After a long weekend celebrating our Independence from that fat jerk the king of England, we were back in the GLOOM at CHOP- Chappie’s House of Pain. I was scheduled to Q next Saturday but I’m taking the kids to the Poconos so I pulled the switcheroo with Vanilla and Cabana.
The F3 Warmup: Done by Cabana:
20 Side Straddle Hops
20 Moroccan Night Club
20 Cherry Pickers
20 Mountain man Poopers
20 Merkins, Palms facing in
Looney Tunes on Q
Mosey around the premises.
Each HIM Grabs a Coupon from the stack, That stack sure is getting a lot of love lately.
The Thang:
Same thing with different Styles,
Round 1: Traditional Style
Derkins (Merkins with Feet on your Coupon): 20
Coupon Curls: 20
Squats Holding the Coupon: 20
Big Boys 20
Run Across CHOP – Fireplex ran with his Coupon- starting a trend that every HIM kept going.
Nur Back
10 Count Recovery
Round 2: Quatro Style
Gloves OFF
Derkins (Merkins with Feet on your Coupon): 20
Coupon Curls: 20
Squats Holding the Coupon: 20
Big Boys 20
Run Across CHOP with Coupon
Nur Back
10 Count Recovery
Round 3: Drago Style
Every exercise is done at a much slower pace, creating more burn.
Derkins (Merkins with Feet on your Coupon): 20
Coupon Curls: 20
Squats Holding the Coupon: 20
Big Boys 20
Crab Crawl!
Nur Back
10 Count Recovery
Round 4: Cabana Style
Every exercise is done 50% more than required. Instead of 20, you do 30. Cabana of course, did 40 since 40 is 50% more than the now required 30
Derkins (Merkins with Feet on your Coupon): 20
Coupon Curls: 20
Squats Holding the Coupon: 20
Big Boys 20
Run Across CHOP with Coupon
Nur Back
10 Count Recovery
3rd F.
From the F3 classic Freed to Lead
For organizations to change in this way a dice cultural shift would be necessary. Men have grown discharging their service obligations via a well-worn boy to them, like Cub Scouts being led through a craft or This problem, of men passively waiting to be told what to be done rather than actively doing it themselves, has been creeping up on us for a long time. More than thirty yes (1980), George W.S. Trow wrote in The New Yorker that “in important role of a father is to give a son a sense of permission -a sense of what might be done. This still works, but since no adult is supported by the voice of the culture (which is now a childish voice), it does not work well. As a result, Trow wrote, “(i)n the absence of adults, people came to put their trust in experts.” He sums it up pretty well. The absence of male community leadership has progressively infantilized us, sapping our will toward independence and self-reliance. When we compare sense of what might be done to our culture’s Trow’s sense of what might be done” to our culture’s command to do “what ought to be done”, we can clearly see how far into childish expert-dependence we have descended. Maybe this is why our pastors and other community leaders foist opportunities upon us. Otherwise, nothing would ever get done. Arresting this cultural devolution will require action as bold as the initiative it took to reverse the flow of the Chicago River, but we are confident that it can be done. We have seen it work in F3. Healthy men, brought together in Fellowship and finding themselves driven to serve, are more than able to do so dynamically if given the “sense of permission” cited as lacking by Trow. This, we believe, is how men are wired.
No, that title is not a shout out to Britney Spears; rather, it’s actually a shout out to Roger Sparks. His book, Warrior’s Creed is where YHC got the idea of running with water in your mouth. The PAX who won THAT FIRST BATTLE and posted at the Aegis in Georgetown, DE for a Chappie-led workout were treated once again to this practice–a total mental exercise! We did it before. Last time 4 of 12 PAX (33.3%) made the 0.5 distance. The other 8 were peeved with themselves and YHC could sense they wanted another shot at it, so, Oops! We did it again. This time we raised the percentage of finishers (71.4%). That is 15 of 21 PAX were able to Mosey 0.5 miles without spitting out or swallowing the water they swigged at the starting point. This is a difficult challenge. It forces runners to breath through their nose, and it actually has some incredible physiological benefits to the heart-rate (a worthwhile study to do on your own, but a good place to start is Warrior’s Creed); the Apaches used the practice to identify whether young men were ready to be trained as warriors—however, they would run an entire day, up to 50 or 60 miles. A half-mile has been quite the test, we’re going to have to up our game. Oops! We’re going to have to do it again. In the meantime, here’s how it fit into today’s workout:
WARM-O-RAMA
SSH – 17 IC
High Knees – 76 (single count IC)
Swartzjack – 17 IC
Calf Raises – 76 (single count OYO)
Smurfjack – 17 IC
Windmill – 17 IC
Wosey to the darkside of he shrubbery planter. Lo and behold…bottles of water! Instructions to the PAX: Take a swig of water and keep it in your mouth without swallowing or spitting it out for the duration of 0.5 mile run. Nice easy mosey down W. Market Street, right onto Robinson Street, then to the end at the corner of Robinson St. and Edward St. Job well-done to the 15 PAX who completed this [mental] challenge and were rewarded with 17 Burpees. Shout out to Sink-O and Fireplex: Word on the street is that Sink-O repeated the challenge on the return to the AO and Fireplex is said to have made his first successful attempt.
