I asked five people, via facebook chat (the answers were surprisingly slim) and telephone conversations (which lasted much longer than my lack of sleep tells me it can tolerate) these questions for this blog post:
1) what do you think i am most passionate about?
2) what do you think i'm good at?
3) what do you see me doing or being in ten years?
Two of my best friends, Brian and Anna, were the first to whom i posed these questions; I asked Brian and another friend, Darius, via facebook, and Anna via telephone, but they all said Art, Art, and Art for all three questions, and would not/could not elaborate further.
My brother gave me the first detailed response: he said I am passionate about worship; about serving God; and being led by the Spirit to lead people in worship, especially through art. He said i'm good at expressing myself in fun ways, and that he could see me, in 10 years, serving a group of believers (through small groups and with my art) who were relationally restoring an area.... The explanation of this was a bit fuzzy, but I think it will make more sense in time.
I then called my dad, and he talked for a long time (that's probably an exaggeration) about how he saw me being a wonderful, supportive wife for an incredible husband, with 2-4 amazing kids. I like the way he described being a homemaker: like an Air Force base, from which planes launch on missions and to which they return to be refueled, repaired, restored, etc. (He was in the Air Force himself.) He said that I am good at music, relating to people, and capturing emotion-- all of which coincide perfectly with the previous posts on strengths and gifts. And he said I'm passionate about God. Saved the shortest answer for last. :]
I was surprised by the answers of my three friends: I thought they would say something about relating to people in at least one of the answers, but even though Brian and Anna are pretty close to me-- especially Anna-- all they said was Art. which is fine, i guess, i just feel like there's more to me (enter the prince in Swan Princess: "what else is there??")
My dad and brother, especially my brother, were a lot closer to my views. They know me better, I suppose. They told me a little more of my heart, or what i know of it, and how i'm about serving the Lord through my art and loving people. I don't know what the implications of this are. It feels just right, if I take what everyone said and kind of shake it together, and I feel like that's the direction my life is going right now.
So.
Yes.
Good night, all :)
Thursday, September 23, 2010
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
Showdown: spiritual gifts vs. superstrengthsquestthemes!
I don't know why, i just thought that would be a very exciting title :D like the two would head off in a video game/Scott Pilgrim style. or something.
Welp, i'm guessing you guys read the last post, the one where i talked about my spiritual gifts. now I get to tell you, among other things, about my top strengths! again according to a website-- this one this time. I feel like it was, again, fairly accurate. It labeled me as Empathy, Communication, Positivity, Adaptability, and Developer. I really agree with positivity, empathy, and adaptability. You have no idea what i'm talking about? let me explain. :)
Positivity means that i'm kind of irrepressibly fine all the time. I mean, i get emotional and sad, for sure, but it usually swings back to Happy on the pendulum of lindsey's emotions. So this explains why i'm perfectly all right doing four hours of work study on less than adequate hours of sleep; as long as I've got music or something, i'm just having a party.
Adaptability is the reason that i didn't start my homework til, oh, 9:30 or 10:00 tonight. hahah. right. I mean, it's a good thing when life is throwing a bunch of things at me that might bother most people, but it also means that I will willingly spend an hour letting you teach me mandolin or looking through all the pictures you've taken, or spend extra time after supper talking about things that are important to girls..... which means i don't start my work until late, late, late. heh, whoops.
And then there's empathy. I usually know what people are feeling, i guess, and can answer some questions before they're asked... because i'm psychic. ;D And if i can't, or when it's not evident to me what a person is feeling/experiencing/thinking (this happens, or used to happen much more often, with my sister), i get pretty frustrated. So there's a good chance that, at some point, I will ask you what you're feeling and/or thinking. Is that being nosy? i hope not.
I can't see many links between my gifts and my themes, besides between Empathy, Adaptability, and Hospitality. there just aren't perfect matches. I shouldn't expect any, i suppose. Empathy and adaptability seem to be vital in the welcoming of people into one's home. The only change in that part of my life is that i tidied up my part of the room a little bit.... people just don't come over very often... it feels weird!
all right, i'll stop. i'm just rambling now. I will say, however, from looking at these "strengths" and "gifts," that I'm pretty sure God made me for other people-- to minister to & love them. I know i said pretty much the same thing in the last post. I guess i like hearing myself say that. :) yeah, He made us all to do this. i'd just much rather be developing relationships than checking things off my to-do list. much.
blog. check. :]
Welp, i'm guessing you guys read the last post, the one where i talked about my spiritual gifts. now I get to tell you, among other things, about my top strengths! again according to a website-- this one this time. I feel like it was, again, fairly accurate. It labeled me as Empathy, Communication, Positivity, Adaptability, and Developer. I really agree with positivity, empathy, and adaptability. You have no idea what i'm talking about? let me explain. :)
Positivity means that i'm kind of irrepressibly fine all the time. I mean, i get emotional and sad, for sure, but it usually swings back to Happy on the pendulum of lindsey's emotions. So this explains why i'm perfectly all right doing four hours of work study on less than adequate hours of sleep; as long as I've got music or something, i'm just having a party.
Adaptability is the reason that i didn't start my homework til, oh, 9:30 or 10:00 tonight. hahah. right. I mean, it's a good thing when life is throwing a bunch of things at me that might bother most people, but it also means that I will willingly spend an hour letting you teach me mandolin or looking through all the pictures you've taken, or spend extra time after supper talking about things that are important to girls..... which means i don't start my work until late, late, late. heh, whoops.
