PAX came out on a beautiful morning for a modified Cooper routine. PAX ran 1 big lap (roughly .6 miles) followed by 10 burpees 10 merkins 10 Big boy situps and 10 squats followed by another lap. Rinse and repeat we finished up running 3.3 miles!!! Way to get after it HIM!!
3rd F message
Then, the same day at evening, being the first day of the week,
when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in the midst, and said to them, “Peace be with you.” When He had said this, He showed them His hands and His side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord. So Jesus said to them again, “Peace to you! As the Father has sent Me, I also send you.” If I were to sum up what Jesus is saying here it would be this. “I send you” In a world of chaos, “I send you” in a world full of hatred “I send you” in a world that doesn’t accept Jesus as their savior” I send you”. To the lowly and lost in spirit “I send
you” to the friend or family member who has lost their way “I send you”. We are called to be a light in the darkness, but you can’t overcome darkness with more darkness. We have to be the light and it starts with you, it starts with I. You see we can’t wait on others to bring the light, the darkness is already here, we have to bring the light, Jesus said “I send you”. The greatest wildfires are started with the smallest spark. We can be that spark that improves the world. But it starts at home. So remember this when the world around you seems dark and full of hatred, searching for hope, and looking for a sign of kindness.
Cinco de mayo + 6 PAX (not pack) + Dice = A Dicey Cinco de Mayo. There’s no better way to start any day than with the men of F3nation. Six men won THAT FIRST BATTLE–over the fartsack–made a decision against themselves, and called up some grit to post in Milford for a Chappie-led dicey beatdown. Here’s how it went down:
WARM-O-RAMA:
SSH – 18 IC
5Merkins – IC, Happy Cinco de mayo!
Swartzjacks – 18 IC
5 Diamond Merkins – IC, Happy Cinco de mayo!
Hairy Chiggers – 18 IC
5 Prison Cell Merkins – IC, Happy Cinco de mayo!
Imperial Walker – 18 IC
5 Peter Parker – OYO, Happy Cinco de mayo!
Mosey down S E Front Street to parking lot behind Calvary Church. Lo and behold! YHC discovered some dice in the shadows…
THE THANG (explained): Roll Dice, Bear Crawl/Crawl Bear to dice, do the work on the dice (3 dice)
Equation: Cinco de mayo = 5 sets of Number on Dice (see list below) x Number on Dice.
YHC went back and marked the above list. Stars indicate our rolls of the dice and the exercise executed. 6 PAX, 6 rolls got us to the opposite end of the parking lot, where YHC shared the 3rdF. PAX mosey’d back to the AO taking turns carrying 1 of the 3 di overhead–not heavy, but a test nonetheless. The final roll (15 = 75 Wide-Arm Merkins) took place upon arriving at the AO.
3rdF shared this Gloom:
In Sacred Romance, John Eldredge writes: “As a young boy, around the time my heart began to suspect that the world was a fearful place and I was on my own to fund my way through it, I read the story of a Scottish disc thrower from the nineteenth century. He lived in the days before professional trainers and developed his skills alone in the highlands of his native village. He even made his own discus from the description he read in a book. What he didn’t know was the discus used in competition was made of wood with an outer rim of iron. His was solid metal and weighed three or four times as much as those being used by would-be challengers. This committed Scotsman marked out in his field the distance of the current record throw and trained day and night to be able to match it. For nearly a year, he labored under the self-imposed burden of the extra weight, becoming very, very good. He reached the point at which he could throw his iron discus the record distance, maybe further. He was ready.
The highlander traveled south to England for his first competition. When he arrived at the games, he was handed the official wooden discus—which he promptly threw like a tea saucer. He set a new record, a distance so far beyond those of his competitors that no one could touch him. For many years he remained the uncontested champion.”
Something in our hearts ought to connect with this story. That’s how you do it: Train under great burden.
That’s why we workout the way we do, day after day. It’s a great burden. Maybe the burden is simply getting up at O-Gawd-Thirty, but it is a burden nonetheless. That’s why we ruck with greater weight than the usual rucking events, we carry heavier burdens in training so that when we face the test of an event the burden is, well, not so burdensome. That’s why we train ourselves to do hard things, to embrace doing hard things. F3 workouts are essentially designed by the Q’s to be somewhat burdensome for the sole purpose that they makes us stronger, train us to endure, so that we will be better able to translate facing those burdens to walking through and enduring the heavy things we face in life: Maybe its your marriage, a wayward teenager, something in the workplace; whatever it is we are training not only physically to face them, but more so we are training spiritually, mentally, and emotional to be able to endure and come our victorious and better for having faced whatever we faced in that season.
Romans 5:3-5 says, “Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.”
