Ruxpin

Doce Dias De Navidad La Parte Dos

Date: 12/16/2021

AO: CHOP, Milton, DE

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

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

Warm up

12) Side straddle hops – IC (4 Count)

11) Big boy sit-ups OYO

10) Jiminy crickets OYO

9) Donkey kicks – OYO

8) Windmills – IC (4 Count)

7) Mountain climber IC (4 Count)

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

5) Cherry pickers – IC (4 Count)

4) American hammers (4 Count)

3) Mountain man poopers – IC (4 Count)

2) Tempo merkins (4 Count)

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

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

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

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

2 – Mountain climbers (4 Count)

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

4 – LBC’s (4 Count)

5 – Burpees

6 – Donkey kicks

7 – Iron Mikes

8 – SSH’s (4 Count)

9 – Apolo Ohno’s

10 – Shoulder tap merkins – ATM’s

11 – Full motion squats

12 – Big boy sit-ups

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

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

The Twelve Days of Christmas – True Meaning Behind the Lyrics

Ace Collins – From Crosswalk.com

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

The 12 Days of Christmas – True Meaning

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Respectfully Submitted,

Quattro & Fireplex

November’s Finale with, Um…Rucks!

DATE: 11/30/21

QIC: Chappie

The last day of November brought a nice chill that needed to be worked off with some heat. 18 PAX won that first battle and posted. including FNG Fudd. (There were some “no questions asked” nicknames being thrown around so we settled on the more innocent “Fudd” instead.) Welcome to F3 brother!

We started the day with an excellent VQ Warm-O-Rama by Sherlock. It went something like this:

WARM-O-RAMA:

  • SSH – 20 IC
  • Squats – 20 IC
  • Spidey Reaches – 10 each side OYO
  • Cherry Pickers – 20 IC

At this point YHC took over the Q, and here’s how it went down…

THE THANG:

First, some more warm-up:

  • Partner Leg Throws – 18 each PAX
  • Partner Ruck Pass – 10 each PAX (partners interlock heals in Sit-Up position, pass ruck, do American Hammer w/ruck, then all the way back w/ruck overhead, then Sit-Up passing ruck to partner. Rinse & repeat til each PAX completes 10 reps)

Now…the Thang: Everyone grab a ruck (for those without, grab cindy)

2 Sets:

  • 10 Walking Ruck Lunges (Ruck OH)
  • 10 Plank Pull Throughs
  • 10 OH Press
  • (Rinse & Repeat 2x)

Mosey the short block: Prison Break to Willow St., Mosey to Union St., Prison Break back to the AO. Gassed! 10-count by TRex and another followed by Semi. Whew!

F3 3rdF shared at the break (See below)

2 Sets:

  • 10 Ruck Squats
  • 10 Ruck Merkins
  • 10 Ruck high Pulls
  • (Rinse & Repeat 2x)

Ruck Suitcase Carry around the short block, switching as necessary, back to the AO.

Time expired, time for the COT. Good work by everybody. TRex committed to posting at every workout this week, have at it brother. Who else is in?

COT:

  • Number-Rama: 18 very cool PAX
  • Name-O-Rama
  • Naming of FNG: Welcome again to Fudd! (Still, your Hospital Name, Blayze, has to be one of the coolest out there!)
  • Announcements: YHC invited PAX to consider joining the protest Saturday at Beebe Hospital, protesting the vax mandate being forced upon all healthcare workers by Dec 24th (or they will be terminated. Those we were gathering to pray for and calling heroes for sacrificially fulfilling their duties in 2020, now need our support as they are being made into villains. Let’s show up Saturday at Beebe, from 9-11am, and demonstrate our support for them.
  • Prayers: Safe travels for Sherlock on his hog hunt; for Woodstock helping to clean out a perished friend’s home, etc.; for Quattro, facing some business/family decisions this week; for YHC traveling to Frederick for an executive committee meeting (self-retracted as of this writing) and for YHC’s sister, Tonia, facing devastating, life-altering surgery. Others…the Lord knows and never forgets. Finally, prayers that all PAX would be mindful this Christmas that the birth of Jesus Christ tells us that God desires that we have a relationship with Him–it’s NOT about religion, but relationship. We know this because He came to common man, not kings. (Again, see 3rdF below.)

