Roadshow Surprise

My brother and I had a great day recently at the BBC Antiques Roadshow at the Hill of Tarvit Mansion & Garden in Fife.
It was beautiful sunny day, a great location and there was a wee bit of telly magic in the air.
Paul had brought along a few items to be valued, and after checking-in, we were off queuing with our two tickets – one for jewellery, one for miscellaneous.
The line for jewellery was already fairly long, but everyone was happy, and we had some lovely chats with folk while we waited.
Then the fun started.

Everything Changed

We got to Siobhan (one of the experts), and Paul started sharing some items.
A few estimates were given, all very nice… then he pulled out something else and her face lit up.
She just said, “I think we need to get these filmed,” we looked at each other with big smiles!
“Do not doubt, just believe” – we thought.
From there, it was like entering a different world.
We were moved into another waiting area (and then another!), then finally (after a fair bit of waiting) – filming time.
Paul was great.
When the final valuation came through, I nearly had to pick him up off the grass.
Let’s just say… it was worth the wait! 😊
We never did make it to the miscellaneous line; our time had run out!

Effortless

We were both impressed how well the whole event was run and organised.
Yes, we had a bit of waiting to do, but smooth check-ins, clear signage, friendly staff, and when something unusual cropped up, the process adapted – fast, all made for a hugely enjoyable day out.
I noticed too there was no fuss and no drama throughout the day, just a well-oiled team who knew their roles and trusted each other to get on with it.
That’s how good events feel effortless.
So, whether you’re managing antiques roadshow or running a business, there’s something to be said for:
• Having a clear plan.
• Empowering your team to be in the moment.
• And always being ready to shift gears like Siobhan when something kind of special turns up.
Paul and I had a great day out and fingers crossed we make the cut when it airs!
How agile are you or your team to pivot, when opportunity shows up?

Lost in the Hurry…

We live in a world filled with “hurry”.
For many, there never seems to be quite enough time.
In recent weeks, in many of my coaching conversations, one constant theme has arisen: “Time.”
Time rushes onward.
Never ceasing.
There is nothing so swift or more relentless than it.
In truth, the only time we ever hold is now.
Tomorrow is just a promise, because when it comes, it’s already today.
And once today is gone, we can never have it back.
Living in such a busy world with so many things to do, with many responsibilities all pulling for our attention, can be overwhelming.
Before we know it, a week has passed by, then a month – and perhaps it can feel like we have not done anything that really matters.
Time, which seemed to stand still, did not keep its promise…
“So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.” – Psalm 90:12

Time Isn’t Just Measured — It’s Managed

In business, we often measure success by productivity and results.
But just like in life, if we’re not intentional with where our time goes, we can be busy without being effective.
A full calendar doesn’t always mean a fulfilled purpose.
Many fill their lives with devices designed to save time yet feel more rushed than ever.
The tools meant to free us have only made it easier to stay busy with what doesn’t matter.
The most successful leaders I’ve met don’t just manage their time – they own it.
“The key is not in spending time, but in investing it.” – Stephen R. Covey

Living Intentionally

They don’t let urgency set their agenda.
They know what matters, and they make space for it.
They choose what matters most and protect it ruthlessly.
It’s a regular daily discipline.
What will you choose to do with your time today that could shape tomorrow?

Every Day Counted

My mum, brother Paul, and niece Linsey, have all been celebrating birthdays this week.
Many family members will gather today to celebrate mum’s 90th birthday this week.
Ten years ago, on her 80th, we stood (all much younger) in a garden and snapped these photos, I’m sure there will be more today.
Look closely and you’ll see a cheeky wee smiler tucked in one corner.

Numbering the Days

Psalm 90:12 says, “Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.”
There’s something powerful about this verse when you’re celebrating someone who’s lived more than 32,800 days.
But this isn’t just about counting time—it’s about valuing it.
We all know that mortality is very brief, yet so immeasurably important.
The older I become, the more I understand that numbering our days isn’t a maths problem.
It’s a spiritual practice.
It reminds us life isn’t about how long we live, but how well we love.

A Life of Love

In John 15:12 we read, “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.”
I can’t think of a better way to describe how my mum has lived.
Through happy times and challenging times, through grief and many changes, along with every twist that life has brought her way, she’s remained rooted, steady and faithful in her knowledge and testimony of Jesus Christ.
I love the line from C. T. Studd’s poem, “Only one life” …
“Only one life, ’twill soon be past, only what’s done for Christ will last.”
Mum’s constancy has been like a gospel soundtrack running in the background of all our lives.
Never demanding attention, just always there.
Always playing.
Her love has outlasted storms, outlived losses, and held our family together as our Matriarch and constant example for years.
So today mum, we come together to honour all that you are and all that you have become.
A celebration not just of age, but of endurance and unshakable faith.
Of a mum who abides in a gospel life filled with love, that never fades.
Mum’s days have truly been numbered and have truly counted for all of her family and friends.
Thank you for enriching all of our lives.
Whose quiet faith and love have shaped your life?

Built Right, Still Wrong…

At home these last few weeks, Monic has been on another mission, painting and decorating.
 
At times the house has been upside down and, on a few occasions, I’ve been enlisted to help.
 
It may have been to move a bed, lift a rug, order something online, build some flat pack furniture, pick up something from a shop etc.
 
Monic’s work ethic is amazing and when she gets started, you simply need to get out of the way.
 
It got me thinking about a few things – especially when it came to flat pack self-assembly furniture this week.
 
I ordered the items online, picked them up from the store and duly started to put the bedside cabinet together.
 
It wasn’t too difficult and within an hour the first was completed.
 
Having built one, the second was easier and within half an hour, the last thing I needed to do was put the drawer in.
 
But alas, for some reason, it wouldn’t fit!?
 
Cue that familiar DIY moment: denial, frustration, blame.
 
Was it me? Did I mess something up?
 
Stumped, I took a closer look.
 
The drawer rail pre-installed by the manufacturer was the wrong one.
 
I couldn’t do a thing.
 
I called on Monic to check it wasn’t just me seeing something wrongly…
 
She confirmed that no tool could fix that.

The Life Lesson

 
And that’s when it clicked, this was a real-world lesson in control.
 
– I had 𝒕𝒐𝒕𝒂𝒍 control when I laid out the parts and followed the instructions.
– I had 𝒔𝒐𝒎𝒆 control when I checked my work and asked for a second opinion.
– But with the faulty rail? I had 𝒛𝒆𝒓𝒐 control. All I could do was adapt. Accept. Return it and reorder.
 
On reflection – I followed the instruction manual with exactness, step by step.
 
But the part was wrong from the start.
 
There was nothing I could do to fix it.
 
Sometimes, even when you do everything right, things still won’t work—because the problem was built in from the start.
 
The real test is how you respond when the plan fails.
 
Are you solving problems—or just following instructions?

Generations Rolling On

We had a lovely visit on Sunday from Megan and our grandson Oscar.
It was the first time I’d pushed a pram since our own kids were that age, more than twenty+ years ago!
I was a little rusty on the corners, but Oscar didn’t seem to mind… he spent most of the walk trying to eat the harness strap! 😅
He kept up a steady stream of gooing and gurgles all along the way, clearly he had a lot on his mind…!
We all responded in kind, of course – it was some serious baby banter!
We had quite the conversation… no one else could understand it, but it seemed very meaningful to all of us. 😆
The pram itself?
Let’s just say things have moved on a bit since our day.
Megan said choosing it felt like test-driving a car, with a showroom tour and all.
Suspension, sun visors, turning radius, cup holders, storage compartments etc
I was half-expecting it to come with heated handles, cruise control, and some kind of voice-activated nursery rhymes with flashing lights!
There’s something very special and heartwarming about these full-circle moments… doing the same thing, but in a different season of our life, with new hands holding ours.
And yes, Oscar also tried on Grandad’s hat… and somehow he made it look cooler than I ever did.
What’s something you’ve done again recently after decades — and how did it go?

Not Everything has a Burning Fuse

At the end of my recent walk along the West Highland Way, on the last evening a few of us watched the new Mission Impossible film.
In these kinds of films someone’s always defusing a bomb with seconds to spare, racing down hallways, jumping off cliffs, and generally saving the world on an impossible deadline.
The opening titles usually have the iconic burning fuse racing across the screen, a powerful visual metaphor for everything at stake and as usual time is running out – fast!
It’s gripping and fun too, but it also got me thinking.
In real life, we all face true emergencies now and then. Medical issues. Financial crises. Family needs. Things that demand immediate action. These moments matter, and responding well to them can change everything.
But here’s the thing: most of life isn’t lived in “burning fuse” mode.
Or at least—it shouldn’t be.
Some of the most important things in our lives don’t come with dramatic music or countdown clocks.
They just sit quietly, waiting. You can ignore them for a while and nothing seems to happen. But procrastinate long enough, and you’ll feel the consequences!
For instance, recently the engineer arrived to service our gas boiler. If we forgot to do that year after year, then eventually the system would fail.
Or think about regular health checkups, saving for retirement, spending time with your family, or nurturing a friendship. These aren’t emergencies. Not yet at least. But they really matter.
CS Lewis said:
“The future is something which everyone reaches at the rate of sixty minutes an hour, whatever he does, whoever he is.”
We’re all moving through time at the same speed.
The difference lies in how we use it.
Are we constantly reacting to what’s urgent, or are we giving time to what’s important?
So, the challenge is this: Don’t wait for the burning fuse.
Pay attention to the stuff that doesn’t blow up when ignored—but shapes everything in the long run.
What might fall apart later if it keeps being ignored today?

