Talents

   I am so excited for a VDay package! Wow! I am so blessed.  Oh MY! So there is a cupcake place here! It is called Georgetown Cupcakes! Look at their website! They are so yummy! (Nikki loves gourmet cupcakes) One of our members bought us a cupcake for dessert! DELICIOUS!    

 Well, this will be another short week because I only have about 10 minutes. I love this work so much! I have found that I have a knack for making people feel at ease. I realize that God gives us each gifts that we are meant to share with others. (Doctrine and Covenants 46:8-9. ......seek ye earnestly the best gifts, always remembering for what they are given. For verily I say unto you, they are given for the benefit of those who love me and keep all my commandments, and him that seeketh so to do; .......) How important it is to share our gifts! Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and Glorify your Father which is in heaven. (Matt. 5:16) I have realized that we live in a wonderful world full of wonderful people with wonderful things to share. And at the same time we often miss it for a few reasons. One we fail to recognize that this Earth was made for us to inhabit and that God has provided a place that provides for our needs even if it doesn't always provide for our wants. Everyday I used to look at the sky and realize that it was so beautiful --- even if it was stormy the sky was exquisite. This is one small and simple way that it has been testified to me that God does love me and that He has created something like the beauty of the sky to remind me of that. (All things denote there is a God.) Two we fail to recognize that we are ALL children of God. He loves each and everyone of us. This makes us all brothers and sisters. So each day we should be recognizing that each of the people we meet is of value and we should treat them as such. (The worth of souls is great!) And Three we fail to recognize that we have sharable talents. This is the saddest of all. There is a quote by either Marrianne Williamson or Nelson Mandela or both that says, "Our greatest fear is not that we are inadequate, It is that we are powerful beyond measure.... (please find the rest of this quote for me)" How true this statement is. We should not shrink from the abilities that we have. We should share them. If we, as a people, would share our abilities with those that surround us always doing good our world would become a better place and a happier place --- We would allow others to be their greatest selves, to rise above what is expected by man and to reach the potential that God has given each of us to be powerful beyond measure. I know that God wants this for each of us and as brothers and sisters we should want this for each other. We should reach out a helping hand with the talents that we have and lift those that we meet and we should allow them to do the same for us.

I love the thought that we could live in a world where we can use our talents for the benefits of others. I love the thought that we could encourage others to do the same. I love the thought that as we do so we could live in a society free of comparing. When we compare ourselves with others nobody wins. So I challenge each of you to look for the good that you can do and to look for the best in yourself and then to look for the best in others. Make a list of your good qualities and the talents you can share and then express them. As you do this I know that your life will take a positive spin. You can see the good around you and develop an attitude of gratitude. I also know that as you do this you will allow others to do the same. Let us all encourage one another to be happier with ourselves and those around us. In a conference talk October 2003 Sister Bonnie Parkin says,

We also lose sight of that good part when we compare ourselves to others. Her hair is cuter, my legs are fatter, her children are more talented, or her garden's more productive—sisters, you know the drill. We just can't do that. We cannot allow ourselves to feel inadequate by focusing on who we aren't instead of on who we are! We are all sisters in Relief Society. We simply cannot criticize, gossip, or judge and keep the pure love of Christ.) This is a great article worth looking up and reading.

I love you all very much and pray for you daily.

  God be with you till we meet again.

Love,

  Sister Gordon