Warm-a-Rama 15 seal jacks i/c 15 seal wave i/c Side shuffle across parking lot, Side shuffle back Toy Soldier halfway across parking lot, Nur back Karaoke across parking lot, Karaoke back
The Thang Ultimate frisbee with a twist Have to be in the soccer goal to score (goals are facing away from each other) Score a goal = 5 burpees, Other team does 15 e2ks per side
3rd F 9 lessons from F3 1. You can go a lot farther with others by your side. 2. Men need challenges to stay sharp mentally, physically, and emotionally. 3. Confidence is built by setting and accomplishing goals. 4. Competition makes us better. 5. Sweat and shared suffering build strong bonds. 6. If you’re not accelerating, you’re decelerating. 7. You’re stronger than you think you are. 8. The COT is great therapy. 9. Friends make life worth living and loving.
Number-Rama NAME-A-RAMA COT 16 HIM showed today: Semi, Chappie, Ruxpin, Fireplex, Toy Soldier, T-rex, Spreader, Focker, Mowdaboat, Rooster, Mr. Mom, Looney Toons, Flat Bottom, Dunkin, Quattro, Chauffer
Bolt 45’s IC (4 Count) – 15 squats to halfway down. 15 squats halfway to full down. 15 full squats.
Imperial Walkers – 20 IC
Windmills – 20 IC
The Thang
B.O.M.B.S. – 50 Burpees, 100 Overhead Claps, 150 Merkins, 200 Big Boy Sit-ups, 250 Squats. PAX will mosey @.08 miles around the circle after every 25 count of each exercise completed. When all is completed you will have moseyed approximately 2.4 miles.
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.
Two words. But a valuable reminder just in time for Mother’s Day.
Recently, I had occasion to stay at my son and daughter-in-law’s house while I recovered from a painful injury.
They set me up with a wonderful little “apartment” in their basement – recliner, remotes (of course), kitchenette. And like all the babies in our family, a night monitor.
I needed some help in the middle of the night, but I hadn’t touched the pager. Suddenly, I hear my daughter-in-law’s feet coming down the stairs. In my 3 AM haze, I said, “But how did you know?”
She smiled and gave these two little words: “Mom ears.”
And that’s something a lot of us have to celebrate this Mother’s Day.
Those Mom-ears who heard our silent cries over the years.
Who heard our need when others would only see our deed.
Who heard the heart that our words could not express.
Who listened to our jabberings, our dumb jokes, our endless attention-getting antics.
Who heard the unspoken fears. Unspoken pain. And carried them to the throne of God.
Sadly, mom-ears have also heard mean words they didn’t deserve, angry words that left a scar, rebellious words because we didn’t want to hear what we now know was wisdom.
But somehow, a Mom heart could reach for some of God’s amazing grace, and forgive, though wounded.
As a dad, I learned early how important it was for me to seek and respect what my wife heard in our kids. Those times when I got home and was ready to drop a bomb on a disobedient child – while she intervened, with “actionable intel” of what was going on behind the scenes in their life.
I’m not sure Moms fully know their massive power to define their child’s life. For better or worse.
“She speaks with wisdom on her tongue” (Proverbs 31:26).
“The wise woman builds her house, but with her own hands the foolish one tears hers down” (Proverbs 14:1).
Sure, I know Moms who’ve turned their God-given Mom-ears to the seductive song of an “all about me” world. Whose children languish under the awful cloud of “I’m not worth much. Mom doesn’t think so.”
Deafened moms can’t hear themselves nagging, controlling, criticizing, diminishing – hoping to make a “super kid,” crushing them in the process.
The Mom-ears that have tended to miss their children’s cries are those who stopped listening to the One who gave her these children.
“Children are a gift from the Lord; they are a reward from Him” (Psalm 127:3).
It’s so easy to succumb to the selfie drumbeat of “my rights, my pleasure, my flourishing.” A sort of deafness can grow. Deaf to those quiet little cries in the night, the intuition to drop everything I love and listen, the Heavenly Father’s promptings as He “gently leads those that have young” (Isaiah 40:11).
But thank God many of us were blessed, not with a perfect mom, but a mother whose ears truly heard us.
If you have a mom with those wonderful “ears,” tell her how her finely-tuned heart shaped and changed your life. While you can.
If you’re a Mom who wants to have better ears for your children, just know there’s amazing power to do that. In the Jesus Whose relentless love led Him to die for our sins, the great relationship-wreckers.
There is no greater life-force on earth than a woman whose ears are always open to the voice of God and the voices of those she loves.
