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.
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.
Bolt 45’s – IC (4 Count) – 15 squats to halfway down. 15 squats halfway to full down. 15 full squats.
Hydraulic Squats – 10 IC (6 count)
Windmills – 15 IC
Jiminy Crickets – 10 OYO
Four Count Freddie’s – 20 IC
The Thang
Completed at CHOP (Chappie’s House Of Pain). All Pax completed Aiken legs – 20 squats, 20 box jumps, 20 lunges (10 each Leg), 20 split Jacks (10 each Leg). All those completing early will start the evolutions over until all Pax are in. Mosey around the block and retuning for our six at three designated waypoints on the way back to CHOP. Then all Pax completed 20 Burpees, 20 Squats, 20 Merkins, 20 Big Boys. Mosey around the block and retuning for our six at three designated waypoints on the way back to CHOP. Pax closed out the workout with a Super Toy Soldier set of 100 LBC’s, 50 E2K’s (each side), and 25 Big Boy Sit up’s.
Count-O-Rama, Name-O-Rama, and the Circle of Trust. Please keep all our HIM in your thoughts and prayers.
I’ve traveled a lot. Of course, sometimes I drive, and time matters a lot. So over the years, I’ve learned a fundamental secret of making great time on the open road. Not speeding – just driving steady. Over and over, I’ve watched what I call a “spurter” come roaring up behind me. (You’ve seen them too.) He does everything but push you into the right lane. He’s obviously well into the State Trooper Zone as far as his speed’s concerned. So I move over…he roars past…but I catch up with him a few miles later without ever changing my speed. See, he’s settled back into the right lane, just cruising along. (Have you passed this guy, too?) He speeds in binges, he floors it one minute and then he’s just tapping the accelerator a few minutes later. I usually make excellent time driving places, and I’ve talked to other marathon drivers who are used to getting places fast. And we pretty much agree. How do you trim hours off a long trip? A steady foot. The fast way to get somewhere is not with big spurts, but with a consistent, steady speed.
I’m Ron Hutchcraft, and I want to have A Word With You today about “Big Spurts and Steady Speed.”
No, I’m not opening a driving school. I brought this up because there are people who do their Christian life like those drivers who do a wild sprint, and then settle into a slow crawl. A lot of believers follow Jesus in spurts.
Spiritual bingers usually shift into high speed after a spiritual high of some kind – a great church service, a retreat, a conference, a concert, a recommitment, a special event – or just a season of great spiritual feelings. When you’re on one of your highs, oh, look out world! You’re coming on strong! Right? But then, a few miles later, there you are, back to mediocrity, back to business as usual, making little or no progress. A lot of us are really into what I call event Christianity. We live for the next spiritual event, we depend on the next spiritual event, and we start fading when there hasn’t been a spiritual event for a while.
A lot of believers live like this – but a lot of believers are getting tired of living like this. Maybe you’re tired of stop-and-go Christianity – the roller-coaster ride of real high highs and real low lows. Your heart’s hungry for something more satisfying than spiritual spurts. You’re hungry for spiritual consistency.
Which is why our word for today from the Word of God is so helpful. In Luke 9:23, Jesus issues a call to follow Him, but in a way that will get you more than a high. He tells you how to get a life. Listen for the all-important “D” word: “If anyone would come after Me, he must deny Himself and take up His cross daily and follow Me.” How do you follow Jesus? He said daily! One 24-hour slice of life at a time. You give Him your life, not in one big blob, but by consciously living His Lordship each new day.
Our problems come when we try to make some super-commitment that will change our life forever, or by needing an event to keep us going. What Jesus calls us to do is a brand new surrender on this particular Monday, focusing on what it means to take up His cross on this particular Monday, and then giving Him the specific Lordship issues of this specific Monday. Then, when you drive into your Tuesday, you give Him specific Lordship issues of that specific Tuesday. Pretty soon, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, you have lived a Jesus-week. Put a few of those together and you’ve got a Jesus-month. Keep going and you’ve got a Jesus-year, and then a Jesus-life. How? One day at a time.
The secret of spiritual success is not bigger and bigger highs or bigger and bigger commitments. It’s the daily enlarging of Jesus’ Lordship over the real stuff in your life for that day.
