The Blessing of Waiting…

When a mother is expecting her baby, the anticipation grows with each passing day.

For our daughter Megan, now overdue with her first child, the wait may feel endless.

Much like pregnancy, life itself is full of waiting periods that test our faith and refine our patience – a hot topic in our recent conversations!

The Lord’s Timing

Yet this period of waiting and preparing mirrors a gospel principle we are all called to live by: faith in the Lord’s timing.

Through the gospel of Jesus Christ, we learn that God’s blessings come according to His divine timetable, not ours.

In the scriptures, the word wait means to hope, to anticipate, and to trust.

The scriptures teach us: “For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise.” (Hebrews 10:36)

Pregnancy, like life itself, reminds us that much of our joy comes from learning to trust that the Lord knows when blessings should arrive.

Preparation

Just as Megan has prepared her home, her heart, and her body for this new baby, we, too, are asked to prepare spiritually while waiting for answers, blessings, and miracles.

In our home, we have a beautiful painting depicting the Saviour’s parable of the ten virgins (Matthew 25:1-13).

Five were wise and made the most of their waiting time, ensuring they had enough oil for their lamps.

Similarly, waiting for a baby – just like waiting for any of God’s blessings – is a time to spiritually “gather oil.”

For Megan, the waiting has certainly allowed her to grow in patience and hope, enduring her final quiet and sometimes uncomfortable moments, before life changes forever.

For us in life, it’s about staying spiritually ready, trusting that the Lord’s promises will be fulfilled in His way and time.

The baby’s arrival—whether today, tomorrow, or in a few days—will happen at the exact moment God has lovingly planned.

The scriptures teach that God’s timing is always perfect: “To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven.” (Ecclesiastes 3:1)

Just as birth happens on God’s timeline, not ours, so do the blessings we seek in life.

And when they finally come, the waiting and preparing make the joy that much sweeter.

In this life, we are all “waiting” for the ultimate promise: to return to our Heavenly Father and be reunited with our eternal family.

When Megan holds the baby in her arms for the first time, I’m sure the waiting will be but a memory, a beautiful reminder of the blessing of trusting in the Lord’s perfect plan.

What blessings have you discovered during your own seasons of waiting?

Looking Back

“You’re looking well Dave” I said.
“And you too Daryl” he replied.
And so began our lovely lunch with one another, earlier this week in Stirling.
Dave and I were colleagues many years ago, collaborating on numerous large-scale, challenging projects during our time working together.
Lunch was delicious.
We got caught up on our family situations.
And we talked about what we were doing now.
But what we really enjoyed was taking time to reflect upon our many experiences we’d share together, twenty plus years ago.
Looking back allowed us to revisit past experiences with the clarity of hindsight.

New Insights

As we shared our thoughts and feelings, we found they often revealed insights that we’d missed in the moment, from many years ago.
Indeed, we found looking back useful, because it gave us both a new perspective.
Revisiting those moments with Dave added another layer of richness, as his perspective shed light on details I’d never considered.
Part of enjoying life lies in celebrating our accomplishments and milestones, and there were certainly plenty of those during the time Dave and I worked side by side.
Whilst reflecting on some of those daunting challenges we faced together, our shared response was, “I’d never thought about it quite like that before.”
Looking back isn’t just about nostalgia—it’s an opportunity for growth.
We both recognised how far we’d come and understood a little better how the many challenges we’d faced together had shaped us, and to some extent, influenced our future decisions.
There is something very powerful about reflecting on the past together.
We both realised how much we’d influenced each other; in ways we’d never considered.
Looking back certainly helped us to understand how our past experiences had shaped us, but somehow it also helped us to look ahead to the future with renewed confidence.
It was a real joy to strengthen our bonds of friendship, celebrate our successes and gain a deeper empathy for and understanding of each other – after far, far too long!
Thanks Dave – and I’ll pay next time!
When you look back on where you’ve been, how does it shape the way you see your path ahead?