And for the one who approaches this Mother’s Day with little to celebrate – because their Mom really wasn’t one – there is a higher hope. Because God has said: “Can a mother forget the baby at her breast and have no compassion for the child she has borne? Though she may forget, I will never forget. See, I have engraved you on the palms of My hands” (Isaiah 49:15-16).
On the palms of His hands. With nail prints.
His ears listen all day, all night for the deepest cries of your heart.
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.
The only question is…what was Biddie doing? Lol
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!)
Grab a block and mosey to the dentist office. Pax completed 20 Merkins each side with one hand on the block. Pax utilized the block and a parking bumper to complete 20 abyss merkins. Pax completed a Lt Dan for approx. 50 yards utilizing the block before moseying to Shipbuilder’s entrance for American Hammers with the blocks (IC) as well as 20 Big Boy Sit-ups. Leaving that pain station each Pax completed a 50 Yard bear crawl with the block before moseying to the next pain station. At that station each Pax completed a Bolt 45 set with the block all in IC. All Pax woseyed down Willow Street with the block and then moseyed at the halfway point. When reaching the end of the street or the final pain station, each Pax completed 15 Blockees. Pax moseyed back to CHOP with their block.
Count-O-Rama, Name-O-Rama, and the Circle of Trust. Please keep all our HIM in your thoughts and prayers.
Maybe it’s a guy thing. Maybe it’s just a Ron thing. But I hate to waste time or waste effort. You know? Here’s what that it looks like when I’ve just returned from the grocery store to restock our empty refrigerator and shelves. I basically look like a mule – yeah, with bags all over my body, carried on almost every appendage. I don’t want to make any more trips to the car than absolutely necessary, oh no, no! So I’m willing to try whatever calisthenics, to tolerate whatever overload will enable me to get everything in the house in one trip. This approach has been known to have its problems. Sometimes I drop a bag or two or one of them rips open; thus, making more work. And I’ve got this shoulder. Yeah, wrecked it pretty well. You think it might be traceable to carrying too much too many times?
I’m Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about “Why Your Load Seems So Heavy.”
There’s a price to pay for carrying too much at once. You might be paying some of that price right now; the stress, the anxiety, the fatigue, the frustration of those who carry more than they’re supposed to. I’m one of those. I know.
I also know how my Savior says I’m supposed to live. His instructions are very clear in our word for today from the Word of God in Matthew 6, beginning with verse 25. He says, “Do not worry about your life…look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your Heavenly Father feeds them…Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?…Why do you worry?…Do not worry…your Heavenly Father knows what you need…Therefore, do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”
First of all, you don’t have to be a Biblical scholar to pick up Jesus’ message here. He basically says it four times, “Do not worry.” If you looked at us stressed out, freaked out, worn out warriors, you might conclude this is one of the most disobeyed commands Jesus ever gave. We do worry – a lot. And in so doing, we carry a heavier load than we’re designed and equipped to carry. God has promised to give us what we need to carry today: daily bread, strength equal to your day, mercies new every morning, a cross to bear one day at a time, the renewing of our spirit day by day. But there’s no promise about carrying your tomorrow while it’s still today.
John Newton, the writer of “Amazing Grace” said, “Sometimes I compare the troubles which we have to undergo in the course of a year to a great bundle of sticks – far too large to lift. But God does not require us to carry the whole bundle at once. He mercifully unties the bundle and gives us one stick that we are to carry today and then another that we are to carry tomorrow, and so on. We might easily manage it, if we would take only the burden appointed for each new day. But we choose to increase our troubles by carrying yesterday’s stick over again today and by adding tomorrow’s burden to our load before we are required to bear it.” That’s great stuff!
John Newton nailed it. See, we add baggage from yesterday and the potential burdens of tomorrow to what we’re carrying today, and we start dropping things, and stumbling, and even hurting ourselves. So much of what we worry about tomorrow never happens. And you won’t have God’s promised resources to handle tomorrow until tomorrow. So no wonder you’re overwhelmed and discouraged! Dwelling on yesterday or tomorrow takes your focus off today so you don’t even do today very well!
So approach your load God’s way – take your busy life one day at a time, or maybe one stick at a time. That’s how you do a massive load. And about tomorrow? Take advantage of God’s awesome invitation, “Cast all your care upon Him because He cares for you.” (1 Peter 5:7)
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 Oh Hill No !
