I love sabbath days. I've been sitting here debating whether or not I should go practice piano for a few hours, which I believe is a great sabbath day activity, or just to relax and get some reading and writing done. So once I finish I might have a little bit of time to go pound some keys for a while.
My beautiful sister Catie is staying with me this month in Boston and we are having a ton of fun together. She is so cute, charitable, fun, and positive about everything. I've just loved having her here. The other day she told me, (and continues to tell me), "Carly you are so lucky, you get everything you want! The Lord seriously blesses you with everything!...." she proceeded to then go on and on about all the blessings she has observed me having... she's a doll. So now whenever anything good happens, she's always like SEEE!!!! When bad things happen.... she doesn't notice. Now that's the way to be! I've thought a lot about it though and have been trying to figure out how on earth I have been so blessed and so "lucky" with wonderful opportunities and blessings.. for example..
I get to live in Boston and enjoy all the perks to living in a fun city, I'm graduating in August from Berklee College of Music with a degree in Music Education- and have been blessed with incredible music instructors and friends, I'm surrounded by cultures and people and music and a very enriching environment at Berklee and in the city, I get to start teaching music full time in the fall at a charter school in Cambridge (couldn't be more happy or excited about the opportunity), I recently purchased a car (finally!!), I get to live close to a temple and now have a car so I can go more often!, the singles wards here are full of friends who have blessed my life, I've had the opportunity this summer to work as an assistant for a family in Cambridge and am becoming close friends with them, and I get to move in September to a house in Watertown that is in the perfect location and will have wonderful LDS roommates.
When I think about these blessings and many more, I'm filled with so much gratitude towards my Heavenly Father. I know that they are all from him and that with opportunity comes great expectations. I understand that the gifts and blessings I've been given are for me to master and share with others. It is seriously the most exciting thing and scariest thing ever. I want to do my best and don't want to let the Lord down.
I do have a reason for the title of my post. I know that it has been through consistant, careful, sincere, and honest prayer that a lot of these blessings have come about. I struggled for a long time to know what it was exactly that my Heavenly Father would have me do once I finished school. I just couldn't comprehend not being a student (or a missionary) and not having things laid out in front of me. The Lord lead me to realize that I must make my own decision, move forward, and trust that he will show me the rest of the way. (Did I mention that I didn't even decide to move back to Boston until last December??) This is exactly what he has done and continues to do as I walk by faith.
As Catie said, the Lord seriously does bless me, and I know that he will continue to bless each of us as we align our will and plan with His. I don't like it when people say to forget about what you want or your own will, because that isn't true. If what you want is good and uplifting then God will want the same. I just love the Lord and I love that He hears every word, every thought, and is eager to bless us with the blessings we are seeking.
Hopefully these words will touch someone today.
With love- Carly Jo
