Slow to Judge, Quick to Listen

June 16, 2020 Lillydipper

THE SCENE: Windy, temp about 70 degrees
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER
WARM-O-RAMA:
20 Side Straddle Hops. 10 Pinto Twists. 40 Grady Corns. 10 Windmills. 10 Tempo Squats. Little of This and That.

THA-THANG:
Mosey to northeast corner of Admin Bldg. From Cone 1 we will run to Cone 2 atend of sidewalk. From Cone 2, bear crawl to the Cone 3 positioned at sidewalk going to steps of admin bldg. At Cone 4, on steps do 40 Shin Lifts and 40 Bench Dips. Then run back on sidewalk to Cone 5 on street. At Cone 5 do 20 Merkins. Then Bernie to Cone 6 by stop sign. At that cone, do 20 Big Boys. Then go back to Cone 1. Rinse and repeat two more times.

Mosey on roadway and through parking lot to CMU pile. Each man takes CMU. Do 25 each of the following exercises but also sprint to end of parking lot and back after each exercise. Here are the exercises:

Overhead presses
Curls
Squats
Rows

Mosey on grass past dugouts to bottom of Cardiac Hill. We will go up hill stopping at corners and benches to do exercises. Here are the exercises:

Corner 1: 20 American Hammers (four count)
Corner 2: 20 Hello Dollies (four count)
Corner 3: 20 Decline Merkins
Benches: 20 Bench Dips

Mosey to shady area by northeastern corner of Admin Bldg. We will do 20 Flutter Kicks and 20 Bicycle Kicks.

Mosey to AO.

COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA
26 men that included four FNGs: Sparty (Tony Burkhart), Hermes (Mason Burkhart), Orphan Annie (Dylan Berry) and a Flying EH, Couch Potato (Reginald Williams).
CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:
Slow to Judge and Quick to Listen

Our current society is very quick to judge. A politician makes a statement and the other party immediately attacks it, often taking the statement completely out of context. Even news stations, which are supposed to give us the truth, are quick to judge. CNN quickly pounces upon anything Trump says. Fox News is sure to badmouth Biden. It is difficult for any public figure to say anything without being judged. Athletes are considered anti-American for taking the knee during the Pledge of Allegiance or racist for saying they will not join others in taking the knee. We ourselves tend to blame the “other side” for the “state of affairs” whether that state be the declining economy, the coronavirus numbers, or good ol traffic on the way to our jobs. We join with friends who are similar in opinion to us so that we can find support and comfort in our criticism of the other side.

The problem is, where does this get us? How do parties resolve anything when they are so sure to attack and so unlikely to listen? We cannot give an inch to reasonable comments from the other side because we feel that, in doing so, we would somehow admit that we are wrong. Well, maybe WE are a little wrong. Maybe THEY are a little right. But we refuse to even look to see. And we lose love and grace in the process.

Doubtfire gave a great message several weeks ago about Forgiveness. He said we need to learn to forgive even if we dislike what the other person has done. Jesus talked about turning the other cheek to our enemies. I get the idea that Jesus would also say we should be willing to listen to our enemies. What do they have to say? Is there anything reasonable in what they are saying. And, if it doesn’t seem reasonable, what has happened in that person’s life that leads to their perspective?

Maybe it is too personal to look at the behavior of another human. Let’s look at the behavior of an animal, a dog. Some of you may have read the book “White Fang” by Jack London. In the book, a man meets up with a dog that is vicious toward humans. People have used and abused the dog. The dog, indeed, is mean. The man finds the dog when it has been so badly mistreated that it is near to death. He feeds the dog, talks kindly to it. He cannot initially get close to the dog because the dog would attack him. But he slowly, after many weeks, gets closer and finally, touches the dog. The dog initially reacts with a biting move. The man is patient. Many days later he tries again. The dog growls a low growl while the man keeps his hand there. The dog both dislikes the touch but also thinks it good. And as he learns to love the man, he learns to cherish the touch. The dog gradually changes. And, because of the love that the man shows him, he finally sees the man as his “Love God.” An incredible bond forms between the man and this dog that once hated humans. And, toward the end of the book, the dog saves the lives of the man and his family.

We must learn to listen to others, even our enemies. We must learn to be quick to listen and slow to judge. We must hold our tongue with others. Try to see the perspective of the other. Maybe there is some truth in what they say, particularly if you see things from their perspective. You don’t have to fully agree. But you may find some commonality. You may find that the “enemy” has hopes, hurts, and dreams just like you. As Sting once said in a song he wrote, “Maybe the Russians love their children too.”

