F3 Knoxville

Seven Generations

THE SCENE: Started off cool, around 40 degrees, but when the sun came out became fairly balmy.
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER

Performed adequately.
WARM-O-RAMA:

  • Motivators (5-ct, descending)
  • Plank jacks (x10, 4-ct, IC)
  • Mountain Climbers (x10 4-ct) IC
  • Windmills (x10, 4-ct, IC)
  • Grady Corns (x10, 4-ct, IC)

THA-THANG:

Mosey up the Dragon’s Tail to Haslem’s Rock.  20 American Hammers (4-ct, IC)

Mosey to Bottom of Everest. Nothing says “We shall earn our pumpkin pie” like Everest.

  • Run to stump and back, 10x Merkins
  • Run to stump and back, 20 x Squats
  • Run to stump and back, 30x LBCs, SSH until the 6 gets there.
  • Run all the way up via the Summit, doing the same reps of Merkins, Squats, and LBCs at some point along the way.  Al Gore at the top.
  • FOOD COMA: (30 second Star Gazer)

Mosey to Front of Admin bldg.  We’re gonna CARVE THE TURKEY.  Left side: LIGHT MEAT (LUNGES).  Right Side: DARK MEAT (DIVE BOMBERS).  12 O’Clock position, JUMP FOR JOY! (JUMP SQUATS)

  1. Go down 1/4 of the way to the left, 10 LUNGES (2-ct)
  2. Run back to Middle, 10 JUMP SQUATS
  3. Go down 1/4 of the way to the right, 10 DIVE BOMBERS (2-ct)
  4. Run back to Middle, 10 JUMP SQUATS
  5. Go down 1/2 of the way to the left, 10 LUNGES (2-ct)
  6. Run back to Middle, 10 JUMP SQUATS
  7. Go down 1/2 of the way to the right, 10 DIVE BOMBERS (2-ct)
  8. Run back to Middle, 10 JUMP SQUATS

Didn’t do #8, instead moseyed over to the benches on the small hill south of the Colosseum and took a gander at the construction and beautiful weather.

Mosey to small parking lot by Colosseum.

BATTLE BUDDY UP.

  • 5/10/15s
  • There will be two exercises for each round.  Each round = 3 trips.  One partner will Turkey Run (kind of a Duck Walk with arms flapping) up to the street and do 5 reps of both exercises, then switch out with the partner, who is doing a slow mosey in the bull pen.  The next time up do 10x both exercises.  Third time up 15x.  YOU CAN TAKE ONE REP OFF CUMULATIVELY PER TRIP IF YOU CLUCK LIKE A TURKEY while running up to the street, so take one rep off the first trip, two reps off the second trip, and three reps off the third trip.
    • ROUND 1: PETER PARKERS (2-Count) / PLANK JACKS
    • ROUND 2: BIG BOY SITUPS / FLUTTER KICKS (2-count)
    • ROUND 3: DIAMOND MERKINS / CAROLINA DRY DOCKS

Only did Round 1 due to time, but did all of the Round 2 and 3 exercises at the top of the rise x15 (x13 due to the clucking extra credit)

Mosey to Field below.

BACKYARD FOOTBALL!

  • STATIONS (Rotate from 1 to 6. PAX not in rotation are alternating between 5 Merkins and 10 SSH)
    • STATION 1: Kicker (throws the ball deep to Returner, becomes an extra defender.  Ball must be catchable.)
    • STATIONS 2-5: Defenders (chase Returner and tackle him , 2-hand touch)
    • STATION 6: Returner (gets as far upfield as he can)
  • Field will be divided into quadrants. 4 Burpees will be divided by Returner and Defenders as follows (R / D):
    • Last Quarter: 3 / 1
    • Next Quarter: 2 / 2
    • Third Quarter: 1/ 3
    • TOUCHDOWN by Returner: 0 / 4

MARY:
American Hammers, Hello Dollies each x20 (4-ct, IC)
COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA
8 HIMs (Cheetah Boy not tagged)
CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:

The Iroquois have a philosophy or outlook on life called the SEVEN GENERATIONS PRINCIPLE

Any important action should take into account all of the history and wisdom from seven generations prior.  Also, how will your actions impact people seven generations in the future?  It embodies an idea of connectedness to a community that transcends time. How our actions affect not just those here now, but those that have passed, and those that will walk the earth when we are no longer here.

