My Sweet Assurance

I have been so blessed to attend Time Out for Women twice this year.  What a great joy!  Talk about two days of greatness!  

This year the theme for the conference was "Sweet Assurance - the certainty that comes when you know life's truths."

As the meeting comes to a close they encourage us to go home and share our sweet assurances, the truths that we know, no matter what with those around us.  Tonight those around me are...  Well okay just me, so I thought I would share with you hope you don't mind.

My Sweet Assurances:

The Things I know, No Matter What.

•  I know that I am absolutely a daughter of my Heavenly Father who loves me more than I can comprehend.
• I know that He knows my name
• I know that there is something on this earth that only I can accomplish or that I have a divine mission
• I know that because my Father loves me so much He gives me trials that are helping me to remember who I have always been and who I will become
• I know that my Father can still see part of a little 8 year old girl who wanted so badly to be like Jesus, and even when I forget about her He sends me sweet reminders.
• I know that life is sometimes hard.... VERY HARD... and that there is a time to cry and a time to laugh, but as we go through each of those times our Savior is at our side, rejoicing at times and holding us while we cry at others.
• I know that eventually everything will turn out right, even if I can't see that right now.
• I know that I have learned far more about the plan of happiness, the atonement, and My Savior by going through my struggles and trials than I ever have from setting in church.
• I know that when I put my trust in the Lord He will not forsake me, even if I turn my back on him.
• I know that my Father can take my small and sometimes inadequate talents and gifts and multiply them into exactly what I need.
• I know that even if I have enough faith, if I go to the temple everyday (I wish), if I fast faithfully, even all that I possibly can there are somethings that the Lord will not take away or "healings" that will not happen.  
• I know that there are somethings that I am given that I absolutely can not handle on my own, for if I could I wouldn't need the atonement, but I know that with the Saviors help I can handle anything.  
• I know that the plan of happiness was not Plan B, but that it was the first choice, and there is nothing that is happening today that is not surprising to Father in Heaven, and that he sent me here because he knew I could handle it.
• I know that I am going to make it!   

How thankful I am to sweet people who take their time to share thier testimony's with me and who are unselfish enough to allow the spirit to be present in my life.  This year through time out I was able to see a few very direct affects of the atonement in my life as I witnessed several tender mercies that occoured while there.  My testimony was strengthened as my prayers were answered while attending TOFW in Phoenix in that a very dear sweet friend from my past whom I still love dearly but I have hurt very badly had the courage to do one of those hard things in life to stop and talk to me.   Thank you for creating a tender mercy in my life that day.  Bless you!  My prayers were again answered while attending in Salt Lake the spirit spoke to my heart and shared messages that I have been waiting for for a very long time.  I know that life will not always be wonderful and happy, but how thankful I am for the sweet assurances that I do have that will help me make it through those times of struggles.

The Girls

Time Out for Women in Phoenix

Dear Holly -

Dear Holly -

Posting this the night before your birthday because I don't want to miss it.  First and foremost ... Let me remind you.  I am a baby.  I am sitting here at my computer tonight crying.... Two reasons:  1 - Realizing that while last week in my moment of not wanting to live anymore (Thank you swine flu) I forgot to get your card & book (I know you are already dying to know what it is...) in the mail (remember last year it only took me until February), hoping you can forgive me and 2 - When I think about the ways you have blessed my life I can't help but cry. 

"ONE OF THE HARDEST THINGS IN LIFE IS HAVING WORDS IN YOUR HEART THAT YOU CAN'T UTTER"  

~ James Earl Jones

Remember the first time I showed up at your house.  I was there to do my duty as a sad scared little girl who didn't fit in anywhere posing as a visiting teacher.  I was amazed at all of the warmth that was inside the walls of your home - all the wonderful Disney everywhere, and your love of people.   I am pretty sure I didn't say more than two words at that meeting, but that was okay with you.  You still let me come back.  What was greater is the next time you opened your door as a true friend who could see beyond that tough "I'm okay" shell to see the broken heart that I liked to keep hidden.  You didn't ask a million questions or make me tell you my story, you just loved me.  What developed over the next three years has gone down in my book of "super fabulous" things in my life.  "Super Fabulous" are the Thatcher Family, the way that they have let me become part of thier family, the way they have opened up thier home and thier hearts, & "Super Fabulous" the people that they are, and "Super Fabulous" the way they leave you feeling. 

"People love others not for who they are,
but for how they make them feel."

~Irwin Federman.

And so my dear friend Holly.... Today I celebrate with you, even if it is from a million miles away.  Happy Birthday!  I hope this day is filled with the same "Super Fabulous" that you have filled my life with.  For all of the million and one things you do for me, I thank you.  May you have a little pie or cookies or what ever else you choose, (since you don't like cake)  and remember all those like me, whose world is a much better place because Holly Hansen Thatcher has touched it.    

"There are two important days in a woman's life-the day she is born and the day she finds out why."

~ Elaine Cannon

Missing you and wishing that Casper were a little closer tonight.  Celebrate!  You deserve it.

Love,

Bec