Humbled and excited to Q, aye!

Chappie, out!

SHEPHERDS & FISHERMEN

This past Sunday was the first Sunday of Advent—I love this season because in it we recall and celebrate the Birth of Christ (Coming/Advent). It was foretold by the OT prophets 900, 700, 500 years before it happened. I love this time of year also because it reminds me of the only 2 times a year we went to church when I was a kid (Easter & Christmas). I remember the ambiance of the Christmas Eve candle light service at First Moravian Church in my hometown like it was yesterday.

In the four verses of great Christmas hymn Angels We Have Heard On High, we sing of the angels visiting lowly shepherds and the shepherds’ response.

Here’s what I think is one of the most incredible things about God: He wants us to know Him through relationship, not religion. This is evident in the song, but it was evident first in the Scriptures.

“The angels coming to men who worked menial [lowly] jobs in the fields and informing THEM of the birth of the Son of God symbolizes that Christ came for all people, rich or poor, humble or powerful. The angels’ words as recorded in Luke 2, “Fear not: For behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people,” paired with Jesus’ own parables concerning shepherds and their flocks, symbolizes that it would be the common man and not kings or religious leaders who would first carry the story of Jesus’ life to the masses.”

It has been the Called man, not the Cleric, and really always has been, who has spread the message of Jesus Christ’s birth, life, death, and resurrection. Think of who it was to whom Jesus first said “follow Me“: Was it not to Fishermen? Common men? As you hear and sing this song for Christmas, keep this one thing in mind: It is the common man, not kings who carry the story of Jesus’ life. For you and I to be HIM, the story of Jesus in our own lives, OUR own transformation by trusting in Jesus Christ, must not only be heard but it must be seen, especially by our children (not to mention those around us). When mom tells the story, the kids will be more prone to go to church and become followers of Christ. But when we as dads—common men, not kings—tell the story of Jesus Christ, the statistics make a significant leap, they actually go through the roof! I.e. When you and I share this story of the incredible, special relationship available between God and man with our own children, we—common men—are acting/behaving like HIM.

“Thanksliving”

Date: 11/25/2021

AO: CHOP, Milton, DE

QIC: Fireplex

Warm up

SSH – 20 IC

Cherry Pickers – 20 IC

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

Windmills – 20 IC

Mosey @ .5 miles to the Goshen Hill

The Thang

Thanksgiving Workout: Set 1

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

Nur up the Hill

Thanksgiving Workout: Set 2

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

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

Dragon Crawl Up the Hill & Run Down

Thanksgiving Workout: Set 3

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

Mosey @.5 miles back to CHOP

F3 Message – 11/25/2021

A “MAGIC WORDS” THANKSGIVING

November 25, 2019

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Respectfully Submitted,

Fireplex

Something different

QIC: Semi

Warm-a-Rama
15 seal jacks i/c
15 seal waves i/c
10 hip circles oyo, each way
30 moroccan night club i/c
10 mountain man pooper i/c

The Thang

Tabata, using small coupons
6 rounds of 6 excercises
Curls – palms up, hammer, palms down
Flys (shoulders on large coupon) – palms up, palms in, palms down
Bench press (shoulders on large coupon) – elbows in, palms together, wide
Clean and press move – palms down, palms in
Holding chair chest squeeze – extended, close
Abs – i/c, 4 count Freddie, gas pumpers, lbcs

3rd F

Prayer: Productive men

Dear Lord,

Thank you for how your word changes us if we let it. I pray that we would love your word to the deepest parts of our being. Lord, make us into productive men. Not only for our homes and at work but also for your kingdom. Productive in our learning and understanding. productive in our growth in our marriages. Productive in our careers. Take away any laziness that is in us and give us energy to move forward. I pray that we would produce a crop of good fruit in our lives, fruit that would please you

In Jesus’ name, amen!

Mosey to light pole at end of back drive. Chappie run (water in mouth) around block. Wait for six. 15 blockeys with water if completed block with water. 10 blockeys with water if you did not.

Number Rama
NAME-A-RAMA
COT

10 HIM showed today: Chappie, Quarto, Ruxpin, Woodstock, Struedel, Semi, Chauffer, Blockbuster, Mowdaboat, Wildwing

https://photos.app.goo.gl/YiCxJ5BBPQpQKWar7

New Toys!

