F3 Knoxville

Tag: Steam

[ The Scene ]

  • 30s

[ Welcome/Disclaimer ]

  • Welcome to F3: Fitness-Fellowship-Faith
  • Name is Steam and I’ll be your Q this morning
  • Couple of things before we begin:
    • I’m not a professional
    • You’re here on your own volition
    • And if you need to modify anything we do this morning feel free to do so but push yourselves and the men around you – they deserve it and so do you
  • FNGs? — 2

[ Warm o Rama ]

  • SSH: 30×4 IC
    • Take a lap
  • Mountain Climber: 30×4 IC
    • Take a lap
  • The Squat: 15×4 IC
    • Take a lap
  • Rockette: 15×4 IC
    • Take a lap
  • Rockette: 10×4 (5 F and 5 B)
    • Take a lap

[ The Thang ]

(1) 4 Corners and a Hill

  • 4 corners of the parking lot
    • C1: Merkins
    • C2: Squats
    • C3: LBCs
    • C4: American Hammers
  • 30 reps on a 1 count for each corner
  • After you complete the corner you’re on – run up the hill and execute 30 SSHs on a 1-count
  • When you get done with with all 4 corners and your hill runs and SSHs, find someone who’s not done and push them as they finish

(10 count)

(Mosey to crosswalk next to playground )

(2) Half and Half

  • 2 POCs/Paths: Light at the back end of the parking lot + lighted patch
  • half start on the lighted path
  • Half start moseying around to the parking lot with cars
  • Lighted path: 5 lights until you cut into the back of the lot with the light: 5 Attached at the hips (Merkin straight into a BBS)
  • Back end of lot light: (1 count)
    • 30 squats
    • 30 LBCs
    • 30 Carolina dry docks
  • Rinse and repeat this once for a total of 2x

(Mosey to the playground)

(3) The Last of the Benches

  • 30 squats
  • 30 incline merkins
  • 30 decline merkins
  • 30 step-ups

(Mosey to the AO)

[ Mary ]

ATMS YEAHHHHHHHHHHHH

[ COT ]

  • # off — 11
  • Name o Rama
  • FNGs — 2
  • BOM (2 Parts)
  1. 30 Reflections/Takeaways I Had in 2020
    • (1) — 1/4/2020 — from “Laws of Human Nature” — “Being able to understand more clearly that stranger within us would help us to realize that it is not a stranger at all but very much a part of ourselves, and that we are far more mysterious, complex, and interesting than we had imagined”
      • Romans 7:13-25
    • (2) — 1/7/2020 — I asked myself the question “What’s my no-BS assessment going into this year?” Here was my answer: “I need to keep fostering the mindset of “Keep Moving Forward” but sometimes that’s hard when it feels like I’m still in the thick of the fight. But in reality, I’ll always be in the fight until the end, it will just look different every year or so”
    • (3) — 1/22/2020 — I took this note while reading “Free to Lead” by the founders of F3, Dredd and OBT: “You have to improve. It’s an individual’s job to seek constant improvement. It’s the leader’s job to demand that he do so.”
    • (4) — 3/25/2020 — I went on a run this day and found myself on top of a hill and just had a good old yelling match of frustration and anger towards God. I was really pissed off and didn’t understand the events of the past couple of years and just found myself in this place of frustration with God. And then Isaiah 55:8 came to me — “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord.”
    • (5) — 4/9/2020 — (COVID ramping up) Listening to a Jerry Flowers sermon entitled “This is not my final destination” and he labeled exactly what I was doing during this season – I was being an Exit Strategist: wanting to get out of this season as quickly as possible, looking for an exit, trying to get out. And then he said this: “If God wants you in this place, in this season you find yourself in, there’s nothing you can do but be faithful and stop looking for an exit and start opening your eyes to the entrances He’s providing.”
    • (6) — 4/14/2020 — “I was born to walk through the fire, I was made to run through these flames. Yeah, even when I’m broken and tired, you are enough, enough, enough.” – “Enough” bu the Social Club Misfits
    • (7) — 4/16/2020 — I saw the different between the two words “though” and “yet” in Habakkuk 3:17-19 —> Though the fig tree should not blossom, nor fruit be on the vines, the produce of the olive fail, and the fields yield no food, the flock be cut off from the fold and there be no herd in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the Lord; I will take joy in the God of my salvation. God, the Lord, is my strength; he makes my feet like the deer’s; he makes me tread on my high places.
    • (8) — 4/19/2020 — “The true Christian life is one who lives an interrupted life; an individual who continually experiences Heavenly interference.” – Jerry Flowers
    • (9) — 5/12/2020 — The Father will always call the son back into “sonship.” This rocked my world by watching a Star Wars movie out of all things. But if God created all things than surely He can speak through all things as well. Watch the video (link below) and tell me you don’t see an incredibly powerful parallel between a father and his son. This sort of reminded me of the prodigal son as well. I dissected this video so hard and realized what a gift it was from God to me during this time.

