Failures, Successes, and Spiritual Gifts

Failures:
I am not a very good blogger. I know this about myself. Although I enjoy catching up with other people through their blogs and anticipate new posts, I recognize that I am not a very faithful blogger myself. I'm sorry, friends. I will try to do better. A blogger that I follow recently posted a list of "Blogging Tips," one of which being that you should not start a blog unless you are committed to updating it, with his recommendation being at least every 3-5 days. Oops. I will try to get better, friends!

Successes:
I am so excited! I have successfully managed to keep flowers alive for more than a week! If you know me, you know that I have an extensive history of planting flowers only to watch them die, seemingly in a matter of days. But, not this time! The flowers I planted a couple of weeks ago are not only still alive, but seem to be growing and making new buds! I know this may seem like a small victory that may be short-lived, but I am super excited about it nonetheless!! Here is my favorite one, which started with 3 blooms and now looks like this:
Exciting, huh?? Here's hoping it continues to grow! I actually have no idea what kind of flower this is, so if you happen to know the name, feel free to leave a comment to enlighten me. Here is a close-up of one of these flowers that came out blurry, but that I like for it's artsy feel:
I am also excited that my gerber daisy that I thought was done blooming also has new buds beginning to grow. The vinca that I planted are still alive, too.
Spiritual Gifts:
My community group has been studying through the spiritual gifts for the past month or so. Looking primarily at the passages in Romans 12 and 1 Corinthians 12, we have tried to identify and define the gifts in an effort to identify our own gifts. This has been such a good (though often challenging) process. I so enjoy studying Scripture in a group setting where I can hear the perspectives of those around me and see what kinds of insight the Lord has given them about His Word. It has been cool to watch my friends use their gifts even as we study what they are. It has also been interesting to realize that we are often hesitant to accept the gift that the Lord has placed in us. Several members of our group, including myself, have sort of balked at the idea that our spiritual gift may really be...(fill in the blank). I wonder why this is? As I have considered this question in myself, I think that it is partly my insecurities that hinder my ability to accept the truth that God has uniquely gifted me in certain ways. I should instead accept my gift in freedom, praising Him and thanking Him for the way that He uniquely created me. Pursuing this together in community has emphasized the way that the Lord has uniquely gifted each of us as individuals for the purpose of building up the body. Each of the 11 of us are gifted differently, but as a group we embody most, if not all of the gifts. I think this is part of the beauty of community, and of the body of Christ.