F3 Knoxville

Tag: Pele

Optimism and Faith

THE SCENE: Just about perfect.  60s and mostly sunny, light breeze
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER

Welcome to F3, Fitness, Fellowship and Faith. F3 is a free workout program designed to improve fitness, share some camaraderie, and foster male leadership in the community.  I’m Pele and I will be your Q today.  I am not a professional, and I do not know your fitness level or injury history.  Some additional COVID-19 considerations: keep your distance between you and other members of the PAX and any other folks that we pass during moseys, etc. to 6-10 feet.  We will be splitting up into groups smaller than 10 if necessary.  We need to set good examples and be good neighbors out here at this public park, especially with so many folks out and about.  Please push yourself, but modify the workout as necessary to avoid making any existing injuries worse.  The goal is to get better together!


WARM-O-RAMA:

MOTIVATORS, 7-ct, decreasing / 10 CHERRY PICKERS (4-CT, IC) / 10 WINDMILLS (4-CT, IC) / 10 BACs forward and backward (4-CT, IC)

THA-THANG:
We split up into 2 groups, as we had more than 9 folks.  Mr. Jinxy was Q2 and took my workout and did something similar with his group.

A) MOSEY to Stop Sign at northeast corner of circle drive.

TOTEM POLE: We will do a Totem Pole, starting with all 10 exercises and eliminating one exercise each round, starting at the top.  So for the first round, do all ten, then run up to the big tree on the left.  Then the second round, start at 9 and do the rest, etc.  The exercise numbers (the numbers are also the reps) are:

10        Burpees

9          Mountain climbers (4-ct)

8          BBS

7          Hello Dollies (4-ct)

6          Carolina Dry Docks

5          Merkins

4          Bobby Hurleys

3          Iron Mikes (4-ct)

2          Pinto Twists (4-ct)

1          Imperial Squat Walkers (4-ct)

B) MOSEY to the hill off the path on the Tail of the Dragon.

PYRAMID: We will do the first set of exercises, then run up and down the hill. Then do the second set of exercises, run the hill, etc.:

  • 20 Tempo Squats
  • 20 Tempo Squats, 20 Star Jumps
  • 20 Tempo Squats, 20 Star Jumps, 20 Diamond Merkins
  • 20 Star Jumps, 20 Diamond Merkins
  • 20 Diamond Merkins

(This was modified in my group due to time and public presence at the park to doing 5x BBS, CDDs, and Tempo squats, running up a hill, then rinse and repeat with 10x reps, rinse and repeat with 15x reps)

C) MOSEY to the CMU Pile. 3 sets of 20 reps (3×20) of each exercise, one at a time, 10 second rest in between: 1. Overhead Press, 2. Triceps, 3. Curls, 4. Rows, 5, Chest Press, 6. BBS w/CMU

(This was modified in my group due to time and public presence at the park to moseying to the rock pile by the new Coliseum area and doing overhead press, curls, and rows with two rocks, and American Hammers with one rock)

MARY:
20 flutter kicks 4-ct, and plank stretches and holds until Jinxy’s group returned.
COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA
11 Strong!
CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:

Optimism and Faith and the Corona pandemic

One definition of FAITH is the assurance of the things you hope for, and the conviction of things that are not apparent.  Over the past few weeks, months (??) we have been asked to make sacrifices.  Sacrifices in our movements, how we interact, even how we worship as we deal with this pandemic.  But there is comfort in the knowledge of shared sacrifice and that you are not alone… we are in this all together, both collectively as a community, and individually with our Faith in our God.

In a letter to some protestors during the Civil Rights Era, Dr. Martin Luther King said (and I’m paraphrasing a bit): “You have again proven that there is nothing more majestic and sublime than the determined courage of individuals willing to suffer and sacrifice for improving the situation of others.  You have discovered the meaning of the Cross.” …Referring to going through pain and sacrifice for the benefit of others.

Through the sacrifices we have been asked to make, I think that we to some extent have discovered the meaning of the Cross during these challenging times as well.  We have FAITH that the reality of our current challenges are temporary, and that God is with is during our path to better days ahead. I know many people are frustrated and angry that some of their freedoms are being limited, but we have to have faith in our medical community, science advisors, our elected leaders (who are hopefully wise enough to listen to the scientists and make decisions that are best for our communities), and of course, our God.

