Warm-a-Rama
15 seal jack i/c
20 mountain man pooper i/c
15 plank jack i/c
Capri laps around circle
Side shuffle, switch directions half way
Nur, switch to mosey half way
20 windmills i/c
15 seal waves i/c
10 hip circles each direction oyo
20 shoulder taps i/c

The Thang

Mosey to coupons
Everyone grabs 2 coupons, 2.0 grab one
Farmers carry/blockee
Mosey The long way around circle, to behind the courthouse
  If you set the blockes down, 2 blockes
  Add 2 blockes ever time they are set down

Timer is sled going the length of the parking lot and back

Murder bunnies across parking lot
Overhead press across parking lot
Man makers
Abyss merkins
Sledge hammer side of tire
American hammers
Curls
Block swings
Rows
Navy seal burpee

Engage to Impact
Think about your everyday interactions. Are you engaging people to make an impact?

Flutter kick
Gas pumpers w/coupon in the air
Superman Banana
Not so easy lazyboy

Return coupons
Return to AO

Number Rama
Name Rama
COT

15 HIM showed today: Semi, Probe, Chauffer, Toy Soldier, Quattro, Bunt, Fireplex, Sink-O, Doodle, Pickles, B Side, C Side, Squirm, Hideous, Chattahoochee

Warm-a-Rama

15  seal jacks i/c
15 mountain man pooper i/c
15 seal waves i/c
Side shuffle around circle, switch directions half way
15 plank jacks i/c
10 mountain man pooper i/c

The Thang
Mosey to grass area north of church on n. Bradford str.

Disintegrating frisbee golf
Team up and alternate throwers. Count throws to called out “holes”. Complete excercises called out at completion of hole.
Excercises that were called out:
Monkey humpers
Merkins
Squats
Curls
Burpees
Lt. Dan
Navy seal Burpees
Mosey
Nur

3rd F

https://bible.com/reading-plans/14159/day/1?segment=0

Got back to the AO in time for a Toy Soldier lead not so easy lazyboy.

Number Rama
Name Rama
COT

11 HIM showed today: Semi, Hideous, Fireplex, Quattro, Bunt, Probe, Chauffer, Toy Soldier, Reptile, Deez, Shutter

Warm-a-Rama
15 seal jacks i/c
15 mountain man pooper i/c
15 seal waves i/c
10 hip circles each direction oyo
15 windmills i/c
15 harry rockets i/c
15 Michael Phelps i/c

The Thang
Mosey to Woodstock’s coupons

Single awareness
15 per side
L – lunge backwards
O – Overhead press, single arm
V – v up, single leg
E – E2K

S – single leg Squat to coupon
I – irkin
N – navy seal burpee
G – goblet Bulgarian Squat
L – lunge
E – E2K

Round 2
With 10 train burpees

Mosey back to AO

Number Rama
Name a Rama
COT

11 showed today: Semi, Probe, Yukon, Bunt, Pick, Ruxpin, Hideous, Reptile, Chauffer, Chattahoochee, Motown

21 Men Posted to the CHOP for this morning’s beatdown.

Warm Up 5:15-5:20 minutes

• 20 Morrocan night club
• 10 Burpees
• 20 Harry triggers
• 20 on your 6 hairy triggers
• 10 Count back leg stretch
• 20 Imperial Walkers
• 20 Side Straddle Hops

Part 2 5:20-5:25 Minutes Wosey to the Wall

• 10- In Cadence Inverted Merkins
• 20 – Big Boys
  

Part 3 5:25-5:35 Minutes

Half Mile Mosey to the Bottom of the Hill

3rd F– See Below

• Bolt 45 Part 1 at bottom of hill
• Nur to top of the Hill
• Bolt 45 Part 2 at top of hill
• Bear Crawl down
• Bolt 45 Part 3 at bottom of hill

At this point it was rumored through Quattro that Hideous complained about the Awesome workout we were having. So Looney Tunes pulled the plug! Declaring we were stopping the workout and heading back to CHOP to start over.

