Beth K. Vogt's Blog, page 69

In Others’ Words: Choosing You

The best of friends call us out on things.

There was the day my friend Faith saw me caught up in a swirl of expectations — my expectations for myself, as well as all the imaginary and real expectations that other people had for me. I allowed the unspoken should’s and ought’s to overwhelm me and distort me into some sort of misshapen is-everybody-happy? woman.

I was tense, worn out, hollow … fake.

My friend taught me a valuable lesson that day: Friends don’t let friends be inauthentic.

Faith’s whispered question — What is going on with you? —  helped me step out of the tension of who I thought I had to be. I relaxed … and remembered who I was.

In Your Words: Where’s the dial set on your life today: TENSION or RELAXATION? Are you being who you think you should be … or being who you are? 

 

Friends don’t let friends be inauthentic Click to Tweet

Tension is who you think you should be Click to Tweet

In Others’ Words: A Bit of Advice

Ah, advice.

We love giving others advice — often with a “take it or leave it” qualifier.

But when it comes to hearing and accepting advice from someone else? That’s not always so easy, is it?

Maybe I’m the only one with the virtual deflector shields of “I know what I’m doing” and “I can figure this out on my own.”

But then there’s the truth: Plans fail for lack of counsel, but with many advisors they succeed. (Proverbs 15:22 NIV)

Advice, a.k.a. counsel, can be a good thing. Our failures — and the wisdom we glean from them — can often lead to both our future success. And others’ success too.

In Your Words: It’s Monday. And I’ve learned enough from all of you to know that you’re wise. So today, please share some advice — truth, wise counsel — that you’ve given others because of a lesson you’ve learned. 

With many advisors there is success Click to Tweet

Lesson Learned: What Advice Would You Share Click to Tweet

 

 

In Others’ Words: A Choice of Colors

I see words in color.

Not every word … names, mostly. And certain other ones. No rhyme or reason to why or why not a word appears in my head in color or basic black.

My name? Beth

My husband’s name? Rob

Home   family   friendship     laughter    celebrate    sorrow   tears

And yes, I have my favorite color: forest green

My least favorite color? Grey (or gray) — and I intend to keep it hidden in my hair too.

In Your Words: Does color show up anywhere unexpected in your life? Do you see  words in color like me? Or maybe, like a friend’s husband, you’re colorblind … How does color affect your life?

How does color influence your life? Click to Tweet

What’s your favorite color? Click to Tweet

In Others’ Words: Celebrating More

Got anything to celebrate today?

Is it something you’d like to celebrate again … and again … and again?

I’m celebrating sending off a novella manuscript — and hoping to celebrate that more in the future.

I’m celebrating how my daughters and sons-in-love and daughter-in-love  create a heart-expanding vision of family.

And I’m anticipating the celebrations that will happen once I’m in the midst of an upcoming writers retreat. (Can you say “These people get me?”)

In Your Words: Want do you want to see more of in your life? How are you celebrating it?

What are you celebrating today? Click to Tweet

Celebrate what you want to see more of Click to Tweet 

In Others’ Words: Old Nonsense

How many yesterdays are you dragging around with you?

Such weighty invisibles … slowing us down, holding us back. If I’m looking in the rear view mirror, how can I be aware of what’s happening up ahead? How can I be prepared for the future if I’m mired in the past?

The question that has lingered with me all weekend is this: What would I tell my younger self?

Oh, so many things.

People aren’t always trustworthy … but they are worth loving just the same.
God isn’t understandable … but he’s faithful and he loves you, loves you, loves you in an immensely unfathomable way.
Forgive yourself … and in those moments when you can’t, throw yourself into the depths of God’s lavish grace and mercy and drown.
Failure can be a good thing. Go ahead, don’t believe me now. You’re young. You’re allowed to doubt. But when you’re older, make sure you come back and tell me, “You were right.” And I won’t say, “I told you so.”

In Your Words: What would you tell your younger self?

What would you tell your younger self? Click to Tweet

“Finish each day and be done with it.” Click to Tweet

In Others’ Words: Only You

There are some things only  I can do.

Being me, for example.

Nobody else can be me.

Brilliant deduction, I know.

I spent some time — too much time, to be honest — doubting myself. (Yes, yes, I’ve admitted this before, so I won’t belabor it again.) Lesson learned: Spend too much time doubting yourself and you spend too little time being yourself.

When I finally looked into a mirror and liked who I saw, well, then I could begin to appreciate what I could do. Not in a prideful way that put others down. I could just look at myself and see possibilities. Potential.

Doubt is such a waste of time … a waste of personhood.

Do I still doubt myself sometimes? Oh sure.

But I doubt a choice I’ve made. A yes or a no. I don’t doubt my worth. And just because I can’t do something today doesn’t mean I won’t be able to do it tomorrow … or the  next day.

In Your Words: What abilities do you have that make you … you? How have you learned to embrace who you are, moving from doubt to a sense of worth?

Only you can use your abilities Click to Tweet

Doubt is a waste of time … & personhood Click to Tweet

Valentine’s Day Giveaway: Win a Kindle Fire HDX  & 12 Novels! Click to Tweet

In Others’ Words: The Difficult Road

I don’t know about you, but I’ve looked for various forms of success for a lot of my life. One of the earliest forms of success started way back in grade school spelling bees … and I’m still wrangling with words in pursuit of success.

I don’t know about you, but I’ve always hoped that success would be found, well, on a smooth paved road.

Rarely happened that way for me.

