F3 Knoxville

Tag: Rooney

Moving Refrigerators

THE SCENE: Beautiful evening, temps in low 60s
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER
WARM-O-RAMA:
20 Side-Straddle-Hops, 10 Tempo Merkins, 10 Mountain Climbers, 32 Grady Corns, 10 Windmills, Little of This and That.

THA-THANG:

Mosey to “the Caribbean” parking lot.  We will journey a candy cane route around the parking lot (starting up south side of parking lot then rounding to go about half-way down north side of parking lot) but stopping at each cone planted along the way.  The cones will be spaces at about every other island in the parking lot. Once the final cone is reached we will sweep back to the beginning of the candy cane.  We will run the candy cane 6 times, journeying by the following methods and doing the following exercises.  We will always run back once the cane is finished.

  • Sprint and do 10 Merkins at each cone.
  • Bernie and do 10 Big Boy Sit-ups at each cone
  • Grapevine left and do 10 Star Jumps at each cone
  • Grapevine right and do 10 Smurf Jacks at each cone
  • High knees and do 10 Hello Dollies (4 ct) at each cone.
  • Butt kick and do 10 Iron Mikes (both legs = 1) at each cone.

Mosey to start of Serpentine Sidewalk.  We will do 14s along sidewalk by bear crawling for one light and running for four lights until we reach the perimeter trail.  Then we will do 20 American Hammers.

Mosey to start of Cardiac.  We will run up Cardiac stopping at each of the following to do the listed exercises:

  • First Curve:  20 Flutter Kicks (4 ct)
  • Second Curve:  20 Hello Dollies (4 ct)
  • Third Curve:  20 Decline Merkins
  • Benches:  20 Bench Dips

Mosey to AO

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

One of my good friends in my doctorate program in psychology was a guy named Jim Dupree.  He was about ten years older than me and had already practiced as a therapist but with a master’s degree and was going back to school to get his doctorate.  He sweat like a pig on those hot days in Texas and smoked cigarettes like a bandit, but he was wise, honest, and an excellent friend and counselor.  I remember him and me working on painting a room in his house one time and him saying, “You know John, talk is good but if you really want to get close to a guy you need to do something like move a refrigerator across town with him.”

You know, I think he’s right.  We brothers are close.  Our talks at board meetings are part of the reason but I think a bigger reason is that we work hard and sweat together to accomplish something good.  I have also enjoyed “moving fridges” type moments with some of you guys that drew us closer.  Recently, I enjoyed working with Sparkler, Abscess, Pele, Steam and Curveball to both put up and break down obstacles at Hardship Hill.  I acquired a bit of poison ivy in the process but it was definitely worth it.  I remember a big group of us, including Mr. Jinxy, Hooker, Doubtfire, Pele, and Abscess, sawing and pruning branches in Pinto’s backyard and enjoying the reward of his swimming pool and some brewskis thereafter.  There is something about working together, sweating together, that brings us close.  We face the same challenge and it unites us.  Gents, I enjoy our fellowship and appreciate your willingness to help each other through the grind.

MOLESKIN:
Prayers for Rooney’s coworker who is currently on ventilator after contracting Covid 19; for Pinto who is recovering from stem cell transplant; for Jared, brother of Corona Weight, who is in prison but had to go to hospital after accidentally cutting off top of finger – may he recover and find God to help him change his life; and, for our country, that we may be united and at peace no matter who ends up winning the presidential election.
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
F3 Knoxville 5th Anniversary and Convergence this Saturday

No Choice

THE SCENE: Clear, moony, and hovering around freezing. Perfect beatdown weather!
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER
WARM-O-RAMA:
25x SSH IC
15x TN rocking Chair IC
20x Mountain Climber IC
10x Tempo Merkins IC
15x LBAC each way
15x Grady Corns
Run up to the top of the hill and back down, concentrating on getting circulation to the fingers
THA-THANG:
Even though it’s election day, I’m not handing out choices except for one: Do it or don’t.

Head to the pile and pick up a cold murder block – The solid, extra-heavy ones. No counting reps today, concentrate on the heavy weight and form!
Pair up in groups of 3.
One PAX at each end of the parking lot doing reps until relieved by the third running between. At the middle of the parking lot, do one hand-release blockee.
Once each PAX has done both top exercises, run together to the top of the hill to let the fingers warm up.

BBS/Calf Raise
Run
Lunge/OHP
Run
Tricep Ext/Bent Row
Run
Squat/Derkin
Run
Curl/Stepup
Run

MARY:
Less than a minute left… Cash out with Merkins!
COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA
10 men killed this murder block beatdown.
CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:
No matter who wins the election today, about half the country is saying that will be the worst possible thing that could happen to America. But as we head into today and especially the evening, I want to leave you with encouragement from the Word:

Proverbs 21:1 –
The king’s heart is a stream of water in the hand of the Lord;
he turns it wherever he will.
Proverbs 19:21 –
Many are the plans in the mind of a man,
but it is the purpose of the Lord that will stand.

So what then should we do? 1 Timothy 2:1-4 tells us:
First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, 2 for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. 3 This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, 4 who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.

Note that it says “Thanksgivings” for “all people”…. Not for your guy if he wins, but all.

MOLESKIN:
Tried to be a benevolent dictator today and not keep those fingers in contact with cold concrete for too long…
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
RSVP for the 5th Anniversary Convergence and Breakfast on Saturday!

Help with Faith

THE SCENE: Insert info about the weather, etc.
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER
WARM-O-RAMA:
20 Plank Jacks, 15 Iron Mikes, 10 Windmills, 10 Tempo Merkins, 7 Wide Arm Circles Forward and Backward
THA-THANG:
Mosey past stop sign on the southeastern side of the admin bldg.  Run down to the lower parking lot east of the admin bldg.  Divide into teams of two for Doras.  While one Teammate 1 runs up roadway and around corner to do ten merkins , Teammate 2 will start the exercises.  After doing ten merkins, Teammate 1 runs back to replace Teammate 2 on the exercises and Teammate 2 runs up the hill do to the merkins.  Here are the exercises for the Doras:

  • 100 Merkins
  • 100 Big Boy Sit-ups
  • 100 Flutter Kicks (4 ct)
  • 100 Side-Straddle Hops
  • 50 Hand Release Merkins
  • 100 Hello Dollies (4 ct)
  • 200 Baby Crunches

Mosey to semi-circle lane that goes by soccer fields.  We will high-knee for 25 pole lengths then do 3 burpees and continue until done with the semi-circle.

Mosey to parking lot at southern ball fields.  There will be five cones places from one end of the parking lot to the other.  We will run to the first cone, do a listed exercise, run to the next cone, do the same exercise, and continue to the end of the parking lot.  We will run back doing the next listed exercise.  Here are the exercise:

  • 10 Dive Bombers
  • 10 Diamond Merkins

Mosey past outdoor chapel and to grassy area across the street.  We will do 20 American Hammers.

Mosey uphill to the area where we did Doras.  Stop at two inclines along the way to do 10 Wide Merkins.

Mosey to A0.

MARY:
Finish up with 10 Carolina Dry Docks.
COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA
16 men, no FNGs.
CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:
My wife, Jan, and I have been watching the TV mini-series The Crown on Netflix.  The shows are based on true stories involving the reign of Great Britain’s current Queen Elizabeth.  One of the recent episodes focused on Queen Elizabeth’s husband, Prince Phillip, Duke of Edinburgh.  He is a man who loves adventure.  He was an officer in the Royal Navy during World War II, loves sports, and particularly loves to fly planes as a pilot.  The episode I am referring to depicted him during the time that the American Apollo Astronauts first landed on the moon.  In the episode Phillip, as a pilot, is fascinated with the mission and highly regards the astronauts, Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin and Michael Collins.

As a man who must take second fiddle to the Queen, Phillip questions his own life.  He certainly loves the Queen and certainly has privileges as her husband but there is a part of him that has wanted to set his own course vs. follow the traditions and duties of the Royal House.  At about this time, a minister named Robin Woods becomes the new Dean of Windsor. He heads the chapel that serves the Queen.  He asks Phillip for use of some unused Royal Buildings that he desires to be a retreat for ministers.  Prince Phillip is a man who is bored with the Royal church services but he agrees to the Dean’s request as the buildings aren’t being used anyway.

During the buzz of the future moon landing, Dean Woods catches up with Phillip and invites him to the retreat center to listen in on a group discussion of visiting ministers.  The ministers sit talking about problems, something Phillip isn’t that keen on, and discuss the decline in faith and worship service attendance among the people of England.  Phillip sees all this “talk” as nonsense, particularly when there are astronauts out there doing something great, incredible, landing on the moon of all things.  When asked by the ministers to participate in the talk, he tells them to stop bemoaning the decline in worship among the people of England and get off their butts.  What is needed is action, action such as seen by the Apollo Astronauts.