                                        [ https://youtu.be/NF5M8WE4cKU ]

    • (10) — 5/17/2020 — “Eyes —> sight. Eyes of your heart —> vision.”
    • (11) — 5/21/2020 — “Once your heart has heard the music (of God), it is happy only when it is dancing.” – Robert Benson
    • (12) — 6/1/2020 — I was made very aware of how distracted I was. I could feel my mind being pulled in different directions. This is when the George Floyd incident happened and the riots started. I think God let me see just how distracted I was. This was a big takeaway for me — so that I could hear the call to “refocus,” “refocus,” “refocus.”
    • (13) — 6/18/2020 — “What do you do when you go to the place that God told you to go to, you’re doing what you’re supposed to be doing, and the brook dries up?”
    • (14) — 6/28/2020 — I was bestowed the wisdom of “Usually we’re going through what we’re going through because there’s something for us to do on the other side.”
    • (15) — 7/2/2020 — I was fasting with a small group of men from Fellowship Church called The Good Fight. And at 4pm on July 2nd I was under a ruck and praying for wisdom and discernment and realized I feel really connected to God and creation when I’m under a ruck.
    • (16) —7/23/2020 — “What would it look like for God to re-introduce yourself to you, from His perspective?” Think about the movie The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe where Aslan takes Edmond on a long walk after he rescues him.
    • (17) — 7/30/2020 — We need mentors and brothers that can call out the red flags when we don’t see them. A mentor of mine who’s about 20 years my senior did just that and it was hard to hear. But I needed to hear that so I could get out of a toxic relationship.
    • (18) — 7/31/2020 — Watch The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers and specifically watch starting at 1:18:00 aka “The Extraction Scene.” We are called by name. We are reminded that “too long have we sat in the shadows.” We hear our true name and are called further into it. We are reminded and loved enough to “breathe the free air again my friend” or son.
    • (19) — 8/10/2020 — Realized the necessity of reading “Waiting on God” by Andrew Murray, especially in this season/year. This was a book we were given at a 3rd F event a few years ago and it’s stayed with me ever since. The practice of “waiting on God” is difficult. And I did not do it exceptionally well this year.
    • (20) — 8/23/2020 — Learned about Critical Theory and it kind of blew my mind. Critical Race Theory is interesting too. Look it up.
    • (21) — 9/16/2020 — Here’s one way to prove that you have the power to change your thoughts: Picture a lion in your head. Got it? Good. Now picture a tiger in your head? Picturing a tiger? Congratulations – you just proved to yourself that you have the power to change your thoughts instead of be captive to them.
    • (22) — 9/21/2020 — Had a powerful collision-course encounter with Jesus at Bearden High Schoo, at the launch of Heart and Soul Church. Sometimes we find ourselves so enveloped in a powerful wrestle with God that when we finally let go and learn to release control He moves all the more powerfully.
    • (23) — 10/18/2020 — During a time of fasting I was given this verse for encouragement – Romans 15:4 “For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us so that through the endurance taught in the Scriptures and the encouragement they provide we might have hope.” There is always room for more endurance. There is always hope.
    • (24) — 11/20/2020 — I love facilitating. I got the chance to lead a men’s retreat the weekend of Nov. 20th and it was an honor to see God move and work during this time. He showed me the gift he’s given me to plan and facilitate.
    • (25) — 12/3/2020 — “The more I try and control the wheel and steer, the more I realize how much I’m not in control.”
    • (26) — 12/6/2020 — Content > comfortable
    • (27) — 12/10/2020 — Daniel 8:27 – “And I, Daniel, was overcome and lay sick for some days. Then I rose and I went about the King’s business…” You see two things right off the bat from a 90,000 view here: 1 – Some stuff happened (Daniel was overcome and lay sick) and 2 – Rise and still go about the King’s business. Has this year felt like that for you? Stuff goes down yet we still must go about the King’s business He’s called us to do.
    • (28) — 12/16/2020 — Read 2 Timothy 3:16. Now look at the Message version on the Bible app on your phone. You’ll see 4 things the Bible is doing for us: “Exposing our rebellion” + “Showing us truth” + “Correcting our mistakes” + “Training us in God’s way”
    • (29) — 12/20/2020 — “God is a good gift giver but not always the gift wrapper we want.” (James 1)
    • (30) — 12/27/2020 — “Little by little, one goes far.” – J.R.R. Tolkien

