THE SCENE: Cloudy, high 80s.
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER
WARM-O-RAMA:
20 Side-Straddle Hops, 5 Burpees, 10 Mountain Climbers, 4 Burpees, 10 Windmills, 3 Burpees, 10 Twisties, 2 Burpees, 10 Rockettes, 1 Burpee, Stretching from Plank Position
THA-THANG:
Mosey toward stop sign at southeastern corner of Admin Bldg. Stop in shade for 20 Hello Dollies..
Mosey to small parking lot that is east of Utilities Bldg. We will do elevens, starting with 10 Squat Jumps near Utilities Bldg and 1 Merkin at other shaded end of parking lot.
Mosey toward Northshore Gate and then head north on perimeter trail. We will stop at shaded north side of Utilities Bldg to do 20 Box Cutters.
Mosey to bottom of MT. Everest. We run up Mt. Everest but stop at three different areas (first tree, second tree, and then grove right before last climb to summit) to do 25 Baby Crunches at each tree.
Run up the remainder of Mt. Everest and go back to the bat cave area. We will stop to get water. We will then do 20 Flutter Kicks.
Next, we will divide into groups of three. One man will be in shade near bat cave. The next man will be at shade of large tree near roadway northeast of the bat cave. While one partner runs from one location to the other, the other partners do exercises. When partner runs to the location, the next partner runs to the other. Here are the exercises at each location:
- In shade near bat cave: Squats
- In shade near tree: Squat Jumps
Rinse and repeat with Lunges at bat cave and Iron Mikes at tree.
Money to AO.
MARY:
Stretches.
COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA
13 men, no FNGs.
CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:
“She opens her mouth with wisdom, and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue.”
The news we watch on television is more often than not a reflection of the worst kinds of actions amongst humans: murder, mass shootings, war, political showboating, disparaging statements amongst politicians and world leaders, angry comments about how the other side is acting, fraud, deceit, and purposeful or negligent actions that lead to the harm or death of others. By reading or listening to the news, one would think that the world is full of terrible people. Fortunately, that is not the truth. There are plenty of good people out there doing things that we never hear about. These people aren’t famous. They aren’t boasting and saying, “hey everybody, look at what I have done!” They are just doing God’s will, being the salt of the earth.
Let me give you an example of a female patient in my psychology practice. I want to keep her name confidential so for the purpose of talking about her, I will just call her “Sally.” Sally isn’t a perfect person by any means. She has been seeing me because she needs help with anxiety. What does she worry about? Mostly, her kids. How many children does she have? She has two biological children that are fully grown adults. She also has 24 foster children that are primarily adults now. You read it correctly, 24!
Some people may claim that she and her husband have done it for the money. After all, the state does pay for families to provide foster care to children that are under the protection of the Department of Children’s Services or DCS. However, having got to know Sally, she isn’t in it for the money. Her husband has always had a full-time job. She has loved the kids she has fostered. It isn’t an easy job. DCS got involved with the kids because they came from families of neglect or emotional, physical or sexual abuse. Some of the kids had terrible behavioral and emotional issues because of the former environments they were raised in. Sally and her husband had to be loving but firm with them. Sally and her husband get close to these children. They adopted one of them who is now 14 years-old and a straight A student. They almost adopted three others but the boys were placed back in the care of their biological father before the adoption occurred. Those boys are now adults. Two are serving in the United States Armed Forces and the third is applying since he recently graduated from high school. All three keep in continual touch with Sally. In fact, most of her foster children do. None now live with her except the girl she adopted. At their ages, Sally and her husband have decided to no longer provide foster care. But they have plenty of “children” to keep up with – their former foster children and the children of those foster children still come to visit Sally and her husband. And when they do visit, Sally makes sure she has some fine cooking on the table for them.
Sally is a saint, but she isn’t some Renaissance Artist’s depiction of a saint. In her sessions with me, she is usually wearing a t-shirt, jeans and sneakers. A woman who likes to stay busy, she now works as a cashier at a convenience store. The work keeps her mind off her worries. And, she worries about all those kids she has raised. When you have been involved in raising 24 children that came to you through DCS, some of them are going to struggle when they are adults. She keeps in touch even with the ones who have difficulties, who get into trouble. And, her home is always open to them for a good meal and some loving words.
This is news that I wish we could hear more about on television or read about on our cell phones. I guess it isn’t “breaking news.” But it is good news and people like Sally are doing things like this all over our country. The Lord is working in wonderful ways through what some may call ordinary people. But when you get to know them, like I have got to know Sally, you find out that they are extraordinary.
MOLESKIN:
Prayers for Abacus’ mother who will need another surgery.
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
Workday at Cerebral Palsy Center on August 6
