The Enos Challenge

๐–๐ก๐š๐ญ ๐๐จ ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ ๐ฌ๐ญ๐ฎ๐๐ฒ?
โ€œStudying โ€“ the act of texting, eating and watching Netflix with an open textbook nearbyโ€ โ€“ thatโ€™s one definition at least!
Growing older, Iโ€™ve discovered that I love to study, i.e., โ€œdevoting time and attention to gain knowledgeโ€ โ€“ perhaps that is a more traditional definition!
In Doctrine & Covenants 88:118, the Lords describes how to learn the gospel โ€œโ€ฆyea, seek ye out of the best books words of wisdom; seek learning, even by study and also by faith.
Reading and studying are both part of the learning process.
So โ€“ is there a difference between the two?
Another definition I found suggests that – Studying means to concentrate and devote time in completing or researching any task; while reading means to understand and grasp the meaning of any content without devoting much time to it.
In simple terms, โ€œyouโ€™re only going to get out of this what you put into it.โ€ โ€“ Boyd K. Packer.
Whilst listening to a podcast in our pre-mission training, we were encouraged to take the Enos challenge.
The invitation was to study the one chapter of Enos in the Book of Mormon for 30 days.
My immediate thought was โ€œHow can I study Enos for 30 days, there are only 27 verses!โ€
However, I accepted the challenge and learned many wonderful lessons, as I slowed down and studied those verses, one by one.
The book of Enos is like a pure journal entry and is a very personal chapter of scripture.
There was indeed much to learn.

The Process of Studying…

The process of studying the scriptures has three important parts:
1 – Understanding the background and setting of the scriptures.
2 – Identifying the principles and doctrines being taught.
3 – Applying those truths to our own lives.
I learned that studying is better when you take your time, by looking out for key words, youโ€™ll discover that truths about Jesus Christ are everywhere.
Recently I invited all of the missionaries to complete the Enos challenge.
I love this piece of street art graffiti in Friesland.
It was a timely serendipitous find by Tess Flake upon her completion of the challenge!
Have you ever taken time to study the scriptures?
Enos may be a good place to start!

Its time to wake up!

Are you wide awake or sleepwalking through life?
Are you aware & conscious about all that is going on around you?
Are you stuck in a rut?
Some cluesโ€ฆ
– You may endlessly scroll through Facebook, Instagram or Tik Tok.
– You lack a clear direction in your life.
– You are often stressed, worried or anxious.
– You frequently complain or moan about other people.
– You canโ€™t seem to find quiet time to even breathe.
Sound familiar?
It is really easy to slip into a very comfortable and rigid routine in your daily life.
We fall into an emotional state of autopilot and disconnect from our real feelings.
Each can bring exactly the same.
Choose to ๐’˜๐’‚๐’Œ๐’† ๐’–๐’‘!
Start today by choosing the life you want to create!
Choose to find some fun today. George Bernard Shaw saidโ€ฆ
โ€œ๐–๐ž ๐๐จ๐งโ€™๐ญ ๐ฌ๐ญ๐จ๐ฉ ๐ฉ๐ฅ๐š๐ฒ๐ข๐ง๐  ๐›๐ž๐œ๐š๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ž ๐ฐ๐ž ๐ ๐ซ๐จ๐ฐ ๐จ๐ฅ๐; ๐ฐ๐ž ๐ ๐ซ๐จ๐ฐ ๐จ๐ฅ๐ ๐›๐ž๐œ๐š๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ž ๐ฐ๐ž ๐ฌ๐ญ๐จ๐ฉ ๐ฉ๐ฅ๐š๐ฒ๐ข๐ง๐ .โ€
Be curious, look around. Enjoy the moment
Put your phone away today โ€“ stop scrolling!
Have a real conversation with someone! If you struggle with that then get someone else to hold you accountable.
Start journaling! Record your feelings, recall what makes you happy and capture the conversations you had in the day.
Call or write to someone you havenโ€™t spoken to in a while.
Learn to stop and awaken your five senses of listening, touching, looking, smelling, and tasting.
In slowing down, you will recognise that you have much to learn as you awaken from your slumber.
Its time to wake up!

A still small voice.

๐ˆ๐ฌ ๐ข๐ญ ๐š๐›๐จ๐ฎ๐ญ ๐ฐ๐ก๐š๐ญ ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ ๐ฌ๐ž๐ž, ๐ก๐ž๐š๐ซ ๐จ๐ซ ๐Ÿ๐ž๐ž๐ฅ?
I am surrounded by people who speak different languages.
Dutch, English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, German and many more are a constant in my life.
Sometimes, it can be difficult to communicate and understand.
Yet, the language of the spirit helps us distinguish truth from error.
โ€œFor this peopleโ€™s heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them.โ€ โ€“ Matthew 13:15
Do you want to be healed?

