F3 Knoxville

Stranger Things in the Upside Down

THE SCENE: A muggy 73 with ominous silent heat lightening in the distance.

F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER: Properly administered.

WARM-O-RAMA:

  • SSH x11
  • Knox Cherry Pickers x11
  • Tempo Merk x11
  • Tempo Sq. x11
  • Shoulder Burn x11
    • Little Baby Arm Circles x11
    • RLBAC x11
    • Seal Claps x11
    • OH Claps x11
    • Chatty Cherry Pickers x10 (Dangit.)
  • Mtn Climbers x11

Mosey!

THA-THANG:

11s on Mr. Hill. Russian Twists (Yes, I know. They just go with my theme, ok!) at the bottom. Squats at the top.

Mosey to the clubhouse.

Ascending Testicles …What? I got it from the Exicon 😉 – Cousin of Balls to the Wall. 10 Derkins with feet on the wall at 15 degree position. 10 Derkins 45 degree position. Walk up to full BTTW pose. Hold for 10 count. Rest with 1 Minute People’s Chair. Rinse and Repeat.

Mosey!

Stadium 11s – 10 Derkins at the bottom. Jim Hopper to the top. 1 BBS at the top. 0 Derkins at the bottom. Jim Hopper to the top. 2 BBS at the top. …etc.

Back to the Wall for one more People’s Chair and one more BTTW.

MARY:
Circle Merkins up to 3 and back down with various claps, one arms (nice Wingman!), etc. Finished with dealers choice. 11 LBCs and 11 Heel Touches.

CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:
Stranger Things that Lie Beneath the Surface

In Stranger Things, there are these monsters lurking in the Upside Down. Most people aren’t aware of how they are affecting the town and people.

Moses was a Hebrew. Yet, he was raised by Pharaoh’s daughter. He didn’t actually FIT anywhere. Think about the identity crisis that must have been going on inside.

Exodus 2:11-15 “One day after Moses had grown up, he went out to his people and saw their forced labor. He saw an Egyptian beating a Hebrew, one of his own people. 12 He looked this way and that, and seeing no one he killed the Egyptian and hid him in the sand. 13 When he went out the next day, he saw two Hebrews fighting, and he said to the one who was in the wrong, “Why do you strike your fellow Hebrew?” 14 He answered, “Who made you a ruler and judge over us? Do you mean to kill me as you killed the Egyptian?” Then Moses was afraid and thought, “Surely the thing is known.” 15 When Pharaoh heard of it, he sought to kill Moses. So Moses fled from Pharaoh. He settled in the land of Midian”

Moses clearly reacted in this situation and didn’t even think much about how wrong it was until he was exposed. It’s obvious Moses had things lurking on the inside. How did Moses transform from this incredibly rash, reactive guy with such violent outbursts into the great leader of Israel? He spent REGULAR time encountering God.

These encounters with God were the basis of his entire leadership. H sought God’s council on everything. Left to himself, Moses would have been reactive and controlled by what lies under the surface. Instead, he led out of GOD’s wisdom.

Everyone has Stranger Things lurking under the surface. Past hurts that cause us to react. Secret Sins in our past or present that we’re anxious to keep covered up. Temptations that we’d never want someone to know we struggle with. Thought patterns that are negative, unhealthy, or shameful. Being Anxious, Reactive, and Fearful.

Regular Solitude with God helps us to be non-anxious, non-reactive, challenging presence.

Don’t live in the Upside Down. 

Moleskin:
Prayers for Olive Oyl on the DL, Skeletor traveling, and our guys that are out right now.

ANNOUNCEMENTS:
2nd F event at Shakira’s coffee shop, Coffee Whipped at 8am on July 30.
Aug 6 work day at the Cerebral Palsy Center in Knoxville.

Freedom = Power to Do As You Ought

THE SCENE: Temp – 75. Skies – partly cloudy and blissfully captivating. Humidity – Muggy? Please. I just hope you brought your bathing suit and towel!

