When It’s Wise to Take Responsibility for Our Anxiety

Beth Vogtanxiety, Beth K. Vogt, challenges, change, choices, emotions, family, In Others' Words, perspective, Quotes, stress 13 Comments

@bethvogt I’m sharing one of my less-than-stellar mom moments today. That’s always fun. Okay, so sharing the time I went a little “cuckoo mama” on one of my kiddos isn’t fun – but it is honest. My youngest daughter Christa headed to college in Minnesota a few months ago. We dropped her off early for volleyball tryouts on August 16, …

Redefining Balance So We Stop Thinking We’re Doing Life Wrong

Beth VogtBeth K. Vogt, challenges, change, expectations, In Others' Words, Life, perseverance, perspective, Quotes, Reality, stress 12 Comments

  I have a certain morning routine. I typed that sentence and immediately – immediately – thought of the many ways my “certain” morning routine is interrupted on any given day. I walked away from this blog post and made myself a cup of tea. Came back, started typing again, all the while laughing out loud so that my husband …

Choosing to Realize Being “Good and Mad” is All Wrong

Beth VogtBeth K. Vogt, challenges, change, choices, emotions, Faith, forgiveness, Friendship, In Others' Words, Life, perspective, Quotes, Relationships, trust 10 Comments

@bethvogt I almost got into an argument with a good friend yesterday – one of my best friends, as a matter of fact. But I hit a huge roadblock on my way to getting “good and mad.” I was lining up all my reasons for being angry and staying that way, and then I got up to walk around my …

Realizing Stories Connect Us: Where Were You on September 11, 2001?

Beth Vogtbravery, choices, courage, crisis, freedom, In Others' Words, perspective, Quotes, story 11 Comments

@bethvogt   There are days that change a generation. That change the world forever. Days that are marked as “never to be forgotten.” Today is one of those days. On September 11, 2001 – 18 years ago – four U.S.  commercial airplanes were hijacked in terrorist attacks on our country. A total of 2, 977 people were killed in New …

Choosing Our Anchors Wisely

Beth Vogtacceptance, Beth K. Vogt, challenges, change, choices, emotions, Faith, grace, In Others' Words, One Word, perspective, Quotes 11 Comments

@bethvogt I own two anchor necklaces. My husband gave me one last Christmas. The other was also a Christmas gift from my dear friend, Angie. I’ve worn one necklace most days this past year. The other one hangs from the rear-view mirror in my car so I see it most days, too. Why are these two necklaces so important to …

When Do We Stop Worrying About What People Think of Us?

Beth Vogtacceptance, Beth K. Vogt, brokenness, challenges, change, choices, confidence, contentment, emotions, expectations, Faith, grace, Identity, In Others' Words, perspective, Quotes, writers conference 16 Comments

@bethvogt This is one of my “thinking out loud” moments and you – yes, all of you – get to listen in. It’s 4:10 a.m. when I’m writing this as I try to figure out something. Sometimes I do that by putting words on paper. This time, I decided to let my scribblings become a blog post. Last Wednesday I …

Choosing to Open Our Hearts to Encouragement

Beth VogtBeth K. Vogt, challenges, change, choices, confidence, expectations, Faith, grace, hope, In Others' Words, Love, perspective, prayer, Quotes, trust 14 Comments

@bethvogt Some stories are worth retelling. This is one of those stories. It’s a true story, one I love to share with others because what happened 21 years ago changed me and influences me to this day. Let me tell you why I love hummingbirds. *** After eight years living in Niceville, FL (yes, Niceville), my roots ran deep into …

Grandmotherly Advice as You Start College — A Conversation with My Daughter and Her Mimaw

Beth VogtBeth K. Vogt, challenges, change, choices, confidence, courage, expectations, family, goals, guest post, Identity, In Others' Words, Life, perspective, Quotes 27 Comments

Guest Post by Christa Vogt Last weekend, my husband and I visited his 100-year-old mother. Our youngest daughter, Christa, came along to visit her “Mimaw,” since she leaves for college this week. When we arrived at the skilled nursing facility where Rob’s mom has been staying for the past two months (too long of a story for this blog post), …

Choosing to Love Louder

Beth VogtBeth K. Vogt, brokenness, challenges, choices, crisis, grace, In Others' Words, Life, Love, perspective, Quotes, Relationships, suffering 10 Comments

  This week has hemorrhaged heartache – and the week’s not even done yet. We’ve all watched the news or read the headlines, grappling with the horrific actions of others. And no matter how many times a news anchor or a journalist attempts to better explain the who and how of the tragedies, their words can’t strip away the pain. …

Being Intentional About the Home You Create for Your Family

Beth VogtBeth K. Vogt, family, home, Identity, In Others' Words, Life, Love, perspective, Quotes, Relationships 10 Comments

My son and daughter-in-love moved into their new house yesterday. Not to be overlooked at all, five days ago, Josh and Meagan had a little girl, Isabelle – their fourth child. And since then, they continued prepping for this anticipated move. Back to yesterday, when my husband and I brought dinner to them. The moving van parked in the driveway …