Gifts and Talents

Our talents grow when we share them

 Diane pictured with some of her students.  From left: (back row) Madelaine, Shaelyn, Diane; (front row) Camryn, Jackson, Rylee

We all have gifts and talents - things that we like to do, or things that we do well, or our gifts may consist of money, possessions, time.  Sometimes we may think our talents and gifts are small and inconsequential, but have we thought about how sharing that talent just in a small way with others may help our talents to grow?  Diane is a great example of how sharing one talent can give us an opportunity to create more talents.

Diane learned to play the piano as a child.  She shared that talent periodically when she accompanied her school choirs.  When she was an adult, she was asked to play the organ for her church congregation.   Diane did not know how to play the organ, but instead of declining the request, she decided to take the invitation as a challenge to grow her talent.  She bought a couple of organ books and taught herself in a few months how to play the organ.  For many years now, Diane has been able to accompany her church congregation on the organ.

Sharing her talents did not end there.  Diane decided one day to teach the youth in her congregation to play the organ.  She invited all the young people at her church who knew how to play the piano to take organ lessons with her.  Every Saturday, one can find Diane at the neighborhood church teaching the organ.  She does not charge for the lessons.  She considers it a service.  She has had about 20 students over the last four years.  Some of these students have graduated from high school and gone to college where they have taken their skills at the organ and shared them with their new congregations. 

Diane took one thing she knew, the piano, and expanded that talent by teaching herself the organ.  Then, she took the talent of playing the organ and learned how to teach the organ to others.  Sharing these talents has not only blessed her, but it has also blessed the lives of all her students and the congregations for whom they will accompany in the future.  It will have a ripple effect.  In addition, Diane has gained new friendships with the youth she teaches.  She says this has brought her great joy and watching them succeed makes her happy as well.  These are added gifts.  All this because she was willing to share one talent.  What is one talent we can share today? What opportunities will come to us because we are willing to share that one talent?  How many more talents will we create when we share what we have?

Meet Angie and Scott, a typical American family working hard to raise their four sons.  What is unique about Angie and Scott is that in addition to juggling their lives around work, ballgames, carpools, and family activities, they have opened up their hearts and home to foster children.

Angie and Scott have always had a desire to help at-risk children.  "I see kids in the community that are neglected and I have always wanted to help them," Angie says.  But that first step to becoming a foster parent was a difficult one.  It wasn't until Angie met and visited with another foster parent that she and Scott made the final decision to be foster parents.  "Having another person walk me through the process made it so much easier," she explains.

In order to become foster parents, a couple needs to fill out an application and then go through standard fingerprint and background checks.  After the initial application process, both parents need to complete a 27-hour course provided by the Department of Health and Welfare.  This class occurs once a week, and because of their varying work schedules, it took Scott and Angie about a year to complete the course and all the requirements necessary to becoming foster parents.

Now that Scott and Angie are licensed foster parents, they regularly receive calls from Health and Human Services with requests to take in children.  Foster families have the ability to pick and choose which children come stay with them.  Angie explains, "I listen to the age of the children, their gender, how many there are, and I always ask what their background is."  Depending on that information, Angie says they decide whether or not the child or children would be a good match for their family, and whether or not they will accept them.

One might worry about how their own children would respond to foster children being brought into the home, but for Angie and Scott foster siblings have been great for their own children.  It was most difficult for their young toddler because he had to learn to share his mom with children his own age, but he has adjusted and now he has a built-in-buddy, someone his own age always there to play with him.  The older boys have loved having younger foster siblings.  They have taught their younger foster siblings how to throw and catch a ball, and how to ride a bike.  These experiences have given their older children a sense of pride and accomplishment. Just as importantly, it has helped her children recognize the blessings in their own lives.  Angie says, "My own children have seen the situations and circumstances these foster children come from.  Particularly with my older teenage son, having foster children has taught him the importance of making good choices in life."

The hardest part of being a foster parent is the routine.  Incorporating one, two, or even three new people into the family's daily schedule can take a few weeks.  There is definitely more work to do when you have foster children. "I don't feel like I will ever get the laundry done.  I buy twelve gallons of milk a week," and she continues with a laugh, "I am always feeding."

However, the daily sacrifices have brought immeasurable rewards.  Angie concludes, "The most rewarding thing is to have them be a part of our lives, to have them with us.  It is rewarding for them because they are introduced to stability, how family works, how to be a law abiding citizen, the importance of education, [proper] behavior, and how to socialize. It is rewarding because you are fulfilling their needs.  Everyone needs to be needed."

Scott and Angie received two foster children in December 2011.  They were brothers ages 18 months and 5 years old.  The boys spent most of last year with Scott and Angie's family.  They are now in the process of adopting these two little brothers.

Scott and Angie are a great example of seeing the value in each individual.  They know it is impossible to change the world for everyone, but they are willing to work hard and sacrifice so they can change the world for just a few.  The opportunities Scott and Angie are giving these foster children will help these children be better, stronger individuals which in turn makes a better, stronger community and society for us all.

We Also Dream

Everyday in the news we read shocking headlines about disturbing crimes.  Certainly, we understand the media's need to sell news in order to make a profit.  These outrageous stories sell news.  But after awhile, do we begin to believe that this is who we are as a people?  Do we lose faith and hope in our goodness and ability as Americans to be happy because this is all we are exposed to?  Let us create a forum where we celebrate the good that is within us and the good that happens to us.