This past weekend Jeff and I attended YHT or Youth Harvest Training with other camper and staff reps from TN. This replaced IYC or International Youth Camp.
We stated at the Embassy Suites in Murfreesboro. Very nice hotel and convention center. Some prelim classes started on Thursday but we were not able to make those due to work. I did get the day off Friday. Basically, they had back to back seminars and general sessions packed full of information regarding youth, children's and the camping ministry. My favorite class was one taught by Palma on Postmodern Evangelism to youth. Very good stuff. They also brought in professionals from all over. My favorite general session was held by a guy from Canada who's job is to study youth culture. He's in his 50's and he watches, reads, and listens to music that kids these days are in to. He knows pop culture. It was a very progressive class in that he didn't sugar coat or hide anything. I thought it was great and right on target. In the past, I'm not sure his method would've been so widely excepted. To me...I loved it. We need to be honest about what's going on in the world and with our youth. We need to acknowledge the issues head on without being uncomfortable with the facts. Great weekend of training.
The challenge throughout this weekend was not to do what we normally do when we travel. Eat large portions. Knowing we would be going out to restaurants, it was going to be difficult. Restaurant portions are huge and a lot more food than we should eat at a sitting. We didn't exactly succeed. Friday was just bad. Macaroni Grille and then Red Robin. Huge portions. It was so stinkin' good, though. HA! Saturday...we did better. We split lunch...grilled chicken and veggies and we didn't do bad at dinner. I ended up loosing .6 of a pound, even though Friday's cheating happened. However, went to eat lunch at the Mexican Restaurant on Monday and when I woke up Tuesday I had gained a pound. That wasn't frustrating at all! So I've been dancing back and forth within a couple of pounds of my lowest weight. Can't seem to get past that lowest number. It's only one pound away at this point so that's my goal for the weekend.
We've noticed a trend. Once we reach an all time low...we'll spend a week going from 1 to 3 pounds above it. It's a weight roller coaster...then we'll hit a new low and start that all over again. It's frustrating but we keep at it and work for that new low. If I get discouraged and feel tempted to give up...I have a folder of fat pictures on my computer. I take a look at those and then I'm good to go again. HA! Hey...whatever works to motivate.
