"Your talent is God's gift to you. What you do with it is your gift back to God." ~ Leo Buscaglia

A week ago, I was asked to speak in church, and I thought it was a subject that may be of some interest to those who couldn't be there....

About a month ago, I was driving in the car with my sister. We have a pretty long commute to and from work, but it’s a fun time to be together and to talk. On this particular night, we somehow got on the subject of talents, and I shared with my sister how I thought I was adequate at a lot of things, but not OUTSTANDING at one particular thing - I didn’t feel like there was one thing that I was “ridiculously talented” at doing. After thinking about it a moment, my sister offered her thoughts to try to help me recognize the good (because that’s a talent that’s she’s really good at!):

“Well, you’re really nurturing.” she told me. I appreciated that she was trying to make me feel better, but I couldn’t help thinking that I’d rather have a talent that would make it easier to pay the bills!

That same weekend, a member of the bishopric asked me to speak in church, and he gave me my topic: “Developing our talents” and “using them to benefit others.” I thought Ok, this couldn’t be a coincidence. There must be something the Lord wants me to learn.

WE’RE ALL GIVEN TALENTS
When I began searching this topic, of course the first thing that came to mind was the parable of the entrusted talents that Jesus taught in Matthew 25:

14 ¶For the kingdom of heaven is as a man travelling into a far country, who called his own servants, and delivered unto them his goods.
15 And unto one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one; to every man according to his several ability; and straightway took his journey.

Of the three servants, the ones who were given 5 and 2 talents each doubled their talents. But the one who was given only one hid his in the ground b/c he “was afraid.” When the lord of the servants returned, they each told him what they had done. To the servants that had doubled their talents, the lord said,
21 ...Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.

But to the servant that hid his talent, the lord took it away from him and gave it to the servant that had ten, saying,
29 For unto every one that hath shall be given, and he shall have abundance: but from him that hath not shall be taken away even that which he hath.

What stood out to me as I’ve re-read this parable, is that the servant of the one talent hid it out of fear. How many of us have felt like that servant, afraid to develop our talent - or doubtful if it’s a very good talent to begin with, and if it really isn’t that great then it might as well be hidden away b/c nobody wants it anyway.....Or maybe we fear b/c we compare our talents to others, or we fail to recognize our talent altogether.  

In one of my favorite talks by Elder Jeffrey R. Holland, entitled “The OtherProdigal,” he addresses these feelings:
Someone or something is forever telling us we need to be more handsome or more wealthy, more applauded or more admired than we see ourselves as being....
We are bombarded with the message that on the world’s scale of things we have been weighed in the balance and found wanting.

A TALENT FOR SPIRITUALITY
Thankfully, we don’t need to rely on the world’s messages alone. Because of the restored Gospel of Jesus Christ, we know who we are - each one of us is a beloved son or daughter of God. And, as Elder Holland has stated, “no one of us is less treasured or cherished of God than another.”

Each one of us has been given talents - just as every servant in the parable was given talents. How many talents we have doesn’t affect our importance to our Heavenly Father. He doesn’t compare us to others, He just wants us to develop the gifts and talents we’ve been given. One talent that each of us has, can help us as we seek to identify and develop other talents, that is the Talent for Spirituality.
Elder Bruce R. McConkie once said that this was “above all talents” and “chief among all endowments.”

We had this talent as spirits in the pre-earth life, as seen by Abraham in the Pearl of Great Price: (Abraham 3:22-23)
22 Now the Lord had shown unto me, Abraham, the intelligences that were organized before the world was; and among all these there were many of the noble and great ones;
23 And God saw these souls that they were good, and he stood in the midst of them, and he said: These I will make my rulers; for he stood among those that were spirits, and he saw that they were good; and he said unto me: Abraham, thou art one of them; thou wast chosen before thou wast born.

Each one of those souls [each one of us] that Abraham saw that were ‘good’ chose to follow our Heavenly Father and His Plan of Happiness for us by coming to earth and receiving a body. This talent for spirituality has remained with us - it is the reason why we’re here today. It enables us to recognize truth, and listen to and follow the Spirit of the Lord.

WHAT TALENTS SHOULD WE DEVELOP
Although this Talent for Spirituality can help us follow Moroni’s admonition to “lay hold upon every good gift” (Moroni 10:30), I confess I still sometimes struggle identifying talents that I have, or knowing what talents I should work on developing.