DATE: 10/26/21

QIC: Chappie

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 on the alert, stand firm in the faith, ACT LIKE 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 Sandbag3 Sandbag Burpees
  • 40lb Sandbag2 Sandbag Burpees (Thanks to F3 Gump for the borrow)
  • 80lb Sandbag1 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:

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!

Aye!

Chappie, out!

The 4 Horsemen

F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER Disclaimed.

The HIM : Chappie, Ruxpin, Woodstock, Waterfall, Mac Daddy, Sherlock, Special Guest: Timeclock Looney Tunes on Q

WARM-O-RAMA:

30 Side Streudal Hops,

30 Windmills, 

30 Imperial Walkers,

30 cherry pickers,

30 Maracan Night Club


THA-THANG 4 Rounds of Staple Exercises:

Horseman 1 | ROUND 1:MOSEY

Bolt 45

40 Dips(tricep dips)

30 little baby crunches(LBCs)

30 merkins.

Horseman 2 | ROUND 2:

50 squats,

40 mountain climbers,

40 Big Boys

40 DERKINS

Horseman 3 | ROUND 3:

BEAR CRAWL

40 Squats

40 Dips(tricep dips)

30 little baby crunches(LBCs)

30 merkins.

Horseman 4 | ROUND 4:

Mosey

20 Squats

30 Dips(tricep dips)

30 merkins.

30 little baby crunches(LBCs)

BONUS: 20 Military Big Boys(Guy holding your feet)




THE 3rd F The 4 Horsemen:
I went to an Iron Council event called the Maine Event with what i thought was a Battle plan.

The focus is on the Battle Planner which has 4 quadrants Calibration | Contribution | Conditioning | Connection. Right now, I’m focusing on Contribution(business) this quarter, my calibration is good, my conditioning is good, my Connection quadrant was all about connecting with business owners and NOT about connecting with my family.
Then, we had a CONNECTION presentation by Taylor Jacobson. I fully planned on zoning out but I think the “Jocko Go” kept me super focused all weekend.


He began going through the 4 Horsemen of Fractured Relationships:
The First Horseman: Criticism – and I think, “Oh I criticize people sometimes, but my home life is great. This is just coincidence.”
Second Horseman: Defensiveness: Always justifying yourself.  I think, “Well, I have to do that, I HAVE to be defensive. My family doesn’t understand how hard I work.”
Third Horseman: Contempt: -“I dont do that” then once it was explained as talking down, I thought. “shit I do that, but in a funny way, that’s ok right?”
Most importantly, contempt is the single greatest predictor of divorce. It must be eliminated.

Fourth: STONEWALLING: Zone Out, ignoring.
It was at this point I wanted to sneak out of the building and hitchhike home down I-95.

I was uncomfortable. Very uncomfortable. As uncomfortable as an Atlas Stone on my shoulder. As uncomfortable as realizing that Taylor is telling stories as examples and he might as well use my name.
I realized- The Four Horseman were right outside my home. Just waiting.
It was a good wake up for me to be honest, I may have been taking my family relationships for granted.
Luckily, Taylor gave us some antidotes to fight these 4 bastards.
The 4 Antidotes
Criticism:
Gentle Startup Dealing with problems in a calm and gentle way. The focus is on the problem—not the person.
Defensiveness
Take Responsibility Own up to your behavior without blaming others
CONTEMPT
Share Fondness & Admiration Foster a healthy relationship by regularly showing each other respect and appreciation. • Show affection. • Recognize your partner’s strengths. • Give compliments
STONEWALLING
Use Self-Soothing Use relaxation techniques to calm down and stay present with your partner.
• Agree to pause the conversation briefly.
• Use deep breathing. • Use progressive muscle relaxation (PMR)

I usually I keep these things to myself, “I’ll work on them in silence”. This time, when I got home I opened my notes and showed my wife the Damn 4 Horsemen of Fractured relationships.
Im fighting them off now- it’s been a week since I got back from Maine. The other morning I got a little heated at something (dog related or probably job related) and I could feel myself wanting to STONEWALL.
I forced myself to tell my wife a separate story about farming or something to establish that: 1) the argument was over, 2) I’m not mad- we cool.
We dont know what we dont know.

