quattro – Page 4 – F3 First State

“Oh Hill No”, It’s Election Day

Beeker, Bolt, Bunt, Chappie, Chattahoochee, Chauffeur, Cinnabun, Deez, Draggin', Drago, Fireplex, Got 'em, Humpty, Looney Tunes, Mr. Mom, Nutz, pooh, Probe, quattro, Ruxpin, Semi, Streudel, Toy Soldier, TRex, Whirlybird, Wood, Woodstock, Xman, Yukon / Leave a Comment / CHOP, Milton, DE / By Johnny Hopkins

Date: 11/08/2022

AO: CHOP, Milton, DE.

QIC: Fireplex

Warm up

SSH – 25 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.

Windmills – 15 IC

Jiminy Crickets – 10 OYO

Mosey @.5 miles to “Oh Hill No”

The Thang

The Super Sheldon Cooper on “Oh Hill No”. Inch worm with a merkin up the hill, Crawl Bear down and complete 10 Burpees, 10 Squats, 10 Merkins & 10 Big Boys. Dragon Crawl up the hill, Crawl Bear down and complete 10 Burpees, 10 Squats, 10 Merkins & 10 Big Boys. For the final round, complete a Bear Crawl up the hill, Crawl Bear down and complete 10 Burpees, 10 Squats, 10 Merkins & 10 Big Boys. F3 Message and Dragon Crawl @ 50ft. before moseying back to the CHOP.

Mosey @.5 miles back to CHOP.

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

F3 Message 11/08/2022

SO MANY PROMISES – #8849

December 10, 2020

Politicians – promises. They’re almost synonyms. And, man, we’ve been through the election campaigns. And, of course, you know, we’re probably on promise overload! You get it from the time they declare their candidacy. “He broke his promise!” “He can’t keep that promise!” “If I’m elected, I promise…”

Elections raise hopes. Reality often crushes them, doesn’t it? The promises often seem to get swept away and trashed with the victory celebration confetti. Fact is, no politician keeps all their promises. Sometimes, well, because they never meant to, sometimes because of unforeseen circumstances, and often just because he/she simply doesn’t have the power to deliver what they promised.

I’m Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about “So Many Promises.”

Now, it’s not just politicians. Look, we parents make a lot of promises – too many of which we either forget, neglect or just fail to keep. The promis-er may forget. The promis-ee never does. Most of us can still remember, like years later, the parents’ promises that never happened.

We make promises at work, at church, to friends. Raising expectations, and then dashing them by never following through. We lose what takes years to gain and just a day to lose – trust. We shake our heads in disgust at the politicians’ words that seem so hollow in light of their broken promises. Forgetting the “trail of tears” that we ourselves have left with the things we said but never did.

I stood before an altar years ago and made some of the biggest promises of my life. I told the woman I loved – and, more importantly, I told God – that I would love and care for her and be committed to her “’til death do us part.” She staked her life on my promise, and the Lord, in the Bible’s words, was “acting as the witness” of my “marriage covenant.” That’s what the book of Malachi says (Malachi 2:14). I found myself listening again and then again to those promises I made that day to try to be sure I was keeping them.

I learned the hard way, that in every relationship, you think before you promise. And do whatever it takes to deliver when you do promise. Now, our word for today from the Word of God, Ecclesiastes 5 beginning in verse 5 says this: “It is better not to vow than to make a vow and not fulfill it. Do not let your mouth lead you into sin.” King David described the man God will honor as one who “keeps his oath even when it hurts” (Psalm 15:4).

After so many soaring speeches in political campaigns, I wrote these words in my personal journal: “A political season shows that humans promise what they ultimately lack the power to deliver, and hopes are dashed. But my hope is based on a Savior who, by beating death, has shown me He can do anything and everything He has promised!” Man, that’s awesome!

Well, He promised, “My God will supply all your needs” (Philippians 4:19). And in a thousand amazing ways, He always has. He said, “Your strength will equal your days” (Deuteronomy 33:25), and there’s never been a day He didn’t deliver. He promised “they who honor Me I will honor” (1 Samuel 2:30), and He’s come through every time I’ve risked to do the right thing. He told me, “I am the Lord your God who directs you in the way you should go” (Isaiah 48:17), and He’s done it at every crossroads.

