F3 Knoxville

Rewards

THE SCENE: Crisp, cool, clear and crunchy. Mid twenties freezing the last week of rain. Satellites orbit overhead.
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER
WARM-O-RAMA:

  • Side Straddle Hops (concentration to 25!)
  • LBACs (Out and Above)
  • Pretzels
  • Tempo Squats (get deep)
  • Fence Steppers OYO
  • Tempo Merkins (10)
  • Newton’s Cradle
  • 10 second plank

THA-THANG:

  • Mosey to the Bell
    • 3 sets of 20 dips and 20 big boys
  • Mosey to parallel bars
    • 3 sets of 20 Inverse Rows and 20 flutter kicks
  • Mosey to pool wall
    • 3 sets of 5 wall ups and 5 pull ups
  • Mosey to behind the amphitheater for Mucho Mucho!
    • 20 squats, 20 merkins
    • 20 wide squats, 20 wide merkins
    • 20 bobby hurleys, 20 diamond merkins
    • 20 split squats, 20 stagger squats (both sides)
  • Short form Tree biscuit
    • Run to a tree, do a burpee. See how many we can get in the remaining time.

MARY:
Dealer’s choice, got a full circuit. LBCs, Heels to Heaven, Side crunches both sides, flutter kicks, American Hammers, and Hello Dollys.
COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA
CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:
Sitting in church on Sunday, my eldest daughter gets up and goes to the bathroom. On the way back, she passes a basket in the narthex that has peppermints and takes one. When she gets back to her seat and sits beside me, this is all good. I see no problem with picking up a peppermint on the way back. Until, that is, she decides that the next thing to do is to draw her older brother’s attention to it. To flaunt her prize. This results in a prompt confiscation.

It is right for good action to carry a reward. In this case, getting up to using the bathroom in an appropriate time brings with it an opportunity for a piece of candy. This isn’t so different from the way our own bodies are arranged. Eating is necessary, and so carries with it pleasure. The same is true of sleep. Sex functions similarly in a marriage. These rewards, when maintained in their proper position and alignment with their associated good, are also good. They were, in fact, purposed as a good.

In taking from the tree, Adam and Eve first participated in a troubling alternative to this purposed good. When we see the possibility that we can game the system, that the reward is available for the taking, when the reward becomes the purpose, good fragments. Obviously, my daughter’s physical need to go to the bathroom is more limited than her potential to obtain reward. This can express as deception, only to go get a candy and return without any actual visit to the bathroom. My son, with a newfound desire for candy, might decide that he needs to go to the bathroom even though he doesn’t, only to obtain a reward. Certainly, the risk is that both of my children become fixated on the candy, and thus ignore the reason we are even there at all, to worship the Creator God who brought forth into this world both the candy and our capability to enjoy it. To me, this serves as a microcosm example of my own struggles with physical desire.

I eat beyond physical need, now enduring physical consequences while slowly deadening my own enjoyment. So I seek to fragment the system, using deceptive chemicals to experience the pleasure (I’m looking at you Coke Zero) while avoiding the consequences, or at least the consequences I am paying attention to. This is a positive feedback loop, with my desire ever growing, demanding greater and greater sacrifices to sate my appetite. Soon, the only purpose of eating is pleasure. The real good, my physical nourishment, isn’t even playing second fiddle.

As we leave behind us a time of feasting and turn back to the routines that define us, I think it merits our attention to look at the places where we are gaming the system for pleasure. How do we return to balance? How do we restore an appetite to its proper position and alignment? It often includes dealing with some consequences we have been storing up. But that blister can be drained and healed. It doesn’t last forever.

MOLESKIN:
Great to be back at The Project! Pretzels were courtesy of Wilderness Road in Kingsport. Snaggletooth got distracted thinking about consequences when he should have been concentrating on counting, but then there weren’t any…
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
We gotta pick a date for our next family Q.

Building Santa B.O.M.B.S. at The Project

THE SCENE: Mostly cloudy with a brisk temperature of 34. Wind NNE at 1.243 mph. 94% percent humidity with the barometer reading at 30.12. …or just kinda chilly.

F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER:

Done with enthusiasm as always…

WARM-O-RAMA:

  • SSH (x10)
  • Willy Mays Hayes (x10)
  • Tempo Squat (x10)
  • FLBAC (x10)
  • RLBAC (x10)
  • Grady Corn (x10)
  • Chattanooga Cherry Pickers (x10…stressed finger form)
  • Knoxville Cherry Pickers (x…??? gotta pick up what was left on the ground)

THA-THANG:
Mosey to dip bars. Group 1 pull-ups (x20). Group 2 plank. Flapjack. Then mosey to Amphitheater.

Commence building Santa B.O.M.B.S.

