Beth K. Vogt's Blog, page 70

In Others’ Word: Weariness

 

When you’re weary, do you ever stop to discern why?

Are you weary because you are not doing the things you want — or need — to do?

Or are you weary because you are doing the things you do not want — or need — to do?

It’s a question worth asking … and a question worth answering.

Sometimes we’re weary just because life demands so much from us. There are seasons that are just going to be exhausting.

And sometimes, well, sometimes we’re weary because we’re demanding so much from ourselves.

And it’s the wrong stuff. We forgot to say no. Or we keep saying yes … and yes … and yes … to the wrong people and the wrong things …

and there’s no time, no room in our lives for for those things, those people who need a yes.

And maybe, just maybe … we are one of those people that we’ve crowded out of our lives.

In Others’ Words: So which is it for you: weariness because you’re not doing what you want (need) to do or weariness because you’re doing what you do not want (need) to do? (Yes, go ahead. Read it twice. If you’re tired, you just may have too.)

What’s making you weary? The doing or the not doing? Click to Tweet

For the weary ones … taking time to ask why Click to Tweet 

 

 

 

 

In Others’ Words: Choosing to Trust Others

There comes a time when you have to decide: is this thing between you and another person a relationship or not?

I’m not just talking about romantic “do I or don’t I love this person?” kind of relationships. This question comes up as friendships are formed too.

And yes, the beginning of relationships make me nervous. Do I or don’t I? Am I all in — or am I playing it safe, guarding my heart, protecting myself, keeping my options — and the exit door — open?

Remember that “he/she loves me, he/she loves me not” routine — and the whole time the person is pulling the petals off the flower, one by one? That’s what it feels like when you decide to risk loving somebody … and they don’t love you back. Or, worse, they betray your trust somehow.

You went there … you trusted someone … and you were hurt.

No wonder relationships make us nervous. They are the ultimate risky business.

We risk ourselves for the sake of relationship — revealing the tender, wounded parts that we’ve protected because maybe, just maybe, this person will understand. Maybe, just maybe, this person will be safe.

And sometimes we discover a friend. Or a lifetime love.

And sometimes we discover we were wrong.

No matter what … the nervousness or fear, the hurt … we are made for relationships. Why? Because we are made in God’s image and he is a God of relationships. If he wasn’t, why does he desire reconciliation with us? (2 Corinthians 5: 19-20)

In Your Words: What makes you get past the nervousness and decide to trust and “go there” in relationship with others?

Trust: Risking for the Sake of Relationship Click to Tweet

The Risky Business of Relationships Click to Tweet

In Others’ Words: Good Enough

When do you decide that you’re good enough?

Are you only satisfied with yourself when you’ve reached the goal you set for yourself? Maybe you finally lost those (fill in the blank) pounds. Or you gave that presentation at work. Or you finished making that craft project you’ve been working on for years.

You pat yourself on the back because, hallelujah!, you’re done!

Think about this with me for a minute: If we’re only satisfied with ourselves when we’ve reached a goal — there’s an awful lot of time when we’re dissatisfied with ourselves.

And that’s just wrong thinking.

We defeat ourselves before we’ve even begun.

We set a goal for ourselves — wanting to accomplish something positive — but we’re already frustrating our efforts because we’re discounting one of the key elements to success: us.

I love the call to action in today’s quote:

the challenge to appreciate myself for even wanting to change before I’ve done any changing
 the challenge to allow myself to be good enough

Needing to change isn’t a reason to feel bad about myself. No. I can be proud that I’m ready to move forward, to change. I can concentrate on the good about me — not turn a goal, a decision to change, or a challenge I’m facing, into a reason to bash myself.

In Your Words: How do you motivate yourself to change? In what ways do you embrace being good enough? 

When are  you good enough? Click to Tweet

Motivation to Change: Appreciate Yourself   Click to Tweet

In Others’ Words: Words and Music

Sometimes I find myself at a loss for words … and I allow silence to fill the space between my inhales and exhales.

And sometimes,  someone else has found the words for me and put them to music. And I don’t need to grasp how to somehow, someway express my loss … or my joy … or my questions … or my certainty.

Today I’m sharing a song by Kari Jobe that’s filled the void when words failed me.

In Your Words: What song encouraged you this week? I’d love for you to join the conversation and share with us.

Where words leave off, music begins.  Click to Tweet

Words and Music: What song encouraged you this week? Click to Tweet

In Others’ Words: The Right Time to Quit

I have always been intrigued by this particular passage of Scripture:

Cease striving and know that I am God. (Psalm 46:10 NASB)

Of course, this isn’t the only passage of Scripture that intrigues me, but it’s the one that’s got my attention right now.

Cease striving.

Aren’t we supposed to work hard? Aren’t we supposed to keep at it? Aren’t we supposed to never quit — ever, ever, ever?

The Hebrew definition of “cease striving” means to sink down, let drop, relax. But don’t think of this “cease striving” as some gentle invitation from God. No, it’s more of a slap-down to the Israelites for trying to handle things on their own, rather than trusting in Him.

Hmmmm. Stop trying to handle things on my own and trust God?

Well, of course I trust God — insert nervous laughter here — but I’d also like to continue handling things on my own, please and thank you.

Ahem. 

And there’s the problem: I can’t trust God and want to control my life. If I choose to trust God, then that demands that I cease striving.

I also have to remember the second part of the verse: I have to remember who I am trusting.

