Monthly Archives: August 2018

The power of a dream

Posted on August 12, 2018 by vincentsmithauthor

Mrs Irwin always remembered that moonlit night when she found her son Jimmy standing at his bedroom window staring at the full moon. She asked him what he was doing, and he told her he was looking at the moon. … Continue reading →

Posted in Determination, Dreams, Uncategorized, Vision | Leave a comment

Quick to listen and slow to speak

Posted on August 12, 2018 by vincentsmithauthor

I read about a little girl, whose mother saw her holding two apples. She gave the child a big smile, then asked her to give her one of them. Well, the little girl looked at the apples for a while, … Continue reading →

Posted in Life's lessons, Listening, Self Discipline, Silence, Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Kindness always reproduces itself

Posted on August 12, 2018 by vincentsmithauthor

Years ago, a poor boy went begging for a meal. But he lost his nerve when a pretty girl opened the door, so he just asked for a glass of water. However, she thought he looked hungry and she gave … Continue reading →

Posted in Generosity, Generous spirit, Kindness, love, Uncategorized | Leave a comment

God isn’t beige

Posted on August 12, 2018 by vincentsmithauthor

In the academic art world, it used to be thought that Michelangelo portrayed God as subdued, dark and withdrawn. This was because his paintings were full of beiges, dark browns and ochres. But in more recent times, as the restorers … Continue reading →

Posted in God, Jesus, Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Running on three cylinders

Posted on August 12, 2018 by vincentsmithauthor

The first car I bought never seemed to run very well, and I wasn’t mechanically minded enough to recognise there was a problem. I just thought it was the way that old car was and put up with its coughing … Continue reading →

Posted in Abundant life, Spiritual Energy, Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Treat yourself to a dose of awe

Posted on August 12, 2018 by vincentsmithauthor

The Oprah Magazine recently talked about our need for a sense of awe. ‘Awe,’ it said, ‘Is what we feel when faced with something sublime, exceptional, or altogether beyond comprehension.’ Dacher Keltner of the University of California describes the feeling … Continue reading →

Posted in Appreciation, Awareness, Uncategorized, Wonder, Worship | Leave a comment

Judged for failing to enjoy

Posted on August 12, 2018 by vincentsmithauthor

There’s an old Jewish saying that we’ll be judged for all the good things God has given that we failed to appreciate. It reminds me of the traveller who met an old priest high in the mountains, who told him … Continue reading →

Posted in Blessings, enjoyment, Gift of God, Gratitude, Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Our own special message

Posted on August 12, 2018 by vincentsmithauthor

There’s an old Jewish tradition that God sends each of us into the world with a special message to deliver and a special act of love to bestow, and each of us is uniquely equipped to do it; which is … Continue reading →

Posted in Called and Chosen, Choices, Faithfulness, Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Tokenism doesn’t work

Posted on August 12, 2018 by vincentsmithauthor

The American Internal Revenue Service reported the case of a taxpayer who wrote to them saying, “I have not been able to sleep well for two years so I am sending my cheque for twelve hundred dollars in back taxes.” … Continue reading →

Posted in Forgiveness, Guilt, Repentance, Uncategorized | Leave a comment

The discredited philosophies of power

Posted on August 12, 2018 by vincentsmithauthor

Joseph Goebbels, the Nazi Propagandist, dismissed Mahatma Gandhi as a fool and a fanatic, certain that Gandhi could never bring about independence for India following a path of non-resistance and peaceful revolution. Yet as history played itself out, India won … Continue reading →

Posted in Cruelty, Goodness, Greatness, Oppression, Power, Power for evil, Power for good, Power over People, Uncategorized | Leave a comment