Twice is Nice

This morning, I’ve got a bit of a spiritual plot twist to share.
See our pictures….
They’ve got something lovely in common….
Well, yes us of course….… but there is also something else.
Mason Sowards, arrived in the Belgium Netherlands Mission as a new missionary back in September 2023, and Monic and I had the privilege of being his mission leaders.
Fast forward, and now back in Scotland, we find ourselves again with a Sowards missionary, this time Eliza Sowards, who was recently transferred to Dunfermline.
Yep….. Cousins!
Two different missions.
Two different countries.
One shared surname.
And somehow, both ended up serving with us.
Coincidence?
Maybe.
But I prefer to call it a God-incidence.
Both of them head home next month, and we can’t help but feel so lucky to have been part of their journeys, on both sides of the North Sea.
As the scripture says:
“The steps of a good man (and woman) are ordered by the Lord: and he delighteth in his way.” – Psalms 37:23
Well… apparently, so are transfers. 😄
So, here’s my question:
What are the odds that two cousins from the same family would both get stuck with us?!
Or better yet, what are the odds we’d be lucky enough to get to be with them both?
How many ‘coincidences’ does it take before you start calling it divine design?

When Tech Fails, Breathe!

Yesterday was a marathon of virtual facilitation for me: two long learning sessions, one in the morning, one in the afternoon.
The first?
Smooth.
Three and a half hours, two screens, headset, camera, notes, breakout groups – all went to plan.
A half-hour break in the middle, time to reset, and then back in.
Job done.
The second session, though, had other ideas.
Fifteen minutes in, everything glitched.
My second screen went dark.
MS Teams collapsed into chaos – slides, chat, 16 participants, all crammed onto one screen.
Grrrrrrr!
The breakout room function refused to cooperate.
I was juggling too much in too small a space, and it was just a mess…
Then I took a breath.
I apologised to the group.
I told them I needed to step out of the whole session and reset.
I closed everything down, rebooted, and then, just like that – things came back online.
The rest of the session?
It went really well, in fact one of the best ever as a strong bond developed with everyone as we discussed challenges that we all face at times.
Have you had one of those moments?
Whether it’s tech, pressure, or just being human, we hit the wall.
And in those moments, the best thing we can do isn’t to scramble, it’s to slow down.
Breathe – own the pause – reset.
Too often we think fast means strong.
That control means composure.
But sometimes, the strongest thing you can do is admit your off track, take a moment, and begin again – deliberately.
In your toughest moments — do you panic, or do you pause?

The Patience Spectrum

Following a recent coaching conversation, I decided to study the topic of patience for the last few weeks.
Yesterday, I was running a virtual learning session on a completely different topic and a spectrum or continuum was used to explore one key idea.
It got me thinking about patience again and figuring out what it would look like on a spectrum.
Patience is often praised as a virtue, but it’s not one-size-fits-all.
This morning, I started to see patience not as a fixed trait, but as a spectrum.
And like most spectrums, the extremes can be just as unhelpful as the absence of it.
On one end, there’s over-patience, the kind that borders on passivity and inaction.
You wait too long, tolerate too much, delay the hard conversations.
It feels calm on the outside, but underneath it might be fear, avoidance, or indecision.
On the other end, there’s impatience in overdrive.
Everything’s urgent.
There’s no space for process or people.
Things have to happen now, and if they don’t, then frustrations can arise.
Somewhere in between is the sweet spot: 𝒅𝒊𝒔𝒄𝒊𝒑𝒍𝒊𝒏𝒆𝒅 𝒑𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒆𝒏𝒄𝒆.
This version is intentional.
Balance is important.
Patience isn’t about stepping back and doing nothing.
It’s about staying connected while giving things the space they need.
You’re not rushing to control the outcome, but you’re not disengaging either.
You stay aware, you stay ready and most importantly you trust the timing.
But here’s the difficult question – it’s hard to know where you are on the spectrum.
If you’re not sure where you stand, ask someone you trust.
Someone who’s seen you in both calm and crisis.
“Do I tend to wait too long, or perhaps not long enough?”
The answer might surprise you, and possibly, it might be exactly what you need to hear.
“Patience is not indifference. Actually, it means caring very much but being willing, nevertheless, to submit to the Lord and to what the scriptures call the “process of time.”” – Neal A. Maxwell.
Where on the patience spectrum do you see yourself right now – and what might help you move closer to the sweet spot?