In thinking about what talents I should develop, I started thinking about the many different talents that I’ve observed in the people in my life. But as I was thinking about all of the people in my life, I thought of One that is the most talented - Christ. And as I was pondering Christ’s talents, charity came to mind.

[In Moroni 7, Mormon teaches us about this gift -
45 And charity suffereth long, and is kind, and envieth not, and is not puffed up, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil, and rejoiceth not in iniquity but rejoiceth in the truth, beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.
46 Wherefore, my beloved brethren, if ye have not charity, ye are nothing, for charity never faileth. Wherefore, cleave unto charity, which is the greatest of all, for all things must fail—
47 But charity is the pure love of Christ, and it endureth forever; and whoso is found possessed of it at the last day, it shall be well with him.]

I was surprised to find that “Charity” - the pure love of Christ - is often referred to in the scriptures as a “talent.” I don’t know about you, but I haven’t seen anybody win “America’s Got Talent” because of their talent for having charity towards others. (Actually, to be honest I’ve never even watched “America’s Got Talent.”) But when I think about the quality I most admire in the Savior and others in my life, and the talent that they’ve shared that’s blessed my life the most, it’s charity.

The Bible Dictionary defines charity as:
 The highest, noblest, strongest kind of love, not merely affection; the pure love of Christ. It is never used to denote alms or deeds of benevolence, although it may be a prompting motive
Along with being one of the most important gifts we can possess, Charity is also important as the motivation behind how we use our other talents - and how we use them to benefit others.

But going back to considering Christ’s talents, it makes sense to me why I didn’t instantly think “Charity” when thinking about “talents” -- it’s not something the world places much focus on -- it certainly wasn’t during Christ’s time, as Nephi writes in the Book of Mormon:

9 And the world, because of their iniquity, shall judge him to be a thing of naught; wherefore they scourge him, and he suffereth it; and they smite him, and he suffereth it. Yea, they spit upon him, and he suffereth it, because of his loving kindness and his long-suffering towards the children of men. (1 Ne. 19:9)

As we seek to develop our talent of charity - and other skills and attributes - we can’t get discouraged if the world isn’t lining up to shower us with awards or recognition. As Nephi tells us,
7 For the things which some men esteem to be of great worth, both to the body and soul, others set at naught and trample under their feet. Yea, even the very God of Israel do men trample under their feet; (1 Ne. 19:7)

Christ’s talents weren’t recognized by everyone during his lifetime, yet he continued to do the work His Father sent Him to do.  

Each of us has work that we were sent here to do - and that includes developing our talents. Along with the talents we brought with us to this life from the pre-existence, this life is the time to develop other talents. Some talents seem to be innate, while others take considerable effort and learning.  As this life is a “probationary state; a time to prepare to meet God,” it is the time to allow the Spirit - through our Talent for Spirituality - to guide us as we try to develop different talents.

SEEK EARNESTLY THE BEST GIFTS
In the scriptures we are commanded to “seek ye earnestly the best gifts,” remembering that “every good gift cometh of Christ.”

Once we have found those good gifts and desire to pursue them, we are not alone in the development of them - the Lord will help us.
President Henry B. Eyring, in his talk from 2009, “Real-Life Education,” states,
The Lord and His Church have always encouraged education to increase our ability to serve Him and our Heavenly Father’s children. For each of us, whatever our talents, He has service for us to give. And to do it well always involves learning, not once or for a limited time, but continually.
Through prayer, fasting, and hard work, with a motive to serve Him, we can expect His grace to attend us.

HOW DO WE DEVELOP TALENTS
Heavenly Father wants to bless us with talents or gifts, so that we can bless others, but we need to ASK. In the Doctrine & Covenants it states, “Ye are commanded in all things to ask of God, who giveth liberally.”

And as we humbly ask and rely on the Lord to help us grow and improve in our talents, we will see in our lives the help He promises in the Book ofMormon:
27 And if men come unto me I will show unto them their weakness. I give unto men weakness that they may be humble; and my grace is sufficient for all men that humble themselves before me; for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them.

