Choosing to be Present Today

Beth VogtBeth K. Vogt, choices, contentment, Faith, gratitude, laughter, Life, perspective, Quotes 9 Comments

  I tossed several topics around for this blog post. Things like the Super Bowl halftime show or the president’s State of the Union address or how about the craziness of the Iowa caucus? Nah. I’m not about wading into controversy and ruffling feathers today. Instead, I came across these words by poet Maya Angelou: “Every day I awaken grateful. …

The Ongoing Battle with Beauty

Beth Vogtacceptance, beauty, Beth K. Vogt, brokenness, change, family, Identity, Life, perspective, Quotes 30 Comments

  We all grow up knowing our place in our families. And that “place” determines our identity. Firstborn. Middle child. The baby. Sometimes we’re the only child. Among my two brothers and two sisters, I was the ugly one. Now before you say something like, “Surely you exaggerate,” let me assure you I’m not. I knew my place in my …

Must We Forget to Forgive?

Beth VogtBeth K. Vogt, brokenness, choices, forgiveness, grace, hope, Life, perspective, Quotes, Relationships 17 Comments

I spent some time yesterday talking with a new friend about forgiveness – both what I’ve learned and what I’ve un-learned about forgiving someone who has hurt me. As we talked, she mentioned the words, “Forgive and forget.” I’m not a fan of those three words. Please, don’t misunderstand me. I value forgiveness. Reconciliation is my favorite word in the …

We are Made for Anticipation

Beth VogtBeth K. Vogt, choices, Christmas, contentment, emotions, expectations, Faith, holidays, hope, Identity, Life, perspective, Quotes 13 Comments

I was chatting with my friend Gianna on the phone yesterday when she said, “I feel like it’s the day after Disneyland.” And then she laughed. “You know what I mean?” Yes. Yes, I knew exactly what Gianna meant. You probably do too. Disneyland. “The happiest place on earth” right? Most of us plan for weeks, if not months, to …

When It’s Not a Happy New Year

Beth VogtBeth K. Vogt, challenges, choices, crisis, expectations, family, Life, New Year, perspective, Quotes, Reality, stress 19 Comments

We’re eight days into the new year and may I just say I’d like a do-over? Of course, I know that’s not how life works. There’s no rewind button in life. No pause button, either. We do life in forward motion – sometimes fast-forward. Circumstances? Well, they are often beyond our control. The first week of this brand-new year has …

Choose One Word to Change You in the New Year

Beth VogtBeth K. Vogt, change, choices, dreams, Faith, goals, holidays, hope, Life, New Year, perspective, Quotes, Scripture, Thoughts, time 10 Comments

As 2019 wound down and the new year – and the new decade – approached, I gathered words. One Words, to be exact. Let me back up. Many of you might be concentrating on a list of resolutions for 2020, but I abandoned that practice 14 years ago. Instead, I choose One Word for the year and center my heart …

Choosing to Define Christmas

Beth VogtBeth K. Vogt, Christmas, family, holidays, perspective, Quotes 10 Comments

How would you define Christmas? People have a lot to say about Christmas. Just google “quotes about Christmas” and you’ll discover all sorts of things that people think about Christmas. I happen to like what Dale Evans had to say: “Christmas, my child, is love in action.” One brief sentence. Seven simple words. But if you look closer, there’s a …

A Thanksgiving Prayer

Beth Vogtautumn, Beth K. Vogt, choices, contentment, Faith, grace, gratitude, holidays, perseverance, prayer, Quotes, Thanksgiving 8 Comments

      O, heavenly Father: We thank thee for food and remember the hungry. We thank the for health and remember the sick. We thank the for friends an remember the friendless. We thank the for freedom and remember the enslaved. May these remembrances stir us to service, that thy gifts to us may be used for others. Amen. …

Honesty and Hope for the Holidays

Beth Vogtacceptance, Beth K. Vogt, challenges, choices, Christmas, crisis, family, grace, gratitude, holidays, hope, Life, perspective, Quotes, Reality, Relationships, suffering, Thanksgiving 8 Comments

@bethvogt   I was still in elementary school when I learned that tragedy – sorrow, grief – doesn’t take time off for the holidays. All the houses in our neighborhood were decorated with lights, festive wreaths on the front doors, a few lawns decorated with statues of snowmen or reindeer or candles. All the houses, save one. One of the …

Choosing to Hear Each Other When We’re Hurting

Beth Vogtacceptance, Beth K. Vogt, brokenness, change, choices, crisis, Friendship, grace, hope, In Others' Words, perspective, Quotes, Relationships, suffering, validation 12 Comments

@bethvogt Get over it. Those three words just may be my least favorite words. Ever.  Quite honestly, I’ve heard the words more than once in my life. Way too many times. Sometimes they’re disguised in the phrase “Don’t be so sensitive.” Three different words – same intent: Get over it. A number of years ago, I shared a struggle with …