Pool Boy – Page 3 – F3 Knoxville

Circumspect Circumferences on Pi Day

March 14, 2022 Pool Boy

THE SCENE: It was a snowless and SSH-less morning… (unless you count snow angels, thanks Mermaid!/s)
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER – Administered
WARM-O-RAMA:
10 x Overhead Clap IC
9 x Squat IC
8 x BBS IC
7 x LBACF & LBACR IC
6 x Lunges Fwd/Back OYO
5 x Flutter kicks IC
4 x Tempo Merkins IC
3 x Squat Jumps OYO
2 x V-ups OYO
1 x Burpee OYO

THA-THANG:
Falling Indian run to pull-up bars – squats to the 6.

At the pull-up bars: 5 pull-ups each x 3 rounds. Between pull-up reps:
5 Burpees
10 Merkins
20 Flutter Kicks
30 LBC’s
If you finish these / we have enough PAX to finish, you get to rest!

Mosey to the CMU pile.

CMU workout: 3.1415 not repeating
Round 1
3 Blockees
14 Goblet Squats
15 Presses
Leg Lefts til the 6

Round 2
3 Thrusters
14 Incline Merkins
15 Skull Crushers
V-ups til the 6

Round 3
3 CMU Squat Jumps
14 Swings
15 CMU Pickle Pointers (Glute Bridges)
Box cutters til the 6
Put your blocks away

Route 66
Burpees + lunge between parking spaces
BBS til the six (this didn’t happen but YHC did finish all 66 burpees!)

Mosey to the #shovelflag – Stop at the Rock to do Monkey Humpers then Fellowship Mosey (S/O to Ribbed) the rest of the way there.

MARY: (I’ll fill these in as I remember – but basically lots of core work was done at the end)
Dealer’s Choice (core only).
Mermaid – Snow Angels
Honeydew –
Curveball –
Dumpster Dive – Eye contact alternating pickle pounders & pickle pointers 10 ea
Baby Boomer – Leg Lifts
Pool Boy – Freddie Mercury x 15 IC
Mermaid –
Honeydew – Hello Dolly x 15 IC
COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA
6 for Dumpster Dive’s birthday! (oh and Pi day too)

CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:
Pie, who doesn’t like it?! Well some people. But today’s more of a pun than anything else.

Pi & Circumferences have to do with circles. I want to talk about another word today:
Circumspect – watchful and discreet; cautious; prudent
Think about what is happening around you. A classic example of this is from “The Bourne Identity” (released almost 20 years ago!)
Jason Bourne: Who has a safety deposit box full of money and six passports and a gun? Who has a bank account number in their hip? I come in here, and the first thing I’m doing is I’m catching the sightlines and looking for an exit.

Marie: I see the exit sign, too. I’m not worried. I mean, you were shot. People do all kinds of weird and amazing stuff when they are scared.

Jason Bourne: I can tell you the license plate numbers of all six cars outside. I can tell you that our waitress is left-handed and the guy sitting up at the counter weighs two hundred fifteen pounds and knows how to handle himself. I know the best place to look for a gun is the cab or the gray truck outside, and at this altitude, I can run flat out for a half mile before my hands start shaking. Now why would I know that? How can I know that and not know who I am?”

Properly assessing where we are in life can help us move forward. Jason Bourne was completely disoriented in not knowing who he was and yet he was very circumspect about what was happening around him.

We all can be like this too. We don’t acknowledge who we are, where we are, etc. and we end up wanting to go into fantasy land. Me too. I’ve had lots of desires that are now kind of starting to be fulfilled lately- and a new (to me) house is a big one. There are other things, things I have to work for and may receive from God’s good hand, but for me to walk circumspectly, that takes more than just guys at F3 watching my 6. It means putting to death the temptation to do xyz (insert your temptations here).

The Bible gives us a warning to consider today as Pi-day to walk circumspectly- from Ephesians 5:15-20 (KJV):
15 See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise,
16 Redeeming the time, because the days are evil.
17 Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is.
18 And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit;
19 Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord;
20 Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ;

Consider these things- how are you walking circumspectly? Are you just going in circle after circle, or are you casting a vision for what things are to come as you think about the world going on around you? When you walk circumspectly, you’ll enjoy some pie. or pi!

MOLESKIN:
First time ‘bringing it in’ in a looong time today. Good stuff. Prayed for Steve, Grayson, & Bruce.

ANNOUNCEMENTS:
Convergence at JUCO July 2!