Although we may get discouraged, or feel that our talents aren’t good enough or worthwhile, we need to remember the prophet Alma’s words in the Book of Mormon:
"that by small and simple things are great things brought to pass"

We also can’t allow ourselves to get caught up in focusing on the talents we haven’t been given, or the number of talents we have. While there are many gifts of the Spirit, as listed in section 46 of the Doctrine & Covenants, the Lord tells us,
For all have not every gift given unto them; for there are many gifts, and to every man is given a gift by the Spirit of God.
To some is given one, and to some is given another, that all may be profited thereby.
Like the servant in the parable, we cannot fear - we can’t waste the ONE talent we’ve been given just because we don’t have FIVE.
As the Lord tells us in D&C 64:33:
33 Wherefore, be not weary in well-doing, for ye are laying the foundation of a great work. And out of small things proceedeth that which is great.

Of the Parable of the Talents, the prophet Joseph Smith taught, “When the Master in the Savior’s parable of the stewards called his servants before him he gave them several talents to improve on while he should tarry abroad for a little season, and when he returned he called for an accounting. So it is now, Our Master is absent only for a little season, and at the end of it He will call each to render an account; and where the 5 talents were bestowed, ten will be required; and he that has made no improvement will be cast out as an unprofitable servant, while the faithful enjoy everlasting honors.”

President James E. Faust, in a talk from 2002 (“I Believe I Can, I Knew I Could”) echoed the Prophet Joseph’s words:
The Lord entrusts all of His servants... with spiritual talents. The Lord, who endows us with these talents, tells us: “I believe you can. I believe you can.” While we are not all equal in experience, aptitude, and strength, we have different opportunities to employ these spiritual gifts, and we will all be accountable for the use of the gifts and opportunities given to us.

Heavenly Father has blessed each one of us with talents. The number of talents we have makes no difference to Him, and He doesn’t compare our talents to the talents of others. His desire is that we take those gifts that we’ve been blessed with, those talents that are uniquely our own, and become our very best. It is only then that our talents can truly benefit and bless the lives of others. 

I win the Most Awkward Award

(Not to be confused with the contest my sister won to meet the cast of "Awkward"....)

So, the other day I was headed into work and I decided to take a shortcut to check in for my shift. I thought I knew the way to go, but somehow I ended up in the wrong break room and came face to face with...a group of hunky men. Let's just say they are in very good shape. And do some pretty cool stunts.

"Hey!" one of them greeted me, "Come on in!" I knew he was just humoring the Poor Dweeby Lost Girl who obviously was in the wrong place. I could feel my awkwardness diffusing through the air.

"Sorry, " I said. "I'm lost..." and  I proceeded to tell them what I thought this place was - the place I was looking for.

"Nope," said the friendly stunt guy. "This isn't it."

I wanted to beeline out of there as fast as I could but I couldn't resist. So, before turning around and leaving I said, "Nope, it sure isn't - it's better looking!"

Better Alone Than Poorly Accompanied

Recently, my mom got a stack of books out of the library all about finding a man. "Why Men Marry Certain Women and Not Others," "Getting the Love You Want," stuff like that. Let me tell you, dating is a weird and wacky thing by itself - but it's even weirder when your parents are divorced and mom and pop are out there dating other people, too. I have a hard time with those dating books. Sometimes I feel like they make me MORE nervous/neurotic/awkward because instead of just being myself around guys, I get all stressed trying to remember all of the "tips and tricks" listed in these "helpful" books.

I did read some from one of the books she got - "Women Have All the Power....Too Bad They Don't Know It." In the book that the author, Michael J. Lockwood, wrote specifically for his teenage daughters, he gives a lot of advice - much of it common sense, in my opinion - and speaks from the male point of view. While I only got 1/3 of the way through it (it made me anxious trying to remember all the ways to properly use my "power"), one of the things he said really stuck with me, so I made a note of it on my phone. In one chapter he wrote, "better alone than poorly accompanied." And that really hit me.

I wasn't the kind of girl that did a lot of dating in high school. Actually, I did almost no dating in high school. I think I can count on one hand the amount of dates I went on before I went to college (and not much changed when I got there, either). And for a girl that grew up eating and drinking movie musicals (where life doesn't really begin until you've got a gorgeous baritone chasing your down), life was pretty lonely as opportunities to date seemed to get lost in the mail.

In the years that have followed, I've had opportunities to date. Sometimes it's quality, sometimes just quantity (as in, "well, at least I have a date...."). And I fully understand that a girl has to date a lot of frogs before she finds her prince. But lately I've begun to understand what the author meant when he stressed, "better alone than poorly accompanied." There are times when it's definitely better (and more enjoyable, I might add) to be by yourself than out with a man. Especially if he makes you feel like you're less than you are.