And we dont know what to ask. I would’ve never googled 4 horsemen unless I was looking for a Ric Flair Meme.

https://www.therapistaid.com/worksheets/four-horsemen.pdf

Same muscles, different way

QIC:
Spaceman  – Warm-a-Rama
Semi – Thang

Warm-a-Rama
I/c
15 ssh
15 Windmill
20 Moroccan nightclub
15 plank jack
15 Cherry pickers

The Thang

Mosey to new HOB entrance

Pair off
Wheelbarrow to first light pole
Nur to second, switch
Wheelbarrow to next light pole
Plank for the six

Mosey to the playground

Complete 5 rounds of the following exercises:
12 each
Swerkins
Plyo merkins
Split squats
E2ks
Gas pumpers
Mike Tyson

3rd F
Love Dare
*Day 10 – LOVE IS UNCONDITIONAL*

Do something out of the ordinary today for your spouse—something that proves (to you and to them) that your love is based on your choice and nothing else. Wash her car. Clean the kitchen. Buy his favorite dessert. Fold the laundry. Demonstrate love to them for the sheer joy of being their partner in marriage.

but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
Romans 5:8 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/rom.5.8.ESV

Mosey back to CHOP

Number-Rama
NAME-A-RAMA
COT

17 HIM showed today: Blockbuster, MacDaddy, Fireplex, Chattahoochee, Chappie, Quarto, Ruxpin, Toy Soldier, Drago, Looney Toons, Chauffer, Doubtfire, Semi, Struedel, Spaceman, Whirlybird, Woodstock

DOS workout

Wednesday Morning F3 Workout in Milford. Looney Tines on Q, with Ruxpin, Spaceman and Woodstock. We heard someone camping out under the Library’s overhang. But the F3 workout must go on!

5:15 Warmup

• SIDE STRADDLE HOP: 20

• Maraccan Night Club : 30

• Cherry Pickers: 20

• Imperial Walkers:20

• Bolt 45

End Warmup with a Lap around the Library

Leaving this F3 workout up to chance. I have half a deck of DOS cards, I removed all of the numbers higher than 5 . The card game cousin of famous game UNO. We flipped cards, and read from Jocko’s book, the Discipline Equals Freedom Field Manual.

DOS Key# = Mosie a LAP

1=10

3=30

4=40

5=50

2=WILD = Bear Crawl.

RED-Merkins

Blue-Burpees

Green-Squats

Yellow-Abs

The Thang

Here’s the run down as the cards told us:

10 Merkins

10 Full Crunches

50 Burpees, ok we did 15 Burpees, because during our August 500 Burpee school supply drive, I realized 15 is a good burpee limit.

Mosie

Bear Crawl

10 Squats

10 Merkins

10 Big Boys

Bear Crawl

40 Merkins

50 Merkins

Mosie a lap

10 Burpees

40 LBCs

40 Squats

50 Squats

10 Big Boys


Ended with prayer.

Recovery Workout +1

5 PAX won THAT FIRST BATTLE to post for a Chappie recovery workout +1. Meaning that it was a post Labor Day Beachday Beatdown +1 day, designed to get us moving but not to crush the soul. There’s something about working out in a group of 30, and there’s something about working out with a group of 5…bene’s on both ends of the scale. So here’s how things went down today:

QIC: Chappie

DATE: 9/8/21

WARM-O-RAMA

  • SSH – 18 IC
  • Mt. Man Pooper – 10 IC
  • Swartzjack – 15 IC
  • Moroccan Nightclubs – 30 IC
  • Imperial Walkers – 18 IC
  • Low Slow Squats – 18 IC

THE THANG

Mosey to wall at East end of Gigante parking lot (while sharing 20lb sandbags)

On the wall:

  • Round #1:
    • 10 Chest Bump Irkins/Bearcrawl 70’/15 MJB’s OYO, back to the wall
  • Round #2:
    • 10 Derkins/Crawlbear 70’/20 Bombjacks OYO, back to the wall
  • Round #3:
    • 20 Chest Bump Irkins/ Lt. Dan 70’/25 X’s & O’s OYO
  • Round #4:
    • 20 Derkins/Lt. Danger 70’/30 Gas Pumpers IC
  • Round #5:
    • People’s Chair with OHC’s, 1 round of 10 Counts per each PAX/Dragon Crawl 70’/35 Flutter Kicks IC

