Beth K. Vogt's Blog, page 85

In Others’ Words: Along the Path

Disclaimer: I stole today’s quote. Sort of.

Let me explain.

Sometimes I pick my quote for the day from my backlog of quotes. Sometimes none of those quotes “reverb” with me, and so I go skimming through the Internet topically or maybe I do a search of a particular person . . . You get the idea.

Last night I ended up at my friend S. Kim Henson’s blog, aptly titled Kim Henson’s blog: Well-Written Days: All About Livin’, Lovin’, and Laughin’.

There’s a lot I love about Kim: her writing, her sense of humor, her genuineness, the way we keep saying, “You too?” to each other.

And, I discovered last night, that Kim loves quotes like I do — as evidenced by her Quotes ‘N’ Stuff page.

The path and puddles quote “reverbed” with me because, well, I landed in a few puddles this week. Got my feet wet. I even felt like sitting down in one big, old puddle and just staying there for a while.

Yeah — that would be called quitting.

And then God whispered in my ear: Isn’t the word for the year “Confidence”?

Um … yes.

And then God whispered this: And isn’t your foundational verse for this year “Do not throw away your confidence?” (Hebrews 10:36) 

Yes on that too. (And God definitely gets my attention when he quotes his Word to me.)

Confidence doesn’t sit in a puddle. Confidence splashes through the puddles, maybe — but it definitely doesn’t sit down and throw a pity party for itself in a puddle of water.

Here’s what I’ve decided: It’s okay to get wet because there’s puddles along my path–but only because I’m walking through them.

In Your Words: When you come upon a puddle in your path, what do you?

 

 

HaPpY dAnCiNg: Signing on the dotted line

With thanks to my husband, Rob, for taking (and re-taking) the photo …

that’s a very happy me, after I signed my contract with Howard Books for a third novel!

Details:

It’s titled Take Another Look.
It releases May 2014.
And yes, it’s an inspirational contemporary romance set in Colorado. 

I’m thrilled to continue my partnership with Howard Books — I appreciate how they support and encourage me as a writer. And it goes without saying that my agent, Rachelle Gardner, is the best. (But I’m saying it anyway.)

 

Thanks for joining in the HaPpY dAnCe with me. How can I celebrate you today?

***

Don’t forget to enter the Name a Star contest highlighted on my Author Facebook page! I’ll choose a winner in six days.

Possible Tweet: Name a Star! Enter the Rafflecopter giveaway celebrating the upcoming release of Catch a Falling Star http://bit.ly/WJsqjB #Christfic

The free download of the first chapter of Wish You Were Here available here!

Possible Tweet: Get the free download of the 1st chapter of @bethvogt’s novel, Wish You Were Here! http://bit.ly/Z9Bi06 #Christfic #acfw #mybooktherapy

In Others’ Words: Letting Go

Growing up, I never quite conquered the monkey bars.

Seriously, I’m pretty certain I never once made it all the way across from one end to the other. Sometimes I’d get to the middle and just hang there until I let go and dropped.

But there’s the lesson hidden in monkey bars: Life is all about letting go.

I’ve grieved some experiences in my life for years. Years and years and years. Some of those experiences were caused by the choices of others … and some of those experiences were caused by my own choices.

There came a time when the very best thing I could do — for myself, for others, for healing — was to let go.

Stop mourning.

Walk away.

Close the door.

Let go of the monkey bars and leave the playground.

Don’t get me wrong: I’m all for seeking counsel and for pursuing healing. But sometimes God works his greatest healing when he says, “Enough. Move on. Move forward. You’ve done all I’ve asked you to do. All that is humanely possible.”

And that’s when I let go … and leave it in God’s hands of grace.

In Others’ Words: I so value your part in the conversation … when have you let go of the monkey bars and moved forward — moved past a painful experience?

 ***

Don’t forget to enter the Name a Star contest highlighted on my Author Facebook page! I’ll choose a winner in six days.

Possible Tweet: Name a Star! Enter the Rafflecopter giveaway celebrating the upcoming release of Catch a Falling Star http://bit.ly/WJsqjB #Christfic

The free download of the first chapter of Wish You Were Here available here!

Possible Tweet: Get the free download of the 1st chapter of @bethvogt’s novel, Wish You Were Here! http://bit.ly/Z9Bi06 #Christfic #acfw #mybooktherapy

Catch a Falling Star Pre-Release Fun: Name a Star Giveaway

I’m embracing the star-theme that fits with my upcoming release, Catch a Falling Star. Today’s the start of a new giveaway — and the chance for you to name a star!

The Rafflecopter link  for the Name a Star giveaway is on my Author Facebook page. While you’re there, please “like” the page and you’ll stay up-to-date on future contests and book releases.

The giveaway runs from today, March 5, 2o13, until next Tuesday, March 12 at midnight.