The Long Road Home

The last few days, I’ve been in Rome attending a world summit that was full of purpose, and hope.
The journey home, however, was quite a different story!
An early morning email from British Airways, warned me of possible flight delays in both Italy and the UK.
It was to prove all true for me.
Delays in Rome, resulted in a missed connection and an unexpected overnight stay in London.
It was a very late night, followed by a really early start again, only to be met by further delays at Heathrow.
To top it off, a hefty bill for 10 extra hours in the long-stay car park, was my welcome home present, which proved to be more expensive than the original 3-day booking. Ouch… ☹
I’ll be reclaiming that and a few other things too in the days ahead.
And then came the realisation… I’m not 30 anymore!
Eventually, I arrived home.
And the moment I stepped through the door, weary and worn, there was some peace and a short period of respite, before attending to another matter at hand.
I couldn’t help but think how often life is like that.
There are moments of real warmth, purpose and beauty, just like Rome.
Then periods of hassle and hardship can follow.
I pressed on through the delays, detours, and discouragement.
And at times, patience was key as it felt like I’d never quite get there, but eventually, I did.
The gospel teaches us that this mortal life is a journey too, often filled with trials that test our faith and patience.
“For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory.” – 2 Corinthians 4:17
There is no shortcut to eternal life.
No express flight to peace and joy.
But there is purpose in the enduring.
And ultimately, arriving is really worth it.
Are you stuck in your own “layover” season right now – discouraged, delayed, or just plain tired.
If so, take heart. Keep going. The journey may be long, but the destination is glorious.
What helps you keep going when your journey is filled with delays?

From Rome, with Hope

 

Yesterday, I had the privilege of attending the Shape the World Summit in the shadows of the Vatican, at the Pontifical Urbaniana University in Rome, a place fondly referred to – as Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle reminded us – as “the missionary university.”
And it was HOT!! 35C!
It was a gathering rooted in the Jubilee of Hope, where more than just ideas were exchanged. We heard of leaders shaped not by power or platform, but by kindness, goodness, and humility.
Cardinal Tagle drew a moving contrast between Christian hope – anchored in divine purpose – and the kind of wishful thinking that so often falls short.
The theme of faith over fear became a recurring call throughout the day.
The summit didn’t shy away from the complex realities of our world: deepening conflict, climate disruption, the acceleration of AI, and demographic shifts across ageing western societies.
One sobering statistic lingered long in my mind: over 800 million people go to bed hungry each night.
Amid such weighty truths, a quote from Baden Powell, founder of the Scouts, brought clarity and resolve, especially meaningful to me as a former Boy Scout myself…
“Try and leave this world a little better than you found it.”

Too small?

And just when the scale of the challenges felt overwhelming, Oliver Pawle shared an African proverb that really resonated with me:
“If you think you’re too small to make a difference, you haven’t spent a night with a mosquito.”
A wise and timely reminder to us all.
For me, one of the most stirring contributions came from James Moore, whose talk “A Broken World Needs Creative Leadership” struck a powerful chord. He spoke of the USA at a geopolitical crossroads, but also of a broader truth – that we are all, in his words, “temporary shepherds of our global world.”
A powerful reminder of our shared stewardship of the earth and each other.
Much was also said about the appointment of the new Pope, significant not only in the choice of leader, but in the values that come with his Augustinian roots: humility, unity, contemplation, and deep interior commitment.
These are virtues our fractured world urgently needs.

