Revival Boot Camp

Good afternoon Campers -

Wow!  You did it...you thrived through day 1 of RBC (Revival Boot Camp) Celebration of Discipline!  I know that many of you were in a state of body shock this morning.   Let me assure you that it is okay to feel that way.  Whenever we step outside our comfort zone and try something new, there are will be moments of fear, self-doubt and self-evaluation.  Simply by stepping into RBC you have invited change into your life, so greet it and allow it to move in and stay awhile. 

     

The book that will be guiding our time together in this camp will be Celebration of Disciplineby Richard J. Foster.  This books is going to guide us through 5 different practices that will bring more self-discipline into each of our lives.  As I mentioned this morning, MEDITATION is the self-discipline practice that we are focusing on this week.  In his book Foster says, "Christian meditation, very simply, is the ability to hear God's voice and obey his word.  It is that simple.  It involves no hidden mysteries, no secret mantras no mental gymnastics, no flights into the cosmic consciousness.  It is just being still enough to listen and smart enough to obey."  I understand that it sounds very bizarre for the "fitchick" to be asking you to be still for a moment instead of moving every waking moment of your life, but I encourage you to find a place that is your space, and your space alone to invite God to commune with you for a bit.  I understand that in this fast paced holiday season this will be very challenging for all of us.  I am going to make this happen in my life and I am going to believe that growing this self-discipline will bring blessings beyond my wildest imagination and a renewing peace to my heart. 

     

Each of us are seeking strength and success during this RBC experience.  One way to obtain that success in this camp is to begin to pay attention to EVERYTHING you put in your mouth.  Some helpful hints would be to:

1.  drink half your body weight in ounces of water every day.

2.  stop snacking.  Eat three times per day ONLY. 

3.  do not drink a calorie.  Your new beverage choices are water, green tea, coffee and sugar-free beverages in moderation.  No more that two sugar-free beverages per day. 

4.  chose clear broth based soups for lunch or dinner.  Add an apple and a TBSP of peanut butter for dessert and you are good to go until the next meal time.

5.  learn to be ok with being a bit hungry.  Odds are you are not truly hungry, you are probably thirsty, tired or bored.  Drink up,  do something productive and think a new thought! 

6.  don't feed your fatigue, rest your fatigue.  Grab a 5-10 power nap mid-afternoon instead of reaching for something to eat. 

7.  eat 6 serving of veggies everyday.  They are loaded with anti-oxidants and will keep you healthy from the inside out.  Also, they are very low calorie, unless you fry or drown them in butter or ranch dressing.  If you fry.....you will die!

8.  don't feed your family one meal and then fix a "diet" meal for you.  Eating healthy should be a goal for strong and vibrant families.  You would never "poison" your kids would you?  You may be putting sugary, fat laden food in your kids without really thinking about it....STOP and make a change now.  It may be time for a kitchen clean out for the sake of the entire family.

9.  get to bed at least 30 minutes earlier than your normal.  All of our weight regulating hormones kick in when we are in deep REM sleep. Boot campers "lights out time" should be NO LATER that 10:00 pm,  preferably 9:00pm!!  This is another habit that can benefit your family, too.  Turn off the TV and go to sleep!  Read a new book.  Readers are leaders in our world today! 

    

I want to give another warm welcome to the new campers this session and remind them that the surest way to get fitter and healthier is to get fitter and healthier friends.  Many of you got 68 new fit and healthy friends today.  Use these new friends to guide your path and light the way for you.  I would encourage everyone to secretly find someone in the room tomorrow morning to keep your eye and your heart on.  Just glance at this person when you are having a moment of self-doubt or self-sabotage; draw energy from their abundance and know that they are right there with you.  Every person in RBC wants the absolute best for everyone in the program.  Please allow RBC to get into your head first, your heart next and then into your body. 

I thank you for allowing me to guide you in this process.  I am humbled by the sheer power of you presence and the spirit of God in this space.  See you dark and early tomorrow.

Blessings,

Amy