F3 Knoxville

Keep Striving

AO: asylum-pm
Q: Lilydipper
PAX: Pele (Jon Lindberg), Curveball, Windex, Crash Dummy, Tenderfoot, Mr Jinxy, Pusher, Sparkler, Brick
FNGs: None
COUNT: 10
WARMUP: 20 Side Straddle Hops, 10 Squat Jumps, 10 Mountain Climbers, 10 Windmills, 10 Twistees, 10 Rockettes, 7 Pterodactyls Forward and 7 Backward

THE THANG: Mosey to the stop sign at the Northeastern Corner of the Admin Bldg. We will go up the road that semi-circles the Admin Bldg and stop at nine different cones to do the exercises listed and then go to the next cone as listed. Here are the exercises at the nine cones:
Cone 1: 10 Shoulder Taps, both shoulders = 1. Sprint to next cone.

Cone 2: 20 Hello Dollies. Bear Crawl to next cone.

Cone 3: 20 Imperial Walkers where both legs = 1. Bernie to next cone.

Cone 4: Go down stairs by bat cave. Run to summit on left and go up summit. Then go to roadway where you will see next cone.

Cone 5: 40 Baby Crunches. Slow Mosey to Cone 6

Cone 6: 20 Bobby Hurleys. Bernie to Cone 7.

Cone 7: 20 Flutter Kicks, both legs = 1. Hop to Cone 8.

Cone 8: 20 Merkins. Sprint to Cone 9.

Cone 9: 20 Mountain Climbers both legs =1, 20 Freddie Mercuries both legs = 1, 20 Big Boy Sit-ups, 20 Box Cutters, 20 Diamond Merkins, 20 Backwards Lunges, 20 Plank Jacks, 20 Iron Mikes both legs = 1.

Mosey to Coliseum. We will stop to do 20 Squats. The Coliseum is 6 oclock. We will run counterclockwise around circle. At 3 o’clock we will do 10 Carolina Dry Docks. At 12 o’ clock we will do 10 box jumps on stairs of the Admin Bldg. At 9 o’clock we will do 10 Wide Merkins. At 6 o’clock do 20 Bench Dips at steps. Rinse and repeat.
Next, guys will number off into two teams. Team one will mosey to Stop Sign on the Northeast Corner of the Admin Bldg, then go up semi-circle road to AO, picking up cones on the way. Team two will mosey to Stop Sign on Southeast Corner of the Admin Bldg, then go up semi-circle road to AO, picking up cones on the way.

MARY: Stretches.

ANNOUNCEMENTS: Hardship Hill will be May 17. Volunteers are needed. Also, guys who participate can arrive early to help set up or stay late to help break down and clean up. Tomorrow morning at Shamrock, at the 5:30 am workout, Slappy will be passing the baton to Stitch as AO captain. Be there if you can.

COT:

Message

Keep Striving

As a psychologist and as a human being, I have experienced, had family members experience, and had patients experience deep depression. When depressed the idea of going through another day can seem absolutely overwhelming. When depressed, just getting out of bed to shower can be difficult. And, when we do get more active, when we do put in the effort, it may feel like we will never get rewarded. For us who are believers in God, we may wonder where He is and why He doesn’t respond. We may feel like giving up. Yet, we can’t give up. We must keep striving.

I love the song Your Labor is Not in Vain by Isaac Wardell, Paul Zach and Wendell Kimbrough. The song is about having faith and knowing God is with us although all our work and efforts may not currently seem to be paying off. Imagine God saying the following to you:

Your labor is not in vain
Though the ground underneath you
Is cursed and stained
Your planting and reaping are never the same
Your labor is not in vain

Your labor is not unknown
Though the rocks they cry out
And the sea it may groan
The place of your toil may not seem like a home
But your labor is not unknown

Chorus
For I am with you I am with you
I am with you I am with you
For I have called you
Called you by name
Your labor is not in vain

The vineyards you plant will bear fruit
The fields will sing out and rejoice with the truth
For all that is old will at last be made new
The vineyards you plant will bear fruit

The houses you labored to build
Will finally with laughter and joy be filled
The serpent that hurts and destroys will be killed
And all that is broken be healed

Remember, God is with you. He has called you by name. He is there when all seems broken. Keep striving. Your labor is not in vain.