The astronauts, of course, land on the moon and are heroes. They go on a world tour and come to England, even for a short trip to Buckingham Palace.  Prince Phillip asks for and is granted a short personal meeting with the men.  He is overcome in the anticipation of meeting these men who are like Gods to him.  When he does meet the men, they are sneezing and sniffling, fighting off colds they have acquired in the exhausting schedule they have had since their return to Earth.  Phillip wants to know what they “found” on their journey, not the physical moon dust but that special “meaning” they discovered out in space.  These young astronauts have no answer for him.  They didn’t really have time to think about the meaning of the universe on their journey – the were too busy following procedures, doing the things that they had been trained to do.  These astronauts had certainly done something special and to be admired but they were also just three young guys, fighting off colds.  And frankly, what they were more interested in was hearing from Phillip what it was like to live in a place like the Buckingham Palace.

Phillip’s desire to find meaning in science, in adventure, in space, goes awry ands leave him unsatisfied.  And, in his bewilderment and dejection, he returns to the retreat center to meet once again with the Dean and visiting ministers.  He apologizes for his previous behavior.  He is now willing to participate in the “talk” that he previously thought to be nonsensical.  And, in talking to them, he asks for something.  He recognizes that what he has been lacking all along is faith.  Faith in something that goes beyond actions, science, and the privileges of Royalty that he has long known is not enough for him.  And what does he ask the ministers for?  He asks for Help. Help with his lack of faith.

I don’t know what kind of faith Prince Phillip has found in his life.  But, at the end of the episode some words were posted for the viewer.  The notes proclaimed that Prince Phillip and Dean Woods became close friends and have been personal confidants for the last 51 years.

What are you searching for?  Where do you put your energy, your interests?  If your search for meaning leads you to something other than God, it is very likely that you will not be satisfied.  As Faulkner said, it is all sound and fury leading to nothing.  Have faith in something more.  Search for God.

MOLESKIN:
Prayers for many.
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
5th F3 Knoxville Anniversary on Nov 7.

Adapting with CMUesday in the Fake Gloom

[ The Scene ]

SUNNY. Little warm. Character building weather.

[ Welcome/Disclaimer ]

  • Welcome to F3: Fitness-Fellowship-Faith
  • My name is Steam and I am honored to be your Q this evening
  • I am not a professional, you’re here on your own volition, and if you need to modify anything we do this evening feel free to do so BUT push yourselves and the men around you.
  • You will not get left behind and you will not leave the same way you came in.
  • FNGs?
  • I’ll have water, med gear, and my phone on me the entire time in my ruck so if you need to put something in there before we get on the mosey feel free to do so

Before we begin tonight we’re going to have a 1 minute moment of silence in honor of our fallen brother from F3 GrandStand in Myrtle Beach.

Jacob Anchor – codename Hightower –  End of Watch on October 3rd 2020

Very active in F3 GrandStand and a true HIM that led a life of service to his family and community.

Join me now in honoring our fallen brother.

[ Warm o Rama ]

(1) SSH: 15 x 4

(2) Happy Feet: 10

– quick feet —> 1 burpee on command

(3) Windmill: 10 x 4

(4) Baby Arm Circles: 10×4 F & 10×4 B

(5) Rockette: 10×4

 

[ The Thang ]

(Mosey to CMU Pile)

  • Every stop sign = 25 up/down merkins
  • Everyone get a CMU

[ Pause for Reflection for/from the Q ]

Apparently baseball season is back. When I was planning this Q – that did not come across my mind. Which means a couple things: (1) I, as the Q, did not accurately scope out the scene pre-Q. (2) We’re going to have to adapt. Halfway through the evolution of PT that you will see below, some of the PAX running were confronted by a middle aged man who was blatantly overreacting to our presence in the specific area of the park where the morning AO meets (parking lot) and was pretty aggressive in making his feelings toward us being there clear. So what do we do when that happens. Let’s start with what we don’t need to do: We don’t need to add fuel to the fire, we don’t need to confront or engage the individual, and we don’t need to push that individual who is already upset/mad/pissed off/irrational. Frankly, it’s not worth our time in that moment. So what do we need to do: We need to be peacemakers. Being the bigger man man sometimes means choosing to walk away. We’re called to be at peace with all men. We can do this without diminishing our dignity or the other party’s. This man was being irrational and approached our men in almost a rage. Pusher made the excellent point of just walk away, it’s not worth it. However – this all could have been avoided if I, the Q, had recognized that we may have needed to avoid this certain area of the park when we were mosey’ing to it. So from me, the Q – I apologize for not using discernment when leading us there. This was a learning lesson wisely pointed out by Jinxy at the COT. 