OPTIMISM is born of the human spirit, and its strength is the strength of the spirits of individuals. Over time, Optimism can be broken down and chipped away.  Faith is the conviction that God is working in this imperfect world to bring about something marvelous.  Faith does not leave us, and provides a buttress against fear when optimism starts to fade.  We don’t need to be discouraged because God is with us, out of sight sometimes, often mysterious. But God will never leave us, and Faith is the conviction that He is there with us, and will bring us a brighter tomorrow.  I bid you all to be optimistic during these challenging times.  And when that optimism begins to crumble—and it will for all of us, if it hasn’t already—take comfort in your Faith.  We WILL get through this.  And after the storm, comes the rainbow.

MOLESKIN:
Great to have Manilow and Hands join us! Praise for Manilow’s new job and raise! Prayers for Lillydipper and his wife, and for those affected by the pandemic.

ANNOUNCEMENTS:
We need more Qs to step up at the Asylum PM! Please let one of the senior members of the PAX know if you would like some help or to do a Co-Q.

Attached

THE SCENE: Cloudy, about 50 degrees
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER
WARM-O-RAMA:
25 Side-Straddle-Hops, 15 Second Squat, 10 Burpees, 30 Second Squat, 10 Imperial Walkers, 45 Second Squat, 10 Cherry Pickers, 60 Second Squat
THA-THANG:

Mosey to Stop Sign at Northeastern Corner of Administration Bldg.  Men will dive into teams of two.  We will do Doras.  While one partner runs to end of sidewalk, does 10 merkins, and runs back, the other partner will be working on exercises with a set of bricks.  The partners then switch positions.  Here are the exercises to do with the bricks:

  • 100 overhead presses
  • 100 curls
  • 100 triceps
  • 100 punches where both hands = 1
  • 100 rows with hands at each side
  • 100 wings up
  • 100 wings down
  • 100 winds out

Mosey to perimeter trail.  We will do 20 American Hammers at grassy area by the trail.

Mosey to foot of Mt. Everest.  We will do 20 Big Boy Sit-ups, 20 Hello Dollies, and 40 Baby Crunches in cadence.  Then we run up Mt. Everest.  At the top, men alternate between Squats and Baby Crunches until all men finish.

Mosey back to pile of bricks at the Northeastern Corner of Admin. Bldg.  We will do 20 Box Cutters.  Then, men grab bricks to take to my car at the AO.

Mosey to the parking lot with islands that is located south of the northern ball fields.  We will alternate between Bernie Sanders and Sprints between each cone of the parking lot.  There will be four cones places around the parking lot.  At each cone we will stop to do 15 Merkins.  Rinse and repeat.

Mosey to start of mini-cardiac.  We will Bernie to the Green Park Sign then sprint to the AO.

COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA
Fourteen men, no FNGs but we did have Gus visiting from Memphis to honor the birthday of four years of him being in F3 at the place where he got started.
CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:

At times our own light goes out and is rekindled by a spark from another person. Each of us has cause to think with deep gratitude of those who have lighted the flame within us.

— Albert Schweitzer

Infants and toddlers form an attachment to loving parents.  Studies have been conducted showing that young toddlers will show confidence when near their parents but be wary and even cry when a stranger approaches if the toddler is alone.  With secure attachment, the feeling of comfort that the toddler has with a loving parent allows the toddler to feel safe enough to then move from the parent and explore the outside world.  Have you ever watched a young toddler explore?  The toddler will move away from the parent, viewing objects and people with curiosity – but the toddler will also look back to the parent to make sure they are there – and, finally, the toddler will hurry back to the parent, just to be acknowledged, to get the parent’s affection, to be touched.  After that, the toddler will move away again to explore the world.  This pattern will occur again and again over the course of minutes.  Studies have indicated that toddlers who have this type of attachment, which shows their need for the parent in order to continue to explore, are more likely to be confident adolescents and adults.

Certainly, as adults we have gained autonomy and independence.  But, I feel that adults also have that same need for some type of attachment – just at a different level.  We need some type of human base.  As Bruce Springsteen says in his song called “Human Touch”:

You might need somethin’ to hold on to
When all the answers, they don’t amount to much
Somebody that you could just to talk to
And a little of that Human Touch.

