F3 Knoxville

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THE SCENE: Sunny and nice, high 60’s to low 70’s
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER
WARM-O-RAMA:

20 Side-Straddle Hops, 10 Burpees, 10 Windmills, 10 Rockettes, 10 Cherry Pickers
THA-THANG:
Mosey to Playground.  All my benches.  We will do elevens starting with 10 bench jumps and 1 decline merkin, working our way to 1 bench jump and 10 decline merkins.

Mosey to Pavillion.  We will do elevens starting with 10 picnic table pull-ups and 1 bench lift working our way to 1 picnic table pull-up and 10 bench lifts.  Afterward, we will do a 60 second squat with backs on wall.

Mosey on roadway south until it starts heading west.  We will stop to do 20 American Hammers.

Mosey to area close to stop sign as round heads west.  20 Box Cutters.

Mosey on roadway to front of Admin Bldg.  Stop at Cone 1 which is in front of sidewalk going to stairs of admin bldg.  We will be running clockwise on roadway going around admin bldg, stopping at each cone to do the listed exercises that will be written be each cone.

  • Cone 1 (located by sidewalk to Admin Bldg):  Deon Sanders to flagpole and sprint back, staying on right sidewalk going and left sidewalk coming back.
  • Cone 2 (located on inlet by road as it heads west on south side of admin bldg):  20 Carolina DryDocks
  • Cone 3 (located at boulder pile):  Pick up appropriate size boulder and do 20 overhead presses, 20 curls 20 rows and 20 squats.
  • Cone 4 (located past parking lot and on west side of admin bldg.)  Hop to Cone 5.
  • Cone 5 (located about 25 yards past Cone 4):  Bear Crawl to Cone 6.
  • Cone 6 (located about 25 yards past Cone 5):  20 Star Jumps
  • Cone 7 (located near stop sign on northeast side of Admin Bldg):  20 Hello Dollies
  • Cone 8 (located on right of roadway as it heads past Admin Bldg.  20 Dive Bombers
  • Cone 9 (located opposite of second set of stairs to left of roadway that is east of admin bldg):  Run up and down stairs three times.

Rinse and repeat after completing the nine cones.

Mosey to AO.

MARY:
20 Pickle Pounders, Boat Canoe
COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA
16 men.  We had Honcho from the Johnson City AO join us.  We also had an FNG, friend of Punch List named Nate Moore.  He is an attorney and we gave him the F3 name of Jail Bait.
CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:
We are made in God’s image.  The Bible says it.  If this is true, there is greatness within us.  We are created to do powerful things, wonderful things.

We usually don’t think that way.  We often think of ourselves as poorly made creatures who need to be molded into something completely new.  Kathleen Norris states in her book, Cloister Walk “These days when someone commits an atrocity, we tend to sigh and say, “That’s human nature”  And certainly, we humans are sinners.  But as Norris remarks, “our attitude would seem wrong-headed to the desert monks, who understood human beings to be part of the creation that God called good, special in that they were made in the image of God. . . This is why Gregory of Nyssa speaks so often of ‘returning to the grace of that image which was established in you from the beginning”

We usually seek God outside of ourselves.  This can be when we go to church, when we take a nature walk, when we read the Bible, when we see God reflected in our fellow humans.  But, because we are made in God’s image, we are also capable of seeing God within ourselves.  As Bob Benson says in his book, See You at the House, “I must listen to the voice that is within me.  For that voice, too, is the purposeful, calling voice of God to us.”

When in my twenties, I had difficulty listening to the voice of God within me.  I was in a career field that others had encouraged me into but I struggled with it and did not have a great love for it.  My heart, my soul, the voice of God within me, was telling me to try psychology, but it seemed impossible – I would have to leave a job and go back to school.  Yet, that voice kept calling to me and with the help of God’s voice through conversations with friends and those who loved me, I finally listened fully to God’s voice within me.  It has made all the difference to me.

I encourage you to start listening closely to the voice of God within you.  What is your heart saying to you?  Can you hear God’s voice within you?  Start listening to that voice for direction.  And in your prayers, listen to that voice within you.  Certainly, continue to listen to others and look outside of yourself for God’s directions to you.  But also listen within yourselves for God’s directions to you – because you are made in the image of God.

ANNOUNCEMENTS:
3rd F on Saturday, August 11.

Kickball tournament on Saturday, August 18.

Farva’s Highway Trooper Sendoff

THE SCENE: Partly cloudy, low 80’s.
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER
WARM-O-RAMA:

20 Side-straddle Hops, 10 Imperial Walkers, 10 Bottle Openers, 10 Cherry Pickers, 10 Baby to Wide Arm Circles Forward, 10 Baby to Wide Arm Circles Backward
THA-THANG:
Mosey toward stop sign on northeast side of Admin Bldg.  Stop at brick wall on left of road.  25 Bench raises.

Mosey to big coniferous tree just north of stop sign.  20 American Hammers.

Mosey on perimeter trail to area north of Roadshow Run.  20 Hello Dollies.  Then run to top of Roadshow Run and back.  Those who arrive back first do Baby Crunches until everyone is back.

Mosey to bottom of Mt. Everest.  20 Flutter Kicks.  Run to large tree half way up Mt. Everest and run back.  Those arriving first do baby crunches until everyone is back.

Mosey on perimeter trail to shaded area north of utilities bldg.  25 Carolina Dry Docks.

Mosey on perimeter trail to Northshore Entryway Gate.  Mosey east up road to shady area south of utilities building.  15 Tempo Merkins.

Mosey east on roadway to where there is downhill slope toward soccer fields.  Go down hill.  We will do sevens with Bicycle Kicks at bottom of hill and Burpees on top.

Mosey to stop sign on Southeast Corner of Admin Bldg.  25 Diamond Merkins.

Mosey to boulder pile.  Do 20 each of the following exercises:

  • Overhead Presses
  • Curls
  • Triceps
  • Rows
  • Squats

Mosey to AO.

MARY:
Standing stretches with legs together and legs apart; leg raises while lying down on six; arm and leg raises from plank position; Boat canoe.

COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA
Eleven men, no FNG’s.pi
CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:

THE DESCENDING GOD

In Philippians, Chapter 2: 6-8 we read about:  “Christ Jesus,a 6who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped,b 7but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant,c being born in the likeness of men. 8And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross”

As Henri Nouwen states, our God is a descending God.  Jesus, who was born in a manger, chose the descending way continually.  He lived with his parents up to his 30th year in an disrespected town of Nazareth.  Although full of divine power, he equated power and popularity with temptation.  His disciples were simple men, not popular, wealthy, or religious leaders of the day.  His miracles were performed out of compassion, not to impress.  Often he even tells those whom he has cured not to tell others about it.  And, as he his life continues he becomes increasingly aware that he must fulfill his mission by sacrificing himself on a cross.  God is spat on and tortured, not lifted up in greatness.

Quoting Henri Nouwen in his “Letters to Mark” he states “God has willed to show his love for the world by descending more and more deeply into human frailty.”  And when Jesus reaches the utmost in poverty, pain lowliness and loneliness, nailed as a criminal to a cross, it is then that “we know how far God has gone to show us his love.  For it is then that Jesus has not only reached his utmost poverty, but also has shown God’s utmost love.”

ANNOUNCEMENTS:
3rd F at Outlook on August 11 at 8:30 am.  Talk to Pele or Lillydipper about signing up for the Fake Gloom Kickball team for a great tourney on Saturday, August 18.

Burpee Box Jumps, really?