I’m sure, beyond any shadow of a doubt, that He will keep the promise on which my eternity rests, “God has given us eternal life, this life is in His Son. He who has the Son has life…you who believe in the name of the Son of God…know that you have eternal life” (1 John 5:11-13).

I have no fear of death. I have no doubt about heaven, because I’ve put my trust in the only One who can forgive my sins – the One who died for them. I trust in the only One who can give me eternal life – the One who walked out of His grave. And He waits to do that for you. In a world of littered promises, this Jesus will deliver the life and eternity He promised if you’ll grab Him today with all your trust like a drowning person grabs a lifeguard.

Our website is there to help you do that. I hope you’ll go there today. It’s ANewStory.com. You can plant both your feet on His promises and you’ll know He’ll deliver. He has no unforeseen circumstances. He cannot lie. And nothing is too hard for the Lord.

Respectfully Submitted,

Fireplex

Bean 1, Bean 2

Beeker, Bunt, Chappie, Chattahoochee, Deez, Drago, Fireplex, Looney Tunes, pooh, Probe, quattro, Semi, Sherlock, Spreader, Streudel, Toy Soldier, TRex, Whirlybird, Wildwing, Wood / Leave a Comment / CHOP, Milton, DE / By Chappie

DATE: 10/18/22

QIC: Chappie

Kudos to Beeker (Hospital name: Corbin Bean) for getting in his VQ Warm-O-Rama. Great job brother; it was awesome for YHC (Hospital name: Todd Bean) to tag-team with you and get you into the Q rotation.

Here’s how it all went down this Gloom:

WARM-O-RAMA:

Um…yeah, YHC has little recollection of everything we did, but it was well executed and sufficient for getting our heart rates up and warming up the PAX for the following

THE THANG:

Had to start with a Bearcrawl across the freshly resealed parking lot. Boom! After years of complaints by those who have soft and supple hands, it has to be said: That thing is clean. PAX just couldn’t wait to use it!

PAX grouped up in gaggles of 5–couldn’t have planned it better; there were 20 PAX and we needed 4 groups for 4 stations:

Station #1: At this station groups had to Prison Break to Willow St, and Mosey back. This was the time-setter station, as after PAX went down a back groups would move to the next station.
Station #2: Swerkins AMRAP. How about that? 5 PAX in each group and 5 swings for Swerkins.
Station #3: Curb-Stop Leg-lifts AMRAP How about that? 5 PAX in each groups and 5 curb stops for Leg Lifts
Station #4: The follow done w/our girl Cindy: Curls AMRAP, Round 1; Overhead Press AMRAP, Round 2; Overhead Squat Press, Round 3.

Back to station #1, Rinse & Repeat AMRAP. PAX rotated through the stations 3x, taking a 3rdF breather mid-way, after which YHC got in the old stand-by Side-Straddle-Hops, then Seal Jacks, before resuming the workout. Somewhere in there we snuck in a Chairman Lap, before closing out with a short round of Mary: 4-Count Freddies – 25 IC, courtesy of YHC, and Superman/Banana, courtesy of Quattro

The following 3rdF shared by our Q, Chappie:

In the year 1519, Hernán Cortéz arrived along the Yucatan Coast off of Veracruz, Mexico with 600 (300?) men and, upon arriving and disembarking their ships, Cortés sounded the order to “burn the ships!” Before moving inland Cortéz destroyed 10 of his 11 ships, cutting off he and his men’s only hope of retreat and leaving them with no option but to conquer.

We can use this as a metaphor today to venture into new territories, to explore the unknown, and to take what we might see as potentially hazardous risks (followers of Christ cannot help but to take faith-filled risks). Sometimes, even when there is uncertainty we must burn the ships, we must lead others to burn the ships. I.e. we need to eliminate the off-ramps in our own lives, or maybe in our workplaces, our churches, our teams, etc., so that we can make certain we’re not avoiding the challenges, and make certain there is no turning back. (That’s a great hymn btw.)

In whatever the case may be the story of burning the ships is as relevant a metaphor as ever; for in many cases if you leave the ships in the harbor, you’re not fully committing to whatever the task, or mission, or vision might be.