The Common Growth Fund

As a Trustee of the Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB) Foundation, I was honoured to stand alongside my fellow trustee Matthew Jones for the launch of the Common Growth Fund, in partnership with Lawrence Chong of Consulus. This initiative seeks to reimagine our economic systems, supporting faith-based enterprises and creating space for values-led, socially impactful transformation.
Again and again, familiar themes emerged:
• Respect and dialogue as essential tools for peace
• Compassion and empathy as the birthplace of change
• A growing hunger for creative, values-based servant leadership across all sectors of society.
But perhaps what moved me most wasn’t any single keynote or statistic. It was the spirit of the gathering.
People from diverse backgrounds and many faith traditions, all united in a shared desire to build something better, to shape the world with courage and conscience.
And yes, I came away with a few new friends, too.
So, what kind of world are you trying to shape, and who are you shaping it for?

Learning Off the Tracks

On the final day of our West Highland Way Walk, a few of us rode aboard the Jacobite Express from Fort William to Mallaig.
It is the classic steam train across the Glenfinnan Viaduct, which I am sure many of you may have already taken – especially any Harry Potter fans!
As we approached the viaduct, the guard announced to get ready for a photo opportunity and to have our cameras handy, but not to lean out of the windows!
Everyone on board was focused on the moment: the train curving over the bridge, cameras out, trying to capture the perfect shot.
But the best photo I took wasn’t of the train and the viaduct, rather it was of the crowd below!

The Other View

Hundreds of people in the fields, some who I guess had travelled for hours, all there just to watch.
Yet something else clicked as I watched the little matchstick people below – it seemed much more fun down there than it was on the train!
They chose where to stand, what to notice, when to click.
They weren’t guided by announcements or told what to focus on.
Each of them was part of the moment on their own terms.
And that made me think about how we approach our personal development and learning.
Too often, learning is structured like the train ride: linear, controlled, timed to the minute.
Someone tells you when the “big moment” is, what to focus on, and how to capture it.
But real learning often looks more like the crowd: informal, self-directed, sparked by interest, not instruction.
Each of us seek meaning in our own way, turning up when something matters to us personally and learning most, when we have space to explore, reflect, and choose for yourself.
In the learning and development world, we spend a lot of time designing the “train ride”, but maybe we need to think more about how to support the people in the field.
The 70/20/10 model comes to mind.
Because sometimes the most valuable learning doesn’t happen on the tracks.
It happens off to the side, where curiosity lives, and where people are free to really see.
Where would you rather be – on the train, or choosing your own view?

Not Hidden, Just Unseen

Our walk along the West Highland Way was simply magnificent.
Reuniting as former missionaries of the Belgium Netherlands Mission, our walk had everything – beautiful scenery, amazing views, sun, rain, silly moments aplenty, great people, sheep galore, even a feral goat!
There was just one thing missing on our trip, spotting a Highland coo!
Tourist shops were bursting with Highland coos on every item imaginable, except the trail, where they were nowhere to be found.
Constantly, we kept our eyes peeled, scanning distant fields and searching for the elusive coo’s.
I recall debating whether a dark blob in the far-off field might be one.
But alas, nothing. No hairy beast. No curved horns. No majestic bovine presence.
It became a bit of a running joke: “Still no coos!”

Kilmahog!

Then, on the drive home, something nudged my memory: Kilmahog.
I’d been there some years before.
And sure enough, as we pulled into the car park, crowds of tourists were gathering.
Highland coo’s.
Large, calm, shaggy and very real.
And I thought: Isn’t that just like life?
In a similar manner, so many of us may be searching for something meaningful, truth, purpose, peace and direction in life.
Many scan the horizon, hoping to spot something that feels right, but never quite seem to find it.
But when someone knows where to look and gently points the way, in a fleeting moment, everything can change.
The restored gospel of Jesus Christ is like that.
It’s not hidden. It’s not exclusive. It’s available to all, but often people don’t know where to find it.
In Jeremiah 29:13 we read “And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.”
Sometimes it just takes someone who knows the way, or remembers where the coos are, to point the rest of us in the right direction.
And that’s exactly what we as missionaries for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints do every day, point people in the right direction.
Who could you lovingly point in the right direction this week?

