F3 Knoxville

Be a Sheep, Not a Goat

THE SCENE: Sunny and give-me-a-breeze-because-it’s-90-degrees-oh please oh please Hot, around 90 degrees
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER  Check.  I may not have clarified I’m not a professional. But I am not.
WARM-O-RAMA:

30 Side Straddle Hops (4-ct), in cadence, 10 Cherry Pickers (4-ct), in cadence, 20 Imperial Walkers (4-ct), in Cadence, 10 Baby arm circles forward/backward, Little of This and That, 10 plank jacks (4-ct) in cadence (had to add these on waiting for Hooker to dress himself… insert eye roll here)

THA-THANG:

Mosey to random shady area south of Admin Building before Chapel

  • Mucho Chesto #1: 10 x Merkin / 10 x Wide Merkin / 10 x Diamonds / 10 Stagger Merkin Left / 10 Stagger Merkin Right.

Mosey to Chapel

  • CHAPEL 7’s
    • Part 1: Mountain Climbers (4-ct)/Bench Dips
    • Part 2: Froggie Squat Jumps/Decline Merkins

Mosey to big tree outside of chapel that had a sort of circular shade pattern.

  • Catch Me if You Can!
    • Partner up. One partner Burpee Broad Jumps around perimeter of shade.  Other partner does 10 LBCs and then GORILLA RUNS to catch up.  Then partners switch. 3 minutes.  Rinse and repeat, except with Lunges and Bear Crawls.

Mosey to CMU pile.

  • DORAS
    • Use same partners as before. One partner DUCK WALKS ½ way then sprints to end of parking lot, does 3 merkins, then sprints and switches.
      • 100 curls (Q pulled up lame with a tight calf here.  Dang!!)
      • 100 overhead press (RIP to the CMU that Tank dropped.  We all pitched in on the punishment burpees)
      • 100 triceps (didn’t have time for these last two)
      • 100 squats

Mosey to start of Dragon Tail

  • Mucho Chesto #2, 1/2 reps: 5 x Merkin / 5 x Wide Merkin / 5 x Diamonds / 5 Stagger Merkin Left /5 Stagger Merkin Right.Mosey to monument up the Dragon’s tail
      • 20 American Hammers

Mosey to AO

MARY:
No Time
COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA
10 HIMs, J-Lo not tagged
CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:

Certain current events in the news have been disturbing to me, and I felt the urge to recite this Bible verse that contains some sentiments that I feel we need to be reminded of collectively as a society.

Matthew 25 verses 1-13, Parable of the Sheep and Goats

“But when the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then he will sit on the throne of his glory. Before him all the nations will be gathered, and he will separate them one from another, as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left. Then the King will tell those on his right hand, ‘Come, blessed of my Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; for I was hungry, and you gave me food to eat. I was thirsty, and you gave me drink. I was a stranger, and you took me in. I was naked, and you clothed me. I was sick, and you visited me. I was in prison, and you came to me.’

“Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry, and feed you; or thirsty, and give you a drink? When did we see you as a stranger, and take you in; or naked, and clothe you? When did we see you sick, or in prison, and come to you?’

“The King will answer them, ‘Most certainly I tell you, because you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’ Then he will say also to those on the left hand, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire which is prepared for the devil and his angels; for I was hungry, and you didn’t give me food to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave me no drink; I was a stranger, and you didn’t take me in; naked, and you didn’t clothe me; sick, and in prison, and you didn’t visit me.’

“Then they will also answer, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry, or thirsty, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and didn’t help you?’

“Then he will answer them, saying, ‘Most certainly I tell you, because you didn’t do it to one of the least of these, you didn’t do it to me.’ These will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”

MOLESKIN:
Prayers for several PAX who have family members who are going through health issues, and praise for some news of recovery for several as well.
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
Fourth of July F3/FiA parade news (check Cap’n Crunch’s email) and Goliath at the Gorge mud run/obstacle course near Johnson City in late October.  F3 Knoxville is coordinating with other F3 groups and the organizers to get an F3 discout, arrange some fellowship options, and perhaps volunteer.

Quarter Pounder @ Litton’s

THE SCENE: 68 degrees. Balmy. Clear.
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER
WARM-O-RAMA:

SSH – x25 IC

Cherry Pickers – x11 IC

Tempo Squat – x11 IC

Annie’s – x7 IC each arm, each way

Moroccan Night Clubs – x20 IC 4CT

THA-THANG:
Quarter Pounder at Litton’s (modified)

Mosey to Lynnview by Litton’s. 4 stations- 1 at each light pole equidistant from one another up the hill. Do station 1. Run to 2 and back. Do stations 1 & 2. Run back to start. Do stations 1,2,3. Run back to start. Do stations 1-4. Run back to start.

  • 25 Merkins
  • 50 BBS
  • 75 Mountain Climbers 2CT
  • 100 SSH 1CT

Recover

MARY:
Mosey to church parking lot. 4 stations, 1 in each corner. 25 each. Bear crawl between stations 2-3 and 4-1.

1) LBCs – x25

2) Squats – x25 (bear crawl to next)

3) Imperial Walkers – x25 2CT

4) Curb Jumps – x25 (bear crawl back to 1)

Repeat 2x til time.

Wilson led us in 20 flutters

Swanson led us in 20 hammers

COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA
Chaucer, Herbie, Wilson, Swanson, Filter
CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:
2 Timothy 1:7

“For God gave us a spirit not of fear, but of power, and love and self-control.”

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.