We workout at O-Gawd-Thirty just about every morning because it’s part of the physical, mental, and spiritual challenges we’ve accepted. Why? Because F3 workouts increase your ability to be an asset in your home, your workplace, and the communities in which you serve. We do this “fitness, fellowship, and faith” stuff so that we’re more capable physically, mentally, & spiritually to lead our families & solve problems, etc. If we live in accordance with the mantra “burn the ships” it will serve as a metaphor for eliminating the excuses we’re prone to, and the backup plans we usually have in place. “Burn the ships” says the only option is to conquer, the only option is victory, the only option is to succeed! Burn the ships and you will have no other option!

There’s another man who said that. Well, actually, He said it a little differently: In Luke 9:23 Jesus said “If anyone wishes to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me.” You know, right after that in vv. 57-61 Jesus actually turned 3 people away, who said they would follow Him wherever He’d go. Each had excuses and Jesus called them out on it: One realized they’d be without a place to lay their heads, another wanted to wait until his after father died, and the third wanted to spend some time at home first. The context tells us they took the off-ramp; it implies they turned back instead of following Jesus. Then in v. 62 Jesus said, “No one, after putting his hand to the plow and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.”

Gentlemen, HIM put their hand to the plow and never look back! (Ask the farmers…)

HIM take up their cross daily and follow Jesus.

Gentlemen, HIM “burn the ships!” Excuses are not an option.

YHC is always grateful for the opportunity to lead at @f3firststate. We have more and more PAX being added to the Q list (men are stepping up), so opportunities are becoming more sparse–a good problem to have! Hey, that’s what we’re about…planting, growing, and serving.

COT:

Announcements: Shirt order down to last day, 10/19 at midnight. 2.0 Workout this Saturday at the Aegis AO.
Prayers: Semi’s 2.0 traveling back to college; Quattro’s family fighting “the big green monster”; Fireplex’s Dad; and Ruxpin’s M; etc.

BOM

Chappie, out!

Dirty Mac Deuce

Bunt, Chattahoochee, Chauffeur, Drago, Fireplex, Focker, Humpty, Looney Tunes, Mr. Mom, Panty Hose, Probe, quattro, Ruxpin, Sherlock, Spreader, Streudel, Toy Soldier, TRex, Whirlybird, Wildwing, Wood / Leave a Comment / CHOP, Milton, DE / By Alan Jackson

QIC Chattahoochee

21 PAX posted at the CHOP on 15 Sept. 2022 for a little fun in the gloom.

Warm-up 30SSH, 20 CHERRY PICKERS,15 TOY SOLDIERS and 15 Windmills all IC

The Thang consisted of a mosey out the rear entrance and around to the front meeting back in the center of parking lot for 12 reps of 3 excercises most in cadence

12 merkins, 12 squats, 12 hello dollys

repeat mosey

12 diamond merkins, Bobby Hurleys, 12 dying cockroaches

repeat mosey

12 wide merkins, 12 lunges, 12 american hammers

reapet mosey

12 squat burpees, 12 monkey humpers, 12 flutter kicks

repeat mosey

12 ranger merkins, 12 reverse lunges, 12 box cutters

repeat mosey

12 dirty hookups on wall of pain

plank in front of wall left hand to wall right hand to wall left hand to ground right hand to ground is 1

Number-Rama

name-o-rama

COT

Hillacides

Beeker, Blue Blocks, Bunt, Chattahoochee, Chauffeur, Deez, Drago, Fireplex, flat tire, Grabbin', Nutz, Probe, quattro, Ruxpin, Sherlock, Spreader, Streudel, Toy Soldier, TRex, Whirlybird, Wood / Leave a Comment / CHOP, Milton, DE / By Johnny Hopkins

Date: 09/08/2022

AO: CHOP, Milton, DE

QIC: Probe with the Warm-up VQ with Assistant QIC Fireplex

Probe worked hard on his Warm-up VQ. I may not have all the exercises identified or have the count exactly right as Probe directed us this morning…but then again…his count may have been a bit different anyway…..:)….Either way, I appreciate Probe and am thankful that he is willing to step up and lead.

Warm up

SSH – 20 IC

Moroccan Night Clubs – 20 IC

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 @ .25 miles to the main entrance to H.O.B. Elementary when we completed Hydraulic Squats – 10 IC (6 Count) before continuing the Mosey @ .25 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 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 – QIC shared a confidential personal story with excerpts from the Ron Hutchcraft Word of the Day as documented below.

