There are certain words in our language that have powerful meanings.  Whenever these words are used, an air of respect is associated with them.  These words never lose their timeless quality, class, and dignity.  One of these will be our focus for today.  It is the word honor.

To honor someone means to give them respect and high esteem, to treat them as being special and of great worth. When you speak to them, you keep your language clean and understandable. You are courteous and polite.  When they speak to you, you take them seriously, giving their words weight and significance.  When they ask you to do something, you accommodate them if at all possible, simply out of respect for who they are.

The Bible tells us to “honor” our father and mother, as well as those in authority.  It is a call to acknowledge the position or value of someone else.  Honor is a noble word.

This is especially true in marriage.  Honoring your mate means giving him or her your full attention, not talking to them from behind a newspaper or with one eye on the television. When decisions are being made that affect both of you or your whole family, you give your mate’s voice and opinion equal influence in your mind.  You honor what they have to say.  They matter – and because of the way you treat them, they should know it.

But there’s another word that calls us to a higher place, a word that isn’t often equated with marriage, though its relevance cannot be understated.  It’s a word that actually forms the basis for honor – the very reason why we give respect and high regard to our husband or wife.  That word is holy.

To say to your mate should be “holy” to you doesn’t mean that he or she is perfect. Holiness means they are set apart for a higher purpose – no longer common or everyday but special and unique. A person who has become holy to you has a place no one can rival in your heart.  He or she is sacred to you, a person to be honored, praised, and defended.

A bride treats her wedding dress this way.  After wearing it on her special day, she covers and protects it, then sets it apart from everything else in her closet. You won’t catch her in it when she’s working in the yard or going out on the town.  Her wedding dress has value all its own. In this way, it is holy and sacred to her.

When two people marry, each spouse becomes “holy” to each other by way of “holy matrimony.”  This means no other person in the whole world is supposed to enjoy this level of commitment and endearment from you. Your relationship is like no other. Your share physical intimacy with only her, only him.  You establish a home with this person.  You bear your children with this person.  Your heart, your possessions, your life itself is to be wrapped up in the uncommon bond you share with this one in individual.

Is that the way it is in your marriage?  Would your mate say you honor and respect them?  Do you consider them set apart and highly valued?  Holy?

Perhaps you don’t feel this way and maybe for good reason. Perhaps you wish some outsider could see the level of disrespect you get from your wife or husband – someone who would make your mate feel embarrassed to be exposed for who they really are behind closed doors.

But that’s not the issue with love.  Love honors even when it’s rejected.  Love treats its beloved as special and sacred even when an ungrateful attitude is all you get in return.

It’s marvelous, of course, when a husband and wife are joined in this purpose, when they’re following the biblical command to be “devoted to one another” in love, when they’re giving “preference to one another in honor” (Romans 12:10).  “Marriage should be honored by all, and the marriage bed kept pure” (Hebrews 13:4 NIV).

But when your attempts at honor go unreciprocated, you are to give honor just the same.  That’s what love dares to do – to say, “Of all the relationships I have, I will value ours the most.  Of all the things I’m willing to sacrifice, I will sacrifice the most for you. With all your failures, sins, mistakes, and faults – past and present – I will choose to love and honor you.”  That’s how you create an atmosphere for love to be rekindled.  That’s how you create an atmosphere for love to be rekindled.  That’s how you lead your heart to truly love your mate again.  And that’s the beauty of honor.

Live with your wives in an understanding way … and show her honor as a fellow heir of the grace of life.  – 1 Peter 3:7

Today’s Dare

Choose a way to show honor and respect to your spouse that is above your normal routine.  It may be holding the door for her.  It might be putting his clothes away for him.  It may be the way you listen and speak in your communication.  Show your mate that he or she is highly esteemed in your eyes.

8 Pax with a whole parking lot to ourselves, as then entrance was blocked off.

Pledge

Warm Up: SSH, Goofballs, Peter Parkers

Thang:

Mosey to gazebo

Alarm 1: oyo

A- Pull-ups x 5 

L-Lunges x 10 (Count one leg) 

A-Crunchy Frogs x 15

R-Rocky Balboa’s x 20

M-Merkins x 25

Alarm 2: with partner: one Pax does a lap; other performs the exercise; flapjack 

A- Dips x 100

L-Imperial Squat Walkers x 150

A-Flutter Kicks x 200 (Count one leg)

R-Russian Twists (American Hammers) x 250 (Count one side)

M-Mt. Climbers x 300 (Count one leg)

Mosey to Fire Station for Route 66: CDD’s at each pole

At the top, Dominoes: Left and Right Plank x10 Merkins 

Across the road in the church lot, Elevens– LBC/ Hand Release Merkin

Mosey back to parking lot.

Word:

David Platt: “God has made a way of salvation for you! And the way is faith in Jesus! The way is not you working your way to God. The way is trusting in what God has done to make His way to you!”

Everyone pressed on and worked hard! The prior word reminds us that salvation is not something we have to, or can, work to achieve. It’s free, through Christ’s blood and by grace alone through faith alone.

Always an honor to lead such a great group of HIMS! Welcome Stinky Bird to your first time at The Goat. It’s great to have El Tigre as a regular; Sister Act back with us after a period away; Tophat pushing through; and Virus, Dirt and Time Frame giving their all!

Seuss

One of the most important things you should learn on your Love Dare journey is that you should not just follow your heart.  You should lead it.  You don’t let your feelings and emotions do the driving.  You put them in the back seat and tell them where you’re going.

In your marriage relationship, you won’t always feel like loving. It is unrealistic for your heart to constantly thrill as the thought of spending every moment with your spouse.  Nobody can maintain a burning desire for togetherness just one feelings alone.  But it’s also difficult to love someone only out of obligation.

A newlywed takes delight in the one they now call their spouse. Their love is fresh and young, and the hopes for a romantic future linger in their hearts.  However, there is something just as powerful as that fresh, new love.  It comes from the decision to delight in your spouse and to love him or her no matter how long you’ve been married.  In other words, love that chooses to love is just as powerful as love that feels like loving.  In many ways, it’s a truer love because it has its eyes wide open.

Left to ourselves, we’ll always lean toward being disapproving of one another.  She’ll get on your nerves.  He’ll aggravate you.  But our days are too short to waste in bickering over pretty things. Life is too fleeting for that.

Instead, it’s time to lead your heart to once again delight in your mate.  Enjoy your spouse.  Take her hand and seek her companionship. Desire his conversation.  Remember why you fell in love with her personality.  Accept this person – quirks and all – and welcome him or her back into your heart.

Again, you get to choose what you treasure.  It’s not like you’re born with certain pre-sets and preferences you’re destined to operate from.  If you’re irritable, it’s because you choose to be.  If you can’t function without a clean house, it’s because you’ve decided no other way will do.  If you pick at your mate more than you praise them, it’s because you’ve allowed your heart to be selfish.  You’ve led yourself into criticism.

So now it’s time to lead your heart back out.  It’s time to learn to delight in your spouse again, then to watch your heart actually start enjoying who they are.

It may surprise you to know that the Bible contains many romantic love stories, none more blatant and provocative than all eight chapters from the Song of Solomon.  Listen to the way these two lovers take pleasure in one another in this poetic book …

The woman: “Like an apple tree among the trees of the forest, so is my beloved among the young men.  In his shade I took great delight and sat down, and his fruit was sweet to my taste.  He has brought me to his banquet hall, and his banner over me is love” (Song of Solomon 2:3-4).

The man: “Arise, my darling, my beautiful one, and come along! O my dove, in the clefts of the rock, in the secret place of the steep pathway, let me see your form, let me hear your voice; for your voice is sweet, and your form is lovely” (Song of Solomon 2:13-14).

Too sappy?  Too mushy? Not for those who lead their heart to delight in their beloved – even when the new wears off, even when she’s wearing rollers in her hair, even when his hair is falling out.  It’s time to remember why you once fell in love.  To laugh again.  To flirt again.  To dream again.  Delightfully.

Today’s dare may be directing you to a real and radical change of heart.  For some, the move toward delight may be only a small step away.  For others, it may require a giant leap from ongoing disgust.

But if you’ve been delighted before – which you were when you married – you can be delighted again.  Even if it’s been a long time.  Even if a whole lot has happened to change your perceptions.

The responsibility is yours to relearn what you love about this one to whom you’ve promised yourself forever.

Enjoy life with the wife you love all the days of your fleeting life. – Ecclesiastes 9:9 HCSB

Today’s Dare

Purposefully neglect an activity you would normally do so you can spend quality time with your spouse.  Do something he or she would love to do or a project they’d really like to work on. Just to be together.

With all the run events this weekend turnout was light at the JV workout.  Oompah made the comment that the smell crowd reminded him of the first days of Midoryama.  This is what we did:

Warmup – SSH, IW, cotton pickers all 10X IC.  5 burpees.

Mosey to soccer field.  Q calls 50 merkins, 50 big boys and 50 squats.  Run to other end of field and back. Five rounds.  This got the chatter going.  We learned about the squatty potty and CPAP diagnosed Blart with sleep apnea, maybe.

Mosey to turn shack.  Two rounds of suspension planks (feet on wall about 18 inches) and take turns running around building.  Also two rounds with wall sit.

Mosey v=back to flag for Iron Hulk to finish.  Pledge

Good work men!

Announcements: Love challenge from Hipaa and 40 day challenge from Defib coming up.  Blart reminded of how useful slack is as communication tool.  If you aren’t on it, consider doing so.  Lots good info runs through it.

Prayers for all running this weekend.

Always an honor

Tiger

Props to kingpin for taking the co-Q with me. He just started posting and ready to get after it.
So Lets Go!

Warm Up: KP called Merkins in cadence and Squats. x 10
Up to the court
I called Amrap 3 exercises 20x each, 5 minutes of time per set. Then we take a lap.
4 groups of exercises.

KP calls Dora 1,2,3,
100 American Hammers, 200 Raise the Roof, 300 LBC’s. At this time our group was down to an uneven number.
So We learned about an audible in F3, KP and Gumby actually called it. We did all Dora together breaking it down to get in the runs as well. KP started leading the group and didn’t even realize it.
Time.
We learned a lot this morning.
1. you can watch bowling trick shots while working out.
2. KP has several 300 bowling games, (also MW has several 300 games ) I’m feeling a bowling league AO.
3. If you can’t shoot a raccoon early in the morning after you trap it. You can always drown it. (silence is golden).
4. Volt now sells Eggs “free range” not tethered chickens.

Prayer request: We prayed that all goes well for the men traveling and running this weekend. Tuna & the half marathon going on at the beach. Big Pappy’s Brother in Law is coming home from the hospital (praise report).

The Bedpan is full.

Like it or not, conflict in marriage is simply inevitable.  When you tied the knot as bride and groom, you joined not only your hopes and dreams but also your hurts, fears, imperfections, and emotional baggage.  From the moment you unpacked from your honeymoon, you began the real process of unpacking one another, unpleasantly discovering how sinful and selfish each of you could be.

Pretty soon your mate started to slip off your lofty pedestal, and you off of theirs.  The forced closeness of marriage began stripping away your public facades, exposing your private problems and secret habits.  Welcome to fallen humanity.

At the same time, the storms of life began testing and revealing what you’re really made of. Work demands, health issues, in-law arguments, and financial needs flared up in varying degrees, adding pressure and heat to the relationship.  This sets the stage for disagreements to break out between the two of you.  You argued and fought. You hurt.  You experienced conflict.  But you are not alone.

Every couple goes through it.  It’s par for the course.  But not every couple survives it.

So don’t think living out today’s dare will drive all conflict from your marriage.  Instead, this is about dealing with conflict in such a way that you come out healthier on the other side.

Both of you.  Together.

The deepest, most heartbreaking damage you’ll ever do (or ever have done) to your marriage will most likely occur in the thick of conflict.  That’s because this is when your pride is strongest.  Your anger is hottest.  You’re the most selfish and judgmental.  Your words contain the most venom.  You make the worst decisions.  A great marriage on Monday can start driving off the cliff on Tuesday if unbridled conflict takes over and neither of you has your foot on the brakes.

But love steps in and changes things.  Love reminds you that your marriage is too valuable to allow it to self-destruct, and that your love for your spouse is more important than whatever you’re fighting about.  Love helps you install air bags and to set up guardrails in your relationship.  It reminds you that conflict can actually be turned around for good.  Married couples who learn to work through conflict tend to be closer, more trusting, more intimate, and enjoy a much deeper connection afterwards.

But how?  The wisest way is to learn to fight clean by establishing healthy rules of engagement.  If you don’t have guidelines for how you’ll approach hot topics, you won’t stay in bounds when the action heats up.

Basically there are two types of boundaries for dealing with conflict: “we” boundaries and “me” boundaries.

“We” boundaries are rules you both agree on beforehand, rules that apply during any fight or altercation.  And each of you has the right to gently but directly enforce them if these rules are violated.  These could include:

1. We will never mention divorce.
2. We will not bring up old, unrelated items from the past.
3. We will never fight in public or in front of our children.
4. We will call a “time out” if conflict escalates to a damaging level.
5. We will never touch one another in a harmful way.
6. We will never go to bed angry with one another.
7. Failure is not an option.  Whatever it takes, we will work this out.

