4 PAX posted at the library in Milford for a recon at O-Gawd-Thirty this Gloom. Actually, it was the same time as usual, O-Gawd-Fifteen.
Here’s a first for F3 First State: We had 2 workouts going on at the same time–one at CHOP and one at Milford, DE. THAT IS COOL! After all, our mission is to plant, grow, and serve small workout groups of men for the invigoration of male community leadership.
HOLLOW POINT TIP (killa tip): Make the sacrifice, win that first battle over the Fartsack, and post (especially on Thursdays) to support CHOP and keep the numbers up since a core group has parted off to recon and launch this a new AO in Milford. After all, our mission is to plant, grow, and serve small workout groups of men for the invigoration of male community leadership.
YHC isn’t going to pretend to remember all that we did this morning. BUT, he will say this: We discovered an F3 gold mine, even though we barely scratched the surface with the amphitheater, steps, walls, steps, parking lots, steps, fields, elevation changes, many other features, and, oh, YHC can’t forget to mention steps. Seriously men, this place is a gold mine!
Get the word out if you know a Sadclown in or near Milford…after all, our mission is to plant, grow, and serve small workout groups of men for the invigoration of male community leadership. Recon is happening again next Thursday, Aug. 22 and the official launch will follow on Aug. 29th!
Bolt 45’s –
15 squats to halfway down. 15 squats
halfway to full down. 15 full squats
Windmills – 20 IC
Imperial Walkers – 20 IC
Mosey .5 miles to “Oh Hill No”.
The Thang
After a 10 count, PAX completed a “Toy Soldier Set” of 50 LBC’s, 30 E2K’s each side, and 20 Big Boys. Extra credit for completing the set on the incline of “Oh Hill No”. Next, we partnered up and completed the Burp Back Mountain routine as per the Exicon, but modified for time. One PAX Nurs up the hill and runs down the hill 5 consecutive times while the other completes burpees AMRAP. The switch was made so all could enjoy the burn.
F3 message – see below
Mosey .5 miles back to CHOP.
Count-O-Rama, Name-O-Rama, and the Circle of Trust. Please keep all our HIM in your thoughts and prayers.
F3 Message 08/13/19 – Calming the Storm with Him Always Watching Your Six
Life is a journey of many trials and tribulations that shape and molds us into the person that we are or that we are to become. As men, we try and we do find some success in handling many of the smaller life issues on our own. Sometimes we develop an attitude that we can handle all or most things on our own. That is until the raging storm comes that is completely out of our control. We give everything we have on our own and we still aren’t handsome enough, young enough, wealthy enough, smart enough, or strong enough to overcome whatever situation that we may be going through. We don’t understand why God allows these storms to come, but we gotta trust and believe and have faith that God has a purpose that is far beyond our understanding. We have to remain steadfast in our faith and Let Go and Let God calm the storms of life that we encounter. He always has our “Six”. Allow Him to restore us to where He would have us to be, not where we think we should be. Faith as defined by the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association website is as follows –“ In the Bible, “faith” means believing in God, and in what Christ has done for us to make our salvation possible–and then committing ourselves to Him. In other words, faith has two parts to it, and both are equally important. The first part is belief–belief that God exists, and that He loves us and sent His son into the world to save us. Faith isn’t a vague hope that God might exist; it is a definite belief that what the Bible says about Him is true. The second part of faith is commitment–a definite decision not only to believe in our minds that Christ can save us, but to put our lives into His hands and trust Him alone for our salvation. True faith not only believes Christ can save us, but actually trusts Him to do it.”
God did not intend for our faith in Him to only be present in the best of times. He wants us to trust Him with all that we are even when we are facing the fiercest storm or the strongest adversary. He has our “Six”
Joshua 1:9 New King James Version (NKJV)
9 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”
2 Corinthians 4:8-10 New King James version (NKJV)
8 We are hard-pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; 9 persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed— 10 always carrying about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body.
Psalms 107:28-31 New King James Version (NKJV)
28 Then they cry out to the Lord in their trouble, And He brings them out of their distresses. 29 He calms the storm, So that its waves are still. 30 Then they are glad because they are quiet; So He guides them to their desired haven. 31 Oh, that men would give thanks to the Lord for His goodness, And for His wonderful works to the children of men!
Psalms 9:9-10 New King James Version (NKJV)
9 The Lord also will be a refuge for the oppressed, A refuge in times of trouble. 10 And those who know Your name will put their trust in You; For You, Lord, have not forsaken those who seek You
As defined by the non profit organization “Got Your Six” and gleaned from their website.
“In the military, “got your six” means “I’ve got your back.” The saying originated with World War I fighter pilots referencing the rear of an airplane as the six o’clock position. If you picture yourself at the center of a clock face, the area directly in front of you is twelve o’clock. Six o’clock is what lies behind you. On a battlefield, your “six” is the most vulnerable. So, when someone tells you that they’ve “got your six,” it means they’re watching your back. By extension, that person expects you to have their back as well. “Got your six” is now a ubiquitous term in the military that also highlights the way military members look out for each other.”
Isaiah 58:8 New King James Version (NKJV)
8 Then your light shall break forth like the morning, Your healing shall spring forth speedily, And your righteousness shall go before you; The glory of the Lord shall be your rear guard.
PAX Circled up for Hurricane HoeDown! 7 Hallelujah flutterkicks, 7 slightly reclined flutterkicks, 7 regular flutterkicks, and 7 LBC flutterkicks. The PAX then did 6 of eack, then 5,4,3,2, and held flutterkicks during the last set..
PAX circled up for F3 message from Colossians 3:
If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory. Therefore put to death your members which are on the earth: fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. Because of these things the wrath of God is coming upon the sons of disobedience, in which you yourselves once walked when you lived in them. But now you yourselves are to put off all these: anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy language out of your mouth. Do not lie to one another, since you have put off the old man with his deeds, and have put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created him, where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcised nor uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave nor free, but Christ is all and in all. Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering; bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do. But above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection. And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him. Wives, submit to your own husbands, as is fitting in the Lord. Husbands, love your wives and do not be bitter toward them. Children, obey your parents in all things, for this is well pleasing to the Lord. Fathers, do not provoke your children, lest they become discouraged. Bondservants, obey in all things your masters according to the flesh, not with eyeservice, as men-pleasers, but in sincerity of heart, fearing God. And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance; for you serve the Lord Christ. But he who does wrong will be repaid for what he has done, and there is no partiality.
After our short break we started Baatan death march aka burpee catch me if you can: PAX mosied while the last man in the like did 5 Burpees. After the 5 burpees he ran to catch up to the front of the line while the last man dropped back and did 5 burpees. it took us 2 laps to get thru the group
Bear Crawl Merkin Inchworm.
Pax broke up into 2 groups. Both groups formed a line head to toe in the Plank position while 1st man did bear crawl merkins to the front of the line. Once he reached the front of line the HIM that was now at the back of the line did the same. Until everyone in line got a turn.
We finished the gloom back in a circle doing Baycity Scissors. 8 count scissor kicks until 0600 we ended with COT.
A dirty dozen PAX threw off the Fartsack and won THAT FIRST BATTLE to post for what turned out to be one of the workouts for GORUCK’s August rucking challenge. YHC had two options on his Weinke: On one side, the Bearmuda Triangle. On the reverse, the MACV-SOG workout put together by the cadre at GORUCK. The choice depended on whether YHC could get other PAX to bring rucks. Thanks to all who brought rucks! We had extras…which means we’ve got a good crew of ruckers. (Let’s get some of the GORUCK events under our collective belt.)
Here’s how we started the day:
WARM-O-RAMA
SSH – 18 IC
Apollo Ohno – 18 IC
Swartzjacks – 18 IC
Crabflippers – 18 IC
Superman/Pull! – 10 count/5 rounds
Shoulder-Tap Merkins – 10 IC
PAX counted off by 2’s then partnered up for the following MACV-SOG workout (YHC had a bunch of extras in case we fell short…who was “I” to doubt GORUCK?)
MACV stands for Military Assistance Command Vietnam
Between the 100 No Push-Up Burpees, what the F3 Exicon calls Flying Squirrels, (50 per partner) YHC shared this 3rdF message:
We need to constantly push ourselves to understand what we [PERCEIVE] to be our limits. Until we do, we haven’t reached, or begun to reach, our full potential. Often times, EXTREMES are required to push us past our limits, to make us stronger, better, or produce growth where we need it most.
▪ We can push ourselves past our limits, this requires self-discipline. Or, at least the willingness to places ourselves in positions where we know we’ll be pushed past our limits. That’s the treasure of having different Q’s lead us through a workout! …
▪ I.e. Others, who do not know OUR limits (or probably don’t care what our limits are) will push us past our limits… These situations are mostly in reference to the physical workouts or challenges we face, but they easily translate to the mental and spiritual aspects of life as well, because…
▪ Lastly, and most importantly, Christ, who is the Author and Finisher of our faith (Heb. 12:2), will push us past our limits. And this is often through our testing, which includes suffering (suffering ALWAYS pushes us past our limits) and in God’s economy He allows this for our good, like burning away the dross and purifying us like gold, and He does this for His glory. (Our good, His glory!) So…DEQ! (Don’t Ever Quit…cleaned up version of DFQ.)
BIBLICAL EXAMPLES:
ABRAHAM in Gen. 22 was tested by God to take his son, Isaac, and offer him as a burnt offering. Poor Isaac even had to chop and carry the wood. When he asked his dad about the offering, Abraham replied “God will provide for Himself a lamb...” And when Abe was about to plunge the knife into Isaac, God said “Do not stretch out your hand against the lad, and do nothing to harm him; for NOW I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, YOUR ONLY SON, from Me.” You can guarantee this extreme test pushed him past his limits!
JOSEPH, by the end of Gen. 42, was sold into slavery by his brothers! He ran from Potiphar’s house in his boxers after Potiphar’s wife tried to seduce him (he ran because he feared God), and ended up imprisoned. The story continued for numbers of years in Egypt where Joseph experienced the favor of God, rising to leadership where he was 2nd only to Pharaoh! Point being, his life was full of consistently being pushed beyond his limits, but he never once used his personal circumstances as an excuse NOT to live for God. As a result, he rose to power in Egypt. He knew God’s purposes were higher than his personal suffering. He not only reached the full potential of his faith, but as a result, the nation of Israel was preserved! There was a greater purpose to it all!
Peter referred to all of this when he wrote: “Brothers, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice insofar as you share in Christ’s sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when His glory is revealed…” (1 Pet. 4:12-13)
So, we push ourselves to understand what we [perceive] to be our limits, others push us beyond our limits, AND God pushes us past our perceived limits. ALL for a purpose: For our GOOD but ultimately for God’s GLORY. So…DEQ!
PAX wrapped up the very last exercise at 5:59, which left no time for the extra’s YHC had planned: Wall work, Jack Webb, & Mary. With a minute spare shared a little further about the ruck workout carried out in honor of America’s Special Forces.
Time called.
COT/BOM:
Announcements: Chattahoochee working on method to collect school supplies.
Prayers: The family of Katie West, grieving her tragic death; Chattahoochee’s daughter, Taylor, having surgery on 8/7
That’s about it. Always honored to lead. And, yes, what a great way to start a day!
Warm-a-Rama 20 semi wave. i/c 20 ssh. I/c Nur to opposite side of circle 20 plank Jack. i/c 20 seal Jacks. i/c Side shuffle to opposite side of circle 20 should taps. I/c 20 Windmill. I/c Side shuffle (opposite side) to opposite side of circle 20 mountain climbers i/c 20 Cherry pickers. I/c
Thang Mosey to church on Bradford street
10 swerkins 15 leg lifts on bench X 3
Mosey to wall on other side of the tracks
5 derkins, hop wall, 5 urkins X 5
Mosey to Domino’s
5 chicken merkin I/c 8 count
Mosey to parking lot by court house
Semi suicides Nur, side shuffle, jailbreak, bear crawl, lt Dan, crawl bear, mosey, and lt danger
Warmup: All IC 25 SSH, 18 Cherry Pickers 18 Moroccan Night Clubs, 18 Windmills, 18 Mountain Climbers
The Thang Mosey around the block Bring Sally Up with Burpees on Up (30) Mosey around the block Burp & Merk Pyramid up to 10 and back down. Start with 1 merkin 1 burpee, 2 merkins 1 burpee, 3, …100 merkins 19 burpees.
Mosey around block Cptn Therkin 1 Big Boy 4 American Hammers 5 Merkins, up to 5 Big Boys & 20 Double Count American Hammers with 5 merkins each time. Mosey around block
Brief message about F3 encouraging us all to win the 1st battle each morning by posting and how we all benefit from surrpunding ourselves with other HIM.
Q: Waterfall The PAX: Toy Soldier, Summit, Ruxpin, Ying Ying, Chairman, Gump, Doubfire, Chattahoochee
The Warm Up: 20 SSH IC, 20 Diaper Pickers IC, 20 Moroccan Night Club IC, 20 Windmill IC, and Superman Banana! Superman Banana starts in the superman position. When Q yells BANANA you roll over on to your back in a reverse of the superman so you are curled up like a banana. When the Q yells SUPERMAN you roll back. Rolled back and forth like a bunch of crazy people a few times.
The Thang #1: Route 66 and a bag of chips. We did the Route 66 from telephone pole to telephone pole. We did it decessending from 11 burpees at the first telephone pole down to 1 burpee at the last telephone pole for a total of 66 burpees. For added suck we also did LBCs ascending. I’m calling the additional exercise “and a bag of chips” since it was added on.