(2) Code Brown’s Message and Card for Charmin

– PAX thanked Charmin for his consistent and courageous leadership of the Asylum AO this year. A good leader knows how to lead. A great leader knows how to lead and follow. Charmin is a great leader.

10 and 10 and then some

[ The Scene ]

  • 30s
  • Colder than a polar bear’s toe-nail

[ Welcome/Disclaimer ]

  • Welcome to F3: Fitness-Fellowship-Faith
  • Name is Steam and I’ll be your Q this warm morning
  • Couple things before we begin:
    • I’m not a professional
    • You’re here on your own volition – meaning you’re here on purpose
    • If you need to modify anything we do this morning feel free to do so but push yourselves and the men around you. You got this.
  • FNGs

[ Warm o Rama ]

  • SSH: 10×4 IC
  • Forward Lunge: 5×4 IC
  • Rockette: 10×4 IC
  • Baby-Arm Circles: 10×4 IC
  • Man-Maker: 5×4 IC

(Bench Warm-Up)

  • 20 box jumps
  • 20 incline merkins

[ The Thang ]

  • Battle Buddy up

(Mosey to the 1st walking bridge)

(1) 10s

  • 2 points of contact
    • Walking Bridge
    • Bridge over Cumberland
  • Walking Bridge: BBS (4 count)
  • Bridge over Cumberland: Man-Makers (8 count)
  • AS A TEAM – you will do this together – work your way up from 1-10
  • 1 BBS here — run to Bridge over Cumberland — 1 Man-Maker
    • Run back
  • 2 BBS here — run to Bridge over Cumberland — 2 Man-Makers
  • All the way up to 10
  • After 10 — knock out 25 SSH and then hold the plank

(Mosey to the Amphitheater)

(2) 10s

  • Stage: incline merkins
  • top of amphitheater: squats
    • 9 and 1, 8 and 2, etc etc

(mosey back to AO)

[ Mary ]

Half-Dollar > Half-Ass

  • LBCs: 10
  • Flutter-Kicks: 10 
  • American Hammers: 10 
  • Cockroaches: 10
  • Bus drivers: 10

[ COT ]

  • # off
    • 10 total
    • 1 FNG
  • Name o Rama
  • FNGs
    • Joel Palmer —> RadioCall
  • BOM

Invest + Invite

Was challenged to “invest and invite” in 2021 as a main objective, and then thought, why not start now – this month, this week, today.