YHC shared the following apropos 3rdF, directly from Q Source:

(Excerpt taken from QSOURCE by David “DREDD” Redding, Q1.5, 50-52)

Accelerating the M requires both skill and love

Marriage is not easy–it is not supposed to be. But because he never quits working at it, the HIM ultimately develops the skills he needs to enjoy life with his wife. To avoid committing relationship malpractice with his wife, the HIM focuses on five points of marital Preparedness:

1. Maintenance = Deceleration     

The M will not prosper if the HIM thinks in terms of maintaining its vitality rather than Accelerating it.

For the HIM:

  • Movement is action taken in furtherance of purpose.
  • Momentum is the sustained Movement that results from Acceleration
  • To Decelerate is to decrease the pace of Movement

With this in mind, the HIM knows that he is either Accelerating or Decelerating in all his endeavors and relationships, particularly with his wife. There is no in-between state of nature such as “maintenance.” If you think you are maintaining, you are actually Decelerating because there is no Status quo. That is the myth of the plateau. Thus, the HIM never thinks of maintaining his marriage. He always focuses on Accelerating it.

2. The Culture is a Jester      

While the culture purports to embrace marriage, it is actually a hinderance to Acceleration. It breathes truthy-sounding lies like “my wife is my best friend,” and “we try every day to meet each other halfway,” and “we’re pregnant!” Why does our culture resort to Oprah Bombs like these when it comes to marriage? Probably because it doesn’t believe that anything so difficult can possibly be so good. The HIM knows the inverse to be true. Virtue takes work—it is the un-Virtuous act that comes easily and “naturally.”

3. There is no Fifty Yard Line     

Halfway is not good enough when it comes to the M. It is not a football game where husband and wife meet at the fifty-yard line for the coin flip. The HIM must drive the ball the full length of the field and stay in his wife’s red zone, regardless of whether she even breaks the huddle. To the Sad Clown focused on balance and fairness, this seems unfair and out-of-balance. Perhaps, but that’s what Acceleration requires when it comes to the M.

4. Your Wife is not Your Best Friend     

She is made for a much higher purpose. There is a pedestal in the life of the HIM that is set out for his wife and there is no room on it for his best buddy (that relationship is actually two more rings out on the HIM’s Concentrica). Nor is marriage a joint-venture within which man and wife have equal and identical roles. Husband and wife may both become parents, but it is only the mother who is pregnant. The lives of both husband and wife are changed by parenthood, but it is only the mother whose body is rearranged form the inside out, and only she who spends nine months in a state of complete vulnerability—during which the HIM is to be her stalwart and constant protector. The HIM does not let the culture confuse him. He knows his role, and it is nowhere nearly as important as hers.

5. Joy Trumps Happiness     

The culture often confuses joy and happiness interchangeably, but they are actually very different things. Happiness is a transitory positive feeling governed by mere external circumstances. Happiness is a full belly—it goes away when you get hungry again. In contrast, Joy is not so ephemeral. It is a permanent state of hopeful satisfaction that is unaffected by external happenstance. Joy cares not whether a man’s belly is full or empty. It requires a long view, well past the toils and triumphs of any given day. The HIM is a joyful man under any and all circumstances because his vision is cast at a point well beyond the day before him. His focus is on the end and beyond. What do joy and happiness have to do with marriage? Simple. A healthy and vital M is a lifetime pursuit. Anything designed to last a lifetime needs the pure fuel of Joy to grow and prosper. The short term warm and fuzzies of Happiness won’t do the trick. Happy-focused men give up on their marriages when the going is rocky because they are un-Happy. But the Joy-focused HIM views those same rough spots as the precise time to double-down on his Commitment to his bride. Anybody can stay married on a full belly. But it is within the crucible of hunger where the true bond between man and wife is formed.

Marriage is a Team, not a Community. It requires Proximity and purpose to succeed. It transforms a man from a selfish Happiness-junkie into a selfless Joy-seeker. The HIM knows if he fails at his M, nothing else he does will matter.

