Gifts and Talents

"The gifts of the Spirit can guide and enrich our lives. They can strengthen us spiritually and temporally. They can help us bless the lives of others. Most important, they can bring us comfort in times of trial. They can help us magnify our callings. They can help guide us in our relationships. They can help us avoid being deceived." -Robert D. Hales

As a stay-at-home mom, I have found that one of my biggest challenges is losing direction in my personal goals. While I know that I am doing an important and meaningful work as a mother, this stage is very unlike the majority of my life's experience. I am in charge of my goals now. I am not working toward an educational goal whose path is mapped out, and I do not have deadlines or assignments given to me by other people. And I like that. I like being in charge. But in the routine of my day to day work, it is easy to forget the direction of my personal goals.
Lately, I kind of fell into studying about gifts of the spirit. I have been surprised by how relevant this topic is to finding direction in my life. Below are three resources that have helped opened my mind in understanding what gifts of the spirit are, how they can benefit us personally, and why/how we should discover the gifts we have been given or would like to be given. Looks like I have an assignment to work on now!:

"What is Your Calling in Life", Spring 2011 BYU Magazine
"Gifts of the Spirit", Robert D. Hales, Feb. 2002 Ensign
"Return: Four Phases of Our Mortal Journey Home", Robert D. Hales, 2010