Tag Archives: disatisfaction

The way God would paint our portrait

Posted on March 10, 2015 by vincentsmithauthor

There’s a story of a homeless man sitting across the street from an artist’s studio. The artist saw him and thought he’d make an interesting portrait. So from a distance he painted this man – but not with downcast eyes … Continue reading →

Posted in God, New Life, Salvation, Second chance, Seeing the best in people, Seeing the possibilities | Tagged , | Leave a comment

When you get to the top, there’s nothing there

Posted on March 10, 2015 by vincentsmithauthor

When Boris Becker was at the top of the tennis world he actually contemplated suicide. He said, ‘I had won Wimbledon twice – once as the youngest player to do so. I was rich. I had all the material possessions … Continue reading →

Posted in Disappointed, emptiness, Faith, Futility, Life, Life's journey, Living Life, Meaninglessness, Success | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Helping us laugh again

Posted on February 26, 2015 by vincentsmithauthor

Researchers say that children laugh around four hundred times a day, whereas adults, on average, only laugh fifteen times a day. Why is this? Do we stop laughing because we are old, or do we get old because we stop … Continue reading →

Posted in Cheerfulness, Faith, Joy, Laughter | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

My little red car

Posted on February 26, 2015 by vincentsmithauthor

I remember the first time I saw my little red Renault 750, sitting in a used car lot. It was my first car and I fell in love with it. It didn’t go very fast and sounded like a chaff … Continue reading →

Posted in Contentment, Disatisfaction, enjoyment, Envy | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Useless, but beautiful

Posted on February 26, 2015 by vincentsmithauthor

The Chinese have a story about a carpenter and his apprentice resting in the shade of a huge, gnarled oak tree. ‘Do you know why this tree is so big and beautiful?’ the carpenter asked. The apprentice shook his head. … Continue reading →

Posted in Beauty, God's pleasure, Growth, Judgementalism, Transformation, Useless | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Everything good begins in silence

Posted on February 26, 2015 by vincentsmithauthor

Most of us will do anything to avoid sitting alone and quietly confronting our own inner selves, which is why Pascal, the French philosopher, said: “All men’s miseries come from their inability to sit quietly and alone.” The Danish philosopher … Continue reading →

Posted in Boredom, Calmness, Contemplation, inner peace, Rush, Silence, Stillness | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

The more I have the more bored I am

Posted on February 25, 2015 by vincentsmithauthor

Family psychologist John Roseman has spent years researching the perennial problem of children complaining that they are bored. He reported that parents in less affluent countries tend to look at him with disbelief when he asks if their kids complain … Continue reading →

Posted in Affluence, Boredom, Contentment, Meaninglessness, Purpose in life | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Meaningless monotony

Posted on February 25, 2015 by vincentsmithauthor

William Barclay had a dog named Rusty who would accompany him on walks beside a stream, where he would plunge into the water, grab a rock in his mouth and bring it to the bank, and there he would carefully … Continue reading →

Posted in Life, Meaninglessness | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

The anchors of hope

Posted on February 12, 2015 by vincentsmithauthor

In the ancient world the anchor was the symbol of hope.The Greek philosopher Epictetus said: ‘A ship should never depend on one anchor.’ The philosopher Pythagoras took this further when he said: ‘Wealth is a weak anchor; and fame is … Continue reading →

Posted in Anchor, Faith, fame, Hope, hope and love, love, Security, Spiritual Insight, wealth | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Breaking with the law of the playground

Posted on January 4, 2015 by vincentsmithauthor

British style writer Neil Boorman, a few years ago, caused a stir when he decided to burn all his brand-name possessions. “I am addicted to brands,” he confessed in a magazine article: “From an early age, I have been taught … Continue reading →

Posted in emptiness, Faith, God in us, God's faithfulness, Life, Life's journey, Living Life, Living simply, Materialism, satisfaction | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment