A holy place, to me, is a place where I feel closer to God. ⁣

It is different than the ordinary. It is special. ⁣

⁣Unique. ⁣

And when I think of holy places, there usually is something different that I do with my outward appearance in order to reflect the holiness that I feel.⁣

⁣One of my favorite parts of learning about Moses seeing the burning bush is one of the first things that the Lord says to him:⁣

⁣“And he said, Draw not nigh hither: put off thy shoes from off thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground.” (Exodus 3:5)⁣

⁣Moses was asked to make a change, a symbolic change, to reflect how his heart felt about entering a holy place. ⁣

⁣My church building is a holy place to me, a place where I partake of the sacrament and renew powerful covenants. ⁣

And so I dress a little nicer than I do the rest of the week.⁣

⁣When I attend the temple, I also dress nicer as I enter, and I prepare for more opportunities to make my outward appearance reflect the uniqueness of the temple spirit. ⁣

⁣I know that God is with me in the casual moments, in the messy house and the undone hair and the random sprinkles of shredded cheese that somehow always make it on the floor. (Anyone else?!) ⁣

⁣But I also love being able to take opportunities to show God that I am willing to make an effort to show my gratitude for the holy grounds that I am able to walk on.⁣⁣

What is one way you show God gratitude for your holy places?

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post  Holy places  first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

I almost always get a carton of eggs during our weekly shopping trip.

It’s a staple in our household for baking, scrambled eggs, and breakfast sandwiches.

So when the egg prices started to climb last year, I was shocked each time I added them to my cart.

So expensive!

And then, one week, there were no eggs available.

None.

“No big deal,” I thought. “We can do without eggs this week.”

But then, the next week, there weren’t any eggs either.

And still again, the next week, there weren’t any.

Finally, on my next shopping trip, I found the shelves filled with eggs again!

As I put a carton in my cart, my heart filled with gratitude.

I don’t think I have ever been grateful for eggs before…

But having to wait such a long time allowed my heart to feel that dependence on and gratitude for the Lord for such a simple blessing as eggs.

The Israelites had suffered for a long time.

So when they saw Moses and Aaron’s signs and heard their testimony that they had been sent from God to free them,⁣

“The people believed: and when they heard that the Lord had visited the children of Israel, and that he had looked upon their affliction, then they bowed their heads and worshipped.” (Exodus 4:31)

When I have to wait for a blessing for a long time, my gratitude increases exponentially. ⁣

Maybe that’s why the Lord likes to let us wait sometimes.

He knows that our hearts need the training.

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post Grateful for eggs first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

I was of absolutely no use that day, since I had recently found out I was pregnant with our first, and I was beyond sick. ⁣⁣⁣⁣

But my husband was doing great! ⁣⁣⁣⁣

My heart sank as I looked at our completely empty apartment, though. ⁣⁣⁣⁣

Because even though our stuff was all gone, there was so much CLEANING that still had to happen before we handed the keys back to management the next day. ⁣⁣⁣

And my husband’s grad school schedule meant the cleaning would all fall to me. ⁣⁣⁣⁣

Even though I was so sick and so tired. ⁣⁣⁣⁣

I remember my husband suggesting we just give the apartment back as it was, willingly forfeiting our deposit. ⁣⁣⁣⁣

But it was a huge deposit, and I wanted to get that money back. ⁣⁣⁣⁣

I prayed that night that I would feel well enough to clean. ⁣⁣⁣⁣

That next morning, I woke up to a text from a lady in our ward that we were leaving:⁣⁣⁣⁣

“Hey Cali! I heard you are feeling really sick! My family wants to come clean your apartment today so that you don’t have to. We’ll bring all our own cleaning supplies and make sure it’s super clean. You just rest and relax today!”⁣⁣⁣

I never set foot in that apartment again, and a month later, we got our full deposit back. ⁣⁣⁣⁣

I’ve thought a lot about this lady’s ridiculously kind offer, her teenage kids that probably weren’t super happy to learn about their family activity that evening, and her charitable heart that acted immediately after hearing a need. ⁣⁣⁣⁣

I also have thought about how the Lord COULD have given me strength to clean my apartment. He could have caused my sickness to subside. ⁣⁣⁣⁣

But instead he gave this family a chance to serve and to act. ⁣⁣⁣⁣

“We will surely be blessed with opportunities to be instruments in His hands”. -Elder Ulisses Soares ⁣⁣⁣⁣

It’s a blessing to be able to do what the Lord would do. ⁣⁣⁣⁣

He could make it all happen on His own, without any of us helping.⁣⁣⁣⁣

But He generously gives us the blessing of being able to act in His behalf. ⁣⁣⁣

Moses got this blessing, too. ⁣⁣

There were many ways the Israelites could have been freed. ⁣Yet the Lord was kind enough to let Moses lead.

