Below you'll find a list of all posts that have been tagged as “Beth K. Vogt”
I am not overly fond of interruptions. Interruptions — be they people or events — stop my forward motion. They prevent me from achieving my goals. They waste my time. Or so I think if I am not paying attention. I’ve come to realize that interruptions may be the point of my day. Interruptions may be the more important thing …
One of my favorite things about the Christmas season is the music. I love all kinds of Christmas songs: White Christmas Carol of the Bells Silent Night Frosty the Snowman Straight No Chaser’s take on the Twelve Days of Christmas Pentatonix’s take on Mary Did You Know? Amy Grant’s I Need a Silent Night I could go on and …
As the song says, “Christmas time is here … ” And I find myself once again torn between the beauty and the sadness brought by this time of year. There is so much beauty in Christmas: The music — Everything from the childlike fun of “Frosty the Snowman” and “Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer” to the beauty of “Silent Night” and …
Two words stand out to me in Henri Nouwen’s quote: discipline and gratitude. Nouwen reminds us that gratitude is a discipline — that it takes effort to be thankful. And knowing how easily I can fall into counting my “lack of” rather than counting all the ways my life is filled to overflowing with so much more goodness than I ever …
It’s been a year of deadlines for me … going from one deadline to the next to the next … and repeat, repeat, repeat. Add in the non-writing parts of life and there’s not been a lot of “doing nothing” in 2014. I often find those quiet moments of “nothing” in the middle of the night when I’m awake and everyone …
Most of my days start with a good 3 1/2 mile walk with my friend Mary. We walk and talk — and we look for “a little bit of pretty,” as we’ve come to call it. It all started when we noticed a wooden bench in a yard we were walking past — a little bit of pretty, even though …
I used to handle difficulties this way: I’d lay awake at night and think Just give me a minute. I’ll figure this out. I wasn’t praying — I was plotting. I wasn’t asking God for help because I was going to fix whatever was broken — a plan, a relationship, a dream — all by myself. I’m older now and yes, …
There were a lot of names being tossed around my house last weekend. Not bad names — baby names. My daughter and son-in-love just found out they’re having a second daughter and, of course, it’s time to start the process of “What do think of ______”? All sorts of names were offered and some suggestions were even added to their list …
Ah, the lure of the extraordinary moments. When life is more than fine … beyond the best that I can imagine … lit up like a 4th of July sparkler. Yes, I’m grateful for those moments. And then there are the moments where life is … good. When there are no dirty dishes in my sink because my husband, bless …
There are days when my emotions ambush me. I’m going through my day, doing what needs to be done. Not necessarily seizing the day, but making things happen. Feeling good. Satisfied, you know? And then suddenly I realize my emotions are all out of whack and I can’t even tell you why. At that moment, if I had to name …