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

A PERSONAL THANKSGIVING – #8838

November 25, 2020

Well, this is one of the busiest travel days in the year; people packing into airports and airplanes. Maybe not as much this year, but maybe you’re still heading out for whoever they like to be with over Thanksgiving. But you know what? A lot of air travelers are having to make that choice again: Do I want the scanner, or do I want the pat down? Yeah! Hum…

I’m Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about “A Personal Thanksgiving.”

So, I have sat and listened at times to all the opinions you hear on the news about Thanksgiving travelers’ privacy, and something in the Bible popped into my mind.

It’s our word for today from the Word of God, Hebrews 4:13. “Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight; everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of Him to whom we must give account.” Wow! God sees what we don’t want anybody else to see. The previous verse tells us that God sees and judges “the thoughts and attitudes of the heart” (Hebrews 4:12).

We’re talking all the dark stuff. The dirty thoughts, the adulterous desires, the seething jealousy, that volcanic anger, the endless lies, the backstabbing words, that hateful prejudice, the hurtful selfishness. He sees the egocentric pride we’ve got, and He knows about that long-harbored bitterness. “Everything is uncovered and laid bare” the Bible says.

Oh, we could try to rationalize it or minimize it or call it by a nice name, but it is what it is. It’s sin against God; sin against another person. Rotting trash is rotting trash, no matter how pretty the paper you wrap it in. And with God, it’s all unwrapped. No secrets. We think, “Hey, well, no one’s caught me.” If God knows, you’re caught. And He knows.

Our secrets are not only exposed to God, but they become the basis for us to be judged by God. Hear what God says again: “God will judge men’s secrets through Jesus Christ” (Romans 2:16). King David said in one of his psalms, “O Lord, You have searched me and You know me…You are familiar with all my ways” (Psalm 139:1, 3).

My first reaction: “Uh-oh.” Second reaction: “Good. One person I don’t need to hide anything from…I can’t hide anything from.” In fact, the first step to being free from the darkness inside is to say what the Prodigal Son said when he came home to his father: “Father, I have sinned against heaven and against You” (Luke 15:18). there’s just something liberating about being brutally honest about your sin as you bring it into God’s pure light. Jesus said, “You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free” (John 8:32).

And then comes the release that we desperately need but we don’t deserve. In God’s words, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins” (1 John 1:9). God stands ready to give us a spiritual shower called “forgiven” – and there’s no better feeling than knowing that you are finally clean.

That forgiveness is no cheap thing though. Revelation 1:5 says, “He loves us and freed us from our sins by His blood.” It took the shedding of the blood of God’s only Son, Jesus, to pay the penalty for all my junk. A cross He did not deserve; an excruciating death. God’s Son being cut off from God the Father because Jesus was carrying my sin, going through my hell so I could go to His heaven.

But our bill was paid. All we have to do is take for ourselves what He died for, turning from the sin-darkness that has poisoned our life. So, as I see recurring pictures this season of body scanners and hand searches, I’m thinking God doesn’t need any of that. He sees it all. He knew that what was hidden in the dark places would blow up my life and my eternity. So He acted to defuse it with the most extreme act of sacrificial love in history. He absorbed the “blast” Himself so I could board the flight to His heaven and be with Him forever.

Do you want to get started with Him? You want to experience this? Tell Him that today. Go to our website and find out there how to be sure you belong to Him. That’s ANewStory.com.

It is wonderful to live without fear of discovery, with a clean heart, and with nothing to hide.

Respectfully Submitted,

Fireplex

Jugs, Jugs, and more Jugs…

Chappie, Chattahoochee, Deez, Dunkin, Focker, Gump, Humpty, Loose wheel, MacDaddy, quattro, Ruxpin, Semi, Sherlock, spaceman, Spreader, Visitante, Whirlybird / Leave a Comment / The Grit Mill, Uncategorized / By MacDaddy

Date: 8/31/2022

QIC: MacDaddy

18 Outstanding HIM including one FNG beat the fartsack and showed up for a GritMil beat down. We had such a good turnout we had to overcome and adapt to our situation in order to have enough coupons for everyone. Big thanks to Chief Quattro for lending out various weighted objects to fulfill the order.

Warm-Up
Side-Straddle-Hops X 20
Bolt 45s
Merkins X 20
Cherry Pickers x 20

The Thang
Mosey to Basketball “Field”

Round 1.
With 1 gallon jugs
50 Bicep Curls
Sprint to opposite end of B-Ball court, 5 Burpees
NUR back to start and 50 Bicep Curls
Everyone does Squats until 6 is in.

