In Others’ Words: All the Other Ages You’ve Been

Beth VogtIn Others' Words, Life, lifequotes 3 Comments

Today is my birthday and I’m embracing it by playing hooky and spending the day with my husband. We’re planning on enjoying the Colorado sunshine — maybe going for a hike in Garden of the Gods. For me, birthdays are when I stop and think about the 364 days since my last birthday and I count all the reasons I …

In Others’ Words: Life and Unimportant Days

Beth VogtIn Others' Words, Life, quote about life 6 Comments

It’s funny how we count our days, isn’t it? We have busy days and do-nothing days and days we wait for all year long, like birthdays and anniversaries and Christmas. We have days we dread, like the start of school or the end of vacation. Life changing days … and life-shattering days. But I do believe Alexander Woollcott got it …

In Others’ Words: Taking Christmas a Little at a Time

Beth VogtChristmas, In Others' Words, Life 2 Comments

Christmas can get awfully crowded — filled up to overflowing by a busy schedule. Things to do. People to see. Presents to buy and wrap. Cards to address and mail — or maybe design online and email. Traditions to be kept or begun. And somewhere in the midst of all the doing, we want to remember the reason for the …

In Others’ Words: When God says “Go”

Beth VogtFaith, In Others' Words, Life 6 Comments

When we moved to Colorado, our friend, Tony hugged me and my husband and said, “I’m going with people who are going with God — and you two are going with God.” At the time, Tony was more excited about our move than I was. Why? Because Tony was looking ahead — at where God was leading us. I was …

In Others’ Words: Avoiding the Debris of Life

Beth VogtGiveaway, In Others' Words, Life 9 Comments

Snags and debris. We’re not going to make it through life without running it to one or the other … or both.  Snags are impediments to progress … irritants, interferences, interruptions … we want to go one way and they push and prod us another, holding us back from our goals. But debris … that’s another kind of danger that …

In Others’ Words: Defining Love of Country

Beth VogtIn Others' Words, Life 8 Comments

I know the exact moment I became a patriot. My husband was in the U.S. Air Force and “Uncle Sam” sent us to Turkey for two years. At that time, “us” included my husband, me, our five-year-old son, two-year-old daughter, and three-month old daughter. Yes, the move overseas was quite the experience — and that’s another blog post. Our first 4th …

In Others’ Words: Choosing Between Love and Understanding

Beth VogtIn Others' Words, Life, Relationships 10 Comments

Loved or understood? Do we have to choose between the two? I don’t think so. When we take the time to understand someone else, isn’t that a form of loving that person? Understanding someone demands concentrated effort. Sometimes we must set aside prejudices and preconceived ideas about a person. Understanding happens when we listen. When we consider someone else more …

In Others’ Words: If You’re Happy and You Know It …

Beth VogtFun, In Others' Words, Life 9 Comments

There is a time and a place to be dignified. But there are so many more times and places to be happy.   Early in my novel writing journey, I met a wonderful group of women at a My Book Therapy writing retreat. We became friends, dubbing ourselves the MBT Ponderers — after author Susan May Warren warned us not …

In Others’ Words: The Exhaustion of Insincerity

Beth VogtIn Others' Words, Life, lifequotes 11 Comments

  I remember the first time I heard someone teach about insincerity. I was in a teen youth group, and a boy who I liked — a boy who a lot of the girls liked — spoke on being sincere. I thought he was witty and brilliant — and yes, really cute. A year or so later, I dated the guy. When …

In Others’ Words: When Winning isn’t Everything

Beth VogtLife, quote about life 2 Comments

    Patton’s statement is such a fundamental truth, there’s almost nothing to add to it: Don’t fight a battle if you gain nothing by winning. Another way to say that: Winning isn’t everything … and sometimes winning is nothing, except the ability to boast that you won.  A hollow victory that echoes back at you with no lasting effect …