Monthly Archives: February 2016

The real test of our life’s philosophy

Posted on February 21, 2016 by vincentsmithauthor

George Bernard Shaw, just before he died, wrote: “The science to which I pinned my faith is bankrupt. Its counsels, which should have established the millennium, led, instead, directly to the suicide of Europe. I believed them once. In their … Continue reading →

Posted in Death, Life, Living Life, Meaning in life | Tagged | 1 Comment

‘How much do you need to be happy?’

Posted on February 21, 2016 by vincentsmithauthor

A survey of New Year’s resolutions discovered that of people with above average incomes: thirty three percent want to retire before age sixty five: twenty two percent want to get out of credit card debt: fifteen percent want to make … Continue reading →

Posted in Contentment, Happiness, Money, wealth | Tagged | Leave a comment

‘Some people look at the way the world is and say, why?’

Posted on February 21, 2016 by vincentsmithauthor

When I was young I shared with most young people of my generation a great admiration for John F Kennedy. We were idealistic and thrilled to his inaugural speech: ‘Ask not what your country can do for you; ask rather … Continue reading →

Posted in Determination, Seeing the possibilities | Tagged | Leave a comment

Turning things right side up

Posted on February 13, 2016 by vincentsmithauthor

One of the most puzzling things about Jesus’ teaching was that he constantly took the accepted standards of the world and said they don’t work; and then turned them upside down to show what does work. The people whom Jesus … Continue reading →

Posted in Abundant life, Christlikeness, Jesus, Life, Living Life, Standards, Uncategorized, Values | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

‘One string – and Paganini.’

Posted on February 13, 2016 by vincentsmithauthor

Nicolo Paganini was one of the greatest violinists of the nineteenth century. His most memorable concert was in Italy, performing before a packed house, when suddenly one string on his violin snapped. He never missed a beat but continued to … Continue reading →

Posted in Faith, Faithfulness, God, God in us, New Life, Perseverance, Transformation | Tagged | Leave a comment

Consider the postage stamp

Posted on February 13, 2016 by vincentsmithauthor

One of the things I’m always grateful to my parents for, is that they always taught me that I didn’t have to compare my abilities to those of other people. All I needed to do was to do my best. … Continue reading →

Posted in Faithfulness, Perseverance, Self respect, Stickability | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Amen

Posted on February 13, 2016 by vincentsmithauthor

The word ‘amen’ is a most remarkable word. It comes from the Hebrew of the Old Testament and has been called the best-known word in human speech. The word is directly related to the Hebrew word for ‘believe’ or ‘faithful.’ … Continue reading →

Posted in Certainty, Faith, Faithfulness, Promise | Leave a comment

Broken hearted clowns

Posted on February 13, 2016 by vincentsmithauthor

A man suffering from chronic depression once visited the famous English physician Doctor John Abernethy, who prescribed a visit to the London playhouse to hear the comedian Grimaldi: ‘He’ll do you more good than any drugs,’ he said. The patient … Continue reading →

Posted in Happiness, Weeping | Tagged , | Leave a comment

You can be angry, but it doesn’t have to destroy you

Posted on February 13, 2016 by vincentsmithauthor

Medical research has revealed that anger reduces the amount of blood that our hearts pump to our body tissues even more than does fear or mental stress. It is a well accepted fact that angry, cynical people die young. People … Continue reading →

Posted in Anger, Hostility, Self Destruction | Leave a comment

Taking ourselves too seriously

Posted on February 13, 2016 by vincentsmithauthor

Human beings have an amazing capacity for taking the noblest ideals and then twisting them to produce the very opposite. Years ago, a large statue of Christ was erected on the border between Argentina and Chile. Called “Christ of the … Continue reading →

Posted in humility, Over-sensitivity, Pride | Leave a comment