That’s it’s! Mosey Back to CHOP: 5:35-5:45 Minutes

Part 4 5:45-5:55

3 Knees Over Toes – Wall of Pain

• 25 Tibialis Raise – Back against the wall, Feet shoot out. lift feet lower them.
• 25 FHL Calf Raise (Flexor Hallucis Longus) Hand against the wall feet shooting out
• 25 Repeat Tibialis Raise

PART 5 5:50-5:55 am

Coupons to Hell

Teams of three with Coupons

Everyone had the chance to go Once:

Man 1 – 20 Slow Bicep Curls

Man 2 – NUR with block

Man 3 – 20 Slow Overhead Press

DONE

We named a new FNG- Boones Farm! Welcome to F3

3rd F from John Whiting-Bulletproof Entrepreneur You’ve got this ultra-powerful tool at your disposal and nobody has ever shared with you how to use it or even what it is!You are composed of mind, body and soul.You are a soul, a being, YOU. You just happen to be living in a body. When someone is talking to YOU, they’re talking to you, not the body, not the mind… YOU!
You are incredibly powerful. Your thoughts until this point in your life have created the reality which you now know.Some may call this “your heart”Every single thought you’ve had has created your reality perfectly.

Your MIND is separate from YOU

Your mind is a collection of mental image pictures organized by similarity.

They go back in time since the beginning
You are not born with fear and anger. They are learned, recorded and stored as mental image pictures.Your mind is the voice you hear telling you to be afraid, angry, sad, depressed, resentfulYour mind is NOT YOU.
This is incredibly important
Your body is not YOU eitherYour body is a vehicle for this physical universe
Your body is the vehicle for your soul (YOU) and your mind
The entire game of the physical universe is to achieve your soul’s desires while consistently reducing the limitations of the mind and body.

So ignore your fears and your pains.

DATE: 4/30/22

QIC: Chappie

18 PAX won that first battle and posted for “Sandbag Saturday” led by YHC. Shout out to TRex and Gump for adding to the collection of 9 GORUCK bags (varied weights) plus 10 good ol’ fashioned 40lb sandbags. The collection made everyone’s day. Here’s how it went down…

WARM-O-RAMA:

• SSH – 18 IC
• Swartzjacks – 18 IC
• Sealjacks – 54 IC (Since YHC is 54 years respect) *Too many quit! (See 3rdF shared: Slaughter in F3 Nation Newsletter)
• Windmill – 10 IC

Mosey to the field beside the Presb. Church (where PAX found the beautiful stack of sandbags. PAX circled up for 3rdF. YHC played the audio from Slaughter’s message in the most recent F3 Nation Newsletter (Had planned a 3rdF “Habits Eat Willpower for Breakfast” but Slaughter’s message was too good NOT to share.) Then it was time for sandbag business…

THE THANG:

PAX were directed to split up with sandbags: 1/2 at cone #1 and 1/2 40 yards away at cone #2. THE PURPOSE: Keep moving! Run to next cone with sandbag, drop it, run back without. Carry bags at intervals but never pass a bag. Just keep carrying bags and KEEP MOVING. YHC also called out the following exercises throughout the durations:

• OH Press – 25 OYO
• Sandbag Squats – 25 (Get low! A2G!)
• Sand Bears – Cone to cone
• OH Shoulder Press – 25 OYO

Grand Finale:

• PAX counted off by 2’s and separated into 2 teams for Sandbag Tic-Tac-Toe
• Good ol’ fashioned sandbags painted with X’s & O’s (Tic-Tac-Toe painted on center of the field)
• Teams 70′ apart. Each PAX (in-turn) must do 10 Chest-Bump Merkins on their sandbag before jumping up and carrying it to strategically place it in the Tic-Tac-Toe board. Must return to line before next PAX takes turn.
• X’s went up 2-0 before the O’s made a come from behind run for the victory. Losers had to do 10 Sandbag Burpees as punishment.

Good fun and healthy competition won the day before we made our way back to the AO.

NUMBER-RAMA

NAME-O-RAMA

COT/BOM:

• Announcements: Coffeeteria at Dunkin; Memorial Day Mini (CSAUP) coming up, invite everyone; Q Rotation coming out NLT than Sunday afternoon

• Prayers: Fireplex’s dad – Battling cancer; Quattro’s feet?. YHC encouraged PAX to begin more regularly sharing requests in the COT (i.e. we tend to pray for those outside the circle–neighbors, friends, co-workers–those requests are important, but the idea is for us get real and personal by praying for each other as well).