And then there's empathy. I usually know what people are feeling, i guess, and can answer some questions before they're asked... because i'm psychic. ;D And if i can't, or when it's not evident to me what a person is feeling/experiencing/thinking (this happens, or used to happen much more often, with my sister), i get pretty frustrated. So there's a good chance that, at some point, I will ask you what you're feeling and/or thinking. Is that being nosy? i hope not.
I can't see many links between my gifts and my themes, besides between Empathy, Adaptability, and Hospitality. there just aren't perfect matches. I shouldn't expect any, i suppose. Empathy and adaptability seem to be vital in the welcoming of people into one's home. The only change in that part of my life is that i tidied up my part of the room a little bit.... people just don't come over very often... it feels weird!
all right, i'll stop. i'm just rambling now. I will say, however, from looking at these "strengths" and "gifts," that I'm pretty sure God made me for other people-- to minister to & love them. I know i said pretty much the same thing in the last post. I guess i like hearing myself say that. :) yeah, He made us all to do this. i'd just much rather be developing relationships than checking things off my to-do list. much.
blog. check. :]
Thursday, September 9, 2010
Spiritual gifts
Well, the top 3 gifts told me by this survey were Craftsmanship, Music, and Hospitality. I agree with that. I didn't know that craftsmanship & music were spiritual gifts, but hey, i'm not complaining. :D Next is exhortation and discernment, which i also find fitting.
Craftsmanship fits me perfectly. Name something, and there's a good chance i can draw it. Not to boast or anything, but God has gifted me artistically, and i absolutely love using that gift. There have been a couple times when the Lord has given me a picture to draw, and i drew it, and people would just stare at the picture and soak, so to speak. That's so exciting to me, that God would communicate nonverbally through my work. It's the reason i'm here at JBU, to develop this gift so He can use it to an even greater extent.
I also really like music. If you know me pretty well, you'll know that's an understatement. I have a song quote for almost anything you'll say ("for anything you'll say, now"-- anything you say, by Deas Vail. haha). I didn't fully realize, or even take time to think about, the ministry potential with music til i got here, and a great majority of my friends are majoring in it... Mainly i love music because it's fun and beautiful and glorifying to God; i'd love to learn more of it, and get better, and be in the chapel band, or something like that.
Hospitality fits with my family very well. We love people and loving on people. I'm not sure how well it fits me personally, because, obviously, i've never had a house of my own, and i'm always doing homework in my (messy and maybe uninviting :/ ) dorm room. So i might have to work on that gift a little bit. :) but i do love people. Peoplepeoplepeople.
I usually don't think that exhortation and discernment fit me, but the more i think about it, the more examples i can find of those two in my life. I'm always one of the silly cheerleaders in a sporting event: "go team! you guys are awesome! get iiit!" ....things like that. My mom and others have mentioned that they saw me having discernment; I can usually see root causes of things like behaviors, and i try to think of people as more than what they are on the surface. Example: bookstore lady today. I had the wrong textbook and was almost too late to do anything about it, and she was annoyed from working conditions and probably a few disrespectful students; i did my best to treat her as respectfully and good-naturedly as possible, and she eventually lightened up and acted much more like the grandmother that i'm sure she is.
I love connecting with people like that, seeing more of who they really are inside. It's something i still struggle with-- not to judge by appearances, but to look at every person with the knowledge that they're probably awesome inside, because God made them and loves them.
song that's been in my head this whole time: World news by Local Natives. :)
Craftsmanship fits me perfectly. Name something, and there's a good chance i can draw it. Not to boast or anything, but God has gifted me artistically, and i absolutely love using that gift. There have been a couple times when the Lord has given me a picture to draw, and i drew it, and people would just stare at the picture and soak, so to speak. That's so exciting to me, that God would communicate nonverbally through my work. It's the reason i'm here at JBU, to develop this gift so He can use it to an even greater extent.
I also really like music. If you know me pretty well, you'll know that's an understatement. I have a song quote for almost anything you'll say ("for anything you'll say, now"-- anything you say, by Deas Vail. haha). I didn't fully realize, or even take time to think about, the ministry potential with music til i got here, and a great majority of my friends are majoring in it... Mainly i love music because it's fun and beautiful and glorifying to God; i'd love to learn more of it, and get better, and be in the chapel band, or something like that.
Hospitality fits with my family very well. We love people and loving on people. I'm not sure how well it fits me personally, because, obviously, i've never had a house of my own, and i'm always doing homework in my (messy and maybe uninviting :/ ) dorm room. So i might have to work on that gift a little bit. :) but i do love people. Peoplepeoplepeople.
I usually don't think that exhortation and discernment fit me, but the more i think about it, the more examples i can find of those two in my life. I'm always one of the silly cheerleaders in a sporting event: "go team! you guys are awesome! get iiit!" ....things like that. My mom and others have mentioned that they saw me having discernment; I can usually see root causes of things like behaviors, and i try to think of people as more than what they are on the surface. Example: bookstore lady today. I had the wrong textbook and was almost too late to do anything about it, and she was annoyed from working conditions and probably a few disrespectful students; i did my best to treat her as respectfully and good-naturedly as possible, and she eventually lightened up and acted much more like the grandmother that i'm sure she is.
I love connecting with people like that, seeing more of who they really are inside. It's something i still struggle with-- not to judge by appearances, but to look at every person with the knowledge that they're probably awesome inside, because God made them and loves them.
song that's been in my head this whole time: World news by Local Natives. :)
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