Do you like greeting cards? (Stick with me here, I haven’t wandered off topic.) One time I was browsing the card racks and I found this card … and I bought it for myself. Why? Because I was going through a difficult time and I laughed out loud when I read the words on the cover and inside:

Cover (which had a cartoon image of a wet, bedraggled cat): We learn the most from our most difficult times.

Inside: What a stupid, stupid system.

When I found that card, the circumstances in my life made me feel like that waterlogged cat — and no one was offering me a towel or an umbrella.

So what’s all this about success and difficult times? Sometimes success is staying the course — not opting for a detour or sulking on the side of the road and quitting.

Sometimes success is the lessons learned along the difficult road. Realizing that we’re not the same person at the end of the road that we were at the beginning. Maybe we’re stronger. Or maybe we’re willing to admit we’re weak.

Sometimes success is found in the friends we meet along the way … or discovering our friends weren’t so faithful. Maybe light replaces darkness and our view of God gets clearer.

And maybe, just maybe, success is realizing we were never meant to be walking this road. And we turn around and run back to where we went wrong and start over.

In Your Words: What’s your road look like today? Easy street or difficult road? How are you embracing it as a path to success?

When a difficult road is your path to success Click to Tweet

Valentine’s Day Giveaway: Win a Kindle Fire HDX  & 12 Novels! Click to Tweet

In Others’ Words: To the Future

Some days are weights … and others are stepping stones … and still others disappear before I even grasp “What happened?”

I’m aiming for something … so many things … and I don’t want to miss what’s right here, now, because I just may find this moment was the most important thing of all.

Sometimes I dream when I’m asleep (yes, in color — what about you?). And sometimes I dream with my eyes wide open.

In Your Words: What dream pulls you into the future?

What dream pulls you into the future? Click to Tweet

Valentine’s Day Giveaway: Win a Kindle Fire HDX  & 12 Novels! Click to Tweet

 

In Others’ Words: Moving Forward

Yesterday, I wrote a scene where an imaginary character grapples with forgiving someone — someone who hurt him years ago.

And as I wrote the scene, I realized that some of the words coming out of the character’s mouth were my own.

I wasn’t too surprised. I’ve grappled with forgiveness — the whole “How do I forgive this person, God?” question — for years. Over and over and over again. No, not just one person. (Don’t I wish.) But the getting down on my face — literally — before God and confessing that forgiveness is the last thing I feel towards another person … well, that has happened again and again in my life.

Just being honest.

But as I “listened” to my character admit he didn’t forgive this person in his (imaginary) life, I realized I had some answers for him. Some truth to impart. Well, not me — but the other character in the scene. (Sorry, I know this is getting a bit complicated. Welcome to my world as a writer.)

My unforgiving character needed an epiphany — a moment of life-changing truth. And I could make it happen because I’ve experienced some life-changing truths — specifically about forgiveness. And here’s the first one I learned:

The first step to forgiveness is admitting you can’t forgive someone. 

There was this person who hurt me — and who kept on hurting me. One day I fell on my knees beside my bed, tears choking me. And I told God, “I can’t forgive him.”

And then I waited for God to smite me … or something equally biblical and theatrical.

All I heard was God say, “I know you can’t.”

Huh?

And then he said, “But I already have … so let me help you.”

Admitting I couldn’t forgive was the first step to forgiveness.

In Your Words: What surprising truth have you learned about forgiveness? I love it when you join the conversation!

The first step to forgiveness: Admitting you can’t forgive Click to Tweet

What surprising truth have you learned about forgiveness? Click to Tweet

Valentine’s Day Giveaway: Win a Kindle Fire HDX  & 12 Novels! Click to Tweet

Valentine’s Day Giveaway: Win a Kindle Fire HDX & 12 Novels

 

I’m so excited to announce a very special Valentine’s Day giveaway.

I’ve joined with eleven best-selling, award-winning author friends to bring our readers this amazing giveaway. In addition to a brand new Kindle Fire HDX, the winner will receive the latest novels from these awesome authors — that’s a dozen books!

A Beauty So Rare by Tamera Alexander

Butterfly Palace by Colleen Coble

Dancing with Fireflies by Denise Hunter

Hallowed Halls by Hannah Alexander

It Had To Be You by Susan May Warren

A Match Made in Heaven by Mary Connealy

A Promise Kept by Robin Lee Hatcher

Princess Ever After by Rachel Hauck

Shadowed by Grace by Cara C. Putman

Silver Bells by Deborah Raney

Somebody Like You by Beth K. Vogt

Wildwood Creek by Lisa Wingate

Here’s what you need to know:

Valentine’s Day Giveaway

The giveaway runs from February 1st through February 13th. A winner’s name will be drawn on and announced on Valentine’s Day.
This giveaway is open to entrants with USA mailing addresses.
Entrants must be 18 years old and over. No purchase is required.
The winner will receive a Kindle Fire HDX and 12 novels.
Not all novels included in the prize package will be available at the time the winner is announced. Books will be sent to the winner as they become available. The prize is valued at over $400.
Entrants must complete ALL 12 MANDATORY entry options (the first 12 listed on the Rafflecopter form) to be eligible to win. Before the prize is awarded, completion of all 12 mandatory entry options will be confirmed.
Entrants can earn extra entries by completing any or all of the remaining twelve options.
Every attempt will be made to announce the winner within 48 hours of the end of the giveaway.
The winner of the Kindle Fire HDX and novels will be given 48 hours to reply to the email they are sent. If they do not respond to the announcement email within 48 hours, another winner will be chosen.

HOW TO ENTER: You can get to the Rafflecopter by clicking on the Valentine’s Day Giveaway image above or going here. You may need to open your Facebook page or email to activate the Rafflecopter link.