THE WHOLE CHAPTER IS WORTH A READ, check it out men!

Scripture Reference: (Ephesians 5:25-33)

25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her26 so that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, 27 that He might present to Himself the church [q]in all her glory, having no spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that she would be holy and blameless. 28 So husbands also ought to love their own wives as their own bodies. He who loves his own wife loves himself29 for no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ also does the church, 30 because we are parts of His body. 31 For this reason a man shall leave his father and his mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh. 32 This mystery is great; but I am speaking with reference to Christ and the church. 33 Nevertheless, as for you individually, each husband is to love his own wife the same as himself, and the wife must see to it that she respects her husband. (YHC’s emphasis added)

Mosey back to the AO

As our pool of Q’s grow here at @f3firststate it’s amazing to see newer PAX get into the rotation, first with a Warm-up VQ, then with a full VQ. The Q list grows long so it’s even more a privilege to Q when the opportunities come. Grateful to lead these 5 HIM at the Grit Mill. Glad to be in the rotation.

COT:

  • Number-Rama
  • Name-O-Rama
  • Announcements: Looks like our Hero’s Journey Gauntlet Ruck will be stepping off on Fri 9/10 at 2200 hrs. Plan: Ruck from the Grit Mill to CHOP and ending at the Aegis (hitting all our AO’s, i.e. The Gauntlet) for a 20 mile ruck, before partaking of the Saturday morning beatdown Q’d by the one and only Quattro. 20 miles = 20 years since 9/11. Looking forward to the challenge. Also: Fallen Angel: Call Sign – Extortion 17 showing tonight at 7 at Chauffer’s, all PAX welcome.
  • Prayers: Praise for YHC’s buddy Jeff being able to get up on his feet and walk across his hospital room yesterday; prayers for marriages of the PAX of @f3firststate; prayers for YHC’s oldest son, Zeke (a.k.a. Nature Boy)

Glory to God

15 Pax joined the workout this morning including 3 guests; Dora, Drop Kick and Long Haul.

WARM-O-RAMA

  • SSH – IC 25
  • Mountain Man Pooper – IC 10
  • Seal Jack – IC 20
  • Windmill – IC 15

The Thang

Mosey to Governors Walk Park

The Pax partnered up and rotated through 8 stations, each station had 2 exercises. Once both exercises were completed partners moved to the next station.

Station 1: Plank Crawl on park bench and 50 LBCs

Station 2: 20 Box Jumps and 50 Dips on park bench

Station 3: 30 Balance Lunges on park bench and 15 Burpees

Station 4: 25 Derkins on park bench and 60 American Hammers

Station 5: 30 Single Leg Squats and 25 Plyo Merkins on park bench

Station 6: 15 Diamond Merkins and 50 Flutter Kicks

Mosey up hill to the entrance of Governors Walk

Station 7: 30 Step-ups knee lifts and 25 Carolina Dry Docks on park bench

Station 8: 30 Bench Mountain Climbers and 25 Bench Crunches

The Q had planned on 2 rounds, but we were only able to complete one rotation.

Mosey back to the AO

The 3rd F was delivered at the start, when we arrived at Governor Walk and at the AO at the end of the workout.

Olympic Medalists Who Give Glory to God

By Movieguide® Staff

1. Sydney McLaughlin 

Not only did U.S. Olympian Sydney McLaughlin win the gold medal for Team USA in the 400-meter hurdles, but the 21-year-old also set a world record with a time of 51.46.

After McLaughlin’s win, she said that it was made possible by “just trusting the process and giving the glory to God.”

“Let me start off by saying, what and honor it is to be able to represent not only my country, but also the kingdom of God. What I have in Christ is far greater than what I have or don’t have in life,” she wrote on Instagram after her Olympic run. “I pray my journey may be a clear depiction of submission and obedience to God. Even when it doesn’t make sense, even when it doesn’t seem possible. He will make a way out of no way. Not for my own gratification, but for His glory. I have never seen God fail in my life. In anyone’s life for that matter. Just because I may not win every race, or receive every one of my heart’s desires, does not mean God had failed. His will is PERFECT. And He has prepared me for a moment such as this. That I may use the gifts He has given me to point all the attention back to Him. 2x Olympian, Olympic Champion, World Record Holder, Thank. You. God. ????????”

