Choosing to Hear Each Other When We’re Hurting

Beth Vogtacceptance, Beth K. Vogt, brokenness, change, choices, crisis, Friendship, grace, hope, In Others' Words, perspective, Quotes, Relationships, suffering, validation 12 Comments

@bethvogt Get over it. Those three words just may be my least favorite words. Ever.  Quite honestly, I’ve heard the words more than once in my life. Way too many times. Sometimes they’re disguised in the phrase “Don’t be so sensitive.” Three different words – same intent: Get over it. A number of years ago, I shared a struggle with …

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 …

Remember to be Kind … And Forget to be Angry

Beth Vogtacceptance, Beth K. Vogt, change, choices, grace, In Others' Words, kindness, perspective, Quotes, Relationships 8 Comments

@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. …

Choosing Our Anchors Wisely

Beth Vogtacceptance, Beth K. Vogt, challenges, change, choices, emotions, Faith, grace, In Others' Words, One Word, perspective, Quotes 11 Comments

@bethvogt I own two anchor necklaces. My husband gave me one last Christmas. The other was also a Christmas gift from my dear friend, Angie. I’ve worn one necklace most days this past year. The other one hangs from the rear-view mirror in my car so I see it most days, too. Why are these two necklaces so important to …

When Do We Stop Worrying About What People Think of Us?

Beth Vogtacceptance, Beth K. Vogt, brokenness, challenges, change, choices, confidence, contentment, emotions, expectations, Faith, grace, Identity, In Others' Words, perspective, Quotes, writers conference 16 Comments

@bethvogt This is one of my “thinking out loud” moments and you – yes, all of you – get to listen in. It’s 4:10 a.m. when I’m writing this as I try to figure out something. Sometimes I do that by putting words on paper. This time, I decided to let my scribblings become a blog post. Last Wednesday I …

Choosing to Love Louder

Beth VogtBeth K. Vogt, brokenness, challenges, choices, crisis, grace, In Others' Words, Life, Love, perspective, Quotes, Relationships, suffering 10 Comments

  This week has hemorrhaged heartache – and the week’s not even done yet. We’ve all watched the news or read the headlines, grappling with the horrific actions of others. And no matter how many times a news anchor or a journalist attempts to better explain the who and how of the tragedies, their words can’t strip away the pain. …

Choosing to Make Room for Grace

Beth Vogtacceptance, Beth K. Vogt, challenges, childhood, choices, expectations, family, grace, In Others' Words, Life, perspective, Quotes, stress 8 Comments

@bethvogt   I was sitting in the waiting room at the doctor’s office yesterday. My youngest daughter had an appointment – not me. Once we get all of her “Oh, wait! We need to do this before you go to college” appointments checked off the list, I’ll worry about my stuff. Anyway, back to sitting in the waiting room. There …

Do We Prefer Perfection Over Grace?

Beth VogtBeth K. Vogt, challenges, change, choices, grace, In Others' Words, Life, perfectionism, perspective, Quotes, Reality, success 18 Comments

Choosing to See Grace More Every Day by @bethvogt   I haven’t had a perfect day in a long time. To be honest: I haven’t had a perfect day ever. Every day I get up with my plans for how the day is going to go. My plans? They’re not all that fantastic. It’s not like I’m shooting for the …

In Others’ Words: When Rain is Grace

Beth VogtIn Others' Words, perspective, Quotes 15 Comments

Several people in my family love rainy days … and I have to admit, I don’t. I don’t like driving in the rain when I can’t see the lines in the road. I don’t like having to be out and about in the rain when my shoes get wet. I don’t like what the rain does to my hair. Don’t …

In Others’ Words: Looking for the Good Stuff

Beth VogtIn Others' Words, perspective, Quotes 7 Comments

What are you looking for today? Me? I’m looking for the good stuff. The good people. The good actions. The good interactions. Kindness. Patience. Smiles. Acts of grace. Laughter.   That kind of good stuff. And then I’m going to praise that goodness. I’m going to say “thank you” out loud. I’m going to smile back. I’m going to hug …