[ End Pause for Reflection for/from the Q ]

– PAX takes CMUs to the field by the playground and lays them down in two lines facing each other

– PAX execute 25 Big Boy Sit-ups with CMUs on their feet for stability

– PAX run to CMU pile and execute 10 burpees

(Rinse and Repeat 4)

***Encounter with the upset man in the parking lot***

– Q calls audible – replaces CMUs — circle the men up — brief AAR of what just happened — Mosey back home to the PM AO

– PAX mosey back up the street to the PM AO — every stop sign = 25 up/down merkins

– PAX encounter last 2 stop signs in the same 50 feet or so = 50

– Q leads PAX in 50 up/down merkins but stops when PAX reaches 45 — tells everyone to drop down to their knees and look up — “Breathe. It’s going to be okay. We’re almost there.” — Execute the final 5

– PAX mosey back up the hill to the PM AO — wagon wheel and pickup the 6 — circle up by the flag

[ Mary ]

– 25×4 Hello Dollys

– 25×4 LBCs

– 25×4 flutter kicks

[ COT ]

  • # off = 21
  • Name o Rama
  • FNGs = 0
  • BOM

I found myself at a place I don’t find myself at very often last week.

I found myself at a place that looked exactly like a scene in Lord of the Rings where the main character drops down to his knees, realizes the place that he’s in, and utters the words “I can’t do this.”

What a place to be right?

So a couple points with this:

(1) Own where you’re  at.

  • If you’re tired – own it. If you’re struggling, own it.  I’m tired/struggling mentally, I’m tired/struggling physically, I’m tired/struggling mentally, I’m tired/struggling spiritually, I’m tired/struggling sexually (we’re men we can handle that), I’m tired/struggling emotionally – own that place.
    • What I mean by this is this: We have all been tired and struggled in all of these arenas at some point in time in our lives. For me specifically, last week I was really tired and struggling mentally. I was tired and struggling emotionally. I was physically tired. I was struggling spiritually. I was struggling sexually with lust and loneliness and losing my sexual battle with porn and felt the complete weight of that. I was exhausted. The enemy was exhausting me, because I was exhausting myself. We’ve all been there. Maybe in different forms or fashions, but nonetheless, we’ve been there.
  • I’m tired. I’m lonely. I’m stressed. I’m not where I want to be. Own it.
  • Own it. Don’t accept it – own it. There’s a difference there.

Why do we need to own it?

(2) Just because we’re in a certain place does not mean this is our final resting place. Just because we’re here doesn’t mean we are destined to stay here.

  • Life is hard. It’s dark. If you’re in a place you don’t want to be in – own it and realize this is not where the story ends. You weren’t meant to stay here.
  • Just because this is where you are right now does not mean this is where you’re going to stay.

You were created for so much more than the situations and places you find yourself in.

(Hey and guess what – you have brothers that toe the line with you in the gloom and fake gloom – that I KNOW are ready to lock shields and toe the line with you outside the COT too. Let them in and seek wise counsel from them)

Why? Because point number 3

(3) God is about to do something awesome in your life. God is about to do something AWESOME in your life.

Believe that.

Regardless of where you are, what your status is, God is on the move in your life whether you realize it to not.

We need to believe this to be true.

  • God is about to do something great in your life but it is directly tied to your obedience.

What does this look like? Something like this I think.

(Gather men around carefully)

I saw this on my morning walk as the sun was rising and I was praying just for a good day. Sometimes we just need to pray for a good day.

And I came across this gate in a field with the door opened. And I truly believe this is such an excellent picture of how much God loves us and how he calls us into freedom in Him.

And I don’t know who needs to hear this besides me but here we go:

So when I saw this this morning and took this picture — I noticed a couple o things.

  • One of the gate doors was flung wide open
  • The other side of the gate door was closed, with a trash can blocking some of it.
  • And if you were with me this morning, we could have walked right through the open side of the gate. But we would have had to make a choice to do so. However it would have cost us something as well.
  • I think this picture screams the invitation that God gives to us:
    • An invitation to walk out of or walk through whatever you’re going through or wherever you’re at.
    • There is a God above that opens jail cells, doors, and gates — but it’s going to require something of you.
    • Notice the trash can sort of in front of the closed side of the gate. When God opens a gate or a door or a jail cell – whatever that may be in our lives – we’re going to have to leave something behind and leave the place that we currently are at to enter into the place He’s calling us to be. Maybe its an identity we’ve been holding onto or a relationship we’ve been in, or an idol – anything that would prevent us from walking through the gate/door that God is calling us to. 

 

 

Here’s what I want to leave you with:

Jeremiah 1:17 – 19

Get yourself ready! Stand up and say to them whatever I command you. Do not be terrified by them or I will terrify you before them. Today I have made you a fortified city, an iron pillar and a bronze wall to stand against the whole land – against the kings of Judah, it’s officials, it’s priests and the people of the land. They will fight against you but will not overcome you, for I am with you and will rescue you, declares the Lord.

