Tag Archives: satisfaction

Charity that doesn’t lift your public image

Posted on February 10, 2015 by vincentsmithauthor

According to the Boston Globe, Tom White’s life goal is to give away his entire fortune. When people ask him why he says: ‘I’m motivated a lot by what Jesus wants me to do – and I think he wants … Continue reading →

Posted in Charity, Discipleship, Generosity, Generous spirit, Giving, Self giving, Self Image, Selflessness | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Learning to be thankful

Posted on December 20, 2014 by vincentsmithauthor

A wise woman once said that there are seven things we ought always to be thankful for: automatic dishwashers, which make it possible to get out of the kitchen before the family come in for after-dinner snacks. Husbands who attack … Continue reading →

Posted in Gratitude, thankfulness | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Nothing is as bad as it seems when you’ve known something worse.

Posted on December 18, 2014 by vincentsmithauthor

There’s an old Jewish story about a man In Budapest who goes to the rabbi and complains, ‘Life is unbearable. There are nine of us living in one room. What can I do?’ The rabbi answers, ‘Take your goat into … Continue reading →

Posted in Contentment, Happiness, Joy, Living Life | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Sightless eyes

Posted on November 13, 2014 by vincentsmithauthor

One of the most prolific hymn writers of all time was Fanny J Crosby, a blind woman who lost her sight as a young child. But it’s obvious through her hymns that morally and spiritually she could see wonderfully well. … Continue reading →

Posted in Blessedness, Blessings, Blindness, Positive Thoughts, Sight, Spiritual blindness, Spiritual Insight | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

The Seven Wonders of the World

Posted on October 18, 2014 by vincentsmithauthor

I love the story about the teacher who asked her students to list what they thought were the Seven Wonders of the World. Most of the votes were for things like: Egypt’s Great Pyramids, the Taj Mahal, the Grand Canyon, … Continue reading →

Posted in Appreciation, love, Seven Wonders of the World, Wonder | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Busyness is the Devil

Posted on October 8, 2014 by vincentsmithauthor

The writer John Ortberg says that he once called a wise friend to ask for some spiritual direction. He described the frenetic pace of his life; the demands of work and family responsibilities: that endless round of driving kids to … Continue reading →

Posted in Busyness, Devil, quietness | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Wisdom, knowledge, and joy

Posted on October 8, 2014 by vincentsmithauthor

Daniel Gilbert of Harvard University did a survey of one hundred university lecturers both before and after they found out if they had received tenure in their positions. They all expected to be quite happy if they got tenure and … Continue reading →

Posted in career, Futility, Gift of God, Happiness, Joy, Success, Wisdom | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Oysters and eagles

Posted on September 24, 2014 by vincentsmithauthor

Morris Mandel, commenting on our very human desire for security, said: ‘When God made the oyster, he guaranteed his absolute economic and social security. He built the oyster a house, his shell, to shelter and protect him from his enemies. … Continue reading →

Posted in Aspiration, Comfort Zone, Life's journey, Living Life, Love of the easy way, Purpose in life, Self Image, Trials and testings | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

The joy of the Lord is my strength

Posted on September 8, 2014 by vincentsmithauthor

Dr Trisha MacNair, in her book The Long Life Equation – one hundred factors that can add or subtract years from your life, says that the choices we make now often have enormous consequences in later life. Drawing on hundreds … Continue reading →

Posted in Faith, God, Joy, Life, Life's journey, Strength | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Successfully hitting the wrong target

Posted on September 8, 2014 by vincentsmithauthor

In what was described as ‘an extremely rare mistake in elite competition’, Champion Marksman Matt Emmons, who was one shot away from winning a gold medal at the Athens Olympics, ended up in eighth place. He didn’t even need a … Continue reading →

Posted in Disappointed, Futility, Target, Winning | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment