F3 Knoxville

Children of God

THE SCENE: Insert info about the weather, etc.
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER
WARM-O-RAMA:

Run half way around parking lot and Bernie Sanders the other half, Motivators starting with 7, 10 Mountain Climbers, 10 Tempo Merkins, 7 Cherry Pickers, 7 Windmills, Little of This and That.
THA-THANG:
Mosey to the roadway that head toward the Admin Bldg.  We will stop to do 20 Rocky Balboas and 20 American Hammers.

Mosey to the Stop Sign at the Northeastern Corner of the Admin Bldg.  We will be heading along the road that semi-circles around the Admin Bldg.  We will stop at each cone to do the exercises listed and then move to the next cone according to the directions given.  Here are the exercises at each cone.

  • Cone 1:  10 Burpees.  Bear Crawl to Cone 2.
  • Cone 2:  20 Hello Dollies (4 ct). Bernie Sanders to Cone 3.
  • Cone 3:  20 Diamond Merkins.  Sprint to Cone 4.
  • Cone 4:  Go down stairs by Bat Cave then head south and run up summit of Everest to roadway and Cone 5.
  • Cone 5:  50 Baby Crunches.  Karaoke Right to Cone 6.
  • Cone 6:  20 Bobby Hurleys.  Karaoke Left to Cone 7.
  • Cone 7:  20 Imperial Walkers (4 ct).  Sprint to Cone 8.
  • Cone 8:  20 Smurf Jacks, 20 Big Boy Sit-ups, 20 Merkins, 20 Squat Jumps, 20 Flutter Kicks (4 ct), 20 Shoulder Taps, 20 Iron Mikes, 20 Bicycle Kicks, Rinse and Repeat.

Run down Mt. Everest and back up again.

At incline at top of Mt. Everest we will do Sevens starting with One Star Jump on the roadway and Six Burpees where incline flattens.

Mosey to small parking lot below and south of Coliseum. We will do Doras with partners changing after one partner has run upstairs, south, and back down road to parking lot. The other partner does exercise. Each set of partners will do the following exercises as a team:

  • 100 Dead Bugs (4 ct)
  • 100 Imperial Walkers (4 ct)

Mosey to Coliseum.  We will run counterclockwise around the loop.  Starting at 6 o’clock we will do 20 Squats.  We will do 20 squats at 3 o’clock.  We will run up and down stairs of the Admin Bldg. at 12 o’clock.  We will do 20 squats at 9 o’clock.  We will stop at 6 o’clock where we started

Mosey to AO via the route past Haslam Rock.

MARY:
Absominals.
COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA
We had 12 men with no FNGs.  It was great to have Lebowski back with us.  We were also honored to have Sanctions visiting us from Franklin, TN.
CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:
My best friend growing up was a fellow named Neil Deutsch.  We were next door neighbors in Dallas, Texas when I was age 3.  I cried the day Neil and his family moved to Memphis, TN.  Neil and I had just finished 3rd grade.  But, we stayed in contact.  Sometimes I would go to Memphis to visit him and sometimes he would come to Dallas to visit me.  The two of us decided to go to the same University – Baylor University – after completing high school.  Neil decided to go even though he was Jewish.  Baylor actually was one of the less expensive universities in Texas that Neil could attend as an out of state resident as it had great alumni support which drew down tuition.  Neil has remained a best friend to me.  I was best man at his wedding and he was best man at mine.  Pele got to meet Neil when both of them attended the wedding of my son, Bennett (aka Puddle).

Going back to our preschool years, Neil and I did all kinds of things together.  I remember playing “guns” at his house with his Uncle Steve who was about ten years our elder.  Whoever was “it” went to hide in the house and also got to possess Neil’s toy machine gun that sounded awesome when you pulled the trigger.  The pursuers had to count and then come hunting.  They had the lesser guns but also were allowed to possess one hand grenade (the grenades were actually boxing gloves).  Uncle Steve made sure everyone played fairly.

On Saturday mornings Neil and I would sit in front of the TV set with our cowboy hats on and watch westerns. We filled his dad’s shot glasses with Red Kool Aid and called it “Red Eye”, slugging the shots down like true cowboys.  We might also go outside and climb fences.  One of our favorite places to climb was a fence between my house and another neighbor’s.  It was a high spot and Neil and I liked to see who could pee the furthest from the top of the fence.

Now best friends do fight when they are young boys and Neil and I had our fights. Since I was about ten months older and was taller by nature than Neil, I always won the fights . . . that is until we had our great great fight of Religion.

