Eyes that do not see

Posted on March 2, 2014 by vincentsmithauthor

Russell H Conwell, in his famous lecture entitled ‘Acres of Diamonds’, used to tell the story of a Pennsylvania farmer, whose cousin was in the oil business and refused to give him a job until he’d studied hard enough to show he knew how to find oil. So he pursued his studies, then sold the farm for eight hundred and thirty three dollars and went off to make his fortune. The new owner, however, while watering his cattle, noticed a plank the previous owner had laid across a stream to catch the scum that floated on the surface. He was intrigued by this substance and had it analysed. The report that came back declared it was oil, and that farm went on to produce millions of barrels of it. But the previous owner, who was obsessed with finding oil somewhere else, had been damming it up for years. Just like many of us who are convinced our happiness lies somewhere else because we’ve never opened our eyes to what God has already given us

Posted in Awareness, Blindness, Contentment, Discernment, Life's journey, Making the most of what you've got, Possessions, Riches, Seeing the possibilities, Spiritual blindness, Spiritual Insight, thankfulness | 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 but felt no pain. Despite constantly telling people that leprosy is not as contagious as they think, he went to bed convinced he had contracted the disease. But as daylight dawned, so did a little more clinical objectivity. He took the pin again, jabbed it below his ankle and yelled with pain. He realized that what had happened was that sitting for hours on a train had numbed a nerve. And ever since, whenever he has felt pain Paul Brand’s reaction has been, “Thank God I can still feel pain!”
Pain is never pleasant but sometimes it’s the only thing that teaches us what to do to regain our peace of mind.

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

‘You’re on your own now, buddy!’

Posted on February 27, 2014 by vincentsmithauthor

I heard about an auto accessory store in America that sold a St Christopher statue that could be wired up to a car’s odometer. St Christopher, of course, is the patron saint of travellers, and this one promised to look after you as you drive – but only until you reach eighty miles an hour, at which point the statue begins to glow red and a sign lights up that says, “You’re on your own now, Buddy.” Maybe there’s a parable in this for us. The Bible says that as we travel through life the presence of Jesus will empower us to live without shame. But if we deliberately put ourselves into situations where our weaknesses are going to be stimulated, we choose to travel alone. ‘Ask the Lord to help you live as you should,’ the Bible says, ‘and don’t make plans to enjoy things that are wrong.’

Posted in Apathy, Divine Protection, Faith, God, Guidance, Journey, Life's journey, Living Life, Love of the easy way, Religion, Self Deception, Sin, Spiritual Darkness, Spiritual Insight, Wisdom | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Higher laws

Posted on February 27, 2014 by vincentsmithauthor

There are many things we now take for granted that once would have seemed impossible – like an aircraft weighing hundreds of tonnes overcoming the law of gravity. The reason, of course, is that we now understand the law of aerodynamics, which is able to counteract the law of gravity. Indeed, I suspect that many things we might refer to as miracles may be the effects of higher laws, which as yet we know nothing about, counteracting the laws we do know. And yet people have always watched birds fly and longed to do the same. It was that longing that led to the search that resulted in the discovery of the law of aerodynamics.
Faith is like that. We long to touch a dimension that is beyond the confines of this material world. That longing leads to a searching which results in the faith that sets our spirits free to soar.

Posted in Awareness, Faith, God, Grace, Intelligence behind the Universe, Life's journey, Miracles, Natural laws, Religion, Spiritual Insight, supreme being, The God Delusion, Wisdom | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Flick the switch

Posted on February 27, 2014 by vincentsmithauthor

Contrary to what many people think, those gigantic power stations that light up our cities don’t store electricity for later use, but rather produce energy to meet the immediate demand. Their huge turbines generate just enough power to meet the demand at any given moment. Each time there is a demand for more, then the plant responds and increases output. So, whenever you turn on an appliance, it literally places a demand on the system and prompts greater output.
And that’s how the Bible describes God’s care for his people. It’s not stored up like finite deposits in a bank which can eventually be exhausted. It is inexhaustible, but only ever comes to us as we need it and to the extent that we need it. “My Grace is sufficient for you,” the Lord says. And prayer is the switch that registers our need.