Round 2.
With 1 Gal Jugs
50 Overhead Shoulder Presses
Walking lung to opposite end of B-ball court, 5 Burpees
NUR Back to start and 50 Overhead Shoulder Presses.
Everyone does Squats until 6 is in.

Round 3.
With 1 gal jugs, lay flat on back for 50 tri-cep extensions (Skull Crushers) with 1 gal jugs
Scissor run to other side of B-ball court, 5 Burpees.
Scissor run back to Start, 50 Tri-Cep extensions with 1 gal jugs.
Everyone does Squats until 6 is in.

Round 4.
With 1 Gal jugs 50 Juggerbell Swings with squat.
Tightrope Walk with arm out to other side of B-Ball Court, 5 Burpees
NUR back to start for 50 Juggerbell Swings
Everyone does Squats until 6 is in.

3rd F
Being a Man who Leads

In the Bible Paul explains in 1 Corinthians 11, where he says, “The man is the head of the woman…For man does not originate from woman, but woman from man, for indeed man was not created for the woman’s sake, but woman for the man’s sake. This is Paul upholding the concept of a man’s leadership in the family by appealing to the order of creation, and the fact that man was created first, then the woman as a helper to man. Later on in Ephesians Paul addresses a married man’s role as head of his own home. Paul establishes that God’s design is that the husband is “the head of the wife, as Christ also is the head of the church”. Then the bible gives specific instructions on how husbands are to fulfill their leadership role, beginning with the important command: “Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loves the church”.

Let’s think about the for a second. How much does Jesus love His church. This love would be described as a sacrificial, purifying, caring, unbreakable, Christ-like love. Christ’s love for the church is a model for husbands to follow, and is a living illustration of the redemptive love of Christ. One of the greatest act of love anyone could do for another is to sacrifice their own life for them. (Acts 20:28 – Christ purchased the church with His own Blood).

Now the question to ask is, if we are to love our wives with that same kind of love, how to we compare? Well, the answer is we all fall short, and we do not even come close. But that’s okay, because Christ has set the standard, so we now know where to aim.

Some more questions we could ask ourselves is:

How are we sacrificial in our own home?

Are we so self-focused that we are not aware of the needs in our home?

Are we willing to sacrifice our time to listen to & comfort our wives and provide emotional and physical security?

Who is the spiritual leader in the home?

If you are a Christian man, then you will recognize that success in your home is far more important than success in your career.

So when we leave here today, let’s note where it all begins, with the command, “Husbands, love your wives”.

C.H. Spurgeon said,

“A husband loves his wife with a constant love, and so does Christ his church. He will not cast her away tomorrow having loved her today. He does not vary in his affection. He may change in his display of affection, but the affection itself is still the same. A husband loves his wife with an enduring love; it will never die out. He says, “Tell death us do part will I cherish thee”, but Christ will not let death part his love to his people. Nothing shall separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

So gents, with that said, we now know God’s standard when it comes to being a Godly husband, a leader in our home, and a father to our children. Let’s use that in our life to better serve our family.

Bombjacks, Blimps & A Crap Load of Burpees

Baaa, Beeker, Blue Blocks, Bubba, Bunt, Chappie, Chattahoochee, Drago, Fireplex, Flatbottom, Focker, Gump, Looney Tunes, Mr. Mom, Probe, quattro, Rubble, Ruxpin, Sherlock, Spreader, TRex, Whirlybird, Wildwing / Leave a Comment / CHOP, Milton, DE / By Johnny Hopkins

Date: 08/04/2022

AO: CHOP, Milton, DE

QIC: Fireplex

Warm up

SSH – 20 IC

Burpees – 10 OYO

Cherry Pickers – 20 IC

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

Jiminy Crickets – 10 OYO

Windmills – 20 IC

The Thang

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

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

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

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

F3 Message 08/04/22

THE TROUBLE WITH SELFIES

January 9, 2017

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

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

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

Which is really big.

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

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

By totally focusing on himself.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The God who made us.

