Post # 16 – Back to the Beginning
Dear Family
& Friends,
I have been
thinking about what rambling means. I guess I did not realize that it had so
many meanings. When I wrote my first post and needed to have a name for my
blog, I thought to myself, ‘oh, I am just rambling here, what good can it be to
someone else?’ And so, Royal’s Ramblings
came to life😊
I thought
that I was kind of going from thought to thought, and I was not sure if any one
would be able to make heads or tails of it. I truly do hope and pray that this
is not the case and that my writing about my life experiences might be
beneficial to you all in some wonderful way. I found this picture that was
underneath a definition of rambling. I thought I would share it with you.
So now that
this is my sixteenth post, I am going back to the beginnings of my post, and here
are a few definitions I found of rambling: aimlessly wandering; spread out
irregularly in various directions; straying from one subject to another; (this
one I do really well, don’t you think? I do not know if that is a good thing or
not. Sometimes I am talking to someone and I simply lose my train of thought –
it becomes completely derailed!) traveling from place to place; too long and
confused; (Probably each of my original posts before they were published
were too long and maybe a little confusing as well) a form of walking that generally
takes place in the countryside; (since I hurt my left leg a few years
back most of my ‘walking’ takes place in my mind because it has been too
painful to walk like other people do) tending to depart from the main point or cover a
wide range of subjects-- ( I a sure you have noticed this one in my
writings); spreading out in different directions; often or habitually roaming;
wandering; ( my mind is habitually flitting from one subject to another – if you
know me – you know this to be true😊)
Geez, I had to take a breath, there are a lot of wys to define rambling, so here comes 'the rest of the story!'
extended over an irregular area; sprawling;
lengthy and digressive; straggling or sprawling haphazardly; unplanned; lacking
a coherent plan-- ( I struggle a bit with this one – I do plan, but my
plans change frequently sometimes); diffuse and disconnected; nomadic; wandering; spreading out in
different directions; “sprawling handwriting”-- (this I do have – it
comes with the neuropathy in my hands, I am so grateful for the computer!!); “straggling
branches”; “straggly hair”--(this I have too, since my hair grew back in
it is very straggly—but I am so grateful just to have hair, that most days I
just don’t care that it is a bit straggly); not neat and tidy; ( so, I will
admit that I am not the most neat or tidy person, but to be honest – if I don’t
have things close by, out where I can see them, they don’t get done! so, things
in my life are a bit cluttered from time to time – and sometimes a long time,
depending on the project that needs doing) indirect – extended senses; “sometimes and
indirect path saves time”; marked by or given to digression!
Now, do any
of those definitions sound like my writings? That’s quite ok, I agree that most
of those definitions do sound like me in one form or another, but with the help
of good friends and my granddaughters – by the time my ramblings are posted,
they make good sense and are totally worth your reading each one! Maybe it’s
quotes like this one that will keep you coming back!!!
I love this
quote because sometimes we just do not feel like we deserve to be loved by
anyone or anything – your pets give you unconditional love too! But, being
human we all need to love and be loved, and this quote just reminds us that our
Heavenly Father’s love is always there for us – each one of us!! I believe that
it is important for us to know and to believe this. As sometimes there is no
one else there for us at certain times in our lives.
Then, if you
haven’t ever felt this way, (that is a great blessing for you!!!) you might
want to look all around you because I am sure that there is someone very close
to you or close by that is in need. Someone that needs to know that they are a
child of a Heavenly Father who loves them so very much that He sent His Only
Begotten Son, to come to earth – to give His life so that we might live again.
He suffered so much for each of us – pain and anguish all manner of disease,
sickness, emotional trauma, physical ailments … He suffered so much it is
incomprehensible to me.
In looking
back over my life, I have seen the hand of the Lord there in so many ways
throughout my life thus far and I have taken to try to be more cognizant of His
hand in my life each day here lately, especially since I was diagnosed with
breast cancer. Knowing that each day could easily be your last, you are more
often ready to acknowledge all the blessings that the Lord has continually
blessed you with on a regular basis. Whereas before you may only recognize
those blessings when things in your life are going smoothly.
I guess what I am trying to say is, that we
should look for His hand in our life now!!
And be sure to look more closely if you can’t seem to find many – like, ah, you know, –
when the “odds” are “stacked” against you. Then as you recognize the ways He
has blessed you, be sure that you give your thanks and your gratitude to Him
for all that He does for you and those that you love!!! Count your blessings, name them one by one....Count your many blessings, see what God hath done.
