Choosing to Define Christmas

Beth VogtBeth K. Vogt, Christmas, family, holidays, perspective, Quotes 10 Comments

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

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 …

Choosing to Realize Being “Good and Mad” is All Wrong

Beth VogtBeth K. Vogt, challenges, change, choices, emotions, Faith, forgiveness, Friendship, In Others' Words, Life, perspective, Quotes, Relationships, trust 10 Comments

@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

Beth VogtBeth K. Vogt, challenges, change, choices, confidence, expectations, Faith, grace, hope, In Others' Words, Love, perspective, prayer, Quotes, trust 14 Comments

@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

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. …

Being Intentional About the Home You Create for Your Family

Beth VogtBeth K. Vogt, family, home, Identity, In Others' Words, Life, Love, perspective, Quotes, Relationships 10 Comments

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

Beth Vogtacceptance, Beth K. Vogt, challenges, change, choices, family, freedom, hope, Identity, In Others' Words, Life, Love, perspective, Quotes, Relationships, story 18 Comments

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

Beth VogtChristmas, In Others' Words, Quotes 8 Comments

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

Beth VogtIn Others' Words, perspective, Quotes 8 Comments

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

Beth VogtIn Others' Words, Quotes, sisters, Uncategorized 6 Comments

  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 …