Tag Archive for: thankful

Meant to Be

Back in mid-December 2024, I met Ella Henricksen for the first time at BYU, in Provo, Utah.
She was a little excited about a possible internship in Scotland.
What I didn’t know then was just how much of a blessing she’d become for me personally.
Ella was set to become the first intern I was responsible for placing in Scotland.
It was a tall order with an extremely tight deadline, to find her a placement by mid-January, with the Christmas holidays in between.
The clock was ticking.
I’d found a willing museum in Edinburgh, but we soon faced challenges with HR and logistics when she arrived in Scotland, that left us scrambling for a plan B.
In those moments of uncertainty, what unfolded felt less like chance and more like divine help.

Plan B

I was hesitant at first to ask Ella to help with something so personal (Plan B) – the final editing of my own book, on top of her podcast work and a few tasks for the FoRB Foundation.
But the more I considered it, the more I realised she was exactly the person I needed.
Ella brought great editorial insight, discipline, and a sense of calm competence.
We met for lunch, mapped out what was left to do, and she got to work.
From there, something special grew, not just a productive collaboration, but a genuine friendship rooted in mutual respect and shared purpose.
We enjoyed many wide-ranging healthy conversations, which became a highlight of our time together.
Ella has made a real difference.
I know she’ll miss Scotland, and truth be told, I’ll miss her too!
As she heads back to the U.S. today, I’m grateful for the way everything came together, even those early setbacks seemed to have purpose.
Some might call it coincidence, but I’d say it was more of a God-incidence.
Thank you, Ella, for all you’ve given. 😊
What unexpected help have you been grateful for?

Think and Thank

To thank is to think and to think is to thank.
When you think, you can’t help but to thank.
Recently, I discovered this powerful thought…
“What you think about and what you thank about is what you will bring about.”
Can you think of something that you are thankful for?

Gratitude

Gratitude seems to be rare these days…
An “absence of gratitude is the mark of a narrow, uneducated mind” – Gordon B. Hinckley.
I know that gratitude creates the most wonderful feeling.
It can resolve disputes.
It can strengthen friendships.
It will change others hearts and they will respond differently than they have before.
Funnily enough – you’ll be happier too!
Someone once said that “gratitude is not only the greatest of virtues, but the parent of all others.”
And another has said that “feeling gratitude and not expressing it is like wrapping a present and not giving it.”
Sometimes gratitude does not come very easily.
Yet, we need to be more grateful.
“The words “Think and Thank” are inscribed in many of the Cromwellian churches of England. These words ought to be inscribed in our hearts, too: “Think and Thank”. Think of all we have to be grateful for and thank God for all our boons and bounties.” – Dale Carnegie

Pause

If we pause to think, we’ll have cause to thank.
As we think, there are so many things we can give grateful thanks for.
Including the gift of life, our families, friends, our loved ones, the beauty of the earth, our freedom to choose, our faith and Jesus Christ.
Mother Teresa said: “The best way to show my gratitude to God is to accept everything, even my problems, with joy.”
Its time to think and thank – today.
“Gratitude is medicine for the soul” – Russell M. Nelson.
How can you cultivate an attitude of gratitude within your own heart and soul?
What are you grateful for?