F3 Knoxville

Egypt Coming and Going

THE SCENE: Wet and still a bit windy, perfect 60s gloom.
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER
WARM-O-RAMA:

  • Running warm-up – lap around the lot
    • High knees, butt kicks
    • Shuffle
    • Karaoke
  • Tempo squats
  • Moroccan night club
  • Tempo squats, I mean merkins
  • Right arm up/ left arm up

THA-THANG:

I suppose you could think of this as a string of pearls.

  • Mosey to pool wall, 5 wall-pees
  • Mosey to playground, 5-7 pull-ups
  • Mosey to amphitheater, 10 box jumps
  • Up past the police station to badger, sprint up 12-day hill
  • At the top, 30 merkins
  • Mosey to the bottom, 30 merkins
  • Mosey to ORAU loop
    • Quick DORA – 150 squats, 100 heels to heaven, partner runs the loop
  • Mosey to the old peace bell, 30 merkins
  • Mosey to the new peace bell, 35 merkins, 10 box jumps
  • Mosey to the parallel bars
    • 20 inverse rows
    • 20 2-ct flutter kicks
    • Repeat
  • Dash to the pool wall, 5 wall-ups
  • Mosey to playground, 5-7 pull ups
  • Mosey to amphitheater, 2:10 plank
  • Quick back to the flag

MARY:
No time
COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA

CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:

Genesis 47:5-6

Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Your father and your brothers have come to you. The land of Egypt is before you. Settle your father and your brothers in the best of the land. Let them settle in the land of Goshen, and if you know any able men among them, put them in charge of my livestock.”

Genesis 47:27 – Thus Israel settled in the land of Egypt, in the land of Goshen. And they gained possessions in it, and were fruitful and multiplied greatly.

Exodus 1:7-12

But the people of Israel were fruitful and increased greatly; they multiplied and grew exceedingly strong, so that the land was filled with them.

Now there arose a new king over Egypt, who did not know Joseph. And he said to his people, “Behold, the people of Israel are too many and too mighty for us. Come, let us deal shrewdly with them, lest they multiply, and, if war breaks out, they join our enemies and fight against us and escape from the land.” Therefore they set taskmasters over them to afflict them with heavy burdens. They built for Pharaoh store cities, Pithom and Raamses. But the more they were oppressed, the more they multiplied and the more they spread abroad. And the Egyptians were in dread of the people of Israel.

When we have a good experience, it’s easy to associate that with a place or person or activity, etc. Then I have a tendency to expect that good experience to be a fixed reality, and I keep coming back to recreate the magic. But this is a trick. This is shown in the early narratives of the Torah. When Joseph finds himself in Egypt, God turns that place into a refuge from death and famine. Through Joseph’s obedience, God leads his chosen family out of the land where they will die, down into a land of blessing, where they can be fruitful and multiply, just as he promised Abraham they would. But time goes on and things change. Under Joseph’s guidance, the famine works to concentrate all the wealth of Egypt with the Pharaoh until all the people of Egypt sell themselves into servitude (see Genesis 47:13-25). It shouldn’t come as a surprise that this concentration of power eventually produces in Egypt rulers who are fearful and jealous. Soon the environment in Egypt is distinctly oppressive for the Israelites, and God, hearing them cry out, leads them out.

But for the remainder of the Torah, there is this recurring theme of the Israelites looking back at how good things used to be in Egypt. We’re thirsty, we always had water to drink in Egypt. We’re hungry, we always had meat in our pots in Egypt. The worst form of nostalgia.

Things change. The place/practice/work/whatever that worked last year or last week might not be what works today. We have to resist the desire to constantly seek novelty, but we must also avoid clinging to the past, dreaming of how things “used to be”. This has been beaten into my awareness by raising kids. No year is ever the same. This three-year-old is not the same as the last three-year-old and the fourth three-year-old is still, somehow, different from all three of her predecessors. The best I can do is to keep my eyes open, pay attention to the real situation, and use my past experiences as a source of ideas, not solutions.

What are you holding on to that you need to let go? What is the Egypt that you need to Exodus?

MOLESKIN:
I thought since Booster gave us a legit heavy beatdown Tuesday, I would circle back and do a proper boot camp. Plus, you should have checked all three boxes of the Kickflip challenge.
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
Camping tomorrow, hiking Saturday, Rampart next Saturday, Family Q the next Saturday, CSAUP coming up May 6. Also, Equalizer on April 15th.

Danger Zone at the Project

THE SCENE: A blisteringly hot day with scorching sand, glistening tans, and government issued Ray-Bans…perfect for beach volleyball “with the boys”! …or it was just dark and 42 degrees. You pick.

F3 WELCOME & DISLCLAIMER: Roger that, Ghost Rider.

WARM-O-RAMA:
An assortment of Project classics that included the following:

  • SSH x 15
  • Willy Mays Hays x10
  • Tempo Squat x5
  • Knoxville Cherry Pickers x5
  • Forward LBACs x10
  • Reverse LBACs x10
  • Moroccan Night Clubs to the beat of 10
  • Chattanooga Cherry Pickers® x10
  • Up-tempo SSH x15
  • 25 Merkins OYO (for KickFlip Stuff™)
  • Mosey for touch and go at the fountain for 25 more Merkins – OYO
  • Mosey to the Thang!

“Let’s turn and burn!”

THA-THANG:
Pax formed a circle with CMUs around the speaker blaring the Top Gun Soundtrack.

Pax performed a slightly modified “Top Gun” routine – 10 reps each of 5 coupon exercises for 10 minutes. The 5 coupon exercises are repeated for the entire 10 minutes. The Danger Zone happens every 2 minutes when PAX drops coupon and perform 3 Burpees, then pick up where they left off on the coupon exercises. The “Top Gun Motion Picture Soundtrack” only moderately numbed the pain.

    • Round One: Curls, Rows, CMU Swings, OH Press, Squats, rinse and repeat for 10 minutes with 3 burpees every 2 minutes
      • Mosey a lap around the lot
    • Heavy Hammers, Heavy Freddies, Heavy Crunches, Heavy Dollies, Heavy Flutters, rinse and repeat for another 10 minutes with 3 burpees every 2 minutes
      • Mosey a lap around the lot

Pax then performed 25 more merkins and a 2 minute plank

RTB
KickFlip had “a need….for speed!” and called jailbreak when “Danger Zone” played. No one could resist.

Total for Push, Pull, Plank Challange:

  • 75 merkins + 30 burpees = 105
  • 2 minute plank complete
  • 0 pullups

MARY:
Pax arrived at base at exactly 06:15. We fly by the seat of our pants. No time for Mary.

CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:

The Real Danger Zone is not getting enough rest.

YHC recently took a test for a couaching group and found out he is high on “restlessness.” I realized how much I struggled on vacation; always looking to the next thing, irritable when we’re not accomplishing something. I have a hard time actually resting.

Alex Soojung-Kim Pang, in his book Rest says, “I argue that we misunderstand the relationship between work and rest. Work and rest are not polar opposites. Rest is not work’s adversary. Rest is work’s partner. They complement and complete each other.”

When we work out, we’re not building muscle. It’s the rest and sleep that are VERY important to the process. This is where the building of muscle actually happens. 

Pang continues, “Further, you cannot work well without resting well. Some of history’s most creative people, people whose achievements in art and science and literature are legendary, took rest very seriously. They found that in order to realize their ambitions, to do the kind of work they wanted to, they needed rest. The right kinds of rest would restore their energy while allowing their muse, that mysterious part of their minds that helps drive the creative process, to keep going.”

  • Albert Einstein’s day dreaming and mind experiments led to the Theory of Relativity. They came when he stopped overworking the math.
  • Winston Churchill took naps every day – pajamas and all.
  • In seminary, I would work hard on gathering information and forming the structure of my paper. I would then take a nap and wake up with how it all ties togetyer. This is very often true for my sermons each week as well.

Psalm 127:1-2
Unless the Lord builds the house,
    those who build it labor in vain.
the Lord guards the city,
    the guard keeps watch in vain.

It is in vain that you rise up early
    and go late to rest,
eating the bread of anxious toil;
    for he gives sleep to his beloved.

It takes a certain amount of FAITH to REST.
Are you trusting the Lord enough to rest?
Are you caring for your work and family with rest?
Are you caring for your mind, body, spirit with rest?

MOLESKIN:

  • YHC: “If you’re going to watch Top Gun, you have to endure the volleyball scene.” Mathlete: “What do you mean ‘ENDURE’?!”
  • Three-Peet momentarily saw his spirit leaving him during heavy crunches and “Memories”. (Goooose!)
  • Extra Top Gun points to Tuba for pulling out the aviators for COT

Workout Soundtrack:

  • “Top Gun Anthem” by Harold Faltermeyer
  • “Danger Zone” by Kenny Loggins
  • “Playing with the Boys” by Kenny Loggins (sufficiently endured)
  • “You’ve Lost That Loving Feeling” by The Righteous Brothers
  • “Great Balls of Fire” by Jerry Lee Lewis (“Hey Goose, you big stuuuud!”)
  • “Mighty Wings” by Cheap Trick
  • “Memories” by Harold Faltermeyer (Goooooooose!!!)
  • “(Sittin’ On) the Dock of the Bay” by Otis Redding
  • “Lead Me On” by Teena Marie (I admit… this was a bad choice. My bad, guys.)
  • “Danger Zone” by Kenny Loggins

ANNOUNCEMENTS:

  1. New AO “Rampart” (Kingston) OTBs THIS Saturday as well as 4/9 & 4/23 at 7AM
  2. No Family Workout Sat Apr 2
  3. Check Slack channel @TheProject for details on Family Camping April 1-3 (1 more camp site available – BEST ONE!) OR hiking Devil’s Racetrack on Sat, Apr 2
  4. Planning for 1st Project CSAUP May 6 – see Slack channel for signup and details on Google Doc

Tug-o-rain

THE SCENE: Steady warm rain, 60°
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER
WARM-O-RAMA:

Side Straddle Hops, Grady Corns, Baby Arm Circles, Tempo Squats, Tempo Merkins, Kick Throughs and stretch  oyo.
THA-THANG:
Mosey to the closest loading dock for Chain Reaction (relay).  1 HIM moving at all times taking the place of the next guy.

  • Press Ups on dock (leg swing for extra credit)
  • Bear crawl down the stairs to hold a plank
  • Bernie to kick through station
  • Bernie to SSH station

Indian Run to CMU Pile.  Rifle carry a CMU to the base of Sophomore hill.  Where we found 2 braided climbing ropes. Crazy lucky that it was there, rain soaked and heavy.

2 HIMs on opposite sides of the rope tried to carry the rope to the top of hill without the middle touching the ground.  If they made it the rest had to do 5 Burpees.  If it hit the ground, next 2 guys tried.  By the 3rd or 4th round we got the hang of it and some burpees were done.  The “spectators” were doing CMU Curls, Triceps, Thrusters and other heavy work outs while we watched and hoped for a big wipe out.

A few rounds of muddy tug-o-war at the top.  Resulted in all of us running down the hill.  Uneven teams resulted in some fast muddy slides.  We ended with Rope hold against each other at the bottom while more CMU work was done.  Rinsed off with some flutter kicks in a puddle then mosey’d back.

MARY:
Guardrail dips, incline merkins, then some box cutters, flutter kicks, imperial walkers and other core till the rushers arrived and time was called.
COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA
9 (4 were Rushing) HIMs took on the rain
CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:
Thanks for the prayer covering for my family while we were on our missions encounter in Tajuana, Mexico.  The Lord taught me there that to give, you must have something to give.  He loves to fill us up so that we can be poured out.  That is why we are given things, joy, hope, and love.  Give it out freely.  Acts 20 reminds us what Jesus said: It is more blessed to give than receive.

Out here, that means get better, encouraged and stronger and then give back by filling up a Q calendar.  At church that means watching online isn’t enough.  Give of your time… maybe in a much needed volunteer role, but maybe what the Lord has for you is to connect with a friend or a stranger before or after a service.  You are not filled up to feel better but to give back.  Receive so that you can serve.

And lastly, be real.  In Mexico addressing the heartache and sadness was necessary.  Here it’s easier to find a silver lining or hide behind work or busyness.  God can handle our sadness.  Bring it to Him and you’ll have more joy than I can explain.

ANNOUNCEMENTS:
OTB work out Saturday at the Hardship hill location, Camping site still available April 2&3

12s at The Project

THE SCENE: 49
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER
WARM-O-RAMA:

 Lap around Parking Lot
 Projectivator x7

 Squat (tempo+4-ct) x6+6
 Tempo Merk x10
 Mtn Climber x10

 LBAC F/B X6+6
 Moroccan x6
 Grady Corns x6
 Chatt Cherry Pickers x6
 6 Burpees OYO
 Stretch OYO
 Mosey to Playground

THA-THANG:
12s@Playground+Amphitheater
1. Playground: 6 Burpees+6 Pull-ups+lap around playground
2. Amphitheater: Merkins – BBS (11+hill+1, 10+hill+2, etc)
3. Step-ups/box jumps – Squats (CUT FOR TIME)
4. LBC – Merkins
5. Lunges – Bonnie Blairs
6. 120 second Plank
7. Playground: 6 Burpees+6 Pull-ups

MARY:
PAX CHOICE: Freddie Mercury x10, Squeaky Dolly x10, X-Men Crunch x10

COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA

9STRONG

CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:
It has been 3 weeks since my last day at work. What has it been for? What is God saying to me? What is God doing in me? What am I learning about God, myself, marriage/family, work/responsibility/calling, others/service, etc?

What am I struggling with/working through this week?
 order/rhythm, productivity/sense of accomplishment,
 leading my family rhythms while I am failing to lead myself,
 serious time to be with and talk with God,
 understanding this season of in-between

I’m going to submit myself to a process called the Daily Office. It’s a rhythm of prayer throughout the day that gives space for quiet before God that allows the doubts, thoughts, and the movements of my heart and soul (that are most often ignored or overlooked) to rise to the surface. The practice of daily silence/prayer/journaling will help (force) me to articulate those thoughts and feelings.