  • Invest
    • Think about how you can invest in other with impact
    • This goes so far beyond financially.
      • Investing in others or organizations (church, school, causes, etc) is great and needed – but is not the end all be all
    • We as HIM have an INCREDIBLE opportunity to invest in others with our wisdom, our gifts, and our time. Because chances are, there was someone or a group of people that chose to invest in you (maybe in addition to financially investing) that helped refine you into the man you are today. I hope they still are. Don’t waste their investment. Multiply it.
    • Trust me, it’s worth the investment.
    • For example – when you got up to go to F3 Thursday morning this wasn’t probably something on your mind. But when you choose to post at F3 you’re choosing to invest not just in yourself but in the men around you too – whether you realize it or not. And as the recipient of your investment for the past 4 years or so – thank you. Your investment is something I will never be able to repay you, but it’s something that’s changed the game for me.

 

  • Invite
    • An invitation is not exclusive to a physical location
    • An invitation can be into a new way of thinking or a new way of living
      • There’s an invitation inside the mission of F3 – “To plant, grow, and serve small workout groups for men for the invigoration of male community leadership”
        • Inviting men into something more
    • What we’re really doing, and I mean what we’re really really doing at F3 is extending an invitation to men from all walks of life, all ages, all backgrounds – into something more – something greater than themselves.
    • There’s a high chance that at some point in your life – someone invited you – into a space or new way of thinking.

 

In John 5:1-9 we see a perfect example of this.

“Some time later, Jesus went up to Jerusalem for one of the Jewish festivals. Now there is in Jerusalem near the Sheep Gate a pool, which in Aramaic is called Bethesda and which is surrounded by five covered colonnades. Here a great number of disabled people used to lie—the blind, the lame, the paralyzed.

One who was there had been an invalid for thirty-eight years. When Jesus saw him lying there and learned that he had been in this condition for a long time, he asked him, “Do you want to get well?” “Sir,” the invalid replied, “I have no one to help me into the pool when the water is stirred. While I am trying to get in, someone else goes down ahead of me.” Then Jesus said to him, “Get up! Pick up your mat and walk.” At once the man was cured; he picked up his mat and walked.”

We see investment and we see invitation. I once heard a story of this passage of Scripture being preached in a Southern baptist church and when the pastor got to verse 9 the congregation celebrated joyously until the pastor said 3 words that silenced the entire church – What. A. Shame.

I’m sorry…what? What a shame? The pastor went on to say: “What a shame that we don’t know. What a shame that we don’t know whether the invalid went back to the pool to help others. What a shame that we never find out if the invalid returned to the place he was once labeled invalid to help validate others.”

I am the invalid in the story. So are you. Whatever the place is in your life that you might have been labeled (or self-labeled) invalid – Jesus came in and invested and invited you to come out of that place. By His love and grace he validated what was once deemed invalid.

So if we are to claim the term High Impact Man, how can we not invest and invite as Jesus did, does, and will continue to do. We have an awesome opportunity to help validate the invalid as HIM. Because it was first done for us.

No Measure

THE SCENE: Clear sky with temp at about 33 degrees.
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER
WARM-O-RAMA:
Run around parking lot, 25 Side-Straddle Hops, 20 Plank Jacks, 10 Cherry Pickers, 10 Rockettes, 7 Twists, 7 Wide Arm Circles Forward and Backward
THA-THANG:
Mosey to start of Serpentine Sidewalk.  We will do 14’s on the sidewalk until it hits the perimeter trail.  We will Bear Crawl for one light, then run for four and continue this pattern until the perimeter trail.

Next, we will do 20 American Hammers.

Then we will head south on the Perimeter Tail doing nickel, dime, quarters with the following exercises until we get to the southern ball field pavilion:

  • Jump Squats
  • Merkins
  • Smurf Jacks

Mosey to large parking lot by the southern ball fields.  We will Bernie from one end of the parking lot to the other stopping at each large lamppost to do 20 Big Boys Sit-ups.  We will Skip back stopping at each light to do 10 Hand Release Merkins

Mosey to roadway that heads back to A0.  Stop to do 20 Squats.

Mosey to Caribbean.  We will alternate between Karaoke Right and Karaoke Left stopping at every fourth island to do 10 Iron Mikes (both legs = 1)

Mosey to AO.

