@bethvogt I’ve been thinking about getting a puppy. This may come as a surprise to some of you have seen photos of our dog, Jo, in my Instagram feed or my Facebook page. This may also come as a bit of a surprise to Jo. Jo belongs to Christa, my youngest daughter, who’s heading off to college in seven weeks. …
Choosing to Make Room for Grace
@bethvogt I was sitting in the waiting room at the doctor’s office yesterday. My youngest daughter had an appointment – not me. Once we get all of her “Oh, wait! We need to do this before you go to college” appointments checked off the list, I’ll worry about my stuff. Anyway, back to sitting in the waiting room. There …
Discovering Unexpected Opportunities for Kindness
Remembering to Value Others in Stressful Situations @ bethvogt Life veered off course last week. I need to stop being surprised when life doesn’t go according to plan. Better yet, I should write “Realize things will not go according to plan” at the top of my weekly To Do list. Humor helps, right? You know what else helps when life …
Celebrating How Friendships Deepen Our Stories
Being Brave Enough to Say Yes to Each Other @bethvogt I had a belated birthday party a few days ago. I gathered together a group of my special friends, who agreed to dress up and go out to dinner. My friend, Mary, even supplied me with a pink “Birthday Girl” sash, which ensured I was covered in glitter …
Fighting Against Family Favorites
Choosing to Love Our Children for Who They Are @bethvogt Let’s talk about favorite things. The Kid starring Bruce Willis is one of my all-time favorite movies. Crème brûlée is my favorite dessert. Green is my favorite color. Not neon green or lime green or olive green, but a rich forest green. L.M. Montgomery is one of my favorite authors. …
Three Things to Consider as You Graduate from High School
Graduate — and Keep Dreaming @bethvogt My youngest daughter graduates from high school on Friday. Christa is my caboose kiddo. She was born 12 ½ years after my husband Rob and I were finished having children, when her older siblings were 17, 14 and 12. Her arrival was one of those unexpected blessings of life that initially make you think, …
When You Meet a Family Crisis on a Street Corner
Learning to Listen with Our Hearts @bethvogt I went for a walk with my friend Mary yesterday morning. We’re long-time walking buddies, but this was our first opportunity in months to go walking together. You know how life gets busy and days go by and you keep thinking, “Maybe tomorrow there’ll be time to do (fill in the blank.)” …
Choosing Not to Brood About Turning 60
Let’s Choose to Live Well @bethvogt I turned 60 a few days ago. After blogging about this birthday back in January, I haven’t been brooding about it since then. It turns out being on deadline doesn’t leave you much time to brood. And then my youngest daughter had prom the day before my birthday – she’s a senior in …
What Do We Do When Our Stories Collide?
Choosing to be Kind and Gracious by @bethvogt Two stories collided the other day – and erupted in kindness and grace. The collision played out on national TV during a morning news show, and so I wonder if most people viewed it as merely news, overlooking the exchange of kindheartedness and graciousness. Allow me to recount the story for you: …
Do We Prefer Perfection Over Grace?
Choosing to See Grace More Every Day by @bethvogt I haven’t had a perfect day in a long time. To be honest: I haven’t had a perfect day ever. Every day I get up with my plans for how the day is going to go. My plans? They’re not all that fantastic. It’s not like I’m shooting for the …