The Message: The story of the Rich Young Ruler. His good works weren’t good enough. Jesus invited him to follow him. But the young man went away sorrowful because he wouldn’t give up his lavish lifestyle to follow Jesus.
The Thang #2: Waterfall likes the wall! Wall of Burpee for an additional 3 burpees. Each PAX takes the chair. We go down the row doing 1 burpee each. Then we went down the row again doing 2 burpees each. Next we did Mexican jumping beans and overhead claps ascending up to 10 jumps and 40 claps. With a few minutes left we ended with some Mary.
Great times! For this time of year as PAX rotate out on vacations it was awesome to have 11 HIM drop the DRP and post for the Field of Dreams [delirium] workout. It wasn’t always this way, so its exciting to still see double digits when others are out. Plant, Grow, and Serve small workout groups of men for the invigoration of male community leadership–on mission!
So here’s the skinny, it went a lil’ something like this:
WARM-O-RAMA:
SSH’s – 18 IC
SwartzJack’s – 20 IC
Seal Jack’s – 18 IC
Plank Jacks – 18 IC
Merkins – 10 OYO
Crab Flippers – 18 IC
The Big Dice
THE THANG:
Upon returning to the AO following a nice brisk 0.5 mile Patriot Run around the block, PAX divided into 2 teams. Teams took turns rolling the 3 dice until reaching the opposite end of the field.
ROUTINE: Roll dice, both teams Bear Crawl to dice, execute the corresponding number of Burpees rolled (teams were to remember total number rolled. Team with highest number determined the punishment of lower scoring team at the end of the field).
Team 1 rolled 4x – Roll dice, Bear Crawl, Burpees. Rinse & Repeat…
Team 2 rolled 3x – Roll dice, Bear Crawl, Burpees. Rinse & Repeat…
Team 1 Rolled the highest number, though neither team remembers the exact number due to burpee delirium. Guestimates are as low as 77, but it was more likely closer to 100.
Da MATH: Neither team rolled less than 11 (77 Burpees would be the bare minimum), but there were rolls of 16, 14, 13, and 12. I.e. just know that the PAX executed ALOT OF BURPEES!
Rolling the highest accumulated number, Team 1 determined they would do 15 Merkins, while Team 2 was assigned 30 Merkins.
PAX took the long Mosey back to the AO, taking turns swapping out holding the dice overhead. They’re not heavy but THAT did create a different dynamic for the mosey.
Meanwhile back at the AO: 3rdF Message…
(The following thoughts adapted from R. Kent Hughes in Disciplines of a Godly Man)
Harry Blymires, in (The Christian Mind) said, “The Christian mind has succumbed to the secular drift with a degree of weakness and nervelessness unmatched in Christian history.” He sees our generation as suffering from religious anorexia (anorexia religiosa), a loss of appetite for Christ.
The bottom line is: this comes from a declining willingness to properly program the amazing instruments God has given us. Christians leave their 12 billion cells unguarded and unthinking—and undisciplined. When we turn to God’s Word, we’re aware that the Biblical writers understood the problem in a less technical way. “Above all else, guard your heart,” says Proverbs, “for it is the wellspring of life” (4:23). “For as a man thinks within his heart, so is he” (Prov. 23:7). The Scriptures tell us rightly that INPUT DETERMINES OUTPUT — that our PROGRAMMING DETERMINES PRODUCTION.
The one thing that will always shape your life is the condition of your heart. The Apostle Paul told us in Philippians to think on explicitly positive things: The true. The noble. The right. The pure. The lovely. The admirable. This is more than the power of positive thinking. They all defy negative exposition. I.e. each is a matter of personal choice — and our choices make all the difference in the world. We all can CHOOSE a thought “program” which will produce a Christian mind.
2 AREAS OF PERSONAL APPLICATION:
#1 – I have great sympathy for those whose past has been a series of bad choices. I understand that if over the years one has chosen the impure and the illusory and the negative, it is very difficult to change. But as a biblical thinker I give no space to myself or to anyone else who rationalizes his present choices by the past. Brothers, as followers of Christ we are free to have a Christian mind/a biblical worldview. It IS within our reach, and it is our duty.
#2 – We should be aware of the wise warnings against using words like “all,” “every,” and “always” in what we say. Using absolutes is dangerous. But I’m going to do it anyway. Here it is: IT IS IMPOSSIBLE FOR ANY FOLLOWER OF CHRIST WHO SPENDS THE BULK OF HIS EVENINGS, MONTH AFTER MONTH, WEEK UPON WEEK, DAY IN AND DAY OUT WATCHING THE TV AND WATCHING VIDEOS TO HAVE A CHRISTIAN MIND. This is ALWAYS true of ALL Christians in EVERY situation. A biblical mental program cannot exist with worldly programming. Again, INPUT DETERMINES OUTPUT — PROGRAMMING DETERMINES PRODUCTION.