As always YHC counts it a privilege and is thrilled by the opportunity to Q. Appreciate all the men who posted, to include the 2.0’s (they carried man-sized sandbags and never complained once – that’s fire!)

Aye!

Chappie, out!

Date: 01/22/22

AO: Aegis, Georgetown, DE

QIC: Fireplex

Warm up

SSH – 30 IC

Cherry Pickers – 30 IC

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

SSH – 30 IC

Windmills – 30 IC

SSH – 20 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 before performing each individual exercise of Aiken legs.  Rinse & 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 and complete a Burpee with a merkin.  Bear Crawl to the next space and complete a Burpee with two merkins.   Continue until completing a Burpee with ten merkins.

F3 Message – See below

Mosey to School and complete the bottom feeder/deconstructed toy soldier set exercise.  Crab walk to first sidewalk and complete 100 LBC’s.  Crab walk to second sidewalk and complete 50 E2K’s to one side.  Crab walk to third sidewalk and complete 50 E2K’s to the other side.  Crab walk to fourth sidewalk and complete 25 big boy sit-ups.   

Mosey back to Aegis.  PAX completed @.9 mile for the workout

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

KEEPING YOUR FEET MOVING – #2918

You may not be able to tell over the radio – but I’m not a very big guy. Oh, I’m big inside. But outside, more of a Volkswagen than a semi. Which makes it amazing that both my sons ended up playing line in football. That’s usually where they put the monsters. Actually, we used to joke that linemen wore their IQs on their jerseys – you know, like 75. But it was brawn more than brains they needed to either hold the line while their opponents were trying to move them or to break through those gorillas on the other side of the line. There are just a few simple instructions that every coach wants every lineman to learn and live by. Our guys heard this one all the time – “Keep your feet moving.” No matter what. Even if it feels like you’re going nowhere. Even if you’re getting hammered. Even if you think it’s doing no good. As long as you keep driving – as long as you keep your feet moving – you’re making a difference. The alternative – getting knocked down.

Well, I’m Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You about “Keeping Your Feet Moving.”

The Divine Coach has assigned you a position to play right now. And He has a word for you today from our for today from the Word of God. 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.” Or in the words of a football coach to the guys on the line – “Keep your feet moving, no matter what. It’s true in football – it’s true in following Christ. If you stop driving, if you stand still, you’re going to get knocked down. And you’ll stop making a difference.

It could be that you’ve been taking some pretty hard hits lately. Don’t become weary in doing good – keep your feet moving. Maybe you feel like nothing’s moving – you’re not seeing much in the way of results – the good you’re doing doesn’t seem to be doing much good. Your Coach’s word – keep playing your position. Keep your feet moving in God’s direction. This isn’t about results. It’s about faithfulness at your position.

There was a point where you knew God was leading you in this direction, when you felt motivated to make a difference or to start living God’s way. But you’ve been hit hard a few times. Maybe things seem to have gotten worse instead of better. Or it could be that there has not been much appreciation for what you’ve done, or much progress. The feeling isn’t there like it was at the beginning. You’re tired of driving in the direction God led you. Your feet are slowing down, or you’re standing still. You’re tempted to give up – on your ministry, on your marriage, on financial freedom, on conquering the old you, on the miracle you’ve been praying for.

And along comes God today saying, “The payoff is coming. You will break through if you keep driving in this direction – even when you feel like quitting.” He likens it to a farmer waiting for his harvest – there’s a lot of work and investment without any visible result for a long time.

And then one day, that crop appears – if he doesn’t give up on it. The harvest of all you’ve put in depends on one very big if – “if you do not give up.” In the words of a wise old man of God, “Never doubt in the darkness what God has told you in the light.”

There’s no standing still on this Jesus-road. If you do, you get knocked down. There are some wonderful victories, some powerful breakthroughs later in the game – if you keep your feet moving.