Connection to Thanksgiving: How can we learn from the wisdom of past generations?  Abraham Lincoln established Thanksgiving as a National Holiday in 1863, shortly after the Battle of Gettysburg that killed 50,000 Americans. It was a time of division, bitterness, hatred.  The first few paragraphs of Lincoln’s announcement addressed put a hopeful spin on the state of the union (debatable..), but then he said this:

It has seemed to me fit and proper that [God’s Gifts] should be solemnly, reverently, and gratefully acknowledged as with one heart and one voice by the whole American people. I do, therefore, invite my fellow-citizens in every part of the United States, and also those who are at sea and those who are sojourning in foreign lands, to set apart and observe the last Thursday of November next as a Day of Thanksgiving and Praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the heavens. And I recommend to them that, while offering up the ascriptions justly due to Him for such singular deliverances and blessings, they do also, with humble penitence for our national perverseness and disobedience, commend to His tender care all those who have become widows, orphans, mourners, or sufferers in the lamentable civil strife in which we are unavoidably engaged, and fervently implore the interposition of the Almighty hand to heal the wounds of the nation, and to restore it, as soon as may be consistent with the Divine purposes, to the full enjoyment of peace, harmony, tranquility, and union.

In the midst of a Civil war that was tearing this county apart, Lincoln was talking about charity, harmony, and Love of God.  Did NOT point fingers, dwell on the negatives, or complain about the state of the country.  Instead, he encouraged the people to celebrate as a single country and nation.  Despite differences that ended in 50,000 dead in a single battle just a few months prior, his hope was to create a holiday that would unify the country.  Bring us together.  One Nation, under God.  Today, the state of our country is divided once more, but nothing like it was at the time of the first Thanksgiving.  We should take a page from the Iroquois and use the wisdom of past generations to guide our ways today.  So as we celebrate Thanksgiving, we are charged to look back so that WE can be the ones to bring unity in today’s world when there is bitter division, so future generations don’t look back on our time here now and judge us for our divisiveness.  Here is to a peaceful and Happy Thanksgiving to you all.
MOLESKIN:
Prayers for those traveling
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
Happy Thanksgiving!

Pool Boy’s 4rd Annual Black Friday JUCO Discount Coupon Special

THE SCENE: Black and Friday… aka Annual Black Friday JUCO Discount Coupon Special (1st – 2nd – 3rd)
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER – Administered
WARM-O-RAMA:
7 each x El Capitan OYO
10 x OHC IC
6 x Werewolf OYO
10 x Tempo Squat IC
7 x Tennessee Rocking Chair IC
5 x Burpees OYO
7 x Derkins on Curb IC
6 x Tempo calf raises on the curb IC (also nice and slow)

THA-THANG:
Tour de JUCO – The Scenic Route to the Coupon Pile

Falling Mall Walk the Haslam Business Building (yes, we’re power walking to warm up our calves!) -> This was changed to a mosey to the Courtyard.

4 Corners – 2nd time completion first person circle all the way back and do the exercises with the PAX at the corner to return to the start

1 – Burpees (10)
2 – Merkins (20)
3 – Squats (30)
4 – BBS (40)

Mosey to the Coupon Pile
Coupon or no coupon? What kind of deal do you want? 10 reps with a coupon or 20 without a coupon

1 – Stairs to Pull Up 3-5 / 15 second dead hang
2 – Thrusters / Air Squat to Press
3 – Curls / Overhead Claps
4 – Kettle Bell Swings / Good mornings
5 – Front Raises / Front Raises
6 – Blockees / Burpees

Repeat 2-3x depending on time. 30 second break and/or 30 second wall sit in between

20 second wall sit – thanks to Lil’ Spice it was probably closer to 30!

MARY:
Mosey to the Shovel Flag. Dealer’s choice at the end
COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA – 4 Super Couponers

CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:
Advent: Covenant Faithfulness and Promises. We are in the season of Advent and yet I look back at the past 3 years and 4 Black Fridays that God has given me and I’m still continually thankful for the way that God has been faithful even as I have not. I’m so grateful and anticipate many things happening and changing even as I am no longer primarily at JUCO as my home AO. But there are just so many guys I can look to who have had an impact on me as well as seeing those who will come after.