Starving for Rain: Habitually Feed Yourself & then Others

March 9, 2022 Pool Boy

THE SCENE: ~48F, wet but somehow not very rainy.
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER – Not a pro.
WARM-O-RAMA:
10 x Overhead Clap
9 x Squats
8 x BBS
7 x LBACF & LBACR
6 x Lunges Fwd/Back
5 x Flutter kicks
4 x Merkins
3 x Squat Jumps
2 x V-ups
1 x Burpee

THA-THANG:
Mosey to the overhang. Do a core exercise (YHC forgot what was called – maybe flutter kicks?)

Mosey to the courtyard.

Decision time- PAX got to choose 11’s or 21’s. They chose 21’s back and forth across the courtyard:
Squats – Bicycles (2-count)
Pax did well, we stopped at YHC’s 7-count for Squats (so ~210 squats for me)

Decision time– again. PAX got to choose Freshman Hill or Sophomore Hill. They chose Sophomore Hill.

Simplicity at Sophomore Hill – Bernie up the pavement, lunge all the way down, bear crawl up the grassy area. come back to the stop sign. YHC decided once was enough.

Mosey to CMU Pile for 7’s: Pull-ups (at the top) and Thrusters at the bottom. We got about 1/2-way through and ran out of time.

Mosey back to the Shovel Flag. Stop at the Stop sign to do 10 Monkey Humpers OYO. Jog back to the overhang, wagon wheel, jailbreak at the stop sign to the shovel flag.

Back 15 seconds early… nice.

MARY:
Mary didn’t know… because she wasn’t pre-sent.
COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA
4 RUSHers and 10 PAX!

CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:
This week Butterknife, myself, and then Lil’ Spice (VQ on Friday) are covering habits! Today was my JUCO Farewell Q, if you will. Since July 31, 2019, JUCO has been my home AO. But I’ve purchased a house that is closer to Shamrock, so I wanted to Q on my last time out and share something that’s been meaningful over the long haul for me in relation to habits.

Habits are important – one day at a time we meet the demands that come along. But whether good or bad, we’re becoming something. Below is the story of “the Starving Baker”, something I learned about years ago in a series of books called “Habitudes” when I lived in Japan. Take it in and hear the message it communicates:

Imagine if you will. You visit a bakery not far from your home. It’s new. You know you’re going to love this place because they’ve hired a new baker who has recipes for breads, pastries, donuts, cakes and cinnamon rolls that are to die for.

Word has gotten out about this bakery. Crowds start forming lines each day, waiting for the new confections to come from this baker’s marvelous kitchen. After you purchase your cinnamon roll, you sit down to watch this baker in action—and you notice something right away. The baker doesn’t seem to have enough help. Everyday, he ends up trying to serve all the customers himself. He is scurrying back and forth, busy with all the requests of the people—but oblivious to what’s happening to him. His exhaustion is quickly becoming burn out. What’s worse, as you watch him for a few weeks, you see a change. This man is getting thin. Very thin. It almost seems like he is shriveling up. What’s the deal?

Suddenly, the problem becomes obvious to you. This man never stops to eat. The irony is, he is so busy serving bread to everyone else, he never stops to eat anything he serves. With food all around him, he is starving. Hmmm. Sound familiar?

So, are you the Starving Baker? Are you neglecting yourself so that you can feed others, only to become more and more emaciated and at your wits end that it seems no one is helping you? Maybe it’s time to step back and ask “am I doing what God has called me to do or what I want to do?” He will bless what He calls you to, but remember that daily habits can feed your soul or they can starve your spirit. Choose wisely this day whom you will serve.

MOLESKIN:
Prayed for Survivor, Cosmo’s mom, Data’s marriage, and Booster’s recovery. Also both decisions were made to avoid 11’s with Burpees and Merkins, so I guess the PAX had good intuition if they wanted to avoid those exercises (mainly the Burpees)
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
See the recent posts about the Blade/Whetstone. Convergence July 2 at JUCO too!

Dying to Love Others

February 14, 2022 Pool Boy

THE SCENE: Cold. Hopefully not like our hearts.
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER
WARM-O-RAMA:
Overhead clap
Seal Clap Squat
Tennessee rocking chair
Tempo Merkin
Mountain Climbers
20 Calf Raises OYO
50% 60 70 80 90 100

THA-THANG:
Falling Indian run to parking lot next to pond – count to 5 and then do squats til the end of the line reaches you and fall back in.

