Time Out For Women

On Saturday I attended, Time Out For Women, and had such a great spiritual boost. It truly is amazing how a full day of up-lifting talks can boost one's desire to be better. I had a great time spending the day with friends. I came away with a greater knowledge, or remembrance, that we can do nothing on our own. To me, it strengthened the importance of having Christ in our lives, and that true peace and happiness come only through him. We had some wonderful speakers and musical artists. I jotted down some of the points that I wanted to remember from the day.

Emily Watts: Her talk was on Mother Guilt

The Mother is the core, and needs to be strengthened. She sets the tone in the home. Emily asked the question, "Do you feel guilty about things you can't control?" Often times, Mothers, think that they should control every situation, and when they can't, they feel confused and guilty. We then try to find reasons why we lost control, instead of finding solutions. We can't control every situation, but what we can control is our own reactions and the way we live. The more right things that we bring into our lives, the more control we have. "The gospel of Jesus Christ is not insurance against pain, it is a resource in the event of pain." We need to be better at dealing with things, so we don't explode last minute. And instead of judging situations, we should ask, "How can I help?" instead.

Camille Fronk Olson: Her talk was on Joy

When we recognize that we are nothing without the Lord, we then need to fill that void with God. God gave us weakness so that we may be humble. Ask God to help us recognize his love for us. "We all lack, but, we can always have fulfillment and a fullness of joy in the Lord if we let go and ask for his strength." We can be made whole!

Elia Gourgouris: More Joyful Relationships

A good relationship is made of:

Trust - It's made when we keep our promises.

Communication - the need to be understood. When we feel understood, we feel loved. We need to listen with the 3rd ear (the Spirit).

Forgiveness - Lack of it, hardens the heart.

Gandhi said, "Forgiveness is for the brave" Elia referred to the book, "5 Languages of Love." We need to love someone the way they need to be loved. Educate ourselves on how to connect with those we love. Christ showed us all love languages. Maybe we should remember to ask what we can do for the Lord, instead of always taking and asking Him for things.

Mary Ellen Edmunds: Work to be an expert of Peace

Peace is the critical element of joy. Satan tries to beat us down. He wants us to be annoyed and impatient with each other. In situations when we don't feel peace, we need to Pause, Count, and Find Out the entire situation before reacting. Peace is for the Peacemaker, Mercy is for the Merciful, and, Kindness is for the Kind.