart sank for Scott and his family. I’m so deeply grieved because Jack and my oldest 2.0, Zeke, were good buddies. “Running through the woods and playing laser tag” were my son’s fondest memories when I informed him yesterday of Jack’s death.

When Scott moved his family from York to Columbia, SC there was no F3, so I didn’t even know Scott was involved with F3. We’d lost contact with each other over the years. So you can imagine my shock just hearing his name when I’d inquired. Following the conference call I called Scott immediately. The phone rang only 1 time when he picked up and simply said, “Hi Todd!”

It was great to talk with Scott (F3 Gump). It was painful to find out how Jack died. Scott and I simply picked up where we’d left off, but this time we reconnected in a rather providential way (Godincidence) because of F3! I’m so glad I didn’t find this out later. This time we reconnected because we serve a God and Father “who comforts us in all our affliction so that we will be able to comfort those who are in any affliction with the comfort with which we ourselves have been comforted by God.”

Indeed we’re Much Bigger Than We Are. I’ve never lost a son, but I have suffered great loss in other ways and I have been comforted by God and by brothers in Christ at times when it was desperately needed. Scott and I grieved together as we spoke on the phone. I grieve for Scott and his family. We all grieve with the family over this heartbreaking loss. But, you see, as believers we “do not grieve as those who have no hope” (1 Thess. 4:13). There’s so much more to this than meets the eye but we really are amazingly Much Bigger Than We Are. I know Scott personally, he’s truly a brother and has been since long before F3. But he’s also your brother. That’s F3, so please keep the Fleischer family in your prayers.

Well guys, if you’ve made it this far thanks for reading. I appreciate your patience.

~Chappie, out!

http://amp.thestate.com/news/local/article214551100.html