MARY:
25 Baby Crunches (4 ct)
COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA
21 Men with no FNGs
CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:

I was listening to a sermon by Shawn Slate, the pastor at my church, and he quoted a line from a book called When God Interrupts by M. Craig James.  The line, which really struck me, is: “There is no better way to lose your life than to constantly measure it.”

We get into trouble when we start measuring our life against the successes of others or against the “shoulds” that we create for ourselves.  I do not mean that goals are unimportant.  Goals give us something to strive for.  But, they can lead to the loss of a relationship with God.  They can keep us from truly seeing the virtue, the struggle, and the stories in other people.  If we are continually measuring our own lives we are probably ignoring the lives of others.  Our lives become one more item to mark off our checklist in our path to greatness.  And we end up playing the game the world wants us to play:  to have the nicest car, to get the best job, to move into the richest neighborhood.  We climb up the latter to success and ignore God’s world around us.

In God’s kingdom, our worldly measures of success don’t matter.  Jesus said, “The last shall be first and the first shall be last.”  And what did Jesus, the messiah, the king, do before his death?  What did he do to show the disciples what it is to be great in heaven?  He got on his knees and washed the feet of each one of them.  He served them.

In the same service that my pastor preached, our congregation sang a communion hymn called Jesus, I My Cross Have Taken.  One of the lines in the song is “With thy favor, loss is gain.”

Perhaps part of being a High Impact Man is giving up the ways I measure myself as successful and giving up the ways I compare myself to others.  Rather, I should focus more on serving others, on washing the feet of fellow sinners, be willing to sit at the end of the row versus the front of it.  It is there that I am apparently much more likely to find God’s favor.

MOLESKIN:
Prayers for Corona Weight’s brother, Jared, whose parole hearing was extended from November to March.  He remains in prison.  After having an amputated thumb replaced he must have it removed again and, hopefully, replaced later.  Prayers for Curve Ball’s wife who is having surgery in Florida; for Goober’s step-grandmother who was recently diagnosed with Covid-19; and for Ribbed’s wife who will have surgery to remove a tumor at her spine on December 14.  Prayers for the vaccines for the coronavirus, that they may be effective and that they reach the world’s population quickly.

[ The Scene ]

– Apparently this whole “board meeting” idea has caught on with “The Others” = people that don’t do F3. So tonight, The Others were having a board meeting (sort of – sitting around in camp chairs in a circle and talking with/without drinks in hand) – so PAX moved to the Asylum AM spot to circle up

[ Welcome/Disclaimer ]

  • Welcome to F3: Fitness/Fellowship/Faith
  • My name is Steam and I am not Thunderstruck unfortunately but he had a previous engagement so I will be your Q tonight!
  • Couple things:
    • I’m not a professional
    • You’re here on your own volition
    • If you need to modify anything that we do tonight – you know your body better than anyone – so feel free to do so.

[ Warm 0 Rama ]

  • SSH: 30 x 4 IC
  • Rockette: 25 x 4 IC
  • Squat: 20 x 4 IC
  • Merkin: 15 x 4 IC
  • Imperial Walker: 15 x 4 IC
  • Motivators: 4

[ The Thang ]

(mosey to the CMU pile)

25s

  • 5 rounds
    • Round 1: 5 CMU curls —> run to playground: 5 dips
    • Round 2: 5 CMU curls + 5 chest presses: run to playground: 10 dips
    • Round 3: 5 CMU curls + 5 CMU chest presses + 5 CMU rows: run to playground: 15 dips
    • Round 4: 5 CMU curls + 5 CMU chest presses + 5 CMU rows + 5 CMU sit-ups —> run to playground: 20 dips
    • Round 5: 5 CMU sit-ups + 5 CMU rows + 5 CMU chest presses + 5 CMU curls
  • 2 POCs (Points of Contact)
    • CMU pile
    • Playground down from AO
  • 5 Xs
    • @ CMU pile: curls, chest presses, rows, sit-ups
    • @ playground: 5 dips —> +5 —> +5 every round

(Return CMUs and mosey to Pavilion)