As men, most of us have found or are looking for some kind of mate.  The marriage of two people not only provides us with love but it gives us a sense of security – a stronghold.  As men it is also important to have a group of others to connect to.  The 2nd F of F3, fellowship, is a strong influence for us.  For me, I find that having the socialization with you brothers in F3 actually helps me to get out and explore my world.  And it gives me comfort to also know that I can come back a few days each week to reconnect.  Just as a toddler reconnects with the parent, adults need to reconnect with caring adults.  That connection not only gives us energy, it gives us courage.  In F3, we talk of locking shields together.  But because we lock shields in workouts and fellowship, each of us are better equipped to carry on with the challenges we must face in other settings.  As Albert Schweitzer indicates, the connection with our fellow men ignites the spark within us that keeps are own flame going.

The Faith aspect of F3 is also important here.  Because the Faith aspect connects us to an even higher power, a sustaining light, a light that will not fail us.  It gives us purpose, direction and strength.  And there is something about knowing that our brothers are also uniting in this connection that makes it the more powerful.  Indeed, “each of us have cause to think with great gratitude” of what has “lighted the flame within us.”

MOLESKIN:
Prayers for the health of Choir Boy’s mother-in-law and Lillydipper’s wife with their thyroid surgery.  Prayers for Choir Boy’s mother who also has a problem thyroid or hypothyroid.  Prayer’s for Hooker’s daughter, Emerson Grace Gentry, who was born five weeks premature and is still in the hospital at this time.  Prayers for our nation and world at this time of the Coronavirus Pandemic.
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
Convergence and 3rd F at JUCO on March 28.

Rats and Kings

THE SCENE: The rain gods couldn’t figure out what to do.  Intermittent sprinkles, damp, but pretty darn mild! (~60 degrees)
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER

Welcome to F3, Fitness, Fellowship and Faith. F3 is a free workout program designed to improve fitness, share some camaraderie, and foster male leadership in the community.  I’m Pele and I will be your Q today.  I am not a professional, and I do not know your fitness level or injury history.  Please push yourself, but modify the workout as necessary to avoid making any existing injuries worse.  The goal is to get better together!

Welcome, FNG Shawn, who is a friend of Goober!


WARM-O-RAMA:

  • 20 SSH (4-ct), in cadence
  • 11 Cherry Pickers (4-ct), in cadence
  • High knees 30 sec, butt kickers 30 sec, in place.
  • 10 Steve Earls (4-ct), in cadence
  • 10 Windmills  (4-ct), in cadence
  • Little of this and that

THA-THANG:

MOSEY up Baby Cardiac and veer right towards Cardiac.  Going down Cardiac do Reverse Indian Run.  First in line Bernie Sanders’ back to end of line and yells GO, signaling next PAX to Bernie.  Continue to intersection with trail.

Do “47s” (made up exercise name based on my age.  I’m old… ) up the serpentine trail to the road.

    • Run 4 lights, then do 7 reps of the following 4 exercises: Big Boy Situps (the pavement was very wet… sorry/not sorry), Carolina Dry Docks, Mountain Climbers, and Bobby Hurleys

MOSEY to Pavillion by northern ball fields. More 47s.

    • 7 reps of bench pullups, dips, jump-ups, and decline merkins. RINSE AND REPEAT FOUR TIMES.  The first two sets of reps the Q called on the PAX to lead the cadence.  The second two reps were at your own pace.

MOSEY to parking lot where morning group meets.

CENTURY CLUB: Do 25 reps of four exercises consecutively, without stopping.  Every time you finish a corner, run up baby cardiac and move on to the next corner (counter clockwise) and do the next set of exercises.  One of the trips up the hill (PAX choice; most decided to get it out of the way first) must be a Bernie Sanders.

  • CORNER 1:
    • 25 x MERKINS/CAROLINA DRY DOCKS/DIVE BOMBERS/SHOULDER TAPS (4-ct)
  • CORNER 2:
    • 25 x BBS/AMERICAN HAMMER (4-ct)/LBCs/DEAD BUG (4-ct)
  • CORNER 3 (CMUs):
    • 25 x OVERHEAD PRESS/CURLS/ROWS/SQUATS
  • CORNER 4
    • 25 x ROCKY BALBOA (4-ct)/LUNGES/FROGGIE JUMPS/STAR JUMPS

When finished, run to center of parking lot and do 100 SSHs.

(Spoiler alert… we didn’t finish.  Most PAX got through 3 of the 4 corners.  Q called Recover, then we wrapped up the workout with a final run up baby cardiac together.)
MARY:
No time, and we were too out of breath to call out an exercise anyway.

COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA
10 strong, including one FNG, Shawn, who we named Saguaro based on the fact that he hails from Arizona.  FUN FACT! “Saguaro” can be pronounced with a hard or silent/soft “g”! Who knew??  Goober.  Goober knew.

CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:

As discussed in the book Wild at Heart by John Eldridge, Jesus gave us a simple test for taking the measure of something, when he says in MATTHEW Chapter 7 when he’s warning his disciples about false prophets.  He says, “They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves.  By their fruit you will recognize them.  Are grapes gathered from thorn bushes, or figs from thistles?  Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit.”

I wanted to build on Lillydipper’s Word a few weeks ago about spreading seeds.  What fruit will you bear on this earth?  I’m not talking specifically about children, although they are included in this concept, but what will your legacy be?  Will it spread and multiply? Will it be good?

I’m a biologist and ecologist by training, so I started thinking about seeds.  What kind of seeds are we talking about here?  There are two reproductive strategies commonly found in nature that are known as R and K Strategists.

    • R Strategists (“Rodents”):  Organisms that are “R” strategists produce many seeds (plants) or offspring (animals).  They don’t invest much in their creation, they just fling them out in the world and hope that a few survive (e.g., milkweed, dandelion; rats). Good luck my weak little babies and seeds! Adios!  See you on the other side!
    • K Strategists (“Kings”): Organisms that are “K” strategists produce fewer seeds or offspring that are of higher quality, i.e., more resources are invested in a smaller number in the hopes of improving the survival rate to adulthood.  Plants that are K strategists have seeds with protective coatings and nutrients to help the seed establish and survive (e.g., oaks), while animals produce more complex and better developed offspring, and also spend energy and resources protecting them and nurturing them when they’re young and vulnerable (e.g., whales, humans).

I believe we can try to be BOTH when we “spread our seeds”.  We obviously can’t follow up and develop strong relationships with each and every person we give a smile to or hold the door for throughout the course of our lives.  But these acts of kindness can spread in the world.  And to ensure that the seeds closest to us grow and flourish, we CAN and SHOULD invest more into the seeds of kindness will that we sow with those we are close to, our friends, family, F3 brothers, etc.  The more we invest, the more likely those efforts will be to bear fruit.  Good fruit.  Not bad, ugly, prickly fruit.  Like those weird things you see in the grocery store with spikes on them.  Who eats that??

MOLESKIN:
Congrats to Hooker on the birth of his daughter! Very happy for the proud grandparents, Pinto and Mr. Jinxy.  Prayers that she remains healthy and gains strength (there is an interesting synergy here with the seed/fruit topic in the Word…). Prayers for some long-time employees that Sparkler had to lay off this week due to economic downturns. Appreciation to our FNG, Shawn “Saguaro”, who powered through a tough workout all the way to the end.  Merlot was disgorged. :-/

ANNOUNCEMENTS:
Board meeting to discuss Hardship Hill obstacle construction immediately after the workout (the fact that there will be beer there is purely coincidental).  Hardship Hill is May 2.  F3 Convergence at JUCO is March 28, with breakfast and third F to follow.  Wesley House food drive ends this Wednesday.

Just 5 More

THE SCENE:

Chilly and a slight bit windy (30s)

Title9 and Steam get back from the pre-ruck as guys are pulling in and getting ready.

F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER

  • Welcome to F3: Fitness/Fellowship/Faith
  • My name is Steam and I’m your Q in charge this morning
  • Let’s get a couple things out of the way before we begin:
    • I’m not a professional
    • You’re here on your own volition
    • You know your body and any injuries you may have – I don’t. If you need to modify anything we do this morning feel free to do it. But push yourself and the men around you!
  • FNGs?
  • The name of the game for the next 58 minutes or so is “5 more.” Look at one of your hands – how many fingers? Hopefully 5. When you’re beat down, tired, cold, asking yourself why am I out here in the freezing cold, tell your mind and your body “5 more.” Whether it’s 5 more breaths, 5 more steps, or 5 more seconds of suffering, it will pass and you will push through. AYE?