Respectfully Submitted,

Fireplex

Warm-a-Rama

15 seal jacks i/c
15 mountain man pooper i/c
10 hip circles oyo, each way
15 seal wave i/c
15 Windmill i/c

The Thang
Every HIM grabs a coupon

25 blockeys, Chairman lap
50 lunges per leg, Chairman lap
100 curls, Chairman lap
200 lbcs, Chairman lap
100 curls, Chairman lap
50 lunges per leg, Chairman lap
25 burpees, Chairman lap

3rd F
https://oneextraordinarymarriage.com/
6 Pillars of Intimacy

Number-Rama
NAME-A-RAMA
COT

17 HIM showed today; Semi, Chappie, Ruxpin, Woodstock, Chattahoochee, Doubtfire, Fireplex, Trion, Whirlybird, Drago, Blockbuster, Looney Toons, Chauffer, Mr. Mom, Hideous, Chauffeur, Phyfe

Date: 12/16/2021

AO: CHOP, Milton, DE

QIC: Fireplex with an Assist by Quattro when the tones dropped for Station 85 for a medical assist

Welcome to an FNG that was named in the Circle of Trust – Grub-It-Is ?? whatever that means…:)…

Warm up

12) Side straddle hops – IC (4 Count)

11) Big boy sit-ups OYO

10) Jiminy crickets OYO

9) Donkey kicks – OYO

8) Windmills – IC (4 Count)

7) Mountain climber IC (4 Count)

6) Goofballs (ladder climbers) – IC (4 Count)

5) Cherry pickers – IC (4 Count)

4) American hammers (4 Count)

3) Mountain man poopers – IC (4 Count)

2) Tempo merkins (4 Count)

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

The Thang – 12 Days of Christmas Part Two…..or…… Doce Dias de Navidad La Parte Dos

Each exercise was completed and repeated in descending order just as the Twelve days of Christmas Song would be sung. You get the idea…..

1– Tuck jump followed by a lap around the Church at end of each evolution

2 – Mountain climbers (4 Count)

3 – Hand release, diamond, wide & ranger merkins (3 ea.)

4 – LBC’s (4 Count)

5 – Burpees

6 – Donkey kicks

7 – Iron Mikes

8 – SSH’s (4 Count)

9 – Apolo Ohno’s

10 – Shoulder tap merkins – ATM’s

11 – Full motion squats

12 – Big boy sit-ups

Count-O-Rama, Name-O-Rama, and the Circle of Trust.  Prayers were offered for multiple needs within the attending PAX, but please keep all our HIM in your thoughts and prayers.  

F3 Message 12/16/2021 – Rinse and Repeat from Quattro’s Warmup VQ with Fireplex on 12/12/19

The Twelve Days of Christmas – True Meaning Behind the Lyrics

Ace Collins – From Crosswalk.com

To many people, the lyrics of the song “The Twelve Days of Christmas” seem strange beyond belief. The odd carol’s words might make one think it is a novelty song, in the vein of “Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer” or “My Favorite Things.” Though a host of modern internet sites and some magazine articles have tried to reduce “The Twelve Days of Christmas” to a little more than a silly Christmas carol, most scholars of the Catholic Church deem it a very important surviving example of a time when that denomination used codes to disguise their teachings. Originally a poem written by Catholic clerics, this song was transformed into a carol at a time when celebrating the twelve days of Christmas was one of the most important holiday customs. By understanding the meaning the clerics chose the twelve days as wrapping for their poem, the full impact of the tradition of the twelve days of Christmas can be understood.
 

The 12 Days of Christmas – True Meaning

On the first day of Christmas my true love gave to me . . . a partridge in a pear tree.

The partridge in a pear tree represents Jesus, the Son of God, whose birthday we celebrate on the first day of Christmas. Christ is symbolically presented as a mother partridge, the only bird that will die to protect its young.
 On the second day of Christmas my true love gave to me . . . two turtledoves.

These twin birds represent the Old and New Testaments. So in this gift, the singer finds the complete story of Judeo-Christian faith and God’s plan for the world. The doves are the biblical roadmap that is available to everyone.
 On the third day of Christmas my true love gave to me . . . three French hens.

These birds represent faith, hope, and love. This gift hearkens back to 1 Corinthians 13, the love chapter written by the apostle Paul.
 On the fourth day of Christmas my true love gave to me . . . four calling birds.

