VP Health & Fitness

I cannot share my journal with you at this moment, but I do want to share someone else’s thoughts. This is writen far better than anything that I could write or express, but it describes exactly how I was feeling this morning as I sat outside on my porch, enjoying the rain and just meditating on everything that life surprises us with. I hope that it is a blessing to you as it has been to me.

~ Vilma

My Thanksgiving

Rachel Olsen

“Oh, give thanks to the LORD, for He is good. For His lovingkindness is everlasting.”

~ 1 Chronicles 16:34 (NASB)

This morning I will wake up thankful. Not because my life is perfect and I have everything I want or need, but because I’m taking the time to count my blessings and give thanks to God.

¨ I’ll be thankful that I am off work today, and that I’ll have work to return to.

¨ I’ll be thankful that my children are able to enjoy a day of play at home, and thankful they have days of learning ahead that will help shape them into who God intends them to be.

As I pass my desk on the way to my kitchen, I’ll open my Bible that sits on a shelf.

¨ I’ll be thankful for the Word of God that I am able to freely read, distribute, and teach in this country.

I’ll put on my “Through All Generations” CD. It’s an album of hymns recorded by my friend Gwen Smith.

¨ I’ll be thankful for the various friends in my life – both far and near – who enrich me, challenge me, listen to me, pray for me, and make me laugh. I’ll be especially grateful for God’s friendship.

¨ I’ll also be thankful for music and its ability to lift my mood, touch my heart, energize my body, and connect my soul to an eternal God.

I’ll turn on my Christmas tree lights – I like to have my tree up by Thanksgiving Day. The lights and ornaments will twinkle amidst the backdrop of an evergreen tree.

¨ I’ll thank God for giving us trees that stay green all year long despite the cold weather.

¨ I will thank Him for giving us the day and the night, and the stars that twinkle in the sky. I will also be grateful for the Light of the World and the eternal life that He brings, represented by the evergreens in our holiday decorations.

Soon it will be time to start cooking the Thanksgiving meal. In my home that will be turkey, stuffing, sweet potato casserole, green beans, cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes and gravy. Oh, and deviled eggs.

¨ I’ll be thankful for God’s provision of food – thankful for the farmers and ranchers, and for a kind family member who gives us a turkey and a box of sweet potatoes every year.

¨ I’ll remember contributing to a local church’s Thanksgiving ministry for those less fortunate, and I’ll be thankful for the people who act as the hands and feet of Christ in ministry – they inspire me.

As I cook, I’ll set aside cans, plastic bags and cardboard boxes to put into our recycling bin.

¨ I’ll be thankful for this beautiful planet teeming with life and flowing with water that God entrusted to humankind to steward.

More family members will join us and we’ll gather around my kitchen table to eat. We are no Norman Rockwell painting - our family has its struggles and issues just like the next family. But on this evening, we will set aside any differences as we laugh, talk, pray, and eat together.

¨ I’ll be thankful for the bond of family – that there are people who know you fully, and love you anyway. And I’ll be grateful for the family of God to which I am bonded through Christ.

After dinner we’ll play cards or board games, or perhaps watch a movie. Then I’ll say goodbye to our guests, tuck my children in bed, sit and reflect on the day. I will ask God to show me any blessings I missed or failed to count, because I’m convinced we all have more to be thankful for than we ever notice. Today, let’s purpose to notice, and to be grateful.

Dear Lord, thank You for the blessings You have bestowed – help me notice them. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Application Steps:

Pause to count your blessings today. A grateful heart can usher you into God’s presence.

Reflections:

Perhaps you don’t have family with you today, or much food to prepare, or a Christmas tree to gather by. But you have a godly purpose to fulfill in this earth, a world of beauty outside your door, and most importantly, you have eternal life and the friendship of God available to you.

Do You Know Him?

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Hello… Vilma Here. I hope you all are doing well.

In thinking about what I wanted to say to you all, this being a “Thanksgiving” blog entree and all, I considered the standard message about how Thanksgiving isn’t just a holiday but a lifestyle, and how we ought to be perpetually thankful to God for all things throughout the year. But, then i thought about the fact that you are probably hearing that from everyone right now and if you go to church, you will probably be hearing it as well, so I thought I would spare you another redundant sermon.