Partner up. Pax 1 does exercise while Pax 2 runs up the hill to the North Pole. Swap out and continue the exercise until each amount of reps are complete. The exercises and reps were:

  • 50- Burpees
  • 100- Overhead Claps (I mean…where else do you get an “O” for “bombs”, am I right?)
  • 150- Merkins
  • 200- Big Boy Sit-ups 
  • 250- Squats

PAX completed B.O.M.B.S. then moseyed for another round of pull-ups and planks.

MARY:

  • Tuba – Prone …wait! He faked us out! Basilisks in honor of Biohack (x10)
  • Rocket – starfish (x10)
  • Three-Peat – 4 count Merkins (x10 because 150 was not enough!)
  • Snaggletooth – LBCs (x10)
  • Slappy – Freddie Mercury (x10)
  • Bobbitt – Flutter Kicks (x10)
  • Kick – Plankettes (x10)

CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:

Something happened a few weeks ago.Tons of people in Chattanooga and some up here were posting pictures of a sunset. It was phenomenal! It wasn’t as good as being there, though. Yet it’s clear something amazing happened.

Something amazing happened 2,000 years ago at Christmas. We may not have been there but the evidence that something that changed the course of history exists.

We tend to lose the wonder somewhere  along the line, however. Busyness is one reason. Distance in time is another. Our analytical thinking is one thing that gets in the way that we don’t often notice. We like to dissect things until we’ve destroyed them. We enjoy music until we break it apart to study it. We enjoy art until we analyze it to death.

YHC’s and his M were driving along 40 and noticed two random Christmas trees on the side of the road. They are fully decorated and look nice. While YHC wanted to figure out who put them there and why, the M commented, “Why do we have to understand it. Just enjoy it.”

YHC heard about a church that was again going over the Virgin Birth. A young teenager came out of the kitchen in the middle of the argument and said, “It’s just so beautiful, it has to be true.” The argument stopped and the adults in the room wondered why they were even arguing.

What does it mean to recapture the wonder of the simple truth of Christmas. God became man. Deity became humanity. The almighty stepped down from his throne and was willing to become a defenseless baby for this daring rescue!

This Christmas, what does it mean to recapture the wonder of the Nativity; to stop analyzing and dissecting, how to hear the surprising message only revealed, not to kings but ti simple shepherds. “It’s just so beautiful, it has to be true.”

MOLESKIN:

  • YHC considered Wallpees as a tribute to Mathlete but then remembered “if you can’t do it, don’t Q it.” Not today.
  • Tuba promised a Christmas gift of many Prone Rows in his appreciation for the generosity of reps. YHC was giddy.
  • Coffeteria at Dunkin followed.
  • Fun was had by all.

ANNOUNCEMENTS:
Hike at LeConte tomorrow. Leaving from Hardin Valley Dunkin at 5:30. See Slappy for details!

KickFlip to bring the Yule-Tide pain on Christmas Eve Eve.

 

The 12 Pains of Christmas

THE SCENE: 28F –  Cold and clear
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER
WARM-O-RAMA:

  1. Projectivator
  2. Overhead clap
  3. Cherry picker
  4. Windmill
  5. Seal Squats

THA-THANG:
Reindeer death march (indian run w/ burpee) to a hill in the parking lot of ORAU campus.

12 Pains of Christmas:  Just like the song, starting at 1, do the number of exercises and all previous exercises, then run up the hill to touch the “North Pole” (light pole).

  1. Burpee
  2. Imperial Squalkers
  3. Basilisks
  4. Merkins
  5. Big Boys
  6. Lunges
  7. Side straddle hops
  8. Prone rows
  9. Diamond merkins
  10. Heels to heaven
  11. Squats
  12. Burpees

Mosey to the Friendship Bell and perform 30 dips.  Kickflip said he loves dips, so we mosey’ed to the dip bars for 10 more dips and 20 inverse rows.

MARY:
Dealer’s choice: Bobbit – LBCs, Borg – Freddy Mercury

CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:

Don’t make Christmas a pain.  Remember why we celebrate it.

Genealogy of Jesus (Matthew 1 and Luke 3)

Differences:

  1. Audience (Jews – Matthew vs. Gentiles – Luke)
  2. Matthew starts at Abraham and goes forward
  3. Luke goes backward to Adam
  4. David’s son:  Solomon vs. Nathan
    1. Matthew is Joseph’s lineage
    2. Luke is Mary’s lineage
      1. The text says “Joseph, the son of Heli”
      2. Heli was Mary’s father and adopted Joseph for inheritance since he had no sons of his own.
    3. Other explanations

ANNOUNCEMENTS:

  • Oak Ridge Christmas Parade this Saturday
  • Emerald Youth Christmas Store

Spirit of Christmas

THE SCENE:  30 and calm
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER:  Administered  
WARM-O-RAMA:
 

  • Michael Phelps
  • Growing arm circles IC
  • OKCP – IC
  • Scorpion dry docks IC
  • Mountain climbers

THA THANG:

Mosey to the recruiting center.