11’s – this is definitely becoming a favorite routine of mine!
10 merkins-> bear crawl across 2 parking spaces
1 squat-> lunge across 2 parking spaces
9 merkins… etc.

20 flutter kicks, 10 second rest if you finish before the 6 does & repeat.

Burpee Mile (this is like ^4? Here’s ^2 wait no I did it once before)

After completing your 3rd lap, don’t do more burpees but pick up the 6 but actually keep running back the whole lap and then everyone does 12 burpees at the end together. (This took longer than I’d remembered because it’s like 0.4 miles for a “lap” so even 3 basically got us to 1.77 miles for the whole Q)

Mosey to the coupon pile. Stop at the stop sign with Heels to Heaven x 15 IC lead by Erector.

Mosey some more all the way to the coupon pile. Do 10 reps of: CMU Thrusters, CMU Swings, CMU Skull Crushers. Repeat once and put your CMU away, doing a wall sit while waiting for the 6.

Mosey back to the #ShovelFlag and barely make it back in time for the 6:15am alarm to go off on YHC’s watch

MARY:
Ain’t nobody got time for that
COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA
SEVEN! PAX at JUCO
CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:

Today is… Guardrail’s birthday!

But seriously, today is Valentine’s Day but I want to tell you about the things over the past 2.5 years I’ve seen lots of examples of love & what it is & what it means. My F3 brothers have been such a source of brotherly love I really don’t know what I’d do without it.

If you’re new or old, here are a few examples:

Guardrail reached out to me in September 2019:

@poolboy didn’t know we were neighbors, if only for a season- but love that we are. let’s catch up soon I’m at 2528 and work from home so I’m here all the time.

This was right before my divorce. And Guardrail has been a faithful and loving friend for over 2.5 years now.

I’ve seen friends reach out & look to bring men back from their wandering / not coming.

I’ve seen this group pray for men in various circumstances- mentors dying, children sick, even guys in this group personally ministered to by the hands that lift CMUs and pound the pavement from burpee to burpee.

I’ve seen love displayed in so many ways like stepping up for Q’s, sacrificing times, & even helping out guys when the do their VQs & something doesn’t work out.

Today’s message is simple. A few verses that communicate one clear message: LOVE

““This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command you.”
‭‭John‬ ‭15:12-14‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“Whoever has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me. And he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him.””
‭‭John‬ ‭14:21‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“If anyone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen.”
‭‭1 John‬ ‭4:20‬ ‭ESV‬‬

Love others because Jesus has laid down his life for you. This shows you have His love in you & are Jesus’ friend & disciple.

MOLESKIN:
It’d been too long since I Q’d not OTB. Good to be back in the saddle.
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
Order those JUCO shirts! See Slack for details.

12 Days of Jesus’ Birth

December 24, 2021 Pool Boy

THE SCENE: Something about a midnight clear.
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER – Administered.
WARM-O-RAMA:
Tempo Squat x 10 IC
Tennessee Rocking Chair x 10 IC
Tempo Hand Release Merkin x 5 IC
Overhead Clap x 10 IC
Baby Arm Circles Forward x 10 IC
Baby Arm Circles Backward x 10 IC
Imperial Squat Walker x 10 IC
Lunges – Forward 5 ea
Lunges – Backward 5 ea
Lunges – Side to side 5 ea

THA-THANG:
Falling Indian Run (Burpees til the 6 passes you) to the middle of the large parking lot.

11’s in the parking lot – a new favorite of mine. Across 2 parking spots (approx 20 feet):
Squats -> Lunges to the other side of the 2 parking spots
Merkins -> Bear Crawl to the other side of the 2 parking spots

Do 20 BBS or until the 6 is done. Rest 20 seconds.

Falling Indian run to the CMU pile. Every PAX grabs a CMU and then the Q goes over the workout:

12 days. That’s how long it took the wise men to find Jesus. Well, not really but there are 12 days of Christmas so we’re going to celebrate them today. At least with 12 exercises:

1. Burpee
2. Merkins
3. Squats
4. V-ups
5. Curls
6. Goblet Squats
7. Skull Crushers
8. Thrusters
9. Superman (may change)
10. Tempo Squats (w or w/o block)
11. Bench Press
12. Pull-ups (go up hill to start with explanation at bottom with Weinke there)

After every round of exercises, run up the stairs, do a pull-up or touch the far wall, and run back down. Repeat until 6:10 and just enough time to get back to the Shovel Flag.