Instead, let me say a couple things to you.

1. I firmly believe that people come into your life for many reasons… and there is always a lesson to be learned and a chance to grow from knowing them. In a spirit of “thanksgiving”, my heart is grateful for every single one of you who have shared or now share a part in my life one way or another whether big or small. Thank you for those that have supported me in through out the years and in this fat loss journey. Thank You for your encouraging words when I didn’t want to do anything with fitness or was struggling to find my fitness groove.

2. My hope is that you my find joy in the simple things and learn to love yourself. After you have learned to love yourself, you can then start improving yourself and your body. It’s very easy to get wrapped up in wanting to look certain way because it’s all we see in magazines, on TV and in movies. YOU that are reading this right now are very special. God made you unique.

The word of God says:

For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb.I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well… My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.” ~ Psalms 139:13-16

Your health is very important. Let THIS be the motivation that you need. Do it for yourself, your family and the ones you love — nothing else. Don’t EVER give up… keep on striving, keep up fighting… one day at a time!

Enjoy this special day with your family and close friends and always remember and be thankful for all of the blessings in your life.

3. I’ve decided to make a list of 10 things I’m grateful for this year, so here it goes:

1. God’s grace, love & forgiveness (Wait! That’s three! LOL)
2. My wonderful family
3. Cindi McMenamin’s “Heart Hunger”
4. Music
5. My guitar
6. Basketball
7. Turbulence Training
8. Donna Partow’s “Becoming the Woman God wants me to be”
9. i.d. bareMinerals makeup
10. ING savings accounts

Have a great Thanksgiving Everyone!

Smiles & Hugs,

~ Vilma

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The greatest coach in Basketball history, Don Haskins, passed away today. 

I knew him as “The Bear” and met him once when I was about 12 years old at one of the Miner games that he was coaching.  He coached with so much passion it made me dream of playing college ball one day.  Although that dream never did come true, my passion for the sport still remains today.  I’d like to think he had a itsy bitsy part in that… 

Don Haskins, you did so much for the game of basketball, UTEP, the players, the fans, and for El Paso. You will never be forgotten and will truly be missed. 

Don Haskins on Wikipedia - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Don_Haskins

The Bear Legacy - http://ia.utep.edu/Default.aspx?tabid=54709

The John Wayne of basketball - http://rivals.yahoo.com/ncaa/basketball/news?slug=dw-haskins090808&prov=yhoo&type=lgns

Glory Road, a tribute - http://ia.utep.edu/Default.aspx?alias=ia.utep.edu/gloryroad

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I’m sure many of you have heard about Professor Pausch.  Last summer, he learned that the pancreatic cancer he was fighting had returned and spread, and that he only had months to live. A few weeks later, he delivered his “last lecture”, a talk meant to share the wisdom he’d gained during his lifetime.  Pausch’s presentation, entitled “Really Achieving Your Childhood Dreams” was a huge Internet phenomenon, and was downloaded more than 10,000,000 times. I personally have watched it about 3 times in it’s entirety. It had a profound impact on me and helped me go back and think about every single dream and goal I had as I was young. It’s inspiring on so many levels.

Randy Pausch died on July 25, 2008 at age 47. Here is the complete video of his last lecture:

I for one have started pursuing a lot of my goals and dreams that I had given up on. 

I am playing basketball again and will soon start competing this coming September (maybe even some college ball???).  I have registered to start taking classes again so I can finish my degree.  And this one is WAY out there, but I thought about it as a kid and was really reminded of it while watching the finale of American Gladiators this past Monday… I want to compete against those people!!!

So… I would really like to read about some of your dreams and goals that you have set for your self.   Any fitness goals for the last few months of this year?  Mine is to be at my ideal weight for my upcoming 29th b-day in December.  I am SO determined to do it this time!!!!!!!

If you haven’t watched this before, I urge you to do so now. After that, be inspired and go pursue some of your dreams and goals that you have set for your self.

Blessings,

~ Vilma

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