Be Present

THE SCENE: Soggy but no rain, bit on the humid side 69degrees at circle up…
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER
WARM-O-RAMA:

Start with SSHX30 on 4CT, Baby Arm circles front/back/and overhead claps x10 each, Windmills x10, Tempo Merkins x10, Jog down and back in parking lot then mosey…
THA-THANG:
Mosey to front entrance of Asylum alternating between bear crawls and crab walks by light pole to the base of everest.  11 Poles total.

At Everest perform 1min of exercise then sprint up to Tree and back.  Exercises consisted of Merkins, Overhead claps, Mountain climbers, SSH, Carolina DD’s, and Squats

Once completed summit Everest with 15 tempo squats at top

Mosey back to AO

 

 

MARY:
Perform Captain Thor’s x26/Hello Dolly x20
COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA
7 HIM’s @qvc @snitch @crab-legs @music city @gibbler @hands
CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:
Shared article about a counselor from a Nursing home who shared what people at the latter part of their lives longed to go back and do.  What do they regret, if anything?  Almost all responded that they would go back to the time in their lives when they’re kids were home.  When life was crazy and uncertain.  Chaotic.  We always seem to be thinking about the next thing.  It is a challenge to stop and realize we are in a special spot in our lives.  To be present and in the moment.

Beyond Words

THE SCENE: Cloudy and very humid
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER
WARM-O-RAMA:

20 Side Straddle Hops.  10 Burpees.  10 Tempo Squats.  10 Windmills.  5 baby arm circles forward and backwards.  5 wide arm circles forward and backwards.
THA-THANG:

Mosey to stop sign at southeast corner of Admin Bldg.  20 American Hammers (four count).

Mosey toward Northshore gate of the park.  Stop at shade tree near Area 51.  20 Hello Dollies (four count).

Mosey to the perimeter trail that crosses road near the Northshore Gate.  We will do Nickel, Dime, Quarters (running one light and stopping for five of an exercise, running two lights and stopping for ten of the exercise, and running five lights to stop and do 25 of the exercise) heading south on the perimeter trail and staying on the perimeter trail until it reaches the Southeastern Ball Park.  We will do the following exercises during our stops:

  • Merkins
  • Squat Jumps
  • Big Boy Sit-ups
  • Star Jumps
  • Dive Bombers

Mosey to the Pavilion by Southern Ball Fields. We will do Elevens at the picnic tables starting with one decline merkin and ten bench dips.

Mosey to the Outdoor Chapel

We will pair up into teams of two men each.  While one man on time runs around the chapel on the sidewalk the other man does bench dips.  Partners switch off after one circles the chapel.

Mosey on roadway back toward the Admin Bldg.  We will stop 1/3 of way their to do 20 Flutter Kicks (four count) and 2/3 of the way there to do 20 Bicycle Kicks.

Mosey to AO.

MARY:

COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA
Eight men, no FNGs.
CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:
BEYOND WORDS

Last Friday, I was reading a book when my wife, Jan, happened across the movie Steel Magnolias on television.  I had seen the movie back in 1989 when it came out.  I kept reading my book but as the movie went on I gradually cast the book aside and focused on the screen.  OK, my wife and kids make fun of me for crying at movies and I cried at this one.  The movie centers around a group of women who are friends played by famous actresses and a famous songwriter, Sally Fields, Dolly Parton, Shirley MacLaine, and Olympia Dukakis.  It also focuses on two younger women played by young actresses who would later become famous:  Daryl Hannah and Julia Roberts.  All of these women are bonded to one another and their bond becomes stronger over time.  They keep that bond, despite the quirkiness of each individual.  They also keep the bond despite the fact that they sometimes say idiotic, off-base or even hurtful things to each other.  But what they say counts, is relevant, and helps each of them to grow – they are not therapists, they are friends and the power of their love for one another GOES BEYOND WORDS.

In the movie, Sally Fields plays the mother of Shelby who is played by Julia Roberts.  Shelby dies of medical issues.  The friends are together at the cemetery after the funeral.  Daryl Hannah’s character is a simple young woman and a quirky religious fanatic.  She at first sounds trite when she says to Sally Fields, “we should all be rejoicing because Shelby is with our king.”  Fields gets pissed off at this saying “excuse me if I am selfish and don’t feel like rejoicing.”  But it is the simplicity and earnestness of Daryl Hannah’s character who, thereafter, touches Field’s heart.  Hannah talks about how Shelby had to fight to stay alive and about how her “body just couldn’t keep fighting any more.”  She apologizes for her simplicity but talks about how she views heaven as a better place with Shelby there.

In another scene in the cemetery, Fields is breaking apart with her friends, hurting, angry, questioning the unfairness of her daughter’s death, and screaming that she just wants to hit somebody.  The Olympia Dukakis character pushes her friend, a sort of curmudgeon character played by Shirley MacLaine, in front of her and says, “Here, hit this.  It will make you feel better.  Go ahead and sock her one in the face.”  MacLaine stomps off pissed while the remaining women, including Fields, break down laughing.

You then see the apology scene between Dukakis and MacClaine, a touching scene where Dukakis explains she was just trying to break the tension of the moment.  She playfully nudges MacClaine and MacClaine nudges back.  The two end up bumping each other off the park bench.  It is the simple, joking act of pushing each other back and forth that shows the love between them.

I bring all this up to say that as F3 brothers, as friends to one another, we do not have to always say the right thing.  If you care for your brother that care is gonna show through, no matter what kind of stupid thing you say to him.  It may be a silly joke, it may be a bopping of hands, it may be you placing your hand on your brother’s back during prayer time in the Circle of Trust.  Our connection between one another GOES BEYOND WORDS.  It is the being there that counts.

MOLESKIN:
Prayers for Tank and for two people who were killed by drivers under the influence of substances this past weekend.