Why Do I Blog?

With the recent opening of the 2015 A to Z Blogging Challenge list, I have felt a need to share with all of my loyal and possibly new readers some of the reasons why I blog.  When I first decided to venture into the world of blogging back in September 2007,  I really didn't know exactly what I had in mind other than trying to discover what blogging was all about; hence the original name of this blog:  Random Thoughts. I decided to occasionally post a few random thoughts just to see what transpired.

A few weeks later in October of 2007 Elder Henry B Eyring, an Apostle of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints gave a talk in General Conference  that really hit me hard as something that I should be doing in my life.   (You can read or watch and listen to the talk Oh Remember, Remember, right here).

The talk basically tells about how Elder Eyring one day decided when his children were small that he should be recording each day the ways he observed the Lord blessing the lives of his family.  He wrote down a few lines every day, never missing a day.  His gratitude for his blessings grew, as did his testimony.  He made copies of the record for his children, which strengthened their gratitude and testimonies.

 I have kept some sort of a diary or journal ever since I was quite young, starting out with a little five year diary with space for me to write  five or so lines every day.  (It even had a lock and key!)  During my teenage and young adult years I wrote in my journal almost daily, and usually at some length. There were many details of the ups and downs of school and social life and faith and hopes and dreams, and yes, of course, of BOYS.  Eventually DH and I met and married, and my life settled down a bit.

As a young mother I found that many of my journal entries were becoming rather negative and whiny, and I stopped taking the time to write every day.  I also  was becoming more and more accustomed to having ready access to computers, and writing by hand in journals was time consuming . . .  and it made my hand hurt!!  At some point I realized that Random Thoughts  would perhaps be a good venue for recording the daily blessings or tender mercies that  I recognize in my life.   It was at then that I changed the name of my blog from "Random Thoughts" to "Random Thoughts and Tender Mercies" and the blog has pretty much become my main "journal".

It has been over seven years since I first heard Elder Eyring's talk, but I am often reminded of it, and my desire and intent is to do the same.  I sometimes do well at recording my blessings, and other times slack off. My own father has been a wonderful example to me and others of keeping a daily journal or record of his life, and also of writing and sharing his experiences and thoughts with his family on a regular weekly basis, and has often encouraged us to do the same.  Both he and my mother have written their own life stories and continue to add to them and to write regularly to their children.

Random Thoughts and Tender Mercies is somewhat of a personal blog.  I never intended for it to be totally private, but I never really intended to advertise what I write here either.  I'm a rather private person, and don't enjoy being the center of attention.  But as time passed, I discovered more blogs and bloggers, and blogging challenges.  There were writers, and readers, and authors, and quilters, and crafters and mommy bloggers.  I have always loved to read, and I kept discovering more and more favorite bloggers to follow and read.

 I have also always liked to write, especially since access to computers has made the process less tiring for me.  Eventually I realized that I wanted to expand a bit and sometimes blog about other topics, join some writing and blogging challenges, meet and share with other bloggers, and even write a bit about other topics that I would be more comfortable sharing with the blogging world.  I still wanted to keep my focus on gratitude at Random Thoughts and Tender Mercies, so in 2011 I began another blog, Creation and Compassion.  Over there I  blog about ways that I try to be creative and I sometimes  share opportunities that I find to help myself and others become more compassionate.  The name of this blog was inspired by another talk by another Apostle, Happiness, Your Heritage  by Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf.

So there you have it:  a rather long explanation of why I blog.  I don't blog every single day, but I still try to find time to read and write on a regular basis.  Take a look, if you like what you see, come on back and visit again another day!