@bethvogt I’ve heard the term “heavy-hearted” quite a bit recently. People are heavy-hearted about their life circumstances – from family struggles to friends’ setbacks. People are heavy-hearted about life “out there” – events playing out across the world via nonstop news headlines every single hour of the day. How do we counterbalance the ongoing challenges that weigh our hearts down? …
Remember to be Kind … And Forget to be Angry
@bethvogt Did you hear about former president George W. Bush sitting next to talk show host Ellen DeGeneres at an NFL football game this past weekend between the Dallas Cowboys and the Green Bay Packers? There was quite a Twitter controversy about it. People were upset, wondering why a gay Hollywood liberal was sitting next to a conservative Republican president. …
Understanding Estrangement
A Few Truths I’ve Learned Living with Brokenness …
In Others’ Words: An Adventure in Forgiveness
Sometimes the most profound truths require the least amount of words. “Life is an adventure in forgiveness.” Six words. Life-changing truth, wouldn’t you agree? Forgiveness is an adventure that leads us into the wide open spaces of freedom. Unforgiveness leads us to a dark dead end of anger and resentment and bitterness. We have a choice: to forgive or not …
In Others’ Words: Words of Regret
A few weeks ago, I blew it with a family member. I got upset about something and then I let my anger fuel my words. And yes, I regret what I said to that person. But even more, I regret how I spoke to that person. All this year, I’ve said over and over again that I don’t want to …
In Others’ Words: A Peace of My Mind
I don’t want to do anger anymore. I understand that there are going to be times when I get irritated about something or maybe even lose my temper. Life happens, right? But I don’t want to stay angry. I don’t want to be an angry person. I also don’t want to hang around angry people because, well, I can too …
In Others’ Words: The Anger Remedy
The other night I decided to enter into a controversial debate . . . a conversation on Facebook, something I just don’t do. I wrote out my comment, editing it here and there, and then read it out loud to my husband Rob and my sixteen-year-old daughter, CJ. Here’s how the conversation went afterward: CJ: Can I say something? …
In Others’ Words: The Temptation of Bitterness
When I hear cautions against bitterness, I immediately think of the admonition: See to it that no one falls short of the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many. (Hebrews 12:15 NIV) And Martin Luther King, Jr. got it right when he called bitterness a temptation — a choice we wrestle with …
In Others’ Words: Focus
“It is wise to direct your anger towards problems — not people; to focus your energies on answers — not excuses.” ~ William Ward, English missionary & author There came a time in my life when I had to face a harsh reality: I was an angry mommy. I had a lot of aspirations for myself as a mom — …