One of the easiest facets of the song’s code to figure out, these fowl are the four Gospels—Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.
 On the fifth day of Christmas my true love gave to me . . . five gold rings.

The gift of the rings represents the first five books of the Old Testament, known as the Torah or the Pentateuch.
 On the sixth day of Christmas my true love gave to me . . . six geese a-laying.

These lyrics can be traced back to the first story found in the Bible. Each egg is a day in creation, a time when the world was “hatched” or formed by God.
 On the seventh day of Christmas my true love gave to me . . . seven swans a-swimming.

It would take someone quite familiar with the Bible to identify this gift. Hidden in the code are the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit: prophecy, ministry, teaching, exhortation, giving, leading, and compassion. As swans are one of the most beautiful and graceful creatures on earth, they would seem to be a perfect symbol for the spiritual gifts.
 On the eighth day of Christmas my true love gave to me . . . eight maids a-milking.

As Christ came to save even the lowest of the low, this gift represents the ones who would receive his word and accept his grace. Being a milkmaid was about the worst job one could have in England during this period; this code conveyed that Jesus cared as much about servants as he did those of royal blood. The eight who were blessed included the poor in spirit, those who mourn, the meek, those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, the merciful, the pure in heart, the peacemakers, and those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake.
 On the ninth day of Christmas my true love gave to me . . . nine ladies dancing.

These nine dancers were really the gifts known as the fruit of the Spirit. The fruits are love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.
 On the tenth day of Christmas my true love gave to me . . . ten lords a-leaping.

This is probably the easiest gift to understand. As lords were judges and in charge of the law, this code for the Ten Commandments was fairly straightforward to Catholics.
 On the eleventh day of Christmas my true love gave to me . . . eleven pipers piping.

This is almost a trick question, as most think of the disciples in terms of a dozen. But when Judas betrayed Jesus and committed suicide, there were only eleven men who carried out the gospel message.
 On the twelfth day of Christmas my true love gave to me . . . twelve drummers drumming.

The final gift is tied directly to the Catholic Church. The drummers are the twelve points of doctrine in the Apostles’ Creed. “I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth. I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord. He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary. He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended into hell. On the third day he rose again. He ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and life everlasting.”

The Context & History Behind “The 12 Days of Christmas”

Teaching the Catholic faith was outlawed in sixteenth-century England. Those who instructed their children in Catholicism could be drawn and quartered. Thus, the church went underground. To hide the important and illegal elements of their teaching, clerics composed poems that seemed sill to most people. But these verses were veiled works that taught the church’s most important tenets. “The Twelve Days of Christmas” is said to be one of these teaching tools.

Most people today believe that the twelve days of Christmas start on December 12th or 13th and run through Christmas Eve or Christmas Day. But in fact, the first day of Christmas is December 25th and the final day is January 5th. Thus, for hundreds of years the Christmas holidays didn’t begin until Christmas Eve and didn’t end until Epiphany.

Why were these twelve days important? These dozen days were tied to more than just the teaching of the Catholic Church. A host of other denominations also celebrated the twelve days of Christmas. Some denominations celebrated Christmas in January and began to count the twelve days then. But whenever they began, the counting of the days became an important facet of each holiday season. Even in the Dark Ages, in some Eastern European churches, the twelve days of Christmas meant attending daily church services. For Christians who lived during this extremely difficult age, the twelve days were a time of rededication and renewal. It was also a period when small, simple, and usually symbolic gifts of faith were given to children. Thus, in both coded poems and public worship, the twelve days were considered a holy period.

For many Christians today, even the recognition of the twelve days of Christmas has been lost . . . for two reasons. The first is that when Epiphany lost out to Christmas as the day of giving gifts, many simply quit celebrating the twelve-day observance. The other reason is based more on the change in the fabric of culture than on overlooking the Christian holiday of Epiphany.

In ancient times, when most societies were rural, few people worked in the dead of winter. It was a time when many were spending long, dark days inside their homes, looking forward to winter’s chill giving way to the spring thaw. So devoting a dozen days to prayer, reflection, and attending church was not a huge undertaking. Yet with the coming of the Industrial Age and the regular year-round work schedules it brought, finding time to continue the activities that had been traditionally associated with the twelve days of Christmas became all but impossible for most people.

