Time Out for Women

Me with DeAnne Flynn, Emily Freeman and Kim Garner

Me with Kenneth Cope

Me with Michael McLean

I had the great opportunity of being on the Time Out for Women team this year in Columbia. It started with me going to pick up Michael McLean, Mark Mabry, DeAnne Flynn and Emily Freeman from the Columbia Airport. I went the day ahead just to make sure I knew the best way from the Airport to the Hilton Hotel and then to the Convention Center where the event would take place. I didn't want to use my GPS since I was suppose to be familiar with the Columbia area. My sweet husband detailed my van so that it would be presentable for my important passengers. It looked like a new van. So the day came and I left my house in plenty time just in case I ran into traffic or thunderstorms which were predicted for the afternoon. (As I took my children and cousins (Whetstone children) home from school I told the kids to pray that the rain would not come this afternoon. One of them (Hunter) told me that Heavenly Father lets it rain so that the flowers and trees can have water and live. I told Hunter then to please pray that Heavenly Father would delay the rain just for a couple of hours while I drive to the airport. They all agreed.) Anyway, I arrived to the airport in plenty of time and introduced myself to everyone. We began loading the luggage into the van and I noticed that someone had already jumped into the front seat. It was Michael McLean. The rest of us pilled in and then found out that Mark Mabry's (the wonderful photographer of "The Reflections of Christ") plane had been delayed. We waited but this delayed us getting Michael McLean to his sound check. We almost made it there with only one turn left (no traffic, no rain and no wrong turns) when up ahead I noticed the some baracades . . . yes I forgot about USC's graduation. I quickly made a couple of turns and even did a three-point turn in the middle of the street but we finally made it.

The whole conference was wonderful. Two new books that I would definitely recommend is "The Time-Starved Family" by DeAnne Flynn and "21 Days Closer to Christ" by Emily Freeman. These ladies became true friends and spiritual heroes during those two days. As I was driving them to the airport the thought came to me that I could easily take these great people hostage and keep them all to myself to answer all of the questions I had for each of them but then I could just see the newspapers "LDS lady takes Time Out for Women presenters hostage." I was also able to reunite with Kenneth Cope after first meeting him 20 years ago at a young adult fireside in Charlotte. A good friend of mine was one of his mission companions and invited him to come out. He was another highlight of the conference. I left Saturday afternoon with a renewed vision to be a better wife, better mom and daughter of god. Well, it only took 24 hours for that vision to have some "commercials" in it but I am still trying.