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

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

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

Respectfully Submitted,

Fireplex

8/3 Burpee Beatdown

2 FNG's, Bah, Chappie, Chattahoochee, Dunkin, Focker, Gump, MacDaddy, quattro, Ruxpin, Semi, Spreader, Time Clock, Waterboy, Whirlybird, Woodstock / Leave a Comment / Milford, The Grit Mill / By Dallas Reynolds

Burpee Baseline

Beeker, Bubba, Bunt, Chappie, Chattahoochee, Chauffeur, Doodle, Fireplex, Looney Tunes, Mr. Mom, Probe, quattro, Ruxpin, Silo, Sink-O, Toysoldier, TRex, Whirlybird / Leave a Comment / Aegis, Georgetown, Uncategorized / By Mike Brent

Warm -A- Rama

Side straddle hops

Hip circles x10 both ways oyo

Grinder push-ups calf stretch

Cherry pickers

Knee circles x10 oyo

Bolt 45s brought by Mr Fireplex

The Thang

Mosey to Firehouse parking lot

Play quick video on “Just one more” (Ed Mylett)

DEATH BY BURPEE” – This is a test of mental toughness…. You against you and you can only cheat yourself. Do your best as we want to see an improvement when we revisit this again after the burpee challenge in August

Minute 1 – 1 burpee

Minute 2 – 2 burpees

Minute 3 – 3 burpees

Minute 4 – 4 burpees

(To 20 total if you can last)

If you fail to make the amount of burpees in a minute, you are done!

***** Keep your total in your head and I’ll mark you down

3rd F – LT Brian Murphy (podcast to follow)

CHILDISH GAMES

6 corners – you run to a corner and someone rolls the dice. If it lands on your corner number, you stretch….. everyone else must partake in the workout (must run to corners 1-6 and be in there before dice stop)

1 min for the losers who guessed wrong or have no luck.

Plank – 1 min
Air squats – 1 min
Flutter kicks – 1 min
Bear crawl – 1 min
Bomb jacks – 1 min
LBCs – 1 min
Iron mikes – 1 min
Suicide Sprints – 1 min
Burpees – 1 min

Number -A- Rama

Name -A- Rama

COT- prayer

Bearmuda Highs

Biddie, Bubba, Bunt, Chappie, Chattahoochee, Chauffeur, Cinco, Doodle, Double00, Fireplex, Focker, Iddie Biddie, Jiggle Jiggle, Lunchable, Pipe Lube (FNG), Probe, Pusher, quattro, Rice Krispy (FNG), Ruxpin, sHi-Low, Toy Soldier, TRex, Whirlybird / Leave a Comment / Aegis, Georgetown / By Chappie

On Saturday 7/16 (yes, that’s right…if there’s no Backblast, it didn’t happen) 24 PAX won THAT FIRST BATTLE over the fartsack and posted for a new variation of the Bearmuda Triangle (keep reading below).

WARM-O-RAMA

SSH – 10 IC
Bolt 45 (keep moving) – IC
“Lanco Special” – IC (YHC can’t remember what its called but he picked it up at Lanco, so…
ISW – 18 IC

THE THANG

Mosey around the block to County Building parking lot for YHC’s Bearmuda Highs, a variation of its close cousin, the Bearmuda Triangle, only this one keeps moving locations.

3 Cones, 50′ apart in a triangle

1st Set of Cones (1st Triangle)

Bearcrawl to Cone #2, 1 Burpee
Bearcrawl to Cone #3, 2 Burpees
Bearcrawl to Cone #1, 3 Burpees

Mosey to Library Parking Lot (Oops! Don’t forget the cones!)

2nd Set of Cones (2nd Triangle)

Crawlbear to Cone #2, 4 Hand-Release Burpees
Crawlbear to Cone #3, 5 Hand-Release Burpees
Crawlbear to Cone #1, 6 Hand-Release Burpees

Mosey to School Parking Lot (Take the cones with you!)

PAX took a quick breather here for 3rdF (See below), before returning to the Bearmuda Triangle

3rd Set of Cones (3rd Triangle)

Bearcrawl/Crawlbear to Cone #2, 7 Burpees/Hand-Release Burpees
Bearcrawl/Crawlbear to Cone #3, 8 Burpees/Hand-Release Burpees
Bearcrawl/Crawlbear to Cone #1, 9 Burpees/Hand-Release Burpees

Final round had to be done half & half: Bearcrawl/Crawlbear & Burpees/Hand-Release Burpees

Total Burpees = 45

PAX formed into 2 groups, lined up for parallel Snake Runs back to the AO.

