F3 Knoxville

God Our Father

THE SCENE: Thunderstorms, temps in high 70s and muggy.
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER
WARM-O-RAMA:

We started out under the Pavilion because it was raining like crazy with lightening and thunder.

25 Side-Straddle Hops, 10 Mountain Climbers, 10m Cherry Pickers, 10 Twisties, 10 Little Baby Arm Circles Forward and Backward, Little of This and That

THE THANG:

Run around the Pavilion 5 times.

Next, we did a Ladder with 30 seconds each of the following exercises, going up ladder than down while cutting first exercise out etc. so that by the end we did each exercise for five periods of 30 seconds.

  • Burpees
  • Bench Dips
  • Decline Merkins off Benches
  • Iron Mikes
  • American Hammers

Lunge around Pavilion one time.  Next, we did 30 second Al Gore with backs to wall.

Run around pavilion 4 times.

Elevens starting with 10 Picnic Table Pull-ups and 1 Bench Step-up.

With the rain subsiding we moseyed to the parking lot just north of the Pavilion.  We ran to the four corners doing the following exercises.  After the exercises we ran all the way around the parking lot one time.

  • Corner 1, 10 Smurf Jacks
  • Corner 2, 10 Star Jumps
  • Corner 3, 10 Bobby Hurleys
  • Corner 4, 10 Squat Jumps

Mosey back to Pavilion to do 20 Bench Step-ups.

Mosey back to the same parking lot.  We circles the parking lot again, stopping at each corner to do the following exercises, then running all the way around the parking lot when finished:

  • Corner 1, 20 Hello Dollies
  • Corner 2, 20 Big Boy Sit-ups
  • Corner 3, 20 Flutter Kicks
  • Corner 4, 20 Bicycle Kicks

Next we went to the curb on the eastern side of the parking lot.  We did the following types of runs the eastern curb to the western curb:

  • Half speed sprint to western curb.
  • Bernie Sanders to the eastern curb.
  • Karaoke Right to the western curb.
  • Karaoke Left to the eastern curb.
  • Butt kick run to the western curb.
  • High knees run to the eastern curb.
  • Sprint to the western curb.
  • Sprint to the eastern curb.

COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA
Eight men, no FNGs.  Mr. Jinxy joined us for the BOM and went to Coffeeteria with us.
CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:
God Is Our Parent

Romans 8: 38-39 says, “For I am convinced that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

1 John 4:16: “So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him.”

In the Bible we are told to call God “our father.”  We are also taught that there is no greater love than that of God for us.  We are His children.  When I take time to dwell upon that, it gives me great comfort.  Because those of us who are fathers know how incredible our love is for our children.

I found that out after my oldest child, Faith, was born.  I remember going to work the few weeks after she was born and sometimes hearing babies cry in the clinic I worked at.  I had heard similar cries before Faith was born.  But those same types of cries now stirred up something in me, as if I was hearing her cry and needed to comfort her by instinct.

As parents we ache for our children.  My son, Bennett, played on the freshman basketball team at West High School.  He was a good player but found himself sitting on the bench in most games.  I remember the tears on the rides home from the games, his frustration and anger at not being able to play for even a few minutes in a game.  I ached for him, I hurt for him, I felt tears myself on those long rides home.  I remember Faith going through a time of depression in high school, worrying about her, hoping that each day she would just be ok.  She was such a hard working and efficient student yet would get so down on herself.

And I recall such happy times as well, moments when I felt so overjoyed and proud of my children.  I remember Faith having the primary role in a musical at Bearden Middle School and the ovation she got from the audience.  I took a walk that night by myself, dreams of Faith performing on Broadway in my head.  I remember Bennett winning the Geography Bee at Bearden Elementary School.  My son Bennett, shockingly winning over these other smart kids who seemed to always get the accolades.  I recall Jan and I going to Starbuck later that morning, just to share a cup of coffee and giggle with pride.

Those little moments as parents when we ache, when we hurt, when we laugh, when we bask in the happiness of the actions of our children may seem so small to someone else.  But it is so huge for us as parents.  If Jan and I can have that kind of love for our children, how great must God’s love be for us.  Think of God watching your own hurts, your own victories.  Think of Him hurting for you.  Think of him shouting for joy with your own victories.  Is that really possible?  If God is all powerful, if God is our creator, if God is Love, then the answer is yes.  Think of that when you go through the rest of your day.  Think of that when you go to sleep to night.  God, your loving father, is with you.

MOLESKIN:
Prayers for Mr. Jinxy and his wife as they come to an important real estate decision regarding his wife’s business operation.
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
Service opportunity at the Cerebral Palsy Center on Saturday, August 6.

