THE SCENE: Misty and humid, temps is 80s
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER
WARM-O-RAMA:
20 Plank Jacks, 10 Burpees, 10 Windmills, 10 Toes Reaches, 7 Wide Arm Circles Forward, 7 Backward
THA-THANG:
Mosey to stop sign at northeastern corner of Admin Bldg. 20 Hello Dollies.
Mosey to perimeter trail and head west. We will follow the perimeter trail north to the shaded tree by Lyons Bend. 20 American Hammers.
Mosey to Mt. Everest. We will do 40 Baby Crunches, then run up to large tree, circle around it and return.
Mosey to shaded area by water bldg. 20 Flutter Kicks.
Mosey to North Shore gate and head east on trail. There will be cones in flat grassy area to the right. We will divide up men to start at different cones. We will go counter-clockwise to each cone. The cones will list exercises. We will do circle the cones three times doing the first exercise listed the first time there and continue in sequence the next time there. However, before starting into the next sequence of cone exercises we will make a full circle around the cones. Here are the exercises for each cone:
- Cone 1: 1. 20 Bobby Hurleys. 2. 20 Smurf Jacks. 3. 20 Star Jumps.
- Cone 2: 1. 20 Big Boy Sit-ups. 2. 20 Squats. 3. 20 Bicycle Kicks (4 ct)
- Cone 3: 1. 20 Iron Mikes (both legs = 1). 2. 20 Mountain Climbers (both legs = 1). 3. 20 Shoulder Taps (both shoulders = 1)
- Cone 4: 1. 20 Merkins. 2. 20 Carolina Dry Docks 3. 20 Diamond Merkins
Mosey to beginning of parking lot at Area 51. We will Bernie Sanders to the curb by the grass, then run back to the starting point of the parking lot, then Bernie Sanders back to the curb again. Next, at curb we will do 20 Toe Taps (4 ct). Then we will run to the road up top where there is a shaded tree. There, we will do 30 Second Leg Lift.
Mosey to bat cave. From the bat cave we will sprint to the administration parking lot. Each man walks back to bat cave after the sprint, then sprints to parking lot again.
Mosey to AO.
MARY:
20 Hello Dollies, 20 Tempo Merkins.
COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA
20 men, no FNGs.
CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:
Quote from James Finley, a theologian and former monk who studied under Thomas Merton: “That which is essential never imposes itself for love is always offered, it’s never imposed, and that which in unessential is constantly imposing itself.”
God created us in His image. He made us for communication with Him. We fall short in life if not with Him. We are in need of Him. Without Him we are thirsty. Without Him there is something wrong in our lives. His love is Essential. And, as James Finley says, his love is offered freely to us. It is not imposed, it is not forced upon us. It comes to us in so many ways: the playfulness of a child, the chance for rest or Sabbath, the words of the Bible, the laughter among friends, intimacy with a partner, the love shared by a neighbor, the smile of a stranger, the songs of the birds, the beauty of the mountains, the plains, the wind, the sky, God’s creation. Notice how these Essential things hang back, they do not force their will on us, they do not impose themselves. Notice how we have to truly look, to truly listen, to truly observe in order to appreciate them. It is like pulling over to the side of the road to really enjoy a sunset. You sit there in your car and our blown away by the beauty. And then, after you start the car up and drive on home, you think to yourself, I need to do this more often, I need to truly take this beauty in each day. It is like when you hear a great song that makes the hair rise on your skin and you think, how beautiful, how powerful, this song makes me want to be more than what I have been. Or, it is like when you are at worship and hear a particular sermon that makes you almost want to cry and you think, man, I need to remember this, I need to take this into the fiber of my being . . . and, a few days later you kind of forget what the sermon was all about.
A problem we humans face is that, like Finley claims, “the unessential is constantly imposing itself” on us. What are some of these unessential things? Wealth, power, fame, success, popularity are examples. Think about our daily lives. Think about what the world says we should be. We are constantly bombarded by shoulds in our lives. “I should do more to rise to the top at work.” “I should work more hours so that I can make more money.” “I should get a bigger home.” “I should get a nicer car.” “I need to participate in more organizations so that I am doing more with my life.” “I gotta make that deadline.” “I should be slimmer and more fit.” “I should spend more of my time working for charities so that people see how much I am giving to others.” “I need to be the top salesman in my region this year”. “I need to belong to that country club because it is populated by some of the most notable people in Knoxville.” I am not saying that any of the above things are unworthy. But, they are unessential. These shoulds are often what we pay the most attention to. And by doing that, we lose sight of God’s creation, God’s love. We miss out on what God has made essential for us.
Lord, help us to spend more time focusing on the essential. You have given these essential things to us because you love us. You don’t impose them on us. You give us free will to accept them because you know that true love cannot be forced upon us. Help take our eyes away from what is unessential and keep our eyes on you.
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
Prayers for Title -9 as he adjusts to living in Oregon, for Lily’s wife who will have double mastectomy surgery on Wednesday, Augut 19, for Thunderstruck’s mother as she faces chemotherapy and blood transfusions, for safety of the F3 dads and kids at camp this weekend, for the AO in Morristown that we helped start. Steam will be going to the Morristown AO workout to support them this Saturday and welcomes anyone who would like to go with him.