"Neglect not the gift that is in thee"

I've been working quite a bit this week and have some fun new products (shown above). Yesterday, I was finishing an order of bows, and all of a sudden I had this thought to try and make them a different way. I thought to myself, "No, I tried that before, and it didn't work remember?" I tried it anyway and voila! I have a new method of making bows!! It saves me a tiny bit of ribbon, but it saves me a lot of time (and some frustration)!! I am excited about making bows again!

This is the thing. This past year I have totally witnessed my talents multiplying. Like in the Bible, in Matthew 25, it talks about taking your talents and gaining more. I have totally seen this in my life so much since starting my business. Sure, I have always been crafty, but since starting to craft I have come up with stuff that I had never thought of before, and probably would have never thought of. Sometimes I will be making something, and the idea of two new products comes to me. I know that is all part of the creative process, but had I never been making that certain product, who knows if I would have come up with the next two. It's a reminder to use my talents, so my talents will grow! That certain talent will develop more, and from exercising that talent, I will gain other talents.

If there is something we are good at (and we are all good at something) we should use it! Use it or lose it baby! For example, I have never been a fantastic singer, I think I can sing, but it isn't anything to write home about. I mean, I can carry a tune and pick up harmony, etc. But, one day singing to the radio or at church (I can't remember) I thought to myself, 'I used to sound better than this.' I was in concert and show choir in high school, but I quit my senior year. So, all through high school my voice was getting exercise, after I quit there was no more training (other than in the shower or the car). I know my voice is not as good as it could have been, had I kept singing since high school. It still probably would be nothing to write home about, but I know I would sound better. That's one reason I like to plan parties so often, because it keeps my brain thinking in party mode - keeps my party planning muscle fresh. If I stop thinking about planning weddings, and learning about planning weddings, then the ideas won't come as easy to me. It's a simple truth.

Seriously, we use it or lose it. We use it, we get better.

So, what's a gift you have that needs a little exercise?

(The title of my post is from 1 Timothy 4:14)