You won’t cover nearly as much ground in spurts as you will by keeping up a steady speed. Steady, consistent, daily progress. It may not be as exciting as the bursts of speed, but it will get you a lot farther, a lot faster.
18 PAX won round #1 with a KO over the Fartsack to post for a highly touted “New Toys” workout in today’s Gloom. It was supposed to be raining but not a single PAX complained that the weather seemed to go right around us. We’ll start with a big welcome to FNG Mowdaboat (he got after it). Admittedly YHC was a little giddy to get out his new toys for the beatdown. It’s been an advertised mystery which drew some wrong guesses. What were the new toys? (Keep reading). That’s where we began, but wait YHC is getting ahead of himself…
WARM-O-RAMA: (with a twist)
The twist: All repetitions must be double-digit (i.e. One-zero! Two-zero…). If PAX mess up and count regular, the punishment would be prison…Prison Cell Merkins (10), that is. We only did 2 prison sets.
SSH – 18 IC
Seal Jacks – 10 IC
Swartzjacks – 10 IC
Windmill – 15 IC
Hairy Chiggers – 15 IC
THE THANG:
Intro of new toys: Two 8-person hand-carry litters. (Tried to insert pic here but site would not allow it.)
Team Carry: PAX counted off to pair up into teams of 1’s and 2’s: Team Carry from cone-to-cone (3 cones) across the field and back, switching PAX being carried at each cone, until everyone gets a ride. (Safety brief: Carry PAX feet first). Losing team: 50 Squats with Coupon of choice (from the stack of coupons). Winners: Team #1! Wait just a second! We had 18 PAX…how in the world did we end up with uneven teams?
Took a 3rdF/Faith breather here:
1 Corinthians 16:13 says, “Be on the alert, stand firm in the faith, ACT LIKE MEN, be strong.” My emphasis today is on the phrase ACT LIKE MEN. Why does the Bible exhort us to act like men, and what does this mean?
Ray “Cash” writes, “Our society is full of hypocritical men. Men who talk a big game but don’t show up.” (No, I’m not necessarily referring to this to talk about Fartsackers, though it may apply. More critically the reference is to showing up for life.)
In Navy Seal training when I guy wants to quit he just walks up, sets his helmet on the ground and rings the bell; he’s done. Maybe that’s a tough moment to deal with, but you can quit seal training without a whole lot of fallout. However, you can’t just quit on your spouse or your family, you can’t quit on those you love, you can’t quit on yourself, and you cannot quit on life. There is no bell to ring because we weren’t designed to quit!
Instead, we’re exhorted in 1 Cor. 16:13 to be alert, to be courageous, to be manly, firm, to be mature, steady, resolved, and to have sound judgment, rather than being swept aside, corrupted, seduced, weak, and terrified like infants or confused like adolescents or teenagers.
Cash continues: “The man who keeps his word has become an endangered species. Now more than ever before our society needs men who can show up, step up, and follow through.”
ACT LIKE MEN: We need masculine men, men who are physically, mentally, AND spiritually strong. “We need battle ready men. We need men with character and core values. We need men who are definitive in their purpose! And men who say what they mean and mean what they say.”
ACT LIKE MEN: There’s a lot we could say, but imagine a world where men keep their word to themselves and to others. A world where men make eye contact. A world where men stand up to shake your hand. A world where men hold the door for others. A world where men are feared by politicians. A world where communities feel safe and protected knowing that capable men stand at the ready to keep their promise to take out anyone who endangers their family, friends, or way of life. These are all things HIM do!
ACT LIKE MEN: Step up! Get in the fight! Stay in the fight! Be men of strength, courage, integrity! Don’t even think about ringing the bell; it’s not an option!
Psalm 27:14 “Wait for the Lord; be strong and let your heart take courage.”
Psalm 31:24 “Be strong and let your heart take courage, ALL you who hope in the Lord.”
“Be onthe alert, stand firm in the faith, ACTLIKE MEN, be strong.”
Back to work…
3-2-1 Sandbag Burpees: (Compliments of GORUCK)
PAX planked in line (for a loooong time!), then in-turn each moved to the sandbags and did the following Sandbag Burpees:
20lb Sandbag – 3 Sandbag Burpees
40lb Sandbag – 2 Sandbag Burpees (Thanks to F3 Gump for the borrow)
80lb Sandbag – 1 Sandbag Burpee (Thanks to F3 OBiwon for the borrow)
Hmm…looks like we need a 60lb’er
As PAX finished 3-2-1 Sandbag Burpees they planked on the other side of the sandbags.
FINAL CHALLENGE:
Chest Bump Merkins – Sets of 10, 20, 30, 40…until last man is standing. The standard: Full extension up, chest to brick down.
Chest Bump Merkins: Done to improve form, PAX do Merkins over a brick lying flat, bumping their chest on the down. No bump = no rep (Merkin doesn’t count). Honor system but as PAX are eliminated or VW (Voluntary Withdraw) they become judges and/or shenanigaters (i.e. Fireplex)
The Gist:
Each PAX does round of 10 Chest Bump Merkins – All men still standing
Each PAX does round of 20 Chest Bump Merkins – All men still standing
Each PAX does round of 30 Chest Bump Merkins – Number PAX cut to 5 men standing (Chattahoochee, Doubtfire, Semi, Whirlybird & FNG)
Final PAX do round of 40 Chest Bump Merkins – The last man standing: Whirlybird w/32 Chest Bump Merkins (Though there was some controversy…)
With that, it was time to circle up; time flies when you’re having fun. Fartsackers…you got lapped! See you next time.
COT:
NUMBER-RAMA
NAME-O-RAMA – Named FNG, welcome Mowdaboat!
Announcements: Shirt link is up and will be posted again today. In fact, here it is:
Prayers: Ruxpin’s M, Shawna (procedure tomorrow); Randy in hospital with COVID; Chappie’s niece-in-law’s father, Gene still inn hospital with COVID, after stint in ICU is making good progress; Zeke who’s boat is still upside down; and other requests forgotten by YHC but never unforgotten by the living God who can handle everything we entrust to Him.
Always honored to lead, especially since we have so many Q’s and opportunities are more sparse. Shout out to all those who won THAT FIRST BATTLE over the Fartsack and posted, even though rain was a significant threat. You showed anyway; that’s discipline! Thanks men!
18 PAX found themselves exactly where they were meant to be FOR SUCH A TIME AS THIS on Saturday, and found a beatdown as well.
QIC: Cowbell
Date: 9/18/21
Warm-O-Rama
SSH – 21 IC
Cherry Picker: 21 IC
Bat Wings: sets of 21 IC
Angle Grinder: 14 IC
The Thang
Mosey to the school, closest sidewalk to the AO for The Texas 3-Step!
Step 1 Jailbreak to sidewalk 1 for a 4×4 (4 Mountain Climbers, 4 Merkins, 4 Squat Jumps); Jailbreak to farthest sidewalk; recovery mosey back to beginning; plank for 6
Step 2 Jailbreak to sidewalk 1 for 7 sets of 4×4’s; Jailbreak to sidewalk 2 for a set of Bolt 42’s; Jailbreak to farthest sidewalk; recovery mosey back to beginning; plank for 6
Step 3 Jailbreak to sidewalk 1 for 7 sets of 4×4’s; Jailbreak to sidewalk 2 for a set of Bolt 42’s; Jailbreak to sidewalk 3 for a set of 21 American Hammers IC count; Jailbreak to farthest sidewalk; recovery mosey back to beginning; plank for 6
3rd F Esther is an Old Testament story of a young lady who becomes Queen. Early in her time as Queen, her adoptive father, Mordecai, uncovers a heinous plot by a man named Haman who wanted to wipe out all Jews…only no one knew Esther was Jewish. Mordecai sends a message to Esther, asking her to step in and speak to the King. But she responds with fear, stating that if she were to approach the King he might kill her. Mordecai responds back with this message –
“Don’t think for a moment that because you’re in the palace you will escape when all other Jews are killed. If you keep quiet at a time like this, deliverance and relief for the Jews will arise from some other place, but you and your relatives will die. Who knows if perhaps you were made queen for just such a time as this?” Mordecai’s message gave Esther the courage to approach the King, bring the evil plot in to the light, and Haman was executed for his actions.