The Thang
Pax completed the modified “HILL”denburg BLIMPS routine at Oh Hill No. We modified the sprint portion to a NUR up and run down Oh Hill No and perform 1st exercise, NUR back up Oh Hill No and run down and perform 1st exercise again. Plank it up until all PAX are in. That completes one round. Rinse and repeat until all 6 Rounds with the exercises as identified below 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. Round #5 and Round #6 were completed back at the CHOP by those that had extra time.
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.
John and Becky were gone when this huge windstorm hit their neighborhood recently. Although no one could be sure a tornado was involved, the winds were clocked at 70 miles an hour. John and Becky told me that when they returned later that day, their street was closed. A huge pine tree had been blown down, and it fell right across the road. Now other kinds of trees had lost some branches, but the wind had actually totally uprooted this evergreen. Well, a neighbor explained to John that it really isn’t that hard to uproot a pine tree – no matter how big it is. Because even though it’s a big tree, it has shallow roots – so it’s relatively easy to bring it down.
I’m Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A WORD WITH YOU today about “Strong Storms And Shallow Roots.”
Now, there are a lot of “pine-tree-Christians”–some even big and beautiful Christians–who have shallow roots. And that’s why they keep falling.
Jesus talked about vulnerable believers in our word for today from the Word of God, Luke 6:46-49. He says, “Why do you call Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say? I will show you what he is like who comes to Me and hears My words and puts them into practice. He is like a man building a house, who dug down deep and laid the foundation on rock (or developed deep roots). When a flood came, the torrent struck that house but could not shake it, because it was well built. But the one who hears My words and does not put them into practice is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation (or had shallow roots). The moment the torrent struck that house, it collapsed and its destruction was complete.”
Now, that’s two kinds of Christians–just like two kinds of trees: one with deep roots that can withstand a storm and one with shallow roots that gets felled by the storm. With the times we’re living in becoming more stressful and more uncertain–and even dangerous–it’s pretty important to be sure that your commitment to Jesus is deeply rooted.
Shallow spiritual roots come in several varieties. There’s environmental faith–the kind that is strong when you’re in your Christian world but caves in when you’re not. And then there’s second-hand faith. That’s a faith that isn’t really yours firsthand–it’s rooted in your parent’s Christianity, or your church’s faith, or your pastor’s faith, or your Christian friends. There isn’t much really going on directly between you and Jesus. That will never survive a storm.
Stagnant faith–that’s another form of shallow roots. Not much new has happened between you and Jesus for a long time, and consequently, He seems farther–He seems less real than He used to. And when a test or temptation hits, it won’t be enough to keep you standing. And one other kind of “shallow-roots-Christianity”–event faith–the kind that depends on the next spiritual event, the next high, the next big, Christian experience to keep you going. In between, you go into a deep valley. That kind of relationship with Christ is going down eventually.
Jesus’ parable about the two houses is a call to a strong foundation – to deep roots. And He tells us the difference between storm-proof and storm-wrecked faith. It’s not whether or not you know what He says. Both the man whose house stood and the man whose house fell, “heard” what Jesus said. The difference was putting what Jesus said into practice.
The question is, are you regularly getting into God’s word on you own–and then immediately going out and acting on what you read? It’s immediate assimilation of God’s words into real life situations that makes you a little stronger each day. So you read or listen to God’s Word asking these two questions: “What did God just say to me?” and “What am I going to do differently today because of what He said?”
And every time you do that, your roots go a little deeper into Jesus. Meetings won’t do it, theology won’t do it, a great Christian environment won’t do it. It comes from letting Jesus change you through His Word a little bit each day. That is spiritual reality. That is deep roots. The kind that will leave you standing strong no matter how fierce the storm.
Blockbuster with his Swag – Proud of our Army Bound Young BrotherProud Dad20 Straight Workouts for Ruxpin – The man’s a beast on the verge of getting even more RESPECT
Date: 02/26/2022
AO: Aegis, Georgetown, DE
QIC: Fireplex
Warm up
SSH – 25 IC
Cherry Pickers – 20 IC
Monkey Humpers – 15 IC
Bolt 45’s – 15 squats full up to half way down, 15 squats half way down to full down, & 15 squats full motion. All completed IC as a 4 count.
Windmills – 20 IC
The Thang
Mosey to Ruby Slippers home for a robust round of 20 monkey humpers followed by a round of merkin Jax. Merkin Jax are a 1:4 ratio of I merkin to 4 plank jacks followed by 2 merkins to 8 plank jacks continuing until reaching the 10:40 ratio. It types easier than it really is…????..