The example of the Prophet Elijah

In 1 Kings chapters 18 & 19, the Prophet Elijah had to flee for his life to escape the rage of Jezebel. In those chapters we learn about the language of the spirit and how he heard the voice of the Lord.
โ€œA great and strong windโ€ surged and shattered rocks into pieces.
โ€œBut the Lord was not in the wind.โ€
After the wind came an earthquake.
โ€œBut the Lord was not in the earthquake.โ€
After that โ€œa fire, but the Lord was not in the fire.โ€
Finally, after these dramatic demonstrations of Godโ€™s power came โ€œa still small voice.โ€
I know that we can all understand the language of the spirit as we hearken to the voice of the Lord.
He can communicate with all of us โ€“ if we will listen to our hearts.
The voice of the Lord is ๐’”๐’•๐’Š๐’๐’.
The voice of the Lord is ๐’”๐’Ž๐’‚๐’๐’.
The voice of the Lord ๐’˜๐’‰๐’Š๐’”๐’‘๐’†๐’“๐’”.
The voice of the Lord can touch our ๐’‰๐’†๐’‚๐’“๐’•๐’”.
I have learned that the voice is often felt, rather more than it is heard.
If you come seeking and listening, you too can be guided by the language of the spirit.
It should be listened to.
Please slow down.
Be still and quiet.
Consider what really matters most.
When we get ourselves quiet enough, we can hear Him giving us the direction that we need.
No matter what earthly language you speak, you too can hear and will feel the guidance of the language of the spirit.
It really is all about what you see, hear and feel.

Emotional Rollercoasters

๐ƒ๐จ ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ ๐ฅ๐ข๐ฌ๐ญ๐ž๐ง ๐ญ๐จ ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ ๐ก๐ž๐š๐ซ๐ญ?
Transfers week and riding the emotional rollercoaster began all over again.
Rollercoasters are thrilling though โ€“ arenโ€™t they!?
Missionary arrivals on Tuesday and departures on Thursday mean that emotions are pulled in opposite directions over a very short period of time โ€“ again!
During our 3-year period of service, transfers happen 27 times.
This week was our 9th rotation.
Our emotional heartstrings have already been stretched in so many ways.
The thrill and excitement of welcoming our new arrivals.
Followed by the joyful and agonising feelings that accompany those departing for home.
For instance, highs and lows, laughing and crying in rapid succession (or even at the same time) are commonplace in the mission field.
๐‘ถ๐’–๐’“ ๐’†๐’Ž๐’๐’•๐’Š๐’๐’๐’” ๐’„๐’๐’๐’๐’†๐’„๐’• ๐’–๐’” ๐’•๐’ ๐’๐’๐’† ๐’‚๐’๐’๐’•๐’‰๐’†๐’“.
Rather than let these emotions run my life, I am learning to deal with them in a much healthier way, by considering the bigger picture for each of those coming and going.
I am beginning to understand my emotions more as a barometer to measure my own sense of wellbeing and happiness, by mastering those feelings and listening to my heart.
The most challenging moment for me is the final hug at the airport with those departing missionaries.
Yesterday I did better!
I stopped for a moment and took a big conscious breath. It made a difference, at least until we started walking back to the car, and I had a wee tear (or two even!)
The best thing about the afternoon on departures day, is when I take a break and have a wee nap. It allows me to reconnect with my heart and is a golden opportunity to relax.
9 transfer weeks down, only another 18 to go.
Do you listen to your heart?
#joy

Strength in unity

Why should less be more?

A few days ago, we received a letter indicating the Belgium Netherlands Mission had been chosen to pilot a programme to integrate service missionaries into the traditional mission structure.

It is an exciting opportunity to reduce duplication of effort, have more aligned reporting structures and to be more unified in our missionary labours โ€“ together, as one.

As we unite, we will create an even stronger missionary force to spread the good news of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

As we read in Ephesians 4:13; โ€œTill we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ.โ€

The Forth Road Bridge

As I considered the transition over the last few days, my thoughts returned to Scotland and the Forth Road Bridge, which is only a short distance from our home.

It was opened in 1964 and at the time was the longest suspension bridge in Europe, spanning 1005 metres across the Firth of Forth.

Suspension bridges have to be strong and tough enough to overcome a number of extreme obstacles โ€“ long distances, high winds, and water.

A suspension bridge is held up by individual wires, which when spun together make strands.

