Modern-day Warriors

Two of us four-cornered the band lot and discussed modern-day warriors. Here’s what we did:

Warm-Up
– Jog around the football field
– Stretches
– 10 Imperial Walkers (IC)
– 10 Windmills (IC)

The Thang

4 Corners
– Corner 1 – 10 Merkins
– Corner 2 – 10 Merkins, 20 Squats
– Corner 3 – 10 Merkins, 20 Squats, 30 SSHs
– Corner 4 – 10 Merkins, 20 Squats, 30 SSHs, 40 Plank Jacks
Repeat
Repeat, dropping one exercise per corner
Repeat, 5 reps per corner

NMM
The discussions I lead come from a myriad of sources. Sometimes it is something I read, hear on the radio, or see on social media. Today’s discussion came from this video https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1LtLM8D7gF/?mibextid=wwXIfr.
I very well could have had the same conversation with my dad, but it would have been fishing and not bow hunting. It made me wonder, what is our role as a modern-day warrior? I think it is protecting the vulnerable.

In “American Sniper,” Wayne Kyle tells his sons the following:
“There are three types of people in this world: sheep, wolves, and sheepdogs. Some people prefer to believe that evil doesn’t exist in the world, and if it ever darkened their doorstep, they wouldn’t know how to protect themselves. Those are the sheep. Then you’ve got predators who use violence to prey on the weak. They’re the wolves. And then there are those blessed with the gift of aggression, an overpowering need to protect the flock. These men are the rare breed who live to confront the wolf. They are the sheepdog.”

We are to be the sheepdog, protecting the herd because they can’t protect themselves. Don’t be a sheep and never be a wolf.

Being a warrior today means having the moral backbone to confront wrong, even when it costs you comfort or reputation.
– Speaking truth in a culture that prefers silence.
– Protecting women and children from harm or exploitation.
– Standing up for integrity in the workplace or community.
The warrior doesn’t look for a fight, but he refuses to back down from one that protects others.

Ephesians 6:13: “Therefore take up the whole armor of God… having done all, to stand firm.”

True strength always bends toward mercy.

Jesus, the ultimate Warrior-King, fought for the weak — not by crushing His enemies, but by bearing their burdens.
– He healed the sick, touched the outcasts, and defended the accused (John 8:1–11).
– He confronted hypocrisy and injustice (Matthew 23).
– He laid down His life for His friends (John 15:13).
Being a modern-day warrior means using your strength to shelter, not to dominate, but to make others feel safe, not small.

Protection today means:
– Guarding your family from spiritual drift and moral compromise.
– Mentoring the young and defending the overlooked.
– Giving your time, presence, and strength to those who cannot repay you.

Proverbs 31:8–9:
“Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute.”

1 Corinthians 16:13:
“Stand firm and act like men. Do everything in love.”

A modern-day warrior is not a man who seeks conflict, but one who refuses to let evil go unchecked. He leads with love, stands with courage, and fights with faith – using his strength to protect, not to harm.

Men, hold the middle when the enemy is at the door!

Aye!
IJ

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Tribute to the Boss

Soundtrack: Amazon Music Playlist: ”The Boss F3 30/30 Playlist”

Warmup: Merkins. Big Boys. Cherry Pickers. Planks. Bear Crawls.

Mosey to cinder blocks on the other side of campus.
Farmers carry two cinder blocks for a small lap after each exercise.
1. Jump Squats with Cinder Block. Oyo
2. Cinder Block Press (On your Back). Cadence.
3. Cinder Block Swings. Oyo.
4. Cinder Block Curls. Cadence.
5. Burpees. Oyo.
6. Skull Crushers. Cadence

Mosey back to the COT area.

Dora. 100 Merkins. 200 Squats.
The partner bear crawls to the light pole, and then moseys back.

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Bags of Fury

We had 5 at The Coaches Box for some fun with Sandbags!

Thang:
Toss sandbags 10 yards and run a suicide back to the start line. We did that 10 times across the length of the parking lot.

Sandbag carry every 10 yards and stop for 10 pushups, 10 merkins, 10 bb sit-ups. Increase reps by 10 every 10 yards.

Second half hour we discussed what it looks like to live 3rd.

Welcome FNG Escobar!

JWow

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Cindy with a Tire Smoke Show

Warm-Up:
SSH – 20 IC
Imperial Walkers – 15 IC
Windmills – 10 IC
Moroccan NC – 10 IC
Mosey lap around AO

Main Thang:
Round 1: Cinder Strength
Perform 3 rounds: (10, 15, 20 reps)

Cinder Block Squat Press (Thruster)
Cinder Block Rows
Cinder Block Lunges (10 per leg)
Cinder Block Curls
Cinder Block Flutter Kicks (with a press)

Recovery: Mosey to 50 yards and back between rounds.

Round 2: Tire Gauntlet
2 rounds total.

1. Tire Flips – One person Flips the tire, while the other person does a Burpee switching until the 20 yard line and back
2. Tire Jumps – Hop in/out of the tire continuously switching off.
3. Tire Farmer Carry – 40-yard carry and back.
4. Merkins on Tire – Hands elevated and decline (10 reps)

Round 3: Team Grinder Finisher
Pair up. One partner flips the tire 3 times down and back. The other does cinder block reps until relieved.

1 Round:
Partner A: Running 50 yards and back
Partner B: Cinder Block movement (rotate each set)

1. Overhead Press
2. Goblet Squat
3. Block Swing
4. Bent Row

COT Discussion:
Controlling Your Emotions

Let’s talk about something every one of us wrestles with — emotions. Emotional control isn’t just about staying calm; it’s about staying effective. When your emotions take over, logic shuts down, words fly out, and relationships get damaged. You can’t lead your family, your team, or yourself if you’re letting anger, pride, or fear call the shots.

We like to think we’re logical, steady, and unshakable… but truth be told, every man has moments when emotions start running the show. Anger. Frustration. Fear. Pride. Anxiety. Those feelings are part of being human — but if we’re not careful, they can become the ones driving the truck while we’re just along for the ride.

I once heard someone say, “If you can’t control your emotions, your emotions will control your decisions.”
And that’s the truth. Every bad decision we’ve ever made — snapping at someone, overreacting, walking away when we should’ve stayed — came from an uncontrolled moment.

We live in a world that tells us, “Just follow your heart.”
That sounds good — until your heart’s leading you into a wall.
Your feelings will tell you to quit when things get hard, to speak when you should listen, or to fight when you should forgive.

But here’s the deal: your emotions are real, but they’re not always right.

Now, emotions aren’t bad. God gave them to us. They help us connect, empathize, protect, and love. But emotions make terrible leaders. When emotions take the driver’s seat, discipline, faith, and wisdom usually end up in the back.

Proverbs 25:28 says:

> “A man without self-control is like a city broken into and left without walls.”

That’s a strong image — a man without self-control is vulnerable, defenseless, and exposed. When we lose control of our emotions, we leave our marriages, our families, and our leadership wide open to damage.

Faith — real, active faith — is how we rebuild those walls. Faith doesn’t mean we never get angry or frustrated. It means we know where to take those emotions when they come.

When you walk in faith, you’re saying:

> “God, I’m not strong enough to control everything, but I trust that You are.”

That shift in mindset changes everything. Instead of reacting out of pride or fear, you start responding out of peace and perspective. Faith gives you breathing room — space between the emotion and your reaction.

Think about Christ — faced with betrayal, hatred, torture, and humiliation. Yet He controlled His emotions perfectly. He didn’t lash out. He didn’t let anger dictate His actions. He stayed grounded in His purpose. That’s not weakness — that’s power under control.

We can’t always control our circumstances, but we can control our response. And that’s what separates men who lead from men who drift.

In our daily lives — at work, at home, even right here in the gloom — emotions will flare up. The question is: Do you react from emotion, or do you respond from faith?

Faith says, “Pause.”
Faith says, “Breathe.”
Faith says, “Remember Who’s in charge.”

The Solution: Pause, Pray, Proceed

Here’s a simple three-step formula for emotional control that’s grounded in faith and discipline:

1. Pause – When that rush of emotion hits, don’t react immediately. Take a breath. Walk away if you need to. You’ll rarely regret the words you don’t say.

> Proverbs 29:11 says, “A fool gives full vent to his spirit, but a wise man quietly holds it back.”

2. Pray – Turn that emotion into a moment of surrender.
“God, help me respond, not react.”
That quick prayer realigns your spirit before your mouth gets involved.

3. Proceed – Once you’ve calmed and prayed, act with intention, not impulse.
Make your move from a place of strength and faith, not frustration or fear.

And over time, when you consistently hand those moments to God, you start to build a quiet strength that others notice. Your wife feels it. Your kids see it. Your coworkers respect it. And your brothers here feel it too.

Emotional control doesn’t come from pretending you’re unshakable — it comes from trusting a God who is.
When you anchor your emotions in faith, the storms still come, but you don’t get tossed around.

Jesus didn’t panic in the storm — He slept through it.
Not because He didn’t care, but because He trusted His Father’s plan. That’s the model: peace through trust.

So when your day spins out — deadlines, conflict, stress — remember:

> “I don’t have to control everything. I just need to stay connected to the One who does.”

Because men who control their emotions through faith become anchors — not just for themselves, but for everyone around them.

Challenge for the Week

This week, when emotion starts to rise — frustration at work, anger at home, or fear about something you can’t control — take a breath and ask one question:

> “Am I reacting from faith or from feeling?”

If it’s faith, keep moving forward. If it’s feeling, stop and hand it to God. Let Him take the wheel before your emotions drive you off course.

— before you speak, text, or act — say this to yourself:

> “Pause. Pray. Proceed.”

Try it three times this week and see what changes — not in your circumstances, but in your peace.

