AO: Oakery
QIC: Output
PAX: Deacon, Rubik, Ghost
Conditions
60 degrees and dry.
Warm up
- 26x IC Side Straddle Hop
- 6x IC (each direction) Arm Circles
- 13x IC Monkey Humpers
- 13x IC (each side) Jane Fondas
- 13x IC (each side) Leg Swings
- Mosey to Coupons and with Coupons around school
The Thang
- Mosey to coupon area
- Hold Plank (Motivational Speech)
- Circuits in Teams
- Sprint across parking lot
- 13x High Five Merkins
- Chain weave back across lot
- 13x Mountain Climbers
- Mosey to Jungle Gym
- Over and Under Jungle Gym
- 13x Man Makers (with Coupons)
6MoM
- Box Cutters
- Elbow Planks
COT (Led by Deacon)
Most of you here know that I am planning to take some time off of F3.
Last time we talked about the dangers of being “nice,” and why it’s important to choose being a “good man” over a “nice guy,” even when it’s hard. But sometimes there is more than one thing that is good. Exercise is good. Hanging out with friends is good. But when good things aren’t prioritized properly they are no longer good. In fact, they become the wrong thing. Bad. Sins. This is what happens when exercise turns into becoming a gym rat who is dependent on handouts to get his protein smoothies, or when you choose hanging out with buddies over date night with your wife.
The three Fs should be prioritized: first Faith, then Fellowship, and last Fitness, prioritizing them properly makes them good. The order in which we choose to do things can often show how we are prioritizing things.
Jesus, the “ultimate prioritizer” [perhaps not the way He is most commonly known] said things about prioritizing like (paraphrases):
“You can’t serve both God and money. Either you will hate one and love the other or vice-versa.” – I once heard that “you can’t do your best at more than one thing.” In other words, you can’t be the best employee you could possibly be and still be the best husband you could possibly be. But when things are prioritized properly, they will all fit into place and be good.
He also said, “If you don’t hate your father and mother [and family] for my sake, you aren’t fit for the kingdom.” This isn’t an absolute type of statement, it’s a statement about prioritizing.
“Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these other things will be added to you.” This reminds me of the physical metaphor of putting the big rocks, then the smaller rocks, then finally the sand into a jar. If you put the small things in first, the big things won’t fit, but if you put the big things in first, everything else fits in around them.
Last, “love the Lord with all your heart soul, mind, and strength (this is the greatest commandment, and the second is like it). Love your neighbor as yourself. On these two hang all the other laws.” That is a strong statement about priorities; a statement that if our foundational priority is correct everything else will fall into line.
Since the beginning of this year, a few things in my life that need to be priorities have slipped our of their proper place. I’m an introvert, and a creature of habit and routine, but I haven’t been able to keep my habits and routines like I used to. Some days I am up with you, being extroverted, then getting home a bit too late for the rest of my morning routine. I end up missing my quiet times, which seems to have a cascading effect through the rest of my life. It not been a really good year overall.
I love doing this, and I love you guys. I want to be able to do this and still be able to keep the rest of my life properly prioritized, but I’m not to that place right now. I will admit that my routines and alone times are a sort of crutch. But a crutch is sometimes necessary. When we are injured, if we don’t use crutches and give ourselves time to recover, we may never truly recover. It’s a matter of priority. It is a good thing to be able to walk without crutches. But if I walk without crutches when that would cause me further injury, I’m not prioritizing healing over today’s urge to look tough.
I want to grow into a “good man” who is strong enough to be able to keep his life properly prioritized without relying on the crutch of routine. I want to be to the point where I can be more generous with my time, but right now I’m not. Right now I need my routines as a tool toward growing into a man who won’t need them.
Thanks to all of you: those who aren’t here today for your fellowship at other times. Output, for the great workout this morning and for the inspiration he is. Ghost, without whom we wouldn’t be here, and who does such a great job leading this AO. And of course to Jesus, the “Great Prioritizer.”
-Deacon
F3 Portland 