Romans 12:1-2 (NIV)
Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. 2 Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

Hebrews 12:1-3 (NIV)
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, 2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3 Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.

MOLESKIN:

Good hustle today – We completed this Week 12’s challenge for today: 12 pull-ups, 120 push-ups, and 120 seconds of plank. Praying for Kick’s bro-in-law David with possible MS symptoms/work stress/effect on family; Bambi’s Baby Alina recovering from heart surgery at Vandy; Tuba and family’s custody of son and stepson

  1. ANNOUNCEMENTS:
    New AO Rampart (Kingston) Kickoff! Sat 3/26 7AM
  2. No Family Workout Sat Apr 2
  3. Check Slack channel @TheProject for details on Family Camping April 1-3 (1 more camp site available – BEST ONE!) OR hiking Devil’s Racetrack on Sat, Apr 2
  4. Planning for 1st Project CSAUP May 6 – see Slack channel for details on Google Doc

What do you think you’re doing?

THE SCENE: Perfect 47, crisp, waxing gibbous, still a bit damp from the snow
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER
WARM-O-RAMA:

High Knees, stretch left, stretch right, Moroccan night clubs, tempo squats, tempo merkins

THA-THANG:

  • Mosey to pool wall
    • Spurinna warns Julius of his doom coming by the Ides of March.
    • 7s, wall ups and dry docks
  • Mosey to amphitheater
    • Cassius is looking Pale, Caesar suspects something
    • 7s, box jumps and dips
  • Mosey to Friendship Bell
    • The last 3 straws
      • Caesar rejects the honors of the Senate
      • “I am not Rex, but Caesar” – Caesar removes the tribunes
      • Mark Antony crowning stunt
    • 3 sets of 25 decline merkins with a lap in between for each straw (1,2,3)
  • Gathering conspirators
    • 4 corners of the rectangle, sprint between them
    • 60 reps at each corner
      • Flutter kicks
      • LBCs
      • American hammers
      • Big boys
  • Back at the Friendship Bell
  • Julius’s wife, Calpurnia, receives a warning dream, tells him not to go to the Senate meeting
    • 5x (10 Bonnie Blair’s, then a burpee)
  • Conspirators come to his house and persuade him to ignore his wife
    • 3x (10 bobby hurleys, then 5 dry docks)
  • Mosey to pool wall – Passing Spurinna on the way to the Senate
    • 1 wall up, 1 dry dock
  • Mosey to amphitheater – Caesar is stabbed 23 times by his conspirators
    • 23 burpees

MARY:
23 heels-to-heaven and LBCs to time
COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA
CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:

Cassius and Brutus started down the path of conspiracy and murder because they feared that Julius would seize power, dissolve the Senate, and set himself up as king of Rome. They saw preservation of the Republic as being more important than the life of one man, even a man as great as Julius Caesar. Ironically, history shows that the assassination of Julius Caesar was the pivotal event that ultimately led to the dissolution of the Senate and the establishment of the first Emperor of Rome, Augustus Caesar, Julius Caesar’s heir.

John 11:45-50
45 Many of the Jews therefore, who had come with Mary and had seen what he did, believed in him, 46 but some of them went to the Pharisees and told them what Jesus had done. 47 So the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered the council and said, “What are we to do? For this man performs many signs. 48 If we let him go on like this, everyone will believe in him, and the Romans will come and take away both our place and our nation.” 49 But one of them, Caiaphas, who was high priest that year, said to them, “You know nothing at all. 50 Nor do you understand that it is better for you that one man should die for the people, not that the whole nation should perish.”

Turns out the mistake of Cassius and Brutus wasn’t unique, as you would expect. We see the Jewish leadership make the same mistake in the Gospel. Jesus tells them that he is the one path that will free them from Roman oppression, but instead, thinking they are preserving their relationship with Rome, execute him. Less than 50 years later, Jerusalem is ransacked and the temple thrown to the ground. In attempting to save themselves from Rome, they brought about their own destruction. Fast forward 250 years, the Roman emperor converts to Christianity. Jesus accomplished a feat that the Jewish leaders would have thought impossible, bringing the power of Rome under the authority of the one true God.

What do you think you are doing? What are you ACTUALLY doing? When I seek to force the world to abide by my will, it usually blows up in my face. But when I surrender my will, the thing that I want often comes to me in unexpected ways or the error of my desire is revealed to me. Either way, the world is drawn together rather than being torn apart.

MOLESKIN:
Awesome to see Three-peat back out in the gloom!
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
Nothing new, see Slack for details on camping, hiking, family Q, shield lock, etc.