These verses tell us we know there is produce to behold in our suffering: Endurance. Character. Hope. That is why we’re able to rejoice in carrying the heavier burdens; there is an outcome which transforms and makes is better men. Being better men thereby transforms our homes. And having better homes thereby transforms our workplaces and communities. And having better workplaces and communities thereby transforms our world. And God knows we need that!
Here are a few others verses to reference in your own studies. Check ’em out: 1 Cor. 9:24-27; James 1:2-4
COT:
Number-Rama
Name-O-Rama
Announcements: Keep poking potential sponsors for Roving RuckF3st for Gavin (Sun. May 16). All PAX should plan to ruck if they’re available
Prayers:Prayers for the family of Delmar police officer Cpl. Keith Heacook, killed in the line duty, Sunday, April 25. Cpl. Heacook leaves behind his wife and 12-yr-old son. Prayers for all those donning a badge everyday to protect and serve our communities. Prayers for the PAX who posted this morning, that God would help us to gain a new perspective toward our daily workouts AND toward facing the challenges we face and how they can make us stronger, more enduring men and leaders—that that would translate into each of us living today as HIM in our homes, workplaces, and in the communities in which we serve.
Grateful for the PAX who posted. And YHC always counts it a privilege to…roll the dice. 😉
Bolt 45’s IC (4 Count) – 15 squats to halfway down. 15 squats halfway to full down. 15 full squats.
Cherry Pickers – 15 IC
Mosey @ .5 miles to the hill by the boat docks
The Thang
Pax went right at a set of Doracides which is identified in the Exicon as follows: Two Pax worked together to reach exercise reps of 100, 200, 300, & 400 of 4 different exercises. One Pax worked on the exercises while the second Pax completed suicides to three designated waypoints approx. 30 yards apart by way of a NUR up the hill. Another extra twist is at the waypoint of each suicide run; the Pax completed 1 burpee, then 2 burpees, and finally 3 burpees before returning to the starting point. Once all three suicide sprints were completed, the Pax switched stations until all reps of each exercise were completed. The exercises completed are as follows: 100 American Hammers, 200 Merkins, 300 LBC’s, & 400 squats. Each Pax will make every attempt to complete their half of the total exercises.
Mosey @ .5 miles back to CHOP
F3 Message – See Below
Count-O-Rama, Name-O-Rama, and the Circle of Trust. Please keep all our HIM in your thoughts and prayers.
F3 Message 04/15/21 – Gleaned from Ron Hutchcraft Ministries
My first hint that things were changing was the Storm Troopers suddenly patrolling the parking lot. Then I saw the man with the floor-length wolf tail. Followed by seeing X-Men in the hotel lobby.
And that was just the beginning. Batman, Superman, Darth Vader, Wonder Woman – and, of course, all the insects. Spiderman, Wasp, Bumblebee, The Tick. I fully expected Arnold Scharzenegger to arrive any minute as the ExTerminator. The growing invasion included all kinds of superhero movie characters and science fiction types that were from outside my universe.
The annual convention of National Religious Broadcasters was just moving out. You know, guys in suits. With briefcases.
And the annual convention of comic book, movie and science fiction folks was moving in. You know, characters in capes and masks and Spandex.
Standing in the lobby, waiting for my ride to the airport, was outrageously amusing. Two worlds colliding. Two polar opposite worlds!
Here’s the crazy part. Standing around in my jeans, shirt and sneakers, I had the strangest feeling. All of a sudden, I was the weird one. Not long before, I had been normal. But now I was surrounded by – well, what would be considered weird in most settings.
That’s when my mind started wandering into the whole culture I live in. Where the guard is changing at eye-blurring speed. Where the values and moral consensus that used to define our lives is rapidly receding.
And where it’s becoming increasingly “weird” to believe that God’s Word is the final word. Where those who are trying to follow in Jesus’ footsteps find themselves increasingly out of step with the cadence of the culture. Sometimes, even out of step with the folks at church.
It was easier to be faithful Jesus-followers when that was respected. When it was, in a sense, “normal.” But now it’s increasingly “intolerant” … “narrow-minded” … “hateful” – judgments that at times we bring on ourselves. Because, instead of holding the truth in love, we come across with anger, self-righteousness and judgment.
And while I must be against what my God is against, I want to be known more for what I’m for. I’m for love without scars, selflessness in relationships, respect for every life, compassion for the broken. I want to be the guy who is quick to listen, ready to forgive and known for integrity. That’s not “weird.” That’s rare! And what’s rare is valuable.
But even with a positive brand of purity, it’s still getting lonelier to be God’s guy or gal in an increasingly God-“dissing” world. We shouldn’t be surprised.
The Bible forecasts a day when “normal” will be a world where people “will consider nothing sacred. Evil people and impostors will flourish. They will deceive others and will themselves be deceived…People will no longer listen to sound and wholesome teaching. They will follow their own desires and will look for teachers who will tell them what their itching ears want to hear. They will reject the truth and chase after myths” (2 Timothy 3:1, 12; 4:3-4).