F3 message before leaving the first pain station.
Mosey to the Georgetown Elementary School and completed a deconstructed toy soldier set that 50 LBC’s, 30 E2K’s each side, and 20 big boys. Nur to each sidewalk across the front completing the 50 lbc’s, then 30 E2K’s, then a second set of 30 E2K’s opposite side, and finally the 20 big boys. Rinse and repeat and return to the starting sidewalk.
Mosey to Georgetown Public Library where all PAX completed a round of Captain Thor – 1 Big Boy sit up to 4 American hammers in a ratio up to 10:40.
Mosey to the Armory steps and complete Aiken legs – 20 squats, 20 box jumps, 20 lunges (10 each Leg), 20 Iron Mike’s (10 each Leg). The twist is that each PAX will box jump up each step up of the armory and walk down each step before performing each individual exercise of Aiken Legs.
Mosey back to AEGIS for 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. Please keep Blockbuster in your thoughts and prayers as he leaves for Army boot camp. Congrats to Ruxpin for completing 20 straight workouts and joining the RESPECT crowd on 2/28/22.
They’re some of the best of the best in America’s military. They’re known as the Navy Seals. And when there’s a mission that’s almost impossible, they send the Seals behind enemy lines, or maybe it’s a highly sensitive covert mission, against enormous odds. They’re trained in just about any military skill you can think of. In fact, their training was the subject of a cover story in a national magazine a while back; especially that brutal final week that decides who will and will not be a Navy Seal.
Cold, and wet, and fatigued, there’s pain, there’s a pace that are more than most human beings could bear. And some might call it cruel and extreme. But the Navy is trying to prepare these men for heroism. They say they’re trying to build men who learn one mindset that is often the difference between a hero and a zero. Turn off the pain and focus on the mission.
I’m Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about “The Mission and the Pain.”
Here’s our word for today from the Word of God – 2 Timothy 2:1. God says, “You then, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.” See, God doesn’t need any more spiritual wimps. That’s why He’s calling for warriors here. And in verse 4 He says, “No one serving as a soldier gets involved in civilian affairs. He wants to please his commanding officer.”
Well, what does that take? Verse 3: “Endure hardship with us like a good soldier of Christ Jesus.” Endurance: staying with the mission even when you’re hurting. Those Navy Seals do it for their country. We do it for our Savior. Our mission is to be like Jesus so the people in our world can get a good look at what He’s like. And to be His personal representative to people who are lost and needy and have no hope for eternity without Him.
There’s one problem though. Instead of turning off the pain and focusing on the mission, our tendency is to focus on our pain and forget our mission, and put the work of the Lord at the mercy of how we’re feeling. When we’re hurting, let’s face it, we usually get pretty self-focused don’t we? We’re consumed with our survival, our needs, our hurt. And that’s natural. It’s understandable, but it’s unacceptable for a soldier of Jesus Christ.
No matter how great the pain was, He never abandoned His mission; not when His family turned against Him, not when the crowds turned against Him, not when His life was threatened, not when He was arrested or beaten or humiliated or nailed to a cross. Even when He was dying, Jesus was looking out for His mother. He was reaching out to a dying thief, He was forgiving His crucifiers.
We will never begin to face the pain that our leader did. But we do have our share of pain. Here’s the question: Do we retreat from what we’ve been doing for the Lord when it gets hard or when we’re hurting? Are we so full of our own agenda that we shut down to the needs of others? Do we quit when it’s dark?
If you forget your mission because of your pain, you can still belong to Jesus. His love for us is unconditional. This isn’t about His love for you. It’s about your love and service for Him. He wants to trust you with some heroic assignments for Him. He’s got so much to be done! He’s looking for heroes like the song says, “Jesus needs a few good men.” And I might say, “a few good women.”
In the rigors of your life right now the training and testing of Jesus are not to hurt you. They’re not to sink you. They’re His tools to make you a warrior. To strengthen you. to prepare you for a great work for Him. So be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.
14 PAX hit THE button to win that first battle and posted for something Postal. Here’s how QIC Chappie broke it down…
WARM-O-RAMA:
SSH – 18 IC
IW – 18 IC
Windmill – 18 IC
Crab Flippers – 18 IC (a local favorite)
Low Slow Squat – 18 IC
MOSEY/WOSEY TO POST OFFICE: Litter-Carry the Sandbags – 1 40lb & 1 20lb (60lbs total per littler). PAX have to work together…tiny synchronized steps fellas, tiny synchronized [double-time] steps.