I also wanted to let you know that a free download of the first chapter of Wish You Were Here is available on the front page of this website — look for it on the left-hand side. Or click on this link.

So, I’m wondering: What would you name a star?

In Others’ Words: When You Can’t

There are days I wake up thinking about all the things I have to do — and how I probably won’t get them done.

Of course, those are the days where I fell asleep the night before thinking about all the things I had to do when I woke up in the morning … and all the things I left undone that day …

It’s a wretched, wretched cycle, isn’t it?

And sometimes I get halfway through those days before I realize I’ve left God entirely out of the equation. Sometimes I may have given him a passing nod — a “Be with you in a moment, God” kind of acknowledgement.

As if all that other stuff is more important than God.

As if what I have to do is more important than what he might have to say about the next 24 hours, about me, about the other people in my life.

How presumptious.

How foolish.

Why do I rush past the God who is able … and wonder why I’m so exhausted at the end of the day?

Why do I forget that he can accomplish what I can’t … he can keep me in the center of his will when I feel off-kilter … he’s never bewildered. He has a plan — and I’m invited to be part of it.

I just have to accept the invitation — day by day by day.

In Your Words: What do you need God to do in your life today? Accomplish? Provide? Help? Save? Keep? Subdue? 

 

Two fun announcements: 

Michelle Delp and Dana McNeely won the last two Advanced Reader Copies (ARCs) of Catch a Falling Star! 
You can read the first chapter of my debut novel, Wish You Were Here. The chapter link is available on the front page of my website (left-hand side, beneath the endorsements) or you can click here. 

 

In Others’ Words: Hope

“This is the day which the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in  it.” (Psalm 118:24 NASB)

For months now, my husband and I have been starting our mornings by speaking aloud Psalm 118:24. Doing so gives me hope.

 

In Your Words: What renews your hope?

 

On Sunday I’m selecting — with the help of Rafflecopter — the last two winners of the Advanced Reader Copies (ARCs) of Catch a Falling Star. 

If you’d like to help share the news about the giveaway, here’s a possible post: Author Beth K. Vogt is giving away the last two advanced copies of her book Catch a Falling Star, which releases in May. Stop by Beth’s author FB page before Sunday for your chance to win!

Twitter: Win one of the last 2 advanced copies of Catch a Falling Star! Winners announced on Monday. http://bit.ly/XAFKBs #Christfic #bookgiveaway

In Others’ Words: Creativity

I’ve followed a few hunches in my life … sometimes I’ve walked through an open door and sometimes I’ve walked right into a brick wall.

But at least I was moving forward, right?

I love the idea of intertwining a hunch with creativity — splashing that “Maybe this will work” feeling with a bit of red and blue and purple and green and yellow. That’s the best way to treat a hunch: with lots of color, some time to simmer, and the permission to flourish.

In Your Words: Ever follow a hunch? Where’d you end up? I’d love for you to join the conversation and tell us about it.

 

In Others’ Words: You Are Here

Anybody else ever want a do-over? 

Anybody else wish there was a rewind button on life, just so you could go back five, maybe ten, seconds and make a different choice? 

(They worked that do-over concept into the movie Galaxy Quest, but the rewind button had a fancy name: Omega 13.)

But I digress.

Reality is, we rarely, if ever, get do-overs. And I’ve yet to find a rewind button on life. If you find one, please, let me know.

But I have learned I can pause where I am right this moment — stop whatever actions or words that are destroying the end of my life story — and act differently.

Say something else.

Do something else.

Hit my knees in desperation and pray, “Lord Jesus, Son of God, have mercy,” if that’s what it takes to start new.

Because no one does “brand new” better than Him.

In Others’ Words: What does a do-over look like to you?

 

Congratulations to Deb Parmer, who won the second Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) of Catch a Falling Star! Two more copies to give away during the next two weeks. 

If you’d like to help share the news about the giveaway, here’s a possible post: Author Beth K. Vogt is giving away advanced copies of her book Catch a Falling Star, which releases in May. Stop by Beth’s author FB page for your chance to win!

In Others’ Words: Just Do It

I know why I’m supposed to do the right thing — really, I do.

But sometimes, Mark Twain just puts a huge grin on my face — and today, I wanted to pass it on to you.

In Your Words: Have you been gratified or astonished lately by someone doing the right thing?

In Others’ Words: Make a Mark

So often we talk about yesterday.

And really, while we can savor the past … or learn from the past … there’s nothing, absolutely nothing, we can do to change the past.

And so often we talk about tomorrow.

And really, while we can plan or dream or “what if” our way all the way through the next 24 hours, there’s no way we can do anything about tomorrow until tomorrow arrives.

Now is all we’ve got.

And how we spend our “nows” — the choices we make, the words we speak or don’t speak — become our mark upon the world.

A beautiful, memorable mark.

Or a scar.

In Your Words: How are you spending your “nows”?