I'm Discovered!

Last night, Channing and I did something very interesting that we've been wanting to do for a long time...we went to the Discovery Seminar at our church. The purpose of the Discovery Seminar is to discover your place in the body of Christ. Needless to say, we learned a lot last night.
The night began with learning about the different types of personalities and finding which described us. There are four temperaments we learned about:
1. "D"-Dominance, Directness, Task oriented, Decisive, Organized, Outgoing, Outspoken
2. "I"-Influence, Interest in People, Witty, Easygoing, Outgoing, People Oriented
3. "S"-Steadiness, Stability, Analyze, People oriented, Introverted
4. "C"-Compliance, Competence, Task oriented, Goal oriented, Introverted
After completing the personality system analysis, I learned that I am a "DI" or a Concluder. Can I tell you that after I read the description of a "DI" or Concluder, I realized this profile was RIGHT ON! Amazing! I won't write the whole description for you, but I'll hit some of the highlights that really hit home for me:
Concluders exhibit a tendency to be strong individualists. They work hard to attain goals. They are forceful and direct. Concluders are curious and have a wide range of interests. At times, they may appear to be cold or blunt because their task-orientation tends to overtake their people-orientation (that's me!). Concluders place high standards on themselves and those around them, expecting goals to be met. They might appear to be critical when these standards are not met. Because they have a very strong impact on people and motivate them to achieve their goals, Concluders need to be especially sensitive to others around them. Concluders tend to be short-tempered (YEP!), especially when they feel that someone is taking advantage of them, for that is one of their greatest fears (YES!).
Not only did this profile enable me to learn more about my personality, but it also exposed weaknesses and areas that need growth. For instance:
As a "DI", my greatest fears are of being taken advantage of (a HUGE struggle of mine) and rejection (wild! that's why I worry so much when someone is upset with me, I guess).
Some other areas of weakness:

• I sometimes overstep authority.
• I have an argumentative attitude.
• I dislike routine.
• I attempt too much at once (YES! YES! YES!).
• I can be inattentive to detail. I'm more worried about the end result than the steps to getting there.
• I overuse gestures and facial expressions.
• I tend to listen only when it's convenient. (Embarrassing, but my hubby assures me it's true! ;D)

I learned that I need to strive to be an "active" listener. I need to be less controlling. I need to develop a greater appreciation for the opinions, feelings, and desires of others. I need to put more energy into personal relationships. I need to take time to explain the "whys" of my statements. I need to be friendlier and more approachable. I need to be less impulsive, exercise control over my actions, words, and emotions. I should focus more on details on facts. I should slow down my pace for other team members, and talk less and listen more. YES! YES! YES!!!
The system identified Biblical examples of Concluders from the Bible:
Joshua, Noah, the Queen of Sheba, and Sarah were all Concluders. It also provided an example of Jesus as a Concluder. It was fascinating!
My husband discovered what I already knew...he's an "SC" or a Peacemaker. That description could not be more dead on! I loved reading and discovering more about his personality. I finally understood his struggles! Some examples of Peacemakers in the Bible include: Moses, John, Eliezer, and of course, Jesus.
What a GREAT night this was turning out to be!!!
After learning about our personalities, we learned about spiritual gifts and the differences between natural talents, fruits of the Spirit, and Christian roles. VERY INTERESTING! We took a Spiritual Gifts profile, and I learned that I am strongest in hospitality, faith, wisdom, exhortation, and intercession. So now, I test out these different areas to see where and how God wants to use me. I need to initiate a personal growth process.
I'm so excited to do this!!! Of course, I'm sure I don't have major giftings in all these areas, but I want to find out where my greatest gift is and use it for God's glory. It's a journey I'm ready to embark upon!