I wish this concept had sunk in when I was 19. Or 22. Or 27. I may have been able to spare myself some frustration and heartache. Or maybe the true way to reach this conclusion is by going on all those awful dates and being in the bad relationships, so that you eventually (sooner, rather than later!) come to realize, "hey, I'm not bad company, but this guy is."

Now, don't get me wrong, I'm all for giving a date the benefit of the doubt (as I'd want him to give to me), and focusing on a guy's strengths rather than dwelling on his weaknesses. I sometimes feel like my whole life is one big awkward moment, so I'm totally up for cutting a guy some slack. But there are certain traits that I feel fall under the "poorly accompanied" category - if he belittles you, manipulates you, uses you, disrespects you, criticizes you, or abuses you in any way. In any of these cases, I feel that there is nothing shameful about staying home with the TV and a bowl of ice cream - or going shopping - or going to the gym - or getting groceries - or organizing your closet - or paying bills - or "dancing it out" in your living room - or taking a bubble bath - or doing anything that you enjoy, a healthy activity that makes you feel good - instead of going out on a date with a less than desirable lad.

The world is really good at telling us what makes us successful, and what gives us worth. It even sometimes tells us that if we aren't going out on a lot of dates, or in a relationship, or being pursued by members of the opposite sex 24/7, then we are L-O-S-E-R-S. But I've seen a lot of unhappy people who date quite a bit, or are in a relationship. I've been there myself. I've felt so lonely that I figure any guy is better than no guy. But you know those things they tell you you'll learn as you get older? Well, one of them is realizing that you're pretty darn great just the way you are, even if you're all on your own.

I never watched "Sex and the City," but thanks to Pinterest, I've found a lot of great quotes, including this one from that show --

"...the most exciting, challenging, and significant relationship of all is the one you have is with yourself. And if you can find someone to love the you you love, well, that's just fabulous."

So, don't worry -- the Right One will come along. And he'll be worth waiting for. And we'll probably have to go on a lot more dates until we find him. But until then, don't overlook or sacrifice the amazingness that you are just to be with somebody. Remember, better alone than poorly accompanied.

emBody: ED Talks #4: The Story of My Body--by Adele G.

My amazing, beautiful, talented friend, Dana, has created this blog that I think is one of the most uplifting and inspiring things on the internet today. In a world where we are constantly told what is "wrong" with our bodies, this blog celebrates what gifts they are, explores the mind-body-spirit connection, and promotes healing and strength for anyone who battles eating disorders or other struggles with his/her body.

At the encouragement of family and friends, this is my piece that I wrote for her blog. It was difficult to organize the jumble of thoughts in my brain that had bumped around for decades, but it was worth it. If you struggle when you look in the mirror - or know someone that does - you need to check out this blog. Echoing the blog's intro: "Healing is possible. Living is the reward."


emBody: ED Talks #4: The Story of My Body--by Adele G.: I went on my first diet was when I was eleven years old. I was tired of being the “chubby one” in the family. Tired of having a pot belly ...

30, Flirty, and Thriving

I turned 30 years old a couple of weeks ago. At first, I wasn't really looking forward to it. Despite the encouragement from well-wishers telling me, "30 is the new 20," "30 is just a number," and other positive statements, I lacked the oh-mi-gosh-my-birthday-is-coming-up-I-can't-wait excitement that I felt when I was younger. In the weeks leading up to my birthday, I even hesitated to make solid plans to celebrate, thinking that if I didn't make plans, maybe it wouldn't happen and I would keep being 29 (note to all, that doesn't work). Long story short -- too late -- leading up to my birthday I felt like this:

I really don't know why I was slightly freaking out. Maybe it was those thoughts in my head (thanks to the small minority in society that still thinks this way) telling me that if I was turning 30 I should be married with 2.5 kids instead of being single and living at home with my mom. Or maybe because I couldn't think of what exactly to do for my birthday. Being the overachiever that I am, I felt that I needed to do something REEEEEAAALLY epic for my 30th (where's Tori Spelling to be my party planner when I need her?!). Caribbean cruise, trip to Paris, surfing in Hawaii, time-traveling....all of them were out. If I were a different person, I'd probably get a tattoo or pierce something not on my face....but yeah, that wasn't going to happen.

What ended up happening was pretty cool - and further evidence that you never stop learning, no matter how old you get. In an appropriately-timed life lesson, despite my stressing to come up with the perfect celebration plans, my 30th turned out to be serendipitously amazing mostly on its own. Reiterating that life doesn't turn out how you plan - it turns out better. Here are just a few of the highlights, and, in my opinion, things that make for a pretty spectacular 30th birthday.

Flowers

The Friday before my birthday, I came home to a box of flowers from my bestest friend, Darcy.

She spoils me, 'cause, as she says, "Someone has to!"

Treats


The next day, this bundle of sweets was waiting on my doorstep from Joy, Joe, and Ruby.

The dialog bubble cookie came that way - how perfect is that?! Since all of my friends really are characters. ;)

Yeah, the contents of that basket are gone already.

Sparkles


A week before my birthday, my cousin and his wife were in town, and while we were doing some window shopping, I found a store that had a tiara section. My cousin's wife said that she thought I needed a tiara for my 30th, I agreed. This was their gift to me, and I used it well - I pretty much wore it all weekend. :)

The surest way to get excited for your birthday? Buy a tiara.

My mom surprised me with some more sparkles for my birthday that nearly brought me to tears and caused me to shake a little bit.

Diamond hug & kiss? Yes, please!

Hugh Jackman


Along with the beautiful necklace and other girly goodies, Mom also surprised me with my favorite leading man.

Obviously, I didn't get Hugh in the flesh, but, technically, I got Hugh - in the form of this

And this

Awesome musical number
My dad and I had a day of Disney fun to celebrate my birthday, including dinner at Germany, where we got to be a part of this.




So, to everyone that is nervous about an upcoming birthday, take heart. It turns out that all of my anxieties about it were all for nothing - it was actually one of the best birthdays ever. I am the luckiest girl in the world - and now, "30, flirty, and thriving."

A photographer in the family

I wanted to share the latest post from my dad's blog.  He came to Disney with me last Friday (and the Friday before, but that's another blog post....), and he took some of the prettiest pictures of the scenery around the parks (along with some great shots of the cutest little teacup!).  Dad has always had such a knack for photography - his pictures always make you feel like you're right there.



A Work in Progress...: Meeting Chip at Beauty and the Beast: Since I missed catching up with Chip a week ago Friday, I met Adele again this past Friday to give it another go. I wanted to leave St. Pe...

I shun the latest trends....unless they're super cool

I try to be an individual.  Just because everyone is talking about / reading / watching / participating in "the new, cool thing,"  I have to stop and deliberate over whether it's something I actually want to invest myself in.  I don't watch "Dancing with the Stars," "The Bachelor," or "American Idol."  I cringe when I see a commercial or read about the "amazing new diet" trend that is sweeping the nation.  I still haven't read an entire book from the "Twilight" series, and I actually stopped watching "Glee" months ago.  Maybe I'm just stubborn, or maybe holding out on following what's popular subconsciously gives me a sick sense of pride and superiority......whatever the reason, I don't like to go along with stuff just because "everyone else is doing it."

Except for this

Oh, and these

And let's not forget THIS

Ok, maybe I'm not as original an individual as I think - but I AM a little picky about what new fad I'm going to embrace (sorry, skinny jeans, it's never going to happen).  It usually has to come highly recommended by someone very close to me, but even then I can need some prodding.
I resisted The Hunger Games for so long after my younger sister said I HAD to read them, and then they became added to my list of all-time favorite books.  So when my youngest sister told me to watch Once Upon A Time, I started soon after she told me to - and now I'm hooked.

What sealed the deal was the episode from a couple weeks ago, when the story inspiration was Beauty and the Beast.  That is already one of my favorite fairy tales, and probably my #1 favorite Disney Princess movie (I think I'll have to devote a blog post to it one of these days), and the way OUAT handled it was truly for the die hard B&B fans (in my opinion).

There was Belle in her yellow ball gown.

And her blue dress.

But I think what made me holler out loud at the TV was the fact that some unenchanted enchanted objects made it into the episode as well

(Check out the candle and clock in the background to the right, and Mrs. Potts on the tray to the left.)

It's easy to almost miss the Lumiere and Cogsworth cameos, but it was hard to ignore this one:

"It's chipped."

HAHAHA!!!