Time Out For Women 2014

On Friday, about the same time I would normally be heading out to pick up Peter from school, I climbed in the car and headed to a friend's house. There, we were joined by three other women and together we drove the forty minutes to Loveland, Colorado to attend Time Out For Women. We checked in to the Embassy Suites hotel where we had a room reservation, and then went to Red Robin for dinner. After dinner, we returned to the hotel, brought our luggage up to our 6th floor suite, and then returned downstairs to the conference room where the Time Out For Women was being held.

The view from the balcony outside our suite. The tables below
was where we ate our breakfast Saturday morning.

Time Out For Women was awesome. That evening, surrounded by thousands of other women from Colorado and its neighboring states, we listened to music performed by Justin Cash and Callee Reed, and listened to presentations by Barbara Thompson and John Bytheway.

We returned to our room around 10pm, and went to bed feeling uplifted by the presentations we had listened to. I didn't get much sleep that night. Unfortunately, a couple of the women in our group snore, and I'm a light sleeper. I think I may have gotten 2-3 hours of sleep towards morning, so I was a bit sleepy the next day.

Saturday morning we got up around 6am so all five of us would have time to shower. We got our complimentary breakfast at the hotel. I had fresh fruit, yogurt, sausage, scrambled eggs, french toast and orange juice. It was really good! Then we brought our stuff back out to the car, and returned to the conference room for the second day of Time Out For Women. On Saturday, the music was provided by Mercy River, and the speakers were Mary Ellen Edmunds, Whitney Johnson, Robert Millet, Wendy Ulrich, and Kris Belcher. We got a break for lunch, during which went to Chick-Fil-A. And we had a couple other 20 minute breaks to stretch our legs and look at the sponsor displays at the back of the room. (Deseret Book, Sweet Salt Clothing, Thrive Life, Southern Virginia University.)

The theme for the event was "Neglect not the gift that is in thee... Meditate upon these things. Give thyself wholly to them" (Based on 1 Timothy 4:14-15.)  We were told that each of us has been given a gift. If we share the gift we have been given, we feel the light of Christ, and that light shines so others can see it, too.

We were advised to find our gift. We could do this by asking:

• When do I feel happy, connected, energetic, really me? What am I doing when I feel that way?
• What positive comments do others make about me? 
• What does my patriarchal blessing say about me? 
• What makes me feel strong?
• When do I feel invigorated and beautiful?
• What was my favorite calling?
• What exasperates and frustrates me in others (because it comes so easily for me)?
• What compliments do I receive and dismiss because I don't feel like it is anything special?

Once we have figured out what our gifts are, we should use them to bless others. We should be quick to compliment others and thank them. We should be watchful for the needs of those around us, and be ready and willing to serve. We are like the city that is built on a hill, or the candle that is on the candlestick to give light to everyone in the house. 

Other topics included trusting in the Lord, and following his plan. Forgiveness. Trials can strengthen us. Gratitude. Hope. Mercy and grace through the atonement. Faith. Taking action.

Some favorite quotes that were shared by the various speakers:

"When the scriptures say 'wait on the Lord' they mean to 'wait' like a waiter in a restaurant waits - watching for opportunities to serve, not just sitting back and relaxing until someone else does all the work."

"True hope gives courage to face life with humility."

"God is more concerned about our direction than with our location."

"Dreams require a leap of faith but they send the soul souring."

"God is waiting to fulfill our dreams but he can't if we don't pray and we don't dream."

"A compliment is audible sunshine."

"Adversity is preparation for greatness."

"Gratitude is the catalyst to Christlike happiness."

"It is better to light a candle than to curse the darkness."

I loved the chandeliers in the conference room!

"Mercy is not getting what you deserve. Grace is getting what you don't deserve." (This one is a little confusing without the explanation... We all sin, and we all deserve punishment or retribution for the bad things we've done. Mercy means we don't have to pay for all those bad things because Christ suffered so we wouldn't have to. Grace means that we can still receive exaltation, even though we can never achieve it through our own actions. Once again, it is through Christ's atonement that we can receive that gift.)

After the closing prayer was said Saturday afternoon, my friends and I climbed into the car and returned home. I got home around 5pm, ate a salad for dinner and was in bed by 6, sound asleep by 6:15, and didn't wake up until 7:00 Sunday morning. I was so tired!!! I was very grateful for the chance to attend this event. I enjoyed the speakers and the music and the company of the other sisters. It gave me some things to think about, and some things I want to try to teach my children as well.