Dear Friends,

     

I have been hesitant to sit down to write this email because I knew that when I did, I would be overcome with emotion.  It is most certainly JOY!  My cup runneth over!  Revival Boot Camp has become such a joyful thing in my world.  I am so thankful for each one of you and feel so blessed that our lives have been woven together around faith and fitness.  I wanted to use this wrap up email to highlight each of the disciplines we have studied during the last five weeks.  Again, each of these ideas come from the book Celebration of Discipline  by Richard J. Foster.

Meditation - simply the ability to hear God's voice and obey his word.

Prayer - catapults us onto the frontier of spiritual life.  To pray is to change.  Prayer is the central avenue God uses to transform us.

Fasting - a wonderful and powerful experience that connects discipline to our physical bodies.

Study - a specific experience that in which the mind is enabled to move in a certain direction.

     1.  Repetition - channels the mind in a specific direction, thus retaining habits of thought.

     2.  Concentration - centers the mind and focuses the attention on what is being studied.

     3.  Comprehension - focuses on the knowledge of truth.

     4.  Reflection - defines the significance of what we are studying.

Celebration - brings joy into our lives and joy makes us strong and carries us through times of change.

I know that each of these areas provide opportunity for growth for me and I hope that you feel the same way.  I am so thankful that this book has been our guide during this Christmas season.  I would like to invite you to visit Granbury First United Methodist Church during this season or any time.  There will be a family Christmas Eve service at 7:00 pm and I would love to sit, sing and pray with Revival Boot Campers as we celebrate the joy of the season. 

     

Next session starts on January 3.  No need to pre-register, just bring your toys and a friend.  We will start the year with fitness testing.  Just remember, it's not about the food, it's about faith, family and friends.

So much love to you!

Amy

Hey RBC Friends,

     

It was great to warm up your upper body this morning with a technique called pre-loading or pre-exhausting!  It is a way to maximize the weights you are currently using to their fully potential.  The science behind it explains that quick repetitions with a lighter weight can yield greater strength gains when heavier weights are applied immediately after the quick/light set.  Did you feel the science this morning?   Ahhhh.....new knowledge and repetition, that sounds just like the discipline we are introducing this week.  It is the discipline of STUDY.  In his book, Celebration of Discipline, Foster reveals the following bits of information about the discipline of STUDY.

*STUDY is the primary vehicle for us to think about the world around us.

*STUDY is one of the central ways God changes us.

*STUDY determines the kind of habits that are formed.

*STUDY is analytical, while MEDITATION is devotional.

*STUDY is a perception into the reality of a given situation.

*STUDY involves four steps.

     

This morning I introduced the first of the four steps to you.  It is repetition.  Foster explains that, "repetition regularly channels the mind in a specific direction, thus ingraining habits of thought."  When I began to think about the process of fitness, it occurred to me that I am truly in the business of repetition....8 more, 7 more, etc.  As boot campers, we get up dark and early and exercise over and over and over all the while asking our bodies to move in a certain direction and begging for the patterns of a healthy lifestyle to be ingrained as deep as our DNA!  We do that because repetition works in fitness and in all areas of our lives!  If you want to  be successful at anything, you must do it again and again.  I believe that the ability to adhere to the repetition phase of fitness is the biggest hurdle for so many people.  The moment you "get fit" and stop, your fitness level begins to decline!  This is much like our relationship with God, we must repeatedly go to Him in prayer, in meditation and in worship to be able to truly feel the countless benefits of that relationship!    If repetition in your fitness program is hard for you, maybe it is time to STUDY a bit more and learn even more about the countless benefits of a regular exercise program.  Learn something new about what is happening on the inside of your body due to the repetition of exercise as opposed to just the outside of your body!  As I continue to STUDY, I am more convinced than ever physical health (exercise and repetition) is bound to our level of spiritual health (meditation and prayer) and mental health (study.)  What a glorious plan!  Other that your workout from this morning, I challenge you to use repetition in your actions and in your thoughts in a positive way today.   