Prayers: Prayers for Slappy and Stitch as Slappy passes leadership as the AO Captain of Shamrock to Stitch. Prayers for our brothers at Shamrock as well. Prayers of thanks for Sparkler’s continuing recovery from surgery related to prostate cancer. Prayers for Crash Dummy’s friend as her recovers from the removal of a tumor near his pituitary gland. Prayers of thanks that Windex’s daughter, Mattie, has recovered so well from her terrible car accident.

Run & Sweat

AO: asylum-pm
Q: Crash Dummy
PAX: Lilydipper, Pele (Jon Lindberg), Switchhitter (Tony), Drum Major, Brick, Kung Blue, Rooney (Carl Whipple), Mr Jinxy, Pusher, MD Hammer, Curveball
FNGs: None
COUNT: 12
WARMUP: Side Straddle Hops x 20, Cherry Pickers x 5, Good Mornings, Runner’s Stretch, Light Stretching, Downward Facing Dog, Money Stretch.

THE THANG: Run around the park, keeping mostly to the perimeter. A few stops along the way for a quick breather. Sprint up Everest a few times then end back at the AO.

MARY:

ANNOUNCEMENTS: Double Beat Down w/F3 ROCO -5/6. Hardship Hill 5/17.

COT: How are we connected to our identities? Are you tied to your business card? If you died today, how would you want to be remembered?

Glow Rings

AO: shamrock
Q: Stitch
PAX: Mermaid, slappy, Smoked Pickle, Voodoo, Squatter, Crawlspace, Skidmark, Eliza, Flower Pot, Brick
FNGs: None
COUNT: 11
WARMUP:
1. SSH
2. Grady Corns
3. Neck Rolls
4. Imperial Walkers
5. Tempo Merkins

THE THANG:
Mosey to the football field for 4 corners.
1st corner = 10 Burpees
2nd corner = 25 Squats
3rd corner = 25 2-count Freddies
Run through the bleachers to the 4th corner
4th corner = 25 Merkins
REPEAT
REPEAT again

Glow Frisbee team relay from the baseball lot around the campus and back to COT.

COT:
Two verses from John…

In John 14:6, Jesus said “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but through me.” That’s a pretty bold statement! That’s not only a truth claim, it’s a claim that every other way is false.

In John 3:36, John says “Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him.” It sounds like a lot is on the line here, am I right??

Last Sunday on Easter, the pastor at Fellowship told the congregation that “I believe in Christianity, not because it’s helpful or helps me through hard times. I believe in Christianity because it’s true.” Good answer. I believe it to be true, also, and it’s the reason I am a Christian.

There are many world views and religions and they all believe in different things about God and his nature. What makes one triumph over the rest? If they are all so different then they can’t all be true, right?? Isn’t that important?

I asked my son once, Why are we Christians? Have you ever been asked that? How would you respond? Could you answer that in one sentence? My 13 year old son, at the time, couldn’t find the words to articulate his beliefs and he was a bit stumped. I told him the answer to that question is… “Because Christianity is the best explanation for the way things are in reality.” It has an answer for every challenge. Will it convince everyone…no! In fact, it will convince far fewer than it will not. And, the Bible even makes that very claim.

Are the Gospels reliable? Is the Bible the inerrant Word of God? Is Jesus really who He says He is? There are many good reasons to trust in Jesus as God, the Bible as God’s word, and the claim that Christianity is true. If you want to dive deeper into that, do some research and find the answers for yourself. That, or you know how to reach me.

[genesis-ruck] Carry On

AO: genesis-ruck
Q: Single (Ryan Chambers)
PAX: Steam, Brick
FNGs: None
COUNT: 3
WARMUP: Cherry Pickers, IT Department Stretch, Little Baby Arm Circles

THE THANG:

Genesis Ruck

Thang 1

4 Rounds

10 Sandbag Thrusters
10 Sandbag Curls
100m Farmers Carry

Thang 2

100m Bear Hug Carry
20 Sandbag over Shoulder
100m Bear Hug Carry
20 Sandbag Squats
100m Bear Hug Carry
20 Ruck Step Ups

Ruck down greenway path till time.