2. Caeleb Dressel

American swimmer Caeleb Dressel won five gold medals at the Tokyo Olympics and broke his world record by .05 seconds in the 100-meter butterfly. 

Dressel used his success to champion his central motivation: his faith in God. 

The 24-year-old sports an eagle tattoo on his left shoulder, which represents one of his favorite Bible verses, Isaiah 40:31: “But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.”

“It’s the reason I’m in the sport—not just to go fast times, but to inspire people and show them where I find my happiness with what God’s given me,” Dressel told the Baptist Standard in 2015, adding in 2016: “Trust what God is doing, whether it be a rough point in your life or a top pinnacle in your life. You’ve just got to take pauses and really trust what He’s doing.”

3. Tamyra Mensah-Stock

American Olympic wrestler Tamyra Mensah-Stock thanked God and her country after winning her first gold medal in the Tokyo Olympics.

“Of course I surprise myself,” Mensah-Stock told reporters. “It’s by the grace of God I’m even able to move my feet. I just leave it in His hands and I pray that all the practice … my coaches put my through pays off and, every single time, it does.”

The athlete expressed how proud she is to represent the U.S. in the Olympics. 

“It feels amazing,” she said. “I love representing the U.S. I … love living here. I love it. And I’m so happy I get to represent USA!”

4. Kendra “Keni” Harrison

In her first Olympic games, U.S. track and field athlete Kendra “Keni” Harrison took home the silver medal in the 100-meter hurdles. 

However, she is no stranger to the spotlight, as she still holds the world record that she set in 2016.  

“I’m the WORLD RECORD HOLDER 12.20. I am a walking testimony of how incredible God truly is,” she said at the time. 

Despite not going to Rio in 2016, Harrison said she is thankful for the opportunity she had in Tokyo. 

“Missing the Olympic team in 2016 has made me a stronger Christian athlete and words can’t describe the gratitude I’m feeling right now,” she wrote. “In 2016 I allowed self-doubt to determine my destiny and became a victim to track & field press. BUT GOD…As I gained a deeper connection to God each year I noticed my faith conquering ALL doubt.” 

5. Kelsey Plum

Basketball player Kelsey Plum lifted the USA women’s 3×3 basketball team the gold medal.

Plum thanked God for her health and the opportunity to compete.

“I just want to thank a lot of people: God, my mom, my family, my friends,” Plum said. “I want to thank USA Basketball. They could’ve quit on me. They could’ve said, ‘We’re going to bring somebody else,’ and they didn’t. I’m just super grateful to my teammates, I mean, man, this was a battle.”

“I kind of had to go through life and figure out what’s important,” Plum told Sports Spectrum in 2019. “It takes a lot of failure and mistakes and humility to be able to see that I need a relationship with God.”

“I’m super grateful because I think that He’s always really been very precise about exactly where He wanted me to be and He’s put certain people in my life to really help me,” Plum said in an interview in 2020. “I’m just super grateful, so I think for me, as I continue to grow into a woman and a woman of faith, I try to make sure that I’m a light.”

6. Athing Mu

At just 19-years-old, U.S. runner Athing Mu is an Olympic gold medalist. Mu won gold in the women’s 800-meter race at the Tokyo Olympics.

“As a follower of Christ, our main goal is to live in the image of Jesus in order to connect to God and ‘get to God,” Mu told The Battalion in June. “I believe when God is ready to give you blessings, He gives it to you with all intentions. In this case, ‘keeping one at the top, never at the bottom.’”

Mu referenced Deuteronomy 28:13, which reads: “The Lord will make you the head, not the tail. If you pay attention to the commands of the Lord your God that I give you this day and carefully follow them, you will always be at the top, never at the bottom.”

“The only thing I can do is thank God because without Him, I wouldn’t be able to do anything I’ve done this season,” she told WomensRunning.com. “I think He’s really awakened me with one thing, especially, that’s confidence. That’s one thing I’ve really gained this year as a collegiate athlete, having confidence in all I do because I do have the capability, I was made for this.”

Ended with the COT

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