MOLESKIN:

Prayers for Crispr’s coworker and her husband. Her husband has a terminal illness and will likely die soon. Prayer of praise for the birth of Crispr’s niece. Prayers for family member of Swimmies and Octomom as she has been in labor for over 24 hours and their is concern for the baby. Prayers for David, a friend of Brick, Sparty and Hermes. David’s son has been diagnosed with Melanoma. Prayers for Pusher and his family, particularly his father as the one year anniversary of the death of Pusher’s mother will be this Friday. Prayer of praise for Title 9 who has been coping with angst regarding an upcoming move to Oregon. After reporting this last week he has had a sense of calm come over him.

As a man thinks

June 15, 2020 Cavalier

THE SCENE: A perfect 60 degree morning
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER: Standard disclaimer with COVID provisions

WARM-O-RAMA:

SSH IC x 20

ROCKETTES IC x 20

CHERRY PICKER IC X 5 slow

Baby Arm circles IC x 10 forward then reverse

Mountain climber IC x 20

THA-THANG:
Mosey to tennis courts:

Cavalier Crawl (modification of Lt. Danger) base lines: Lunge, Lunge, Squat, Inch worm to Plank, Merkin (diamond, normal, wide and leg squat matches)

Bear Crawl side lines

Abs at 4 corners (add 5 reps each round):

American Hammers x 10
LBCs x 10
Flutter kicks x 10
Box Cutters x 10

Run up to rocks near boat dock (add 5 reps each round):

Curl x 10
Upright Row x 10
Overhead Press x 10
Triceps x 10

HIMs got in 3 complete rounds doing plank hold at end until 6 arrives.

Group Indian Run around by Flag Pole back to AO.

MARY:
No time for that.
COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA

CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:
I intentionally combined exercises today in a fashion to make the HIMs think. So much of what we do is subconscious and it is rare that a man takes time throughout the day, week or even month to really think. A study conducted on thinking found that 95% of people don’t take time to think, 3% think they take time to think, but in reality only 2% take time that they set aside daily to creatively think. We were made in the image of the Great Creator and so my challenge to the HIMs is to take time to seek what God would have them think about and become what He has called them to be as they creatively think about their future. I quoted “ALL THAT a man achieves and all that he fails to achieve is the direct result of his own thoughts… A man’s weakness and strength, purity and impurity, are his own, and not another man’s; they are brought about by himself, and not by another; and they can only be altered by himself, never by another. His condition is also his own, and not another man’s. His suffering and his happiness are evolved from within. As he thinks, so he is; as he continues to think, so he remains.” (James Allen) The conclusion is that every man is the master of their own mind and therefore their results. Take time to think and see what a difference it will make.
MOLESKIN:
Prayer of Driftwood’s daughter as she takes some final exams and Yo-Yo requested prayer for our front-line responders. Also prayed for our Nation.
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
Upcoming CSAUP at the Dog Pound in July. Get on a team and have some fun.

AMRAP-O-RAMA

June 12, 2020 Pele

THE SCENE: Warm, but beautiful, low 80s, partly sunny, less humidity than normal
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER Check!
WARM-O-RAMA:

-20 Side Straddle Hops (4-ct), in cadence

– 10 Windmills (4-ct), in cadence

– 10 Reverse tempo squats (all the way down, then stopping at intervals on the way up)

– 40 Moroccan Nightclubs

– 10 Plank Jacks (4-ct), in Cadence

THA-THANG:

Mosey to Stop Sign to northeast of admin building. Do 30 seconds of the following 4 exercises, AMRAP. (and yes, a car drove by RIGHT when we were doing the pickle pounders!)

Plank Jacks
Pickle Pounders
Mountain Climbers
Shoulder Taps

Mosey to CMU pile. Get a CMU. Do 30 seconds of the following exercises. AMRAP. Rinse and Repeat.

Overhead Press
Curls
Rows
Squats

Mosey to Bathrooms. Do 30 seconds of the following 4 exercises, AMRAP

Froggie Jumps
Lunges
Bobby Hurleys
Smurf Jacks

Mosey to Open Field.

RING OF FIRE!

8 cones are placed in a big circle in the shade of a tree down by the outdoor chapel. Divide up among the cones. Bear Crawl or Lunge between stations. Do 60 seconds of the listed exercise at each cone, then rotate counterclockwise
- LBCs
- Squat Jumps
- Run to the tree about 70 yards away and back.
- Flutter kicks
- Carolina Dry Docks
- Half Burpees (stay in plank, no jump).
- Hello Dollies
- Iron Mikes

Mosey to the new cul-de-sac by the Coliseum. Do 30 seconds of the following 4 exercises. (we ran out of time before the E2Ks).

Big Boy Situps
American Hammers
E2K Left Side
E2K Right Side

Jail break to the AO.

MARY:
No Time.
COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA
12 HIMs present and accounted for, including two FNGs, C-6 and Octomom. Virginia Slims needs a tag. Plus two doggies. They were nice and didn’t bite anyone.

CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:

The following is an excerpt from Dr. Martin Luther King’s letter from the Birmingham jail on June 12, 1963. His closing remarks are worth remembering today, almost exactly 57 years later.

“Let us all hope that the dark clouds of racial prejudice will soon pass away and the deep fog of misunderstanding will be lifted from our fear drenched communities, and in some not too distant tomorrow the radiant stars of love and brotherhood will shine over our great nation with all their scintillating beauty.”

As HIMs, I feel we need to be an active part of making the “deep fog of misunderstanding” disperse from the general conversations about the virus, race, and other challenging issues that our society is currently facing. How can we do that? I’ve been trying to work on these suggestions.

Hit the mental pause button. The easiest way to fall into a web of misunderstanding is to let emotions get the best of you. Try to relax, calm down, and really listen.
Use your head. Put yourself into the other’s person’s shoes. If you’re not sure how to do that, ask them questions that get to the root of why they feel the way they do.
Use your heart. Try to tap into the emotions underlying their point of view. And be patient when discussing volatile topics. Really trying to understand where someone is coming from is a unique form of love and caring. It means that you value them as individuals and aren’t just dismissing their viewpoints, but are rather seeking a depth of understanding that is really connecting with them.

This has to be a two way street. Try to encourage the other person to meet you in the middle. Otherwise, you’ll just become frustrated that the efforts you are going through aren’t being reciprocated.

MOLESKIN:
Prayers for Lillydipper’s wife as she continues to go through chemo treatments, and praise that they’ve found a surgeon that they both like. Prayers for Title IX as he prepares for a bit life-changing trip to Oregon to continue schooling in the coming months. Happy birthday Hooker!
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
Morristown clown car leaving Sat. morning at 5:30 am from the REI off of Papermill.

Patience of Unanswered Prayer

June 4, 2020 Lillydipper

THE SCENE: Sunny, temp about 90 degrees
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER
WARM-O-RAMA:
20 Plank Jacks, Plank Stretches, 10 Rockettes, 10 Windmills, Little of This and That
THA-THANG:
Mosey to Stop Sign at Southeastern Corner of Admin Bldg. We will do 20 American Hammers.

Mosey to grassy area that is south of Area 51. There will be four cones set up in a square pattern. We will be going in a counter-clockwise route around the square four times, stopping to do an exercise at each cone. By the end we will have done four exercises at each cone. Following are the exercises at each cone and the method by which to get to the next cone:

Cone 1: 1. 20 Side Straddle Hops (4 ct) 2. 15 Mountain Climbers (4 ct) 3. 20 Star Jumps 4. 20 Iron Mikes (both legs = 1) (After exercise, Sprint to Cone 2)
Cone 2: 1. 20 Merkins 2. 15 Shoulder Taps 3. 10 Hand Release Merkins 4. 20 Carolina Dry Docks (After exercise, Skip to Cone 3)
Cone 3. 1. 20 Big Boy Sit-ups. 2. 20 Hello Dollies (4 ct). 3. 20 Flutter Kicks (4 ct.) 4. 20 Bicycle Kicks (4 ct) (After exercise, Bernie Sanders to Cone 4)
Cone 4. 1. 10 Burpees 2. 15 Imperial Walkers (both legs = 1) 3. 20 Bobby Hurleys 4. 20 Squat Jumps (High Knees to Cone 1).

Mosey to Northshore Entrance to Park. We will go south then east on the perimeter trail, doing Nickel Dime Quarters with the following exercises:

Squats
Dead Bugs
Diamond Merkins
Dive Bombers

We will be near the Southern Ball Fields when we have done the above. Mosey to the parking lot at the Southern Ball Fields. We will do 8 count Bear Crawls then 8 Count Lunges, repeating this pattern from one end of the parking lot to the other.

Mosey to Outdoor Chapel. Take 15 second breather. Then mosey up hill all the way to the new built area near the Admin Bldg. Take 30 second breather. Mosey to AO.

MARY:
25 Hello Dollies
COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA
22 men with two FNGs whom we named Whistler (Brett Marshman) and Leo Turcas (Nadia). Nadia was a Flying EH victim!
CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:

Asking with Patience

Matthew 7: 7-8

⁷“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. ⁸For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened.

Romans 8:25

But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.

2 Peter 3:8

But do not overlook this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.

At last week’s internet streamed worship service at my church, a line struck me from one of the songs we sang. The song is “Spirit of God, Descend Upon My Heart” by Croly and Digerness. The line that struck me is “Teach me the patience of unanswered prayer.” That is certainly a line I need to hear during the time of this coronavirus and national unrest after the death of George Floyd. I read the bible verse that says, “everyone who asks receives.” I know that people all over Earth are asking that this coronavirus would end. I ask, “God, when will you answer our prayer?” Yet, I need to also ask, “God, teach me the patience of unanswered prayer.”