“Come now therefore, and I will send thee unto Pharaoh, that thou mayest bring forth my people the children of Israel out of Egypt.” —Exodus 3:10

How could the Lord be calling to you to invite you to be part of His work as a massive blessing to you right now?

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post The apartment cleaning deposit first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

I mean, they kept growing and multiplying, and who knew what would happen next?! ⁣

And so what did this king do? ⁣

“He said unto his people, Behold, the people of the children of Israel are more and mightier than we: Come on, let us deal wisely with them… Therefore they did set over them taskmasters to afflict them with their burdens.” (Exodus 1:9-11)⁣

The pharaoh was literally so afraid about the hypothetical military power this group of people could have in the future, that he did everything he could do to keep them oppressed. ⁣

Do you know what I can’t help but think about here? ⁣

“Unity and diversity are not opposites. We can achieve greater unity as we foster an atmosphere of inclusion and respect for diversity.” – Quentin L. Cook

One of the biggest messages our modern church leaders have been teaching over and over again is: ⁣

UNITY⁣

We can have cultural and social differences and still find unity when we realize that we are all identified as children of God, first! ⁣

Can you even imagine if the new king said:⁣

“Hey Israelites! You keep growing and growing, and we love you guys. What can we do to help you feel more included? Do you have any new ideas for how to make our kingdom even better?” ⁣

And yet, this king chose division and labeling people as “others”. ⁣

Which then led to him inflicting pain and burdens. ⁣

So how can you create unity where you live right now? ⁣

Who are you tempted to think about in divisive ways, and how can you turn that into love and unity instead?⁣

Kicking other people out or purposefully increasing their burdens just to keep another group comfortable isn’t the way the Savior worked, and it’s not how He wants us to work, either. ⁣

Unity looks like hard work. It takes effort. It requires people to get uncomfortable. ⁣

And the end result is so much more love, peace, and Christlike charity. ⁣

Unity is worth the effort.

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post Fear and oppression  first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

“Make sure you see Kyle get super stressed or angry about something.

“See how he responds to that pressure, and then make sure you are okay with his response.”⁣

It was great advice, because admittedly, we had been kind of living a fairytale dating experience.⁣

Yeah, we had seen each other deal with minor stresses, but we hadn’t seen how each of us responded to really big pressures yet. ⁣

But finally, the opportunity presented itself.⁣

(Kyle— I’m so sorry if I unknowingly wished the big trial into existence for my own selfish purposes.)

I saw how Kyle dealt with a huge, frustrating setback, one that took a hit on his ego.⁣

And… I was totally cool with how he responded. ⁣

I saw how he worked through problems, how he handled big emotions, and how I could support him through tough times.

It was a great little confirmation that he would make a great choice for me as a spouse. ⁣

And I’m still happy with my decision all these years later!

When we read about Joseph’s reaction to seeing all of his brothers again after all these years, it can be difficult to figure out why he does what he does: ⁣

He accuses them of being spies, imprisons one brother, frames another, makes dramatic demands, and doesn’t want to give away who he truly is. ⁣

But to me, it looks like Joseph is just trying to see who his brothers really are after all these years. ⁣

Did they care at all about what they had done to Joseph? Had they repented? Did they love Benjamin? How were they treating his father? ⁣

A great way to find out someone’s character is to see how they respond to stress or pressure. ⁣

Because… isn’t that what God basically does to us?⁣

He lovingly and all-knowingly gives us, or allows us to experience, tough times and trials and weaknesses and pains so that we can prove to Him, and to ourselves, what truly matters most to our hearts. ⁣

Who do we choose, ESPECIALLY when times are tough?