“Me” boundaries are rules you personally practice on your own. Here are some of the most effective examples:

1. I will listen first before speaking.  “Everyone must be quick to hear, slow to speak and slow to anger” (James 1:19).
2. I will deal with my own issues up-front.  “Why do you look at the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye?” (Matthew 7:3)
3. I will speak gently and keep my voice down.  “A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger” (Proverbs 15:1).

Fighting fair means changing your weapons.  Disagreeing with dignity.  It should result in building a bridge instead of burning one down.  Remember, love is not a fight, but it is always worth fighting for.

  If a house is divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand. – Mark 3:25

Today’s Dare

Talk with your spouse about establishing healthy rules of engagement.  If your mate is not ready for this, then write out your own personal rules to “fight” by.  Resolve to abide by them when the next disagreement occurs.

AO LOCATION :  THE LABYRINTH

Kotter: Madoff

Upon arriving mere minutes before today’s launch I witness an overly excited Gump jumping up and down for joy in anticipation of what awaited him. I was further encouraged seeing BedPan and then Madoff!!! Even Linus and Goose and Bandit and TimeFrame all out two days in a row!! Been missing you guys … but what’s that …. someone starts mentioning Stone Cold …. I look, but sadly, no … it’s not to be. I was hopeful …. even thinking maybe Squirt may show ( he was here one day last week ….) but alas …..
I tell all assembled that they will truly LOVE today’s warm up …. since there’s so much ( teeth ) chatter …. hehe

Start with the Pledge as always and deliver swift disclaimer and now….

As I look out at assembled ( my eye catches Gaston who I believe caught what I said when I started with, “ A side straddle hop, in cadence, in position move, begin …. 1-2 —— 3!!!”

I now start to leave starting paddock while half of the group is befuddled and I remind all quickly that’s I saiddddddddd “ A ssh!!”

On Twitter and Slack this week I promised to only run to and from the park …. and so we did …. assembling near turd shack and upon Gastone’s suggestion we plank while Gump brings the six in.
Circle up and I deliver today’s beat down …. I will call an exercise and we will do it until the first man stops and calls “ Man Down!” I also tell all that today we will not chastise or criticize any, I will also not publish Any mention of any who called the phrase …we will instead support each other. One pax called it correctly …. we are a judgement- free zone ( sounds like I’ve heard that somewhere?).
We now come in hard and strong …. Mo Rockin’ Night clubs!!!! Much mention about no one wanting to be the first to call a stop …. and then I hear of 44 minutes of Mnc’s !! But we do stop and move to butt kicks …. much enjoyment as there’s lively discussion on whether it should be done slowly or rapidly. Arm circles next …. boy were the troops happy or what? Burpees ….. yes, we had to….Now crab thrusters …. boy THAT got the gang into it …. Gump with an AMAZING upwards thrust and then Gastone talked about inviting our M’s to perform this perfectly …. oh boy … No one definitely wants to be THAT guy to call a halt to this exercise …. but we do move on sooner or later. Grab some curb for Rocky B and then I hear what sounds like Ming Tao …. Gastone trying to impress all with his Chinamese …
I now call for Whoopees FAVORITE exercise ( mentions of Don Q and grass pickers …. Wrongo!!!) he loooooovvvvveeeeesssss American hammers!!!!!!
Now we move to picnic area for step ups, dips and then plank with feet on bench… followed by lunge walk over into playground ( some try to call man down to which I respond “ then your sorry butt can mosey the rest of the way!” Once inside we find a pull up station and attempt to reach 10 ( or modify) …. flutters then dead hang and pickle pounders ( some may call them baby makers ……. MUCH mumble here …. Someone even says “ I can do 30 ( pregnant pause) seconds!!!” Hey, at least we had no Mr. Baseballs present ( 3 strokes and Y’ERR OUT!) and lastly crunchy frogs!! Meander back to parking lot for bear crawl back and forth and then squat jumps ( where I call a stop for once !)
We end this all with Lbcs and then nur to the gate and finish with a race to the finish !!

Announcements for the Tuna this weekend
Gump with a pre Halloween Spooktacular next Wednesday ( costumes welcome )
Praise for Madoffs family and Bedpan getting a new job… way to go !

Moleskin…. these men were truly great today embracing this new routine and following my directions to strengthen and support each other! Much thanks to all in attendance for this opportunity …. until next time…….