When I was a boy, my best friend, Neil, who lived next door, was the first family on our block to get a Color TV set. Seven years later, most people had Color TV sets but I was still praying for our first one. My mother was a single parent and a teacher – and, just like today, teachers don’t make enough money for all the work they do. I remember getting excited when we went to a big store that had a television promo. As part of the promo, people could bring in advertisements they received in the mail. If your code number on the advertisement was one of the winning code numbers, you could get a free TV set. My mother, of course, told me the odds were minuscule for us to have a winning number. We went to the store and there were all these magnificent color television sets, sitting there for a kid like me to gawk at. Needless to say we didn’t win a set. “But, mom, can’t we even buy one of the smaller sets?” I know my mother felt bad for me but with her lack of funds she was also teaching my about life – about limiting oneself to a budget; about not coveting; about appreciating what we have; about patience.

About six or seven months later I came home to find a portable television set sitting on a cabinet in our living room. It was on, it was playing a television show, and the show was in living color!!! My mother had saved for quite some time to get that portable but color TV set. I was so happy! It may have been small but it was a COLOR SET!

God, teach me the patience of unanswered prayer. I think of people who have endured wars that last for many years. Teach me to be grateful for what I do have. I think of people who endured plagues like the Black Plague where cities of people were wiped out by the disease or indian tribes in America who were practically wiped out by diseases that Europeans brought from another continent. God, teach me to have trust that you are there for me, for us, no matter what difficulties and even tragedies beset us. For in You we have something that hardship, suffering, even death cannot take away. As the famous poet, John Donne, said, in you Death Shall Die.

MOLESKIN:

Prayers for our nation at this time of unrest, prayers for Iceman’s father who will need surgery for his heart again, prayers for Thunderstruck’s mother and grandfather, prayers for Lillydipper’s wife.

ANNOUNCEMENTS:
F3 Launch at Morristown this weekend.

Treebiscuit – Shamrock

May 27, 2020 Trolley

✔ THE SCENE: It’s early

✔ F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER: Covid-19 as well as welcome

✔ WARM-O-RAMA:

SSH
Mtn Climbers
Tennessee Rockin Chairs
Windmills
Cherry Pickers

Tree Biscuit – Shamrock:

As a group, Run to an un-slapped tree, slap it, everyone call out the running burpee total, do A single burpee, repeat.

Minutiae (aka Rules):

A tree only gets tagged once.
Scaling/Modification:
- We travel as a pack, if you find yourself falling behind, skip a tree and burpee and keep moseying to catch up. It’s more fun and less confusing to have the group stay together, especially when we alternate taggers.
- Scaling is NOT cheating, it’s just scaling, no judgment here. You made it here and that’s enough.
- We’re going to be zig-zagging all over campus so the better we can stay together the more we’ll be able to keep an accurate count and not leave people behind. Plus it feels bad to tag a tree without everyone there doing it together.
Taggers + Number cadence
- The tagger is the person closest to the nearest tree. They slap the tree and call out what the burpee running total is about to be. Similar to our cadence exercise routines, the whole group calls out the number and does a burpee.
- The tagger is typically in the front of the pack, however since we are traveling in a mob fashion that’s not always true.
- Similar to an indian run, each person should take turns being in front and tagging a tree. This makes the workout much more fun. If you have already tagged several trees then just slowly fade back and let someone else tag the next one.
What’s a Tree:
- We don’t do burpees for any old shrub. They have to be worthy. Trees should be about 6 inches around and 10 feet tall.
No Poison Ivy:
- In an attempt to not to get too dirty and get poison ivy, we’ll pass trees that are surrounded by shrubs and tall grass. Luckily we are in a very well manicured park where most of the trees have nicely mowed grass leading up to them.
Terrain
- We are going off road for sure. The ground is very un-even around many of the trees. Be careful when running not to twist and ankle. And don’t hit your face on a rock or root when doing a burpee in the dirt.
Volume
- The louder you call out the number, the more you inspire your fellow brothers!
Milestones
- At 50, 100, 150, 200 make sure the group catches up and circles around the tree, wait a few seconds. Do the burpee. Celebrating these milestones adds to the encouragement factor.

It’s not about the numbers but in the spirit of healthy competition here they are:

Previous Tree biscuits from other AO’s

And Todays total

Shamrock – 216 – May 27, 2020

MARY

We burped until the clock ran out.

Circle of Men

1 corinthians 9:24 Don’t you realize that in a race everyone runs, but only one person gets the prize? So run to win! 25 All athletes are disciplined in their training. They do it to win a prize that will fade away, but we do it for an eternal prize. 26 So I run with purpose in every step. I am not just shadowboxing. 27 I discipline my body like an athlete, training it to do what it should. Otherwise, I fear that after preaching to others I myself might be disqualified.

Tag: Pusher