Beth K. Vogt's Blog, page 38

In Others’ Words: The Reality of Dreams

I’m all about dreams … and I know what it takes to make dreams a reality. 

I love the beginnings of dreams. The “what ifs” and the “maybes” and the daring it takes to reach for that oh-so-personal wish upon a star. I get just as excited when someone else shares the beginning of their dream with me as I do about my own dream-just-starting-to-come-true.

The middles of dreams? Now that’s when you sweat. That’s when you have to decide if you’re up to the hard work of seeing this dream through to the end. How determined are you? Determined enough not to quit when the first glow wears off your dream and you’re staring at all you have to do … all you have to give up … all the obstacles labeled “YOU CAN’T” … and you’re not so sure you can anymore?

The ends of dreams? Sometimes, you celebrate because you achieve your dream — the sweat, determination, and hard work pay off. But sometimes the end of a dream can break your heart. You’ve worn yourself out working toward your dream. And it ends. Your dream fails as they sometimes do and you have to be brave enough to let your dream go. And brave enough to dream again. And sometimes … sometimes, the dream is resurrected even better than you originally imagined.

In Your Words: Where are you with your dream: beginning, middle, or end? Do you believe in the magic of dreams — and what does sweat, determination, and hard work look like for you when it comes to pursuing your dream?

In Others’ Words: The Reality of Dreams #InOthersWords #quotes #dreams
Click To Tweet

“A dream doesn’t become reality through magic; it takes sweat, determination and hard work.” #quote…
Click To Tweet

 

In Others’ Words: The Practice and Purpose of Journaling

I started keeping a journal because Miss Gooley, my freshman English teacher, required it. Besides our regular assignments — reading, writing papers, taking quizzes and tests — students in Miss Gooley’s class had to keep a journal. Miss Gooley would read our entries, make comments, return our journals, and we’d repeat the process, all year long.

Decades later, I’m still keeping journals. Yes, journals. Plural. Maybe back in high school journal writing initially connected with the writer within me. And maybe I continued journal writing because it provided a private place in a world that was overcrowded and confusing  — a place to sort through experiences and emotions and to experiment with the idea of being honest about life.

Even this blog is a journal of sorts: a virtual journal of favorite quotes and musings that I share with all of you. And I invite you to “write” in the journal, too, in the In Others’ Words section — and am always delighted when you do.

And yes, Richard Powers’s quote has prompted the idea of a new journal — one where I record favorite lines from books I read, both fiction and nonfiction. Some of them could end up showcased in this blog, but a lot of them could just be recorded and savored and yes, used to spur me on as a writer, too.

In Your Words: What kind of journaling do you do? Why did you start journaling? And if you have no interest in journaling, why doesn’t it appeal to you? (I’m just curious.)

In Others’ Words: The Practice and Purpose of Journaling #InOthersWords #quotes #writing
Click To Tweet

“I keep a quotes journal – of every sentence that I’ve wanted to remember from my reading of the…
Click To Tweet

 

In Others’ Words: The Beautiful, Terrible Truth

 

I respect the truth. 

I wrote those words … and realized that there was a time in the last 24 hours where I was less than truthful. I didn’t lie. No. I just didn’t speak up and state the truth, the whole truth, so help me God.

Of course, I wasn’t on the witness stand, my hand on the Bible, standing before a judge and jury. And I had a very good reason for speaking less than the truth. I had to choose between the truth of how I perceived a situation and how I was feeling or protecting a relationship.

I chose to protect a relationship.

If I’d told the truth — how I honestly felt — well, what would have been the point? What would I have gained? Being right? Well, yes, there is that. And sometimes the truth must be spoken for just that reason: because your words shine a spotlight on the wrong being done. 

But there is also a time to treat the truth with caution. Is now the time to speak the truth — or is now the time to know the truth and to stay silent because the truth, once spoken, is more terrible than beautiful?

Think past the truth to the consequences of the words you speak.  Will the truth you speak shut someone down? Is the truth fueled more by negative emotion — anger or self-righteousness — than a desire to foster reconciliation or understanding?

In Your Words: Would you say the truth is beautiful, terrible, or something else all together? How do you respect the truth? 

In Others’ Words: The Beautiful, Terrible Truth #InOthersWords #quotes #truth
Click To Tweet

“The truth. It is a beautiful and terrible thing, and must therefore be treated with great…
Click To Tweet

In Others’ Words: I Must Write

It’s been a week of story. 

Depending on the hour of the day, I’ve either been mulling over a story idea or talking about a story idea with my writing friend and mentor, Rachel Hauck, or writing out a story idea, a.k.a a synopsis … and repeat, repeat, repeat.

The sentence in the quote, “I must write it all out, at any cost” — I get it. Tuesday night I was mentally exhausted by all the mulling, talking, and writing it all out — and I knew I wasn’t done. More of the same waited for me the next morning.

