Live! From Women's Conference!

This post is coming to you live from Provo, Utah (where it snowed about 3 inches over night last night! What?! It's almost May!)  I just finished a wonderful and uplifting 2-day “Inspiration-Fest”. BYU Women's Conference never disappoints! I've missed being here so very much over the last few years. My “sister-from-another-mister” (we'll refer to her here in “blogdom” as Franny) and I had a fun-filled girl's road trip on the way here and are hoping to make this pilgrimage an annual tradition!

The Conference was fun, educational, and exhausting. Franny and I attended the Opening and Closing sessions together, but split up to attend our three individual choices of a variety of classes all being offered simultaneously each day. The classes were spread out all over campus so we did a lot of walking, including LOTS of stairs! I definitely got a work out this week!

The speakers' messages were always motivating and often entertaining. My favorite session was the very last class I attended. It was a panel of four sisters, two of which are bloggers that I follow. You can find their links right here on my blog (nienie and c.jane) and I highly recommend them! The sisters' comments were both funny and touching.

I've been very inspired by nienie (aka StephaNIE NIElsen) ever since I first heard her story. She was in a near-fatal single-engine plane crash a few years ago and was burned over 80% of her body. Stephanie is one of the most courageous and inspiring people I've ever known of. Even after many, many surgeries, her face is still disfigured, yet she bravely posts pictures of herself on her blog. Stephanie also continues to have such a positive attitude through all of her trials. She reminds me constantly to be grateful for what I have. Her faith in Jesus Christ and her testimony of the Gospel are so strong. It was such an honor to see and hear from her and her sisters in person.

One of the highlights of the Conference every year is the concert on Thursday night. This year the MC was Kirby Heyborne of “The RM” fame. He was very funny and sang a silly song about Sheri Dew. The entertainers included Hilary Weeks, Josh Wright, David Osmond, Jenny Oakes Baker, Vocal Point, Cheri Call, & April Messervy. It was amazing!

Friday's classes were book-ended by thought-provoking talks given by the Relief Society General President, Sister Julie B. Beck in the morning and one of our dear Apostles, Elder David A. Bednar at the closing session. I most definitely came away from the conference with my “spiritual pitcher” refilled!