Often we think we have to do it all – to get it perfect, to say the exact right thing, to be the perfect person. But let me remind you of the truth that we celebrate behind Advent – Jesus’ birth wasn’t option #2. It wasn’t plan B. God made the world and though sin and death would come, Christ would come to redeem us. His faithfulness and promises have all been foretold and fulfilled. Today we celebrate what happened ~2,000 years ago. There’s a song whose lyrics I want to read you that tells the story that Jesus was the original plan and not plan B. It tells of these covenant promises and covenant faithfulness that God has and will always have for us.

—–
[Verse 1]
Prophets promised long ago
A King would come to bring us hope
And now a virgin bears a son
The time to save the world has come

[Verse 2]
Humble shepherds run in haste
To see the One the angels praised
In cattle stall they find a girl
Who holds the hope of all the world

[Verse 3]
As He sleeps upon the hay
He holds the moon and stars in place
Though born an infant He remains
The sovereign God of endless days

[Verse 4]
For all our sins one day He’ll die
To make us sons of God on high
Let every heart prepare Him room
The promises have all come true

[Chorus]
Emmanuel has come to us
The Christ is born, hallelujah
Our God made low to raise us up
Emmanuel, has come to us

—

Begin Advent with grateful hearts to God for Jesus – in the manger and headed to the Cross.

MOLESKIN:
Great to be back at JUCO!

ANNOUNCEMENTS:
F3 Knoxville Christmas Party at Butterknife’s house Dec 3 @ 7pm. See Slack for the details.

THANKS and GIVING

THE SCENE: Clear and low 30s

F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER


WARM-O-RAMA:
Motivators 7 to 1; 10 Burpees

THA-THANG:
Station at shovel flag and at the dumpster. Do exercise at shovel flag then mosey to dumpster. Do exercise at dumpster and Bernie to shovel flag. Add new exercise each round.

Shovel Flag Exercises

  • Thrusters x5
  • Hand Release Merkins x10
  • Alpos x15
  • Newton’s Cradle x20
  • Knerkins x25
  • Swings x30

Dumpster Exercises

  • Groiners x5
  • Iron Mikes x10
  • V-Ups x15
  • Imperial Squat Walkers x20
  • No Surrenders x25
  • Gorilla Humpers x30

MARY:
Hello Dolly x15 IC; Rosalita x15 IC; Flutter Kicks x15 IC; Box Cutters x15 IC; Big Boys x15 OYO; LBCs for time

COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA
7 PAX earned their Thanksgiving dinner

CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:

Today is Thanksgiving and I want to share some personal experiences from my life as a reminder that God is worthy of our praise and thankfulness no matter our circumstances.

When I was in middle school my grandmother got very sick and the last two months of her life she lived with us. The day she died I sat in her room crying and God brought a song to my mind. Fast forward to adulthood and my M and I are matched with a birth mother to adopt our first child, a boy we named Sebastian. While with my whole family celebrating my parents 50th wedding anniversary, we receive a call that the birth mother had backed out and we would not be Sebastian’s parents. God brings the same song to mind and we sing as a family. Fast forward about 1 and 1/2 years later and we are in a hospital in Florida preparing to leave with our baby girl. We have gone into say goodbye to her birth mother and although this is a joyous day for us we recognize the pain that Carrie’s birth mother is experiencing. We sing that same song with her and the social worker. The song’s lyrics are this:

“I love you Lord and I lift my voice to worship You. Oh my soul rejoice. Take joy my King in what you hear. May it be a sweet, sweet sound in your ear”

Some may think this is a strange song to sing during some of the hardest times in my life and they may just be right. The thing is, God is worthy of our praise no matter the circumstance we find our self in.

MOLESKIN:
Pray for Pennies and Shoelaces as they both lost loved ones this week. Pray for Halfday’s M having kidney stone surgery today.

ANNOUNCEMENTS:
Insert information about upcoming events, 2nd or 3rd F opportunities, and any other announcements.

Arsenal leg day

THE SCENE: Cold
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER
WARM-O-RAMA

Mosey to the tennis courts
THA-THANG

Partner up. One partner Bernie’s up the hill beside the tennis courts and does 5 BBS at the top. Other partner AMRAP at bottom. Switch and work your way down the list

  • Squats
  • Iron Mike
  • Monkey Humper
  • Groiner
  • Al Gore
  • single leg dead lift to jump

MARY:
LBCs for time
COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA
7 including 1 FNG, welcome Mountain man, and 1 from down range, always great to have Paw Patrol join us
CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:
Many of life’s failures are people who did
not realize how close they were to success
when they gave up.
MOLESKIN:
Insert any personal comments, notes, devotion content, etc.
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
Insert information about upcoming events, 2nd or 3rd F opportunities, and any other announcements.

