Monthly Archives: September 2014

Spiritual Immunity

Posted on September 30, 2014 by vincentsmithauthor

Sir Alexander Fleming, when he discovered penicillin, warned against people taking too little of it. An under-dose, he said would permit germs to remain in the system thereby allowing one to build up an immunity that could then be passed … Continue reading →

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Ingratitude

Posted on September 30, 2014 by vincentsmithauthor

Many years ago, as the story is told, a devout king was disturbed by the ingratitude of his royal court. He prepared a large banquet for them. When all were seated, by prearrangement, a beggar shuffled into the hall, sat … Continue reading →

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Well done, good and faithful servant

Posted on September 30, 2014 by vincentsmithauthor

It’s surprising to realise how many of the great names of history faced the end of their lives with a sense of failure. Hugo Grotius, the father of modern international law, said, “I have accomplished nothing worthwhile in my life.” … Continue reading →

Posted in Failure, Faithfulness, God's pleasure, Reward | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

How does your garden grow?

Posted on September 30, 2014 by vincentsmithauthor

Samuel Taylor Coleridge was an English poet, literary critic and philosopher who, with his friend William Wordsworth, was a founder of the Romantic Movement in England and a member of the Lake Poets. On one occasion he was talking with … Continue reading →

Posted in children, Moral and spiritual instruction, Raising Children | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Moderation is better than muscle

Posted on September 30, 2014 by vincentsmithauthor

Bruce Carson, in his book titled ‘There’s More To Health Than Not Being Sick’, says that when it becomes necessary for people to give serious attention to their health, eight out of ten people prefer to choose surgery rather than … Continue reading →

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Planting and reaping

Posted on September 25, 2014 by vincentsmithauthor

Many years ago farmers in China developed the habit of eating the big potatoes they’d grown and keeping the small ones to plant as seed crop. However, over a period of years they noticed that the new potatoes were getting … Continue reading →

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The last shall be first

Posted on September 25, 2014 by vincentsmithauthor

Do you remember when Steven Bradbury won Australia’s only Olympic gold medal for ice-skating? The one thing that stands out about him is persistence. In an earlier competition he cut his leg and almost bled to death. Then he broke … Continue reading →

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The skeleton at the feast

Posted on September 25, 2014 by vincentsmithauthor

It’s been said that of the seven deadly sins anger is the most fun. ‘To lick your wounds, to smack your lips over grievances long past, … to savour to the last toothsome morsel both the pain you’ve been given … Continue reading →

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Selling ourselves

Posted on September 25, 2014 by vincentsmithauthor

Just when you thought that advertisers had exhausted all possibilities, Andrew Fischer, a web page designer, came up with a new idea. He decided to auction off his forehead on e Bay, and actually attracted a great deal of interest. … Continue reading →

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Follow your compass

Posted on September 24, 2014 by vincentsmithauthor

I read about an old sailor who repeatedly got lost at sea, so his friends gave him a compass. The next time he took his boat out, he followed their advice and took the compass too. But again he got … Continue reading →

Posted in Compass, direction, Discerning God's Will, Guidance, Moral compass, Pride, Stubborness, Willfullness | Tagged | Leave a comment