Day 2 of the 12 Days of Christmas (Outpost)

Nine Pax, took the Daily Red Pill (DRP) this morning and got better.

The Pax: T-Bone, Napalm, Flying tomato, Aruba, Chitwood, Schlitz, Roadhouse and Scout (Q: Squirrel)

The Scene: Cool, clear, dry

WarmUp:  SSH, Abe Vigoda’s, arm circles  

The Thang: Grab a coupon and let’s go

• 1 min Squat to OH Press
• 30 sec Merkins
• 1 min Lumberjack Press
• 30 sec Out-In-Up-Down Merkins
• 1 min Curls
• 30 sec Merkins
• 1 min Lunge with a twist
• 30 sec Squats
• 1 min Curls
• 30 sec Merkins
• 1 min Good mornings (curls as alt)
• 30 sec Out-In-Up-Down Merkins
• 1 min Bent over row
• 30 sec Oh, and Merkins

To the wall for: 1 min. of LBDs, 30 Step Ups each side and finish this part off with 1 minute of LBDs

ABS – 10 reps of each exercise, followed by a 10-second isometric hold 

• Crunches
• Table crunch
• Legs straight up – toe touches
• V-legs up & crunch between
• (R) knee in, left 6″ hold > crunch
• (L) knee in, right 6″ hold & crunch
• (R) cross-body crunch
• (L) cross-body crunch
• Start in table top, heel taps (10 ea foot)
• Heel taps faster…10 ea foot
• Both heels, same time tap
• 6″ Hold 
• Reverse crunch
• Flutter kicks       
• Lower legs to 10 count

1 minute of Out-In-Up-Down Merkins, you’re welcome Chitwood.  

 

Announcements/Prayer requests:

1. Traveling mercies for the Senff family as they head to Indiana 
2. QSource….who’s in?  Need to ID a day/time ASAP so we kick the year off along with the F3 Nation Pax
3. 1 January, the Hunt for the Chupacabra begins at the Piranha AO
4. 2 January @ 1745 (5:45pm) Ruckers Island will have a soft launch at Aberdeen Lake
5. 4 January @06-0700 2023 Goal Setting at Emmanuel Episcopal Church Parish Hall  350 South Ridge St. Southern Pines
6. 7 January @1400 Schlitz is leading a rucking team (or two) on the Star Course starting.  Cranmer Dr, Raleigh, NC 27603…if you haven’t paid please do!
7. 7 January, 5-9:30ish pm, F3/FiA Christmas Party – Mark your calendars and tell your M and bring your favorite holiday hors d’oeuvres!  Event this year is sans 2.0’s

Scout led us out in prayer and reminded us to give grace to others. 

 

MOLESKINE:  The Real 12 Days of Christmas

As I was preparing for today’s workout and subsequent Backblast I realized we’d be in the window of the 12 days of Christmas…and I really didn’t know what those all stood for.  Sure, there’s the song that, by now, we all have learned to hate, but I needed to sleuth what the actual days were and how they first came to be.

The early Christian Church selected January 6 as the date to observe both the birth and baptism of Christ. Apparently the early 4th century church  felt they could eke out another holiday and selected Dec 25 as the date to celebrate the birth of Christ and kept Jan 6 to be the baptism.  First news flash….Jesus was NOT born on December 25th.  So why did they choose the end of December?….read on

 

The end of December was filled with pagan gatherings and festivities (in honor of the “sun god” as he became victorious over the “god of darkness” as the days slowly began to become longer (the winter solstice). Christians were falling back to pagan temptations with these festivities, thus the church fathers wanted to provide them with their own reason to celebrate.

From December 25 to January 6, there became a 12-day period from the one major celebration to the next and wa-la the “12 days of Christmas” which bridge the birth of Jesus with his baptism.

 

Day 1 – Dec 25 – The birth of Jesus Christ

The Shepherd’s worship and the visit of the wise men from the East.

Day 2 – Dec. 26 – St. Stephen the 1st Martyr 

St. Stephen was the 1st of the 7 deacons in the “start up” Christian Church who was stoned to death by the Jews, in 34 A.D. 

Day 3 – Dec. 27 – St. John is commemorated

Traditionally thought to be the only one of the twelve disciples who did not die a martyr

 

Day 4 – Dec 28 – 14,000 children of Bethlehem (Holy Innocents)

King Herod was furious hearing from the wise men about a new born King in Bethlehem, and ordered that all the babies, 2 yrs and under to be killed in Bethlehem and the surrounding area. This occurred, 1 yr. after Jesus’ birth.

Day 5 – Dec. 29 – 20,000 Martyrs of Nicomedia (men, women and children)

302 AD Emperor Maximian Hercules (aka the Grinch) visited Nicomedia & learned of the large number of Christians there.  Not a fan, he devised a means to get rid of them. On Christmas day, when the Christians were in church….his soldier’s surrounded the church and gave them a choice to deny Christ and offer sacrifice to the pagan idols, or, be burned to death. The congregation chose death and the soldiers set fire on all 4 sides of the church.  

Day 6 – Dec 30 – Deacon Timon 

One of the 70 Apostles died by crucifixion in the third century (298AD).  Also, same day, the martyrdom of St Anysia – enter Emperor Maximian Hercules again.  He decreed anyone was free to kill Christians when and where they came across them, without trial or sentences. 

Day 7 – Dec 31 – Nothing directly connected to Christmas per se.  Maybe it was a Monday?

Day 8 – Jan 1st  – Circumcision and Naming of Jesus

Joseph and Mary took baby Jesus to the Temple for circumcision and he was also given the name “Jesus”.

I never really got this.  In Isaiah 7:14 it is written, “Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.”  I mean come on, God told them to name him Immanuel and yet Joseph and Mary named him Jesus.  New Years Eve Hangover???

Day 9 – Jan 2nd – St. Sylvester, Bishop of Rome

The one attributed for bringing St. Helen to the Christian faith and ultimately King Constantine.  It was under the Constantinian dynasty Christianity expanded throughout the empire.  

Day 10 – Jan 3rd – Prophet Malachi (500 yrs. before Christ)

Malachi, is the prophet who prophesied the coming and the mission of John the Baptist (Malachi 3:1). 

Day 11 – Jan 4th – Synaxis of the 70 Apostles

If you’re like me you are sitting there going, “what does brain waves have to do with the 70 Apostles?”  Oh…Synaxis, not synapsis.  Synaxis means – an assembly met for worship.This day honors the 70 men that Jesus selected as missionaries that followed the 12 Apostles.  70 being selected was similar to the Old Testament period in that Moses also had 70 elders that he appointed.

Day 12 – Jan 5th – Bishop of Nicomedia

Persecutions of Christians continues and as Theopemptos was brought before the Emperor, he responded to the Emperor’s request to deny Christ, by quoting Scripture – (Matt 10:28) “Fear not them who kill the body, who are unable to kill the soul.”  The leader of the time sent his magician to kill the bishop…but when the magician saw even poison would not hurt the Bishop, he converted to Christ! 

 

There ya have it.  One accounting of the 12 days of Christmas.  Honestly there’s lots of lore around this time, most of it the kind of stuff you’ll see on the Hallmark channel.

 

Aye!