The day came. Tortoise believes we set a record for the most last minute people coming in for help with their tax returns on the last possible day before their six month extensions expired. He worked right up until midnight, then when nothing more could be electronically filed with today's date, he went on a minimum 2.18 mile walk up the hill to Valley Academy, back down to State Street near Steamroller Copies, over to Lins and back to the office. This was all to get a well lit path with a little hill climbing even at this late hour. This 5.1 tortoise rated walk included 111 feet of hill climbing and was completed in 40;21 minutes. 341 calories were burned.
Please click below for a map and today's walking thought, including "It is seldom the Lord will do something for us that we can do for ourselves".
Cheerio!
2014 Stats:
820.25 miles walked, which is 81.94% of my 2014 goal.
259:00:42 hours walked, which is 82.75% of my 2014 goal
39,750 total feet climbed
131,008 calories burned
78.91% of the year has passed
Weigh-in: 226.2, down 2.2 from my last weigh-in on September 26 and continuing a drop of a total of 11.9 pounds since July 1.
I've walked 21 consecutive non-Sundays since my last missed day on September 20, and overall have walked on 234 of the 247 non-Sundays thus far in 2014, a 94.74% consistency rating.
The purpose of the percentages is to have a higher percentage of distance and time walked than of the year. This tells Tortoise that he is on track. Yes, this is more numbers than you are likely interested in, all Tortoise can say is he's really good at setting high goals and having them slip away because he doesn't do them every, every day.
And now for more of today's walking thought, from one of the inspirational messages Tortoise listened to along the way tonight, entitled "Becoming Self-Reliant" originally recorded in October 1991 by Tom Perry.
"Then Nephi asked the Lord, “Whither shall I go that I may find ore to molten, that I may make tools to construct the ship after the manner which thou hast shown unto me?” (
1 Ne. 17:9).
"The Lord instructed Nephi where he could find ore, but then Nephi was on his own. In 1 Nephi, chapter 17, we read:
“And it came to pass that I, Nephi, did make a bellows wherewith to blow the fire, of the skins of beasts; and after I had made a bellows, that I might have wherewith to blow the fire, I did smite two stones together that I might make fire. …
“And it came to pass that I did make tools of the ore which I did molten out of the rock.”
"This is one of the more interesting stories we have in the scriptures because it tells of an instance in which the Lord provided help but then stepped aside to allow one of His sons to exercise his own initiative. I have sometimes wondered what would have happened if Nephi had asked the Lord for tools instead of a place to find the ore to make the tools. I doubt the Lord would have honored Nephi’s request. You see, the Lord knew that Nephi could make the tools, and it is seldom the Lord will do something for us that we can do for ourselves.
"The Lord does help when we go to Him in times of need, especially when we are committed to His work and respond to His will. But the Lord only helps those who are willing to help themselves. He expects His children to be self-reliant to the degree they can be"
The tortoise is smiling!
