Get To Know Me Like I Did

This has been a great year for me. Both good and bad but thankful for all that has happened. The big thing this year has been self awareness. I wanted to share a couple tools I have used to become more self-aware. I was amazed by how unaware I was as I took these tests. I really thought I new myself better : )

The Myers Briggs Test was the first one I took. I started with a paid version but here is a link for a free one. I have used it for friends and family and even compared my personal results to the one I paid for and it has not failed me yet.

Pay-Myers Briggs
Free-Myers Briggs
My results-Google Doc

Strengths Finder-This one cost me $25. If you buy the book you get a code to take the test online. Here are my top 5 out of 35 strengths.

Below are my top five themes of talent, ranked in the order revealed by my responses to the Clifton StrengthsFinder.

How well do you think these themes describe me?

Input

People who are especially talented in the Input theme have a craving to know more. Often they like to collect and archive all kinds of information.

Futuristic

People who are especially talented in the Futuristic theme are inspired by the future and what could be. They inspire others with their visions of the future.

Activator

People who are especially talented in the Activator theme can make things happen by turning thoughts into action. They are often impatient.

Arranger

People who are especially talented in the Arranger theme can organize, but they also have a flexibility that complements this ability. They like to figure out how all of the pieces and resources can be arranged for maximum productivity.

Ideation

People who are especially talented in the Ideation theme are fascinated by ideas. They are able to find connections between seemingly disparate phenomena.

To learn more about the Clifton StrengthsFinder and how you can discover your top five themes, visit http://strengths.gallup.com

And my favorite tool for self-awareness and growth has been the Chazown spiritual gifts test. Here are the results.  

CORE VALUES

• Character
• Efficiency
• Faithfulness
• Family
• Grace
• Growth

2

SPIRITUAL GIFTS

• Administration / Guidance
• Encouragement
• Music
• Teaching
• Wisdom

This assessment was free!

Some things I have been doing

I feel like I should apologize for neglecting my blog but I have been trying not to force anything and maybe needed a break to focus on other things. So here is what I have been doing...

 Not to be a winer but having 3 kids compared to 2 is way harder and a lot more work. It is worth every diaper change, spill, spanking, tantrum, bottle and budget adjustment but it is still a much different dynamic than having only 2. If it wasn't for my amazing wife I would be toast. She cooks, cleans, does my laundry and is always up to take care of any dirty job that is waiting for us when we wake up in the morning. She is my hero! I help as much as I know how but to be honest I can't keep up like i know I should. On the flip side the rewards have been more than gratifying. Instead of going out with friends as much as we used to I am very satisfied to be home holding and feeding our new baby boy. Matthew is a breath of fresh air. He is the sweetest squishiest most cuddly little thing I have ever had in my arms. I could sit and play with him for hours, listening to his little boy sounds while I do things I would not normally do just to make him smile. My girls are getting smarter every day. I love introducing them to new things and encouraging their creativity. We read, play, swim, swing, slide and watch movies. Life is good.

 I have been doing a lot of reading and working on some changes in the way I lead worship. I might blog more about this specifically later but for now I just want to catch up. The idea of becoming more self aware has been a big thought with me lately and I have been working on ways of learning my strengths and weakness's. It has been a little painful as I have been disillusioned in some areas but also very freeing. For instance I am not as good of a plumber or construction worker as I thought I was : (. Katrina and I have been working on getting healthy by learning to get our eating under control. She is amazing at it, I may come around. I have been reading Galatians and Ephesians lately. These books have made me realize I have been living under some legalism and that it is easy for legalism to slip into our thinking habits. I shared a story at Riverzedge on Sunday from the book Pilgrims Progress by John Bunyan. If you are not familiar with it please get it and read it with your family. It has been an easy way to teach and learn big truths about faith. I know this post is a little bit unordinary for me but I just wanted to let things flow.

We have been singing this song at RiverzEdge. I love the simplicity behind it. Its part of what makes it so beautiful when we sing it together as a church.