I want my baby to stop crying and go back to sleep.

I want someone else to clean up when I’m exhausted but people are coming over soon.

I want someone to tell me how to solve my problem.

But what Christ really does, is that He almost always enables me to get things done.

I am given extra strength. Extra willpower. Extra grit. Extra patience. Extra faith.

When I lean on Christ, He doesn’t take over and do my work for me.

Instead, when I lean on Him, I do even more work than I could do on my own.

Sometimes, I literally feel that extra strength boosting me forward when I didn’t think I had anything in me.

My baby still cries, but I feel more calm about it and am given perspective that this is just a phase.

I feel the energy to clean even when I’m exhausted, but I also start to realize that friends don’t need to see a spotless home when they come over.

I feel a little prompting for how I might solve my problem, and as I act, the solution is slowly lit up before me.

He wants me to solve my problems because He wants me to grow.

But He’s not going to expect me to grow without giving me the power to grow with Him.

By myself, I am weak. I am flawed and mortal.

And with Him, I get a glimpse at who I can become.

Someone who is still surrounded by the trials and distractions and annoyances and frustrations.

But someone who is, through Christ, able to get the things done that matter most, and to let the other things slide out of my zone of worry.

Christ is an enabler, in the best way possible.

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post Enabling my peace first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

It’s something I preach in almost every post on this account, video I record, and resource that I create.

And I totally stand behind what I say.

Our lives are busy, and I think it’s so important to figure out how to make everything fit.

But also…

This gospel is everything.

It can’t be entirely summed up into little tips and tricks.

It is big.

And heavy.

And important. So, so important.

The Lord taught the Saints in D&C Section 43 the message that they were to solemnly deliver to the whole world. And then in verses 34-35:

“Treasure these things up in your hearts, and let the solemnities of eternity rest upon your minds.

“Be sober. Keep all my commandments.”

We are asked to ponder about the eternities.

To treasure up these eternal truths in our hearts.

To be sober and serious in keeping all of the commandments.

This is real. This is serious.

This “Plan of Salvation” that we draw cute pictures and diagrams of is actually intense and powerful and everything.

And yet… it’s so difficult to find time to just ponder on that.

To sit still and let my mind wander on things of the eternities.

But it is so essential.

It centers me.

I’m reminded WHY I’m doing all this.

Why I’m coming up with the little tips and tricks, the cute sayings, the quick references, the applicable stories.

It’s all so real.

So… maybe let your mind go there right now.

Use this time reading my post as your moment to reflect.

What is this all about? Why are you doing the things that you are doing?

What does God have in store for you?

What will meeting your Savior be like?

How do you want to live your life? Where do you plan on being after you pass on? Who do you hope is there with you?

What will your future, your ETERNAL future, be?

Ponder. Treasure. Let these rest upon your mind.

Perspective. Purpose.

And then move forward with faith.

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post The solemnities of eternity first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

Ever heard or seen a variation of that comment anywhere before?

Orrrrr maybe even thought something like that before?

In 2015, Elder Christofferson gave one of those General Conference talks that has just stuck in my mind, titled: “Why the Church”.

Elder Christofferson spends his entire talk outlining why we actually are organized into and asked to attend a church.

Spirituality is, of course, a personal journey.

But there are unique purposes for an organized church.

He said, among many things:

“In the Church we not only learn divine doctrine; we also experience its application.”

This is what I’ve learned to love about church the most, especially recently.

We teach each other with new perspectives in church, and we practice applying what “loving your neighbor” and service really look like.

In Doctrine and Covenants 43:8, the Lord counsels members of the church:

“That when ye are assembled together ye shall instruct and edify each other, that ye may know how to act and direct my church, how to act upon the points of my law and commandments, which I have given.”

There is a reason we are going back towards full activities resuming in the church.

We need to interact with and edify people who are lacking.

Someone at church needs to see you, being exactly who you are.