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post Great dating advice!  first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

And I said “Yup, yup I do.”⁣

Between the two of us, we had a broken A/C, broken water heater, weeds galore, car damage, pregnancy pains, broken garbage disposal, crazy work schedules and hectic personal schedules. ⁣

And all of it had happened within the last week. ⁣

Isn’t that how life is?⁣

All at once or nothing at all. ⁣

I’m sure Father Jacob felt this “all at once” emotional pain overcome him when he saw his sons return from their first trip to Egypt. ⁣

Joseph had been gone for years, but I’m sure the pain was still fresh. Simeon was now imprisoned in Egypt. And they wanted to take Benjamin with them when they returned?! He would surely be taken from him, too!⁣

It’s no wonder that he cried out, just like many of us have:⁣

“All these things are against me.” (Genesis 42:36)⁣

Sometimes, it sure seems like this is the case. ⁣

You can’t catch a break, the struggles keep piling up, and you can’t seem to find a tender mercy anywhere. ⁣

Why is everything against me?! ⁣

Guess what we get reminded of in Psalm 56:9?⁣

“God is for me.”⁣

THINGS may be against us. Air conditionings and garbage disposals may be out to make our lives miserable. ⁣

Or just the natural circumstances of living as a human in a fallen world make life rough. ⁣

But GOD will always be FOR US. ⁣

Do I believe that? ⁣

Do I really believe that?⁣

Honestly, I do. And it’s gotten me through plenty of rough weeks. ⁣

It’s kept me focused on gratitude. It’s kept me grounded in prayer. It’s kept me KNOWING that things will work out, even if it doesn’t look like it in the moment, and even if “work out” looks differently than I hope. ⁣

Everything might be against me. ⁣

But God is for me. ⁣

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post All these things are against me first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

Because the adversary wants us to believe that if we forgive someone, we have said that what they did was okay, and that we are releasing them from all their consequences. ⁣

But that is just not true.⁣

Long after Joseph’s brothers threw him in a pit and sold him as a slave, they were almost shocked to discover that Joseph had forgiven them. ⁣

Even YEARS later, after their father Jacob died, the brothers were afraid that Joseph had just been putting on an act for their dad.⁣

And that now he would retaliate. ⁣

Because who would actually forgive their brothers for doing something like they had done? ⁣

But Joseph dismissed their groveling after their father had died and said:⁣

“Now therefore fear ye not: I will nourish you, and your little ones. And he comforted them, and spake kindly unto them.” ⁣(Genesis 50:21)

Can you imagine forgiving family members for saying terrible things about you, physically harming you, devaluing you, and literally removing you from the family for 22 years? ⁣

And yet, Joseph forgave. ⁣

That didn’t change how wrong the brothers had been.⁣

And it didn’t affect any divine consequences that our perfect Judge would dole out. ⁣

But it gave Joseph joy and peace. ⁣

We don’t know how much Joseph interacted with his brothers after they all moved to Egypt. ⁣

Maybe Joseph had strong boundaries with certain brothers, and kept a respectful distance. ⁣

Maybe Joseph felt prompted to fully embrace them and let them into his life. ⁣

But his words at the end of Genesis tell us that he was ready to comfort and nourish them as needed. ⁣

The adversary is so good at feeding us lies about forgiving those who have wronged us, even in very serious degrees. ⁣

But the Savior commands us all to forgive.⁣

Why? To find that internal peace, and truly turn it all over to God.

When have you seen blessings from forgiveness in your life?

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post Unimaginable forgiveness  first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

It seemed like every minute had some sort of planned-out commitment, and my brain was at capacity trying to keep track of it all.

And then, my daughter came home with a note in her backpack.

The note explained an upcoming dress-up day at school and an extra project she needed to finish at home. 

I felt like my world had just exploded.

I was barely hanging on, and now I had to add these new things into the mix?!

I immediately said to God, “Why?! Why can’t I get a break? I need a rest!”

Immediately, a surprisingly silly answer came into my mind… the actual answer doesn’t matter as much as the result:

It helped me realize how insignificant my current problems were in the grand scheme of things.

I was able to laugh, set some boundaries, and move forward while having fun during that busy week. 