After the water challenge PAX were treated to a public reading of The Declaration of Independence. (Read it, or if your familiar with it, scroll down to the Thang below) :
When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of nature and of Nature’s God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should DECLARE the causes which impel them to separation.
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.—That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the CONSENT of the governed,—That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinced a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security.—Such has been the patient sufferance of these Colonies; and such is now the necessity which constrains them to alter their Former Systems of Government. The history of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these States. To prove this, let Facts be submitted to a candid world.
He has refused his Assent to Laws, the most wholesome and necessary for the public good.
He has forbidden his Governors to pass Laws of immediate and pressing importance, unless suspended in their operation till his Assent should be attained; and when so suspended, he has utterly neglected to attend to them.
He has refused to pass other Laws for the accommodation of large districts of people, unless those people would relinquish the right of Representation in the Legislature, a right inestimable to them and formidable to tyrants only.
He has called together legislative bodies at places unusual, uncomfortable, and distant from the depository of their public Records, for the sole purpose of fatiguing them into compliance with his measures.
He has dissolved Representative Houses repeatedly, for opposing with manly firmness his invasions on the rights of the people.
He has refused for a long time, after such dissolutions, to cause others to be elected; whereby the Legislative powers, incapable of Annihilation, have returned to the People at large for their exercise; the State remaining in the meantime exposed to all the dangers of invasion from without, and convulsions within.
He has endeavored to prevent the population of these states; for that purpose obstructing the Laws for Naturalization of Foreigners; refusing to pass others to encourage their migrations hither, and raising the conditions of new Appropriations of Lands.
He has obstructed the Administration of Justice, by refusing his Assent to Laws for establishing Judiciary powers.
He has made Judges dependent upon his Will alone, for the tenure of their offices, and the amount and payment of their salaries.
He has erected a multitude of New Offices, and sent hither swarms of Officers to harass our people, and eat out of their substance.
He has kept among us, in times of peace, Standing Armies without the Consent of our legislatures.
He has affected to render the Military independent and superior to the Civil power.
He has combined with others to subject us to a jurisdiction foreign to our constitution, and unacknowledged by our laws; giving his Assent to their Acts of pretended Legislation:
For Quartering large bodies of armed troops among us:
For protecting them, by a mock Trial, from punishment for any Murders, which they should commit on the Inhabitants of these states:
For cutting off our Trade with all parts of the world:
For Imposing Taxes on us without our Consent:
For depriving us in many cases, of the benefits of Trial by Jury:
For transporting us beyond Seas to be tried for pretended offenses:
For abolishing the free System of English Laws in a neighboring Province, establishing therein an Arbitrary government, and enlarging its Boundaries so as to render it at once an example and fit instrument for introducing the same absolute rule into these Colonies:
For taking away our Charters, abolishing our most valuable Laws, and altering fundamentally the Forms of our Governments:
For suspending our own Legislatures, and declaring themselves invested with power to legislate for us in all cases whatsoever.
He has abdicated Government here, by declaring us out of his Protection and waging war against us.
He has plundered our seas, ravaged our Coasts, burnt our towns, and destroyed the lives of our people.
He is at this time transporting large Armies of foreign Mercenaries to compleat the works of death, desolation and Tyranny, already begun with circumstances of Cruelty & perfidy scarcely paralleled in the most barbarous ages, and totally unworthy the Head of a civilized nation.
He has constrained our fellow Citizens taken Captive on the high Seas to bear Arms against their Country, to become the executioners of their friends and Brethren, or to fall themselves by their Hands.
He has excited domestic insurrections amongst us, and has endeavored to bring on the inhabitants of our frontiers, the merciless Indian Savages, whose known rule of warfare, is an undistinguished destruction of all ages sexes and conditions.
In every stage of these Oppressions We have Petitioned for Redress in the most humble terms: Our repeated Petitions have been answered only by repeated injury. A Prince whose character is thus marked by every act which may define a Tyrant, is unfit to be the ruler of a free people.
Nor have We been wanting in attentions to our British brethren. We have warned them from time to time of attempts by their legislature to extend an unwarrantable jurisdiction over us. We have reminded them of the circumstances of our emigration and settlement here. We have appealed to their native justice and magnanimity, and we have conjured them by the ties of our common kindred to disavow these usurpations, which, would inevitably interrupt our connections and correspondence. They too have been deaf to the voice of justice and consanguinity. We must, therefore, acquiesce in the necessity, which denounces our Separation, and hold them, as we hold the rest of mankind, Enemies in War, in Peace Friends.
We, therefore, the Representatives of the united States of America, in General Congress, Assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the Name, and by the Authority of the good People of these Colonies, solemnly publish and DECLARE, That these United Colonies are, and of Right ought to be Free and Independent States; that they are Absolved from all Allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the State of Great Britain, is and ought to be totally dissolved; and that as Free and Independent States, they have full Power to levy War, conclude Peace, contract Alliances, establish Commerce, and to do all other Acts and Things which Independent States may of right do. And for the support of this DECLARATION, with a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor. (ALL CAPS: Emphasis added. Names of signers listed as well.)
