Author Archives: vincentsmithauthor

The benefit of being two-faced

Posted on December 20, 2014 by vincentsmithauthor

Research in cognitive science – how the brain works – has found that the mechanisms we use to remember the past are the same as the ones we use to envisage the future. To walk down memory lane is, at … Continue reading →

Posted in Facing the future, God's faithfulness, Looking ahead, Remembering the past, Remembrance | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Lose weight – eat like a horse

Posted on December 20, 2014 by vincentsmithauthor

The two biggest sellers in any bookstore, according to Andy Rooney, are cookbooks and diet books. The cookbooks tell you how to prepare the food and the diet books tell you how not to eat any of it. Orson Welles … Continue reading →

Posted in Diets, Passions, Self Discipline, Self-control | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Learning to be thankful

Posted on December 20, 2014 by vincentsmithauthor

A wise woman once said that there are seven things we ought always to be thankful for: automatic dishwashers, which make it possible to get out of the kitchen before the family come in for after-dinner snacks. Husbands who attack … Continue reading →

Posted in Gratitude, thankfulness | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

‘You’ll git water if ya don’t drink it first’

Posted on December 20, 2014 by vincentsmithauthor

A thirsty traveller trecking across the Nevada desert came across an old pump with a can wired to it containing a letter that said: “This pump is all right. But the washer dries out and the pump has got to … Continue reading →

Posted in Deferred gratification, Living Life, Priming your pump, Spiritual growth, Spiritual Insight, Wisdom | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Nothing is as bad as it seems when you’ve known something worse.

Posted on December 18, 2014 by vincentsmithauthor

There’s an old Jewish story about a man In Budapest who goes to the rabbi and complains, ‘Life is unbearable. There are nine of us living in one room. What can I do?’ The rabbi answers, ‘Take your goat into … Continue reading →

Posted in Contentment, Happiness, Joy, Living Life | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Don’t give up

Posted on December 18, 2014 by vincentsmithauthor

Have you ever wondered how come a can of WD 40 got such a strange name? Well the W D stands for ‘water displacement’, and 40 refers to the number of times the inventors tried to develop a formula that … Continue reading →

Posted in Doing what has to be done, Dreams, Failure, Great Endeavours, Life's journey, Making the most of what you've got, Persistence | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Whispering hope

Posted on December 18, 2014 by vincentsmithauthor

Septimus Winner, one of the best known song writers of the nineteenth century, whose songs are still sung round many a campfire, has been rediscovered and inducted into the Songwriters’ Hall of Fame. His best loved and most enduring song … Continue reading →

Posted in Faith, Hope, Hope of Glory, Life's journey, Light, Light of Life | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

The Becalmed Oasis

Posted on December 18, 2014 by vincentsmithauthor

John Hopkins University in Baltimore, in a study of the effects of prayer sessions among black women with breast cancer, concluded that there is evidence that the meditative states produced by group prayer sessions are a natural part of the … Continue reading →

Posted in Peace, Prayer, Tranquility, Transformation | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Never argue with a warning marker

Posted on December 15, 2014 by vincentsmithauthor

The US Naval Institute once reported an incident aboard a battleship on a foggy night. Shortly after dark, a lookout reported, “Light, bearing dead ahead.” The captain ordered a signal to be sent to the bearer of the light ordering … Continue reading →

Posted in direction, Life's journey, Living Life, Warning marker, Wisdom | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

The essence of a great prayer

Posted on December 15, 2014 by vincentsmithauthor

The essence of a great prayer is not in the majesty of its phrases but in its honesty; like the one that says: Dear God, So far today I’ve done all right. I’ve kept my mouth shut, I’ve not gossiped … Continue reading →

Posted in Peace, Prayer, Sincerity | Tagged , , | Leave a comment