F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER: Skillfully Executed

WARM-O-RAMA:

  • SSH x15
  • Projectivators x?? (lskdjfslkdskfj) *See below
  • Tempo Squats x10
  • Knox Cherry Pickers x10
  • Willie Mays Hays x10
  • Tempo Merk x10
  • Shoulder Burn – YHC’s favorite part of the morning!
    • Little Baby Arm Circles
    • RLBAC
    • Grady Corn
    • Moroccan Night Clubs
    • Chat Cherry Pickers (Lot’s of groaning here! LOVE IT!!!)

THA-THANG:

Mosey for 11s on the Hill
Shoulder Taps at the bottom, Burpees at the top

Mosey to the Baseball Parking Lot entrance.
20 squats at the bottom
Bernie to the middle
10 BBS
Bernie to the sign
20 Merks
Mosey to the middle
10 BBS
Rinse and repeat until time or utter collapse.

Mosey to clubhouse for 60 sec wall sit and 60 sec plank

MARY:
20 (2 ct) Flutter Kicks

CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:

Lord Acton, British historian and the guy who said, “Absolute power corrupts absolutely” was also working on a defintion of freedom. He came up with two.

  1. Freedom = The permission to do what you like
  2. Freedom = The power to do as you ought

Permission, such as the self-interested, self-indulgent kind of freedom without constraint actually leads to slavery. It circles back on itself like a snake eating its own tail. You see it best in addiction. It starts with freedom to look at, drink, smoke, eat whatever I want and ends in an inability to stop (porn, drunkenness, tobacco addiction & drug use, overeating). That’s slavery. It actually becomes bondage, captivity, servitude to something or someone else.

However, the second definition is you putting limits on yourself and leads to ACTUAL freedom. For example, anyone is free to become a baseball player in this country. They have permission. Yet, if they do not put on the appropriate restraints they are not actually capable and therefore not free in reality. A true baseball player has to train their diet, exercise, eating, sleeping, practice, and time. They are free to put those restraints on themselves, and by doing so are MORE free to do what they desire.

Place limits and boundaries in your life to really exercise your freedom.

Use your freedom FOR others.

Gal 5:13-14 says, “You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love. For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”

MOLESKIN:
T-Claps to Foghorn Leghorn for showing back up and grinding it out this morning for the second time this week!

Way to grind it out this morning fellas!

*I plan to organize an hour-long OTB session just for everyone to practice projectivators. I’m also considering putting together an instruction video/DVD series entitled “So You Wanna Projectivate” brought to you by the men at The Project to help with those that are struggling with coordination, counting, and balance for a mere $19.95… + shipping and handling, of course. Sorry, no CODs. Make checks out to “So You Wanna Projectivate, LLC”, PO Box 54321, Omaha, Nebraska 68DoubleO7.

ANNOUNCEMENTS:
Service Opportunity coming soon to Cerebral Palsy Center.
Working on 2nd F get together at Coffee Whipped on a Saturday Morning at 0800. Details to come.
Prayers for those sick and those traveling.

Building B.O.M.B.S and Assaulting the Fort

THE SCENE: A crisp and welcome 58 degrees with clear skies.

F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER: Obsequiously delievered.

WARM-O-RAMA:

  • SSH x15
  • THE Knoxville Cherry Picker x5
  • Willie Mays Hayes x6
  • Tempo Merk x10
  • Tempo Squat x10
  • Mtn Climbers x10
  • FLBAC x10
  • RLBAC x10
  • Grady Corn x10
  • Moroccan Nigh Clubs x10
  • Your favorite and mine, ladies and gentlemen… The Chattanooga Cherry Picker x11

THA-THANG:
PAX flipped on headlamps and moseyed down the trail to the amphitheater to build B.O.M.B.S. PAX partnered up. One performed exercises while the other moseyed the perimeter of the amphitheater then flapjack. PAX took the cumulative amount of the follower exercises.

  • 50 Burbees
  • 100 OH Claps
  • 150 Merks
  • 200 BBS
  • 250 Squats

First team to complete called recover. PAX moseyed Creeper’s Charge to assault the fort and held Al Gore for 6. At Pastor’s Peak, PAX took a 10 count and moseyed to RTB for Marry.

MARY:

  • Flutter Kicks x10 (Bobbitt)
  • LBC x10 (Creeper)
  • 20 second plank (Airborne)
  • 20 MORE seconds plank (Skeletor)
  • Time was called.

CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:

This past weekend, YHC participated in the Barbarian Challenge, and obstacle course race near Gadsden, AL. This was a 6+ mile course with 35 obstacles. YHC realized that this was more of a mental challenge than a physical challenge. There were obstacles that played on people’s fear of heights in particular which included walking across a log with a 20 foot drop into the creek and several others.

In particular, the final obstacle was meant to capitalize on the participant’s fear; a 30 foot tower (YHC is guessing) that consisted of a cargo net climb to the top, jumping a chasm to grab on to a bar to pull yourself across. The worst part was the announcer commentating on every person that came to the chasm and the crowd surrounding the tower. Many people froze in fear. YHC had to listen to one person stuck for the entire entry to the final obstacle. Just when YHC summitted the tower, the Beastie Boys came on, fear dissipated, all thinking ceased, and big leap was made.

Mark Divine, in his book, Staring Down the Wolf tells a Native American tale of a negative wolf that resides in the minds of humans. This wolf operates from fear, is hungry for drama, catastrophizes, and has incessant negative talk. It begs for your attention. But there is also a second wolf residing in the hearts of all humans. This one has an appetite for love and connection. It does not need the drama. It is optimistic and simply asks to be noticed. The one that controls you in the one you feed the most.

It’s our job to put ourselves in scenarios to create the conversation between our mind and heart, the whiner and the whisperer. The more we conquer our fear, the more we feed the positive wolf and the stronger it gets. The more we give into our fears, the more we feed the negative wolf and live from it.

YHC explained that his personal signs of fear are hesitation, procrastination, excuse making, and anxiety. It’s our job to recognize the voice of fear for what it is and push through.

2 Tim 1:7 says, “For God has not given you a spirit of fear but one of power, and of love, and of sound judgement.”

MOLESKIN:
All PAX pushed through a grinder today. Well done! It’s an honor to be in the gloom with you fellas! Don’t forget our Rampart Motto! There will be a test Wednesday.

1 Cor 16:13-14, “Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong. Do everything in love.”

ANNOUNCEMENTS:
Convergence July 2 at JUCO!
Olive Oil on Q Wednesday!
Airborne VQ next Wednesday!

RAMPART: Stations and Laps

THE SCENE: Humid, with some lake mist for mood
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER
WARM-O-RAMA:

Side Straddle Hops – 15 in cadence

LBAC – forward and reverse, 10 each in cadence

Moroccan Night Clubs – 10 in cadence

Tempo Merkin – 7 in cadence

Tempo Squats – 7 in cadence

  • THA-THANG:
    Short mosey to track
  • Station 1 – partner up each take turns for: 10 CMU Blockees, 20 Jump Squats, 15 CMU Shoulder Press, 25 Monkey Humpers, 15 CMU Curls, and 15 CMU Rows – Run one full lap +100M to next station
  • Station 2 – 15 Shoulder Tap Merkins, 30 LBCs, Run full lap +100M to next station
  • Station 3 – 25 Merkins, 25 Mountain Climbers, Run full lap +100M to next station
  • Station 4 – 20 Carolina Dry Docks, 20 Flutter Kicks, Run full lap +100M back to start
  • RTB

MARY:
Flutter Kicks, Box Cutters, LBCs 1:30 total
COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA
CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:
Shared Q-Source article talking Sad Clowns, Mascots, and the High Impact Man
MOLESKIN:
Good effort, much sweat from all PAX
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
Skeletor on Q next Wed, Rampart Motto: 1 Cor 16:13-14

Top Gun Exercises at Rampart

THE SCENE: The gloomiest of glooms…just the way we like it.
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER: Dutifully executed.
WARM-O-RAMA:

We started with some Projectivators (x11) to get the Pax good and disoriented to start things off.
Tempo Squats x7
Tempo Merkins x10
Mtn Climbers x10 two count
FLBAC x10
RLBAC x10
Grady Corn x10
Moroccan Night Clubs x10
Chattanooga Cherry Pickers ® x10
SSH x16 or 17 …QIC got distracted thinking about the amazing playlist he made.