FTWS

F3 Q: 7.5.22

Asylum PM

5:45-6:30

“FTWS” = Five Things With Steam

[ The Scene ]

  • 90s
  • Hot
  • Steamy

[ Welcome/Disclaimer ]

  • Welcome to F3: Fitness – Fellowship – Faith
  • My name is Steam and I’ll be your Q this morning
  • A few things before we begin:
    • I’m not a professional
    • You’re here on your own belief
    • You know your injuries if you have any so if you need to modify anything we do today feel free to do so, but push yourselves and the men around you. They deserve it and so do you.
  • FNGs?

[ Warm o Rama ]

  • SSH (10×4)
    • Run down to the tree and back
  • Merkins (10×4)
    • Run down to the tree and back
  • Lunges (10×4)
    • Run down to the tree and back
  • Gas Pedals (10×4)
    • Run down to the tree and back
  • Imperial Walkers (10×4)
    • Run down to the tree and back

[ The Thang ]

— 5 Things, 5 Places —

(Mosey to the top of theColiseum)

[1] 5 Things, Part 1

  • Do one of the 5 things (one at a time) and then run up the space needle and back
  • Rinse and repeat until you complete all 5
  • 5 reps, everything on a 4 count
  • Recover at the rope when done

(Mosey to the tree to the left (towards Haslam Rock)

[2] 5 Things, Part 2

  • Do one of the 5 things, (one at a time) then run to the wall and do another of the 5 things
  • Ping pong style
  • 10 reps, everything on a 4 count
  • Recover at the tree when done

(Mosey to the corner of the road across from Haslam Rock)

[3] 5 Things, Part 3

  • Do one of the 5 things (one at a time), then run down to the large tree down there and do the same thing #2ForTuesday
  • Run back up to this tree and rinse and repeat with the next exercise of the 5 things
  • 15 reps, everything on a 1 count
  • Recover at this tree

(Mosey back up to the top of the coliseum)

[4] 5 Things, Part 4

  • Do 10 reps of one the 5 things (one at a time), then run down to the stairs and do the other 10 reps
  • Run back up here and pick back up with the next exercise
  • 20 reps total, all on a 1 count
  • Recover up here when you’re done

(Mosey to the AO)

[5] 5 Things, Part 5

  • Execute one of the 5 things at each cone
  • 25 reps, all on a 1 count
  • When you finish the last cone, mosey back to the AO

[ Mary ]

SWS — Stretching With Steam

[ COT ]

  • # off — 15
  • Name o Rama
  • FNGs — 0
  • BOM — 5 Things, 15 Minutes, 5 Months
  • 3 points
  • Last Tuesday I shared some of the things I’ve struggled with so far this year.
  • Today during the workout we did the same 5 things over and over, and just increased the intensity a little.

Here’s point #1 — pick 5 things you’ve done over and over so far this year, and re-evaluate.

Here’s Point #2 — These are 5 things that I am going to be focusing in on for the rest of the year and would like to invite you into as well. Maybe some of these will apply to you and maybe some won’t and that’s okay, you can modify as needed.

(1) Pray

  • Go there, faster

(2) Read a chapter a day

  • Doesn’t matter what it is

(3) Write down something you learned

  • Write it down, jot it down in your notes app or on your phone

(4) Intentional silence

  • This year’s been loud so far. Not in a negative way necessarily, but in a lot going on kind of way

(5) HABITs

  • Honesty (It requires honesty)
  • Availability (Are you available?)
  • Becoming (The Becoming process)
  • Intentional (Purposeful)
  • Time (Non-renewable resource)

Here’s Point #3 — 15 minutes is about 1% of your day

  • Out of the 5, what are your core 3 for the rest of the year, that you can dedicate 1% of your day to
  • Or choose your own (5 total —> 3 daily, 2 weekly)

Zone Improvement Plan

THE SCENE:

Partly Cloudy Temperature Humidity Feels like Wind Speed Wind Direction
90 ℉ 50% 95 ℉ 4.7 mi/h SSW

F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER.
Delivered as desired. I am not a professional.

WARM-O-RAMA:

As PAX arrive give them each a golf ball and have them write an exercise on it (using Sharpie and be careful to let dry a bit).
25 SSHs,  10 Tie Fighters, 15 Grady Corns, 10 Rockettes.

THA-THANG:

Head down the stairs to flat area at bottom. Have each PAX put their golf ball into a cooler. Cooler is already half full with ice water, bottled water, and some golf balls that I have marked up before arriving.

Next to cooler: Clock Merkins – 5 Merkins at Noon, 3, 6, and 9 o’clock.

Mosey to hillside north of park entrance road.
On the hill and in the shade,
10 Incline Merkins (Head up the the hill)
Mosey 30 yds to next shady area.
10 Merkins facing 3 o’clock. Right arm down hillside.
Mosey 30 yds to next shady area.
10 Decline Merkins facing 6 o’clock.
Mosey 30 yds to next shady area.
10 Merkins facing 9 o’clock. Left arm down hillside.

