This weekend I traveled to Cape San Blas on the outskirts of Port St Joe FL, and was not quite sure what to expect.  It has been well documented that a major oil spill has affected the Gulf of Mexico and the hundreds of miles of shoreline and beaches along the southeastern region of the United States.  Over the past four months anxiety and worry have affected every type of person including fishermen to your everyday summer tourists.  It is safe to assume that many areas of the Gulf Coast will feel the after effects for months and years to come.

The most dangerous attribute of any tragedy can prove to be perception.  The idea that perception is reality can prevent many people from exploring the truth for themselves. I am happy to report that the gulf coast is alive and well, and that yes it is safe t return to the waters.  When news spread concerning the oil people fled the beaches as though Jaws himself was waiting just beyond the shoreline.  Counties in Florida and many other states approved the hiring of hundreds of beach cleanup workers at the rate of 10 to 12 dollars per hour for 12 hours a day seven days a week.  You can’t blame the folks who needed work for applying but when witnessing many of these crews it is easy to notice that many were propping themselves up on their own shovels.  This is not to say that the threat of oil on our beaches is not a serious one but BP may have acted in such a way as to prove that they were in fact acting.  The problem was not that BP did not act enough on the local level but the lackadaisical response to the actual well closure.  It was almost a sense of panic to hire hundreds of workers to cleanup beaches that were not affected at all.  In an attempt to prove that they cared they responded with a zeal that may have been a bit misguided.  Obviously some beaches and areas benefited from the extra workers and thankfully a boost for their local economy.  I can happily report that the areas I recently visited are oil free and ready for those late summer visitors.

Not only are the beaches clear but much of the fishing and seafood industries are running full force.  I spoke with the owner of a famous local pub and seafood restaurant concerning the impact of the oil spill on his business.  Jim McNeill has been the owner and operator of the Indian Pass Raw Bar for twenty-five years and has the reputation for great seafood and great ambience.  I asked Mr. McNeill what impact if at all the oil spill has had on his business, he replied by saying “at first people were a little shy but for those local folks who regularly eat here they knew that our seafood was safe, but it is hard to explain it to the tourist who has to drive hundreds of  miles away.”  He went on to say that business has been good and that many people are returning to the beaches and his restaurant and that he is expecting  a large Labor Day weekend crowd to close the summer. Mr. McNeill finished our time together by saying “this area has been affected by floods, hurricanes and fires over the past one hundred and that it will take more than an oil spill to close them down for good.”

I myself enjoyed the local flavors including the raw oysters and the stuffed shrimp, not only were they oil free but insanely delicious and just as normal as I remembered them being.  Last Tuesday around 5,000 square miles of fishing waters were reopened off of the Florida panhandle allowing the local fishing boats and charter boats to open for business in hopes to save the month of August.  The percentage of closed waters dropped from 37 percent in June to around 22 percent as of now.  President Barack Obama and his family were scheduled to spend the weekend on the Florida beaches in hopes of alleviating fears from the general public towards the seafood industry.

This oil spill brought many fears to the locals as they rely on tourism and the seafood industry to earn a living and with good reason.  Now people can return to the lifestyle they knew before that terrible day in April, and hopefully salvage the remainder of their summers and plan for a great one next year.  For all of you who enjoy the Florida Beaches I cannot guarantee that sharks are not lurking along the shoreline, but as for now the oil spill is under control so feel free to return to some sense of normalcy and enjoy the outdoor living that Florida is known for.

Youth Ministry can prove to be a challenge for many churches, with a media driven society the leaders of many local fellowships have turned their attention and focus on offering a vibrant and relevant message, and events such as Awaken allows the local church to present the message of Jesus Christ in a pertinent, hip fashion.  Tony Buzcyk the associate pastor of New Hope Worship Assembly in Donalsonville Ga, related it this way, “young people have every tangible form of entertainment available, church tradition in the past would have encouraged us to be separate from any forms of entertainment and focus merely on discipline.  However times have changed and in order for the church to be relevant we must plan events such as awaken and support them to the best of our ability.”

Conferences such as Awaken will host on average one thousand young people for a three day event.  The services typically include high tempo worship music (and if you do not like loud music you may want to attend something else), entertaining dance routines and skits, musical groups such as SALT a Christian hip-hop act, and timely messages from gifted speakers from around the world.  Casey Doss this year’s evangelist delivers a message that relates to the audience in such a way as to make them feel like they are the only person in the room.  Karen Wheaton’s ministry team speeds up the tempo and intensity with human videos that stir and evoke emotions concerning each young person’s faith.  In a world of indecisiveness and lack of commitment each portion of the Awaken conference is designed to challenge the teens in attendance to join in on a worthwhile cause.

After attending my first Awaken conference I think that it is safe to say that I left challenged and refreshed and I am far from being a teenager, so it goes to prove that if you have the opportunity to experience such a conference then make it a priority.  Erin Lancaster a youth leader from Georgia expressed the importance of this conference by saying “many times as a local leader we allow ourselves to be put into a rut, a conference like this allows for fresh ideas and actually aids local churches in its mission to promote the gospel,” she finished by stating that she plans to bring her young people back for years to come. 

The church has been placed into a position of reevaluating itself and its relevance in today’s culture.  Without affecting the younger generation how can it ever expect to survive  the ever changing scenery of culture?  Events such as awaken aids and equips as well as entertains but with a purpose and a passion.

There has to be a million diets, each formulated by a man or woman who swear to its validity.  The television is ripe with a plethora of weight loss tools and gadgets all designed to either truly help or truly make one rich.  How many times have we started a new diet, only to find that this one is just as unsuccessful as the last one hundred, resulting in another let down and another bout of discouragement and depression.  We have all been there, and we all know the results, so what can we change or do different this time?