Cease striving. Why? Because God is God. And who have I discovered him to be? Why is he trustworthy? Why can I sink down, let drop, relax?

Here’s a verse that brought me comfort tonight: Now may the Lord of peace Himself continually grant you peace in every circumstance. (2 Thessalonians 3:16 NASB)

Peace in every circumstance. Every one.

Cease striving and know that God will continually grant you peace in every circumstance.

In Your Words: Why can you cease striving? How would you complete this sentence: Cease striving and know ____________________.

When is it the right time to to quit? Click to Tweet

Trusting vs. Striving: What do you know about God? Click to Tweet 

In Others’ Wisdom: The Wisdom of Martin Luther King, Jr.

Sometimes a person’s legacy is left behind in the lives of those they influenced.

And sometimes a person’s legacy is heard in the echoes of words they said. Maybe that’s why I am such a quote aficionado.

Today is set aside to remember Martin Luther King, Jr, a man most famously known for the words, “I have a dream … “

In Your Words: If you could choose, which of your words would you want to be remembered by? 

I have decided to stick with love. Click to Tweet

Which of your words would you want to be remembered by? Click to Tweet

In Others’ Words: Leave a Message, Please

There’s a lot of wisdom in today’s quote, don’t you think?

And I love that it’s wrapped up in just a touch of humor.

The past is a tricky thing. We have to learn from it. And sometimes our heart is comforted, even blessed, by a walk down memory lane.

But sometimes . . . well, the past shows up hauling luggage weighted down with should haves and could haves and yells out a greeting dripping with an unrighteous voice of authority.

And that’s when the past deserves a “Nobody’s home” greeting. Or when you turn on the “No vacancy” sign. Or when you say, “Sorry. I’ve moved and left no forwarding address.”

In Your Words: When have you let the past go to voicemail? And how do you know whether to spend some time in the past — or whether to send the past packing? 

When the Past Calls, Let It Go to Voicemail Click to Tweet

 

In Others’ Words: From Failure to Failure

People like to talk about success — they like to bandy about different definitions for it. Success is this. Success is that.

And they’re all usually talking about something as far from failure as you can get.

I’ve been reading Alton Gansky’s book Imagination @ Work. (Alton’s a friend and a colleague. I admire him. Even if I didn’t know him, I’d recommend his book. It’s like a series of “here’s what I’ve been thinking about” conversations with a witty, intelligent guy.)

But back to the topic at hand: failure.

Alton poses the question: What would you do, if you knew you could not fail? (That is a topic for another blog.)

I answered his question by writing this question in my journal: How do you define failure? 

And then I wrote:

success – less than

And by that I mean that what appears to be success in one person’s eyes can feel like a failure in someone else’s.

Say, for example, I land a book contract.

But I don’t earn out my advance.

Or I don’t win an award.

Or I don’t get offered a second contract.

Or I don’t ______________ (fill in the blank).

It’s the whole “being nibbled to death by ducks” experience. Turning success into failure because it wasn’t good enough.

But Beth, you say, Winston Churchill was talking about success — and defining it as facing failure enthusiastically.

I know. And I love his definition.

But Churchill got me thinking. And so did Alton. We need to enthusiastically face both our failures and our successes and not let the little duckies (dare I name them comparison and envy and disappointment?) nibble them all to pieces.

In Your Words: How do you define failure or success? And how do you face them with enthusiasm? 

Defining Failure and Success Click to Tweet

Is Your Success Being Nibbled to Death by Ducks? Click to Tweet

In Others’ Words: Wrinkles

Wrinkles.

Yes, I notice them when I look in the mirror. I don’t care for them, but I don’t post whiny comments on Facebook or lament about them in my journal because, well, what am I going to do? Botox?

I don’t think so.

When I look in the mirror I see me — not my age. But the reality is, I’m staring at an older me. I don’t need to magnify the wrinkles near my eyes — let’s call them laugh lines, shall we? — to convince myself that I’ve aged. All I have to do is look at my children. Really — when did these kids grow up?

Okay — changing topics now because I wasn’t thinking about my age after I read today’s quote. No, I was thinking about the effects of quitting … how quitting damages your soul just like the sun damages your skin.

Quitting ages you.

And I don’t want to grow old before my time. I’m believing the saying, “It’s always too early to quit.” I want to be known as a dream-chaser for years and years to come. I want to be a young soul in a getting older body.

In Your Words: How’s your soul look today? When was the last time you had the choice between quitting (soul-wrinkles) and persevering? What kept you going?

Quitting Wrinkles the Soul Click to Tweet

How’s Your Soul Look Today? Click to Tweet

In Others’ Words: No Waiting Necessary

I read The Diary of Anne Frank in middle school.  I thought Anne was so brave, even as I wrestled with comprehending that she was only one of the children killed during the Jewish Holocaust. What kind of madness destroys the lives of over one million innocent children?

Anne Frank penned those words about not waiting to improve the world as she and her family hid in a small apartment with four other people. A young teen girl, she chose to hope in the midst of a world war. She wanted to be someone who did good in the world, given the chance.

The Bible says that God numbers our days (Psalm 139:16) … and Anne’s were so, so few. And yet,  her desire to not be shaped by the evil around her echoes through the decades.

In Your Words: When have you acted, instead of waiting, to change your circumstances — or someone else’s — for the better? How has someone else’s choice echoed into your life, affecting who you are (positively) years later? 

 No One Need Wait a Single Moment to Improve the World Click to Tweet

How our Actions Create Echoes  Click to Tweet