It was time for our annual TOFW trip and this time we were able to have Laura and Denise come.
Mom and I were super excited!
We stayed at the Residence Inn near the airport in Covington, KY.
They upgraded us into a suite!
There were two bedrooms in our room and then there was a sitting area and kitchen. It was so nice!
Mom and I
Just us girls
Kristin Van Duren and Karen Benner
Heather Voyles and Aubrey Jastal
Maggie Kimberly and Martha Pilbeam
Judy Buck and Lani Roehl
Walking to the Convention Center
This is where we would attend TOFW
It has been a life long dream to see Michael Mclean perform in person. He sang "Hold On" which took me back to a very dark time in my life when I was feeling no hope in my life. Darkness had completely taken over. His songs and especially this one helped me to begin believing that there was hope in this life for happiness. It was magical!
Jason Wright is author of "The Wednesday Letters" and "The Christmas Jar"
Jason reminded us the little moments are the big moments! The Lord will want to know what we did for the one. Look around every day for the moments to bless another's life.
Mariama Kallon shared with us her experience as a former refugee in Sierra Leon and bore her testimony of knowing that God lives ♥
Mariama reminded us "She who is too busy to pray is busier than the Lord wants us to be." The happiest people lose themselves in the service of others. We must desire a friendship with our Heavenly Father above everything else. We will be as close to our Heavenly Father as we desire. Hearing her experience is something you will not soon forget.
Jason is very funny! We enjoyed his humor greatly!
Jason Wright and Laura
Michael McLean signs Karen's Forgotten Carols CD
Karen gets a squeeze
Michael was so awesome! He took time with each and every person hearing their stories and sharing some of his own
"You have to get sick and tired of being sick and tired many times before you will change your ways."
Laura talks to him about how much she loves "Distant Serenade", but she had lost it. Michael offers to send her another copy.
Michael writes down his email address
Hugs for Laura
Michael McLean and Laura
Jason started referring to me as "Hey Paparazzi" and jokingly threatened to take my camera
Autographs
Mercy River..Brooke Stone, Soni Muller, and Whitney Permann sing for us
Dean Hughes is the author of Children of the Promise and Hearts of the Children.
Dean spoke to us about meekness, humility and submissiveness. He encouraged us when we were about to lose our patience or say things we shouldn't to remind ourselves "This is one of those times" and ask ourselves "Is this who I want to be?..." Doing this will call to our minds what we really believe in and who we want to be. Life is not a contest! The Lord wants to know who we are and who we have become...not our worldly statuses. Change happens when we keep what we believe first and foremost in our minds.
Deanne Flynn author of "The Time-Starved Family" and "The Mother's Mite
Brad Wilcox is an associate professor in the department of Teacher Education at BYU
Wendy Ulrich was a psychologist and is the founder of Sixteen Stones Center for Growth offering seminar retreats on forgiveness, abundant life, loss, spirituality, and personal growth
Wendy taught us how to be happier. 1. Stop worrying about your weaknesses (Build on your strengths and regonize your gifts) 2. Don't try to get motivated to exercise...Motivation follows action. Just do it! 3. Stop trying to find fri...ends...Instead be a friend. 4. Don't try to feel happy...feel grateful! 5. Celebrate failure. "Failure often means we are taking the necessary risks to grow, stretch and serve." 6. Don't get professional help with your problems...instead go help another (Random acts of kindness) 7. Don't endure to the end! "Life is to be enjoyed, not just endured!"
Thank you Time Out For Womenn for another amazing year!
Brad Wilcox spoke to us about perfection. He read a quote by C.S. Lewis on perfection and reminded us that the whole reason we came to earth was to become like our Heavenly Father. God's love is manifest in us realizing His power to help... us reach those expectations. He asked us if we had been saved by grace? He then asked a more poignat question "Have you been changed by grace?" He bore a powerful testimony of our Heavenly Father's love for us and reminded us that God does not love us because we are perfect, but because He is perfect.
Deanne Flynn is one of my favorites. I have met her at other TOFW and always enjoy the messages she shares. We were encouraged to come to TOFW with a question or a problem that we wanted an answer to. I recently have been struggling with... feeling so much anger and bitterness toward my family when I am cleaning. I knew that it was something that I could change, but I wasn't sure how I could change my attitude about it. Deanne taught us "It is the littlest things that make the biggest difference in our families." She spoke of the story in Mark 12:45 of the Widow's Mite. Small acts of kindness cause some of the greatest memories. If we endeavor to enjoy and embrace the little moments we will recognize that it is those moments that will become the most meaningful. A mother's mite and recognizing it's value can help me keep from feeling anger when I am serving and caring for my family. How can we make our family's life better? We need to become AWARE...become LESS COMPLICATED...set the mood in our homes. If we treat people like they are we make them worse. If we treat them as they could be, we open up doors and endless possibilities.
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