Reason #2 - I get to take "Girl Trips" with my Mom

Just a couple of weeks ago my mom and I attended Time Out for Women, an event put on by Deseret Book. My dear friend Chrislyn is the Event Coordinator, and she wanted me to come and experience a huge piece of her life. We drove up to Logan on Friday afternoon and had a short visit with my sweet grandparents, then checked in to Chrislyn's hotel and walked on over to the event. It was fabulous! We had front row seats, just behind all of the presenters, and were able to hear some incredible speakers and musical guests. Jenny Oaks Baker and Kenneth Cope were the musical entertainment, and they were phenomenal. And then we heard from James Ferrell (the writer of The Peacegiver which is a fantastic book about the atonement), Mary Ellen Edmonds, Amanda Dickson, Camille Fronk Olsen, Merrilee Boyack, and Sharon Larsen. We also got to eat lunch with the presenters Saturday afternoon before the second portion of the day started. So the perks of knowing someone in charge were great, but really, just being there in an auditorium filled with thousands of women all seeking the spirit was amazing. And being able to share that with my mom and one of my best friends made it even better.

I had been fasting and praying for weeks about a decision I have been struggling with, and Thursday night before we left, I got on my knees and acknowledged my acceptance of the Lord's will, but asked for confirmation to make sure I was making the right decision. I received an overwhelming confirmation on Friday afternoon, and as I sat and listened to Jenny Oaks Baker play beautiful, sweet, pure music that night, I wept realizing the amazing love God has for me, and how mindful he is of me. After such a longing for guidance, it was incredible to spend a weekend so filled with the spirit.