As Anne Morrow Lindbergh also said, “Writing is thinking.”  Writers think as they plot a story — before they ever write the once-upon-a-time beginning. They delve deep into the why of their stories, which often carry echoes of the whys in their own lives. And then they think, think, think as they write scenes that become chapters that build a manuscript, which, when it’s edited and rewritten (and rewritten), becomes a “real” book.

Yes, novels are, by definition, fictitious. Make believe. But for most of the writers I know, the stories they write are steeped in real life struggles. Real life challenges … and triumphs. Real life heartache that maybe didn’t have a happily ever after. The characters are imaginary, but the authors are so, so conscious of what has been lived as they write Chapter One … all the way to The End.

In Your Words: When has the truth “I must write it all out” gripped you? Do you journal? Write novels or nonfiction? How does writing help you be conscious of living?

In Others’ Words: I Must Write #InOthersWords #quotes #writing
Click To Tweet

“I must write it all out, at any cost …” #quote #AnneMorrowLindbergh #writerslife
Click To Tweet

In Others’ Words: Listen for the Laughter

I got together with several writing friends last night. We talked writing, of course. And we also talked about what was going on in our lives. The common theme for all of us? Life was crazy. 

I wish I could say that our lives were crazy-fun, but we’re all dealing with different versions of crazy-challenging kinds of things. Crazy-exhausting kinds of things. Crazy-this-isn’t-what-I’d-planned kinds of things.

Anybody out there reading this know what I mean?

But you know what was woven in the midst of all our “here’s what’s going on in my life” conversation? 

Laughter. 

And the laughter made it all, well, not better … but easier. Our laughter added a different bit of background music to our words, lightening our hearts, and reminding us that, even in the midst of the crazy, life is good.

I don’t know if I’ve had days devoid of all laughter. It’s possible. I’ve had days … even weeks … where the chasm of heartache seemed too wide to ever get across.

But I know that laughter has often rescued me from hopelessness. Laughter has often reminded me that life goes on. That yes, joy comes in the morning … and in the middle of the day … and at the end of a longer-than-long day when you’re sitting with a bunch of friends who understand that sometimes crazy is all you’ve got. And what else are friends — and faith — for?

In Your Words: How’s your day going? Do you hear laughter in your world today? 

In Others’ Words: Listen for the Laughter #InOthersWords #quotes #laughter
Click To Tweet

“The most wasted of all days is one without laughter.” #quotes #eecummings #laughter
Click To Tweet

 

In Others’ Words: It’s a Mess

One of the great truths that I’ve embraced is that life is messy. Really, really messy.

And I’m okay with that.

When I say I’m okay with life being messy, I don’t mean I like the messiness of life. Not at all. What I mean is I’ve stopped pretending life isn’t messy … that life doesn’t hurt … that things don’t get way out of my control …

More times than I care to admit, I am confounded by my circumstances or someone else’s circumstances.

Life is messy.

I used to find myself in the midst of a crazy situation — a problem, a conflict, an emotional conundrum — and I would think to myself: Just give me a minute and I’ll figure this all out. I knew I could fix the situation. Clean up the mess.

Sometimes I could. And then there were so many times I couldn’t.

Remember the lyrics to the children’s song about going on a lion hunt?

Can’t go over it.

Can’t go under it.

Can’t go around it.

Gotta go through it.

Sometimes there’s no fixing the mess. All you can do is admit there is a mess — and go through it. 

Here’s the funny thing: This whole “Life is messy” reality? It’s the hard truth that guides as I write my stories. I believe life is messy … and that God steps into our messiness. That He doesn’t leave us here in all our mess, saying “Good luck with all that.” No, He offers us grace and hope and escape. That’s why Colossians 1:13 (NASB) is one of my life verses:

For He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son …

In Your Words: “Life is messy” is one of the great truths I’ve embraced. Do you believe life is messy? Why or why not? What’s a great truth in your life? 

In Others’ Words: It’s a Mess #InOthersWords #quotes #perspective
Click To Tweet

“Really, life is full of contradictions. Life is messy.” #quotes #TimBlakeNelson #reallife
Click To Tweet

In Others’ Words: The Freedom of Security

“Do exactly what you would do if you felt most secure.”

I kept mulling over today’s quote as I wrote my blog post. Do I believe it? Embrace it as true? Think it’s good advice to be followed?

Maybe.

I’m all about honesty, after having faked my way through life for too, too long. I stopped pretending I was someone else a number of years ago. I like myself, but that doesn’t mean that I like every single chapter of my life story. But when I look in the mirror, I now acknowledge the complete story of who I am.

Just like everyone else, at times I struggle with insecurity. Today’s quote suggests that I get past those moments of “I think I can’t”  by choosing to act out of a sense of security. Ignoring my wavering emotions. Silencing self-doubt by choosing to remember when I felt secure in who I am — and letting those truths spur my actions.