     

I do want to let you know that this week is "Share the Gift of Fitness Week" at RBC! I know that you have a friend that you would like to invite, so let's make that happen this week.  I promise I will be nice to them on their first visit!!  Also, I would ask you to bring a canned food item anytime this week. There is a bin to the left of the entry doors.  In this season, we are reminded that we have so much to share with others.  The supply of canned meats and peanut butter is very low at our food pantry.  Please help if you can.  Thank you.

This is the point where I say, "See you dark and early, see you dark and early, see you dark and early, see you dark and early, see you dark and early tomorrow!"

Blessings,

Amy

Campers,

     

How are you?  I hope you enjoyed the extra rest you were able to get this morning.  We have two more workouts this week and you will need that extra rest.  Remember to grab a power nap if the opportunity arises.  Keep it under 20 minutes or it will disturb your nightly sleep.  Many times we try to feed our fatigue instead of resting it...don't be guilty of this! 

    

So far this session we have discusses three different aspects of adding discipline in our lives.  First we were introduced to meditation, then prayer and this week fasting is our focus.  Now, I fully understand that at this point many of you are thinking that I am a card carrying member of the FUNNY FITNESS FARM and that I am asking you to dive into waters that you have no interest in getting in.  If that is how you feel, I hear you and I am completely OK with you staying on dry land.  I will support you and encourage you in any direction your heart leads you.  If you are interested in knowing more about fasting, I am going to attach a detailed handout to this email that explains the mental, physical and spiritual benefits of fasting.  I AM NOT telling you to stop eating from now on or to never enjoy your favorite foods again.  Do you hear me?  I also AM NOT advocating that you ever compromise your health or go against anything your doctor orders.  I am simply sharing a health enhancing approach that I, along with a few friends, and entire civilizations have used for thousands of years to create an an improved way of life.  Just like a burpee, fasting is an Option #1, Option #2 and Option #3 process.  I have been easing you into Option #1 simply by asking you to give up your daily snacking.  Try doing this for a few days and see how it goes.  Option #2 involves skipping a meal.  The first few times you do this try using fresh juice or chicken broth to help you get through the time.  Please use this techniques at least three times before completely skipping the meal all together.  Remind and assure yourself that you ARE NOT going to starve to death and that this will bring goodness to your life.  Get up and move around, drink a large glass of water, think a new thought, meditate or pray and fill up the time with goodness.  Many times hunger is a thought or a hydration need.  Now, once you have gotten that down,  try skipping two meals using the same techniques.  If you are ready for Option #3, it involves going 24 hours without eating solid food, but continuing to drink lots of fluids.  Again, the first few times, use fresh juices, clear broths and teas to thrive on.  I have found it helpful to go from dinner one day to dinner the next, but experiment with what works for you.  I would NEVER advocate fluid restriction during this time.  This is really the time to ramp up your water intake.  Before I chose the Celebration of Discipline book to use as our guide for this camp I began the 24 hour fasting technique as a way to increase my bodies natural Growth Hormone.  This school of thought comes from a researcher named Brad Pilon and he has additional information at his web site, www.eatstopeat.com if you would like to know his take on this subject.  When I realized that fasting was a cornerstone of the Celebration of Discipline book, knew that I had to share this information with RBC.  I have had great things come to me as a result of this practice.  I feel stronger mentally, physically and spiritually.  If I were to offer a Boot Camper advise as to which days would be best, I would recommend Wednesdays or Sundays due to those being your lighter exercise days.  I am honest and humble enough to say this it is not easy your first time and yes, you will have good fasts and bad fasts just like you have good days and bad days.  The attached information sheet describes what you may or may not feel while you are fasting.  Just read about all the potential benefits, OK?

  

Thank you for being open to at least thinking a new thought or adopting a new practice that may enhance your life.  I know that I am setting myself up to be that "fitness and religious FREAK" in town by sharing this with you.  Well, I guess there's always a FREAK around town, it may as well be me! 

See you dark and early Thursday and Friday.

Following my heart,

Amy

Dearest Campers -

     

It was so good to see you this morning!  I was so glad to get back in the groove with you and continue or Celebration of Discipline time together.  Last week we explored the discipline of MEDITATION.  It is my hope that you are finding a few moments each day to "tune into" all the good things happening around you each day.  This week we begin to add the discipline of PRAYER to our everyday lives.  As I quoted our the book this morning, "prayer catapults us on to the frontier of the spiritual life."  When I saw the verb "catapults" in that sentence, it made me feel that my prayers could be so strong, so intentional and so full of purpose.  Frequently I have referred to certainly people in my life as "prayer warriors."  I now know why I see them as warriors...they simply catapult their prayers directly at the feet of Jesus and know that they will certainly be on mark every time!

     

I want to welcome Tim, Sheila and Bridgette to camp.  They are all first time campers and joined in the magic this morning.  Tomorrow morning I will be putting you into groups again.  You will need to check in with your group leader each morning.  You will be receiving emails and helpful hints from me and from your group leaders as well.  Group leaders are there to help everyone feel really connected to the program and to help you meet and get to know other campers.  Remember it will be leg day tomorrow, so get to bed early and be ready for dark and early fun times!

Blessings to all,

Amy

Hi Campers,

     

Great job this morning with the interval workout!  You "brought it" on so many levels!  I am so proud of you!

Remember that for the next two weeks, we will meet on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and FRIDAY!  Mark your calendars and set your alarms now!  It will certainly shake things up for all of us.  Change is good and God is great....remember that!

     

This morning in our devotion time together I encouraged you to pray about ANYTHING that is on your mind or heart.  Don't ever feel like God doesn't hear or care about even your smallest thoughts, fears, or concerns.  The following paragraph in Foster's book clearly explained to me what I should and maybe should not be praying for. 

     

"The inner sense of compassion is one of the clearest indicators from the Lord that this is a prayer project for you.  In times of meditation there may come a rise in your heart, a compulsion to intercede, an assurance of rightness, a flow of the Spirit.  This inner "yes" is the Divine authorization for you to pray for the the person or situation.  If the idea is accompanied with a sense of dread, then probably you should set it a side.  God will lead someone else to pray for the mater."

    

So, I am to pray for the things that are on MY heart and let God lead others to pray for the things they should be praying about.  Isn't that comforting?  Just another example of "enjoying the ride!"  I will be checking in with you throughout the weekend.  Make good food choices.

Filled with blessings, meditations and prayers,

Amy

Campers,

     

Got a whole lotta sore legs?  I am hoping that your answer is, "yes!"  I have already seen various postings on Facebook regarding yesterday's workout..........guess it is working!  

     

How are things in your PRAYER life?   I hope that you are feeling that your prayers are powerful tools for change in your life.  In our book, Foster explains that, "prayer is the central avenue God uses to transform us.  If we are unwilling to change, we will abandon prayer as a noticeable factor in our lives."  Wow, I cannot speak for anyone but myself, but being willing to change is a very hard thing for me, and being willing to hop on that central avenue where I am not the driver and I don't necessarily know where I am going sounds awfully scary to a control freak like me.  I am so thankful that I borrowed this book from Neil Norman, our senior pastor, here at Granbury FUMC.  It has really made me think about making the most of MEDITATION and the purpose of PRAYER.   The ideas that I have learned from the book this week are urging me to, "powerfully pray, buckle up, enjoy the ride and wait with excitement to see where the journey takes me!"  Sure sounds fun.

     

I am hoping that you are finding your RBC experience just as enjoyable!  Keep reminding yourself that you  are willing and able to change your habits to enhance your health or you would not have come to boot camp in the first place.  You now have a built-in accountability system that is setting you up for success.  Every person in the gym at 5:00am wants you to be 100% successful in this adventure.  Please feel free to ask questions, express any concerns or even post Facebook comments about your journey.  We are all in this together.  The family that plays together stays together.  See you dark and early tomorrow to play.

Blessings to all and prayers for all,

Amy