Reverse path and do same 4 stations as you make your way back to the cooler.

At the cooler, a PAX reaches into cooler (cooling his wrists) and picks a golf ball. Another PAX rolls dice to see home many of the drawn exercises will be done. Between 15 and 30 count. Repeat with different PAX until time is called. Some rules I implemented. After 4 exercises, we ran a lap around wooded area (.2 miles up steep grade back to and down staircase to cooler). I also included some golf balls with the ‘Lap’ as the exercise. So, you could end up running sooner than expected. Only 10 burpees and man-makers.

Mosey back up stairs to Flag.
MARY:
American Hammers/Big Boy Situps. 20/5.
COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA
18 Brothers.
CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:

 

MOLESKIN:
For the safety of all those traveling and staying home this coming week. For all the sick and suffering.  For the unsaid prayers in our hearts.

ANNOUNCEMENTS:

Convergence July 2nd at JUCO

2 For Tuesday w/Steam

F3 Q: 6.28.22

5:45pm – 6:30pm

Asylum PM

[ The Scene ]

  • High 80s
  • Sunny
  • Character-building weather

[ Welcome/Disclaimer ]

  • Welcome to F3: Fitness – Fellowship – Faith
  • My name is Steam and I’ll be your Q this morning
  • A few things before we begin:
    • I’m not a professional
    • You’re here on your own belief
    • You know your injuries if you have any so if you need to modify anything we do today feel free to do so, but push yourselves and the men around you. They deserve it and so do you.
  • FNGs?
  • Happy 2 For Tuesday!

[ Warm o Rama ]

  • Merkin: 10×4
    • Run to the sandbox and back
  • Merkin: 10×4
    • Run to the sandbox and back
  • Imperial Walker: 10×4
    • Run down the stairs and back
  • Imperial Walker: 10×4
    • Run down the stairs and back
  • Rockette: 10×4
    • Run to the sandbox and back
  • Rockette: 10×4
    • Run to the sandbox and back
  • SSH: 10×4
    • Run down the stairs and back
  • SSH: 10×4
    • Run down the stairs and back

[ The Thang ]

[1] Tower of Power

  • 4 levels
  • L1 (Top) — 20 reps on a 1 count
    • Merkins
  • L2 — 20 reps on a 1 count
    • Squats
  • L3 — 20 reps on a 4 count
    • Flutter Kicks
  • L4 (Bottom) — 20 reps on a 4 count
    • Imperial Walkers
  • After you get done with a level, run to the top, and then to your next level
    • Done with L1, run to the top and then back down to L2 instead of to the bottom
  • Once you finish L5: Hold up top and knock out LLBCs

[2] 2 For Tuesday — run it back, but this time, all together, and top down, rather than down to the top

(Mosey to the top of the Coliseum with the flag)

Plant Flag. 60 seconds of plank and starting out at the sunset, releasing stress and anger.

Run to the bottom of the coliseum and execute the core 4

  • LBCs
  • LLBCs
  • Cockroaches
  • American Hammers

Run to the top of the coliseum and execute the core 4 again.

Run back to the AO

[ Mary ]

SWS

[ COT ]

  • # off
  • Name o Rama
  • FNGs
  • BOM

Week 26 of the 2022 — The Halfway Point

We’ve been through 26 weeks of 2022 now. And it’s to be expected that before a new year, there’s vision-casting, goal-planning, organizing timelines and objectives and KPIs and such. Some people might call these resolutions. But why wait for another 5 months or so to do that? You have 6 months left in this year. How are you going to steward them?

And so I was thinking about some of the big things in my life that have already happened this year, and what to look forward to for the rest of the year. Some of them you all have seen and some of them you have not.

Big things:

  • Updated, re-vamped and handed off Beyond the COT, the F3 Knoxville podcast to Blindside in January
  • Proposed and got engaged in February
  • Re-launched a men’s ministry called The Good FIght
  • Changed jobs in March to a far better role
  • Planned a wedding from March to May
  • Left our home church and re-located to Fellowship

These are very visible things, and if you’ve been coming to F3 or follow me on social media you’ve probably had a front row seat. But here are some things you probably haven’t had a front row seat to in my life for the past 26 weeks.

  • Crippling anxiety
  • Depression
  • Addiction (overeating, pornography)
  • We left a church back in March and it was the hardest thing I’ve done so far this year
  • Financial distress

Whatever you have done and experienced the first part of this year, don’t let it control your outlook on the last half of the year.

Stay strong, keep the faith, fight the good fight, and reach out if you need help.