Like I said, Neil was Jewish.  I was Christian.  One fine day we were playing on the See-Saw in my back yard and started talking about religion.  I, as a Christian, claimed that Jesus was the Son of God.  Neil, being Jewish, and not being as familiar about the son of God business, claimed that Moses was the son of God.  Well, I flat out told him he was wrong and he flat out told me I was wrong.  The conversation got more heated while we went up and down on the See-Saw, which was on of those flat board like structures.  When I was down on the ground and Neil was high up in the air on the other side of the See-Saw, I, in my anger, decided to scoot off the seat of that See-Saw.  When I did, there was absolutely no weight to hold Neil up in the air.  He came crashing down with a great Kerbannnnggg!

That boy who had never beat me in a fight was mighty angry and if he were David he would have certainly slew Goliath.  He came running after me and grabbed after me by pulling on my shorts.  I fell to the ground with my shorts down and my buttocks exposed.  What did Neil do?  He bit my butt!! He bit hard!! I ran to the house crying and screaming, with Neil following me, in tears himself.

Imagine my mother, hearing both of these boys crying and telling her what happened.  And then this Christian woman was asked by each of us, “Who is the son of God?”  My mother looked at me and looked at Neil, each with teary eyes and questioning faces.  She paused and then put her arms around both of us.  Her answer to us?   “We are all the children of God.”

Gents, take comfort in that.  Isn’t it good to know that each of us, no matter what our backgrounds or beliefs are the Children of God?

MOLESKIN: 
Prayers for safe travel for Sanctions as he had on with his trip to North Carolina today.  Prayers for Dung Beetle who is in the process of looking for a new job.
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
Convergence at Shamrock on July 8.  Be on lookout for special Ruck opportunities that will be announced on Slack.

Pre Workday Beatdown

THE SCENE: Cooler morning, partly cloudy. Very nice.
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER
WARM-O-RAMA:

15 Side Straddle Hops

5 Cherry Pickers

10 windmills

10 baby arm circles each way

Little bit of this and that

5 burpees

THA-THANG:

Mosey to the Caribbean:

Circling fully around doing exercises listed starting at 5 and then adding 1 each island going around the full circle.

  • Bobby Hurleys
  • Big Boys
  • Merkins
  • Squats
  • Flutter Kicks
  • Plank Jacks

Head back towards AO and everyone grab a coupon and gather around the flag. Do 25 together of each exercise:

  • Overhead press
  • Rows
  • Squats
  • Curls

Head to Pavilion. Do 11s, 7s, 5s, whatever needed for time. Exercises are table pullups in pavilion and step ups/jump ups at the playground.

MARY:
Finished on time
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:

Recently came back from a long road trip seeing the country, it was something I have long wanted to do and hoped at least one kid would be interested enough to do it also. This was something my parents never did with me and I wanted to be better and give a bit to my kids that my parents didn’t give to me. I also am getting no younger and didn’t want to run out of time by saying I will get there eventually.

Basically my message is close to something I shared with the PM group before heading out on this trip, but just to pick something this summer you have long wanted to do, whether it be a trip some thing local, or even something you wanted to try and do it. Answer the challenge this summer and do it. Share it with your kids or a loved one if you can and just do it. Don’t wait.

MOLESKIN:
Insert any personal comments, notes, devotion content, etc.
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
Lakeshore workday was following this workout. Dragon boat race coming up on 6/17

Miracles

THE SCENE: Insert info about the weather, etc.
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER
WARM-O-RAMA:

Motivators starting with 7, 10 Mountain Climbers, 7 Windmills, 7 Rockettes, 7 Twistees, 7 Little Baby Arm Circles Forward and Backward, Little of This and That.
THA-THANG:
Mosey to dirt path south of the Admin Bldg Road and then go to the Cul de Sac at the southeastern corner of the Admin Bldg.  We will do 20 American Hammers.

Mosey to the Coliseum. Then mosey downhill downhill to the main park roadway.  Stop at the top of each of the three hills on the way down to do 4 burpees.

Mosey to the Caribbean Parking Lot.  We will run East on the South side of the parking lot stopping at the 2nd and 4th island to to the first of the listed exercises below.  We will then Bernie back on the West side of the parking lot stopping at the 2nd and 4th island to do the second exercise listed below.  We will repeat the above pattern with the 3rd through 6th listed exercises.  Here are the exercises:

  • Bear Crawl 10 Lengths
  • Backwards Lunge 10 Lengths
  • Standing Broad Jump 5 times
  • 20 Baby Crunches
  • Lunge Forward 10 Lengths
  • Backward Standing Broad Jump 5 times

Mosey back toward the roadway.  Next, we will run the Pickett’s Charge up to the Coliseum.