They need to hear that comment you’ll make, or just see you showing up after they know you had a tough week.

So why the church?

There are many beautiful answers to this question (seriously, just go listen to Elder Christofferson’s talk, because obviously the Sacrament is THE main reason).

But today, I’m loving the answer that we need each other.

Not the perfect versions of ourselves that we think we need to become first.

But we need each other, exactly as we are.

Messy, unsure, overwhelmed, trying our best, super tired, feeling inadequate…

We can show up exactly as we are, and still instruct and edify others. And we need to be instructed and edified by other people, no matter who they are.

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post Instruct and edify first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

Right before the meeting, the Spirit quietly confirmed to me what it was going to be about and I broke down in tears.

This was too much.

I called out to my Heavenly Father, “If we are going to do this, I’m going to need a lot more of Your support.”

And His response was the exact mixture of love and correction that I needed in that desperate moment.

“Cali, I am always right here. And you know exactly how to invite me into your life even more.”

I didn’t need Heavenly Father to be here more for me.

Because He has always been by my side.

But I knew I needed to start calling for His help even more.

It was a powerful lesson that He taught me right before my husband got called as Bishop of our ward.

If I need His presence more, then I need to put in some work.

The Saints in Ohio were also wanting more of God’s presence. They were ready to receive “The Law”.

They knew that further light and knowledge awaited them after making the faith-filled move to Ohio, and they were ready to receive it.

The Saints desired it.

So the Lord could have just given Joseph the revelation for the Law.

But instead, in D&C Section 41, the Lord asked them to gather themselves together and pray in great faith for the law to be given to them.

They had to put in the work first.

In the Bible Dictionary entry for “Prayer”, we learn that:

“Blessings require some work or effort on our part before we can obtain them.

“Prayer is a form of work and is an appointed means for obtaining the highest of all blessings.”

God wants us to put in the work.

He wants us to ask, to plead, to prepare ourselves, and to set aside special time to receive answers.

We can never do enough. We can never earn our blessings perfectly.

But… we can show Him that we are willing to take upon the very small burden of work that is required.

If you’ve been waiting for an answer or some clarity, this can be a great question to ponder on:

Am I putting in the work necessary to obtain the blessing I am asking for?

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post Prayer is hard work first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

I played the piano a lot.

The way I figured out how to manage a classroom full of 12 year olds?

I walked into a room of 12 year olds and figured it out.

The way I learned to love the scriptures?

I read my scriptures every day with a desire to know and love them.

Becoming a new person, acquiring a new skill, takes action.

Not just thinking or learning about a topic (although I can’t overstate how essential that is, too!)— it has to be paired with action.

And before you think I’m just completely perfect and awesome at learning by doing (note the heavy sarcasm there)…

I think about serving people a whole lot more than I actually serve.

I think about productive habits much more than I’m actually productive.

I think about working out regularly much more than I do.

The Lord taught the Saints, both new converts and long time less-than-a-year original members, that:

“He that receiveth my law and doeth it, the same is my disciple”. D&C 41:5

They needed to prepare to receive the law.

But they also needed to be ready to just do it.

Can you imagine if all these new converts waited until they felt completely ready before going out to serve missions?

Certainly, they needed to learn gospel truths.

But they also needed to just go to work.

Which is why I almost laugh every time I re-listen to President Nelson’s counsel from earlier this month.

“Act in faith. What would you do if you had more faith? Think about it. Write about it.

“Then receive more faith by doing something that requires more faith.”

How do we get more faith?

By doing things that require a lot of faith.

I remember someone telling me that if every parent waited until they felt “ready” to have kids, there would be no children.

You’re probably never going to feel fully qualified for anything in life.

And that’s the fun of it, sometimes.

We get to learn. We get to figure things out and grow and improve as we TRY.

Learning gospel truths is so helpful and important.

But when we pair that learning with just getting out there and doing good stuff, I think we can be unstoppable.

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post Just do it first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.