50 MOMENTS

About a year ago, I purchased a book by Lisa Bearnson called "50 Moments....scrapbook the pages that matter most" My intentions was to take each one of these "moments" and scrapbook them over the course of a year. That has not worked out so well! It is just not my time and season to scrapbook, I guess, but I still want to journal. I may not have time to cut, paste, and create but I can type for 10 min. so I have decided to take each one of the challenges and blog them instead. Someday I will transfer the journaling from my blog to a scrapbook page.

So I try to do one or two challenges a week.

#1 Talents and Gifts- What are your talents and gifts? When did you discover your talents? How have others' talents enriched your life?

This is a hard question. It is difficult to talk about your good points. I can easily point out my faults but to sit and think about my talents and gifts takes much more soul searching.

I think I am good with children....especially toddlers. I am not very good with babies.....I get very impatient, but I think I am very patient and actually enjoy toddlers. The age 3-6 is my favorite. I teach preschool and I am constantly amused by the things they say and the way their brain works. It is so fun to watch them try something, it not work, sit and analyze it, and then try again. Take the time on day to just watch your children and you will be amazed.

I also think I am a decent church speaker. This is something that has not come easily. I used to get very nervous when I was in front of people. I was in the RS presidency 10 years ago and HATED to conduct. My voice would literally shake! When Dave got called to be on the High Council and had to speak every month in a different ward, I was often asked to speak with him. (in our stake they the HC would speak and then choose someone to testify after him. That person would give a short 5-10 min talk and bear testimony on the given topic) I found that I never had a talk prepared for the right amount of time. I either had too much time left or not enough. I decided that I wanted to be the kind of person that would prepare for a talk, make an outline, and just go by the spirit. Dave was on the HC for 15 months and I spoke with him 8 times. Never once was I able to give a talk "by the spirit" alone. I always had my talk written out. Of course, it changed but still, I had it written out word for word and gave a very memorized talk. I then got called to the RS President and had many, many speaking opportunities. I again renew my goal to become a better church speaker. I have been in this calling for 2 1/2 hears and the last two lessons I have given have been "by the spirit" with only an outline prepared. This has been a huge accomplishment to me. It is a goal that has taken me 4 years to accomplish. I don't know if I could go so far as to say it is a talent but I do feel like my ability to do better has been a gift from my Heavenly Father. As far as how have others talents enriched my life......as far as this particular goal, to become a better church speaker, I felt inspired by my sister Kim. I have always felt like she was so comfortable in front of a group. Way back when she was in the RS presidency and I was in her ward for something, I remember thinking to myself, "I want to be as comfortable in front of people as Kim". I have never told her how much she inspired me so thank you Kim!