Tag Archive for: meaning
Words Matter
Do you listen to your heart?
Words matter.
All week long one word has played continually into my thoughts.
I’ve felt as if it has been etched not only upon, but also into my heart and mind.
No matter where I went, or what I did, it would always return.
It’s an unusual word.
Indefatigability…! (Dutch – onvermoeibaarheid)
I wasn’t even too certain what it meant, so I looked up the dictionary definition.
“Tireless determination, incapable of being tired out; not yielding to fatigue; untiring.”
I reflected upon the definition for a while.
I questioned myself and asked “What does this word mean for me?”
After a while, I began to understand.
Day in, day out, week in, week out, I am surrounded by young missionaries who possess the most remarkable indefatigable spirit.
I am with them, constantly.
Being with them one by one, in group training sessions and large conferences, I am reminded of the desire of their hearts to share their witness and testimony of Jesus Christ.
They all take several knocks – daily.
GRIT
Yet, each of them possesses grit!
True grit! And I’m not talking about John Wayne!
A toughness, an indefatigable resilient courage, to bounce back, again and again and again.
As defined by Angela Duckworth, grit is “Our passion and perseverance to reach long term goals.”
I am so grateful for my association with each and every one of them.
They have been called from many different countries and cultures all across the world to bring a message of hope and peace to a world that is in constant peril and commotion. (2 Timothy 3:3/D&C 45:26)
Through my personal interactions with each of them, I am a witness to the fact, that they possess an indefatigable zeal and testimony of the message they share.
It is a message of great hope, peace and centred in their love of Jesus Christ.
I know that when the focus of our lives is on Jesus Christ and His gospel, we can feel joy, regardless of what is happening—or not happening—in the world or in our lives.
As President Russell M. Nelson has said “the joy we feel has little to do with the circumstances of our lives and everything to do with the focus of our lives.”
If you want to find real joy, peace, purpose and meaning in life, then I suggest you listen to your heart.
Reach out to one of these indefatigable young men or young women today. They will help refocus your life.
#HearHim
My Favourite Dutch Words


What path are you following?
Do you remember the song ” I walked Today where Jesus Walked”?
What holds your team together?
Evidence in the garden suggested the storm had been a rough one.
There was damage in the garden, including one of the ceramic pots which had been blown over and was broken into several pieces. My wife and I discussed our options. We determined to visit our local garden centre to purchase a replacement. However, we couldn’t settle on a new pot and instead a little later we decided to repair the broken pot and bought some glue instead. A few days later, the pot, showing its age a little, plus with some wear and tear, was repaired and functional once more, adding to the surroundings of the garden.
In a like manner, it struck me how powerful cohesion is and the importance of glue in many aspects of life, especially through this year. I considered my family, teams I’ve worked in through my career, then subsequently groups and organisations I have worked with in 2020. What is the glue, the cohesion, the bond that unites us, that keeps us sticking together and from falling apart? In life, we can choose – out with the old, in with the new or repair.
Unity, love, purpose, meaning, joy, happiness, a sense of belonging are all indicators of cohesive teams.
In your family, community, teams and organisations what is the glue that holds you together?