This weekend was my second Time Out For Women. What an amazing experience. While I wish that this year I could have shared it with someone (My friend got held up at work and couldn't make it), it was still an amazing experience. I will come every year it is here for the rest of my life.
When I came home Chris asked me how it was. I looked at him and just started to cry. What a spriritual feast. The theme this year was "Choose to Become...".
This year both of the musical artists were women. The artist of my heart Hillary Weeks. I love her music, she seems to be able to voice the feelings of my heart and mind.
The other one was Jenny Oaks Baker. I knew Jenny's name, but not what she did. She is a fantastic violin player. I want her albums. She has just released a Disney Album "Wish Upon a Star". She played "A Whole New World" from it. The arranger put a rumba feel to it. It was amazing. She also played a classical piece and a couple of hymns. Her playing is stunning and speaks to my soul.
One of the really cool things we got was this zippered bag. I was excited. It will make a great project bag.
Here are a few of the highlights from some of the talks.
Wendy Ulrich spoke on happiness. "The key to happiness is having the spirit with us." It isn't the things that we have or do. She had 7 points that she hit.
1. Work on strengths- Identify your strengths and use them.
2. Don't wait to get motivated to excersise, just do it.
3. Stop trying to find friends.
4. Don't try and be happy-feel grateful.
5. Celebrate failure-be willing to fail so that you can go forward. Learn from your mistakes.
6. Don't dwell on problems. Extend yourself to help others. Service is the key. "Who did I help today?"
7. Don't endure to the end, Enjoy to the end.
Brad Wilcox spoke on the power of the Atonement. "The miracle of the atonement is not that we can be clean, not that we can be consoled, but that we can become better." The Redeemer is the one that can make us better.
Deann Flynn spoke about the small things. She said that the small things are often the most important. You don't have to have a grand offering for it to be worthwhile.
1. Choose to be more aware. We are here practicing for Heaven.
2. Make things less complicated.
3. Be more tender.
Mariama Kallon was the most amazing woman. She told a little bit of her story. She was born in Sierra Leon. She told of how she escaped, some of the trials that she went through and how she found the gospel and served a mission. Such amazing faith. She has written a book that I would like to read. "Delivered by Hope".
Esther 4:14 "For if thou altogether holdest thy peace at this time, then shall there enlargment and deliverance arise to the Jews fro another place; but thou and thy father's house shall be destroyed; and who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdom for such a time as this?"
The quote that I took from her that touched my heart was "Forgiveness doesn't make the other right, but gives us freedom." What a forgiving heart. Out of a family of 5, she was the only one that is still living.
Jason Wright spoke on serving and whether we are waiting billboard moments. All of us in our life have at one time said, "When so and so happens I will be happy." Are we waiting for the billboard moments to define our lives? Shouldn't we be living our lives with our eyes wide open for service and life around us as the Savior and our Father in Heaven would want?
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