God’s word for His people in that world where untruths will be revered as truth is clear: “But you must remain faithful in the things you have been taught … the holy Scriptures … All Scripture is inspired by God” (2 Timothy 3:14-16).
I really can’t afford to begin my day without first being with my Jesus. Letting the unchanging truth of His Word rekindle my love for Him so once again He’s the only One I care about pleasing. And so I can download His perspective on what I will see, hear and experience today in a God-denying culture with its pretty packages and powerful magnets.
A world that is constantly trying to get you to be like them desperately needs you to be like Jesus. You are hope with skin on – hope that there is another way to be. “Blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation. Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky as you hold firmly to the word of life” (Philippians 2:15-16).
If it seems to be getting darker where you are, remember – stars show most brightly against the backdrop of a very dark sky.
Warm-a-Rama 20 ssh i/c 15 seal wave i/c 15 mountain man pooper i/c 20 plank jack i/c
The Thang Mosey to park behind library While waiting on 6 we did one leg hip thrust Pax pairs off, while one HIM completes lap around gazebo other HIM completes exercises. Laps are: mosey, side shuffle, and nur Exercises are: merkins, swerkins, fire hose
3rd F
and the face cloth, which had been on Jesus’ head, not lying with the linen cloths but folded up in a place by itself. John 20:7 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/jhn.20.7.ESV The culture back then when you were done eating you tossed your napkin on the table. If your were leaving the table but planned on coming back you folded your napkin. Jesus folded HIS head wrap symbolizing HE plans on coming back!
Mosey back to CHOP
While waiting for 6 another round of single leg hip thrust and 15 hello dollies i/c
LINE UP AT IN THE PARKING LOT, DO 30 MERKINS NEXT PAX LINE UP AND SPRINT TO THE OPPOSITE SIDE OF THE PARKING LOT WALK BACK. RINSE AND REPEAT 10 TIMES FOR A TOTAL OF 300 MERKINS.
F3 MESSAGE:
And it came to pass, when He drew near to Bethphage and Bethany, at the mountain called Olivet, that He sent two of His disciples, saying, “Go into the village opposite you, where as you enter you will find a colt tied, on which no one has ever sat. Loose it and bring it here. And if anyone asks you, ‘Why are you loosing it? ’ thus you shall say to him, ‘Because the Lord has need of it.’ ” So those who were sent went their way and found it just as He had said to them. But as they were loosing the colt, the owners of it said to them, “Why are you loosing the colt?” And they said, “The Lord has need of him.” Then they brought him to Jesus. And they threw their own clothes on the colt, and they set Jesus on him. And as He went, many spread their clothes on the road. Then, as He was now drawing near the descent of the Mount of Olives, the whole multitude of the disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works they had seen, saying: “ ‘Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord !’ Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!” And some of the Pharisees called to Him from the crowd, “Teacher, rebuke Your disciples.” But He answered and said to them, “I tell you that if these should keep silent, the stones would immediately cry out.”
Luke 19:29-40 NKJV
This is my question for you? Are you getting the donkey for Jesus? In other words are you listening to what the Lord asks of you, or does life bog you down and restrict you from serving the Lord. If we are doing what the Lord asks of us he will make the way for us, could you imagine what the owner of the donkey thought about this? Could you just give away your car? Obviously not, but because the disciples were doing what the Lord asked Jesus made the way for them. Men we have to put aside our busy lifestyle and simply just get the donkey.
The Grit Mill was greeted by 8 PAX who won THAT FIRST BATTLE against the fartsack and posted for a ruck beatdown–tailored by YHC to limit being too mobile with hopes of bringing some recovery to an ankle feeling every bit of 53-yrs-old.
PAX included FNG Steve McDougall (n.k.a MacDaddy). As YHC was welcoming our FNG, he asked if YHC knew him or remembered him. He looked familiar but had to jog YHC’s memory. Amazing! Steve was the guy who came into my room when I was hospitalized with COVID19 back in December. Then, he put a new IV in my arm, we talked for awhile, YHC EH’d him (anywhere, anytime, baby!). But the most remarkable thing YHC remembers is that before Steve left my room, he knelt beside my bed, grabbed my hand, and prayed for my recovery. That’s a HIM right there! Since that week in mid-December Looney Tunes EH’d him as well. Sometimes it takes a few contacts with F3 HIM before guys will actually post. EH! EH! EH! Welcome to F3 MacDaddy! (So named because he’s carried several “Mac” nicknames, especially in the USMC, but now he’s got 5 children.)
Anyway, YHC created a ruck workout with some Grit (he hopes) but with limited mobility (travel), and here’s how it all went down:
Ruck Step Ups x 50 (sc) ☆ Suitcase carry around library (half/half)
Overhead Shoulder Press x 50 (sc) ☆ Lunge-walk 1/2 around library
Ruck Pull Side-to-side x 50, (due to time) FOLLOWED BY Ruck Merkins x 50
The following 3rdF was shared mid-workout:
UPDATED 3/24/21 for the Grit Mill
If you’ve been around F3 First State for any length if time, then you know I often share 3rd F messages based upon my personal military experiences. This one has 3 core components: A military experience, an F3 leadership principle, and a biblical text that most are at least familiar with.
Let’s start with the biblical text and work backwards. When I enlisted to join the PA Army National Guard (“Roll on!”), we were sent off to “pre-basic” right before we shipped out to Ft. Sill, OK (and other places) for regular Army Basic Training. On the first night of pre-basic, after lights-out, nobody knew what to say or if they should say anything at all! All of us troops just lay there in our “racks” in silence. I thought about it for what seemed like an eternity, but after only a minute or two, there in the darkness, I decided to say the Lord’s Prayer…OUT LOUD!
My fear was that nobody would join me. And we were all feeling a little scared —- I’d call it a fear of the unknown about what was ahead of us—completely unfamiliar territory—as we were entering a new phase of life, a part of which would be dominated by Drill Sergeants…doing what Drill Sergeants do!!! (We had drill sergeants in pre-basic there at Ft. Indiantown Gap.) So as I began to recite the Lord’s Prayer, imagine my surprise when everyone else in our barracks chimed in, and 40-some men recited the prayer together!! I think it settled all our hearts that first night.
I did it because my desire was to be a good witness. And I did it because I suspected everyone else lying there in the dark held the same fears I had (their joining in the prayer affirmed this reality). However I DID NOT do it to demonstrate leadership. Yet in doing so, I would say that I discovered leadership. I unknowingly began to discover a principle of leadership, a principle defined in F3 as Individual Initiative(I2). As our workouts are always PEER-LED Individual Initiative (I2) comes to the forefront. Here’s a summary of what we must all do as leaders to instill and grow Individual Initiative:
A leader must teach what he knows
A leader must make clear the mission
A leader must reward I2 whenever and wherever he sees it. “Leaders always get more of what they reward and less of what they punish.”
I couldn’t have defined it that night way back in Nov. 1989 when I found myself leading 40 other [YOUNG] men in the Lord’s Prayer, but in inadvertently taking the initiative, I BEGAN to discover this critical principle of leadership which also applies in many areas of life; it IS that which helps to define each of us as HIGH IMPACT Men: INDIVIDIAL INITIATIVE! It doesn’t matter whether an opportunity arises at home, in the workplace, or in the community in which you serve…Take the initiative and lead!
COT:
Number-Rama
Name-O-Rama – naming of FNG
Announcements: Rucking in Millsboro for Roving RuckF3st Friday, followed by Bible Study at the Country Kitchen
Prayers: For Beau’s family as they grieve the loss of this little boy; for Gavin and a miracle to heal his spine; for Woodstock facing some big stuff today (details to be shared later). For all of the men in the circle to be intentional with Individual initiative today.
Good times getting after it with rucks. Awesome to see some growth at the Milford, DE AO The Gri[s]t Mill. As always, humbled to Q, but even more humbled to have an FNG join us who cared for YHC when hospitalized with the Rona. Again, welcome to F3 MacDaddy.
20 Seal jack i/c 20 Windmill i/c 20 seal wave i/c 20 mountain climbers i/c 20 mountain man pooper i/c 20 cherry picker i/c
The Thang
Frisbee golf
On this nice foggy morning green disc flew through the air. Following behind were 11 HIM completing exercises to the ‘hole’ or at the ‘hole’ depending on what the Q called out. 9 holes were played with a bonus hole to finish the morning. Exercise completed were: Dan Lt. Merkins Nur Side shuffle both directions Burpees Toy soldier set 25,15,10 Lbcs Lt. Dan Bonus – bear crawl
3rd F
Intimacy As men we usually think of sex when we hear that word. But there are other forms of intimacy: Intellectual Recreational Spiritual Financial Emotional Physical I have been listening to a podcast called One Extraordinary Marriage. Toni and Alisia wrote a book, Stripped Down, 13 keys to unlocking intimacy in your marriage. It has opened my eyes that I need to work on other areas of intimacy with my wife. These intimacies don’t just apply to marriage, they can be used in your everyday interactions. Take F3 for an example, we come together as a band of brothers for Spiritual, Emotional, Recreational, Intellectual, and Physical intimacy. Especially in the times we are in we need this group of brothers!
Number-Rama NAME-A-RAMA COT
11 HIM showed today: Semi, Fireplex, Chattahoochee, Quarto, Ruxpin, Woodstock, Struedel, Whirlybird, and welcome back Toad, Summit, and Toy Soldier