MARY:
12 Mary Exercises. Or that’s the number I wrote the night before the workout. Actual “Mary” – 1 Burpee
COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA
7 JUCOninans

CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:
What to say here? 2021 has been the year of waiting. The year of patience. The year of getting told no. No to reconciliation. No to leadership. No to moving.

Yesterday I was encouraged to think over the song “God Moves” by Sovereign Grace Music / Bob Kauflin. The words are profound (I read verse two for the BOM – italicized below):

VERSE 1
God moves in a mysterious way
His wonders to perform
He plants His footsteps in the sea
And rides upon the storm
Deep in His dark and hidden mines
With never-failing skill
He fashions all His bright designs
And works His sovereign will

CHORUS 1
So God we trust in You
O God we trust in You

VERSE 2
O fearful saints new courage take
The clouds that you now dread
Are big with mercy and will break
In blessings on your head
Judge not the Lord by feeble sense
But trust Him for His grace
Behind a frowning providence
He hides a smiling face

CHORUS 2
So God we trust in You
O God we trust in You
When tears are great
And comforts few
We hope in mercies ever new
We trust in You

VERSE 3
God’s purposes will ripen fast
Unfolding every hour
The bud may have a bitter taste
But sweet will be the flower
Blind unbelief is sure to err
And scan His work in vain
God is His own interpreter
And He will make it plain

I’m not sure exactly where this is going, but that’s probably about the same that God’s people felt 2000 years ago. They were under Roman control. No Word from God had come in hundreds of years. God felt distant and silent. But Luke tells us a different story was unfolding that God’s people didn’t even know until it had happened.

Luke 2:1-14

The Birth of Jesus Christ

2 In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. ²This was the first registration when^[a] Quirinius was governor of Syria. ³And all went to be registered, each to his own town. ⁴And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, ⁵to be registered with Mary, his betrothed,^[b] who was with child. ⁶And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth. ⁷And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.^[c]

The Shepherds and the Angels

⁸And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. ⁹And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear. ¹⁰And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. ¹¹For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. ¹²And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” ¹³And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying,

¹⁴“Glory to God in the highest,
and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!”^[d]

Just when the people of Israel did not expect it, that is the exact moment God worked.

CS Lewis from the Screwtape Letters (written hypothetically in the pen of a senior demon writing to a junior one and thus the Enemy is God):

“He wants them to learn to walk and must therefore take away His hand; and if only the will to walk is really there He is pleased even with their stumbles. Do not be deceived, Wormwood. Our cause is never more in danger, than when a human, no longer desiring, but intending, to do our Enemy’s will, looks round upon a universe from which every trace of Him seems to have vanished, and asks why he has been forsaken, and still obeys.”

God is indeed pleased with us when we trust in Him as we go through trials. He may just have a smiling face behind a frowning providence this year, this Christmas season.

MOLESKIN:
I had no idea how the workout would turn out. It was fun but hard and modifiable so I think the PAX enjoyed it, but after leading 40+I may even start recycling some workouts until someone either tells me they’ve read this or calls me on it in a workout.
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
No current announcements. Merry Christmas!

I Want Christmas Presents and I Want Them Later?!

December 3, 2021 Pool Boy

THE SCENE: 43°F
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER – Administered
WARM-O-RAMA:
12 x Snow Angels (skipped because it involved SSH’s… idk what would have made me do this but everyone wants to do a 12-days themed Q so that was as afar as I got)
11 x Tie Fighter (if Baby Boomer is Present) or Baby Arm Circles IC (also skipped)
10 x OHC IC
9 x Tempo Squats IC
8 x Tempo Merkins IC
7 x Imperial Walkers
6 x Werkins IC
5 x Pickle Pointers
4 x Pickle Pounders
3 x Rainbow Drops
2 x Monkey Humpers
1 x Burpee

THA-THANG:
To the CMU pile – Falling Indian Run with a burpee.

We grabbed 2 CMUs first and then went back for 11’s (I forgot but then read from my Deinke)

11’s Squats & Merkins or Burpees & Cherry Pickers (choose your own adventure – PAX chose the boring option of Squats & Merkins)

At CMU Pile – get 2 blocks each (yes, 2!)
5 exercises, 10 reps per round. After each exercise run down and back to the crossing road (we went to the golf ball until Mermaid threw it back)

10 Deadlifts / Rows / T-spine rotations
10 Double Incline Merkins / Incline Merkins / Merkins
10 Double Goblet Squats / Goblet Squats /
10 Shoulder Shrugs / Single (middle) Shrugs / Air Shrugs
10 Double Swings (YHC did these) / CMU Swings / Seal Clap Squats

Bonus / wait for the 6:
Core chosen by the first PAX done.