Oh, look! A rather conspicuously placed stack of sandbags! WITH a Workout Deck secretly lurking within. Here’s how it went from there…
THE THANG
17’s – Merkins & Gas Pumpers (Plus, draw 3 cards from the workout deck in middle of the field along the way.) AND never pass a sandbag (unless you just placed it in the middle or at the end). Started with 16 Merkins at one end and 1 Gas Pumper at the other…all the way down to 1 Merkin and 16 Gas Pumpers. lots of 17’s and 76’s on this fine July 3rd, but we ran out of time before being able to pair up for cumulative 76 Burpees.
Mosey back to the AO:
COT:
Name-O-Rama – special shout out welcome to Breakfast Club from downrange Lexington, SC!
Announcements: Cabana will post Spartan workout on Groupme for a Sunday morning up-for-grabs workout in Milton.
Prayers: Semi’s M, traveling; prayers for the Winske family who lost 59-yr-old father to pancreatic cancer; prayers for Streudel; prayers for Bean family and YHC’s son, Zeke; etc. (Whatever YHC has forgotten, God hasn’t. He’s got it!
Coffeeteria followed at Dunkin. Good crowd of PAX! YHC was on vacation over the last week and so it was not only good to be back in the Q saddle, but it was good to be back around the coffeeteria table. Ribbing and all, the fellowship is always glue!
15 HIM posted in the gloom for a little Chattahoochee beatdown. You couldn’t ask for a better morning to be out and about during sunrise
Warmup- 30 SSH, 25 CHERRY PICKERS, 20 MOUNTAIN CLIMBERS, 20 WINDMILLS all IC then OYO 15 arm circles forward 15 backwards
THE THANG- Mosey down to firehouse parking lot where mysteriously there happen to be 2 cones set up approximately 70 feet apart. PAX partnered up while PAX 1 bearcrawled to cone and back PAX 2 performed the excercises then switch off for total of 100 merkins, 200 LBCs and 300 Squats.
Then all PAX moved over to side of the fire house and lined up along this pretty wall just waiting for the HIM to put the all to use. At the wall BTTW for 10 Alternating shoulder taps in cadence followed by a wall sit with 20 o erhead claps in cadence
Mosey back to the CHOP arrived with 2 minutes to spare so on the 6 for 30 flutterkicks IC.
Finished up with Woodstock presenting Chappie with a patch for posting for 100 workouts in 2021
Warm-a-Rama 20 i/c Plank jacks Seal jacks Cherry picker Seal wave Windmill Mountain climbers Mountain man pooper
The Thang
Each HIM grabs a coupon and pairs off
Wheelbarrow to center parking line Half of pax does 10 burpees while other half does 10 swerkins Partners switch and wheelbarrow back Half of pax does 10 burpees while other half does 10 swerkins
Coupon barrow to first center line. Switch positions and return to start.
21’s coupon curls, 7 halfway up, 7 halfway up to full, 7 full 21 coupon overhead presses
3rd F
WHY DOGS LIVE LESS THAN HUMAN
Here’s the surprising answer of a 6 year old child.
Being a veterinarian, I had been called to examine a ten-year-old Irish Wolfhound named Belker. The dog’s owners, Ron, his wife Lisa, and their little boy Shane, were all very attached to Belker, and they were hoping for a miracle.
I examined Belker and found he was dying of cancer. I told the family we couldn’t do anything for Belker, and offered to perform the euthanasia procedure for the old dog in their home.
As we made arrangements, Ron and Lisa told me they thought it would be good for six-year-old Shane to observe the procedure. They felt as though Shane might learn something from the experience.
The next day, I felt the familiar catch in my throat as Belker‘s family surrounded him. Shane seemed so calm, petting the old dog for the last time, that I wondered if he understood what was going on. Within a few minutes, Belker slipped peacefully away.
The little boy seemed to accept Belker’s transition without any difficulty or confusion. We sat together for a while after Belker’s Death, wondering aloud about the sad fact that dogs’ lives are shorter than human lives. Shane, who had been listening quietly, piped up, ”I know why.”
Startled, we all turned to him. What came out of his mouth next stunned me. I’d never heard a more comforting explanation. It has changed the way I try and live.
He said, ”People are born so that they can learn how to live a good life — like loving everybody all the time and being nice, right?” The six-year-old continued,
”Well, dogs already know how to do that, so they don’t have to stay for as long as we do.”
Live simply. Love generously. Care deeply. Speak kindly.
Remember, if a dog was the teacher you would learn things like:
• When your loved ones come home, always run to greet them. • Never pass up the opportunity to go for a joyride. • Allow the experience of fresh air and the wind in your face to be pure Ecstasy. • Take naps. • Stretch before rising. • Run, romp, and play daily. • Thrive on attention and let people touch you. • Avoid biting when a simple growl will do. • On warm days, stop to lie on your back on the grass. • On hot days, drink lots of water and lie under a shady tree. • When you’re happy, dance around and wag your entire body. • Delight in the simple joy of a long walk. • Be faithful. • Never pretend to be something you’re not. • If what you want lies buried, dig until you find it. • When someone is having a bad day, be silent, sit close by, and nuzzle them gently.