Mosey to the small parking lot down the stairs and to the south of the Coliseum.  In the parking lot we will do the first of the listed exercises below. We will then run up the parking lot, up toward the cul-de-sac, then toward the stairs that go back to the parking lot.  Those getting to the stairs first will sweep everyone back to the starting point.  We will then do the 2nd exercise but go the opposite direction with the rabbits sweeping us back when they reach the upper part of the parking lot.  We will repeat the above pattern for the 3rd and 4th exercises.  Here are the exercises:

  • 15 Imperial Walkers
  • 15 4 ct. Flutter Kicks
  • 10 Hand Release Merkins
  • 10 Shoulder Taps (both shoulders = 1)

Mosey to the steps of the Admin Bldg.  We will do 20 4 ct Calve Raises.

Mosey to the AO

MARY:
Abdominals
COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA
16 men, no FNGs.
CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:

Miracles

If only you believe like I believe baby in miracles – we’d get by.  – Jefferson Starship.

Surely the lord is in this place and I did not know it.  Jacob speaking in Genesis 28:16

Many of you may have heard of Salmon Rushdie’s book, The Satanic Verses.  It is a famous book because after it was published, in 1989 the country of Iran’s late Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, issued a fatwa against Rushdie, proclaiming that the novel was blasphemous to Islam and calling for his death.  Rushdie has received protection in both Great Britain and the United States since that fatwa.

I have read the book and it really is a great book.  I don’t think Rushdie meant it to be a blasphemy of Islam although he does make some criticisms of Islam writings.

I bring the book up because there is an amazing passage in it where humans fall from a hijacked Jumbo Airliner to the earth below.  By miracle, two of the passengers survive.  One of those is the main character in the novel.  He knows it is a miracle.  After all, how could a person survive such a fall?  Yet, over time, he forgets the miracle.

How often do we do the same in our own lives?  We have a miraculous experience, so thankful at the time for what we have experienced . . . and yet, over the years, we forget about it.

I personally need to hang on to those miracles, pin them to my chest.  I know that miracles have happened in my past that I have simply forgotten.  I do remember some.  One example:  I didn’t think it would be possible for me to get into a doctoral psychology program after I had spent years studying law and floundering in that profession.  It would take too much time and money and it would be crazy to make such a change in careers.  On a day when I was ready to quit the law practice my boss convinced me to take undergrad courses in psychology and, afterwards, apply to doctoral psychology programs.  I did so but didn’t get into the program in Dallas I was hoping for.  Instead, I was accepted by a program in Aggieland – Texas A&M.  Through loans, stipends, and very cheap housing, I was able to get my doctorate.  What I had only dreamed of actually happened.  And, another miracle:  I met this woman from Kentucky who just happened to apply there as well – that woman became my wife.

I never want to forget that miracle.  I still thank God for it.  There are others I remember but some that I unfortunately have forgotten.

What miracles have happened to you in your lives?  Are there places where God is working in your life but, like Jacob, you don’t know it?  Search for the miracles that God has presented to you.  Write them down and remember them.  Finally, wait for more miracles to occur.  They will happen. God remains with you and will continue to perform them for you.

MOLESKIN:
Prayers for On Star regarding his citizenship status.  Prayers for those impacted by the fires and smoke from coming from Canada, including the wildlife impacted.
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
This Saturday we will gather at 9 am to help work on and beautify the Asylum. On Saturday, June 17 we will have a F3/Fia team for the KARM Dragon Boat Race. Through the following 1 1/2 weeks, F6 and the Tennessee Valley Players will be performing Beauty and the Best at the Auditorium of Catholic High School.  The website for tickets is posted on Slack.  Our own F6 will be in the performance.

Gladiator Bear

THE SCENE: Beautiful morning with the BSIA.  60 degrees, sunny, low humidity.  Aahhhhh….
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER

Performed adequately.
WARM-O-RAMA:

-Motivators (5-count, descending)

– 10 Rockettes (4-ct, IC)

– 10 Tempo Merkins (4-ct, IC)

– BAC forward and backward (4-ct, IC)

– Bolt 45s

– 10 Cherry Pickers (4-ct, IC)

– Little of this and that

THA-THANG:

MOSEY up Baby Everest to trail that leads to Lyons View entrance

Nickel/Dime Quarters!