Gentlemen, don’t ever think for a second that you are in your position by mistake – your job, your family, your situations; as a man, as a husband, a father, a brother, a son, a HIM, a friend – you are strategically placed by God for a purpose. If you choose not to step up, God will raise another. But don’t ever let another take your job! You were put in your place for SUCH A TIME AS THIS. Stand firm, take courage, step up and do your job. Accomplish your purpose. You’re here for such a time as this.
Back to The Thang
3 full rounds of The Texas 3-Step, OYO Mosey back to AO
COT
Number-Rama
Name-O-Rama
FNG Naming – welcome to the newest HIM: False Start
Announcements: Movie night at Chauffer’s on Wednesday 9/22. Deets to follow on GroupMe.
Prayers: Chattahoochee running a 5K tomorrow in full gear – prayers for safety. Chauffer’s buddy stranded when rig broke down – prayers he uses the time down to rest & recoup, and gets his rig up and running soon to finish his route.
20 i/c Plank jacks Seal jacks Cherry picker Seal wave Windmill
The Thang
Mosey to tequila real
Decline Bolt 45 – feet 6 inches apart
Ranger merkin 15 Wide merkin 15 Merkin 15
Decline Bolt 45 – feet wide, toes pointing out
Diamond merkins 15 Wide merkins, hands out 15 Merkin 15
Mosey back to CHOP
3rd F Referenced the lame man being lowered down through the roof in front of Jesus by his friends so he could be healed. F3 is the friends lowering their friend down in front of Jesus. Remember to open up in the COT and on group me about struggles you are going through.
Soldier Toy 20 big boys 20 e2ks 60 lbcs
Number-A-Rama NAME-A-RAMA COT
17 HIM showed today: Semi, Ying Ying, Gump, Chattahoochee, Chappie, Quarto, Toy Soldier, Fireplex, Cabana, Whirlybird, Flatbottom, Looney Toons, Chauffer, Drago, MacDaddy, Drop Kick, FNG(Clipt)
Week #2 of the August Burp to SchoolChallenge began with, well, Burpees. Simple: Bring school supplies, do Burpees that correlate to the Burpee values in school supplies, and withdraw that number from your Burpee account (everyone’s account contained 500 Burpees at the start of the month). Bring school supplies to contribute to the Delaware State Police “We Got Your Backpack” community fundraiser AND get stronger by doing Burpees = PAX supporting our community AND getting stronger. That’s a win, win! Caveat: FNG’s are worth 100 (free) and Unicorns/Kotter’s are valued at 50 (free).
14 PAX won THAT FIRST BATTLE and posted, regardless of the high potential for Burpees. Shout out to 2 PAX who joined us from downrange: Dora from F3 Philly and Drop Kick from F3 Cape Fear, and a special welcome back, welcome back, welcome back…to Beeker (50 Burpee Bounty secured by YHC).
And, now, for the highly anticipated workout:
WARM-O-RAMA:
SSH – 18 IC
Italian Night Clubs – 52 IC (had to go til we could feel ’em)
Cherry Pickers – 15 IC
Windmill – 15 IC
Mosey to entrance of H.O.B. Elementary
PAX paired up to do “Burp Back Mountain” – PAX #1 runs to bottom of hill, then Nurs back to top, while PAX #2 does Burpees. Swap, rinse and repeat until 100 Burpees are completed (cumulative = 100 Burpees per group).
Q called for a break for the 3rdF at mid-point (see below)
Burp Back Mountain was completed and followed by a brief round of Mary:
????
Flutter Kicks
Dying Cockroaches
Scissor Kicks
Four-Count Freddies
Mosey back to AO, with a JailBreak from beginning of drive to AO
10 Burpees just for fun (60 Burpees in all). If PAX brought school supplies, they could withdraw the earned amount from their accounts; otherwise they’re just plain old Burpees.
Still time: PAX tackled a 1/4 round of Jack Webb. 1 Merkin/4 Overhead claps. 2 Merkins/8 Overhead claps…all the way up to 10 Merkins/40 Overhead Claps. Call 911, there’s a massive shoulder fire at the CHOP AO at @f3firststate !