The first piece of advice that I can give is to consult a physician before engaging in any form of a diet or excercise.  I use to think that this was crazy because the doctor would probably tell you that you just need to go on a diet, costing you money to hear something you already know. The wisdom in such an act can spare you further heartache and pain, literally. If it has been years since you last exercised or attempted weight loss it would be a good move to know what your body can withstand and what may hurt.  I think that it goes without saying that you cannot sit on the couch for years without excercise and physical movement that you should not attempt a 5K run. A doctor will be able to check your blood pressure and detect any warning signs that may be beneficial to your plan.

Secondly, never starve yourself! A close personal friend of mine will go on for weeks barely eating.  His diet will consist of mainly tuna and crackers, and each time he ends his period of non-eating he will have lost 40 pounds but he gains that weight back plus much more.  The key to dieting has to be nutrition mixed with daily activity, the right combination of foods along with a excercise that you enjoy always leads to a life-style change which leads to success.

We have discussed briefly diets and excercise, but one of the most popular forms of weight loss in past years has to be the Gastric-Bypass, and more recently the Lap-Band procedure.  During one doctor visit I was informed by the physician that the only effective weight loss for a morbidly obese person was the gastric bypass. I of course do not believe this or I would have attained the funds in order to have the procedure.  However, these methods have proven to aid people in the weight loss battle who may not be physically capable of excercise.  People who only need to lose 30 or 40 pounds can probably change minor habits and see success but for those who are past a crucial point may need surgery in order to achieve their goal. I must admit that as of late I have considered the lap band procedure but Money is an issue.  I do believe in my heart of hearts that a lifestyle change, not a fad could be the difference maker in not only my life but many others. 

Jared Fogel, you know the subway guy, found success in changing his eating habits and daily activity. instead of the newest fad let us explore the old fashion way of eating less and moving more.

 Dane Skipper who weighs in at a whopping 185 pounds discovered that he was a diabetic a little over three years ago, proved that it affects those who are obese and those who you would think are very healthy.  He told me “at first it was devastating, I thought what am I going to do now, how did this happen and can I ever overcome it?”  Dane has done more than adapt, he has successfully managed his Diabetes with diet and excercise.  Dane’s circumstance proved to be a challenge but not an impossible challenge.

The very close and personal friend I mentioned earlier just so happens to be my wife, and little did we know that her life would be affected by this diagnosis until just a few days ago.  She went to the emergency room for severe kidney and stomach pain, but following a routine blood test discovered she had type two diabetes.  This sent startled and gave us both a reality check and a much-needed wake up call.  The news immediately over-shadowed the more urgent condition which was at hand.

So what can we say or do, what would be the next step if you think that you may be suffering from Diabetes?  As scary as it may sound the first step is to see a doctor and have blood work run.  Without these tests being run you will never absolutely know 100%.  The second facet is to understand that this is not a life ending prognosis if handled properly.  Sharon Robinson who just turned 50 was diagnosed a year ago and has managed to control her type 2 diabetes, and she proclaims herself to be queen of sweet.  Third, the main reason for this blog, which is primarily dealing with my own health and journey to weight loss, is a life style change.  Either you will learn to live a healthy lifestyle now by choice or you suffer the possibility of living it by demand later on in life.

Some people can eat bread and sugars and cookies and it may not ever affect them, but for some their bodies cannot handle the sugars.  This does not make you a weirdo, but it forces one to make a decision will you change your life and overcome or will you let the diabetes control you and win.  Let’s take back control of our lives!!

The obesity rate in America has been on the rise over the past few years, and I am ashamed to say that I am a single number in that very large statistic (no pun intended).  So what are you and I going to do about it? Well I have decided to make myself accountable for once, I have tried almost every fad that man can think of to no avail.  You name it I have attempted it, everything from foods, to injections, to pills, to not eating anything at all,  and on two separate occasions my wife and I have attempted to be cast on the “Biggest Loser” only to be rejected as each time.

You may ask me, what makes you an authority on weight loss, or what can you say that I have not already heard?  I am in no way shape or form claiming to be an expert obviously; but I hope that we can begin this journey together and accomplish a goal for once in our lives. I am speaking of a literal journey on my brand new purchase or as I am referring to it now as my “torture device”.

The most common denominator of weight loss success happens to be excercise, and I thought to myself what would be great excercise but also enjoyable?  Well our answers may differ and that is ok, but my answer was surprisingly riding bicycles.  Since I began my journey I have realized that I am not the same kid who could ride for hours in the summer heat anymore. You may also realize that you are not the star athlete you use to be either, but we must understand that is the reason for this journey.  Here is another old saying that you may hate to hear, “Rome was not built-in a day”!  As much as this is cliché, there is great wisdom to be found in its familiarity. 

My first week of riding was absolute pain and anguish, but I honestly feel that every grimace and wince a part of me becomes stronger not just physically, but spiritually and emotionally as well.  So today for all of you who have weighed your options (once again no pun intended) the best piece of advice that I can give you is to start small, to realize that you do not become overweight over night and that you will not lose the weight overnight.  For every corn dog you enjoy you must understand that there is a price to be paid. I for one am ready to pay the price in order to change my life and my circumstance.

So tomorrow morning remember that there is someone who has the same problem as you do, and that someone has the same struggles and fears, but also remember that people have lost large sums of weight without even appearing on reality tv.  As much as I would love for Jillian Michael’s to come live with me for a year to whip me into shape it is just not possible. So when the sun rises in the morning I am going to mount that bike once more in spite of my personal pain and anguish, but I know the journey is worth it, so who’s with me?