Treasuring an Unexpected Holiday Tradition

Beth VogtChristmas, encouragement, family, Friendship, gratitude, holidays, home, hope, Life, Love, perspective, Quotes, Relationships, time 4 Comments

@bethvogt Some things become treasured family traditions without any planning on our part. In 1988, when my husband was a family physician in the military, Uncle Sam declared, “I want YOU to be stationed in Turkey for two years!” What Uncle Sam decrees, he gets. And off we went, with a newborn, a two-year-old, and a five-year-old. Travel back and …

Today … Tomorrow … Every Day … Let’s Focus on Hope

Beth Vogtchallenges, choices, confidence, encouragement, Faith, hope, Life, perseverance, perspective, Quotes, strength 6 Comments

@bethvogt My friend Jeanne and I have May birthdays. We’ve developed a funny tradition around our birthdays: we never celebrate them with each other during our birthday month. Don’t get me wrong – we’ve tried many, many times to celebrate during May. We make plans to meet for breakfast or lunch or dinner. Inevitably, our plans get pushed back again …

Viewing Christmas Through Others’ Words

Beth VogtBeth K. Vogt, Christmas, Faith, family, gratitude, holidays, hope, In Others' Words, kindness, Life, Love, perspective, Quotes, Relationships 10 Comments

@bethvogt “My idea of Christmas, whether old-fashioned or modern, is very simple: loving others.” Bob Hope (1903-2003), British-American comedian and actor   My love of quotes prompted today’s post. I decided to step aside this week and let others step front and center stage. I spent last night gathering some of my favorite Christmas quotes for you to enjoy. Let …

A Thanksgiving Prayer

Beth Vogtautumn, Beth K. Vogt, choices, contentment, Faith, grace, gratitude, holidays, perseverance, prayer, Quotes, Thanksgiving 8 Comments

      O, heavenly Father: We thank thee for food and remember the hungry. We thank the for health and remember the sick. We thank the for friends an remember the friendless. We thank the for freedom and remember the enslaved. May these remembrances stir us to service, that thy gifts to us may be used for others. Amen. …

In Others’ Words: When We Give What We Have

Beth VogtIn Others' Words, perspective, Quotes 6 Comments

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 …

In Others’ Words: A Simple Hope

Beth Vogthope, In Others' Words, Quotes 4 Comments

 I know many of us are counting the days down to Christmas — that gift-giving day that out-gives all other days in the year. And if you’re wondering, there are 47 days until Christmas. 4-7.  And yet,  not all of us celebrate Christmas. But gift-giving? It’s a year-round activity, what with birthdays and anniversaries and even “for no special reason” …

Christmas Gifts: The Unexpected and Expectations (and an 8-author giveaway)

Beth VogtChristmas, Fun, Life 61 Comments

This is not a sentimental Christmas memory … and I do have my husband’s permission to share this story. Once upon a Christmas time, my husband and I were newlyweds celebrating our very first Christmas together. Our tiny one-bedroom apartment was festive, thanks to the shiny silver aluminum Christmas tree — yes, silver — we’d decorated with a few ornaments …

In Others’ Words: Gifts

Beth VogtFaith, Life, Quotes, Reality 26 Comments

  “A wonderful gift may not be wrapped as you expect.” ~Jonathan Lockwood Huie, author For the past 11 months, daily episodes of vertigo knocked my life off-kilter. Pardon the play on words. I’ve learned to throw humor at something that made me wonder if putting my mascara on is going to cause the world to rock-n-roll. The first episode …

In Others’ Words: Gifts

Beth VogtQuotes, Reality 29 Comments

“Everyone is gifted — but some people never open their package.” ~Unknown In my family, I’m known for one particular gift-giving tradition: Each Christmas I misplace at least one gift. When I realize that, yet again, a gift has gone a-missing, I promise to give it to the ever-patient recipient when I finally come across it–usually months later. I’m still …