Run 1 light do 5 reps, run 2 lights do 10 reps, run 5 lights do 25 reps.  Stop at base of Everest.  Exercises:

  1. MTN CLIMBERS (4-ct)     2. MERKINS  3.  FROGGY JUMPS

BASE OF EVEREST:

BERNIE up Everest until you hit failure.  When you do, do the Failure Ritual of Shame: 20 Merkins/20 Big Boys/20 Squats.  Run up the Summit to the road.  LBCs until the 6 catches up.

MOSEY to Small “Dora” parking lot.

5/10/15s: Get a battle buddy, while one BB jogs back and forth in the bullpen, the other runs up to the stop sign to do two exercises 5x.  Switch off.  Next time 10x, then 15x.   3 Rounds:

ROUND 1:  PETER PARKERS/BOTTLE OPENERS (both 2-ct)

ROUND 2: BIG BOY SITUPS/GAS PUMPS

ROUND 3: BOBBY HURLEYS/IMPERIAL WALKERS (2-ct) (We didn’t finish the “15” round of this last one)

MOSEY TO FIELD BELOW:

ULTIMATE FRISBEE! Divide into two teams.  Rules:

  • Frisbee hits the ground, team that drops it does 2 Deconstructed Burpees. The other team CANNOT START until those are done.
  • Score a touchdown, Scoring team does 5 CHEERLEADERS while losing team does 5 DECONSTRUCTED BURPEES and runs to the other side to receive kickoff
  • WINNER of contest gets a 20 second WALK MOSEY Head start back to the AO. When losers catch them, AYG back to the AO.

MARY:
American Hammers, Hommer/Marge
COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA
14 Strong + a poochie (Tank)
CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:

I’ve watched two very different shows recently that highlighted some of the same key attributes of leadership that I’d like to talk about today a little bit.  I’ve never considered myself a particularly strong leader, more of a leader by example, but I’ve been trying to improve my leadership skills here and there, and by seeing examples of how it can be done helps give me some pointers.

The first example is a show called BEAR, about a chef who has absolutely climbed the ladder globally, and was working at one of the best restaurants in the world when his brother dies, leaving him a run down Italian beef joint in downtown Chicago that is nearly bankrupt.  All the other workers there are blue-collar types who have worked there for years, and even though he’s “family”, they think of him as a snob, an outsider, and a disruptor.  The way he leads the group to try to get the restaurant back on its feet is impressive, and I wanted to mention a few things specifically.

  • Right off the bat he calls everyone “Chef” as a sign of respect. Everyone is in the same boat, everyone equal.
  • He observes and sees each worker’s strengths and gives them the freedom to pursue their passions within the confines of the restaurant. One guy really loves baking and making desserts, and he allows him to pursue that passion.
  • He does the dirty work. Literally. He’s on his hands and knees scrubbing the floor after everyone else has gone home.

Then there’s a scene in the movie Gladiator, when Russell Crowe’s character, who is an ex-commander of the Roman army that has been wrongfully imprisoned and trapped in the world of the gladiators, is released into the Colosseum in Rome with other criminals to be slaughtered for entertainment by a much better-armed group of gladiators.  His leadership qualities immediately kick in.

  • Before the battle begins, he asks who else has served in the military. A few nod, and he asks for their help.  Makes them feel important.
  • Right before combat, he tells his group to stick together and cooperate. It will give them a better chance to survive.
  • He is one of the first to engage the enemy group. He organizes and inspires his fellow gladiators and they end up winning the battle.

Some commonalities between the two scenarios.

  1. Give others belief in themselves and their unique abilities. Find out what makes them tick, what their skills and passions are, and recognize and encourage them.
  2. Lead from the front. When it’s time to get your hands dirty, be the first to stick them deep in the mud.
  3. When it’s crunch time, whether during a crisis in the kitchen or if you find yourself in a life and death battle in a gladiator arena, step up. Give others confidence.

MOLESKIN:
Insert any personal comments, notes, devotion content, etc.
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
Asylum cleanup next Saturday 9 am!

Listen

THE SCENE: Partly cloudy, temps in upper 50s.
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER
WARM-O-RAMA:

20 Plank Jacks, 10 Burpees, 10 Cherry Pickers, 10 Rocking Chairs, 10 Gas Pumps, 7 Twistees, 7 Pterodactyls Forward, 7 Pterodactyls Backward, Little of This and That

THA-THANG:

Mosey to Pavilion.  We will do Elevens starting with 10 Picnic Table Pull-ups and 1 Step up.

