The worst best way to start the day

10 intrepid pax ignored the ominous Twitter rumors and posted for a traveling beatdown in the balmy Florida gloom.  Missed several of the usuals – Jumanji is still in the infirmary with a bad case of old age and the attendant back issues that come with it, Rev was probably out clubbing until 2 am on a Monday night knowing him, and Toxic’s favorite naturally ventilated t-shirt must have still been dirty from BOHICA, which is clearly a show stopper.

Warmup:

18 x BAC forward IC (started with an unusual number just to see if the pax were awake)

20 x BAC backward IC

30 x Mountain climbers IC

20 x Rockettes (aka Toy Soldier, but YHC couldn’t remember the name so came up with a new one)

The Thang:

1 round of Guantanamo

Big Bird was delayed by road construction and JSO’s lack of traffic direction and cautiously approached the pax as we were finishing Guantanamo in an apparent attempt to avoid participating.  So we all did 10 burpees instead.

2 x 30 sec. Hollow Hold (aka the Enthusiastic Superman) – This one got plenty of mumblechatter from pax who believed their thoraxes were not intended to bend at such an angle.  Overheard from Heisenberg: “Is this one called the Pickle Pusher?  Because my pickle is definitely getting pushed.”

20 x Worst Merkin Ever – each rep is one Werkin, one Merkin, one Diamond Merkin in quick succession; F&F: “You want us to do how many?  You know that’s not really 20, right?”

With all of the expected pax accounted for, OTC took the shovel flag and we moseyed to Balis Park (aka The Plaza).

Introducing… the Wall of Fire!  All pax Air Chair in circle:

Round 1 – 10 x Merkins each

Round 2 – 10 x LBCs each (BB: “Some serious TLQ [Total Leg Quiver] going on right now”)

10 count rest, then…

Round 3 (OTC: “You sneaky bastard, making us think we were done…”) – 5 x Burpees each

10 x Derkins IC on gazebo steps

Fast OYO return mosey to Anthill, plank or wagon wheel to bring the 6 home

With 3 minutes to spare, YHC couldn’t resist throwing in one more set of the new #crowdpleaser Worst Merkin Ever (10 OYO).

COT

YHC shared a recurring life theme over the past few months of sensing a need to declutter and simplify life mentally, spiritually, and physically.  It’s so easy to distract ourselves from what’s truly important, whether that’s being fully present with our families, doing our God-given work with excellence, or just being still and praying or pondering the big questions of life.  We’d rather be entertained and constantly consume than do the hard work of pressing into our relationships or risk being confronted with our worst thoughts and fears that we manage to hold at bay on the edges of our consciousness most of the time.

In my life, the worst culprit is technology – my smartphone is constantly demanding more of my time and attention, destroying my ability to focus deeply, to be productive, to think clearly, and perhaps most importantly to hear from God.  I had lost the ability to sit still and just be, and my compulsive need to always be doing something was slowly eating away at me, so the embedded video above hit me hard.  For you maybe it’s social media, ESPN, fantasy football, or even keeping up with all the physical stuff you’ve accumulated.  If those things are not assisting us in becoming better men and leaders and pursuing the things that we value most, maybe they don’t deserve a place in our lives at all.  Something to ponder.

Announcements & Prayer requests:

• 3rd F opportunity: A HS friend of BB’s and his family just lost their home and possessions in a fire a few days ago.  We’re still asking for more details on their immediate needs, but let’s live third, rally around them as a community and provide all the support we can.  More details and an opportunity to give directly here: https://www.gofundme.com/helpthislovingfam
• OTC asked for prayer for guidance and wisdom as he considers making a career change after 11 years in management at Walgreens.
• Toxic’s wife is going in for a biopsy in the next few days, asking for favorable outcome
• Continue praying for a renter for Rev’s house so that they’re able to move
• Admin note: Anthill and BOHICA are now available tags for Backblasts in the WordPress editor.  Let’s start using them to keep things organized!