That’s the secret of happiness that we can learn from a good dog.
While your partner does abyss merkins you nur to center line at the light poles, mosey back and switch Partner does abyss merkins while you side shuffle across parking lot and back and switch
21 coupon curls 22 coupon shoulder presses
Wheelbarrow to end of first parking line Half of pax does 5 burpees while other half does 5 swerkins Partners switch and wheelbarrow back Half of pax does 5 burpees while other half does 5 swerkins
Return coupons
Find a seat on the wall for a 30 sec hold and then 10 squats i/c
Number-Rama NAME-A-RAMA COT
12 HIM showed today: Quarto, Ruxpin, Chattahoochee, Chappie, Summit, Fireplex, Drago, Semi, Toy Soldier, Woodstock, Struedel, Looney Toons
Bolt 45’s IC (4 Count) – 15 squats to halfway down. 15 squats halfway to full down. 15 full squats.
Mountain Climbers – 20 IC
Windmills – 20 IC
Chairman Lap
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 until all 6 Rounds are complete. 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.
Years ago there was a cowboy hero, and a young boy who thought he was a big deal. The boy was me. And my parents bought me this plate with my hero’s picture on it and an inscription that said, “That a boy! You cleaned your plate.” I wanted his approval very much, so I just kept cleaning my plate – and filling it so I could clean it again. By the time I was in high school, I was 210 pounds. And whose fault was it that I was so heavy? I’ve told many people – it was the fault of that cowboy hero, of course. At least, I wish I could have blamed him.
I’m Ron Hutchcraft, and I want to have A Word With You today about “Someone Else’s Fault.”
I’ve always been joking, of course, when I blamed my “clean your plate” hero for my teenage weight problems. But it is no joke that blaming someone else is, for most of us, one of our favorite ways to account for something in our life that shouldn’t be there – whether it’s a bad attitude, a bad habit, a bad situation, or a bad relationship.
This attempt to dodge the responsibility for our actions is nothing new. Centuries ago, the prophet Nathan was sent by God to confront King David with his sins of adultery and conspiracy to commit murder. David had slept with Bathsheba, the wife of one of his most loyal soldiers, and then arranged for that man’s death in battle. When David learned that Bathsheba was pregnant, well, he knew he had a serious problem on his hands and he tried to cover it up. But Nathan approached David with the parable of a rich man who had owned many sheep and a poor man who owned one little lamb. When a traveler came for dinner at the rich man’s house, the rich man killed the poor man’s one little lamb for dinner. David was enraged at this rich man’s outrageous crime, and he angrily said, “The man who did this deserves to die!”
Then Nathan said these four chilling words to the king, “You are the man!” And in 2 Samuel 12:13, our word for today from the Word of God, “David said to Nathan, ‘I have sinned against the Lord.'” That moment of painful honesty was the beginning of David’s deep repentance and the restoration of his shattered relationship with God. It took a while, but David finally accepted the responsibility for what he had done. And the healing began that moment.
That’s how it will begin for someone who’s listening right now. As you look at that bad situation, the mess, the problems, you have two choices – blame someone else or accept your part of the responsibility for that broken or strained relationship, for that negativity, for the conflict, the mess, or the trouble. Many of us hide from taking responsibility for our situation with a victim copout.
Maybe you’ve honestly been hurt or wronged, and you can’t do anything about the other person taking responsibility for what they’ve done. But you can accept the responsibility for the way you’ve handled it, for the wrong things you may have tried to excuse by the wrong things someone else did. Those who have been victims – and those who’ve been victimizers – never get free until they realize that they are now the victims of their own choices, not someone else’s.
There is an old spiritual that goes something like this, “Not my brother, not my sister, but it’s me, O Lord, standing in the need of prayer.” That’s a great place to start – looking in the mirror, asking, “Lord, what do I need to change?” Taking responsibility: that’s the price of healing, and it’s the price of greatness.
PAX came out on a beautiful morning for a modified Cooper routine. PAX ran 1 big lap (roughly .6 miles) followed by 10 burpees 10 merkins 10 Big boy situps and 10 squats followed by another lap. Rinse and repeat we finished up running 3.3 miles!!! Way to get after it HIM!!
3rd F message
Then, the same day at evening, being the first day of the week,
when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in the midst, and said to them, “Peace be with you.” When He had said this, He showed them His hands and His side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord. So Jesus said to them again, “Peace to you! As the Father has sent Me, I also send you.” If I were to sum up what Jesus is saying here it would be this. “I send you” In a world of chaos, “I send you” in a world full of hatred “I send you” in a world that doesn’t accept Jesus as their savior” I send you”. To the lowly and lost in spirit “I send
you” to the friend or family member who has lost their way “I send you”. We are called to be a light in the darkness, but you can’t overcome darkness with more darkness. We have to be the light and it starts with you, it starts with I. You see we can’t wait on others to bring the light, the darkness is already here, we have to bring the light, Jesus said “I send you”. The greatest wildfires are started with the smallest spark. We can be that spark that improves the world. But it starts at home. So remember this when the world around you seems dark and full of hatred, searching for hope, and looking for a sign of kindness.
