I looked at my floors, literally covered in crumbs from breakfast and lunch and headed toward the pantry to grab my broom.

This was my time to get stuff done before the little ball of energy woke up and needed me to be with him constantly.

That freedom, today, meant cleaning things up.

“Can you read this book to me?”

This was the time when I usually put a show on for my daughter so that I could be uninterrupted, but she was holding a book in her hand.

I could just tell by the way she asked me, that she needed my attention.

The spirit whispered to me that this was where I needed to spend my time today.

And so I spent my moments of “freedom” cuddled up with daughter on the couch, reading her books.

We ended up laughing a lot. She started pointing out letters that she saw.

It was a really fun moment.

When my son woke up, the floors were still covered in crumbs, and they didn’t get cleaned up until much later.

I also didn’t finish a work project that I had on my schedule until after the kids went to sleep.

I can’t “have it all”.

I can’t have an orderly home and well-adjusted kids and run a business and spend time with my husband and fulfill my calling and study my scriptures all at the same time.

I can’t bear all that.

It’s too much.

And then add in some trials…

I can’t bear all things that have been given to me.

But.

I’m okay with that.

I can still be of good cheer.

Because I don’t have to do all those things and be all those things at the same time.

Just like the little voice that gave me the confidence to walk away from the broom and pick up the book in that moment, the secret solution is the Savior.

He leads me along.

He gives me that quiet assurance that my kids will be fine if they watch another show while I finish up my task. Or whatever I need to know.

Life can be confusing and overwhelming.

And the Lord so lovingly gives us the blueprint of peace to follow:

“Ye cannot bear all things now;

“Nevertheless, be of good cheer, for I will lead you along.” D&C 78:18

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post I will lead you along first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

Breathing through one nostril is for sure one of the most obnoxious minor inconveniences to exist.

I suddenly waxed very poetic and thought about all the times that I had walked around with two functioning nostrils, and hadn’t even appreciated them for the blessings they were.

I feel like I get this way every time I have a cold.

And yet, when I’m perfectly healthy, I don’t think I’ve ever mentioned in prayer any gratitude for functioning nostrils.

And I think that’s the real secret to success with gratitude.

Maybe I really should practice being filled with gratitude every day that I wake up with two functioning nostrils!

That wouldn’t necessarily bring me more blessings in my life.

But by thinking of the health and full function of various body parts, I start to realize just how many blessings I really have.

It’s not only the vain repetitions that I sometimes utter in prayer.

It’s not just: family, house, and “all my many blessings”.

In D&C 78:19, the Lord reminds the saints that:

“He who receiveth all things with thankfulness shall be made glorious;

“and the things of this earth shall be added unto him, even an hundred fold, yea, more.”

I don’t know that this necessarily means that being grateful GIVES me infinitely more blessings.

Maybe it’s really that there are an infinite number of things to be grateful for, and when I open my eyes to see that, then I’ve added that many blessings to my list.

I want to see hundreds and hundreds of things around me, and feel that gratitude.

Not necessarily for a list to mention in my prayers.

But so that I can allow my attitude of gratitude to fill my soul and point me to the One who makes it all possible.

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post Gratitude and nostrils first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

It had been a few days since dishes had been done, and for some reason, everything seemed to have multiplied.

There were stacks of random things on the counters, the sink was piled high, and the stove was covered in pots and pans, too.

It doesn’t usually get this bad… but, here it was.

I kept looking around.

I didn’t even know where to start.

I felt overwhelmed.

I kept pulling my phone out to find the perfect podcast to listen to while I cleaned. And then I remembered I wanted to eat some snacks before I started.

And then my babysitter texted that she was on the way.

This was it– I HAD to get this kitchen clean.

Finally, I had the thought:

“Just start! It doesn’t matter where you begin!”

I picked up the piece of junk mail nearest to me and threw it away.

Then I noticed the other junk mail on the other counter and grabbed that.

