A couple people brought me delicious homemade dinners that we were so grateful for.

But my visiting teacher (#backintheday) texted me and said: “Hey, cooking isn’t really my thing. But I’m gonna grab Cafe Rio for you guys! Text me what you and Kyle want and I’ll bring it by at 5!”

This blew my mind! Because I don’t really like cooking dinners either.

But I had used this as an excuse to not volunteer to bring people dinner.

Instead, she still volunteered. And then made it work within what she was comfortable with.

Her example has stuck with me.

There is SO much power in volunteering to help and serve. Isaiah is a great example of this – always willing to serve and sacrifice in the ways the Lord asked him too.

But isn’t it easy to NOT volunteer?

Because we aren’t TECHNICALLY saying, “no”. We just aren’t the one who is saying, “yes”.

Cooking isn’t my thing. I’m not great at watching kids. I can’t even clean my own house! I’ve got too many things going on with my family.

We say these excuses and then miss out on rich opportunities to serve and connect with others. We hold back on giving them blessings, and in return, we miss out on blessings of serving. We miss out on love.

Instead, my visiting teacher taught me that I can still acknowledge my preferences and weaknesses…

… but then I can come up with a creative way to still make it work.

I don’t like cooking… but I’ll buy you dinner.

I don’t enjoy cleaning… but I’ll watch your kids so you can have some peace.

I’m really busy with my family… but I’m going to bring my whole family to help you so that we can all still spend time together.

It’s so important to know how to say “no” when we need to, but are we getting a little too comfortable with avoiding saying “yes”?

Here am I! Send me.

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post “I don’t like to cook, but…” first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

We use this to comfort loved ones who have made mistakes and think there is no way back to Heavenly Father. Of course there is! He still loves you!

But do we sometimes think that we are the exception?

That there is no way that God could still love US after that big mistake that WE made?

Or, I think even more common, that there is no way that God could still love us after all the good little things we AREN’T doing?

It is easy for me to think about all the blessings that I have. I was born into the gospel, I have easy access to the scriptures, I’m the member of a kind ward who teaches with love, I have a beautiful family that is trying to be better every day.

I am SO blessed.

And yet I am SO imperfect. 

I have all of these rich opportunities, and yet I waste many of them. 

I could be doing so much better. 

And sometimes, it is hard to envision a loving Heavenly Father when I see how far I am from where I want to be. 

But in 2 Nephi Chapter 19, after listing all of the unrighteous things that people will do, we are reminded repeatedly that “his hand is stretched out still.”

His hand is stretched out still.

I take this pretty literally. I picture his hand reaching out to me when I go to sleep instead of reading my scriptures. I picture his hand reaching out to me when I am lazy. I picture his hand reaching out to me when I get frustrated with my child. 

I picture his hand reaching out to me ALWAYS. 

Whether it’s one big sin, or innumerable little shortcomings.

He loves us, and his hand is reaching out to us.

And every single time we reach out to grab his hand, he will lift us just a little bit higher. 

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post His hand is stretched out still first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

I might be working, or making lunch, or chatting with a friend. But there’s always a song in the back of my mind!

And if you spend any amount of time with my two-year-old, you’ll probably hear her sing before she says a word. In fact, she is currently singing “Last Christmas” while pounding on the piano right now. Yes, the weird Christmas pop song. In February.

Now, when I think of strength, I think of specific times throughout my day when I need an extra boost of support.

When my 4-week-old cries out at 3 am and I need strength to just open my eyes and prop myself up to feed him. When my 2-year-old needs me to help her zip up a purse that she has unzipped for the millionth time. When I just feel tired.

So when I say that Christ is my STRENGTH and my SONG, I immediately have two thoughts:

1. He is my strength. He is there in those special moments when I need him even more than usual.

I can call on him when I’m tired, when I’m frustrated, when my body is ready to give up. And he’ll give me the strength that I need to go on.

2. He is my song. He is always there in the back of my mind.

It doesn’t matter where I’m at or what I’m doing. My thoughts are always running on autopilot to direct everything back to my Savior.

And I can rejoice in him as much as I rejoice when I accomplish a physical feat or when I sing a beautiful piece of music.

He is my strength and my song!

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post My strength and my song first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

One of the memories that still stands out to me a year later from attending that devotional was Sister Nelson’s talk. 

She mentioned distinct witnesses she had received in the previous year since her husband had been called as the Prophet.

She talked about how President Nelson now gets up in the middle of the night quite often to record thoughts in a yellow notepad next to his bed.

And she even mentioned one specific morning when she felt impressed to wake up early, get out of bed, and do things around the house for a couple of hours, after which President Nelson emerged from their bedroom telling her that she wouldn’t believe what had been occurring in their room for the past two hours.

I thought about this a lot as I read Nephi testifying that he had seen his Redeemer. And that he knew Jacob had seen his Redeemer as well. And then he quotes Isaiah who speaks about seeing his Savior.

Christ does not hide himself from his prophets. 

I have felt the Spirit witness that this is true.

But I also know that Christ does not hide himself from any of us who truly seek him. 

Elder Bruce R. McConkie said in his final talk in April 1985: “In a coming day I shall feel the nail marks in his hands and in his feet and shall wet his feet with my tears. 

“But I shall not know any better then than I know now that he is God’s Almighty Son, that he is our Savior and Redeemer”. 

Do we KNOW who our Savior is, just like Isaiah, and Nephi, and Jacob, and our modern prophets? 

Would seeing our Savior today change our faith, or just solemnly confirm what we already know?

Isaiah, as complicated as his writings can be, always centered his prophecies around CHRIST. 

What a pure reminder of our most important priority. Not serving in a calling, not having perfect church attendance, not staying up on Come Follow Me.  

But KNOWING who our Savior is. Recognizing his love. Praising him for his miracles. And then continuing to know that we know him. 

And when we are able to find that knowledge here, in this messy mortal state, imagine the joy that the reunion will bring in the next life! 

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post Knowing our Savior NOW first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

Nephi quotes Isaiah in 2 Nephi Chapter 12 as he extensively narrates how pride will be the downfall of many.

“But I don’t think I’m better than other people. Trust me, I’m not prideful.”

Luckily, President Benson gave us one of the most iconic talks (“Beware of Pride”) filled with common but misunderstood examples of pride – all of which separate ourselves from God or from our fellow men.

• Pride from the bottom looking up: “Yeah, they are loaded. They’ll be fine.”
• Fault-finding: “Did you hear what the Bishop’s wife did?”
• Living beyond our means: “We need to buy this house so people will know we are successful.”
• Withholding praise that might lift another: “Yeah, she did great, but I’m sure she already knows and I don’t want HER to feel prideful.”
• Being jealous: “How does she always look so good? I’m not as put together.”
• Disobedience: “They shouldn’t be ‘above’ me so I’m not going to follow what they say.”
• Contention: “I am right, you are wrong, so I am better than you.”
• Dependence upon the world to tell them whether they have value or not: “I don’t believe I have intrinsic value, so I wait for other people’s judgments to build me up.”
• Personal Competition: “If you succeed, I fail.”

Whew. Some of those sting a little to read and think about.

Pride is referred to as the “universal sin” for a reason. I think we’ve all learned how to separate ourselves from God and others as a coping mechanism to avoid other uncomfortable feelings.

Sometimes, we are going to be disappointed. We are going to lose. We are going to see someone get something before we do. We will disagree with people.

And I think it’s a lifelong learning process to figure out how to go through life as a human without separating ourselves from the people around us and from God.

But it’s worth that constant refinement! It’s worth it to weed out each little manifestation of pride as soon as we recognize it, so that we can grow closer in love to our fellow men and closer to our all-loving at God.

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post What is pride… really? first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

To be rich.

To be successful in the eyes of the world.

None of these are bad! In fact, they can be fantastic. Huge blessings and opportunities for growth.

Buuuuut they also start to open the door wider and wider to PRIDE.

When we are smart, we know the answers to many things and build authority. We are given accolades or offered jobs based off of our knowledge and experience, thus elevating ourselves above others.

The same thing can happen with riches and fame.

It becomes a lot harder to feel that desperate reliance on the Lord, because it seems like we are actually doing pretty well for ourselves on our own.

You start to forget where those blessings came from – the opportunities to learn, to make a living, to provide positive influence.

And who the source of all knowledge, wealth, and power truly is.

And that’s why we see the famous caveat:

IF they hearken unto the counsels of God.

I LOVE learning. It’s a trait I’ve had my whole life, and has led me to be an educator in many different areas.

So for me, I have to be careful. Is my education and success something that draws me closer to my Father in Heaven?

Or do they elevate me above the people around me, resulting in pride and separation from my dependence on God?

Education, riches, and fame may or may not be your sources of pride right now. But what is it? What is that source of separation from God?

It can still be a good thing in your life! Just add the caveat: IF I hearken unto the counsel of God.

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post To be learned is good! first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

I picture the wildernesses in my heart. They are things that I have neglected that have then grown out of control.

They are my vices that I have left unchecked for too long.

They are the things that add craziness to my life that I don’t ever stop to get rid of.

Then I picture my deserts. They are the dry and barren areas in my life that are longing for water that is not there.

They are my missed opportunities to connect with heaven.

They are my failing habits that I forget should actually be getting the most attention.

We know that the Lord promises to comfort us.

But isn’t it sometimes difficult to see where that comfort is in our lives?

Where is He? Where is His comfort?

He says that He will make our wilderness like Eden. And our desert like the garden of the Lord.

He comforts us by helping to prune back the areas of our life that we have left unchecked, changing wildernesses into pristine gardens such as Eden.

His comfort is found when it is a little easier to let go of a bad habit than I anticipated.

His comfort is found when I have more clarity on what needs to be cut out of my life.

And then He comforts us by providing the everlasting water needed to turn our deserts into flourishing gardens.

His comfort is found when I make a minuscule effort to connect with God and I receive an abundance of His spirit in return.

His comfort is found when I try to start up a good habit again and feel that motivation to continue.

The Lord has promised to comfort us and He always is! But sometimes we have to find new ways to look for His comfort. He helps to weed and prune away what should be gone, and gives us nourishment to help our godly connections grow.

Happy Studying!

– Cali Black

The post My wilderness and my desert first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

There have been tons of theories as to how things will exactly play out in the next life, but Jacob reminds us in his sermon in Chapter 9 that, “they who are righteous shall be righteous still, and they who are filthy shall be filthy still.” (v16)

In other words: A change in circumstances won’t magically change our hearts.

How many times have I fallen for that trap, though?

I’ll be better at reading my scriptures once it’s fall break.
I’ll be a better ministering sister once I’ve got my own life under control.
I’ll attend the temple more once my kids are older.

Now, I totally agree that there are “seasons of life” where some things will be easier for us than others. However, when we are always waiting for the proverbial grass to be greener in order to change our habits, I think we miss out on having a mighty change of heart and the sacred personal growth that comes with it.

So what have we been putting off? What can we tackle today in order to align our wills even more closely with God’s?

What text can we send TODAY?
What conversation can we have TODAY?
What small habit can we start TODAY?

Changing our hearts is a lifelong process, no matter how long we are given on this earth.

Because when we pass to the next phase, our heart is all we will be able to take with us.

So let’s stop falling for the trap that repentance and change will be easier when…

And let’s make some little changes today! And tomorrow. And the next day.

So that when we meet our Maker, we can present Him with the purest heart that we could create.

Artwork by Kero.

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post Changing our hearts NOW first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

Because immediately, I think of all the things I’m not doing right.

“I can’t ask for comfort because I should be a better mom who knows how to calm down her child.”

“I can’t ask for comfort because this really isn’t that bad of a situation and I should know how to make it better.”

“I can’t ask for comfort because I don’t even know why I’m upset or sad! These changing hormones are getting to me.”

And yet – I KNOW my Heavenly Father wants to comfort me when I am sad and overwhelmed. With no prerequisite of perfection, or even righteousness.

But I do have to ask.

And when I overcome my pride and offer a meager or desperate prayer asking for comfort –

He comforts me immediately.

I feel love. My burden feels a little bit lighter. My perspective is widened.

The Lord promises that our “sorrow and mourning shall flee away”.

Do we TRUST that the Lord can actually comfort us in our trials?

Do we know that asking for comfort is never selfish or frivolous?

Do we remember to call upon His name in the moment that we need His comfort?

Even more than our spouse or a good friend, our Heavenly Father knows that sometimes we don’t need answers. Or correction. Or direction.

Sometimes, we just need to be comforted by the One who knows our experiences and emotions perfectly.

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post Comfort is not selfish first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

Which wouldn’t be a big deal because I had studied music my whole life, and this class was extremely easy music theory.

The professor started the class by saying, “Alright, the test scores from your exam in the testing center last week were pretty good!”

My heart sank.

I hadn’t taken any test. I had missed one of three exams that my class grade would be based on.

At the end of the lecture class, I sheepishly walked up to his podium.

I took full responsibility for my mistake and asked him if there was anything I could do for even partial credit.

He looked at me and said, “My office hours are from 1-3 tomorrow afternoon. If you can be there, you can take the test in my office.”

I was so gracious and took the test in his office the following day.

When I checked my score online a few days later, I saw that I had received 100% on the exam.

I was go grateful for my professor’s GRACE in allowing me to take an exam after the testing period has closed, something that was completely my fault.

But I was also grateful for his JUSTICE in scoring the exam, where I was given full credit for every question that I got correct.

I noticed that in 2 Nephi Chapter 9, Jacob praises God for His “mercy and grace” (v8) AND says, “O the greatness and the justice of our God!” (v17)

We praise God for offering us His MERCY when we don’t do what we are supposed to, and feel full sorrow for it.

We praise God for offering us JUSTICE when we are actually doing our best, giving us credit for our intentional good deeds (or intentional bad deeds).

Both justice and mercy are the kindest things that our God can offer us, and only He is the perfect example of knowing when to extend each gift.

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post Great mercy and great justice first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.