Closing Thought

> “Be still, and know that I am God.” — Psalm 46:10

Stillness doesn’t mean weakness. It means control. It means faith. And in that stillness, God restores your strength, rebuilds your walls, and reminds you who’s really in charge.

> “Better a patient man than a warrior, one with self-control than one who takes a city.” — Proverbs 16:32

We admire the man who conquers others.
But God admires the man who conquers himself.
That’s real strength. That’s leadership.

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Flag Handoff: New Coach at the Box

Warmup: Merkins. Big Boys. Cherry Pickers. Planks.

Mosey to cinder blocks.

One lap carrying a cinder block on each shoulder. (This was rough!)

Put down cinder blocks. One lap running.

1. Jump Squats with Cinder Block. Oyo
2. Cinder Block Press (On your Back). Cadence.
3. Cinder Block Swings. Oyo.
4. Cinder Block Curls. Cadence.
5. Burpees. Oyo.
6. Skull Crushers. Cadence

Dora. 100 Merkins. 200 Squats. 250 LBC. 250 Calf Raises.
The partner farmer carries two cinder blocks to the light pole and back.

3rd F Topic: Faith in Marriage: How do we apply our faith in our marriages?

Scripture Reference: Ephesians 5:22-33.

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Frying pan Substi-Q

WARMUP: nope… Just heavy stuff
THE THANG: misery involving kettle bells, and sandbags of varying sizes
MARY: ain’t got no time for that
ANNOUNCEMENTS: read newsletter
COT: held mostly in relation to the second half… Which was a talk on when to be a nice guy and when to be a good man.

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4 corner of unity

WARMUP:
SSH
Windmill
Hill Billy Walker

THE THANG:
Run to 20, nur to 10 – 1 merkin
Run to 30, nur to 20 – 2 merkin
Until 100 yard
Then lunge walk to 10, 1 squat
lunge walk to 20, 2 squat
To 100 yard line

Then 4 corners
– 15 burpees
– 15 flutter kicks
– 15 big boys
– 15 Carolina dry docks
3 rounds

MARY:

Mary
– LBC
– American hammer
– 5 seal burpees

ANNOUNCEMENTS:
See newsletter

COT: talk on unity

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Remember 9/11 – Honor The Sacrifice

WARMUP: No.
THE THANG:
Grab your sandbag, shoulder it and run 5 laps around the perimeter of the parking lot, totaling an estimated 2,001m.

Start at the parking lot “goal line”:
Pick up your sandbag, run 20yds, 24 Overhead Presses, run back
Pick up your sandbag, run 40yds, 24 Bent Over Rows, run back and drop your sand bag.
Pick up your sandbag, run 60yds, 24 Curls, run back and drop your sand bag.
Pick up your sandbag, run 80yds, 24 Chest Presses, run back and drop your sand bag.
Pick up your sandbag, run 100yds, 24 Squats, run back and drop your sand bag.

100yd sand bag toss and overhead carry back
50yd sand bag lift, twist, toss, rotate and repeat.

24 Flutter Kicks with press
24 Simbas but I had to call it at 12, eventually.

9 Man Makers

MARY: See above.
ANNOUNCEMENTS: I love you men.
COT: Yes.

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Fathers were Forged

WARMUP: SSH x20, IWx15, HWx15, WMx10, CPx10, Merkinsx10, MCx10, PPx10, PPx10
THE THANG: Mosey to hill. At each light do 2 burpees to statrt then mode of transportation then 4 burpees at each light and end with 2 burpees at light.
Modes of transportation: Bear Crawl, Crab Walk, Power Skip, Lunge Walk, Karaoke
Then down the hill the same Burpee count:
Mode of transportation: Karaoke, Walk Lunge, Skip Power, Walk Crab and Crawl Bear.
Mosey to wall: 2 sets each of wall sits and BTW. Each man did a ten count.
MARY: Each called and exercise: American Hammer, LBC, Hello Ladies and X-O
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
Talked about Forged Fathers. How to step up when your child has special needs.

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Riding the Storm Out

WARMUP: none, we just got after it
THE THANG: We had a rowing machine and 6 stations. One pax was always rowing while others worked at their own station. One minute cycles then rotate. Stations included SSH w/bricks, man makers, OH press w/Cindy, OH clap w/bricks, Monkey humpers, goblet squat
MARY: yep — flutter, penguin, Superman, shoulder taps

After 30 min BD, pax shared adversities we’ve experienced — death, sickness, high risk pregnancies, addictions, marriage challenges, job losses, relocations, mental health struggles. Only 4 pax and yet we’ve seen a lot of adversity!!! Hope in these chapters came through other people, seeing the unexpected good things that emerged, holding onto faith, caring counselors, F3 brothers, staying present each day, counting the wins and not looking too far ahead.

ANNOUNCEMENTS: HIM Camp, Invergence, grass cutting at FMCC

COT: as always, 5th core principle

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