Gospel and Doctrine Thoughts

Brother Bradbury rocks my world as a Gospel and Doctrine teacher!  I've had many teachers over my life time, and many of them are okay, a few are bad, and fewer still are WONDERFUL.  Brother Bradbury falls in that last category cause I click with what the dude says.  I mean click.  And lately, that's a great things cause I don't feel like I'm getting much out of my 3 hours of meetings I manage to drag myself to 2x a month (I'm trying to do better!!)  AND PS I say drag cause I'm still having a super hard time with the wrestle-maina with a 2 year old, shhhhh don't tell cause I know I'm a bad mom!

So anywho, yesterday, first Sunday of December was Fast & Testimony meeting which was super great until the end when it ran 20 minutes over and I had already used up my predetermined one hour and fifteen minutes of metered child patience (yes, I love the word super right now).  After dropping the girls off at class and heaving a HUGE sigh of relief for no more wrestling, I went to class (a place I had been running from cause I usually did Young Women's business in the halls during second hour).  Brother Bradbury was trying to cover 1st and 2nd Peter during a shortened class, and as you can imagine we only got through 1 Peter Chapters 1 & 2.  My moment of inspiration came when I read this:

1 Peter 1:3-9
"3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,
4 To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you,
5 Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.
6 Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations:
7 That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ:
8 Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory:
9 Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls."

Really great huh?  I still often think of trials as moments to endure, moments to stretch us, moments to make us grow.  I know I'm supposed to be grateful for these moments to improve and be better, but I cannot seriously explain the number of days and prayers I have used up in begging the Lord to simply give me a break from trials, from growing, from stretching.  Seriously, just like a one year period.  I usually just get a couple of months between disaster, so one year would be like manna to a starving wanderer.  But yesterday I was reminded that trials can be temptations.  A temptation to sin, to give up, or change who I want to be.  I'm reminded to carry on and rejoice in my blessings for the ability to even receive the trial and the ability to wake up every day and choose if I want to go on one more day.  And for that I'm truly grateful.  HOPE springs eternal.