Category Archives: Family

Grandchildren really make you think

Posted on November 29, 2018 by vincentsmithauthor

In the long and painful history of Arab/Israeli conflict there was one bright moment when President Jimmy Carter persuaded Israeli Prime Minister Begin and Egyptian President Sadat to meet at Camp David for peace talks. But the Israeli Prime minister … Continue reading →

Posted in Family, Legacies | Leave a comment

Never underestimate a grandmother’s prayers

Posted on November 29, 2018 by vincentsmithauthor

Mikhail Gorbachev, the former Soviet leader who brought an end to the Cold War, was born into a family of committed atheists. But his grandmother had him secretly baptized by a Russian Orthodox priest, and she put an icon of … Continue reading →

Posted in Faith, Faithfulness, Family, Prayer | Tagged , | Leave a comment

‘He won’t let me love him when he’s awake.’

Posted on June 27, 2015 by vincentsmithauthor

A friend told me about a boy who was the apple of his parents’ eyes. But in his teens he went off the rails, dropped out of school and began hanging around with a bad crowd. Early one morning he … Continue reading →

Posted in Family, God's love, love, Mother's love | 2 Comments

Not a bad deal after all!

Posted on May 22, 2015 by vincentsmithauthor

Economists tell us that it now costs middle income families nearly half a million dollars to raise a child. To ease the pain it’s worth thinking about what you actually get for it. You get a hand to hold, usually … Continue reading →

Posted in children, Cost, Family, Raising Children | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Who is the real VIP?

Posted on March 12, 2015 by vincentsmithauthor

Charles Francis Adams was an important political figure in the nineteenth century. He kept a diary and one day he made this entry: ‘Went fishing with my son today – a day wasted.’ His son, Brook Adams, also kept a … Continue reading →

Posted in children, Family, Kingdom of God, Life, Life's journey, Priorities, Putting first things first, Raising Children, re-evaluating life, Regret, Remembering the past, Remembrance, responsibility | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Siren song

Posted on March 12, 2015 by vincentsmithauthor

Vladimir, a resident of Berlin, has an unusual strategy for bringing peace to his marriage. He uses an old air raid siren to stun his wife into submission. ‘She never lets me get a word in,’ he told the police. … Continue reading →

Posted in Communication, Companionship, Family, Living Life, love, marriage | Tagged | Leave a comment

Don’t hope; decide.

Posted on June 10, 2014 by vincentsmithauthor

Michael Hargrove tells about watching a man at an airport dropping a bag to the ground to hug two small children. Then he turned to their mother and said, “I’ve saved the best for last!” and then gave her a … Continue reading →

Posted in Decisions, Family, hope and love, Life's journey, love, marriage | Tagged , , | Leave a comment