#19 Thankful for Women

I just got home from Time out for Women.  I know I wrote about this last year as well....but it really is an inspiring, motivational, count your blessings experience that I am so grateful to share with my women family and friends.  We gathered at the Salt Palace and listened to speakers and songs that totally touch hearts and heal souls.

I am thankful to learn about and ponder on the following:

Brad Wilcox shared thoughts on the Atonement.  "The Real end is to Become more like our Savior, Jesus Christ.  He is our Redeemer which means we can be transformed and changed to be more like him."
  "The ultimate end is not seeing Jesus face to face, but Jesus seeing himself in us."
"God does love you just the way you are...but that doesn't change the fact that he wants us to grow and become."
"God's love and help is NOT the light at the end of the tunnel, but it's the light that moves us through the tunnel."
"God's delays are not denials."

Hillary Weeks sang her beautiful songs.  I cried through these.  She talked about positive thoughts and getting a clicker to count those...which totally helps you focus on the good and become more positive.
"We Become what we want to Be, by consistently Being what we want to Become."  Elder Scott

Sheri Dew.. spoke on How deep are your Spiritual roots?    She said the world focuses too much attention on the outside.  We know better.  We need to focus on the inside...the roots.  "What do the things about you, that no one can see-- look like?  What does your faith look like?  Your courage?  Your heart?"

Stephanie Nielson, who was burned over 80% of her body in a plane crash 3 years ago, came and talked about perspective...and how she had to choose to live.  She shared how small and simple acts have become so important to her.   We need to Choose to make our relationships with the ones we love better.

Emily Watts spoke on the 5 Habits of Happiness.  She was very funny and heartfelt.  She is a great story teller and one quote, I loved,  about Doing Hard Things is, "The road to accomplishment is paved with whining."  So true, so true.

S. Michael Wilcox shared his thoughts on what Eve says as she is leaving the Garden of Eden.."Better for us to pass through sorrow...that we may know..."  He centered his point on passing through sorrow.  It has a sense of movement.  We don't need to stay there.  We can learn and grow.

Wendy Ulrich shared 7 more Happiness options.  One that rang true for me was...Stop worrying abut your weaknesses.  We should work on our strengths-- that's where Happiness lies.  We are not called for our weaknesses, we are called for our strengths...and along the way our weakness will  lessen.

Laurel Christensen spoke about her Faith Experiment...she wanted to Pray with Faith, Think with Faith and Live with Faith.  By working on this she realized that we are all living our Plan A.  We need to get out of our own way...and have faith in the Lord's plan.  LOVED IT.

Needless to say, I am on a spiritual high.  I have the best husband and family in the world....and I am thankful to be a woman.