Posted in Faith, God, Grace, Life's journey, Living Life, Power, Prayer, Promise, Religion, Spiritual Insight, Wisdom | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Discovering our wings

Posted on February 27, 2014 by vincentsmithauthor

The famous Danish theologian and philosopher, Kierkegarde, once remarked that the first miracle Jesus performed was to turn water into wine. He went on to say, “The Church, however, has performed an even greater miracle; it has turned the wine back into water.” He was, of course, referring to that unfortunate tendency, sometimes seen in religious organizations, to view physical enjoyment with suspicion and to identify sin even with those legitimate pleasures that brighten life up.
But the truth is that wherever Jesus touches life, the effect is like turning water into wine – mere existence into joy. Tolstoy put it beautifully when he wrote, “They who understand Christ’s teaching feel like birds that did not know they had wings, and now suddenly realise that they can fly, can be free and no longer need to fear.”

Posted in asceticism, Awareness, Faith, God, Hope, Inspiration, Living Life, Personal Growth, Religion, Spiritual Insight, Transformation | 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 support. La Guardia said to the baker who brought the charge. “Where’s your compassion?” The baker replied “Where is your justice?”
So, he fined her ten dollars, took ten dollars from his wallet, slapped it on his desk and said “Fine paid.” But then he fined everyone in the courtroom fifty cents for allowing such a situation where a poor woman was forced to steal bread to feed her kids, and sent that woman on her way with forty two dollars and fifty cents in her hand and these words ringing in here ears: “Now, forget that you have been here, because I’ve forgotten it.”
Just like God who, when we seek his mercy, blesses us with more than we can pay and says, “Your sins will I remember no more.”

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

Turning the light on

Posted on February 21, 2014 by vincentsmithauthor

Science tells us that light is the ultimate constant in the universe. It travels at one hundred and eighty six thousand miles per second, and it transmits energy, radiation, and information. Physics can tell us a great deal about light except for what it actually is. We know it when we see it, but can’t really explain it. Unlike space or time, it’s very difficult to define what light actually is. But without it we live in darkness. In the same way the human mind cannot define God. Theology may give us information about God and philosophy may raise questions about God, but to define God is beyond our intellectual capacity; except for one thing the Bible says: ‘God is light and in him is no darkness.’ What physical light is to our outward world, God is to our inner world. When the light comes, darkness goes

Posted in Discernment, Faith, God, Intelligence behind the Universe, Knowing God, Light, Religion, Spiritual Darkness, Spiritual Insight, supreme being, The God Delusion, Wisdom | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Happiness is like a genial, exotic aunt

Posted on February 21, 2014 by vincentsmithauthor

A reporter reminded Elvis Presley, just before he died, that he’d once said he wanted to be rich, famous and happy. “Well,” Elvis replied. “I’m lonely as hell”.
Thomas Szasz, defined happiness as, “An imaginary condition, formerly attributed by the living to the dead, now usually attributed by adults to children and by children to adults.” But Lara Adair, writing in Glamour magazine, said, “Happiness is like a genial, exotic aunt who turns up when you least expect her and then disappears, trailing a lingering scent of gardenias. You can’t command her appearance; you can only appreciate her when she does show up.”
The point is happiness is an attitude. It belongs to those who’ve learned to count their blessings and appreciate them – those who are at peace with themselves, with others, and with God.

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Granny Smith

Posted on February 21, 2014 by vincentsmithauthor

There’s an old tombstone outside St Annes Church in the Sydney suburb of Ryde, dedicated to the memory of Maria Ann Smith. In the early days of Sydney she was the midwife for the area and was commonly known as Granny Smith. One day she bought a barrel of crab apples but found them useless. So she dumped them by a creek. Some time later she noticed that a tree had started to grow from the remains, and she transplanted it. Eventually it produced its first crop of green apples that were quite unlike any others. They became very popular throughout the district and everyone called them Granny Smith’s apples. Now they are world famous.
As for Granny Smith herself, she explained it by saying, “Now isn’t that just like God. He takes the stuff we think is useless and uses it to create something new.” He does it with people too.

Posted in Appreciation, Awareness, Discernment, Encouragement, Faith, Hope, Inspirational, Life's journey, Making the most of what you've got, New Life, Spiritual Insight, Transformation, Trust in God | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment