A Snow Day Giveaway!

Beth VogtBeth K. Vogt, Giveaway 39 Comments

Happy December, friends! Yes, I’m still on my social media break for the month of December, but … … a few weeks back (like in October), some dear author-friends and I decided to have a Snow Day Giveaway from December 4-12. I wanted to tell you all about that now so you had a chance to enter the giveaway for …

In Others’ Words: Be a Wise Guy

Beth VogtIn Others' Words, Quotes, validation 11 Comments

Go ahead, be a wise guy. Sometimes we discredit ourselves. We discount how much we know. Downplay our hard-earned experience. Overlook how we’ve matured. Let’s face it, you can’t go through life without learning a few things, right? And who knows you better than you do? Have you ever participated in one of those “Write a letter to your younger …

In Others’ Words: Creating Hope

Beth Vogthope, In Others' Words, Quotes 5 Comments

I confess that I went looking for a quote about hope because my spirits were sagging a bit. Yes, this quote was selected because I’m encouraging myself, but I also hope you’re encouraged by the words shared. And I know that when you all join the conversation by leaving a comment, you so often encourage and uplift me and others, too. Scripture …

In Others’ Words: Choosing Sides on Christmas

Beth VogtChristmas, In Others' Words, Quotes 2 Comments

  I read through pages and pages of quotes about Christmas last night and I came to a conclusion: People either love Christmas or they don’t. And when they don’t, well, sometimes they tolerate it … and sometimes they just outright hate it. Reading those quotes was like sitting atop a virtual pendulum that swung back and forth, back and …

In Others’ Words: Expecting a Miracle

Beth VogtChristmas, In Others' Words, Quotes 8 Comments

This time of year overflows with expectancy. Yes, we’re all counting down the days until Christmas morning, when we’re with friends and family. When we can finally dig into our stockings and tear into the brightly wrapped presents. Sit back and savor the sound of laughter and the presence of our loved ones. But if we push past the expectancy …

In Others’ Words: Future Trust

Beth VogtFaith, In Others' Words, Quotes 7 Comments

Sometimes things just take time. I know today’s quote by theologian Henri Nouwen talks about “the fruits of [our] labors,” and yes, there are times when our efforts don’t pay off right away. Months, maybe. Even years. You’re a fine, upstanding employee … but the promotion doesn’t happen. You do all the right “writerly” things — attend conferences, rewrite manuscripts, pay …

In Others’ Words: Chasing the Dream

Beth Vogtdreams, In Others' Words, Quotes 9 Comments

It’s the middle of November, which means I’m thinking of Thanksgiving … and then Christmas … and then the New Year is is fast approaching. Are you feeling breathless yet? This is the time of year I often look forward and backward at the same time. I consider what I wanted to accomplish during the past year — did my dreams …

In Others’ Words: You, Yourself, and the World

Beth VogtIn Others' Words, Quotes, Relationships 8 Comments

My daughter CJ has been part of her high school Varsity volleyball team for the past few months. This weekend, my husband and I will be in Denver cheering them on as they compete for the 3A State title. Here’s one thing I’ve learned about the team: Each member knows their place on the team — what their job is, so to speak, as an offensive …

In Others’ Words: Practicing Gratitude

Beth VogtGiveaway, gratitude, In Others' Words 6 Comments

It’s November, the month when our thoughts more easily turn toward thankfulness. After all, this is the month when we have an entire day devoted to giving thanks — and weeks to prepare for the celebration. And yet, isn’t it true that when we want a reason to be thankful we don’t have to chase after “extraordinary moments” of happiness? …

In Others’ Words: What Christmas is Not

Beth VogtChristmas, Giveaway, In Others' Words 7 Comments

We so often think of what Christmas is … and rarely think of what Christmas is not.  And yet Calvin Coolidge, best known as a a former U.S. president, so succinctly states what Christmas is not: It is not a time or a season … despite Christmas coming ’round the same month each year. I have to agree with former …