While Q leads exercises in cadence, one PAX at a time does max pull-ups.  Rotate until all PAX have had a shot at the pull-up bar.  Exercises were;

  • Flutter kicks
  • Mountain climbers
  • Hello dolly
  • Sleeping hillbillies
  • Mountain rockettes

Couple of sprints and we’re at the The Half-Pipe (two sets of 15 steps that face each other).

Divide into two teams.  There is a box of balls in the middle…  Perform exercise.  Sprint, grab a ball, and bring it back to your side.  Repeat with next exercises.  When there are no more balls in the middle, run all the way across, steal a ball from the other team’s stash, and bring it back.  First one to finish all exercises call out – team with most balls wins.  Exercises were;

  1. 20 Burpees
  2. 30 Monkey humpers (2-count)
  3. 40 Flutter kicks (2-count)
  4. 20 Scorpion Dry Docks
  5. 30 Iron Mikes (15 each leg)
  6. 40 Mountain climbers (2-count)
  7. 20 Merkins
  8. 30 Fairy Jacks
  9. 40 LBCs

Mathlete finished first – but Team 1 had more balls, baby!

Mosey back to the recruitment center – do 2 burpees at each streetlight.

MARY:

Another round at the pull-up bar.  While Q leads exercises in cadence, one PAX at a time does max pull-ups. Rotate until all PAX have had a shot at the pull-up bar.  Exercises were; Exercises were;

  • Flutter kicks
  • Mountain climbers
  • Hello dolly
  • Hillbilly walkers
  • Mountain rockettes
  • Guantanamo

Mosey back toward the flag.  Jail break!

COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA

Me and 7 of the best men I know

CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:

Ready or not, men, the Christmas season is here.  My short and simple word this morning was an encouragement to live in the Spirit of Christmas these next few weeks.  What does that mean?

Thomas Monson said, “To catch the real meaning of the Spirit of Christmas, we need only drop the last syllable, and it becomes the Spirit of Christ.”  Living out the Spirit of Christ is doing some of the things that Christ did while He was on earth.  What better way to celebrate His birth than to emulate the way He lived His life?  From Ephesians – be imitators of God.

Renowned behavioral scientist, speaker, and author, Dr. Steve Maraboli, unpacks that a little more… “Want to keep Christ in Christmas? Feed the hungry, clothe the naked, forgive the guilty, welcome the unwanted, care for the ill, love your enemies, and do unto others as you would have done unto you.”  Now that is living as Christ lived.

The group discussed some practical applications for living in emulation of Christ during the Christmas season.  During these next few weeks, see how many of these you can check off;

  • Forgive someone who may not deserve it.
  • Repent and ask forgiveness from someone you’ve wronged.
  • Practice humility in the way you speak about yourself.
  • Don’t be judgmental in word…or in thought.
  • Serve others.
  • Show gratitude to others.
  • Show compassion and acceptance to those less valued by society.
  • Choose an attitude of joy that transcends circumstances.

What are some other practical applications for living in the Spirit of Christ, BB reader?  

In the coming weeks, I encourage you to reject the temptations of consumerism and cynicism.  Instead, embrace – and model for your families – the Spirit of Christmas.

Generosity. Service. Forgiveness. Acceptance. Playfulness. Gratitude. Hope.

MOLESKIN:

Christmas Party!  Dec 11th at Judge’s house

Christmas parade in Oak Ridge.  Dec 11th.  6:00pm-8:00pm.

Shamrock – It’s Log…Log

THE SCENE: Upper 40s
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER
WARM-O-RAMA:

Side Straddle Hops 20-4 count

Tie Fighters 10-4 count each way

Mountain Climbers 15-4 count 

LBCs – 25 OYO

Twinkle Toes in cadence 10-4 count

Cherry Pickers: 5

Quad Stretch 

THA-THANG:

Mosey with logs towards Cedar Bluff

Stop at the tall sidewalk

25 Tricep dips – stretch – 25 more

Mosey with logs across the street to the school steps.  

Mix up logs each time

25 Curls – then run the steps X 4 until we all hit 100

25 Tricep extension – then run the steps X 4 until we all hit 100

25 Squats with log – then run the steps X 4 until we all hit 100

25 LBCs (no log) – then run the steps X 4 until we all hit 100

25 merkins – then run the steps X 4 until we all hit 100 (we made it to 50)

Grab log then head back to AO. 

Stop halfway for some log overhead while doing little bouncy squats until it burned too bad. 

MARY:

Log drag across the parking lot. 

COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA
7 – Jitters, Curveball, Dumpster Dive, Waxjob, Mermaid, Slappy, Anchorman
CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:

Psalm 62:5-7

For God alone, O my soul, wait in silence,

for my hope is from him.

He alone is my rock and my salvation,

my fortress; I shall not be shaken.

On God rests my salvation and my glory;

my mighty rock, my refuge is God.

I love how David gives names like like Mighty Rock to God. What names can we give God? Instead of my typical prayers of requests to God, what can I praise him for?