If I always rested in the security of who I am — forgiven, chosen, beloved, creative, braver than I ever thought — what would I do?

I’d dream out loud more often … and invite others to dream out loud too.

I’d compete only against myself — and enjoy the challenge.

I’d trust God’s love with reckless abandon — and never, ever, ever let the enemy be my voice of authority. 

In Your Words: What would you do if you felt most secure? Or, even better, what do you do when you feel most secure? 

In Others’ Words: The Freedom of Security #InOthersWords #quotes #security
Click To Tweet

“Do exactly what you would do if you felt most secure.” #quotes #MeisterEckhart #security
Click To Tweet

 

 

 

In Others’ Words: The Better Friend

A few weeks ago I heard that September is National Friendship month. I liked the sound of that: a whole month celebrating, among other things, friendship.

It’s also National Honey Month. And National Courtesy Month. And National Sewing Month. And National Blueberry Popsicle Month. On a more serious note, September is also National Suicide Prevention Month.

And that leads me right back to spending the month of September focusing on friends because, well, friends can make a difference when you’re hurting. When you’re convinced the pain won’t ever stop … that the ache inside your heart is unbearable. That’s when a friend can make all the difference.

A friend chooses to be someone who comes alongside you and says, “You’re not alone.” Not, “I understand” — because maybe they don’t. But that’s okay because they don’t have to understand. Being present … being available … being there is so, so much more important.

Because only when someone chooses to be with us in the midst of our mess and our tears and our questions-without-answers are we willing to trust them enough to “touch our wounds with a warm and tender hand.”

And yes, yes, I know that sometimes even being there for someone else doesn’t stop the worst-of-all tragedies from happening. We are left with our own questions-without-answers. People we love make choices … but we can remember that we made choices too — to show up. To share another’s pain … as much as we were able.

In Your Words: Which friend (or friends) has shown up in your life not offering advice and cures, but rather to share your pain? How do you try to show up in your friends’ lives?

In Others’ Words: The Better Friend #InOthersWords #quotes #NationalFriendshipMonth
Click To Tweet

“When we honestly ask ourselves which person in our lives means the most to us, we often find it…
Click To Tweet

 

In Others’ Words: How Gratitude Shapes the Heart

I’m counting my blessings tonight. And because I just spent 4 days in Nashville at the 2016 American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW) Conference, those blessings have names like Rachel and Susie and Cathy and Kristy and Roxanne and Alena and Lisa  and Dee … and oh, the list goes on.

My heart overflows with gratitude because I spent time with my people — other “creatives,” who understand why I talk to imaginary people and why I wrestle with arranging words on the page just so and why I will always answer the call of the next story.

I know the value of gratitude, how it shapes a person’s heart. Softens it, so that bitterness ebbs out and compassion flows in. And I agree with Eli Wiesel that gratitude is an integral element of our humanity. Without the ability to say “thank you,” we stop valuing the things — both small and big — in our lives. Next, we stop valuing the people in our lives — ignoring their God-given worth.

In Your Words: How is gratitude shaping your heart? Who taught you to be thankful? What are you thankful for today?

In Others’ Words: How Gratitude Shapes the Heart #InOthersWords #quotes #gratitude
Click To Tweet

“When a person doesn’t have gratitude, something is missing in his or her humanity. A person can…
Click To Tweet

 

In Others’ Words: Correct Me, Encourage Me

It would be easy to apply today’s quote to parenting — to start a conversation about correcting a child versus encouraging a child. As a mom, I certainly needed to learn the balance between the two — and I believe the scale should tilt more toward encouragement.

And yes, that’s another blog post.

I also believe every person, no matter what their age, deals with correction. And every person, no matter what their age, needs encouragement.

And that’s the focus of this blog post.

Correction can tell a person what they did wrong. Encouragement . . . well, encouragement tells a person that you believe in them even if they did something wrong. 

Correction is a “Don’t do that” or “Do this” kind of interaction — and sometimes the other person has no chance to respond or explain. Encouragement can be verbal — “I know you can do it!” or “I forgive you for what you did.” — or it can be expressed without a word through a hug or a pat on the back or just a glance. (And yes, I know correction can be physical, too. Not going there.)

There’s no denying correction is needed at times. If you’re doing something incorrectly, you need instruction. Think cooking. Or quilting. Or “mathing.” But even when it comes to life skills or schooling, encouragement should be woven through the instruction. As one of my friends often says to me whenever she encourages me, “Big gold star!”

In Your Words: Who has encouraged you in your life? And who do your trust to correct you, knowing that their instruction will be woven through with positive feedback?

In Others’ Words: Correct Me, Encourage Me #InOthersWords #quotes #encouragement
Click To Tweet

“Correction does much, but encouragement does more.” #quote #Goethe #encouragement
Click To Tweet