a blog by eliashib rafford

-bespoke-
custom or custom-made, made to order; a form of the verb bespeak which means to ask for in advance, to reserve beforehand, to foretell

-tailoring-
to fashion or adapt to a particular taste, purpose, need, etc.

Bespoke Tailoring is simply having total control over the fabric of, the lining of, the fit of, the color of, the cut of, the pattern of, the details of a particular suit, or other article of men's clothing

-character-
the real you!

-temperament-
the combination of inborn traits - from mom & dad, even grandparents - that subconsciously affect behavior

-personality-
the outward expression of an individual

-talent-
a special natural ability or aptitude

-spiritual gift-
gifts that are bestowed on Christians, individually, to strengthen the Church [body of believers locally & globally]

SANGUINE

CHOLERIC

MELANCHOLY

PHLEGMATIC

*Before I formed you in the womb I knew [and] approved of you [as My chosen instrument], and before you were born I separated and set you apart, consecrating you; [and] I appointed you as a prophet to the nations -The Lord God to Jeremiah-

*Hide not your talents. They for use were made. What's a sundial in the shade? -Benjamin Franklin-

*All the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing; He [God] does according to His will in the army of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth. No one can restrain His hand or say to Him, “What have You done?” -King Nebuchadnezzar-

*One of the things the children of God need most is to have their faith strengthened. -George Muller-

*You CANNOT be anything you want to be - but you CAN be a lot more of who you already are. -Tom Rath-

*Write the vision and make it plain on tablets, that he may run who reads it. -The Lord God to Habakkuk-

*And He [God] Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers... -Paul the Apostle-

*Everyone has it within his power to say, this I am today; that I will be tomorrow. -Louis L'Amour-

-Many have excused themselves from rendering their gifts to the service of Christ because others were possessed of superior endowments and advantages. The opinion has prevailed that only those who are especially talented are required to consecrate their abilities to the service of God. It has come to be understood by many that talents are given to only a certain favored class to the exclusion of others who of course are not called upon to share in the toils or the rewards. But it is not so represented in the parable. When the master of the house called his servants, he gave to every man his work.

-We need not go to heathen lands, or even leave the narrow circle of the home, if it is there that our duty lies, in order to work for Christ. We can do this in the home circle, in the church, among those with whom we associate, and with whom we do business.

-You are not to wait for great occasions or to expect extraordinary abilities before you go to work for God. You need not have a thought of what the world will think of you. If your daily life is a testimony to the purity and sincerity of your faith, and others are convinced that you desire to benefit them, your efforts will not be wholly lost.

-The humblest and poorest of the disciples of Jesus can be a blessing to others. They may not realize that they are doing any special good, but by their unconscious influence they may start waves of blessing that will widen and deepen, and the blessed results they may never know until the day of final reward. They do not feel or know that they are doing anything great. They are not required to weary themselves with anxiety about success. They have only to go forward quietly, doing faithfully the work that God's providence assigns, and their life will not be in vain. Their own souls will be growing more and more into the likeness of Christ; they are workers together with God in this life and are thus fitting for the higher work and the unshadowed joy of the life to come.

from the book:
Steps To Christ
by Ellen G White