Bolt 45’s IC (4 Count) – 15 squats to halfway down. 15 squats halfway to full down. 15 full squats.
Jiminy Crickets – 15 OYO
Windmills – 15 IC
Mosey for a “Chairman” Lap
The Thang
The Super 21 Cycle. 1 Merkin to 1 Big Boy Sit up. 2 Merkins to 2 Big Boy Situps. 3 Merkins to 3 Big Boy Situps, etc., etc., etc. But wait there is a twist….after each completed set of #1 though #5 PAX will complete 21 Imperial Walkers. Bear Crawl @ 60 ft. After each completed set of #6 through #10 PAX will complete 21 Mountain Climbers. Bear Crawl @ 60 ft. After each completed set of # 11 through #15, PAX will complete 21 Monkey Humpers. Bear crawl @ 60 ft. After each completed set of #16 through #20 PAX will complete 21 Prisoner Squats. Bear Crawl @ 60 ft. and PAX will complete the final set of #21 Merkins to #21 Big Boys then finish strong with 21 Burpees.
Count-O-Rama, Name-O-Rama, and the Circle of Trust. Please keep all our HIM in your thoughts and prayers.
F3 Message 05/04/2021 – From Ron Hutchcraft Ministries
The Los Angeles Marathon had been over about a week, but there was still one participant left – Bob Wieland. He finally crossed the finish line even though he has no legs. He lost his legs in Vietnam. But that didn’t stop him from entering and finishing the Los Angeles Marathon, making every step with his arms and his hands. He’s finished other marathons before this one. And Bob Wieland even crossed America on his hands. It took him three years to do it!
I’m Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about “Reasons To Quit; Finishing the Race.”
That’s Bob Wieland, with so many reasons to quit, he finishes his race. Which is what God is asking you and me to do. Your “race” is any track that God has set you on in your life. And you may have started well, but it’s gotten really hard now . There are more and more reasons to quit. But in the words of Galatians 6:9, God says, “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.”
There’s an enlightening picture of our race in Genesis 12, beginning with verse 1. It’s our word for today from the Word of God. This story of Abram is the story of a man who started well, faltered, and got back on track. It might be a story you find yourself in. The race starts – yours and Abram’s – with what I call the faith obedience. In the Bible’s words: “The Lord had said to Abram, ‘Leave your country, your people and your father’s household and go to the land I will show you.’ So Abram left, as the Lord had told him.”
God directed Abram to leave his comfort zone, his “knowns” for the great unknown of a “land I will show you.” The greatness of what Abram’s life will become begins with a faith obedience; doing what God’s directing him to do, not because he can see where it’s going, but because he trusts the One who is leading him. Every great work of God begins that way. It may well be that you’ve had a time like that. You started on a race for your Lord with a risky obedience; which, by the way, is an oxymoron. There’s really no such thing as a risky obedience when it’s Jesus you’re obeying. There’s only a risky disobedience.
Abram left behind him a trail of altars. When the Lord appeared to him at Shechem, it says, “he built an altar there to the Lord.” You’ve had those altar times when God was closest and His will was the clearest. Think about it. But unfortunately, the faith obedience was followed by the famine detour. Genesis 12 says, “there was a famine…and Abram went down to Egypt.” A hard time hit and Abram’s faith literally went south. Maybe yours has, too. In Egypt, Abram made compromises that were disgusting and unthinkable. Maybe some kind of “famine” has hit your life and your search for answers, for relief, or for security has taken you right out of the will of God.
But the race isn’t over. Abram finishes with the full circle recovery. He returns from his detour and goes “where he had first built an altar. There he called on the name of the Lord.” He went back to the point of his original surrender. That’s how you get back on track, back in the race you’ve wandered from. In your heart, you go back to the time when God seemed so close and His will seemed so clear. And at that original altar, you surrender to Him again. Stop doubting in the darkness what God so clearly told you in the light.
When that paraplegic marathon participant crossed the finish line in a race he had every reason to quit, he explained it this way: “This was not natural; this was supernatural. It was only done by the grace of God.” You know what? That’s how you’ll finish the race you started!
A dirty dozen (12 PAX) jumped their Fartsacks in the back alley of the Gloom and won THAT FIRST BATTLE. They’re a step ahead of most, all because of the highly anticipated Warm-O-Rama VQ by Looney Tunes. Great job on your first go ’round brother! All PAX would agree that’s not all folks–now it’s time to get rolled into the regular Q rotation. Stay tuned, there’s a new month right around the corner!
WARM-O-RAMA:
Disclaimer given
SSH – 21 IC
Windmill – 20 IC
Cherry Pickers – 21 IC
Imperial Walkers – 20 IC
Moroccan Night Clubs – 21 IC
Turned it over to Q, Chappie…
THE THANGITY THANG: (A few comments were suggestive of “not showing had they known what we were in for.” He! He! He! He! He….)
PAX lined up for an Indian Run as YHC gave the following Pre-Instructions:
The plan: Indian Run to hill at the base of the tower. Nice easy pace, stick together, man in back goes to front. Rinse and repeat til we reach destination TOGETHER (an Indian run is just like the Patriot Run but without the shovel-flag).
Our route: Left on Bay, Right on Behringer and take it all the way to the end. (Half-mile to destination)
THE CATCH: It’s going to be a quiet Indian Run. Everyone grab a bottle of water and will fill their mouth with water and keep it there. This is about DISCIPLINE. You have to FOCUS. Those who spit out their water or swallow it on the way, will have to watch the others do 18 Burpees once we reach the hill. If no one swallows or spits the water = no Burpees. Focus and think of your team! DO NOT spit it out or swallow it until you receive permission at the bottom of the hill. (i.e. breath through your nose) Ready…Fill ‘er up!
Only 4 of 12 PAX were able to make the half-mile mosey while keeping the water in their mouths. Those who completed the run as planned were rewarded with 18 Burpees, those who spat out or swallowed their mouthful of water along the way had to watch. A few tried to participate in the Burpees but were stopped by the Q – no reward! Like Seinfeld’s soup Nazi, only instead the Burpee Nazi…none for you! It was an interesting activity to say the least. OBSERVATION: Those who didn’t keep the water in their mouth the entire run appeared to be a bit upset with themselves, while those who succeeded and were rewarded with Burpees seemed to do them with a sense of renewed vigor. PREDICTION: The number of PAX who successfully complete this exercise WILL BE HIGHER the next time (if there is a next time). Kudos and T-Claps to the finishers: Drago, Toy Soldier, Quattro & Chappie…18 Burpees never felt so good!
At this point YHC shared the following 3rdF Message:
In his book Warriors Creed Roger Sparks tells of being a Marine Recon instructor. He said, “I was always peeling the onion with the guys. An old story I recalled spoke about the Apache spirit runners. Apache boys learned early that running went hand in hand with becoming a warrior. The young boys would have to fill their mouths with water and go for a long run, in the scorching Summer heat of what is now New Mexico, and when they got back, they would spit out the water. Only the ones who spat out the water could be trusted and trained. Those who swallowed or spit it out during the run couldn’t be trained because they didn’t have discipline. Holding water in the mouth forced rhythmic breathing through the nose, and kept the young future warriors from panting and drying out their mouths and throats. Carrying the water also required deep focus.”
Sparks wrote: “I really liked that particular approach to training, so I used it religiously. If guys spat the water out or swallowed it, then I would have them fill their mouths with gravel. Not fine, clean gravel; I’m talking the dirt on the side of the road. I’d point and say, “Fill your mouth with that gravel. You have no discipline. Those around you will suffer because of your lack of character. If you fall out of the run, I’m going to condition everyone while you watch. You’re going to keep your boots on, and your team will finish the run barefoot.”
“We’d go on a ten-mile run with the water in our mouths. I really got behind the water in the mouth, especially after I read John Douillard’s Body, Mind and Sport. That book was about principles of human performance. If you breath through your nose when you exercise, you generally will not go beyond 50% of your max threshold for your heart rate. When I read that there was no benefit from training endurance that went past 50% of the maximum heart rate, I thought, those Apache had it all figured out. The idea that the Apache could run sixty miles a day like that only added to the allure.” (Roger Sparks, Warrior’s Creed 91-92)
I love some of the phrases Sparks uses in reference to suffering and how it trains us to be disciplined and focused; and, by the way, he wrote in terms of life, not just training in Marine Recon, the French Foreign Legion, or as a Pararescueman:
It inoculates against sensitivities/feelings of misery. YHC’s addition: Even Jesus taught that suffering pays dividends. We’re talking about chosen suffering or suffering for doing what is right (as opposed to suffering for doing stupid things –though that has the reward of learning in the school of hard knocks, if we learn from it). James teaches in James 1:2-4, that we are to, “Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete [mature], lacking in nothing.” Suffering always pays dividends!
Suffering produces strength of mind
Suffering brings you to a place of functioning out of virtue
Suffering teaches you to constantly embracing risk
Suffering trains you to pay attention to details
Suffering reminds you that you’re more often only an agent of something bigger
Suffering brings us to our humanity
And…that life without struggle is meaningless
Roger Sparks went on to quote a fitting samurai mantra: “If you have to choose between suffering and not suffering, always suffer.”
THE THANG, PART DEUX:11’s on aptly named Merlot Hill (Yes, there’s a story behind that. The hill may or may not have been at one time a catalyst for a previous “Splash”)
LBC’s at the bottom – Starting with 1 up to 10
Merkins at the top – Starting with 10 down to 1
Transitions up and down the hill included variations of: LT. Dans, Mosey, Nur
All PAX completed a full set of 11’s
Once completed, PAX lined up again for an Indian Run back to the AO (no water in the mouth). Round trip run = 1 mile.