Mosey a lap around the lot.

THA-THANG:
Pax performed a modified version of the “Danger Zone” routine. 10 minute exercise cycling through 10 reps of the following exercises (Merkins, Freddy Mercury, Big Boys, Bobby Hurley, Monkey Humpers, repeat). Every 2 minutes, the timer goes of to perform 4 burpees (hence, the Danger Zone). All performed to the glorious sweaty passion of of Kenny Loggins.

As “Playing with the Boys” played, PAX moseyed a lap then went to the “volleyball court”. There they split into teams of 3. Each team had notecards with the following exercises: Carolina Dry Docks (which apparently, can be modified into Pickle Pounders merely by preference), Monkey Humpers, Big Boys, Toe Merkins, and Mtn Climbers. Teams will flip a card, perform 20 reps of the exercise and either flip a cone up or down depending on their team. At the end, the team with the most cones facing in their direction wins. PAX played two rounds. It was almost as dazzling as the movie. Next time Creeper promises to bring the baby oil (although we had plenty of Olive Oil).

PAX then moseyed to the end of the parking lot for Dog Fight exercises (or basically that rabbit hunt thing Kickflip did reinterpreted for our purposes). A single PAX would volunteer to be the hunted rabbit while the rest were the wolves. The rabbit got extra reps and a head start. Wolves worked to catch up to the rabbit. Exercises were Burpees (Olive Oil), Bobby Hurleys (Wing Man), Merkins (Piston), aaaaaaand those delightfully memorable Pickle Pounders (QIC – thanks Skeletor!).

PAX moseyed for Mary.

MARY:
Flutter Kicks (x10)
Box Cutters (x10)
Freddy Mercury (x10)
LBC (The little boys!) (x10)
Hello Dollies (x10)
10 Second Hold (x10)

CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:

Casting Your Shadow
Acts 5:5-16 says “People brought the sick into the streets and laid them on beds and mats so that at least Peter’s shadow might fall on some of them as he passed by. 16 Crowds gathered also from the towns around Jerusalem, bringing their sick and those tormented by impure spirits, and all of them were healed.”

Psalm 17:8 – “Hide me in the shadow of your wings.”

In Jewish culture, Your shadow is your realm of influence. The idea was that, we can no more detach ourselves from our influence on others than our bodies can get rid of their own shadows. Peter, through the work of the Holy Spirit after Pentecost, had gone from being a brash loudmouth with little action to back it up into a bold and influential man of God. While healing might have occurred through his shadow (hard to tell in the text), it is clear that his influence was widely known.

Are we casting a shadow of influence or “throwing shade” as the kids used to say?
A HIM understands the influence he has on other people.
A HIM uses influence intentionally to make an impact.
A HIM’s focus is always for the sake of others, not himself.

Are you intentionally using your influence FOR people?
I used to work in a grocery store at a meaningless job. The more the Lord began to change my life, the more I began to be available for people that I worked with. Eventually, I noticed that people would come to me saying something like, “I don’t know why I’m telling you this, but…”. I was slowly becoming someone known for helping people and giving wisdom.

In How to Win Friends and Influence People, Dale Carnegie says “The world is full of people who are grabbing and self-seeking. So the rare individual who unselfishly tries to serve others has an enormous advantage. He has little competition.”

What are those areas you could be intentionally casting your shadow to influence people?
Why aren’t you?
Lack of Energy?
Lack of attention?
Lack of confidence?

How do you cast a shadow? You stand in the light.

MOLESKIN:
YHC apologizes for reliving the volleyball scene three times with “Playing with the Boys”. There were many, MANY more great songs to the soundtrack though we only heard 3 on repeat. We’ll do this again in three months with the whole soundtrack, aviators, and Creeper will remember the baby oil.

ANNOUNCEMENTS:

RAMPART OFFICIALLY LAUNCHES MONDAY! 7am hour-long beatdown. Bring those FNGs!
July 2nd Convergence at JUCO!