COT/BOM:
Announcements: Keep bringing school supplies; welcome to the guys from downrange; F3 First State Family picnic at Doubtfire’s, Sep 5 @ 4pm; F3 Nation 10 Year Anniversary celebration at Cape Fear, Oct 8-10…HC today!
Prayers: Prayers for kids and teachers getting back to school, that they’d be able to get back to some sense of normalcy; prayers for Beeker and “unmentioned” request concerning his unmentionables; prayers for Streudel…tests and answers.
Always a privilege to Q, even when bringing MORE Burpees. Well done to all those who posted knowing full well that Burpees would be expected.
Aye,
Chappie, out!
Review of the #rdF shared earlier at the 50 Burpee mark:
The Bible says in 1 Peter 2:23-24 that Jesus “…while being reviled, He did not revile in return; while he suffered, He uttered no threats, but kept entrusting Himself to Him [God] who judges righteously; and He bore our sins in His body on the cross, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness.”
Many years ago I saw this Christ-like character trait—of being reviled and accused and NOT responding—lived out by a friend of mine. One of the hardest things we will ever do is take to the hits for someone else and say nothing! It happened while we were in Basic Training at Ft. Sill, OK, and it humbled me! In basic training we learned ALOT: Basic infantry skills, teamwork, self-discipline, marksmanship, bayonet fighting, hand-to-hand combat, physical fitness, and many other things. One of my favorites was Drill & Ceremony. This is when troops align and march in various formations and carry out commands with uniform precision. In practicality it is meant for moving large numbers of troops, quickly from Point A to Point B. Drill & Ceremony is still taught and used in Army ceremonies to instill honor, promote camaraderie and preserve tradition.
In Basic Training we practiced and practiced and practiced until it was time for an elaborate demonstration before a handful of Army evaluators. We became a well-oiled machine! We’d be evaluated based on Army standards AND in comparison to other platoons. After doing our entire Drill & Ceremony routine our platoon retreated to our laundry room to await the results, when all of a sudden DS McCutchen burst through the door looking for Pvt. Bean!!! (YHC) You see, for a small portion of our routine, Pvt. Bean was half-stepping where he shouldn’t have been half-stepping. So DS McCutchen came cussing and carrying-on through the door to tear Bean a new “Bombjacks”! Problem was my buddy Pvt. Grove and I, along with Pvt. Beals looked identical. DS McCutchen went right up to Grove and let him have it. Right there in front of the whole platoon, and right there in front if me (Pvt. Bean), thinking the whole time he had the right guy. Grove never said a word. He never said, “But DS, I’m not Pvt. Bean, I’m Pvt. Grove.” HE stood there and took it. And he took it for me, in my place, and covered over my half-stepping bafoonery.
My buddy didn’t know it then, but that instance was a small, albeit grand, in-person picture of what it looked like when Christ was arrested and whipped and beaten and reviled; He never said a word. And He took our punishment! Peter goes on to say Jesus went even further: “He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness.” (1 Peter 2:24)
The main role of the Old Testament high priest was to offer sacrifices for his own sins and the sins of the people. The problem was that those sacrifices were only temporary. The Jewish people would have to offer sacrifices again and again for their continued sins. The priests, being no less human, were prone to the same sins such as pride, selfishness, anger, and disobedience. Because they were merely men, they eventually died, and the next priest continued the sacrifices.
Yet Hebrews 7:24-27 says, “But because Jesus lives forever, his priesthood lasts forever. 25 Therefore He is able, once and forever to save those who come to God through him. He lives forever to intercede with God on their behalf. 26 He is the kind of high priest we need because He is holy and blameless, unstained by sin. He has been set apart from sinners and has been given the highest honor in heaven. 27 Unlike those other high priests He does not need to offer sacrifices every day. They did this for their own sins first and then for the sins of the people. But Jesus did this once for all when He offered himself as a sacrifice for the people’s sins.” (emphasis added…because Jesus is Risen!)
Jesus is the ultimate High Priest! The final High Priest! He really understands us and He knows what we go through in our flesh. He was God, but He came down to the world as a human being. He faced many of the same challenges we do, yet He did not sin. Even when He was reviled, He did not revile in return. He did not fight back–even when He was accused!
One if the hardest things we will ever do as HIM is take the hit(s) for someone else and never say a word! There is certainly a time and a place for it.