 

Several strands are then combined into giant wire cables that can hold thousands of tonnes of weight.

In a like manner, speaking figuratively, this principle is evident in our new mission structure, allowing us an opportunity to discover new strength in unity.

Unity grows when we serve together, teach each other, and encourage one another. Our hearts can be โ€œknit together in unity and in love one towards anotherโ€ โ€“ Mosiah 18:21

When it comes to structure, less, frequently is much more.

There is beauty in simplicity.

What blessings have you seen by being unified?

#Unity

A little wink

Do they smile back at you?
Last weekend, Monic and I were visiting Brussels.
We had the opportunity to speak in church services on Sunday.
Whilst Monic was speaking, I noticed a little boy, around 6 years old, looking directly at me.
In that split second, I made eye contact with him, tilted my head slightly to one side, smiled, and gave him a friendly little wink.
He smiled back and tried a little wink too.
For a brief moment in time โ€“ we enjoyed our little connection and smiled together.
It was an innocent thing.
In that instant, a thought entered my mind when I was his age.
Immediately, in my thoughts, I dismissed my well-rehearsed, prepared talk, already provided to the translators in advance and shortly thereafter apologised to them.
As I stood up, I shared the impressions of my heart and mind.
Slowly, I told my simple story.
Look out for little impressions and ideas, if you are listening, they always come.
The power of a little wink.
Be careful how you use it though, you just never know who may smile back at you!

Learning takes practice.

๐–๐ก๐š๐ญ ๐๐จ๐ž๐ฌ ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ ๐ก๐ž๐š๐ซ๐ญ ๐ญ๐ก๐ข๐ง๐ค?
Growing up in Scotland in the 1970โ€™s was a fun place to be.
I was oblivious to many of the challenges of the era, but I do recall one occasion at Primary school when I was around 9 years old, that Iโ€™ve never forgotten.
An announcement was made in class that a recorder group would be starting in school and that anyone interested to learn how to play should come along to the next practice.
I had grown up listening to my dad playing regularly on his chromatic mouth organ and like him I wanted to do something musical โ€“ he always seemed to be having so much fun!
The day came and along I went.
I was given a small descant recorder and duly started practicing in the weeks that followed.
Through lots of lessons, my playing began to improve, and I learned to read music too.

Lessons Learned

I began to understand that
  • Growth and development take time.
  • Learning takes practice.
As time passed by, one day I recall being picked upon and bullied by several boys.
โ€œYouโ€™re just a big namby pamby, a big sissyโ€ theyโ€™d say to me, along with a few other belittling terms.
Why?
I was the only boy, playing the recorder amongst a group of around 15 girls.
Despite the regular taunts, insulting and smart-alecky remarks, I continued playing the recorder throughout my school years and developed a resilient spirit to the comments.
Playing simple melodies, always brought joy to my youthful heart. And it still does!
In later years, in a little tender mercy, I discovered that like me, Monic too played the recorder.
Sometimes in life we have to persevere when opposition comes our way.
Oftentimes, its listening to the feelings of our heart, that can overcome the challenge of the day.
What challenge might you face today?
What does your heart think?

Attitude

โ€œHow do I remain ๐ฉ๐จ๐ฌ๐ข๐ญ๐ข๐ฏ๐ž, when so many around me are negativeโ€?
Our attitude can make all the difference in our lives.
Said another way, so much in life, really depends upon our attitude.
M. Russell Ballard speaking many years ago commented that a โ€œgood attitude produces good results, a fair attitude fair results, and a poor attitude poor results. We each shape our own life, and the shape of it is determined largely by our attitude.โ€
During our time on earth, challenges will certainly come, they are after all, a natural part of life. We all worry at times. And of course there are times of concern and anxiety too.
But we can choose to be positive and cheerful.
The way we choose to see things, the way we behave or the way we respond to others can and will make all the difference.
Remember; โ€œA merry heart doeth good, like a medicine.โ€ – Proverbs 17:22
I love these observations by Charles Swinton about attitude โ€ฆ

Attitude

โ€œThe longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life.
Attitude, to me, is more important than facts.
It is more important than the past, than education, than money, than circumstances, than failures, than successes, than what other people think, say or do.
It is more important than appearance, giftedness or skill. It will make or break a company… a church… a home.
The remarkable thing is we have a choice every day regarding the attitude we embrace for that day.
We cannot change our past… we cannot change the fact that people will act in a certain way.
We cannot change the inevitable.
The only thing we can do is play the one string we have, and that is our attitude…
I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me and 90% how I react to it.
And so, it is with you… we are in charge of our Attitudesโ€

Some top tips for those around us who may be a little negative.

  1. Counteract their negativity, with your positivity.
  2. Focus on their virtues, not their faults.
  3. Even if they have some negative comments, look for the positive in them.
  4. Be honest with them and share how their comments make you feel.
  5. ย Discuss with them whatโ€™s going well in their life.
  6. ย Set your own boundaries and ask yourself how much you are going to allow others to influence you.
We live in challenging times, however, lets choose to accentuate the positive and see the good in those around us, if we slow down and look, we will find plenty to be positive about.
How can you choose to be ๐ฉ๐จ๐ฌ๐ข๐ญ๐ข๐ฏ๐ž today?
#attitude

A stranger here

๐ƒ๐จ ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ ๐ฐ๐ข๐ฌ๐ก ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ ๐ฐ๐ž๐ซ๐ž ๐ก๐ž๐ซ๐ž?

This week marked a significant anniversary for Monic and I.

12 months ago, we arrived in the Netherlands.

Those months have simply flown by, so incredibly fast.

We have travelled throughout Belgium and the Netherlands, visited with lots of family, reacquainted ourselves with many old friends, made many new friends from all across the world and testified of the restoration of the gospel of Jesus Christ in many towns and cities.

Yesterday, we met up with fellow Scot โ€“ Mark Stewart, an Area Authority Seventy, as each of us fulfilled assignments to speak at The Hague Stake Conference in Zoetermeer this weekend.

Reflecting this morning, I was reminded of a scripture in Ephesians 2:19.

At the time the Apostle Paul was fearlessly traveling into lots of different lands and meeting many new people.

Writing to the members of the Church, or Saints as they were called and are called today, he reminded members of the Church of the blessings of belonging, when he told them, โ€œYe are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God.โ€

What do you think of when you think of โ€œstrangersโ€ or โ€œforeignersโ€?

Mark and I are both Scottish, growing up on opposite sides of the country.

Speaking last night, our mother tongue, dialect, cultural background, and lifestyle may be different from the Dutch, but we were no strangers or foreigners โ€“ we were indeed fellowcitizens with the household of God, the Saints, here in the Netherlands.

In our day, in these turbulent times in which we live, strangers and foreigners are coming to us – daily.

We donโ€™t have to look far. They are all around us.

Are you welcoming?

In fact, I was a stranger here not too long ago, yet I have always felt welcome here.

I know that no-one is a stranger to Jesus Christ.

In Romans 8:16-17, the Apostle Paul explains furtherโ€ฆ

โ€œThe Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: and if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ.โ€

Try as we may, we cannot separate ourselves from each other.

As children of God, we are not strangers to one another, we are all in fact brothers and sisters.

I hope that we will remember that we are all children of God and part of His family.

Have you ever felt like a stranger?

#HearHim

Being heard

Have you ever met someone who not only listened to you but really tried to understand you?
How did you feel about the person?
Have you been heard recently?
I mean, ๐’“๐’†๐’‚๐’๐’๐’š ๐’‰๐’†๐’‚๐’“๐’….
You may have to think long and hard about that question.
It may have been quite a while since you feel that you have been heard.
Can you remember what it felt like?
What words come to mind?
We can all seek to be heard beyond simply the words that we are speaking.
As a coach, frequently I find that coachees want me to know and hear the feelings of their heart.
Sometimes that can take a few sessions to achieve.
My experience has taught me that if you have been heard, then you are much more willing to listen.
Real listening canโ€™t happen unless we have a sincere desire to understand what weโ€™re hearing.
Sometimes โ€“ that isnโ€™t easy for many of us, including me too!
Why? Because we also need to suspend our judgement.
You know that voice in your head that says โ€“ I know better.
Or that frustrated impatient feeling in your heart which says โ€“ I already know how.
When actually โ€“ we donโ€™t know better or how at all.
We may think we do, but we donโ€™t!
Listening to someone means getting out of your own head and trying to understand another personโ€™s mind.
Itโ€™s all about empathy.

Here are some tipsโ€ฆ

1. Slow down.
2. Let go of your own thoughts and opinions
3. Listen with your whole body, not just with your ears, eyes, and head, but by mirroring their body movements (without being too obvious.)
4. Be genuinely curious, by focusing all your attention on the other person and being present.
5. Become comfortable with silence, allowing the other person space and time to access their inner wisdom.
6. Donโ€™t interrupt and wait until the other person is ready for you to speak.
Listening is crucial to presence.
Why not take a moment, reflect on the tips above and help someone to be heard today?
#heard #presence #listening #empathy #silence
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