Return Indian Run with burpees back to the Shovel Flag (even got some extra work in from Curveball thanks to the side parking lot he took)

MARY:
Dealer’s Choice (well, except nobody’s SSH’s were involved in the making of this Mary).

Boat / Canoe Row, row, row your boat on pitch courtesy of Wax Job
COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA
5 PAX showed up and showed out!
CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:
Patience. Boy have I had to have some this year. It hasn’t gone AT ALL like I’d hoped (much less dreamed). Reconciliation with my ex? Nope, she’s gone. Taking the PE Exam to get my license? Um, let’s not talk about my study habits. Finding a house to buy? 0 for 6 (that a .000 batting average for you baseball fans there). Still living with my parents? Yeah, that one is still embarrassing even though I know it’s where I should be based on the house thing.

I don’t want to be patient! I don’t want to wait!

But there are so many good things I know to be true. God is still on His throne? Check. Christ is Lord no matter what is happening in our country and around the world? You got it. We have an opportunity every day to get better by humbling ourselves before Jesus and submitting to His Word? Yup, still can do that every single day.

All of these things remain. In the season of Advent, Christians celebrate that 2,000+ years ago Jesus became a man, he was born of a virgin (he had no original sin), so that He could live a perfect life, die on the cross for those who would believe (the elect), be buried for 3 days, and then raised from the grave. This is the newborn king we celebrate. This is the reason Christmas exists…

But when did Isaiah prophesy? Over 600 years before Christ and the Old Testament was completed over 400 years. There was silence. Nothing. The USA has barely existed for over half of that 400 years. This is how long the Jews had to wait for Yeshua, the Messiah, to come. They waited and waited and did all kinds of things and waited some more.

And then, one glorious day, we read the following in Luke 1:26-38

²⁶In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, ²⁷to a virgin betrothed^[a] to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. And the virgin’s name was Mary. ²⁸And he came to her and said, “Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you!”^[b] ²⁹But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and tried to discern what sort of greeting this might be. ³⁰And the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. ³¹And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. ³²He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, ³³and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.”

³⁴And Mary said to the angel, “How will this be, since I am a virgin?”^[c]

³⁵And the angel answered her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born^[d] will be called holy—the Son of God. ³⁶And behold, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son, and this is the sixth month with her who was called barren. ³⁷For nothing will be impossible with God.” ³⁸And Mary said, “Behold, I am the servant^[e] of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.

Mary believed it! (and so did Joseph). These two Israelites that were ordinary, walking in their daily lives just waiting in the betrothal period to be married. They were waiting too! But after 400 years of silence and over 600 years, the following prophecy (one of many, of course) was fulfilled:

Isaiah 9:6-7

⁶For to us a child is born,
    to us a son is given;
and the government shall be upon^[d] his shoulder,
    and his name shall be called^[e]
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
    Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
⁷Of the increase of his government and of peace
    there will be no end,
on the throne of David and over his kingdom,
    to establish it and to uphold it
with justice and with righteousness
    from this time forth and forevermore.
The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this.

So today, just one question (and not my usual three questions). It’s similar to my last BOM/backblast on Faithfulness the last time I was here at Shamrock:

What is God calling you to wait for? A relationship? A house? A new job? (big things). A good night’s rest? A healthy and delicious meal? There are LOTS of verses on waiting. But one has stood above them for some time for me:

Psalm 84:11

¹¹For the Lord God is a sun and shield;
the Lord bestows favor and honor.
No good thing does he withhold
from those who walk uprightly.

At just the right time Christ became human to save the world for God’s glory. You and I can trust Him for our eternal security and, when we walk uprightly, we know that if He is upholding something from us then it is for our good and can wait for it with joyful patience.

MOLESKIN:
My past 3 BOMs I’ve fully typed out prior to leading the workout and giving them. I think it has greatly helped with the delivery of what I desired to say (trying to Ephesians 5:10). Soli Deo gloria.
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
Christmas concert at Cornerstone Church of Knoxville tonight at 7pm. HMU via text / DM on Slack for more info.
Christmas Party at Judge Judy’s House December 11th. See Slack too.