When it comes to competition, I am not one of those “everyone’s a winner” kinds of people. Sometimes you win. Sometimes you lose. That’s what competition is all about — winning and losing. It’s always more fun, more satisfying, when you win. But that’s not real life. Growing up, I tended to shy away from sports. Why? I was …
Oftentimes to embrace the future I’ve had to let go of something I’ve loved. For years I thought of myself as a writer. Occasionally I would say to a friend, “I want to write.” But I was busy being a mom — and I love my kiddos. I was busy teaching women’s Bible studies — and I loved spending time with …
As Christians, why is it so hard for us to forgive ourselves? This is the journey my character Olivia goes through in my first novel, Falling for Texas. I love this quote from my pastor, Mark Bates: “Christ, the faithful savior, died for unfaithful sinners. We don’t ask him to forgive us because we’re good. It’s because we’re His. Because He is …
When I was I child … somedays all I wanted to be was grown up. And now, when older is, well, at least a bit wiser, I would go back and tell younger-me to slow down. Don’t be in such a hurry to lay claim to adulthood — because once you’re all grown up, there’s no going back. As a …
My kiddos grew up hearing certain phrases, certain Vogtisms, if you will. One of them is: There’s always room for one more. Translation: Go ahead and invite someone else over for (insert holiday here) dinner. We’ve got plenty of food and plenty of room. Another Vogtism is: Vogts don’t quit. Translation: You join the swim team — you’re on the …
Sometimes the Friday blog post seems to call out for a Dr. Seuss quote. That was true last night as I pondered today’s post … and the “good fun” quote seemed perfect. Maybe it’s rainy where you are today. Or maybe’s it’s sunny … or snowy … here in Colorado the weather is so unpredictable we can have rain, sun, …
I’m not blogging about honesty today — I’m just being honest with you all. The truth is, I’m exhausted. The kind of tired that deposits grit in your eyes and weighs down your steps and makes you stumble over your words, to the amusement of friends and family. Earlier today I was searching for a particular word and the only …
The Christmas season isn’t that far past — the time of giving and getting presents. Truth be told, I still have wrapping paper, ribbons, and bows waiting to be organized and put away until next year. There’s something almost too lovely to touch about a present wrapped just so with coordinating paper and ribbons. But I’ll admit a partiality to the …
There’s a lot of power in the word “Yes.” And then there are times when “No” is the more powerful word — especially when you say No to someone else’s No. My favorite kind of “I refused to take no for an answer”? When doing so allows you to become who you were meant to be. You defy the odds, …
Ah, the influence of others’ in our lives … the Voices of Authority, if you will. In recent years I’ve been challenged again and again, asked “Who are the Voices of Authority in your life, Beth?” And I’ve come to realize some of the voices that held sway over me had no right to do so. Yes, they had …
