F3 Knoxville

Author: Lillydipper

Faith of a Child

THE SCENE: Partly sunny, temp near 80 degrees.
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER
WARM-O-RAMA:
20 Side-straddle hops, 10 Mountain Climbers, 10 Body Twists, 10 Windmills, Little of This and That
THA-THANG:
Mosey to Stop Sign at Northeast Corner of Admin Bldg.  20 American Hammers.

Mosey north toward perimeter trail and then mosey east to benches at top of Cardiac.  20 Heel Touchers.

Mosey to bottom of Cardiac.  We will go back up Cardiac stopping at the following turns to do the following exercises.  Then we will come back down to do the same two more times (three times total):

  • First Turn:  20 Hello Dollies (four count)
  • Second Turn:  20 Bicycle Kicks (four count)
  • Third Turn: 20 Decline Merkins
  • Fourth Turn:  20 Bench Dips

Mosey from bottom of Cardiac past northern fields batting cages to CMU pile. First, we will do 10 Burpees.  Then, each man picks up CMU.  We will, as a group, do the following, sprinting to the end of parking lot and back between each exercise:

  • 20 Overhead Presses
  • 20 Curls
  • 20 Rows
  • 20 Squats

Mosey to Mini Cardiac.  We will Bernie Sanders 2/3 of the way up and then sprint up the rest of the way.

Mosey to Stop Sign at Northeastern Corner of Admin Bldg.  20 American Hammers.

Mosey to AO.

MARY:
20 Buzz Saws, Boat Canoe.
COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA
Seven men, no FNG’s.
CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:
The Trust of a Child

Let the Children Come to Me (Mark 10:  13-16)

13 And they were bringing children to him that he might touch them, and the disciples rebuked them. 14 But when Jesus saw it, he was indignant and said to them, “Let the children come to me; do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God. 15 Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it.” 16 And he took them in his arms and blessed them, laying his hands on them.

When I was a boy of about age 5 or 6, I came to the front door of our house, after playing outside, to enter.  The door was locked.  I rang the door bell but nobody came.  I could see my mother through the large front window of our house.  It was kind of difficult to see her but she was sitting on the couch.  I rang the doorbell again and also knocked loudly but no one answered.  I ran to the front window again.  My mother was just sitting on the couch. I thought she was ignoring me, shutting me out.  I was startled and hurt. How could she not come to the door?  Didn’t she love me anymore?  I ran in tears to the back yard.  I sat out there crying.  Maybe she didn’t love me.  Maybe she didn’t want me as her child anymore.  I was angry, I was dejected, I was dumbfounded.  I don’t know how long it took me to go to the front of the house again.  This time I banged as hard as I could on the window, screaming for my mother, demanding her to come to the door.  My mother had been sleeping heavily and was startled awake by the banging.  She quickly walked to the front door, probably in an angry mood because of her son banging on a window.  She opened the door and her anger quickly changed to concern.  She saw her boy in a state of agony, in despair, his face and shirt wet with tears, his voice blubbering.  She took him into her arms and held him close, asking “what’s wrong, what’s wrong.”  The boy explained that she had failed come to him and demanded why she didn’t do so?  She didn’t react in anger to his demands, understanding the shock of the boy of her not coming, the need to know she cared.  She explained she had been sleeping, explained that she would always love him, that she would never intentionally not come to him, that he could always count on her love.  We went that night to my favorite hamburger restaurant.  We ate together and she bought me an ice cream cone after that.  It was special to have that, but what was more special was the knowledge that my mother did love me, that she always did and always would.

God speaks of us coming to Him like children.  I believe he wants us to come with that same childlike need that I had then for my mother.  He wants us not just to have the faith of a child but the desperate urgency of a child who needs his parent.  After all, we do need Him.  We need Him desperately. If we have to wrestle with him to make him bless us like Isaac did, so be it.  If we have to bang on Heaven’s window, like I, at age 5, banged on the window of my house to make sure I was loved, so be it.  I don’t think God will mind too much if you, in utter honesty and desperation, call on Him and demand that he love you, demand your blessing from Him.  If your demand comes from your heart, He’s gonna be there.

MOLESKIN:
Prayers for Mr. Jinxy’s co-worker who has lost two friends to suicide this year.  Prayers for the family of those who committed the suicides.  Prayers to the families of the young person who died this past week in a car accident in Alcoa.
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
3rd F on Saturday, August 10 with Convergence beforehand at the Big Ball.

Walking with God

THE SCENE: Insert info about the weather, etc.
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER
WARM-O-RAMA:
20 Plank Jacks, 10 Cherry Pickers, 10 Windmills, 40 Above Head Hand Clappers (4 count), High Knees to end of parking lot, Butt Kickers back to start of parking lot.
THA-THANG:
Mosey on roadway toward gate entrance at Lyons Bend.  Stop on right side of road where walking trail hits road. 20 American Hammers.

Mosey to Cone that will be about 30 yards east on trail. We will do Route 66’s to cone that will be on trail east and then south on trail.  We will come back to starting cone after each Route 66.  We do four Route 66’s with the following exercises:

  • Mountain Climbers (4 count)
  • Merkins
  • Big Boys
  • Dive Bombers

Mosey west and cross roadway.  We will stop to do 20 more American Hammers.

Mosey on trail to bottom of Mt. Everest.  We will do the following exercises then run to summit of Mt. Everest and repeat the exercises.

  • 10 Burpees
  • 20 Merkins
  • 30 Squats
  • 40 Baby Crunches

Mosey to stop sign at northeastern corner of Admin bldg.  We will stop to do 20 Hello Dollies.

Mosey to Monument and then down the Dragon Fly to the shaded parking lot across the street from parking lot at entryway to Northern Ball Park.  We will have the following races across the parking lot with the man winning the most races getting a free breakfast from Lily:

  • Bear Crawl Race (small length of parking lot)
  • Hop Race (small length of parking lot)
  • Bernie Sanders Race (long length of parking lot)
  • Frisbee Accuracy Throw
  • Sprint Race (long length of parking lot)
  • If there is a tie between the winners (for example, five different men win the above events) then we will have a playoff with a Paddle Ball Accuracy Contest

Mosey to AO.

COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA
Use the TAGS on right-side to record PAX (BE SURE TO INCLUDE YOURSELF) in attendance. Be sure to select the AO in CATEGORY above TAGS and then delete these notes!
CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:

What Does A Walk With God Look Like?

Have you ever wondered what taking a walk with God would be like?  What would he want to talk about?  How often would he glance at you as you walked along a path?  What would it be like to have Him in your presence?  Would it be comforting?  Scary?  Terrifying?  Wonderful?  Would God be gazing at nature as He walked along with you?  What would you want to say to Him?  What would you want to ask Him?  What if he touched you?  What would that be like?

In the Bible, we read of those who are awestruck in the presence of God.  They fall to their knees before Him.  Yet we also read of God being the great Comforter, the great Physician, the rock upon which we can lean and rest.

The Bible teaches us that God is always with us.  He is omnipresent.  As we walk along in our journey of life, He is there.  So if He is truly there, why not talk to him?  Why not ask Him what He is thinking?  Why not talk to Him about both the beauty and ugliness you see in this world.  Why not ask Him for his strong and steady hand?  Why not lead on him like he is your father, your Heavenly father?

I got the idea for this message when I was listening to Careless (Shawn Slate) deliver a sermon at Redeemer Church of Knoxville.  He talked about taking walks with his wife.  He commented that he tends to walk with a fast pace, rushing ahead, wanting to hurry up and get to whatever the destination is.  His wife, meanwhile, walks much more slowly, not so rushed, wanting to gaze at the scenery, the world around her.  Careless said he has learned more about walking with God by walking with his wife.  He has learned to slow the pace, take time to see the beauty of God’s world, and also take time to talk to the woman he loves and married.

I want to spend more time walking with God.  I need to take the time to do that with a slower pace in mind.  I need to truly focus on Him better when doing so, actually think of Him being in my presence, truly there with me.  When I pray, I need to think of Him reaching out to touch me.  It may raise some hairs on my head but it will also bring me closer to Him.  That’s what He wants.  And, when I think about it, that’s what I want to.  Furthermore, isn’t that what YOU WANT?  Use your imagination if you have to at first.  Expand your thoughts, think of Him with you, walking beside you.  Slow your pace for a while and converse with God.

MOLESKIN:
Prayers for Junk’s wife, for Thurnderstruck’s mother, for Crawdad’s wife, for Farva’s friend who died, and for Baby Smalls who was recently born.
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
Next 3rd F is August 10 at 8:30, Redeemer Church of Knoxville.

Young and Old Unite

THE SCENE:  Temps in 70’s but very humid

F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER
WARM-O-RAMA:
25 Side Straddle Hops, 15 second squat, 10 Windmills, 30 second squat, 15 Iron Mikes (four count), 45 second squat, 10 Baby to Wide Arm Circles Forward and 10 Backward, 60 second squat.
THA-THANG:
Mosey to Stop Sign at North East Corner of Admin Bldg.  20 American Hammers.   Next, we will head west on the road that semi-circles around the Admin Bldg, stopping at each cone to do the listed exercises by the cone.

  • Cone 1:  Ten Burpees.  Bernie Sanders to Cone 2.
  • Cone 2:  20 Hello Dollies (four count). Hop to Cone 3
  • Cone 3:  20 Imperial Walkers (both legs = 1).  Bear Crawl to Cone 4.
  • Cone 4:  20 Smurf Jacks.  Lunge to Cone 5.
  • Cone 5:  20 Merkins.  Grapevine right to Cone 6.
  • Cone 6:  20 Big Boys.  Grapevine left to Cone 7.
  • Cone 7:  20 Side Straddle Hops (four count), 20 Carolina Dry Docks, 20 Flutter Kicks (four count), 20 Squats, 20 Bicycle Kicks (four count)

Mosey back on Semi Circle to grassy area on top of Mt. Everest.  We will stop to do 20 Big Boys and 20 Merkins.  Next, we will run down summit of Mt. Everest to grove of Conifer Trees.  We will do ten Burpees then run back to top of Mt. Everest.  We will do 20 more Merkins and 20 Big Boys.

Next we will go back to Cone 6, do written exercise there and then reverse direction back to Cone 1.

Mosey to monument past stop sign at northeast corner of Admin Bldg.  Stop to take another gander at the river, doing a one minute squat while gandering.  Then mosey down hill to Dragon Tail and on to parking lot at entrance of northern ball fields.  Go to CMU pile.  Men team up in pairs of two.  We will do Dora’s.  While one partner does Bernie Sanders to other end of parking lot and sprints back, the other partner does exercise with CMU.  Then men trade places.  Each pair will do the following exercises with CMU’s:

  • 100 Overhead Presses
  • 100 Curls
  • 100 Rows
  • 100 Squats with CMU at chest

Mosey to AO

MARY:
20 Box Cutters.  20 Bicycle Kicks, 4 count.
COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA
12 men with one FNG, Hunter Davidson, a friend of Goober’s who was visiting from Indiana.  We dubbed him “Bo Peep.”
CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:

Our Future Is In Good Hands

My family doctor, Dan Ely, MD, and I were talking during my annual checkup with him last month.  We were talking about some of the things we are involved in.  He is pulling back his outpatient practice to part-time but still will supervise medical residents at UT Hospital.  He talked about how much he loves to supervise residents as they train and grow as doctors.  I told him about F3 and the joy I find in my relationships with men of all different ages, including men much younger than myself.  I told him about the outstanding characteristics of the men I meet who seem to be so much more astute and mature than I was when I was in my twenties.  Dan and I talked about how it is reassuring to meet such outstanding young people.  We feel like the world will be left in good hands when we pass on.

As a 62-year-old I want you to know how much I enjoy getting to know all of you men in F3.  One of the fantastic things about F3 is the opportunity for older and younger men to have relationships.  Whether the younger or the older man, we benefit from these friendships.  I am inspired by the younger men I meet in F3.  I like to see you younger men facing the challenges you face and overcoming them.  I like it when I can be of service to you in some small way.  I encourage you to seek out some of us older guys when you may need some words of wisdom from men who have struggled in the past with challenges that you may be struggling with now.