Front Row Seats

In May 2023, I found myself in Frankfurt, Germany, at a Europe Central Area Leadership Meeting.
Elder David A. Bednar of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles was presiding, and leaders from across Europe gathered for instruction.
As we arrived, we quietly took our seats toward the rear of the chapel, but Elder Bednar had other ideas.
As he began, he invited those sitting at the back to come forward.
“Come closer,” he said.
And so, a little reluctantly, we did.
We moved toward the front right row. Then, Elder Bednar gestured again, “No,” he signalled. “Right here, in the front row.”
We moved again, and I found myself sitting directly in front of him, within touching distance, 2 metres away, for the next 4 hours.
Something happened.
Time and again, he made direct eye contact with me (he has brown ones – like my own).
Again and again, it felt as though he was speaking not 𝒂𝒕 me—but 𝒕𝒐 me.
The doctrine, the invitations, the Spirit—everything felt really personal.
He wasn’t just addressing a group of leaders.
In those moments, it felt like he was addressing 𝐦𝐞.

Reflections

Since that day, I’ve reflected on what it meant to be invited to the front row, not only physically, but spiritually too.
In recent years, President Russell M. Nelson said, “We have 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐭 𝐫𝐨𝐰 𝐬𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐬 to witness live what the prophets anciently only envisioned.” Later he also said, “Do you see what is happening right before our eyes?”
We’re not in the balcony seats. We’re not watching a recording later.
As the work of salvation hastens, we have front-row seats as witnesses to the troubling times of the last days prior to the second coming of Jesus Christ—and it’s all happening “𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐛𝐞𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐞𝐲𝐞𝐬.”
To see more clearly, some of us may have to move closer.
We’re not just spectators—we’re participants.
There’s something unforgettable about a front-row seat.
You see things others miss.
You feel the energy.
You can’t look away.
Because when we choose to come closer, the Saviour meets our eyes, and nothing is ever quite the same again.
Will you stay at the back, or will you move to the front row seats?

The Final Scene of our 96 mile expedition

On our last evening after walking the full West Highland Way, just the four of us remained.
We wrapped things up in Fort William with a trip to the cinema to see the latest Mission Impossible film, a fitting choice, since parts of this trek really did feel impossible!
This is my final post about the walk, and one last chance to support Mary’s Meals before I close the project on July 1st.
Not only did we complete our great challenge, we also managed to raise a few thousand pounds for an amazing charity together.
If you’ve been meaning to donate, here’s the link: https://www.marysmeals.org.uk/fundraising…
Everyone of us who participated, despite the hardships, truly loved it!
Yes, even the rain, midges, ticks and gale force winds all added to the fun! 😆
I’d recommend the walk, to anyone, but you need to be a wee bit mad to do it too!
I think it was one of the greatest adventures of my life and to be with such great friends was simply awesome.
Huge thanks to everyone who supported us along the way. You helped make every step count.

Come What May

Last night Monic and I went to the cinema and really enjoyed watching the new “How to Train Your Dragon” movie.
A simple phrase uttered by the main character, Hiccup, landed with me.
“𝑪𝒐𝒎𝒆 𝑾𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝑴𝒂𝒚…”
Facing a challenge much bigger than himself, he didn’t run or retreat.
He stood tall, uncertain but unwavering, and chose to press ahead at a moment of great difficulty.
He didn’t have all the answers, but he had great conviction.
And the path wasn’t an easy one, but it was the right one.
That moment and the phrase is still with me this morning.
It reminded me that we all face dragons, challenges that test our resolve, our faith, our identity.
But “come what may” is more than a line in a movie, it’s a quiet anthem of trust in something greater.
In my personal study this morning I decided to reread a talk from some years ago by Joseph B. Wirthlin “Come What may and love it” – a phrase attributed to his mother.
He said, “If we approach adversities wisely, our hardest times can be the times of greatest growth, which in turn can lead to times of greatest happiness.”
Life has taught me that there is opposition in all things.
I’m sure it has for you too.
And still, we carry on.
Not because the path is easy.
Not because we know what’s coming next.
But because something within us, or someone beside us (in the movie – Astrid), helps us to take the next step.
Come what may, we learn.
Come what may, we grow.
Come what may, we love it.
What “dragons” are you facing – and what quiet strength is helping you stand firm?

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?