Sometimes, I’m like Joseph of Egypt, who could clearly see his trials for what they were:⁣

“God meant it unto good”. (Genesis 50:20)⁣

And other days, I’m more like Joseph’s brothers who blamed God for every poor circumstance they found themselves in:⁣

“What is this that God hath done unto us?” (Genesis 42:28) ⁣

I think I’m going to give myself grace for the days that I feel like Joseph’s brothers. ⁣

I’m gonna pray a lot more, because boy, does God like to answer prayers in exactly the way I need them answered. ⁣

And I hope I can get better at sticking with Joseph of Egypt’s humble mindset. ⁣

It’s all for my good!

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post It’s all for my good  first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

It was pretty classic, as he had all the answers written in blue ink on the palm of his hand. ⁣

I was disappointed in this student’s actions, and we had a discussion where he confessed and apologized. ⁣

I made a note to call his mom after school to discuss the situation. ⁣

As soon as school got out, my Vice Principal showed up in my room, letting me know that this student’s mom just called, furious that her son was being falsely accused of cheating. ⁣

She had just picked up her son from school, and this mom said her son was telling her he had a friend’s phone number written on his hand, and that I had made the whole thing up. ⁣

I was… very frustrated, to say the least. ⁣

As a new teacher, never did I think that a parent would accuse me of lying so dramatically or trying to frame their child. ⁣

He was the one who had made a poor decision, and now I was being falsely accused?! ⁣

Luckily, the whole situation was resolved peaceably and I had some good talks with this kid’s mom. ⁣

But for just a moment, I felt that heavy sting of false accusation. ⁣

This mom really thought for a moment that I was trying to intentionally frame her child, and it did not feel good. ⁣

I imagine how Joseph must have felt after Potiphar’s wife accused him of a very serious sin. ⁣

And Potiphar’s reaction? He “took him, and put him into the prison”. (Genesis 39:20)⁣

He did everything right, and yet his reputation was completely ruined, along with his lost freedom. ⁣

So where’s the redemption? ⁣

“But the Lord was with Joseph, and shewed him mercy, and gave him favour in the sight of the keeper of the prison.” (Genesis 39:21)⁣

The Lord still showed mercy and still showered Joseph with blessings. ⁣

His circumstances may not have looked great, but he knew he at least had the Lord’s mercy. ⁣

Mercy and blessings always follow those who put their faith in God, no matter the circumstance!⁣

“All unfairness—especially infuriating unfairness—will be consecrated for your gain.” – Dale G. Renlund

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post Cheating accusation first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

As I stood a little bit speechless on the doorstep with chaos behind me and a husband who still wouldn’t be home for a couple of hours, she said:⁣

“I felt a prompting that you needed dinner tonight, and I just had to act!”⁣

I graciously accepted the meal, thanked her profusely, and held my tears back until the door had shut. ⁣

I wanted to feel embarrassed that I hadn’t even started thinking about dinner yet, but I couldn’t help but feel an overwhelming sense of gratitude and love. ⁣

The sister who brought the dinner had redirected all the credit I wanted to give her to the Lord, and that made a big impact on me. ⁣

She didn’t want any of my praise that I tried to give her. ⁣

She said she was just following through on what I know to be one of her spiritual gifts— acting immediately and confidently on promptings. ⁣

In Joseph’s time, everyone was starting to recognize him as the dream interpreter. ⁣

The butler and the baker learned about him in prison. ⁣

And now the pharaoh was learning about his skill, too. ⁣

But each time that someone tried to label Joseph as the one who could interpret dreams, he was always quick to point out:⁣

“It is not in me: God shall give Pharaoh an answer of peace.” (Genesis 41:16) ⁣

God was the one giving Joseph the ability to do this. ⁣

I love two things about this:⁣

First, that Joseph recognized where his gift came from. ⁣

But secondly, that he seemed to point this out to other people, too!⁣

I think most of us know that we should be showing gratitude to God for our gifts and talents. ⁣

We try to redirect our minds to give God credit and to show how grateful we are. ⁣

But how often do we mention that to others?⁣

YOU may know that your gifts come from heaven, but do other people know that you know that?⁣

What a sweet and simple way to bear testimony. ⁣

The woman who brought me dinner wasn’t making me feel her love.⁣

She was helping me to feel God’s love.

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post The surprise dinner first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.