All My Benches

  • 4 sides of the bench
    • Short Sides: 25 pull-ups/chin-ups
    • Long Side 1: 25 Incline Merkins
    • Long Side 2: 25 Decline Merkins
  • Wall-Sit when done

(Mosey to playground)

The Final 15

  • 10 at the playground
    • 5 minutes of bench work
      • Alternate between box jumps/step ups + dips
    • 5 minutes of core work (these were some LONG minutes). Have you ever had 5 minutes last 3 hours? Because now we all have.
      • Alternate between flutter kicks and big boy sit-ups
  • 5 back at the AO
    • Mosey back to the AO
    • Light stretching with Steam (not Pusher approved OR denied. OR denied, that’s important)
      • Stretching back and lower legs
      • Borderline yoga stretching legs an chest

[ COT ]

  • # off
  • Name o Rama
  • BOM

”When I”

When I wandered, He led.

When I was thirsty, He supplied water.

When I hungered, He provided nourishment.

When I strayed, He called me back.

When I let my thoughts wander, He re-focused me.

When I was weary, He provided a place to sit and rest.

Think about your own “When I” statements from this year. In addition to the ones I’ve experienced above, some of mine have been “When I wondered if I was going to have a job” or “When I was isolated in my home for days on end during the original quarantine” or “When I didn’t know how this would end” or “When I questioned why all of this is happening” and so on and so forth. So what are your “When I(s)” ?

But the thing about a “When I”statement is just that, the but. But God. So if and when you find yourself wandering – let Him lead. If and when you find yourself thirsting for something (literal liquid or not) – let Him supply it. If and when you hunger (physical hunger or soulful hunger) – let him provide nourishment. If and when you feel yourself straying – let Him call you back gently (or strongly sometimes). If and when you feel your thoughts begin to wander and take control – let Him refocus you. And when and if you find yourself weary – let Him provide you a place to sit and find rest in Him.

Rock It

“Chocolate Milk Monday”

[ The Scene ]

  • Pre-Ruck crew: Abort, Swanson, Amazon, Drive-Thru, Steam
  • 30s = shorts weather/character-building weather

[ Welcome/Disclaimer ]

  • Welcome to F3: Fitness/Fellowship/Faith
  • Name is Steam and I’m honored to be back out here with you guys as your Q this morning
  • Couple of things before we begin:
    • Not a professional
    • You’re here on your own volition and you’re also here on purpose
    • I don’t know any injuries you may or may not have so if you need to modify anything we do this morning feel free to do so – but push yourselves and the men around you. They deserve it and so do you.
  • FNGs?
  • COVID precaution

[ Warm-o-Rama ] 

  • SSH: 20×4 IC
  • Baby-Arm Circles: 10×4 F + 10×4 B – IC
  • Imperial Walker: 10×4 IC
  • Tempo-Squat: 10×4 IC

[ The Thang ]

KISS — Keep It Simple Superstar

(Mosey to Rock Pile)

(1)

  • Everything on a 1 count

— 10s

  • 2 points of contact: rock pile + bench inside the AO start point
  • Rock Pile: Chest Presses
  • Bench: Big Boy Sit-ups
    • Toes under the bench help
  • Recover back here when you’re done and start knocking out rock flutter kicks – flutter kick with your rock overhead

(All PAX execute 10×4 rock flutter kicks before next evolution)

(10 count)

— 8s

  • Rock Pile: Curls
  • Bench: Box Jumps/Step
  • Recover back here when you’re done and start knocking out rock flutter kicks – flutter kick with your rock overhead

(All PAX execute 10×4 rock flutter kicks before next evolution)

— 6s

  • Rock Pile: Skull-crushers (tricep)
  • Bench: Incline Merkins
  • Recover back here when you’re done and start knocking out rock flutter kicks – flutter kick with your rock overhead

(All PAX execute 10×4 rock flutter kicks before next evolution)

(10 count)

[ Mary ]

(Quarter Pounder)

  • LBCs (25×4)
  • American Hammers (25×4)
  • Hello Dollys (25×4)

[ COT ]