Mosey to beginning of Cardiac via the batting cage area.  We will run uphill stopping at the following areas to do the following exercises:

  • First Corner:  20 American Hammers (4 ct)
  • Second Corner:  20 Hello Dollies (4 ct)
  • Third Corner:  20 Flutter Kicks (4 ct)
  • Benches:  20 Bench Dips.
  • Rinse and Repeat

Mosey to the top of the Dragon Tail.  We will run down the trail and past the restrooms until we get to the roadway.  We will stop every five lights to do 10 Merkins.

Mosey to the Caribbean.  There will be cones place at every other island.  There is a list of exercises below.  We will do a candy cane run around the parking lot, stopping at every cone to do the first exercise listed.  This will continue until the end of the candy cane.  However, the first man who completes the exercise at the top of the candy cane (where two cones are placed together) will sweep all men back to the start.  Then we will do the same but with the next exercise on the list.  Here are the exercises:

  • Bear Crawl for 10 paces
  • Broad jump forward 5 times
  • Lunge backwards 10 paces

Next we Gentleman’s Mosey to the street, then run up Pickett’s Charge.  Those getting there first circle back to the six encourage them up the hill.

From the Coliseum we will run counterclockwise around the loop.  We will stop at 3 o’clock, 12o’clock and 9 o’clock to do the the listed exercise. The first man to complete the listed exercise sweeps all men back to 6 o’clock.  Here is the exercise:  20 Carolina Dry Docks at 3, up and down stairs at 12, and 20 Carolina Dry Docks at 9.

Mosey toward Haslam Rock.  Stop to gaze at the best sunrise in America.  Then mosey to AO.

MARY:
Abdominals.
COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA
12 Men, no FNGs.  We had Eliza, who calls his home Shamrock, working out with us this morning.
CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:

James 1:19  :  My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this:  Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry.

I think it is the tendency of us men to want to fix things. That can be good when it comes to repairing your home.  But it can be bad when it comes to hearing someone who needs to talk or helping those in mental pain.  Perhaps our desire to “fix it” is why men are often accused of not listening as well as women. Someone shares their sorrows with us and we want to fix it, to make it right.  It is difficult to listen to the cries and tribulations of others.  Knowing the other is hurting, we may be too quick to give advice that the sufferer has already heard before. We don’t like it that the other is in pain – it disturbs our own world and we want to make that world right, smooth and non-painful.  So we dole out the advice without fully listening.

Here’s some advice when someone needs to talk or comes to you in mental pain:  LISTEN.  Be there for that sufferer.  Frankly, sometimes there is no worldly solution.  Life can hurt and sometimes there is no answer other than “Live and Let God.”

Here’s a quote from the theologian, Henri Nouwen, that I think is quite apropos:

When we honestly ask ourselves which person in our lives mean the most to us, we often find that it is those who, instead of giving advice, solutions, or cures, have chosen rather to share our pain and touch our wounds with a warm and tender hand.  The friend who can be silent with us in a moment of despair or confusion, who can stay with us in an hour of grief and bereavement, who can tolerate not knowing, not curing, not healing and face with us the reality of our powerlessness, that is a friend who cares.

True listening is a skill that all of us need to learn.  It can hurt to truly listen to someone who is hurting because we suffer too.  But, in so doing, aren’t we becoming more like Christ or God would want us to be, taking on the wounds of our fellow humans?

MOLESKIN:
Prayers for our Veterans with praise for them serving our country; prayer of praise for the good news about Matlock’s nephew, John, who had successful brain surgery; prayers for those traveling, including high school students like Snitch’s daughter who will be traveling to Colorado to a Christian based camp there; prayers for Sparkler’s father-in-law who is critically ill.
ANNOUNCEMENTS:

There is a flag posting ceremony at the Veterans Cemetery across Lyon’s Bend starting at 8:30 this morning.  Men are invited to join the Boy Scouts who will be posting the flags for the veterans.  Some of us will also be going to Hardship Hill today to help set up obstacles.  The race is Monday.  On Saturday, June 10, we will have a workday here at the Asylum to help beautify this wonderful park.  Drum Major set up this service opportunity up for us.  On June 17, F3 and FIA will contribute to the KARM Dragon Boat Festival.  And, registration in now open for FORG3, a F3 brotherhood event that will occur in September.