THE SCENE: Perfect morning – a little cloudy, a little humid, surrounded by HIM’s
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER

WARM-O-RAMA:

  • SSH x 20
  • Tempo Squats x 10
  • Cherry Pickers x 10
  • Baby Arm Circles (front & reverse) x 10
  • Step-out Merkins x 10
  • SSH x 10

THA-THANG:
Mosey to the Cloud for 3 sets of Burpee Box Jumps (15, 10, and 5 reps respectively) and 3 sets of Tricep Dips (10 reps on the 4 ct. in between the sets of Burpee Box Jumps). Mosey to the Pavalon and grab a bench for 11’s – Bench Rows and Derkins. Mosey up to the rock pile at the Asylum building with some lunges and flutter kicks along the way. Grab a rock – 3 sets of the following exercises (20 reps on the 1 count):

  • Curls
  • Overhead Press
  • Bent Over Rows

Run and touch the stairs in between sets. Added the following core exercises in between sets as well (with rock): 1st set = Flutter Kicks, 2nd = Hello Dolly, 3rd = American Hammers.

Mosey a little more to the paved hill just below the Asylum building for some 7’s, but first we did some punch out Merkins in cadence. Exercises for the 7’s were Squats and Merkins (Squats at the bottom, run up the hill and do Merkins). Bear crawl up the stairs after completion and mosey back to the AO.

MARY:

45 seconds left for AMRAP LBC’s

COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA
14 strong this morning – 3 FNG’s. Welcome Boomer, Sooner, and Ronaldo. Also in attendance but not showing as “Tags” were Sharkey and Husker

CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:

I was recently at a conference where a guy defined being a professional as doing what needs to be done even when you don’t feel like doing it. I can see where that definition would apply, especially in the workplace. But the more I thought about it, the more I realized it related to my everyday life. There are days that I don’t feel like I have it in me to be the husband, dad, or Christian man that God is calling me to be. There are days when I don’t want to shoulder that responsibility, but my family, friends, and brothers are counting on me to “show up” that day. Those are the days when I need God’s strength the most – because left to my own devices, I won’t show up on those days. I won’t be the man that God calls me to be. But thankfully, God will always show up. He will give us the strength to persevere and show us the way on those difficult days.

Bees, tics, snakes and varmints.

THE SCENE: Cloudy, temp in 70’s.
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER
WARM-O-RAMA:

20 Side-straddle hops, 10 Burpees, 10 Rockettes, 10 Cherry Pickers, Little of This and Little of That, 10 Michael Phelps
THA-THANG:

Mosey to Trail by Northernmost Parking Lot that leads to road by northern gate.  We will do 14’s to the road where we will bear crawl one light then run four lights all the way to the roadway.

Mosey to bottom of Mt. Everest.  20 Hello Dollies.  20 Carolina Dry Docks.  Next, run up Mt. Everest .  Stop at roadway below Admin Bldg.

Mosey to Boulder Pile.  Pick up appropriate boulder.  We will do the following exercises:

  • 25 Curls
  • 25 Overhead Presses
  • 25 Rows

Next, put down boulders and run to top of space needle and back to boulder pile.  Repeat the exercises with boulders.  Then put boulders back in pile.

Mosey to stop sign at southeast corner of Admin Bldg.  20 American Hammers

Mosey to outdoor pavilion close to outdoor chapel.  We will break into three groups with one group running to island at nearby parking lot, second group doing decline merkins off of chairs or benches and third man doing jump squats at other end of chapel.  Groups then switch exercises so that all three groups will do all three exercises.  Rinse and repeat.

Mosey north on roadway to parking lot west of roadway where new restrooms are located.  Go to southern end of parking lot.  We will do suicides by running to first cone and back, second cone and back, etc until all five cones have been reached.  Each time back do 10 Big Boy Sit-ups and 20 Baby Crunches.  Rinse and repeat.

Mosey to AO.

MARY:
20 Box Cutters.  Planks with lifts of each arm, each leg, and then arm and leg at same time, both sides.  ATM’s.
COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA
Fifteen men with one FNG, Chris Sisk, whom we named “Robin.”
CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:
This world involves suffering and death.  We tend to want to ignore death, keep it at a distance.  Yet, one certainty in life is that we will die.  Another certainty is that we will suffer.  I need to do a better job at looking this suffering and death in the face.  Because when I do so, I go beyond the rigamarole of my daily existence.  It forces me to consider what I am about. . . what this world is about . . what the Creator is about.  It makes me look not just at the finite but the infinite.  And in my smallness, in my short time here in the face of eternity, it leads me to face God.

It is good to know that Jesus suffered to.  He did not run away from suffering or try to gloss over it.  He went to those who were suffering.  He didn’t give them some kind of sugar coated message about how everything was going to be happy and terrific for them.  What he did show them was the means to go beyond our worldly existence – he showed them that life, the truth, the Word as John writes in the bible, is so much more than what we generally think it is.  And, Jesus, God, showed us that he understands suffering.  He understands because he suffered too.  He was poor, shunned, mocked, beaten, torn apart, nailed to a cross.  But he rose again, showing us that we are more than death, we can conquer it, through Him we hold the key to victory.

ANNOUNCEMENTS:
3rd F on Saturday, August 11.

Steambath

THE SCENE: Hot and steamy, temp in mid-nineties.
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER
WARM-O-RAMA:

20 Side-straddle hops, 10 Burpees, 20 Prayer Pulses (four count), 8 Twisties (four count), 10 Windmills
THA-THANG:

Mosey to road in front of Admin Bldg.  There will be cones placed on both sides of the road.  Go to each cone and do the exercises listed.

  • Cone 1:  20 Hello Dollies (four count).  Lunge to Cone 2.
  • Cone 2:  20 Bicycle Kicks (four count).  Run to Cone 3.
  • Cone 3:  Bernie Sanders up right sidewalk to Flag Pole.  Run back on other sidewalk.  Run to Cone 4.
  • Cone 4:  20 Dive Bombers.  Hop to Cone 5 which will be across the street and a number of yards to the north.
  • Cone 5:  40 Baby Crunches.  Run to Cone 6.
  • Cone 6:  Run down stairs and up stairs three times, staying to right side.  Run to Cone 7.
  • Cone 7:  20 American Hammers.  Bear Crawl to Cone 8.
  • Cone 8:  20 Squats.  Rinse and Repeat back at Cone 1

Mosey to Playground.  Elevens with Bench Hops and Decline Merkins.

Mosey to Pavilion.  90 seconds of picnic table pull-ups, as many as can in that amount of time.

Mosey to shade of large evergreen tree by stop sign on northeast corner of admin bldg.  20 Boxcutters

Mosey back to AO

COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA
13 men.  Two Flying EH’s became our FNG’s.  They are now members:  Joey Miller or “Rebound” and Matthew Harshey or “Duckers”.
CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:
One of my favorite spiritual books is a daily bible verse devotion book created by Tim Branch her in Knoxville.  It is simply called “The Blue Book” because it has a blue cover.  There is a topic devoted to each week of the year and a daily reading from the bible for each week.  There are also excerpts from various writers about the topic if the week.  Last week in my reading the topic was “time.”  I was struck by an excerpt from John Ortberg’s book The Life You’ve Always Wanted.  He talked about his own discussion with a mentor at a very busy time in his life when he was a young man.  He asked this mentor what he needed to do to be spiritually healthy.  The mentor, sensing where John Ortberg was spiritually, replied after a long pause:  “You must ruthlessly eliminate hurry from your life.”  Ortberg jotted this down, in a hurry and wanting to cram as many pearls of wisdom into his notebook as he could in his limited amount of time.  He said, “OK, that is good one.  Now what else is there?”  The mentor replied, after a long pause, “There is nothing else.”

I feel that Americans need to hear this today.  We are such a fast paced moving society, rushing off to work each morning, fighting traffic to arrive on time, getting as much as we can done at the office, driving through “rush hour” traffic back home, throwing our dinners in the microwave, getting the kids to bed, finding a quick tv show to look at right before bed . . . we miss something.  I am guilty of this.  Often times, when at a store, if stopped by some old acquaintance to talk, I find myself thinking “Man, I gotta find a way to end this conversation so I can get on home.”

If we are truly to live a spiritual life, we must do battle with hurry.  If we do not, we miss out on so much.  We fail to truly enjoy what God has given us.  We fail to take time to listen to Him and miss out on the most important thing in our lives.  I need to listen to those same words that John Ortberg was given by such a wise sage:  “You must ruthlessly eliminate hurry from your life.”