  • # off
  • Name o Rama
  • FNGs
  • BOM

“What Happens Next”

  • There’s 3 things I want to read today that I hope will be something we can take back to our families and lives outside of the 1st F. All 3 will be tied together. 
  • (1st) From Crawdad’s new book that just came out – The Missionary.
    • “What happens next?” he blurted to no one in particular. Randy said, “We wait. We listen. We don’t say a word.”
  • (2nd) From The Blue Book by Jim Branch from a chapter called “Between”
    • “But there has been one particular aspect of this story (referencing Matthew 14:22-33) that has been a wonderful source of reflection for me lately. It involves that sacred space that Jesus invites Simon Peter to step out into. It is the space between: between the boat and Jesus, between letting go and being taken ahold of, between the old and familiar and the new and unknown, between control and agenda and dependence and detachment. It is a space that is both completely terrifying and unbelievably exciting. It is the space before your answer has come, or your problem has been solved. It is the space where you must trust the heard of God alone for your life. It is the space of genuine transformation.”
  • (3rd) Philippians 4:6-7
    • “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

So why these 3 readings?

It can feel (and has felt) like we are very much in a “What happens next?” season this year. From the pandemic shutting everything as we knew it down to one of the most divisive elections in our nation’s history, you have to wonder – well, what happens next? So in the 1st reading we see this exchange between two of the characters in Crawdad’s book – The Missionary. Maybe you yourself have asked this question at some point in time this year – what happens next? Maybe it was to no one in particular, just yourself and your own thoughts. Even outside of this year – we have all found ourselves facing this question at some point in time. And when we do – we all need a “Randy” in our lives — someone to remind us to wait, and prioritize listening over speaking. More on this in a moment.

The 2nd reading touches on “The In-between” as Jim Branch writes in The Blue Book. This particular passage was written by him in 2005. Many if not all of us know the feeling of being in between. In between jobs, seasons of life, relationships, you name it. As JB writes “it is the space before your answer has come, or your problem has been solved.” 2020 feel like that to anyone else? Going through this election feel like that to anyone else? The in between is probably a familiar space for many of us and if not – it will be, I promise. This 2nd reading builds off and compliments the 1st — reminding us that whether we like it or choose to accept it or not – we are currently in the in between. And maybe not in your immediate life right now but as a whole, we are. As JB writes “It is a space that is completely terrifying and unbelievably exciting.” When you think about it from a 20,000+ view, haven’t we always been in an “in between” ? In between heaven and earth. We are in between our first breath on this earth to meeting our Maker in Heaven someday if you believe in Jesus.

So then the question has to be asked and built upon the first: What comes next — especially when we find ourselves in the in between? The 3rd reading ties it all together.

The 3rd reading in Philippians takes the 1st two and binds them together tightly, and then gives us the playbook for how to answer the question of: What comes next — especially when we find ourselves in the in between?

The part that really gets me from this 3rd reading is the back 9: “And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” When we find ourselves asking the questions “What comes next?” + “What do we do in the in between? Philippians reminds us that the peace of God transcends all understanding — meaning that we can’t out-think our way through this. We can’t man-handle our way through this. We can’t plan enough, be prepared enough, be ready enough, be smart enough, and be wise enough to out-understand our way through this. This pandemic, this year, this election turmoil we find ourselves in – God’s peace transcends anything we might muster up to get through this season. Just like the reminder we get in Isaiah 55:8 — “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord.” We may not understand how to answer the question of “What comes next” and “What do I do in the in between?” and fully understand the situation we find ourselves in right now — but there is someone who can and does and He intercedes on our behalf every single day so that we CAN learn how to walk through those questions better as we go along. And if we can help others walk through those questions as well – well that’s HIM stuff if I’ve ever heard of it.

Keep the Faith & Fight the Good Fight!

ANNOUNCEMENTS:
(1) Winter Coat Drive — We’re collecting winter coats for men/women/kids at every AO. Bring coats to your AO for your AO Q to help those in need this cold season

(2) F3 10 Year Anniversary coming up in January!