Tortoise was a little sore after his "moderately strenuous" walk on Saturday, so he slowed down and shortened things up a bit today. It was tempting to skip it altogether, but of course the best way to overcome soreness and stiffness is ... to keep walking every day. Today's adventure was to walk home from picking up a few items at a store in Hurricane. Totals were 3.12 miles wiith 181 feet climbed in 1:03:07 hours. Tortoise rating was 5.0; calories burned were 494.
For a map and a lovely thought from the brilliant Brit, Derek Cuthbert, please click below to continue reading ...
Cheerio!
2014 Stats:
694.64 miles walked, which is 69.39% of my 2014 goal.
694.64 miles walked, which is 69.39% of my 2014 goal.
219:53:04 hours walked, which is 70.25% of my 2014 goal
32,880 total feet climbed
110,950 calories burned
66.77% of the year has passed
66.77% of the year has passed
I've walked 18 consecutive non-Sundays since my last missed day on August 11, and overall have walked on 197 of the 209 non-Sundays thus far in 2014, a 94.26% consistency rating.
Today's thought, heard while walking, from Derek A. Cuthbert, spoken in 1990. As a side note, I loved hearing his delightful British accent, and his optimism about his personal cancer fight. He had been diagnosed six months earlier with the most advanced stage of cancer, but had been blessed with a remarkable recovery. Hindsight now tells us that gave him one more year to share with us, as he died from cancer in 1991.
Please think of that as you read his ten ways that service brings out best in us:
"Service changes people. It refines, purifies, gives a finer perspective, and brings out the best in each one of us. It gets us looking outward instead of inward. It prompts us to consider others’ needs ahead of our own.
"First, service helps us establish true values and priorities by distinguishing between the worth of material things that pass, and those things of lasting, even eternal, value.
"Second, service helps us establish a righteous tradition. ... It will develop a spirit of volunteerism in a world where people more often ask, “What’s in it for me?”
"Third, service helps us overcome selfishness ... Service, on the other hand, is unselfish and constitutes a positive power for good.
"Fourth, not only does service overcome selfishness and sin, but it helps to recompense for sin. We can express regret and feel remorse for things done wrong, but fullrepentance should include recompense, such as service gives.
"Fifth, service helps us generate love and appreciation. We come to know people by serving them—their circumstances, their challenges, their hopes and aspirations.
"Sixth, service is the principal way of showing gratitude to the Savior. We need to fill ourselves up with gratitude for His redeeming love, His infinite atoning sacrifice ...
"Seventh, service channels our desires and energies into righteous activity. Every son and daughter of God is a storehouse—even a powerhouse—of desires and energies, which may be used for good or evil. This great potential needs to be harnessed to bring blessings to others.
"Eighth, service helps us cleanse ourselves and become purified and sanctified. ... The way is through Christlike service, as expressed by the prayer of St. Ignatius Loyola, which I learned in my youth:
'To give and not to count the cost;
To fight and not to heed the wounds; …
To labor and not ask for any reward
Save that of knowing that we do Thy will.'
"Ninth, charitable service helps us do as the Savior did, for was not His whole ministry one of reaching out and helping, lifting and blessing, loving and caring?
"Tenth, service helps us to get to know the Savior, for 'how knoweth a man the master whom he has not served?' (Mosiah 5:13.) As we immerse ourselves in the service of others, we find our spiritual selves and come unto Him."
You can read, watch, or listen to his whole speech here: https://www.lds.org/general-conference/1990/04/the-spirituality-of-service?lang=eng For more on his life and death, please view: http://www.ldschurchnewsarchive.com/articles/20891/Elder-Cuthbert-64-dies-of-cancer.html
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The tortoise is smiling!
Really enjoyed your recap of this talk, and Elder Cuthbert's 10 tenants of service. Much needed reminder for myself that Christ was always looking outward, and it was this developed skill and talent that helped him keep everything else in check and balance in His perfect life. I certainly owe Him much, so if I can express my gratitude through service (and develop a greater appreciation for His life and Atonement while I'm at it) then it's certainly something I need to do more often.
ReplyDeleteCongrats to the Tortoise on almost 95% consistency for the year!! And for the great reminder to be even more consistent in my life! Quarter 3 is reaching it's twilight, and for you to still be going that strong (and still growing ever more in being ahead of schedule) is quite a testament to the awes year the Tortoise is having!!! Love!
Thanks again for your very kind words of encouragement. You remind me of the part of this I enjoyed the very most ... the prayer of St. Ignatius Loyola that Elder Cuthbert quoted:
ReplyDelete'To give and not to count the cost;
To fight and not to heed the wounds; …
To labor and not ask for any reward
Save that of knowing that we do Thy will.'
Love!