So the passing of the twelve-days custom probably had as much to do with “progress” as with anything else. As fewer and fewer churches and families participated in the tradition, it was all but lost. Yet in the obscure poem that was later turned into a popular carol, “The Twelve Days of Christmas” live on. And the twelve days described are actually a wonderful and complete picture of the Christian faith.

The “true love” mentioned in the song is not a sweetheart but the Catholic Church’s code for God. The person who receives the gifts represents anyone who has accepted Christ as the Son of God and as Savior. And each of the gifts portrays an important facet of the story of true faith.

So, just a silly song? On the surface maybe, but in reality, a refreshing reminder of the essential elements of Christian faith. The twelve days of Christmas may no longer be a widely recognized holiday tradition, but the days were an important bridge that connected persecuted believers of the past with the whole story of God’s plan. In the complicated world of today, a trip back to the not-so-distant past when Christians celebrated the twelve days of Christmas would only enhance the meaning of Christmas for everyone.

Ace Collins is the writer of more than sixty books, including several bestsellers: Stories behind the Best-Loved Songs of Christmas, Stories behind the Great Traditions of Christmas, The Cathedrals, and Lassie: A Dog’s Life. Based in Arkadelphia, Arkansas, he continues to publish several new titles each year. Ace has appeared on scores of television shows, including CBS This Morning, NBC Nightly News, CNN, Good Morning America, MSNBC, and Entertainment Tonight.

This article is part of our larger Christmas and Advent resource library centered around the events leading up to the birth of Jesus Christ. We hope these articles help you understand the meaning and story behind important Christian holidays and dates and encourage you as you take time to reflect on all that God has done for us through his son Jesus Christ!

Respectfully Submitted,

Quattro & Fireplex

7 December 2021- 17 HIM BEAT THE FARTSACK for a mathematical beatdown.

WARMUP- 20 SSH,20 WINDMILLS,15 SMURFJACKS,20 CHERRYPICKERS,15 MOUNTAINCLIMBERS ALL IN CADENCE

THE THANG- STARTED OFF THE BEATDOWN WITH A LITTLE BILL MURRAY

1 lap around all the middle parking spots at the CHOP followed by 10 mekins, 10 squats,10 bigboys, 10 burpees rinse and repeat 5 times then 1 extra lap just because

After Bill Murray the real fun started with Dan Taylor

1 squat 4 alternating lunges 1:4 ratio all the way to 10 squats 40 alternating lunges

after the leg beatdown it was time just a little arm and shoulders with Mr Jack Webb

1 merkin then up on knees for 4 overhead hand claps again 1:4 ratio all the way to 10:40.

ran out of time before we could get to cpt. Thor so that will be added in the future o. A Saturday when we have a little more time.

AO: CHOP, Milton, DE

QIC: Fireplex

Warm up

SSH – 20 IC

Cherry Pickers – 20 IC

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

Windmills – 20 IC

Mosey @ .5 miles to the Goshen Hill

The Thang

Thanksgiving Workout: Set 1

• Mountain Climbers x 25
• Squats x 20
• Side Straddle Hops x 30
• Side Lunges x 20 (10 each side)
• High Knees x 25
• Plank x 1 minute

Nur up the Hill

Thanksgiving Workout: Set 2

• Burpees x 20
• Lt. Dans’s x 20
• Tuck Jumps x 10 or Bobby Hurleys x 20
• Merkins x 30
• Apolo Ohno’s x 20
• Side Plank’s x 30 sec (each side)

Mosey @.5 miles to the Hill by the Boat Dock Stopping to Squat Broad Jump Across the Footbridge Behind Irish Eyes

Dragon Crawl Up the Hill & Run Down

Thanksgiving Workout: Set 3

• 50 LBC’s
• 25 E2K’s each side
• 15 Big Boy Sit-ups

Mosey @.5 miles back to CHOP

F3 Message – 11/25/2021

A “MAGIC WORDS” THANKSGIVING

November 25, 2019

My parents told me they were the “magic words.” But they would often have to remind me, “And what are the magic words again, Ronnie?”

