Time Out For Girls

Here is the long awaited post! Last weekend I had the opportunity to attend TOFG. For those of you who don't know what that is, it is an even put on by Deseret Book. It is a partner with Time Out For Women where motivational speakers, and singers come and speak. {for more information CLICK HERE}



Danielle, Me, Carmen Rasmussen, Lauren, Lexi





Danielle, Me, My mom, Sandra Turley, Lauren, Lexi, Lauren & Lexi's mom

We got to hear from some incredible and inspiring people…So inspiring that I took a total of 33 pages of notes. (Why is it that notes are so much more fun to take when you aren't going to be tested on it?) We heard from Carmen Rasmusen, Sandra Turley, Mercy River, John Bytheway, Brad Wilcox, John Hilton the third, and Laurel Christensen.

Carmen Rasmussen

Carmen Rasmussen took 6th place on season 2 of American Idol, and also appeared on Fear Factor. She is an author, and a singer/songwriter. She was the person I was most excited about hearing from, since I have had her music on my iPod for quite some time now. Little did I know she has an incredible story that changed my perspective of her. Her story was a HUGE inspiration to me. I am still in awe in how she tackled the media, and managed to keep to her standards. Through Idol she had many experiences where she had to stick up for her standards. She shared what we believed with the other contestants, and in the end gave up the glamorous dream of a singer, to live an even more glamorous life, as a wife and mother. After Idol she was signed with Big Machine Records. Sound familiar? That is the same record label that the ever so popular Taylor Swift is signed to. Carmen and Taylor were both trying to make their mark as a singer at the same time, doing just about the exact thing. At just about the same time Taylor released Tim McGraw, Carmen found the person she wanted to marry. Her record label told her that if she got married her carrier as a singer may be over. She exchanged promise rings with her husband that said "someday Forever" and said she would marry him, just not right now since her carrier was taking off. About a week later she decided she couldn't wait and she had to get married. After she was married she would go on tour promoting her music during the week, then go see her husband on the weekends. After a while she felt a distinct impression that she should have kids. Everyone told her that if she had kids it would for sure ruin her career. But she wanted kids. What she said really stuck out to me, she said: "All those people who said you won't make it if you get married and have kids...They were right....I never released another single again." She told us that one day she was cleaning oatmeal off her son’s highchair and thought, so this is what I chose?" One day she turned on the T.V. while holding her boys to see an image of Taylor Swift with her arms full of awards and she thought 
"I would so much rather be sitting here holding my two boys then holding those awards."
Carmen is a huge inspiration to me. She helped me realize that I can live my dreams, yet still keep my standards. One of my favorite things that Carmen said was "there is a true beauty that can't be taken away when you take off your makeup." Then she took off all of her makeup while she was on stage. She sang the song Beautiful to Him and some of my favorite lines in that song are "it comes from within I want to be beautiful to him." and "It's not a worldly climb, it's all about his design." This taught me that appearance doesn't matter, and it's what happens inside of us that counts.

                               Sandra Turley

Sandra Turley's bio on the Time Out For Girls website says; "Professional actor and singer; role of Cosette in Les Miserables on Broadway in New York City" Sandra was AMAZING! She was one of the best singers I have ever heard. She was super nice too. We got to meet her during one of our breaks. She asked us if we were all related {we weren’t sure how to answer that question since we call ourselves cousins, but aren’t really} we told her we weren’t really related and Lauren said “those two are the same age, and Whitney and I are the same age.” She looked at us for a second and said “you two are the same age? How old are you?” I told her I was 16 and she is like “you’re tiny! Are you a gymnast?” I told her I was and then she asked me how good I was. Everyone else replied with “she is awesome!” Then she asked if I was going to go to the Olympics in 4 years. I laughed. She asked me my name and where I was from, then after I told her she said “Short Whitney from Layton…I will remember that if I ever see you on T.V.” I thought it was nice how she made an effort to get to know me and cared about what I do. One of my favorite things Sandra said was "Seek to be worth knowing, rather than to be well known." Our goal shouldn't be to be the most popular, but to be the best person for the people in our lives.

       Brad Wilcox
Brad Wilcox was an amazing speaker as well as a teacher. He taught us the entire quorum of the 12 & first
presidency in order of seniority. I dare anyone to ask me to recite them all the next time I see you. He said "If you say you've never felt the spirit you are like a fish. A fish doesn't notice the water until it is out of the water. We have all heard the saying "the spirit of God is like the fire is burning"  well most of the time "the spirit of God is like the furnace is working." You don't wall in your house and think "oh the furnace is on" but you surely notice when it's not. The spirit is the same way. You may not always notice the spirit, but you will feel it leave if it does." He told us to find a hero. He told us to look for heroes like Laura, Carmen, and Sandra, not the people in the media that the world wants us to choose as heroes. He said that "self-esteem is not something you came to earth to get, it is something we need to stop letting the world take away." Don't let the world defile you.






                                                                       Mercy River

 Mercy River was only with Time Out For Girls for the first day, because they were with the women for the second day, so we didn't get to hear a ton from them. I get to see Mercy River every year at Cherry Hill and I always love them! One of my favorite quotes from the whole event was said by Mercy River. They said:       

            "You must do

 everything           

you can to make yourself look pleasing,    

                         but when you walk out of that door 

you must forget yourself." 

                                              

                                          John Hilton {the third} 

John Hilton talked about the warning signs of life. Life gives us warning signs that are right infront of our faces, all we half to do is read them and obey. He told us to Respect the Respect. He said that boys want to respect you but they don't always know how to do it, and we must help them. He said that when we are walking towards a door we should just assume the boy will open it for us, he will open it. It's not like you will get to the door and stare at it thinking "what should I do?!?" He told us to assume he will open the car door for you. If he starts to walk away tie your shoe, or fiddle with something in your purse to make it look like you haven't noticed he hasn't opened your door. He will eventually notice you aren't with him, and come running back to open your door. And my favorite....when he pulls out his chair at a restaurant sit in it as fast as you can then say "thank you so much! You are such a gentleman!" He told us to live the standards. He said that "if you break the rules, the rules will break you." He gave us a challenge to dare not to compare ourselves to others. And to never look sideways, always look Heavenwards"

           

   Laurel Christensen

Laurel was like the host of the weekend. She introduced the speakers, and spoke to us a little bit through the event. I don't really have anything written down from her, but I remember she was a great example of how we should live our lives.

 

 

 

                          John Bytheway 

We didn't know he was going to be speaking to us until we got their because he wasn't on the list of speakers online. I have heard him many times before, and he is one of my favorite speakers, so I was so excited when I found out he was speaking. He talked about snooze buttons and how they are built in procrastination devices. He asked us what a spiritual alarm sounds like. If you aren't listening, you may not hear it at all. It is possible to awake, but not arise. He told us that we are the light of the world, and we must hold up our light. Our light is spiritual attractiveness, it can not be painted on. It is deep beauty. He talked about how God is always about freedom, and Satin is always about bondage. John Bytheway is a fun speaker and I am so glad he came and spoke to us.

 

 

I had so much fun with the Daniel girls on this weekend. From running to Subway, to praying that the elevator wouldn't break while we were in it, there was never a dull moment. I had a blast! Thanks for finally buying your tickets, and we will half to do it again next year!

 

 

Feel my Sunlight