COT:
Announcements:
Paintball shenanigans this Saturday @ 3 in Georgetown. Still room for more. Sign up online. Don’t forget to complete your waiver online if you haven’t done so already. Come, get “inoculated” (shot) by other PAX!
Sponsors. Keep hitting up your friends and family to sponsor you for the Roving RuckF3st for Gavin fundraiser. Let’s see how much we can raise for this great cause! Ruck will take place on Sunday, May 16th. Stepping off at NLT 12 from CHOP and Rucking to the community Gather and Give for Gavin event at Hudson Fields.
Prayers:
For the Morris family as they continue to work through the grief of losing little Beau.
For Semi as he travels
For Gavin as he prepares to return home then continue rehab and for God to do a miracle in this young man’s spine and body
For all the PAX of F3 First State to embrace suffering to learn to endure well in order to reap its dividends. To be examples of those who endure and mature so that we are more effective leaders in our homes, workplaces, and in the communities in which we serve.
Disclaimer: As the PAX circled up YHC reiterated that this exercise (success of keeping the water or lack thereof) was not the same as what Roger Sparks was teaching his Marine Recon candidates–this was an entirely different context and situation. And its results were not a statement concerning PAX’s character, per se, but merely a challenge to discipline and mental toughness in our context. We embraced the suck. And suck it did! YHC was honored to lead and bring such a challenge, but he is also ever grateful to the other HIM who bring challenges that push us all beyond our self-imposed limits. This one was definitely new…and cerebral!
Honor to lead, challenge, and suffer along side the men of F3 First State,
Bolt 45’s IC (4 Count) – 15 squats to halfway down. 15 squats halfway to full down. 15 full squats.
Cherry Pickers – 15 IC
Mosey @ .5 miles to the hill by the boat docks
The Thang
Pax went right at a set of Doracides which is identified in the Exicon as follows: Two Pax worked together to reach exercise reps of 100, 200, 300, & 400 of 4 different exercises. One Pax worked on the exercises while the second Pax completed suicides to three designated waypoints approx. 30 yards apart by way of a NUR up the hill. Another extra twist is at the waypoint of each suicide run; the Pax completed 1 burpee, then 2 burpees, and finally 3 burpees before returning to the starting point. Once all three suicide sprints were completed, the Pax switched stations until all reps of each exercise were completed. The exercises completed are as follows: 100 American Hammers, 200 Merkins, 300 LBC’s, & 400 squats. Each Pax will make every attempt to complete their half of the total exercises.
Mosey @ .5 miles back to CHOP
F3 Message – See Below
Count-O-Rama, Name-O-Rama, and the Circle of Trust. Please keep all our HIM in your thoughts and prayers.
F3 Message 04/15/21 – Gleaned from Ron Hutchcraft Ministries
My first hint that things were changing was the Storm Troopers suddenly patrolling the parking lot. Then I saw the man with the floor-length wolf tail. Followed by seeing X-Men in the hotel lobby.
And that was just the beginning. Batman, Superman, Darth Vader, Wonder Woman – and, of course, all the insects. Spiderman, Wasp, Bumblebee, The Tick. I fully expected Arnold Scharzenegger to arrive any minute as the ExTerminator. The growing invasion included all kinds of superhero movie characters and science fiction types that were from outside my universe.
The annual convention of National Religious Broadcasters was just moving out. You know, guys in suits. With briefcases.
And the annual convention of comic book, movie and science fiction folks was moving in. You know, characters in capes and masks and Spandex.
Standing in the lobby, waiting for my ride to the airport, was outrageously amusing. Two worlds colliding. Two polar opposite worlds!
Here’s the crazy part. Standing around in my jeans, shirt and sneakers, I had the strangest feeling. All of a sudden, I was the weird one. Not long before, I had been normal. But now I was surrounded by – well, what would be considered weird in most settings.
That’s when my mind started wandering into the whole culture I live in. Where the guard is changing at eye-blurring speed. Where the values and moral consensus that used to define our lives is rapidly receding.
And where it’s becoming increasingly “weird” to believe that God’s Word is the final word. Where those who are trying to follow in Jesus’ footsteps find themselves increasingly out of step with the cadence of the culture. Sometimes, even out of step with the folks at church.
It was easier to be faithful Jesus-followers when that was respected. When it was, in a sense, “normal.” But now it’s increasingly “intolerant” … “narrow-minded” … “hateful” – judgments that at times we bring on ourselves. Because, instead of holding the truth in love, we come across with anger, self-righteousness and judgment.
And while I must be against what my God is against, I want to be known more for what I’m for. I’m for love without scars, selflessness in relationships, respect for every life, compassion for the broken. I want to be the guy who is quick to listen, ready to forgive and known for integrity. That’s not “weird.” That’s rare! And what’s rare is valuable.
But even with a positive brand of purity, it’s still getting lonelier to be God’s guy or gal in an increasingly God-“dissing” world. We shouldn’t be surprised.
