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.)” …
Uprooting Racism from Our Family Tree
Choosing to Love Someone for Who They Are by @bethvogt Last October, my son Josh remarried. His wife is a beautiful young woman named Meagan. I remember months earlier when my husband and I talked with Josh about his relationship with Meagan – about how we knew he was falling in love with her and yes, her three children. We …
Who Do You Think You Are?
Learning to Value Ourselves More by @bethvogt I didn’t participate in school sports. Oh, sure, I played the required PE activities where you wait to get picked for a team, hoping you’re not last. And I remember the games of kickball and dodgeball during recess in elementary school – back when schools allowed kids to play dodgeball. Kicking a …
Who’s to Blame for Bullying?
Reality, Forgiveness, and an Apology by @bethvogt Bullying is a hot topic these days. It gets talked about in schools and covered in the media. Experts discuss both cause and prevention – admitting that solutions to bullying are not simple. About 1 in 3 U.S. students experience bullying. Yeah, that statistic bothers me … but I grieved when my daughter …
Understanding Estrangement
A Few Truths I’ve Learned Living with Brokenness …
The Power of Prayer When Life Hangs in the Balance
How God Allows Us to be Lights in the Valley of the Shadow by @bethvogt A friend’s 16-year-old son fought for his life last week. Ten days ago, Schafer was diagnosed with Influenza A. He developed a secondary bacterial infection and within two days of his initial diagnosis he was taken by Flight for Life to Children’s Hospital in Denver …
In Others’ Words: Thoughts on How to Keep Growing
Doing Better Than Your Best @bethvogt “I did the best I could.” I’ve never been a fan of those six words. Here’s how the conversation usually goes: I’m sitting across from someone who is recounting a struggle they faced where there was no resolution. No improvement. And then they sum up their efforts by saying, “I did the best I …
My Favorite Christmassy Things Giveaway
One of the fun holiday traditions I’ve enjoyed in recent years is taking part in giveaways with author-friends. And so … welcome to the My Favorite Christmassy Things Giveaway, which was organized by my dear friend and fellow author Cathy West, who lives in Bermuda. My husband and I visited her family several years ago and it was one …
In Others’ Words: The Basic Ingredients of Christmas
Here we are in the first week of December, with Christmas 3 weeks away. My youngest daughter turns 18 on Christmas Eve. 18 years old! And 2019 is 4 weeks away. I have to agree that time and love are the basic ingredients of a merry Christmas — the best parts of Christmas. And with that in mind, I’m signing …
In Others’ Words: When We Give What We Have
I love to give gifts to family members and friends. The funny thing is, in the past, I often gave a gift and accompanied it with an apology. “If you don’t like it, you can exchange it.” “If that’s not exactly what you wanted, there’s a gift receipt in there …” Oftentimes, the person hadn’t even seen what I’d given …