Oh, and don't forget to write those blessings down in a journal so that when things get rough -- as you know they will, you can look back and read about how the Lord has blessed you continually throughout your life and it might help to lift you up out of a deep abyss, to know that the Lord is always only just a
prayer away!
Well, everybody, since
I have gone backwards again and probably have repeated myself – repeatedly –
(hopefully what I have repeated has been worth the second – or third, or
fourth, or… whatever number read) anyway, I did have a stroke in my early
twenties and I have struggled since with my memory, so please do forgive me if
you have heard something before, I truly do not want to sound like a broken
record! I really don’t! (sorry for those of you that are too young to know what
a record is☹)
I really have
been rambling today, I guess in all my ramblings I want you to know that our
lives are not perfectly planned, but our Heavenly Father has a perfect plan for
each of us. We need to learn of His plan and embrace it, follow it, stay on the
right path. And when we get off track, we need to look back to Him – refocus
our life on Christ and move on – back on the right path to our heavenly home. There
is a way back to our heavenly home – and that is our earthly goal!!!
http://media.ldscdn.org/pdf/magazines/friend-november-2016/2016-11-05-your-path-to-happiness-eng.pdf
(Adapted from an October 1993 conference
address. See Ensign, November 1993, pages
72–75.)
Questions like “Where
did we come from?” “Why are we here?” and “Where are we going?” are answered in
the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Prophets have called it the Plan of Salvation and “the great plan of happiness”
(Alma 42:8).
Through inspiration we can understand this road map of eternity and use it to
guide our path in this life.
The gospel teaches us that we are the
spirit children of heavenly parents. Before our mortal birth, we lived as the
sons and daughters of the Eternal Father. We were placed here on earth to work
toward eternal life. These truths give us a unique perspective and different
values to guide our decisions from those who doubt the existence of God and
believe that life is not part of an eternal plan.
Our understanding of life begins with a
council in heaven. There the spirit children of God were taught his eternal
plan, the “great plan of happiness,” as Alma called it. We had progressed as
far as we could without a physical body. To realize a fulness of joy, we had to
prove our willingness to keep the commandments of God in a circumstance where
we had no memory of what took place before our birth on earth.
In our lives here on earth, we would
become subject to death, and we would be soiled by sin. To reclaim us from
death and sin, our Heavenly Father’s plan provided us a Savior, whose atonement
would redeem all from death and pay the price necessary for us all to be
forgiven of our sins if we keep his commandments and repent of our sins.
When we understand the Plan of Salvation,
we also understand the purpose and effect of the commandments God has given his
children. He teaches us correct principles and invites us to govern ourselves.
We do this by the choices we make.
We who know God’s plan and have
covenanted, or promised, to participate in it must desire to do what is right,
and we must do all that we can all our lives. When we have done all that we
can, we can rely on God’s promised mercy.
I know that
it is not easy to keep our focus on Christ, the world has a way of enveloping
us and swaying us this way and that. We need to be like the trees that are well
rooted and sway with the wind. They bend but they do not break, when the great
winds come and their roots keep them in their place – well-grounded and secure.
We need to be well grounded as well, our foundation needs to be built upon our
Savior, Jesus Christ! The quote above by President Russell M. Nelson – our
Prophet, says it best.
“It is
mentally rigorous to strive to look unto Him in every thought. But when we do,
our doubts and fears flee.”
I too,
struggle to look unto Him in every thought, but I try to do better every day. I
do know that when I do my fears and my doubts disappear and I am again at peace
within. I think this is especially important when we are facing any type of
trial or tribulation, sickness or disease – we need the peace that only the
Lord can give to us! Remember, He loves us too much to leave us alone. No
matter what we are facing He is always with us, we only need to reach out for
His hand and let Him lift us up.
In the
lifting, it isn’t always a cure – ok you are going to get well… ah… now! But
even if you are not cured in this life time, you will be raised to your perfect
frame in the next life, not even a hair of your head will be missing – WOW!
Amazing, right?
When we follow His plan, and keep His commandments, repent of
our sins and of any wrong doings receive a remission of our sins, we are
baptized and then we can receive the Holy Ghost. When we keep our covenants
with Him we are eligible to have the companionship of the Holy Ghost with us
always, every day, all day – to help us and guide us along our way. And each
time we make a mistake or sin, we have the opportunity to repent and be
forgiven of those mistakes and sins and begin again! And Again! And Again! AND
AGAIN!!
If you want
to learn more about our Heavenly Father’s plan of Happiness, you can go here: https://www.mormon.org/beliefs/plan-of-salvation
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