Highland Swarms

We all gather today to set off on our epic West Highland Way adventure tomorrow starting in Milngavie.
According to some recent posts from those currently on the trail, there is one piece of essential kit, that we’d be crazy to forget and no its not our boots, snacks or even blister plasters.
It’s the midge headnet!
We may have a few Lochs and legends in Scotland, but there are apparently legions of midges too right now….!
It sounds like there may be some swarms gathering.
As we set off tomorrow, we may look more like beekeepers on holiday!
In addition, to help us on the way we have a host of repellents and potions too.
If you haven’t donated for our charity partner Marys Meals, please consider doing so. We want to raise enough money to feed 1000 children for 1 year.
midge
We may be walking for the charity, but running from the midges!

The Real Way

For months now, sixteen of us have been preparing for our great West Highland Way adventure beginning this week.
Among our most enthusiastic walkers?
Always full of energy, laughter never far behind, and the kind of person who makes even rainy training hikes feel like a party.
But last weekend, a message from Emily landed like a thud.
She’d been out hiking, went over on her ankle, and managed to break her little toe.
That tiny bone had big consequences.
No walking the West Highland Way.
Not even a few stages.
Her dream of trekking through the Highlands, gone in one misstep.
So then came the question: should she even come?
Now, if you know Emily, you’ll guess her answer wasn’t made lightly.
It came after prayer, reflection, and a few conversations with family and friends.
And in true Emily fashion, she showed up.
Not with boots, but with crutches and a wheelchair rented after landing in London.
That kind of determination is something that typifies Emily!
Yesterday, we wandered (and wheeled) through Edinburgh, up and down the Royal Mile.

Together

Friends took turns pushing, guiding, and laughing along the way.
No complaints.
Just togetherness.
And it hit me; this is what walking the Way really looks like.
“For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow; but woe to him that is alone when he falleth; for he hath not another to help him up.” – Ecclesiastes 4:10
Emily won’t be hiking the trail, instead she’ll be in the support van, encouraging us all on, and reminding us that the journey isn’t just about who finishes the miles on foot, but about how we can carry one another through it.
Because that’s the real Way, isn’t it?
Supporting one another even when the road ahead looks different than you hoped.
Who may need a lift from you this week, a push up the hill or a word of encouragement?
Happy Sunday from Scotland ❤️

Switching Hats

Recently whilst visiting Edinburgh with friends, we wandered in and out of a few shops.
My friends were interested in the T-shirts, but my eyes landed on a new hat.
A flat cap actually, and for the Scots amongst you, Paw Broon style!
I like my collection of hats and caps.
Sometimes a hat just seems to migrate to me!
As I’ve worn it in the days since, it’s come to symbolise something more meaningful, especially in my work as a coach and facilitator.
In business and leadership, we often talk about “wearing many hats.”
Leader. Listener. Strategist. Facilitator. Coach. Friend. Challenger. Visionary.
Each of these hats demands something different of us.
One calls for boldness, another for stillness.
One requires you to take the lead; another asks you to step back.
Some hats feel familiar and well-worn; others take time to grow into.

When to switch

What I’ve learned over the years is that great leaders know not just how to wear many hats, but also when to switch them, and how to do so with grace.
Sometimes when I step into lead or facilitate a meeting, I need to offer clarity and direction.
Later, perhaps in the same day, I may meet a coaching client who needs me to say very little at all, just to listen deeply and hold some quiet space for them to have time to think.
And by evening, I’m a mentor or friend, simply present, with no agenda.
It’s not about performing different roles.
It’s about being adaptable while staying authentic to my true values.
The key isn’t in the number of hats that I wear, or I have in my collection, it’s the wisdom to know which one is needed in the moment, and to take one off when it no longer serves.
So, the next time you feel stretched, pulled in different directions, or unsure of what’s being asked of you, just pause for moment, slow down and ask yourself:
Which hat is needed right now?
Am I clinging to a hat that no longer fits this situation?
How can I switch hats without losing who I am?
Leadership isn’t about having all the answers or wearing the fanciest hat in the room.
It’s about serving others well, by being ready to step into what’s needed, with intention, empathy, and perhaps a wee bit of humour too!
What hat will you be wearing today?