The Laboratory of Life

Life is a laboratory, much like the scientific lab where our son Kyle works tirelessly to test and refine ideas.
As a PhD student in Chemistry, Kyle’s experiments often lead to setbacks, frustrations, and occasional breakthroughs.
He invests countless hours in refining, testing and validating something over long periods of time, transforming theories into realities.
Sometimes he fails, things don’t go quite as expected and yet every small action he takes, contributes to the bigger picture.
Yet, through his experiments with different strategies, learning from those experiences, continuously pushing forward that ultimately leads to success and sometimes unexpected results.
His insights and knowledge grow through his struggles.

Life Lessons

Like Kyle’s research, life provides opportunities to learn from successes and failures, just as those experiments do for him in his laboratory.
Similarly, life’s challenges and experiences test our character, faith, and resilience, shaping us into who we are meant to become.
Our everyday experiences and situations act like a science lab, where we learn, experiment, and observe how to navigate different challenges and situations.
Like Kyle’s experiments, each of us are in a way, proven in the laboratory of our own life.
Sometimes in life, things don’t go quite as we had hoped or planned.
We experiment with our human experience, and through our struggles, our efforts and hard work, truths are established.
I believe that the purpose of all of our life experiences, or those testing experiments we sometimes endure, help us to grow and become more like our Saviour Jesus Christ.
Personal trials, family difficulties, financial struggles, and health crises, each push our faith to new limits.
By facing each trial, we learn more about ourselves, and more about the gospel principles that can carry us through each test.
In my own laboratory of time, my testimony has been shaped not by one grand moment, but by a thousand small experiments, to trust in God.
“..awake and arouse your faculties, even to an experiment upon my words, and exercise a particle of faith,… even if ye can no more than desire to believe.” – Alma 32:27
Just like Kyle’s scientific procedures that establish truths, a spiritual experiment produces, conviction, knowledge, light and eternal truths.
Begin your spiritual experiment today.
Act on even the smallest desire to follow Christ, and watch as your faith grows into conviction.

New Beginnings

Life is filled with many twists and turns.
“When one door closes another door opens; but we often look so long and so regretfully upon the closed door that we do not see the ones which open for us.” – Alexander Graham Bell
At some point in our lives, I believe we will all experience the metaphorical closing of doors, don’t we?
Walking through one door, often closes another.

Closing

Yet, for me, it is a constant reminder that each ending leads to a new beginning, full of endless possibilities.
Returning from Belgium and the Netherlands in the summer has meant that I have experienced a few months of doors opening and closing.
I have started to think what would have never happened if that door hadn’t closed?
“Doors close regularly in our lives, and some of those closings cause genuine pain and heartache.” – Howard W. Hunter
Closed doors can and do provide valuable lessons and insights.
They test our resilience and perseverance, causing us to reflect and reconsider our goals and aspirations.

Opening

Each time a door closes (occasionally they are slammed shut) I need to remind myself that the rest of the world opens up.
And yet, gazing back and dwelling too long on the past, can mean we lose sight of those opportunities opening up ahead.
Sometimes in that moment it can be difficult to see and believe.
Hope can fade.
I have learned again that we need to stop beating on the door that just closed, put it behind us, and look forward to the largeness of life that lies ahead for us.
This is certainly true for me.
I have learned again about waiting and to be patient.
Now with a few doors slightly ajar, I have also learned that when opportunity comes knocking, I need to be ready to answer the door.
Now it’s time to rise once more and walk through the new doors of opportunity that inevitably come along.
Don’t be afraid of opening and closing doors.
Don’t fear them.
Learn from them.
Choose to set out on our life journeys with optimism and be ready to welcome every door that opens along the way.
What can prevent you from seeing a new open door?

