16-8

Mile 17.  Tortoise quiz of the day:  Where is Lou standing to take this picture and what direction is he facing?  Hint:  The Pine Valley Mountains tower 6,500 feet over the hills in the horizon, yet are entirely shrouded by the clouds.

This and other pictures were taken along the way up the hill from Lou's office.  The day's walking thoughts are by David Bednar and Thomas Monson, followed by some moving tunes ...

Cheerio!

Today's walk was 2.70 miles and had a 4.8 tortoise rating earned by climbing 186 feet in the 1.35 mile uphill portion.  Average elevation was 3285. This walk burned 441 calories in 42:27 minutes, a pace of 15:43 minutes per mile.

Here are the overall stats so far for 2016:

17.96 miles walked which is 2.63% of Lou's 2016 goal of 683 miles.  His goal for this date is 15.23 total miles.

4:58:50 hours walked which is 2.38% of the 2016 goal (which is to walk 40 minutes a day on the 314 days other than Sunday in the year).  

1,152 total feet climbed in 2016, compared with his goal of 853 feet.

2,834 calories burned.

2.23% of the year has passed.

Lou has walked 208 consecutive non-Sundays since his 8 missed days May 2-11, Overall he has walked on 311 of the 320 non-Sundays in 2015-16, a 97.19% consistency rating.

The purpose of the percentages is to have a higher percentage of both distance and of time walked than of the year.  This tells Tortoise that he is on track. 

And now for today's walking thoughts ...

"I pray for the assistance of the Holy Ghost as I emphasize vital lessons that can be learned from this story about my friend, the truck, and the wood.  It was the load.  It was the load of wood that provided the traction necessary for him to get out of the snow, to get back on the road, and to move forward.  It was the load that enabled him to return to his family and his home.

"Each of us also carries a load.  Our individual load is comprised of demands and opportunities, obligations and privileges, afflictions and blessings, and options and constraints.  Two guiding questions can be helpful as we periodically and prayerfully assess our load:  'Is the load I am carrying producing the spiritual traction that will enable me to press forward with faith in Christ on the strait and narrow path and avoid getting stuck?  Is the load I am carrying creating sufficient spiritual traction so I ultimately can return home to Heavenly Father?'

"Sometimes we mistakenly may believe that happiness is the absence of a load.  But bearing a load is a necessary and essential part of the plan of happiness.  Because our individual load needs to generate spiritual traction, we should be careful to not haul around in our lives so many nice but unnecessary things that we are distracted and diverted from the things that truly matter most."

-- David A. Bednar, "Bear Up Their Burdens with Ease", April 2014 LDS General Conference

Generally, Tortoise listens to one talk from a recent General Conference, and finds a portion of it to share here that touched his heart.  For the remainder of his walk, he listens to an older Conference without recording those thoughts, simply enjoying their timeless lessons.  The following one touched him enough to record it too, for two reasons.  One, it reminded him of his sweetheart's love of birds, and the teasing she has endured from their children for praying for them from the pulpit.  Lo and behold, she is in good company!  Second, it reminds me that we all get nervous when speaking ... and it's OK!

"I remember when I was assigned to give my first talk in church.  I was given the liberty to choose my subject.  I've always liked birds, so I thought of the Seagull Monument.  In preparation, I went to Temple Square and looked at the monument.  First I was attracted to all the coins in the water surrounding the monument.  I wondered how they would be retrieved and who would retrieve  them.  I shall not confess any thought of taking them.  Then I looked upward at the seagulls atop that monument.  I tried in my boyish mind to imagine what it would be like to be a pioneer watching the first year's growth of precious grain being devoured by crickets and then seeing those seagulls, with their lofty wings, descending upon the fields and eating the crickets.  I loved the account.  I sat down with pencil in hand and wrote out a two-and-one-half-minute talk.  I've never forgotten the seagulls.  I've never forgotten the crickets.  I've never forgotten my knees knocking together as I gave that talk.  I've never forgotten the experience of letting some of my innermost feelings be expressed verbally at  the pulpit.  I would urge that we give the Aaronic Priesthood an opportunity to think, to reason, and to serve."

-- Thomas S. Monson, "The Call to Serve", October 2000 LDS General Conference


After listening to these two messages, and knowing Christmas is today already two weeks behind us, Tortoise turned on his Mannheim Steamroller holiday station on Pandora one more time before calling it a season and was rewarded with this moving rendition of Stille Nacht.  He dedicates it to his sweet lady, who is a true connoisseur of this song in all its languages and variations, its story, and simply, music, period.  She can light a fire in his heart with her piano playing, any time, anywhere.




Yes, indeed, the Tortoise is smiling!