God’s Identity Papers

THE SCENE: 70s, clear but humid
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER
WARM-O-RAMA:

20 Side Straddle Hops, 5 Burpees, 10 Mountain Climbers, 4 Burpees, 10 Twisties, 3 Burpees, 10 Windmills, 2 Burpees, 10 Tempo Merkins, 1 Burpee, Stretches
THA-THANG:
Mosey to parking lot close to the Brolympics Field.  Turn around about 1/3 of the way along the parking lot and Bernie Sanders to the curb. Mosey to the flat fields where we hold the Brolympics. There will be 8 cones set in a perpendicular line.  In single file we will serpentine between those 8 cones.  Then sprint to 2 cones set parallel to each other.  Do a broad jump at the imaginary line between those two cones.  Then bear crawl to the last cone.  Rinse and repeat two more times.

Run up to the Coliseum, stopping at the top of each hill to do 3 Burpees.

In the courtyard od the Coliseum we will do 20 American Hammers ans 20 Hello Dollies.

Next, we will run counterclockwise around the loop that goes by the Admin Bldg.  We will stop at each quarter to do the following exercises:

  • 1st quarter:  20 Diamond Merkins
  • 2nd quarter:  20 Calve Raises on Steps of Admin Bldg.
  • 3rd quarter:  20 Wide Merkins
  • 4th quarter:  20 Decline Merkins off benches in Coliseum Courtyard.
  • Rinse and repeat.

Mosey to bat cave.  We will run in a counterclockwise route stopping to do the following exercises at the following locations:

  • 20 Star Jumps at Bat Cave
  • 20 Carolina Drydocks at bottom of stairs.
  • 20 Incline Merkins on final summit od Mt. Everest.
  • 10 Dive Bombers at tip of summit.
  • Rinse and Repeat.

We will do 20 4 ct Baby Crunches.

Mosey to Rock Pile just below Coliseum.  Each man picks up a large rock.  Mosey with rock above head to next rock pile.  We will then do the following exercises with the rocks:

  • 20 Curls
  • 20 Overhead Presses
  • 20 Rows
  • 20 Chest Out Pushes

Mosey back to other rock pile and relace rocks

Mosey to nearest cone on Brolympics field.  We will Bear Crawl to parallel cones, then do a standing broad jump, then lunge to the next cone, then serpentine sprint between the last 8 cones.  Rinse and repeat.

Mosey to parking lot bt the Brolympics field.  We will sprint halfway down parking lot then Bernie Sanders to curb.  We will do the same thing back.  Then, mosey to AO.

We will do 20 Side Straddle Hops, then Bernie Sanders the length of the parking lot and sprint back.

 

MARY:
Stretches
COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA
13 men and one fine dog.
CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:

God’s Identity Papers
With the war in Ukraine, with the long list of public shootings occurring over the past two months, including those in Buffalo, New York and Uvalde, Texas, with the inflation we are coping with in 2022, with the continuing Covid numbers that faded but now seem to be rising again, it is easy to lose sight of God.  We worry about the state of the world and continue to hear from news pundits and politicians about what should be done or, even more often, what isn’t being done.  God, where are you in this process?
Maybe this is a time when we should slow down . . . in order to allow our senses to hear God, to see Him, to feel Him, to taste and discover Him.  Where is He?
Let me read you a poem that my pastor, Shaun Slate told our congregation about.
I Wake Close To Morning by Mary Oliver
Why do people keep asking to see
God’s identity papers
when the darkness opening into morning
is more than enough?
Certainly any god might turn away in disgust.
Think of Sheba approaching
the kingdom of Solomon.
Do you think she had to ask,
“Is this the place?”

I am often guilty of failing to see God when the evidence is there before my very eyes.  The world spins in the same pattern daily, the days of the year remain the same, each season returns, the stars gaze at us from the sky, the birds in the air, the animals of the earth, the mountainous majesty, the waves of the ocean, all speak of the majesty of God.  Is it harder to believe when we see wars and shootings?  Maybe so.  But remember when Christ came to Earth over 2000 years ago?  What was the state of the world then?  Wasn’t their war and bloodshed then?  The Romans ruled much of Europe, the Middle East and parts of Asia through a bloody and deadly war campaign.  The Romans were often vicious, using people as slaves, hanging people on crosses in public areas to remind people to fear the Roman Empire or else.  And Christ, the one who Christians like me believe is the loving representation of God, was hung by those very Romans on a cross for all to witness.  It was hard for Christ’s disciples to believe.  But Christ showed Himself to them.

Where is God in these uneasy times we face?  Allow God to show Himself to you.  His identity papers are all around us.  Let us open our eyes and see.

MOLESKIN:
Prayers for all those impacted by the war in Ukraine and by the recent shootings in the United States.  Prayers for Steam’s safe travels to Kentucky next week and for all our brothers who are traveling.
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
F6 and Del Monte are performing in the musical, Something Rotten at the UT theatre.  F3 Knoxville has a convergence at Juco on July 2.

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