Where the Bible says “think about such things” (Phil 4:8), the word that is used is “logidzamai”, from which we get the mathematical computer-like word logarithm. It means a “deliberate and prolonged contemplation as if one is weighing a mathematical problem.” It’s like getting junk mail versus getting the new Shooters Magazine, Runners World, etc. Or like getting junk emails versus emails from F3 or GoRuck, etc. You throw out the junk after a brief scan, but you take deliberate and prolonged contemplation over the new items from your favorite sources.
Even more so, we are to think about the good and positive elements God wants us to put into our computers/minds. God calls HIM in His Word to a massive and positive discipline of the mind. You cannot be profoundly influenced by that which you do not know. I.e. INPUT DETERMINES OUTPUT — PROGRAMMING DETERMINES PRODUCTION.
“Oh, how I love your law! I meditate on it all day long. Your commands make me wiser than my enemies, for they are ever with me. I have more insight than all my teachers, For I meditate on Your statutes. I have more understanding than the elders, For I obey your precepts.” (Psalm 119:97-100)
Last but not least A Round of Mary:
Flutter Kicks – Courtesy of Chattahoochee
Box Cutters – Courtesy of Vanilla
Big Boys – Courtesy of Gump
LBC’s – Courtesy of Summit
American Hammers – Courtesy of Ying Ying
COT/BOM:
Announcements: Warm-Up VQ scheduled for Gump @ Primis. Be there!
Prayers: Chattahoochee, Bill Crouch, YHC, etc. Plus, as always prayers were lifted up for each PAX to be a HIM in his home, his workplace, and in his community in which he serves.
That’s a wrap. Lot’s of PAX on vacation but we still posted 11! Way cool to see the continued growth of this group and of each individual PAX getting stringer and better as they keep posting. YHC was once again honored to lead!
WARMARAMA: 20 Moroccan Nightclubs IC , 20 SSH IC , 20 Copperhead Squats IC, 20 Cherry Pickers IC, 20 Mountain Climbers, 15 SSH IC
The Thang 1: Mosey to Shipbuilders Village and partnered off. Partner 1 runs to Spinnaker Lane and nurs back while partner 2 is doing merkins and then switch. Then Partner 1 runs to Genoa Ln and nurs back while partner 2 is doing side plank leg lifts switching sides at 10 counts. Then switch with partner.
Thang 2: Mosey to Post Office circle. Same partners. Partner 1 bearcrawls halfway around circle and crawlbears the second half of the circle while Partner 2 does 80/40/20 super toy soldier set. Then switch.
3rd F – First Watch Psalm 143:8 Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love, for I have put my trust in you. Show me the way I should go, for to you I entrust my life.
I have struggled all of my life with a shallow relationship with my heavenly father. I have tried since I was 15 years old to have a daily quiet time with him. I have had spurts of success, but never sustained. Some events in my life over this past year have caused me to reflect on that issue and I have made some major changes accordingly. I belong to a Christian business leaders group called C12 Group. About 5 years ago I was at a C12 conference in Orlando the founder, Buck Jacobs gave a stirring message about how important it is to have a consistent daily time in the Word of God and prayer. He said the best success for that time is the first hour of every day, no matter what you do. Make it non-negotiable. At the prompting of a very good friend of mine, Herb Troyer, whom I ironically introduced him to C12 4 years ago, he suggested I revisit that message. I did, and I have successfully adopted this routine into my life now 138 days straight (Buck is on day 10,000+-). I would encourage each of you to consider this to be part of your life, a non-negotiable start to your day. God will redeem your time and rest.
Apart from Christ, we are all creatures of our fleshly desires and habits. Even though He promises that our salvation is secure, our commitment to living under the Lordship of Christ must happen one day at a time as we react to the many challenges and temptations which come our way. Our ability to provide Godly leadership stems solely from our daily intimacy with Christ. Unless we abide in Him by routinely accessing His means of Grace (i.e., Bible, prayer, worship, fellowship, witnessing), it is easy for us to get off track and be compromised in our ability to be ambassadors and make disciples.
Start small, 10-15 mins everyday. Routines become habits, habits become part of us, good or bad. This will change your life, I promise you.
Psalm 119:11 Thy word have I hid in my heart, that I might not sin against you.
Ephesians 6:13 ..put on the whole armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.