Stations
THE THANG: (Count off by 4’s = 4 teams, 3 PAX each, with 2 remaining PAX to start in the middle)
2 PAX at a time will rotate into middle: 10 Sandbag Burpees
Other PAX located around the circle at 4 STATIONS:
Curb-side Shoulder Tap Merkins 5/5 (Rinse & Repeat, AMRAP)
20lb Jump Squats (feet in/feet out) AMRAP Word on the street: This one was an unexpected killer!
Each time 2 PAX IN MIDDLE COMPLETED SANDBAG BURPEES, TEAMS ROTATED WITH FULL LAP TO NEXT STATION (New PAX goes to middle)
GOAL: Get all PAX thru SB Burpees at least once. (goal accomplished)
Mosey/Wosey back to AO, litter-carrying the sandbags (free-loaders!)
Good Problems: More Q’s equal less QIC opportunities, so YHC was glad to get back in the saddle at the CHOP AO. Always eager, Aye!
COT:
Announcements: Watch the horizon for a leadership pow-wow. Planting locations to be discussed. Planning for Memorial Day mini CSAUP, etc.
Prayers: YHC lifted up several requests: Fireplex’s dad; Nugget’s aunt’s family; employee and friend of Woodstock, Rob, recovery and healing from brain surgery. Most of all that God would allow us and empower to be HIM, superior to our younger self, in our homes, workplaces and the communities in which we serve. (For more details check out the 3rdF below – conspicuously shared after our 3rd round.)
Chappie, out!
3rdF Shared After the 3rd Round:
Earnest Hemingway said, “There is nothing noble in being superior to your fellow man; true nobility is being superior to your former self.”
For anyone who’s got a competitive nature, which is just about every man I know, that might sound bit counter-intuitive (my favorite words this week for some reason). I mean, who doesn’t strive to run farther and faster than the other guy? Who doesn’t want to have their hand raised in the center of the ring/mat as victor after a hard-fought battle for superiority? Who doesn’t want to blow their competition out of the proverbial water? Yet Hemingway says, “There is nothing noble in being superior to your fellow man; true nobility is being superior to your former self.”
I think we might understand better what Hemingway was getting at if we rephrase his statement using F3 terminology: “It’s you against you!”
Now if we tend to think about that only in terms of physical superiority, eventually we’re going to come up short. I’d like to think at age 54, I can still kick the tail of the younger version of myself–shoot, that’s part of what motivates me to workout with you guys and why I’m thankful for F3! But truth be told, eventually I’m going to age-out of being able to do that physically. I don’t know where that line is or when I’ll cross it, but eventually I know I will.
The same is true whether we’re talking about superiority over others or ourselves. And, again, just in terms of physicality there will always be some other competitor who is superior. Yes, we can (and should) engage in healthy competition, it sharpens us. But in terms of being superior to your former self, and, it being “you against you,” the superiority must also (and even more so) include your character and your nature. It must include superiority over yourself in terms of mind, will, emotions AND SPIRITUALITY!
Are you stronger than your former self?
Are you better at handling your finances than your former self?
…better at raising your kids than your former self?
…better at loving others than your former self?
…a better husband than your former self?
…a better employee or employer than your former self?
Are you better at handling your anger or other emotions than your former self?
Are you wiser than your former self?
…more patient than your former self?
…more faithful/faith-filled than your former self?
…more enduring than your former self?
Are you a better leader than your former self?
And the list goes on…
You see, the comparison between you and others is more often than not out-of-place, and it’s utterly misguided and misguiding! The real competition is within. We CANNOT compare ourselves with others. The comparison is actually more personal. “True nobility is being superior to your former self.”
Galatians 6:4 says “Pay careful attention to your own work, for then you will get the satisfaction of a job well done, and you won’t need to compare yourself to anyone else.”
Today, in your home, in your workplace, and in the community in which you serve, work on being superior to your former self. It’s you against you!
F3 is the place to be, for both you and me. Nobody here forces you to do what you do. We are here to help, not only when you yelp but also in our daily lives, for those things you can’t tell your wives. It’s time to get this show on the road, before our energy gets forever slowed.
Warm up
25 Cherrypickers, 25 Side straddle hops, 25 windmills
Mosey to ACE parking lot to do 25 merkins, 25 big boys, carry weights while others planked or bear crawled behind you, 25 jump squats, wall sit for 2 minutes, dead cockroach for 2 minutes, mosey to CHOP for Circle Burp and ended with 25 (3 count) flutterkicks.
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!
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.