 

Stay in the Fight!

Steam

Scarred

THE SCENE: Light rain, temp in low 60s.
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER
WARM-O-RAMA:
20 Side-Straddle Hops, 20 Plank Jacks, 10 Windmills, 10 Rockettes, 10 Baby Arm Circles Forward and Backward, 7 Wide Arm Circles Forward and Backward.
THA-THANG:
Our AO for the day was the pavilion at the Northern Ball Fields.

Mosey to semi-circle roadway that goes by soccer fields.  We ran high knee for 10 stakes, did 10 squats, then butt-kicked for 10 stakes and did 10 squats.  We continued that pattern until the end of the semi-circle roadway.  We then returned to the start with the same pattern but this time doing squat jumps instead of squats.  We, finally, went back on the semi-circle, this time doing Bernie Sander for 20 states and 5 Imperial Walkers, repeating that pattern to the end of the semi-circle roadway.

Mosey to parking lot by southern ball fields.  We did suicides up parking lot, running to each of the large light posts along the parking lot.  When we got back from each cone we did 20 Squats.  We rinsed and repeated.

Mosey back to the street but stop at curb before stop sign.  We did 10 tempo merkins by curb.

Mosey to parking lot with the islands that is located south of the Northern Ball Fields.  We divided into three groups.  Two groups positioned themselves on islands on the opposite end of the parking lot.  While the third group ran from one end of the parking lot to the other, the groups on either island alternated between doing 10 incline merkins on curb and 10 bench dips on curb.  Once the running group got to the island then they started the exercises while the group that was there ran to the other end.  This pattern continued until all groups had run from one end to the other two times.

Mosey to Pavilion.  At pavilion, we ran to benches, did 10 bench jumps and ran back to pavilion.  Rinse and repeat.

Finish at Pavilion.

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

Galatians 6:17

From now on let no one cause trouble for me, for I bear on my body the brand-marks of Jesus.

I’m going to talk a little bit about the importance of scars, the importance of wounds.  As men, we sometimes take a bit of pleasure in showing our scars to one another.  Sounds weird, but I think there are good reasons for it.  By sharing we show one another that we have been wounded and have that in common.  We also show we were tough enough to take it.

Our brother, Pusher, has told me of a tradition in the Philippines where boys are circumcised at the age of ten.  Think about how painful that is for a ten-year-old.  For two weeks after the circumcision that boy, in fact, wears a dress because the touch of pants to the circumcised area would be too painful.  Filipinos realize that they could change the age of the circumcision – to circumcise at that age is certainly not a medical necessity.  But in the Philippines it is a rite of passage.  The boy fears the moment, fears the pain, but in enduring it makes a major step toward manhood.  He can walk proudly, knowing he has endured it.

The Aborigines have an interesting rite of passage that I read about.  At the time of puberty the male or female meets overnight with the same sex members of their community who tell them stories of manhood or womanhood.  Afterwards, the male or female meets in a ceremony with their father and mother.  Both the father and the mother each take a sharp claw from an animal and cut the skin on the chest of the child.  The cuts form permanent wounds that will remain on the daughter or son’s breast for the rest of their life.  It is a symbol of recognition: “I have been wounded by my parents and I must accept that fact.  In accepting it, I can become a woman or a man.”  I love that – my parents love me but they have also wounded me and I need to man up to that.

I can remember my cousin and I talking, at about college age, about the types of women we would like to marry.  Of course we talked about physical beauty.  But we also talked about the character of the woman we wanted to marry.  We both agreed that we would rather marry a woman who had been wounded by some hardships than marry a woman who never had faced hardships and was completely innocent.  Our scars give us character.  They also help us to empathize with the pain and hardships experienced by others.

I accept that I have been scarred by life.  I cannot deny it or escape it.  I am not the Innocent Man that Billy Joel sang about.  But, as a Christian, the ultimate example of empathy for me is our Lord Christ.  I expose my scars to Him.  For, He was willing to take on the scars of the Cross to save humankind from our sinfulness.  In recognizing this, in baptizing myself to this, I am given the ultimate rite of passage.  And, as Paul states in Galatians 6:17, “from now on let no one cause trouble for me, for I bear on my body the brand-marks of Jesus.”

MOLESKIN:
Prayers for Helga and his wife who is having surgery, for Steam’s father who just had total knee replacement surgery, and for Steam as he considers a new job.
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
Hardship Hill on Saturday, October 3.