Author Archives: vincentsmithauthor

When a little becomes a lot

Posted on April 11, 2015 by vincentsmithauthor

A young boy once called at a rich man’s home and offered to sell some pictures for ten cents each. ‘What are you going to do with the money?’ he was asked. ‘I’m raising a million dollars for earthquake relief,’ … Continue reading →

Posted in Faith, Faithfulness, Positive Thoughts, Possibilities | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Pillars going nowhere

Posted on April 11, 2015 by vincentsmithauthor

When Sir Christopher Wren designed the interior of the Windsor Town Hall in 1689, he built a ceiling supported by several pillars. However, when the town’s aldermen inspected the finished building, they decided the ceiling would not stay up, and … Continue reading →

Posted in Dogma, love, Loving God, Loving other people, Religion | Tagged , , | 9 Comments

Freedoms that destroy freedom

Posted on April 10, 2015 by vincentsmithauthor

Some years ago Enron filed the largest bankruptcy in US history. The following year Fast Company magazine reported the story of Phyllis Anzalone who had been with Enron for five years selling energy supply contracts. Her earnings quickly went to … Continue reading →

Posted in Facing the future, Failure, Freedom, Greed, Personal Growth, Riches, Success | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

It’s more than politics

Posted on April 10, 2015 by vincentsmithauthor

When Eva Schloss, step sister of Anne Frank, attended the opening of the award winning play: ‘And Then They Came For Me – Remembering the World of Anne Frank’, she said: ‘Many young people do not know very much about … Continue reading →

Posted in Evil, Hatred, Injustice, Oppression, Sin, Spiritual Darkness | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Beyond the storms lies the Pacific

Posted on April 10, 2015 by vincentsmithauthor

In 1520 the explorer Ferdinand Magellan battled for a year to find a passage around the tip of South America, encountering some of the worst weather anywhere on earth. Raging seas, towering ice floes, and a mutinous crew plagued his … Continue reading →

Posted in Faith, Heaven, Jesus, Life, Life's journey, Living Life, Peace, Storms of life, Tranquility, Troubles, Trust in God | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Proving myself before advertising myself

Posted on April 8, 2015 by vincentsmithauthor

I was taught the importance of proving myself before advertising myself. However, the current emphasis on self confidence seems to have had the opposite effect. A recent survey discovered that seventy percent of students rated themselves as above average leaders … Continue reading →

Posted in humility, Life, Life's journey, Living Life, Pride, Self Image | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

We are what we are, not what people call us.

Posted on April 8, 2015 by vincentsmithauthor

Shakespeare once said: ‘What’s in a name? That which we call a rose, by any other name would smell as sweet.’ A thing is what it is because that’s what it is, not what someone calls it. And we are … Continue reading →

Posted in Confidence, God in us, God with us, Life, Life's journey, Living Life, Self Image | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

The advantages of being cut down to size

Posted on April 8, 2015 by vincentsmithauthor

The story goes that the University of Tennessee’s football coach bought a bolt of cloth and took it to his tailor in Knoxville, who measured it, looked at him and said, “I’m sorry, coach, there just isn’t enough material here … Continue reading →

Posted in fame, humility, Possibilities, Pride, Reputation | Leave a comment

Maintaining our balance

Posted on April 8, 2015 by vincentsmithauthor

For fifteen years Jim Fixx, author of the jogger’s bible ‘The Complete Book of Running’, ran more than one hundred kilometres a week. Yet at age fifty-two he died of a massive heart attack while running alone on a Vermont … Continue reading →

Posted in Balance, Futility, Life, Life's journey, Living Life, Perspective | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Nursing a grudge won’t make it get better

Posted on April 2, 2015 by vincentsmithauthor

There’s an old story about two monks who came to a river crossing and found an old woman sitting there afraid to venture into the water. Much to the annoyance of his companion, one of the monks volunteered them to … Continue reading →

Posted in Bitterness, Feelings, Hurting ourselves, Pain, Renewed Minds, Resentment, Troubles | Tagged , , | Leave a comment