The Bible forecasts a day when “normal” will be a world where people “will consider nothing sacred. Evil people and impostors will flourish. They will deceive others and will themselves be deceived…People will no longer listen to sound and wholesome teaching. They will follow their own desires and will look for teachers who will tell them what their itching ears want to hear. They will reject the truth and chase after myths” (2 Timothy 3:1, 12; 4:3-4).
God’s word for His people in that world where untruths will be revered as truth is clear: “But you must remain faithful in the things you have been taught … the holy Scriptures … All Scripture is inspired by God” (2 Timothy 3:14-16).
I really can’t afford to begin my day without first being with my Jesus. Letting the unchanging truth of His Word rekindle my love for Him so once again He’s the only One I care about pleasing. And so I can download His perspective on what I will see, hear and experience today in a God-denying culture with its pretty packages and powerful magnets.
A world that is constantly trying to get you to be like them desperately needs you to be like Jesus. You are hope with skin on – hope that there is another way to be. “Blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation. Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky as you hold firmly to the word of life” (Philippians 2:15-16).
If it seems to be getting darker where you are, remember – stars show most brightly against the backdrop of a very dark sky.
Our desire to get uncomfortable is at an all-time low. Chosen suffering is a mindset. Never willing to settle for the easy way, an Elite person constantly moves toward pain to push themselves beyond their current abilities.
Growth means stretching away from our comfort zone. Nothing stays the same you either progress or regress. Growth requires pain, which is why it’s difficult to stay on top.
People matter; choosing the right ones to be with matters. Pain unifies us and love sustains us.
Elite people understand that short bursts of choosing the right way doesn’t make enough of a difference. Building habits take time. Deep rooted good habits must be formed. It’s the long term, sustained commitment that turns normal into special. Show up and give over and over. Discomfort shows its face during intense training, intense studying, rehabbing an injury, building one’s business, raising a family, managing people and so on.
The elite surround themselves with others who help them master their craft. If you’re not willing to pay a high price but are looking for a quick solution instead, you’re headed down a road to nowhere. The elite are curious, they are thinkers and problem solvers with a growth mind set. Deep suffering is far more fun to talk about than to live. Greatness is developed. Humans will get nowhere unless they compile information, make a plan, and act on it. Good to great isn’t an overnight thing. The only way to transform is to earn it.
Commitment means your life reflects your beliefs and I was committed. Spent mornings, afternoons, and most evenings in the wrestling room. The rate at which a person works is a window into the soul of what he values as priceless. There is a clear connection between effort and workload that occur when few are watching. There’s a massive chasm between believing something and committing to it.
Becoming elite is a choice, people aren’t born elite. Winning is never something we can completely control. Those who suffer the greatest do so because of their deep love of what they’re doing. Deep suffering moves us from good to great. Sense of value in our lives must be built from the inside out. Anything worth having requires suffering. Living on impulse without discipline gets us nowhere. Your goal should be to wake up better than you were today. Every great performance relies on solid training. Gratitude comes from the underlying belief that one’s life is no accident. The elite figure out what needs to get done, and they do it. Many people establish their wants, but they don’t consistently practice the habits to bring their desires to complete fruition. An elite individual understands that sustained success is the result of repeated good decisions over time. The elite don’t speak or think of excuses, they problem solve.
Falling short is painful, but pain is a gift. We waste our pain when we don’t learn from our losses and discomfort. Every person fails, but what’s more important is how we each manage the hurt. The elite assess, plan, and repeat until they’re refined. A strong plan and solid execution will increase our odds for the desired outcome.
Failure is a gift. Change happens with action. Harden oneself, but never get down on oneself. Excellence is the ability to do work every single time no matter who’s watching. Most people are unwilling to give at the required level to get what they want.
Struggle is at the center of all growth. We need people who care about us and challenge us to move from where we are to where we want to be.
The Elite work ethic is having the ability to repeatedly take yourself into chosen suffering. Eliteness comes from the absolute love for their desired outcome. Competency relies on training. You have to know that you’ve paid the price. Day in and day out you work on areas that need improvement.
Elite athletes are problem solvers. Humans say what we want, but we aren’t willing to back up with action. Instead, we offer excuses instead of taking responsibility. Successful people own their decisions and stand by the results. Hone in on the things you can control like your thoughts. Winning isn’t something we can control. However good you think you are there is always someone better. Choose each day to work alongside others who push you to greater levels of suffering. Wrestling teaches transformational lessons in humility because it’s raw and real, there’s no hiding. It’s the simple things done well and repeatedly that separate good from great. Winning is less controllable than your effort. Control what you can. Our effort should deplete us and bring us intense discomfort. We are capable of so much more that we think we are. It’s human nature to fall back into complacency to find the easy way out. As a wrestler you have to define your priceless, that objective or goal you’ll do anything to achieve. Actions speak louder than words. Too often we say we want success, but when struggling becomes more than what we imagined we give up.
Becoming elite is about letting go of the things that hold us back and pressing on. In every stage of life, complacency longs to sneak in. We must fight this natural desire to be easy on ourselves. We should be hard on ourselves, but never down on ourselves. We are built for glorious things and made to stretch ourselves. We will always need to choose suffering because it’s healing. We have a soul that long to be challenged and lifted.