Meanwhile back at the AO…PAX planked feet up around the circular planter for what turned out to be a “turrible” (think Sir Charles) round of the Wheel of Derkin, YHC Omaha’d this as it was taking forever to get all the way around the circle–we started going both directions. This took us from the Bearmuda Triangle to Bearmuda Highs because after all the Bearcrawls, Burpees and running, the Wheel of Derkin made the PAX a bit delirious (and gave us a cheap buzz).

Finally, a short round of Mary: Held feet at 6″, followed by 18 Gas Pumpers IC.

COT:

Number-Rama: 24 PAX
Name-O-Rama: Welcome FNG’s Pipe Lube & Rice Krispy
Announcements
Prayers
BOM

3rdF Shared Prior to the 3rd Set of Cones:

We talk about leadership, especially in men’s circles and in circles where we speak of “iron sharpening iron” (Prov. 27:17); we often borrow ideas, thoughts, & principles that express values that are prevalent in the military, where leadership is developed around potentially life/death situations.

After having served nearly 12 yrs in the Army National Guard I’ve seen some of the best leaders, but I’ve also seen some of the absolute worst (those familiar with Band of Brothers, think of Sobel). Personally, I’ve been both a good leader and a failed leader in my time in the military. I can say that even those failed experiences sharpened my ability to lead. It’s crucial that we continually learn from those experiences, from those who failed to lead well, and most importantly from those who did lead us well. We should not only borrow from their examples and teaching, but strive to live out the good examples.

Some of greatest military leaders come from the special operations realm. They have the most grueling assessments, evaluations, and training just to be picked to join their ranks–then the real training begins. There’s a lot of leadership training, and it’s the mental toughness that seems to count the most. When my nephew was going through Ranger School I told him a few times to “never give up what you want most (becoming a Ranger) for what you want in the moment (rest, relief, relaxation, food, etc.). We ALL do that too easily, too often! In fact, it’s the easy road!

Here’s four of the most important and valuable lessons one operator shared from his training and experiences in special ops that I think all leaders should adopt/develop:

1) ADAPTABILITY: Readiness for change. That’s why we’re “disrupters” as F3 HIM. We’ve declared in varied ways that we’ll not settle for the status quo. We’re following the lead of others who’ve brought about change, we’re following after an amazing servant-leader Savior who disrupted the status quo and brought about change, and we’re striving to be leaders who do the same. In order to do that, we must first train ourselves to be adaptable. Status quo kills! Jesus spoke of this when He said you can’t put new wine into old wineskins (Mt. 9:14-17)

2) EMOTIONAL STABILITY: This involves being able to make good decisions under pressure. Proverbs is chocked full of wisdom to help us develop the capacity to stay objective and deliver a high level of performance regardless of what we’re feeling. Important to us? Yes! But crucial to gaining, earning, keeping, and honoring the respect of those we lead! Proverbs 16:32 says, “He who is slow to anger is better than the mighty, and he who rules his spirit, than he who captures a city.”

3) PERSPECTIVE: Leaders have to be able to carry on when the world seems to have turned against them. We have to keep our troubles in PROPER perspective so that we do not lose sight of what needs to be accomplished. In a world full of lone rangers, keep in mind that “in an abundance of counselors there is victory” (Prov. 11:14b). And “Without consultation, plans are frustrated” (Prov. 15:22). We must train our perspective, and often other eyes/wisdom/counsel is crucial to helping us see properly.

4) TENACITY: This goes well with the acronym we hear a lot – DFQ! What defines tenacity is never giving up! ILLUST.: In the 1912 Olympics, Jim Thorpe, an American Indian from OK represented the U.S. in track & field. On the morning of his competitions, his shoes were stolen. Jim ended up finding two shoes in the garbage. Those are the shoes he wore — one was too big, so he had to wear an extra pair of socks (different shoes and different socks!). Wearing those shoes, Jim won 2 Gold Medals that day. A perfect reminder of tenacity and that you don’t have to resign to the excuses that have held you back.

So, these are 4 valuable tools every HIM should develop consistently: ADAPTABILITY. EMOTIONAL STABILITY. PERSPECTIVE. TENACITY.