MARY: Ruck back to flag

ANNOUNCEMENTS: See Slack

COT:

Stay Consistent in the areas that matter most in your life.

Locking Shields

AO: asylum-pm
Q: Pele (Jon Lindberg)
PAX: Drum Major, Lilydipper, Abacus, Lizzy, Mr Jinxy, Pusher, Crash Dummy, Curveball, Welch’s, Brick, MD Hammer, Pele (Jon Lindberg)
FNGs: None
COUNT: 12
WARMUP: 20 SSH, 10 Cherry Pickers, 10 Tennessee Rocking Chairs, 10 Grady Corns, Yoga Stretches, 10 Hand Release Merkins

THE THANG:
MOSEY to Slope on Picketts Charge.
HILL PYRAMID!:
Run up the slope and back down. Every time you get back down do the exercises (10 REPS EACH):
– JUMP SQUATS
– JUMP SQUATS / BOTTLE OPENERS (2-count)
– JUMP SQUATS/ BOTTLE OPENERS / BIG BOY SITUPS
– BOTTLE OPENERS / BIG BOY SITUPS
– BIG BOY SITUPS

Mosey to Center of Colosseum.
JINXY’S FOUR AND A QUARTER. Start at bottom of hill, run to tree about 2/3 to Admin Bldg, and do 25 reps of an exercise, return to starting position. R&R 4 times, totaling 100 of the exercise.
Round 1: Carolina Dry Docks
Round 2: Imperial Walkers (single count)
Round 3: Lunges (single count)

Mosey to Stop sign on circle drive.
MODIFIED WELSH DRAGON (4-ct Bear Crawl, 1 Merkin, R&R up to 10 Merkins… always only 4-ct Bear Crawl). Run to where the railing begins and do the 1st rep, run back to do the 2nd rep, etc.
AYG to Flag.

MARY: A little light stretching.

ANNOUNCEMENTS: Hardship Hill, Ascent Leadership School at Frozen Head

COT: NO GAPS IN THE WALL!
Three years ago Judge Judy, who was our Nantaan at the time, wrote an article in the weekly newsletter called Cracks in the Foundation, which alluded to some situations surrounding F3 that resulted in fractures within groups and between individuals. That message was very timely back then, and as some of you are aware, there’s a little bit of that going on right now. Nothing that I don’t think we can fix, but some things that if we don’t address could just continue to fester. So for my Word, I just wanted to reiterate what I feel is F3’s absolutely greatest attribute: it’s ability to inspire us all to be better men through SHARING. Sharing of the Suck from the workout, Sharing in the responsibilities of being Q, Sharing of life experiences in the Circle that others may learn from or be inspired by, etc.

We often use the term “Lock Shields” in F3. Think about that for a second. What comes to mind? I have this image from Lord of the Rings or a movie about the Roman Empire of a bunch of warriors facing a common enemy, and each one of them standing shoulder to shoulder with their shields up. If it was just one dude, he’d get surrounded, overwhelmed. But it’s a bunch of warriors that are aligned in a common purpose: PROTECT EACH OTHER’S SIX. If there’s a crack or a gap in the wall, then everyone is in deep doo doo.

To no one’s surprise, the guys in F3 have differences. We have our differences in Faith, Politics, what kind of workouts we want to do out here, and maybe even differences in how we think F3 should operate. That’s fine! But how do we keep locking shields if the guy next to us is of a different political party? Religion? If he has way more hair and is better looking than the rest of us (thanks guys… you know who you are…)? It comes down to RESPECT for your brother, who’s out here trying to get 1% better, just like you are. When we’re out here, we lay our differences aside. When we’re out here, I’m continually trying to figure out ways to better serve you so that you can serve others. This requires that we keep that wall tight. NO GAPS IN THAT WALL. And I hope we all have that mindset. But whatever differences we have can be overcome with Grace and empathy and understanding