Trials: Hard to live with them but you can't live without them.

Where do I even begin? The past 5 months since my last post have been filled with the comings and goings of everyday life and I've loved every minute of it. It's funny, I'll get on my blog and check every one else's posts and get frustrated when it's been several days/weeks/months since some people last posted and then I look at the date at the top of my page...oops. I won't try and re-cap the last 5 months because that wouldn't be very much fun for me or for anyone who may actually read this blog. So I'll just start with what's going on right now.

I'm still working at a daycare in Lehi and I honestly do love my job. Believe it or not, my job really pushes me and challenges me everyday and I really have to work to stay on top of things. I have a really good relationship with my boss and other co-workers. Not every one can say that so I consider myself really lucky to call my co-workers my friends. The kids are so awesome and they teach me so much. Sure, they drive me absolutely insane some days but for the most part I just love to be around them and watch them grow and learn about things around them. I'm grateful to be even a small part of their lives and I try my best be a positive influence.

I love my apartment and the roommates I have now. We all get along so well and I have really come to love and appreciate each one of them. They have blessed my life in ways they will never know. Kimmy is so amazing and I learn so much from her. She's taught me how to not sweat the small things and how to look at the world in other points of view. I've always been kind of closed minded but Kimmy has helped me open my eyes to other things. I've always been so impressed with her knowledge of so many things. I can always count on having a good conversation with Kimmy. Lisa is so easy to relate to. I feel like we are a lot alike in so many ways. She's so kind and sweet and would do anything for just about anyone. I've been impressed by how hard working she is. She will go above and beyond the call of duty and doesn't do anything less than 100% and I love that she is a perfectionist, like me. Jessica is just so fun. I can always count on Jessica to go and do something completely random and crazy and not even think twice about it. She knows how weird I am and she's still my friend so that counts for a lot. Although she likes to have fun she's also one of the most responsible people I've ever met. She has learned how to have a good balance in her life between school, work, friends, church and other things she's involved with. There is so much I can learn from her in that area of my life.

The past couple of weeks I've thought a lot about trials. The last couple of lessons I've taught in Relief Society have been about Agency and the Fall of Adam and Eve. So much about those lessons were centered around decisions and trials in life. We wanted the chance to choose for ourselves and we wanted to prove to our Father in Heaven that we would remember him. Now sometimes I'm not always the best at remembering and doing all of the things I know I'm supposed to do and sometimes I'm just down right lazy and complacent. Sometimes I'm too prideful to acknowledge my Father in Heaven and my Savior. That is why God gives me trials. He does it to humble me, to remind me of my unworthiness and to remind me that I am nothing without Him. Now I'm certain that not all trials in my life were sent my way to bring me to repentance but rather to give me an opportunity to learn and grow in ways I otherwise wouldn't. Now, I'm not a huge fan of going through trials but I've realized more so in the last couple of weeks that trials really are a blessing in my life. I am a different person today than I was several years ago because of certain hardships in my life. It is through trials that my faith is increased, my testimony of the Savior and the role he plays in my life is reaffirmed and becomes more solid than it was before. I honestly don't know what I would do without the gospel in my life. In a world full of wickedness, confusion and turmoil it is the gospel that brings peace into my life and oh sweet is that peace the gospel brings!