@bethvogt This was my friend Jenny’s text to me yesterday morning at 6:12 a.m.: In life, and perhaps you overcame this, who did you believe you had to be accepted and/or approved by? By the way, good morning. My reply: Oh my word! Do you want an alphabetical list? Jenny and I have conversations like this. All the time. Sometimes …
The Ongoing Battle with Beauty
We all grow up knowing our place in our families. And that “place” determines our identity. Firstborn. Middle child. The baby. Sometimes we’re the only child. Among my two brothers and two sisters, I was the ugly one. Now before you say something like, “Surely you exaggerate,” let me assure you I’m not. I knew my place in my …
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 …
Identifying Unclaimed Emotional Baggage
Being Brave Enough to Deal with Our Stuff by @bethvogt Last weekend one of my closest friends texted me this question: When does all the baggage stop bubbling to the surface? Her question is a bit of a mixed metaphor, yes, but still it brought to mind a vivid image: a murky lake filled with suitcases bobbing to the the …
In Others’ Words: The Importance of Protecting Our Dreams
Confronting Our Doubts @BethVogt We all chase after dreams. During our childhood, the simplest of questions may spark a dream: What do you want to be when you grow up? Pause for a moment and let’s remember that oh-so-much-younger us. The one who didn’t hesitate to believe we could become a ballerina. Or an astronaut. Or a dolphin trainer. …
In Others’ Words: Choosing Which Moments Define Us
Of Milestones and Moments @bethvogt At some point in our lives, we’ve all been cautioned not to make a mountain out of a molehill. Some well-meaning person thinks we’re overreacting to a situation – or maybe thinks we’re overreacting to them – and wants us to calm down. Maybe they’re right . Maybe we need to step back and take …
In Your Words: Fear is a Liar
Look at the picture above. That’s me. My name is Christa, and I’m Beth K. Vogt’s daughter! I hope you guys don’t mind me writing this post today. As a 15-year-old girl going through high school, fear is not an uncommon thing. Fear of messing up on a test. Fear of not having that cute boy like me back. …
In Others’ Words: The Demands of Insecurity
I’ve certainly sat on the ledge and attempted to reason with insecurity … and lost. I’ve tried to calm my self-doubts with both truths and the Truth and found myself staring down, down, down, realizing that insecurity is stone-deaf to that kind of wisdom and good sense. I also agree with my writing friend Jill Buteyn that insecurity is an all-too-willing assassin, one …
In Others’ Words: Wrestling Match
It’s not a question of if we’re going to face suffering. It’s not even a question of when or what kind of suffering we’re going to experience. In the end, it comes down to this: Who is going to win the wrestling match? The suffering? Or you? When I first began to wrestle with the stark reality of abuse in my …