Honesty and Hope for the Holidays

Beth Vogtacceptance, Beth K. Vogt, challenges, choices, Christmas, crisis, family, grace, gratitude, holidays, hope, Life, perspective, Quotes, Reality, Relationships, suffering, Thanksgiving 8 Comments

@bethvogt   I was still in elementary school when I learned that tragedy – sorrow, grief – doesn’t take time off for the holidays. All the houses in our neighborhood were decorated with lights, festive wreaths on the front doors, a few lawns decorated with statues of snowmen or reindeer or candles. All the houses, save one. One of the …

Making Room for Each Other This Holiday Season

Beth Vogtacceptance, Beth K. Vogt, challenges, change, choices, Christmas, expectations, family, grace, holidays, In Others' Words, kindness, Life, perspective, Quotes, Relationships, stress, Thanksgiving 9 Comments

@bethvogt   The holiday season is fast-approaching. Thanksgiving? A mere 22 days away. Christmas? Only 48 days. New Year’s Eve? Counting down 54 days. We all have our do’s and don’ts when it comes to celebrating the holidays – or not celebrating the holidays because, let’s be honest, some people aren’t thankful for all the fa-la-la-la-la. I’ve never hated the …

Hope for the Holidays with 12 Authors of Christmas

Beth VogtAuthors, Christmas, Giveaway 5 Comments

  Listen along as some of your favorite authors — and some of my writer-friends — share special Christmas memories or holiday inspiration December 1-13! Plus have a chance to win the 12 books pictured above and a $150 Amazon card! WIN A BOOK! You have 12 chances. (US addresses only) 1. Watch author’s FB Live video on her FB …

In Others’ Words: A Simple Hope

Beth Vogthope, In Others' Words, Quotes 4 Comments

 I know many of us are counting the days down to Christmas — that gift-giving day that out-gives all other days in the year. And if you’re wondering, there are 47 days until Christmas. 4-7.  And yet,  not all of us celebrate Christmas. But gift-giving? It’s a year-round activity, what with birthdays and anniversaries and even “for no special reason” …

In Others’ Words: The Glorious Mess of Christmas

Beth VogtChristmas, In Others' Words, Quotes 4 Comments

  This quote makes me smile. The words takes me back to my childhood … and to the years when my children were younger. And to be honest, there are still messes created in our family living room on Christmas morning. And I love the glorious mess. Yes, there’s noise — laughter and conversation all mixed together. And the room is …

In Others’ Words: Honoring Christmas

Beth VogtChristmas, In Others' Words, Quotes, Uncategorized 11 Comments

A common theme among Christmas quotes is the idea that the spirit of Christmas shouldn’t be confined to a single day. Of course, different people mean different things when they talk about the spirit of Christmas. Love. Joy. Goodwill. Kindness. Giving … and receiving.  Truly, all of these attitudes are part of Christmas. And yes, it would be wonderful if we …

In Others’ Words: Choosing Sides on Christmas

Beth VogtChristmas, In Others' Words, Quotes 2 Comments

  I read through pages and pages of quotes about Christmas last night and I came to a conclusion: People either love Christmas or they don’t. And when they don’t, well, sometimes they tolerate it … and sometimes they just outright hate it. Reading those quotes was like sitting atop a virtual pendulum that swung back and forth, back and …

In Others’ Words: Expecting a Miracle

Beth VogtChristmas, In Others' Words, Quotes 8 Comments

This time of year overflows with expectancy. Yes, we’re all counting down the days until Christmas morning, when we’re with friends and family. When we can finally dig into our stockings and tear into the brightly wrapped presents. Sit back and savor the sound of laughter and the presence of our loved ones. But if we push past the expectancy …

In Others’ Words: Waiting for Christmas

Beth VogtChristmas, In Others' Words, Quotes 1 Comment

As a child, we wait for Christmas, don’t we? And then as we grow up, we’re counting days, too. We see it on funny little signs in stores — thank you, merchants who want our business — and nowadays it pops on Facebook. And then come December, we count the day with family calendars. My youngest daughter used little felt pieces — angels, …

In Others’ Words: Choosing to be Grateful or Graceful

Beth VogtIn Others' Words, perspective, Quotes 7 Comments

There’s honesty in author Richard Carlson’s words: The trick is to be grateful when your mood is high and graceful when it is low.”  We all experience highs and lows. We love to talk about the highs, but sometimes we keep our lows hidden. My Thanksgiving Day didn’t go off exactly as I planned. Yes, the house was filled with loved …