Men of F3 Greenwood,

First off, Merry Christmas. It has been my privilege and honor to be your Nantan for the past 7 months or so and I am happy to say that I consider each of you friends. But there is something that is bothering me about our group. And that is we seem to be content where we are. And by where we are, I mean there seems to be a sense of contentment where F3 Greenwood is as a group, but there seems to be a general sense of contentment for most PAX of where they are physically, spiritually, and mentally. I recently read a quote by Michelangelo that went like this, “The greater danger for most of us lies not in setting our aim too high and falling short; but in setting our aim too low, and achieving our mark.” I don’t know about each of you who are taking the time to read this, but I want to set my aim high. And this doesn’t apply just for when I’m in the Gloom, it applies when I’m at my job, in the community, and with my family. I need to be striving for something that seems just out of my reach. I also want this for F3 Greenwood. I want us to aim high as a group of men who want to make a difference in our community. I want us to aim high as a group of men who want to introduce more men to this beautiful and crazy thing we call F3. I want us to reach across socio-economic and racial divides and introduce men to what is possible when they commit to F3. Is F3 perfect? Is F3 Greenwood perfect? Heck, no. Romans 3:23 is pretty clear on that because, “All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.” But it is what we have and I guarantee that each of you are better men because of your involvement in F3.

I believe the first step in “aiming high” is to set goals for all parts of your life – physical, spiritual, mental, and social goals. I believe without goals that we wind up wandering aimlessly and going through the motions. There has to be a reason why you post (or don’t post) in the gloom. If you’re not shooting for the next race or the next physical accomplishment or even just to post a certain number of times a week, then why get up? If you aren’t staying in the Word to better yourself as a man, then why go to church or read the Bible? If you aren’t looking for men to connect with “outside of your circle” then why go out? Goals drive us all and have always driven us. It’s why we go to work, got married, and maybe had a family. We wanted something more.

I know I want something more for myself and for us. So, what are your goals. Don’t wait until the middle of January to set them. Set a goal for yourself and tell others what it is so they can keep you accountable. What are my personal goals?

Post at least 300 times next year.
Accumulate at least 1,100 miles between runs and bootcamps.
Complete a Spartan trifecta.
Run another half marathon.
Bring 5 FNGs to F3.
Be committed to being in the Word for at least 30 minutes every day.
Disconnecting from my phone no later than 8:30 every night to spend time with my family.

What are my goals for F3?

Average 20 PAX a day every month. If every PAX committed to posting 3 times a week, this is more than attainable. It’s a choice we all have to make every night.
Bring about 20 FNGs this year who are committed to F3. This number should be easily attainable. We all know of men who need this.
Continue to make our presence known in Greenwood through our generosity in giving not only our money, but also our time. Let’s get more involved with community organizations like Habitat for Humanity, Pathway House, etc.
Plant another AO on the “other side of town”. Let’s cross those divides that exist in Greenwood.

These are just a few of my goals. What are yours? Write them down. Commit them to memory. Share them with your shield lock. Let’s make 2021 a year where both you grow and F3Greenwood goes as well. Have a Merry Christmas and I look forward to growing alongside you in 2021.

Until Next Time,

BenGay