Games We Played

Growing up in the 1960’s, I played lots of games outside with my friends.
Who else remembers some of my favourites?
Kick the Can, Kerbie, British Bulldog, Skipping Rope Games, Conkers, Marbles, Hopscotch, Hide and Seek, Rounders, Statues, Jacks, Cowboys and Indians, and endless games of football – played everywhere, as there were fewer cars around.
All of these games brought us together outdoors.
Favourite toys included Action Man, Meccano, Lego, train sets, Airfix kits, Etch-a-sketch, Yo-yo’s and by the late 60’s, skateboards and space hoppers!
There wasn’t ever time to be bored, and best of all, there were no health and safety rules!

The value of outdoor play

Playing outside was both fun and a little dangerous too!
Our social skills developed as we actually made friendships, built relationships and talked with others face to face.
Our personal resilience increased as we fell off swings, got a bruised knee, cut a finger or whatever, getting roughed up a little seemed to part of growing up.
And we learned a lot about working together in teams, having lots of fun and learning to lead.
In short – we played together – outside in the fresh air!
As children, it was a time when we were all free of the trappings of today’s digital age of online games, the latest consoles, tablets, movies on demand and smart phones that have all moved childhood indoors.

My recollection is we were much more in tune with each other, by just having play time together, outside on the streets or in the playpark.

And today?

Regrettably, the innocence and freedom of those childhood years, seems to have gone forever.

Sadly, this world of independent children’s play has today largely vanished.
For years now, Monic and I take a walk every day and we have noticed something.
Rarely, do we ever see children playing outside, or for that matter anyone outside.
This lost world of children’s play is now evidenced by physical and psychological consequences, where obesity and mental health issues are rife in our rising generation.
Growing research by Jonathan Haidt and others indicates that Play time has been replaced by Phone time.
You may have seen an active campaign recently in the UK to have a “Smartphone Free Childhood” encouraging parents to delay giving their children smartphones until at least age 14 and growing demands for them to be completely banned in schools altogether.
Perhaps its time to revisit some of these great outdoors games with the grandkids?!
What was your favourite street game when you were growing up?

 

Remembrance

The world I live in, is not what I want it to be.
I’d love to live in a world filled with 𝒑𝒆𝒂𝒄𝒆.
The kind of peace that allows for stability, growth, and unity among people of all nations.
We are after all, brothers and sisters, children of God.
In a peaceful world, we’d be able to resolve our differences through diplomacy and dialogue, by valuing our diverse cultures and develop deeper mutual understanding.
Peace creates a place where individuals and communities can thrive, free from the fear and trauma of any conflict.
Such a world of peace will encourage compassion, where nations prioritise humanity over dominance, power and greed.

War

War, on the other hand, creates massive divisions, devastates economies, and leaves long lasting scars on generations, trapping people in cycles of poverty and displacement as we witness now.
War’s effects are not only confined to battlefields; they impact families, disrupt education, and lead to significant challenges for all of us.
All this violence creates instability – societies struggle to work together and address the many global issues we see now, including climate change, poverty, and injustice.
Sadly, we continue to live on a planet filled with the ravages of war.
“Imperfect people share planet earth with other imperfect people.” – Russell M. Nelson.

Peace

Yet, I know that peace can come to all who earnestly seek the Prince of Peace, and turn to Him, even Jesus Christ.
“Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” – John 14:27
Here in the UK, Remembrance Sunday is a special time of reflection, respect, and gratitude, that brings a renewed commitment to peace and understanding.
Like many millions today, I will take some time to pause and reflect to honour the bravery and sacrifices of those who served and lost their lives in wars and conflicts.
I hope, by reflecting on the past, it will inspire us to work toward a future free of conflict, by trying to understand one another better.
The poppy I choose to wear is a powerful symbol, representing the millions of lives lost and reminds us of the hardships faced by soldiers and their families.
Lest we forget, I simply want to pay my respects to the fallen.
To those who gave of their lives – that we may have our freedom today.
In 1916, John Maxwell Edmunds said, “When you go Home, tell them of us and say, For your Tomorrow, we gave our Today”.
For those who gave everything, we will always remember them.

Morning Routines

“Nothing much happened today….”
Those were the opening words of my first diary entry on January 1st, 1978.
Since then, I have written thousands more.
In a few weeks’ time, it’ll be 47 years since it all began.
And my daily morning entries have filled 49 page a day journals (a couple of years 1983 – 1985 I filled a few.)
I am grateful for my mother.
Since Christmas day 1977, with her gift of the little diary, every December 25th since, she has presented me with a new journal for the year ahead.
Filled with priceless memories, stories, insightful experiences, a few travelogues and a number of boring entries too 😉, they have become a record of my life.
They are a way to remember.

Mornings

I believe that how you start your morning sets the tone for the rest of your day.
In 1977, I began my years at High School in Dunfermline.
That summer, I started an early morning newspaper round.
Those early rises allowed me to establish regular morning habits that developed into consistent, reliable daily patterns from a young age.
I discovered that if you start every day with intention, a disciplined mindset is the result.
It has been the foundation for steady growth in my personal learning, development, family and professional life.
A structured morning routine helps you to focus on any priority tasks for the day ahead, without feeling hurried and to plan your time and resources accordingly.
Finding a morning routine that suits you, may take a little time.
The important thing is to commit to a routine that supports your own goals and lifestyle.
For me jotting down my thoughts of the activities of the day before in my journal is a powerful way to slow me down and clear my mind.

Top Tips

– Set a regular, consistent wake up time.
– Hydrate immediately and drink a glass of water.
– Journal – Start small – my first journal entry was just 12 words.
– Meditate & Study
– Prioritise your day.
As opposed to those first few words of my journal of 1978, something of real value happened that day, which has set the daily routines of my lifetime.
What did you do this morning?

In Harmony

Every Sunday morning, ever since I can remember, I have attended a Sacrament meeting of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Like many other religious denominations, in our communal worship, we sing congregational hymns together.
I have a few favourites that I have grown to love.
The last few years whilst serving in Belgium and the Netherlands, I also learned to sing the hymns in a different language and enjoyed getting my tongue around the more difficult words!

The Results…

In every congregation, there are some who sing very well, some who used to sing quite well, and others who have yet to find their singing voices! 😉
Sometimes the result of our communal singing together is pleasing to the ear and on other occasions it can be less so!
All are welcome to join in regardless of their singing ability.
Expressing our individuality is accepted by all.
In our congregational singing, each of us joins our voices and hearts and souls with no regard to elegance, exactness or talent, unitedly strengthening our combined faith in God.
I have many memories of disharmonious moments, including times when I’ve been way off key!
Yet, occasionally, when we make a concerted effort to sing together in real harmony, our joined voices create a sacred atmosphere that helps us all to feel closer to God.
“𝑯𝒂𝒓𝒎𝒐𝒏𝒚” is the pleasant combination of different notes of music played at the same time.
Over the years, I’ve found that singing hymns together offers an opportunity to strengthen that harmony, both musically and spiritually, aligning our voices and hearts with the purpose of worshiping God and reinforcing gospel principles.
Singing hymns together is a form of participation that transcends our spoken languages, bringing people of different backgrounds and experiences into harmony—literally and figuratively.

Our Beliefs

As we sing, we are reminded of our shared beliefs and values, united in song from the youngest to the oldest.
The powerful messages of the words also reinforce bonds of friendship and foster a sense of belonging.
This unity creates an environment where we all feel supported and spiritually connected.
Even scripture underscores the importance of singing praises as a form of worship.
For instance, in Doctrine and Covenants 25:12, the Lord declares, “For my soul delighteth in the song of the heart; yea, the song of the righteous is a prayer unto me.”
It is a wonderful feeling to be in harmony with others.
What creates harmony for you?

Unhurried

Whilst attending a coaching summit for a few days this week, one coach reminded us of an experiment conducted by social psychologists John Darley and Daniel Batson at Princeton University’s Theological Seminary on the Parable of the Good Samaritan (see Luke 10:29–37).

They wanted to know why people help in some situations but not others.

They studied one allegedly charitable group: 67 seminary students training to become priests.

The Challenge

The students were split into two groups.

Half of the students were told to prepare a sermon on job opportunities while the other half were told to prepare a sermon about the Good Samaritan.

They were then told to travel to a different building to give their sermon.

Unbeknownst to the students, the researchers had assigned them to one of three groups.

Some students were told that if they left immediately, they would be early, others were told they would be on-time, and the remainder were told they were already late.

Each student walked alone to the building to give their sermon.

On the way, they encountered a man slumped in a doorway, clearly in distress.

From afar, researchers watched: Would the seminary student stop to help the stranger in need?

The Result

Darley and Batson found that only 10% of seminary students in the hurried condition and their eagerness not to be late, stopped to help the man.

In comparison, 63% of the participants in the unhurried condition stopped.

In other words, being in a hurry can lead even trainee priests with the Good Samaritan on their mind to ignore a person in distress.

The study reinforced an essential gospel truth: we cannot serve others effectively if we are constantly rushing through life in a hurry.

Our pace of life can play a large role in whether or not we authentically demonstrate what we declare to be true.

The Saviour Himself often took time to pause, to notice, and to minister to individuals in need.

He was never in too much of a hurry to reach out to the sick, the needy, or the weary.

Are you too busy, too rushed, too hurried and sometimes unkind to others?

I know, if you slow down, even for a minute, situations become clearer.

Don’t let being in a hurry stop you from doing something good today…

How are you eliminating hurry from your life? Please tell!

Darley, J. M., & Batson, C. D. (1973). “From Jerusalem to Jericho”: A study of situational and dispositional variables in helping behavior. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 27(1), 100.

A Ball of String

Recently I was asked, “As a facilitator, what are your favourite learning tools in your backpack?”
I smiled…
There are many “essentials” that I carry in my backpack when I facilitate a workshop.
– Pens, markers (sharpies or neuland refillables), dry board markers, paper, post it notes.
– CCS Cards, Organisation Cards and other cards to write on
– My laptop, a pointer/clicker, extra batteries, an external mouse and a thumb drive.
– Masking tape.
– Power adaptors
– Rubber bands and Paper clips
And last but not least, my very favourite, it goes everywhere, my 𝒃𝒂𝒍𝒍 𝒐𝒇 𝒔𝒕𝒓𝒊𝒏𝒈!
It’s a short list but these few supplies have gotten me out of a lot of jams, consistently bring energy to the room, and help me to create memorable moments in any learning session.
So why a ball of string?
A simple ball of string is often underestimated, but it is a highly effective tool in facilitation.
Its versatility makes it a powerful symbol and practical tool for measuring and demonstrating different behaviours and concepts in various workshops.
Here are 2 simple examples of how I’ve used it recently…

Example 1

As a measurement tool, by using it as a line on the floor and asking participants to gauge their thoughts and feelings about something.
For example, I explain that one end of the line is “Strongly Agree,” the opposite end is “Strongly Disagree,” and the middle represents a neutral stance.
The activity always involves making decisions about how much they agree or disagree with statements or questions that I ask.
On every occasion, I invite participants to position themselves on the line to indicate their view, leading to some fascinating discussion and varied opinions.
Another one I use string for is to help people understand the importance of connection and communication within a team.

Example 2

When one person talks or shares an idea, they hold onto the string and toss the ball to someone else.
As the string weaves across the group, it creates a visual web of connections, symbolising how each person’s input influences the others.
It can be a powerful illustration of interdependency in any team, and how communication flows through and binds a team together.
A ball of string is more than a basic tool as it can symbolise and practically demonstrate essential leadership behaviours.
What’s in your backpack?