WARM-O-RAMA:

 

  • SSH: 10 x 4 IC
  • Rockette: 10 x 4 IC
  • Baby-Arm Circle: 5 x 4 (F) & 5 x 4 (B)
  • Mountain-Climbers: 10 x 4 IC
  • Cherry-Picker: 10 x 4 IC
  • Windmill: 10 x 4 IC

THA-THANG:

[ 10s ]

  • Battle buddy teams will run to the next light post
  • 1 BB will hold the feet of the other, as they execute 10 BB sit-ups
  • Run to the next light – same thing
  • The BB that is executing sit-ups will roster every light
  • Go to the street
  • Once at the street – execute flute kicks

(10 count)

[ 5s ]

  • Same type of deal – we’re going to go back down this path
  • Every light = 5 battle buddy merkins together

[ Flying EH from Hooker – Mahamoud (FNG) ]

    • Hooker picks up a runner named Mahamoud
    • Mahamoud knows who we are – he sees us every Saturday running around the park.
    • Joins PAX in finishing up “5s” exercise – PAX gives a warm welcome and Lillydipper sticks with our new FNG
  • Finish in that parking lot where we started – squats until 6 recovers

[ Parking Lot Obstacle Course ]

  • 3 points of contact: middle + 2 perimeter sides
    • PAX bear crawls to one side – executes 15 x 4 SSHs
    • PAX bear crawls back to middle – executes 10 x 4 SSHs
    • PAX bear crawls to opposite side – executes 15 x 4 SSHs
    • PAX bear crawls back to middle side – executes 10 x 4 SSHs

(15 count)

(Mosey to Cardiac)

[ Blackjack/21 ]

  • New Battle-Buddy
  • Push each other through this evolution
  • 3 points of contact on Cardiac
    • Top
    • Curve (middle)
    • Bottom lamp post
  • Top: 10 x 4 Mountain Climbers
  • Curve (Middle): 10 x 4 Merkins (Army)
  • Bottom: 10 x 4 SSHs
  • Run back Up to Top and hold the plank until 6 is up

[ All PAX does Blackjack/21 together – finishing at the bottom ]

[ Mahamoud is still with us! ]

(15 count from PAX)

(PAX moseys to covered pavilion facing lake below baseball fields)

[ 5 More ]

  • All-Together
    • 5 incline merkins on bench
    • 5 dips
    • 5 decline merkins on bench
  • Rinse & Repeat 3x
    • EXCEPT – 1 evolution = 10 reps each – Mahamoud answered the questions “How many fingers are on your hand” with 10 – so 10 it was.
  • PAX push through 1 more set of 5 together

(Mosey to big pavilion next to morning AO)

[5s]

  • All Together
  • 5 pullups under table
  • rotate to the right
  • 5 incline merkins
  • rotate to the right
  • 5 pullups under table
  • rotate to the right
  • 5 decline merkins

( Rinse & Repeat – Q asks PAX for just 5 more )

(PAX mosey to morning AO parking lot)

  • Q leads PAX in cool-down drills
    • karaoke, frankenstein stretches, side-shuffles, jog/merkins across the lot and back

(New Battle Buddy Teams)

  • Q releases each battle buddy team to sprint it out and finish up the hill to the Saturday AO parking lot

(30 seconds left)

  • 5 final SSHs

COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA

12 PAX – 1 FNG

CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:

[ What Are You Fighting For ]   [ 5 More ]

MOLESKIN:

[ What Are You Fighting For ]

(LOTR – The Two Towers)

Frodo : I can’t do this, Sam.

Sam : I know. It’s all wrong. By rights we shouldn’t even be here. But we are. It’s like in the great stories Mr. Frodo. The ones that really mattered. Full of darkness and danger they were, and sometimes you didn’t want to know the end. Because how could the end be happy. How could the world go back to the way it was when so much bad happened. But in the end, it’s only a passing thing, this shadow. Even darkness must pass. A new day will come. And when the sun shines it will shine out the clearer. Those were the stories that stayed with you. That meant something. Even if you were too small to understand why. But I think, Mr. Frodo, I do understand. I know now. Folk in those stories had lots of chances of turning back only they didn’t. Because they were holding on to something.

Frodo : What are we holding on to, Sam?

Sam : That there’s some good in this world, Mr. Frodo. And it’s worth fighting for

This pivotal question halfway through the story-line of Lord of the Rings must be asked and called out. What are we holding on to as High Impact Men? What are you holding on to?

When you’re in the suck (whatever that is for you), remind yourself of this crucial question. That YES, THERE IS evil in the world and it’s not always a good and fair place BUT YES, THERE IS some good left in this world and it absolutely is worth fighting for. It’s worth going toe to to with men at 0530, it’s worth being the leader of your family day in day out, it’s worth that conversation, it’s worth pushing your battle buddy and reminding them of this truth as well.