I can remember a group of men I used to meet with when I was in my late 20’s.  It was a group of about seven men from the church in Atlanta that I was a member of.  The group was comprised of two guys in their 20’s (another fellow and myself), a number in their 30’s or 40’s, and one in his 50’s.  I gained so much from that group.  We could talk about anything and the attention, respect and love that I received from those men was powerful.  And, the older men, I believe, gained just as much.  There was a bond, a sharing, and we all grew from it.

We never stop growing as men.  I encourage each of you to seek fellowship with your brothers.  A few minutes of talk after a workout can turn into something special.  A Coffeeteria with the guys can lead to discussions and sharing that can be powerful.  Our fellowship has sure been powerful for me, whether with men my age or those much younger than me.  And, observing you younger guys in F3, it is great for me to know that the future is in good hands.

MOLESKIN:
Prayers for Jinxy (who joined us at Circle of Trust as, due to health issues, he did not work out with us.  Fortunately, he is recovering.)  Prayers for High-Heels whose mother died this past week.  Prayers of Crawdad’s wife, Kaitlin, who had back surgery.  Prayers for Tank’s wife, Junk’s wife, and Thunderstruck’s mother.

No Denial

THE SCENE: Sunny and hot, 95 degrees
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER
WARM-O-RAMA:
20 Side Straddle Hops, 10 Burpees, Plank Lifts, 10 Rockettes, 10 Cherry Pickers, 10 Baby Arm Circles Forward and 10 Backward
THA-THANG:
Mosey to parking lot that is across the street from Northern Ball field Entrance Parking Lot.  We will be going to the four corners of each parking lot by the following methods and doing the following exercises

  • Corner 1:  20 Squat Jumps (Round 1), 20 Star Jumps (Round 2) then Bernie Sanders to Corner 2
  • Corner 2:  20 American Hammers four count (Round 1), 20 Bicycle Kicks four count (Round 2) then bear crawl to Corner 3
  • Corner 3:  20 Plank Jacks (Round 1), 20 Iron Mikes four count (Round 2) then sprint to Corner 4.
  • Corner 4:  20 Merkins (Round 1), 20 Carolina Dry Docks (Round 2) then lunge to Corner 1

Mosey to Serpentine Sidewalk.  We will do nickel, dime, quarters to the bottom of Cardiac Hill (run one light and do five of exercise, run two lights and do ten of exercise, run five lights and do 25 of exercise) with the following exercises:

  • Big Boy Sit Ups
  • Diamond Merkins
  • Imperial Walkers

At Cardiac Hill:  We will run up the hill, stopping to do the following exercises at the following locations:

  • Turn 1:  20 Hello Dollies (four count)
  • Turn 2:  20 Flutter Kicks (four count)
  • Turn 3:  20 Decline Merkins
  • Benches:  20 Bench Dips

Mosey on perimeter trail then go south at road that heads towards Admin Bldg.  Stop by stop sign at northeast corner of Admin Bldg.  We will do 20 Behind Back Scissor Kicks

Mosey to AO.

MARY:

Rocky Balboas

COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA
Eight men, no FNG’s.
CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:

Take The Time to Process Pain

As a psychologist, I see many people refuse to examine painful events in their lives.  Something painful has occurred in their lives that created trauma for them.  They try to AVOID thinking of the situation at all costs.  For example, the person may have lost a loved one and they try not to think of the death of that loved one or even the life of the loved one because it leads to sorrow and tears.  A person may avoid thinking of a past dangerous situation (e.g, surviving an automobile or plane accident) because it brings up fear, worry, or pain in terms of seeing someone injured or killed).  A person may avoid thinking of past abuse because to think of it is so painful and they rather put the abuse off in a closet.  For a little while, the strategy may work.  But for most of us, the painfulness of the past event seeps through the cracks and continues to impact us.  We want to hide from the pain but the pain comes back to haunt us in nightmares, flashbacks, nervousness, jumpiness, and general unrest.  This is why a major strategy of working with someone who has suffered from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is to get the person to share their past traumatic experience.  The person may feel worse at first but by continuing to talk about the event, by continuing to process it (in psychology we call this working through), the person finally gains some control over the pain.  They realize that life can hand us some terrible stuff but that the terrible stuff we experienced is over and it probably won’t occur again, especially if we take steps to make sure it doesn’t happen.  The abused child is no longer a child, the auto accident victim realizes he can drive his car with a pretty high degree of safety, the war veteran is no longer at war.

Life is not a fully rosy picture.  Bad things happen.  Some people want to look at the world through rose colored glasses.  They may not see the pain going on around them until it hits them straight in the face.  But life also has much to offer and be awed by, much beauty, despite the ugliness.  If we see and process both, we are generally going to be better off for it.  And, we are in a better position to help our fellow human beings.  We can laugh with them but can also cry with them, join them when they are hurting, and give them a loving hand to reach out to.

Peter Gabriel wrote a beautiful song (called “Red Rain”) that deals with the issue of pain.  At the start of this largely metaphysical and symbolic song, the protagonist can’t see or hear the pain that others experience and denies the pain.  It is later, when he lets his defenses down, that the “Red Rain” surrounds him.  Putting his trust in something higher than himself, he can no longer deny the pain around him.  And through this, as if in an epiphany, he is bathed by the rain as if in a pool or red wine, as if in a red sea.

Red rain is coming down
Red rain
Red rain is pouring down
Pouring down all over me
 
I am standing up at the water's edge in my dream
I cannot make a single sound as you scream
It can't be that cold, the ground is still warm to touch
We touch, this place is so quiet, sensing that storm
 
Red rain is coming down
Red rain
Red rain is pouring down
Pouring down all over me
 
Well I've seen them buried in a sheltered place in this town
They tell you that this rain can sting, and look down
There is no blood around, see no sign of pain
Hay ay ay no pain
Seeing no red at all, see no rain
 
Red rain is coming down
Red rain
Red rain is pouring down
Pouring down all over me
 
Red rain
Ohhhh
Putting the pressure on much harder now
To return again and again
Just let the red rain splash you
Let the rain fall on your skin
I come to you defenses down
With the trust of a child
 
Red rain is coming down
Red rain
Red rain is pouring down
Pouring down all over me

And I can't watch any more
No more denial
It's so hard to lay down in all of this

Red rain coming down
Red rain
Red rain is pouring down
I'm bathing in
Red rain coming down
Red rain is falling down
Red rain is coming down all over me
I'm begging you

Red rain coming down
Red rain coming down
Red rain coming down
Red rain coming down

Over me in the red red sea
Over me
Over me
Red rain

MOLESKIN:
Prayers for Junk’s mother, for Crawdad’s wife, for Thunderstruck’s mother and for High-Heel’s mother.
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
3rd F upcoming on August 10.

Give In To God

THE SCENE:  Sunny and humid, temps in 80’s.
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER
WARM-O-RAMA:
20 Side-straddle hops, 10 Iron Mikes (four count), 10 Windmills, 10 Twists, 10 Cherry Pickers
THA-THANG:
Mosey to stop sign at southeast corner of the Admin Bldg.  20 Hello Dollies.

Mosey to parking lot near Area 54.  20 American Hammers.

Mosey to Cones that will be in grass on others side of the street from parking lot near Area 54.  The cones will be set up in four corners.  We will be going to each cone by the following methods and doing the following exercises:

  • Cone 1:  20 Merkins.  Bernie Sanders to Cone 2.
  • Cone 2:  20 Big Boy Sit Ups.  Grapevine, right foot in lead, to Cone 3
  • Cone 3:  20 Carolina Dry Docks.  Sprint to Cone 4.
  • Cone 4.  40 Baby Crunches.  Grapevine, left foot in lead, to Cone 1.+
  • Rinse and repeat two more times.

Mosey to shaded area on perimeter trail that is near the North Shore Gate Entrance to park.  20 Buzz Saws.

Mosey down perimeter trail to bottom of Mt. Everest.  20 Hello Dollies. 20 Merkins.  20 Big Boy Sit Ups.

Run up Mt. Everest to street in front of Admin Bldg.

We will run in a counter-clockwise square doing the following exercises at the following locations:

At Bat House:  Do 20 Star Jumps then run down steps.

At grassy area at bottom of steps:  20 Carolina Dry Docks then run to tree grove below summit of Mt. Everest.

At tree grove:  10 Burpees then run to top of Mt. Everest.

At top of Mt. Everest:  20 Big Boy Situps

Mosey to wall on other side of street from Admin Bldg parking lot.  We will pair up into two man teams.  While one partner does 20 dips at wall the other partner does merkins.  Then partners trade places.  Rinse and repeat.

Mosey to AO.

MARY:
20 Buzz Saws, 20 Pickle Pounders, 15 Shoulder Taps, 20 Merkins
COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA
Eleven men, one FNG, Robert Land whom we dubbed “Hot Lips.”
CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:
Give In To God

“Never give up.”  “When the going get’s tough, the tough get going.”  ” Go the extra mile.”  “Give 110%.” “When you think you have had enough, find that extra in reserve.”

These are phrases we can relate to in F3.  We are a group of men who encourage each other to push ourselves to our limits so that we can better ourselves in health and as members of society.  These are good phrases and they ring with truth.  To succeed in life we must push ourselves, even when the chips are down. To be true HIM’s we must also sometimes carry others with us along the way.

But as HIM’s who live in a world that has tainted views of what true success is, we must also think on these phrases with discernment.  We must realize that their are exceptions to every rule.  We must learn that it is important to have balance in our lives.  We must see that even Jesus took time to rest and pray.  And, in F3, we must remember that one of our often used phrases is, “Modify!”

As a psychologist, I see people who definitely need to listen to the “don’t give up” types of statements.  I see people quitting jobs just because they had a bad day at work, because a co-worker or boss said something negative to them, because they don’t like getting up on dark and cold mornings.”  This type of attitude leads to defeat, to failure, to depression.

But I have also seen people who are anxious, depressed and miserable because they think they have to hold everything together or else they are failures.  These people are not the “I give up types.”  But they are burning the candle at both ends, failing to “sharpen the saw”, and failing to turn to God and trust in Him at their greatest time of need.  I was watching a television show on Netflix with my wife on Saturday night.  Part of the show focused on an attorney who had been very successful at her job.  She also wanted to be a good mother.  She and her stay-at-home husband were doing the best they could to raise their young daughter and they had also recently adopted a nine-year-old boy who came from a very difficult background and had some behavioral issues because of it.  The attorney was trying to meet the needs of her family and the needs of the job.  She was getting further and further behind because of the many demands facing her.  She had her daughter getting angry at her for missing one of her school musicals (due to job necessities) and she had her employer and clients getting upset at her for making mistakes on the job that she had not made in the past.  She was reaching the breaking point.  In one scene, she has a panic attack in front of her husband, almost fainting, something that had never happened to her before.  Finally, in a critical scene of the show, leaders of the law firm let her know that she has been on track to become a partner in this highly successful firm.  Noting her recent mistakes, they ask her if she is willing to give 100% to the law firm.  She makes an important decision, one that the society she runs with would see as a mistake, as a sign of failure.  She decides to quit the firm.

I bring this up because there will be times in each of our lives when we must choose to give things up.  A great way to recognize this is when we see that we are taking on too much, when our life feels out of balance.  We are not failing when we make the decision to give up in such a case.  We are, rather, choosing something greater.  In the case of the female attorney in the show I mentioned, she chose to spend more time with family.  She could take on a job with less pay so that she could have a better relationship with her daughter and adopted son.

What can we do when we experience ourselves off kilter?  We can pray to God.  Too many times we try to handle things on our own without asking God for direction.  We can also talk to our friends.  God often speaks to us through friends.  In our prayers we may hear that we need to hang in their for a while, that things will slow down, that life will get back to balance.  But we may also hear that it is time to give something up.  We may also see that we have been trying to manage things without God without giving in to Him, allowing him to guide us, freeing ourselves up to give Him control.

MOLESKIN:
Insert any personal comments, notes, devotion content, etc.
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
Insert information about upcoming events, 2nd or 3rd F opportunities, and any other announcements.