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Side-note: Btw, our Drill & Ceremony demonstration was nearly flawless that day. Nearly, except for that dude who was half-stepping. And we won the competition and hung the banner on our guide-on flag for the rest of Basic Training.
Bolt 45’s IC (4 Count) – 15 squats to halfway down. 15 squats halfway to full down. 15 full squats.
Windmills – 20 IC
Mosey to Ball Park @.5 miles. While enroute, PAX were held up by a Gazillion car freight train. All PAX completed burpees until the train passed by.
The Thang
The Super 21 Cycle. 1 Merkin to 1 Big Boy Sit up. 2 Merkins to 2 Big Boy Situps. 3 Merkins to 3 Big Boy Situps, etc., etc., etc. But wait there is a twist….after each completed set of #1 though #5 PAX will complete 21 Imperial Walkers. Bear Crawl to 1st base. After each completed set of #6 through #10 PAX will complete 21 Mountain Climbers. Bear Crawl to 2nd base. After each completed set of # 11 through #15, PAX will complete 21 Monkey Humpers. Bear crawl to 3rd base. After each completed set of #16 through #20 PAX will complete 21 Prisoner Squats. Bear Crawl to Homeplate and PAX will complete the final set of #21 Merkins to #21 Big Boys then finish strong with 21 Burpees.
NOTE: Because of the train and the reduction of time, the third base cycle had to be skipped and the evolution at home plate was modified to the 21 burpees only!!
Mosey back to Aegis @ .5 miles.
Count-O-Rama, Name-O-Rama, and the Circle of Trust. Please keep all our HIM in your thoughts and prayers.
Not long after we moved to this area, we had a chance to explore a beautiful cave that really has some breathtaking views. Most of the caves you tour in America were discovered some time in the 1800s. Not this one. It was just discovered in 1969. Actually it was discovered because of a giant sinkhole that opened up. Some adventurous young men decided to crawl down into that sinkhole and see where it led. The cave guide showed us the little hole in the rocks that they crawled through and then out into this huge room, decorated with spectacular rock formations. I don’t suppose the big lights and sidewalks and the railings were there when they first looked in, but they must have been amazed at what they saw, and what millions have been able to discover because they did. And it was all because of a sinkhole.
I’m Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about “Deep Holes, Beautiful Discoveries.”
I’ll bet a lot of folks weren’t very happy about that big hole in the ground opening up. It was probably a pain for some people; potentially dangerous for others. But the “problem” of that sinkhole turned out to be the access route to beauty like those folks had never seen before.
That’s happened to a lot of us when a big hole opened up in our life – when things collapsed. And it may be that God is wanting you to look beyond that big hole to see the undiscovered beauty that’s underneath it.
In our word for today from the Word of God, He talks about folks who had some major sinkholes open up in their lives. In Isaiah 61:1: “The Lord has sent Me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners…to comfort all who mourn, and provide for all those who grieve in Zion.” Then He goes on to show what beauty He hopes we will discover in our grief, “To bestow on them a crown of beauty for ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair.” Beauty in the middle of ashes, gladness in the middle of mourning, and praise in the middle of despair.
When things collapse in our life, we are keenly aware of what we’ve lost. Unless we go deeper, unless we go looking, we will miss what He’s wanting us to gain from this loss; the things He wants us to see that we would never see without that collapse.
It’s in our hurting times that we can see in the person we married some beautiful strengths that maybe we forgot or never noticed. If you let the cave-in drive you closer to your children or your parents, you may see in them a beauty that you’ve missed before. If you look in the right direction, a time of loss can actually be a time of finally seeing the everyday blessings in your life that you’ve been taking for granted. The hole that’s opened up may provide an opportunity for people to really show you how much they love you, for you to appreciate your Christian friends in a new way, for you to tell people that you’ve prayed about, about your Jesus. And they’ll listen to you now because of what you’ve been through.
Most of all, when things collapse you can see the faithfulness and love and power of your Lord in ways that we can only see when we’re desperate and when we’re beyond what we can fix, what we can handle, what we can control. This season that you’re in maybe, when things are caving in, can be a season, also, of life-changing discovery. You can’t make the hole in your life go away, but you can go through it to discover beauty that you might never see any other way.