A Twisted Deck of Pain

Baaa, boonesfarm, Chappie, Focker, Knobs (FNG), Looney Tunes, MacDaddy, Mr. Mom, quattro, Ruxpin, Semi, Sherlock, Spreader, Taps, Waterboy, Whirlybird, Woodstock, Wooly / Leave a Comment / DE, Milford, The Grit Mill / By Focker

DATE: 22 JUNE 2022

QIC: Focker

YHC had his Virgin Q this morning! Thanks to the 17 HIMs who showed up for a record attendance at The Grit Mill! It meant a lot to have such good representation on my first Q. I decided to use fate and the F3 Workout Cards to assist me on the beatdown.

WARM-O-RAMA:

Disclaimer given
Moroccan Nightclub – 20 IC
Side Straddle Hob – 20 IC
Imperial Walker – 20 IC
Cherry Picker – 20 IC

Following the warm-o-rama we mosied to the parking lot at Arena’s and the PAX circled up around the speaker and workout cards.

THE THANG:

YHC broke out his new F3 Workout Cards for this beatdown. With the PAX circled around the cards about 15 feet from the deck of cards. Inspired by T-Rex using music for his beatdown, YHC brought a speaker to play 90’s alternative for the entire beatdown.

Everyone bear crawls to the center where YHC drew five cards for the first set and a different PAX was identified for the subsequent sets. Once cards were drawn, everyone crawl beared back their original position.

Call out for the exercises written on the cards as follows:

2-10: card value + 10 reps for the exercise
Royals: 25 reps for the exercise
Ace: 50 reps of that exercise

At the completion of the set everyone bear crawls back to the deck for more cards.

Set breakdown:

SET ONE:

14 – Alternating Side Squats

25 – Freddie Mercury’s

12 – Bulgarian Split Squats

18 – Backward lunges

25 – Diamond Merkins

SET TWO:

13 – High, Slow Flutter Kick IC

17 – Monkey Humper

14 – Carolina Dry Dock

Bear crawl 15 feet, Crawl bear 15 feet

20 – Rosalitas

Conducted the 3RD F after the second set:

Continuing the theme of checking on each other and on the people in our lives with whom we haven’t spoken to in a while. YHC shared a personal story of how he was going through a difficult time in his life and felt alone and had received a special message to seek out Psalm 20.

Psalm 20
For the director of music. A psalm of David.
1 May the Lord answer you when you are in distress;
may the name of the God of Jacob protect you.
2 May he send you help from the sanctuary
and grant you support from Zion.
3 May he remember all your sacrifices
and accept your burnt offerings.[b]
4 May he give you the desire of your heart
and make all your plans succeed.
5 May we shout for joy over your victory
and lift up our banners in the name of our God.

May the Lord grant all your requests.

6 Now this I know:
The Lord gives victory to his anointed.
He answers him from his heavenly sanctuary
with the victorious power of his right hand.
7 Some trust in chariots and some in horses,
but we trust in the name of the Lord our God.
8 They are brought to their knees and fall,
but we rise up and stand firm.
9 Lord, give victory to the king!
Answer us when we call!

Two days later, YHC met a woman while performing his duties as a nurse, and she was the key to change the direction his life was going in and make everything right in his world. Continue to reach out to each other and to others in your life. You just may be the person to turn their life around for the better!

SET THREE:

16 – Jumping lunges

25 – Monkey Humper

17 – Derkins

18 – Luge

25 – American Hammers

SET FOUR:

14 – Heels to Heaven

20 – Butt Kicks

18 – Merkins

17 – Lil Baby Crunches

15 – Hand Release Merkins

SET FIVE:

19 – Squats

16 – Wide Arm Merkins

50 – Calf Raises

25 – Shoulder Taps

19 – Ranger Merkins

Mosey back to The Grit Mill to end the beatdown.

NUMBER-RAMA

NAME-O-RAMA

COT/BOM:

Welcomed Thomas Lilly FNG nicknamed as Knobs.
Announcements: TRexs’ M’s event this weekend at Milton Memorial Park. Roving Ruckf3st Friday will be at The Grit Mill
Prayer: For Quattro’s friend who was recently diagnosed with colon cancer. For MacDaddy and Taps and the group traveling via bicycles. Prayers for all us HIMs to be the leaders and examples to others in our homes, jobs, and communities. Prayers for all the needs and attentions of those present.

I am honored that so many PAX showed up for my VQ! I was truly grateful and humbled.

Focker, out!