The PBS Birthday Beatdown

It was cold. It was a long time ago. It was my birthday, and my first Q ever at Iron Horse, so excitement ensued!

DISCLAIMER
PRAYER
COP

Motivator from 12

LBAC 18 IC forward

LBAC 18 IC backward

TTT x 18 IC

Willy Mays Hayes x 9 IC

Inchworm x 9 OYO

THE THANG

Since it was my 36th birthday, I indulged in some good ol’ fashioned narcissism (GOFN for short) and split the group 2, and had everyone do sets of 36 reps for the following exercises with running in between sets:

36 Hand release merkins

36 wall jumps

36 WWI Sit ups

36 wall dips

36 burpees

36 step ups (1 count right leg only)

36 jump squats

36 plank with knee dips (1 count right leg only)

36 Supermans

36 Dry docks

36 Mountain climbers

36 Squats

Most doods made it through the entire set. It was VERY NICE!

MARY
None that I recall!
CIRCLE OF TRUST
PRAYER
MOLESKIN
Insert any personal comments, notes, devotion content, etc.

A note on my mortality:

Getting one year older is indeed profound. It is another step towards the grave, and another step towards growth and a better understanding of myself. But it’s important not to get too caught up in the existential, because the certainty of death should be a comfort to us, and not something to be afraid of. The writer of Ecclesiastes had the following to say:

“And this is not all that is meaningless in our world. In this life, good people are often treated as though they were wicked, and wicked people are often treated as though they were good. This is so meaningless!

15So I recommend having fun, because there is nothing better for people in this world than to eat, drink, and enjoy life. That way they will experience some happiness along with all the hard work God gives them under the sun.

1This, too, I carefully explored: Even though the actions of godly and wise people are in God’s hands, no one knows whether God will show them favor. 2The same destiny ultimately awaits everyone, whether righteous or wicked, good or bad,a ceremonially clean or unclean, religious or irreligious. Good people receive the same treatment as sinners, and people who make promises to God are treated like people who don’t.

3It seems so tragic that everyone under the sun suffers the same fate. That is why people are not more careful to be good. Instead, they choose their own mad course, for they have no hope. There is nothing ahead but death anyway. 4There is hope only for the living. As they say, “It’s better to be a live dog than a dead lion!”

5The living at least know they will die, but the dead know nothing. They have no further reward, nor are they remembered. 6Whatever they did in their lifetime—loving, hating, envying—is all long gone. They no longer play a part in anything here on earth. 7So go ahead. Eat your food with joy, and drink your wine with a happy heart, for God approves of this! 8Wear fine clothes, with a splash of cologne!

9Live happily with the woman you love through all the meaningless days of life that God has given you under the sun. The wife God gives you is your reward for all your earthly toil. 10Whatever you do, do well. For when you go to the grave,b there will be no work or planning or knowledge or wisdom.

11I have observed something else under the sun. The fastest runner doesn’t always win the race, and the strongest warrior doesn’t always win the battle. The wise sometimes go hungry, and the skillful are not necessarily wealthy. And those who are educated don’t always lead successful lives. It is all decided by chance, by being in the right place at the right time.

12People can never predict when hard times might come. Like fish in a net or birds in a trap, people are caught by sudden tragedy.

The writer is not saying, “F it – get what you can when you can because everything is meaningless” (not the call to hedonism I was hoping for!) – he’s saying that enjoyment and suffering are all part of the deal of our mortal lives, and we should expect both and run away from neither. This is the same guy that told us “to everything there is a season”, and this just another way to say it.

So, I’m not going to apologize for relishing my next vacation, great meal, or new toy. Because God gives us permission to really enjoy it! The danger I will guard against this year is the tragic misunderstanding that lasting joy and meaning can come from any of those “seasonal” activities, or that times of suffering must similarly be absent of joy or meaning as a result. In layman’s terms, I should worry a lot less.

The writer was talking strictly about living our earthly lives, and observing that there are a lot of ups and downs, and, oh yeah, that certain death is a given. So we should eat, drink, and have a great time when we can, but not let the “living” part of being alive keep us away from the eternal purpose for which we were created: to relate to, commune with, and honor each other, and by doing so get one step closer to the grave, and one step closer to God at the same time.