This morning, 19 PAX crushed a sweat fest, you against you, beat down at ManU. Disclaimer was disclaimed and then work began. Thanks to our brothers from Fort Mill, Tega Cay, and Indian Land for crossing the river and joining us in the gloom.

Warm Up

Mosey to the Fountain for our standard ManU Warmup:

• 25 SSH (in cadence)
• 20 IW (in cadence)
• 25 Moroccan Night Clubs (in cadence)
• 25 Italian Night Clubs (in cadence)

Long mosey around the Manchester Village Parking Lot. Circle up for some stretches:

• Left over Right
• Right over Left
• Middle

The Thang

Partner up for the BOMBS beat down I learned about in San Antonio a few weeks ago. It was terrible!

The following activities were completed as an aggregate total. While partner 1 performed the exercise, the other ran the length of the parking lot and back. Exercise counts were:

• 50 (B)urpees
• 100 (O)verhead Claps
• 150 (M)erkins
• 200 (B)ig Boy Situps
• 250 (S)quats

Finish up with suicides the length of the lot.

Mosey to COT for 3 Minutes of Captain Thors courtesy of Popeye.

Today we covered 2.5 miles in addition to the BOMBS workout. Excellent mumble chatter too.

NMM

I really enjoyed working alongside such a great group of men this morning. The conditions were perfect – no rain, no wind, and only 51 degrees. We started off a bit chilly, but heated up quickly. I was very impressed with the effort every man put in today – lots of mumble chatter and encouragement.

I took the idea of this workout from a visit to San Antonio. This prompted a few comments, my favorite being from Riddler stating, “You can take that workout back to Texas.” I like these workouts because you are in charge of how hard you work. I was glad to see guys running hard when they could have jogged. I’m proud of you guys.

I also had the privilege to share a word from my devotional this morning (The One Year Uncommon Life Daily Challenge by Tony Dungy and Nathan Whitaker). Below is an exact transcript from the March 24 devotional.

Exodus 4:10-13

Moses pleaded with the Lord, “O Lord, I’m not very good with words. I never have been, and I’m not now, even though you have spoken to me. I get tongue-twisted, and my words get tangled.” The Lord said to him… Go! I will be with you as you speak , and I will instruct you what to say.”

But Moses again pleaded, “Lord, please! Send anyone else.”

Too often we tend to think of our platform as something that is tied to our position or occupation. We influence the people who work for us or who have a direct relationship with us. Certainly we don’t have a platform to influence others outside our areas of authority, we think. But that isn’t true.

During a tumultuous time in our nation, Dean Smith, the legendary UNC basketball coach, repeatedly put himself in the middle of the unsettling race relations. As stories go, he would invite an African American member of the community to lunch. They would head to the most segregated place in town, whether it was in Chapel Hill, Durham, Greensboro, or other places in North Carolina or other Southern states. People would stare and become angry at his audacity to do that in public. Smith didn’t care and would blithely eat his meal, knowing they weren’t about to throw him out, as much as they might want to.

“He was a basketball coach,” some critics might say. What he did, well, that was outside his coaching platform. He overstepped his bounds.”

Wrong. We all should be expanding our platforms, looking for ways we can influence others in situations for good. This doesn’t have to involve civil disobedience. We can volunteer, tutor, carpool to soccer practice, or start a book discussion group. Have a cheery disposition for everyone we come in contact with. The list of options to make a difference is endless.

I encourage each of you to make a difference wherever you are. Don’t wait for God to send someone else. As the #HIM you are, people watch what you do. You have a level of influence in everything you do. Take those opportunities to make your world better. You’ve already started on the right foot posting with us in the gloom. Now take it one step further. Be the change you want to see in the world.

Announcements:

• Fort Region shirt order – Last day to order is 4/3
• 3/26 Saturday  1600.  Children’s Attention Home fun day.  Contact chicken hawk for details
• 4/9 Saturday Nun Run. Contact Twister for details.
• 4/15 Friday 0610. Eternal Church behind Zaxby’s Fort Mill 3rd F convergence on Fatherhood
• 4/16 Saturday Come See Me 5k, Half, Fun Run
• 4/30 Saturday Mudrun
• 5/14 Saturday 1805 F3 Nation, F3 Dads Knights Baseball.  Block of tickets will go quickly.
• 5/19 Thursday 1745 National White Water Center-for F3 and family 45 minutes 1st F then 2nd F

Prayer Requests:

• Tinker Toy’s injury recovery
• Travelling mercies for those PAX going out of town
• Boots as he prepares for Coast Guard Boot Camp
• Schrute’s aunt recovering from a stroke