Pretty quickly, it snowballed into me getting to work, and I was able to tackle the kitchen pretty well before my sitter arrived.

Section 80 in the Doctrine and Covenants can often be written off as “one of those mission call sections”.

Stephen Burnett asked for a revelation, and the Lord gave him a call.

But there was one element of this mission call that made me laugh a bit.

In verse 3, the Lord tells Stephen:

“Wherefore, go ye and preach my gospel, whether to the north or to the south, to the east or to the west, it mattereth not, for ye cannot go amiss.”

IT MATTERETH NOT, FOR YE CANNOT GO AMISS.

In other words:

There’s literally SO much missionary work to get done– just go somewhere and start, and you’ll be good.

How many times have I waited to be prompted on who exactly I should serve.

Which new family I should try to help feel more welcome in our ward.

How exactly I can serve a ministering sister.

I’ve prayed for specific promptings on what to do for each of those.

(Which I don’t think is bad, in and of itself!)

But meanwhile, the Lord is probably lovingly looking at me and saying:

“Oh Cali, just do SOMETHING!

“There is so much work.

“You cannot go amiss.”

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post You cannot go amiss first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

Her response, and I quote, was: “No thank you, I’m just going to watch some TV.”

I mean, points for politeness, right??

I mixed up the ingredients and put the pan in the oven.

When I took the pan out, Quin came running to my side. “I want to eat them! I want to eat them!”

I had to laugh as the story of the Little Red Hen popped into my head.

Remember that classic?

Where the little red hen decides to make some bread, but all her barnyard friends say “Not I” when she asks for help?!

And then as soon as the bread is finished and the smell fills the air, she’s got a long line of people who would like to help eat that bread.

Now, as a mom of a 3 year old, I certainly let Quin eat some of the brownies that she had not helped mix at all.

But in D&C 78:7, the Lord reminded many of the church leaders:

“If you will that I give unto you a place in the celestial world, you must prepare yourselves by doing the things which I have commanded you and required of you.”

In other words, if we want the reward, we need to put in the work.

Section 78 was received less than a month after that groundbreaking Section 76 vision where Joseph and Sidney learned about the celestial kingdom, and what it would be like there.

I’m gonna bet that there were some saints who were pretty excited for the celestial kingdom, now that they knew it existed, and talked about it a lot.

And so I can see the Lord needing to give some gentle reminders to the saints and their leaders.

We can’t just dream of our mansions above.

Instead, we have to wake up, and do something good.

We need to put in the celestial work.

So what celestial work can you do today?

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post The little red hen and celestial work first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

I had a really tough time after I had my first baby.

I’m a pretty independent person who takes a lot of pride in getting stuff done.

And now I was on maternity leave from teaching with this brand new little infant who just needed me all the time.

It seemed like my life as I knew it was over.

And the adversary sure wanted me to believe that.

This will never change. It will never get better.

But the adversary has always used this tactic.

When the saints in Missouri needed some guidance from church leaders, they were asked to meet and counsel together. Because otherwise…

“Satan seeketh to turn their hearts away from the truth, that they become blinded and understand not the things which are prepared for them.” D&C 78:10

They would be blinded and not understand the things that have been prepared for them in their future.

The future is filled with unimaginable blessings.

Babies grow up.

People move.

Jobs change.

Family dynamics and responsibilities shift.

But even if that reminder doesn’t seem like a “blessing”, the next life will bring us the greatest blessings of all.

Even the lowest kingdom is much greater than earth’s current state.

Our future is glorious. We have so many blessings coming our way. We are loved beyond belief.

And the adversary doesn’t want us to remember that at all.

Luckily, I had some friends and mentors give me a glimpse of these changes when I had my little newborn, and I was quickly able to see that things DO get better. In fact, they change every single day with kids!

But still, the adversary works on his message.

Because he knows that if we understand what is really waiting for us in the future, we will be unstoppable.

The fight has already been won, and Satan wants us to forget that so that we still pick his team.

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post Ignore your future first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.