I still need a reminder. “Please.” “Thank you.”

Actually, “thank you” can be almost magical. Because like valuable collectibles, those words are getting to be pretty rare.

We need a day called Thanksgiving. To remind us we should be thanksliving.

Just watch the reaction when you thank the Walmart checker for working on a weekend or a holiday. Or the custodian for keeping this a nice place to be. Or the housekeeping lady for being the angel who magically makes your hotel room a welcoming place to come back to. Or the teacher for all the time she invests in preparation and shaping young lives.

Don’t be surprised if they’re surprised. You may be one of the few – or the only – person who stops to say thank you. You’ve made their day. You’ve let them know they’re not taken for granted. That someone actually notices and values what they do. You’ve gotten them back in the ring for another round.

Because we’re in the Age of Entitlement. “The belief that one is inherently deserving of privileges or special treatment.” Gratitude dies on the altar of entitlement. “I have this coming.”

As a Jesus-follower, I’m struck by this Bible description of what following Jesus looks like. “Let your lives be built on Him…and you will overflow with thankfulness” (Colossians 2:6).

Unfortunately, we’re more likely to overflow with negativity. Seldom praising the people we live or work with – but faithfully pointing to what’s wrong with them. Which they already know all too well.

The Bible bluntly declares, “The tongue has the power of life and death” (Proverbs 18:21). We’ve all felt the pain of names called, putdowns fired, anger dumped. Things that killed our joy, our confidence, our sense of worth. And then there are those few, but not forgotten, comments that were like wind beneath our wings. Among them, the powerful uplift of “thank you.”

Like “thank you” to your son or daughter for strengths you see in their character – their generosity, their smile, their sensitivity to hurting people, their passion. Their sense of humor, their discipline, their ability to organize, their insight, their honesty. They’ll flourish with your compliments. They’ll wither with your criticism.

With my wife no longer here to thank, I know it’s important to ask how long has it been since your spouse heard “Thank you”? For the difference you’ve made in my life. For the sacrifices, for listening, for loving me enough to tell me things I didn’t want to hear. And it means affirming them for positive changes. So much better than a boatload of nagging. As my Karen often said, “Water what you want to grow.”

Thanking an employee for their attitude or effort is that kind of “watering.” Being appreciative, rather than defensive, when someone shows you a fault or a weakness models humility and teachability.

Wherever there’s a “thank you” deficit, Thanksgiving is a good time to catch up. By hug. By phone. By text. By letter.

Of course, Thanksgiving is originally and primarily about thanking the God who is ultimately the Giver of every gift in our life. “Every good and perfect gift comes down from above” (James 1:17).

When you consciously look for “God-sightings” throughout your day, your worst day can still be a good day. You’ll bring blessing into the room with you instead of burdens. God’s showing up in my day constantly – a beautiful sunrise, an encouraging text, a welcome smile, locating something I can’t find, a helpful insight, the accident that didn’t happen. One writer said, “The thankful heart is like a magnet, and it goes through life picking up all the beautiful things all day long.” I love that!

Surprisingly, ingratitude is at the very heart of a lot of the darkness in our world. In our culture. In my heart. God diagnoses the brokenness in this world this way: “They neither glorified God nor gave thanks to Him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened” (Romans 1:21).

When we rocket through life, marginalizing the One who gave us our life, we start thinking wrong is right and we are God. Failure to sincerely thank God starts us down a road of hurtful choices, dead-end streets and a growing deficit of hope and meaning.

I know there have been times someone gave me a gift or sacrificed to help me, and I failed to acknowledge it. That’s how I’ve made God feel so many times.

Because no one has given me more – beginning with life itself. And no one has sacrificed more for me. One Bible writer says this about it: “Thank God for this gift too wonderful for words!” (I Corinthians 9:15).

The gift? “He did not spare even His own Son for us, but gave Him up for us” (Romans 8:32). Because there was no hope of ever knowing God, of being forgiven, of going to heaven without the death penalty for all my junk being paid.

So my Thanksgiving – this week…every day, doesn’t begin at a dinner table. It begins at the foot of an old rugged cross.

Respectfully Submitted,

Fireplex