Biblically – I think this ties in extremely well with Sam’s truth that he speaks in the midst of a hellish and seemingly impossible mission.

“Though the fig tree should not blossom, nor fruit be on the vines, the produce of the olive fail and the fields yield no food, the flock be cut off from the fold and there be no herd in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the Lord; I will take joy in the God of my salvation. God, the Lord, is my strength; he makes my feet like the deer’s; he makes me tread on my high places.”

‭‭Habakkuk‬ ‭3:17-19‬ ‭ESV‬‬

Note the similarities in this rhetoric. Not ideal situations BUT/YET – the reminder of hope appears.

[ 5 More ]

  • Take a look at your hand at some point in time this week and look at how many fingers you have. 5 (hopefully….)
  • I encourage all of us to push ourselves and the people around us this week with this simple challenge: Can I give 5 more?
    • 5 more breaths
    • 5 more steps
    • 5 more reps
    • 5 more minutes
    • 5 more_____________
  • Tell your mind that you’re going to push harder, go further, and give 5 more this week.

Steadfast

THE SCENE: Sunny skies, temp in 60’s
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER
WARM-O-RAMA:
20 Side-Straddle Hops; 10 Mountain Climbers; 10 Windmills; 10 Tempo Merkins; 63 Grady Corns
THA-THANG:

Mosey to large parking lot with islands and that is south of northern ball fields.  We will be going counter-clockwise around the parking lot.  There will be four cones around the parking lot.  Exercises will be displayed at each cone.  At each cone will also be instructions of how maneuver to the next cone:

  • Cone 1:  Do 20 Hello Dollies (four count).  Run to Cone 2.
  • Cone 2:  Do 20 Big Boy Sit-ups.  Bernie Sanders to Cone 3.
  • Cone 3:  Do 20 Flutter Kicks (four count).  Run to Cone 4.
  • Cone 4:  Do 20 Bicycle Kicks (four count).  Bernie Sanders to Cone 1.
  • Rinse and Repeat.

Mosey on sidewalk that goes from parking lot to Pavilion at northern ball fields.  We will do 20 Picnic Table Pull-Ups, then 20 Bench Dips, then 15 of each, then ten of each, then 5 of each.  After that we will do the same pattern as above but with Bench Jumps and Decline Merkins.

Mosey to CMU Pile.  Men divide into teams of two.  Each team grabs one CMU and heads to the entrance of the parking lot.  We will be doing Doras.  One partner does exercises with CMU while the other partner Bernie’s up Cardiac Hill to the Green Park Sign.  The partner then runs back down hill.  Partners switch places.  These will be the exercises that each team does with the CMUs:

  • 100 Overhead Presses
  • 100 Curls
  • 100 Rows
  • 100 Squat Thrusts
  • 100 Decline Merkins (feet on CMU)

Return CMUs to pile.

Mosey to AO.

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

Psalm 117:1-2 ESV 

Praise the Lord, all nations! Extol him, all peoples! For great is his steadfast love toward us, and the faithfulness of the Lord endures forever. Praise the Lord!

Lamentations 3:22-23 ESV

The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.

God’s Love is constant.  It is steadfast.  God does not just love us now and then.  It may feel like that sometimes.  Sometimes God may seem very distant to us.  He is beyond those clouds somewhere and we may not feel his presence.  But don’t allow the way you feel at the moment obscure the truth.  His love for us is steadfast.  We may also feel God loves us less when we do wrong.  We may do something that we regret, that hurts us, hurts someone else, or which God would not like.  Certainly God does not like sin.  And, God loves it when we do good.  But God does not love us more because we do good or less because we sin.  His love is powerful and continuous.  The word “steadfast” is used 219 times in the Bible and in over 200 of those times the word is followed by “love.”  If we believe in the words of the Bible then we must believe that God’s love is steadfast.  This should give us comfort.  Because God offers His great love to us freely, even though we are unworthy.  He loves us even when it doesn’t make sense for Him to do so.  So, take that love in.  Breathe it.  That loves is always there and it ain’t going to go away from you.
MOLESKIN:
Prayers for coworker of Crispr whose father is paralyzed after scuba diving in Hawaii; for Woodshack and family after death of his father-in-law; for coworker of Squirtle; for help for Steam at a difficult time; for fathers of Hooker (e.g., Pinto) and Iceman and mother of Thunderstruck; for friend of Jenner.
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
Board meeting!