JUCO Circuit

THE SCENE:   25ish and clear.  Perfect for a beatdown.
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER:  Administered
WARM-O-RAMA:

  • Phelps
  • RFTS/LIH
  • Turkey wings
  • Projectivator
  • Grady corns
  • Squatting Grady
  • Merkins
  • Bouncing Y

THA THANG:

Mosey to the big lot.  Sprint across, turning 90 degrees at each line.  (sprint, side shuffle, bernie, side shuffle). Mary at the end.

Mosey to sophomore hill.

  • 10 iron mikes
  • 15 star jacks
  • 20 squats
  • Sprint to the pull-up bars – max pull ups.
  • Sprint to the coupons
  • 20 shoulder presses
  • 25 curls
  • 30 triceps
  • Sprint back the beginning
  • Repeat the circuit

 

Mosey to freshman hill – tip the scale

10 burpees, run up the hill, 10 merkins, run down the hill

9 burpees…11 merkins

8 burpees…12 merkins, etc. until recover is called.

 

Mosey to the docks.

10 carolina dry docks – jump off the dock and run to the other

10 bobby hurleys – jump off the dock and run back to the other.

Repeat a few times.

 

Mosey to the courtyard.  Broad jump the length of grass.  Bear crawl back.  Repeat.

MARY:

Guantanamo

PAX choice

COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA

Me and 11 of the best men I know.  One 2.0

CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:

From Psalm 78, “I will utter dark sayings from of old, things that we have heard and known, that our fathers have told us.  We will not hide them from their children but tell to the coming generation the glorious deeds of the Lord, and His might, and the wonders that He has done.”

The Word this morning was repurposed from this week’s F3 newsletter.  The newsletter talked about how the purpose of F3 is to plant, grow and serve small workout groups for men for the invigoration of YOUR leadership – in your communities, churches, workplaces, and – most importantly – in your home.

Whether or not he intends to, every father is discipling his children to something.  What we want to be doing is discipling them to virtue.  To know the character and instructions of God.

I shared part of my story – how for years I felt like a failure at discipling my family.  I would begin reading them Scripture or a Bible study…then stop when circumstances interrupted our routine or when it no longer “felt right”.  I would pray with them regularly…then have long seasons of drought.  I felt unsure of what exactly I was supposed to be doing – and unqualified to do what I thought family discipleship meant.  In my confusion, I became resentful about the whole thing.  I knew I was not leading my family well but couldn’t find a form and rhythm that felt like it worked.

Can any of you relate?

It’s just a little thing – but what finally clicked for me a few years ago started with a book.  A short story that is meant to be read during the Advent season – one chapter every night.  Our family developed a routine: everyone gets a blanket, a hot drink, and piece of candy, then gathers on the couches in the living room.  I’d read one chapter from the book, Jotham’s Journey.  Each reading also includes a few questions related to the narrative – but also tying in discussions about God, living righteously, and Jesus’s birth.

We enjoyed that time so much, we did not miss a single night during Advent.  And here’s the key…at the end of those 25 straight nights, our family had formed a new habit.  We sustained our rhythm after that Advent season and to this day – five years later – we follow roughly that same pattern almost every evening.

There are a thousand different ways you can intentionally mentor your sons and daughters about the most important things in life.  This is just one thing that worked for me after a hundred other things failed.  Establishing a lasting routine.

If you are, as I was for a loooong time, confused and frustrated with trying to find a routine to lead your family, maybe you’ll try the path that worked for me.  I have five of those books to give away.  There is nothing special about this book – but I’m sentimental about it because of my own experience.  If five men will read them to their families, please take them.  Advent starts on Sunday.  Read it every night with your kids until Christmas.  Work to have a new family habit take root.

It does not have to be profound or complicated.  Read a passage of Scripture – do one of the hundreds of free family studies on the YouVersion Bible app.  Find a way to lead your family in virtue.

MOLESKIN:

If you didn’t get a book and want one, DM me on Slack with your address and I’ll have it shipped to you.   

ANNOUNCEMENTS:

Christmas party at Butterknife’s home Dec 3rd – sign up!