In Others’ Words: Tug of War (Guest post)

Beth VogtFaith, Life, Quotes, Writing 19 Comments

  “Courage is resistance to fear, mastery of fear, not absence of fear.” ~ Mark Twain (1835-1910), American writer & humorist There are times I struggle with discouragement. Desiring to write a story that will speak to peoples’ hearts, I pressure myself to excel in this endeavor. Instead of achieving, however, I battle dismay. Analyzing why I am where I am, …

In Others’ Words: Choose

Beth VogtFaith, Life, Quotes 9 Comments

By Max Lucado, best-selling author & preacher “I Choose Love… No occasion justifies hatred; no injustice warrants bitterness. I choose love. Today I will love God and what God loves. I Choose Joy… I will invite my God to be the God of circumstance. I will refuse the temptation to be cynical. I will refuse to see people as anything …

In Others’ Words: Trust

Beth VogtFaith, Life, Quotes, Reality 48 Comments

“Know that even in the midst of your worst circumstances, you can be still and calm and at peace … because God’s got you.” ~Source Unknown A monster of a wildfire forced my family from our home yesterday. I typed this blog sitting in one of my “adopted daughter’s”* living room, safe, but oh so aware that homes were burning …

In Others’ Words: Safety

Beth VogtFaith, Life, Quotes, Reality 41 Comments

  “There is no security on this earth. Only opportunity.” ~ Douglas MacArthur (1880-1964), American general It’s been an interesting weekend. The Waldo Canyon Fire, which erupted west of Colorado Springs, disrupted our lives. Saturday night we went from voluntary evacuation status to mandatory evacuation status — and back again. Since then, we’ve been on alert. And yes, we’re still …

In My Words: The Power of a Kiss

Beth VogtContemporary Romance, Faith, Life, Quotes, Reality 23 Comments

“The decision to kiss for the first time is the most crucial one in any love story.”  ~Emil Ludwig (1881-1948), German author My debut novel, Wish You Were Here, hangs on the question: Can the wrong kiss lead to Mr. Right? Within the first 10 pages of the book, there’s an “oh no, we didn’t!” kiss between Allison, the bride-to-be, …

In Others’ Words: Inches

Beth VogtFaith, Life, Quotes, Reality 24 Comments

“Victory is won not in miles but in inches. Win a little now, hold your ground, and later, win a little more.” ~Louis L’Amour (1908-1988), “America’s Storyteller” So … maybe you’re not making as much progress as you think you should. Are you measuring victory — your success — in miles or inches? True story: There was a season in …

In Others’ Words: Feel Better Now?

Beth VogtFaith, Life, Quotes, Reality 23 Comments

“Feeling better has become more important to us than finding God.” ~Larry Crabb (1944-), psychologist & author I read this quote and said, “Huh.” Out loud. And then, as I am wont to do, I read the words again and thought, “Is it true? For me?” This quote smacked me across the face and brought me to my knees. I …

In Others’ Words: Peace

Beth VogtFaith, Life, Quotes, Reality 16 Comments

My precious friend, Edie Melson, provides today’s quote — as in, these are her words — as well giving us a glimpse into her perspective on life and embracing the journey. Edie Melson is a freelance writer and editor with years of experience in the publishing industry. She’s a prolific writer, and has a popular writing blog, The Write Conversation. …

In Others’ Words: Gifts

Beth VogtFaith, Life, Quotes, Reality 26 Comments

  “A wonderful gift may not be wrapped as you expect.” ~Jonathan Lockwood Huie, author For the past 11 months, daily episodes of vertigo knocked my life off-kilter. Pardon the play on words. I’ve learned to throw humor at something that made me wonder if putting my mascara on is going to cause the world to rock-n-roll. The first episode …