Category Archives: Despair

Unconquerable hope

Posted on November 11, 2016 by vincentsmithauthor

Booth Tucker was a Salvation Army officer in Chicago. One evening he preached a sermon about the sympathy of Jesus. Afterwards a man said to him, ‘If your wife had just died, like mine has, and your babies were crying … Continue reading →

Posted in Death, Despair, Faith, God with us, Grace, Heaven, Hope, Hope of Glory | Leave a comment

You’re part of the ocean.

Posted on October 13, 2016 by vincentsmithauthor

There’s a story about a little wave bobbing along in the ocean, having a grand old time, enjoying the wind and the fresh air — until he notices the other waves in front of him, crashing against the shore. ‘This … Continue reading →

Posted in Assurance, Death, Despair, Eternal life, Eternity, Hope, Life, Life's journey | Leave a comment

‘How I wished I still had my religion’

Posted on August 27, 2015 by vincentsmithauthor

In his autobiography, Arthur Miller tells of his marriage to Marilyn Monroe, and how he watched her descend into depression and despair. As they grew apart he feared for her life as her paranoia grew and drug dependence increased. One … Continue reading →

Posted in Despair, Faith, Unbelief | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

‘Disappointed? Often! Discouraged? Sometimes! Defeated? Never!

Posted on July 6, 2015 by vincentsmithauthor

It’s said that Thomas Edison performed fifty thousand experiments before he succeeded in producing a storage battery. You’d think he’d have had some serious doubts along the way. But when asked if he ever became discouraged working so long without … Continue reading →

Posted in Courage, Defeated, Despair, Disappointed, Disatisfaction, Discouraged, Faith, Persistence | Leave a comment

When the fog disappears the truth appears

Posted on March 20, 2015 by vincentsmithauthor

It’s said that the outcome of the epic Battle of Waterloo was communicated by a system of flashing lights in church steeples, stretching from Waterloo to Calais and across the English Channel to Dover and on to London. The message … Continue reading →

Posted in Communication, Death, Defeated, Despair, Faith, Jesus, Life, Resurrection, Victory | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Declaring my genius

Posted on January 4, 2015 by vincentsmithauthor

A customs officer once asked Oscar Wilde if he had anything to declare. He replied: “Only my genius.” Fifteen years later, alone and broken in prison, he reflected on his life and said. “I have been a spendthrift of my … Continue reading →

Posted in Despair, Oscar Wilde, Pride, Regret, True greatness | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Sink or swim

Posted on December 31, 2014 by vincentsmithauthor

Some years ago researchers placed two sets of laboratory rats in separate tubs of water and left them there to see what they would do. However, every so often they would lift one group of rats out of the water, … Continue reading →

Posted in Despair, Faith, Hope, Life, Life's journey, Living Life | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Cape of Storms

Posted on December 31, 2014 by vincentsmithauthor

The southernmost point of Africa was for centuries known as the “Cape of Storms”. But then, in the sixteenth century, Vasco De Gama, successfully sailed around it and found beyond the raging storms a great calm sea, and beyond that … Continue reading →

Posted in Death, Despair, Faith, Grace, Hope, Spiritual blessing, Spiritual discernment | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Walking into the light

Posted on November 13, 2014 by vincentsmithauthor

The Russian novelist Andrei Bitov, who grew up during the days of state sponsored atheism when the churches were forbidden to propagate their message outside of their own aging congregations, said that God got his attention one dreary day while … Continue reading →

Posted in Despair, God, Light, Light of Life | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment