Category Archives: tribulation and trouble

Moving on

Posted on January 28, 2015 by vincentsmithauthor

You may remember the story of Aaron Ralston who, a few years ago, while climbing in Utah, pushed his arm into a crack in the rock face and then got trapped by a large boulder. Everthing he tried failed to … Continue reading →

Posted in Courage, Endurance, Overcoming, Pain, Trials and testings, tribulation and trouble, Tried, Troubles | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

You can get bitter, or you can get better

Posted on December 31, 2014 by vincentsmithauthor

The best selling book entitled You Can Grow Bitter or You Can Grow Better got it’s inspiration from a young woman who had just received word that her husband had been killed in a farming accident, leaving her alone with … Continue reading →

Posted in Faith, Growth, Healing, Hope, Life, Life's journey, Overcoming, Pain, Spiritual growth, Trials and testings, tribulation and trouble, Tried, Troubles | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Paradise Lost

Posted on June 15, 2014 by vincentsmithauthor

Years ago there was a place I used to visit occasionally that seemed like paradise to me. I used to daydream about what it would be like to live and work there. Then, some years later, an opportunity came to … Continue reading →

Posted in Conflict, Heaven, Hell, Life, Life's journey, Paradise, Trials and testings, tribulation and trouble | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment

Faith makes us bigger than our problems

Posted on June 15, 2014 by vincentsmithauthor

There’s a saying that ‘the beginning of anxiety is the end of faith, and the beginning of faith is the end of anxiety. One Easter during the Napoleonic Wars the French General Massena with eighteen thousand soldiers laid siege to … Continue reading →

Posted in Faith, Life's journey, Trials and testings, tribulation and trouble | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

That’s what keeps me ticking!

Posted on June 5, 2014 by vincentsmithauthor

There’s an old story about a grandfather clock that had stood for generations in the same corner, faithfully ticking away. Then it got sold to a new owner who noticed the heavy weight hanging inside it, and removed it from … Continue reading →

Posted in Faith, Life's journey, Living Life, Trials and testings, tribulation and trouble, Troubles | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

The Power of an Encouraging Word

Posted on April 9, 2014 by vincentsmithauthor

Fifteen year old Douglas Maurer went into depression when he was diagnosed with leukemia and learned he was to have three years of chemotherapy that would send him bald and bloated. To cheer him up his aunt ordered some flowers; … Continue reading →

Posted in Acts of Kindness, Anxiety, Generous spirit, Healing, Hope, hope and love, inner peace, Inspiration, Living Life, Power, Strength, supportive community, tribulation and trouble | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

The Perils of Success

Posted on March 6, 2014 by vincentsmithauthor

According to ancient legend, the Persian emperor Xerxes, returning home aboard a ship filled with his soldiers, ran into a terrible storm. The ship’s Phoenician captain told Xerxes there was no hope of them surviving unless the ship’s load was … Continue reading →

Posted in Good deeds, Good Name, Injustice, Justice, Power, Soldiers, Success, tribulation and trouble, Uncertainty of Life | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Signs of civilization

Posted on March 2, 2014 by vincentsmithauthor

The famous anthropologist Margaret Mead was once asked: what was the earliest sign of civilization in any given culture? Her answer was: “a healed femur.” The femur, of course, is the leg bone below the knee. Mead explained that no … Continue reading →

Posted in Acts of Kindness, Civilization, Compassion, Generous spirit, God, Healing, Inspirational, Law of Jungle, Life's journey, Loneliness, Mercy, relationships, Spiritual Insight, Spirituality, supportive community, Survival of Fittest, Sympathy and Support, tribulation and trouble, Uncertainty of Life, Unselfishness | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

‘Thank God I can still feel pain’

Posted on February 27, 2014 by vincentsmithauthor

Doctor Paul Brand, who has spent a lifetime treating lepers, had a frightening experience one night. Getting ready for bed after hours of travel he discovered there was no feeling in his heel. So he took a pin, pricked it … Continue reading →

Posted in Appreciation, Awareness, Discernment, Hope, Leprosy, Life's journey, Pain, Senses, Trials and testings, tribulation and trouble, Uncertainty of Life, Wisdom | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Forget you’ve been here

Posted on February 21, 2014 by vincentsmithauthor

New York’s Mayor La Guardia, while serving as a judge during the Great Depression, had a widow brought before him charged with stealing bread. Her defence was that she had no food, no job, no money and two children to … Continue reading →

Posted in Acts of Kindness, Forgiveness, Hope, Justice, Mercy, Sympathy and Support, tribulation and trouble | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment