How would you define Christmas? People have a lot to say about Christmas. Just google “quotes about Christmas” and you’ll discover all sorts of things that people think about Christmas. I happen to like what Dale Evans had to say: “Christmas, my child, is love in action.” One brief sentence. Seven simple words. But if you look closer, there’s a …
Honesty and Hope for the Holidays
@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 …
Choosing to Realize Being “Good and Mad” is All Wrong
@bethvogt I almost got into an argument with a good friend yesterday – one of my best friends, as a matter of fact. But I hit a huge roadblock on my way to getting “good and mad.” I was lining up all my reasons for being angry and staying that way, and then I got up to walk around my …
Choosing to Open Our Hearts to Encouragement
@bethvogt Some stories are worth retelling. This is one of those stories. It’s a true story, one I love to share with others because what happened 21 years ago changed me and influences me to this day. Let me tell you why I love hummingbirds. *** After eight years living in Niceville, FL (yes, Niceville), my roots ran deep into …
Choosing to Love Louder
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. …
Being Intentional About the Home You Create for Your Family
My son and daughter-in-love moved into their new house yesterday. Not to be overlooked at all, five days ago, Josh and Meagan had a little girl, Isabelle – their fourth child. And since then, they continued prepping for this anticipated move. Back to yesterday, when my husband and I brought dinner to them. The moving van parked in the driveway …
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 …
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: The Secret to Living Well
My mother-in-law turns 100 years old tomorrow. Yes, you read that correctly: She will be One. Hundred. Years. Old. Her father was one of the last homesteaders in Montana. And she was born in a one-room log cabin — that her father built — during the 1918 Influenza Pandemic. She rode a horse to school, which was also a one-room …
In Others’ Words: The Uniqueness of Sister Relationships
Ah, the complicated bonds between sisters … The shared history of family memories can pull sisters closer … and at other times, the same events can push sisters apart. As sisters grow up and become independent, comparison and competition may flare, straining once comfortable familial closeness. Add a secret to the mix — like I do with the Thatcher …