She then started to tell me what the post said.

… It was one of my posts. 

She saw the smile on my face and stopped her explanation.

“Oh my goodness, was that one that YOU wrote?! I’m so sorry! I didn’t even look to see what account it was from!”

We both laughed.

I’ve been there plenty of times, too.

Where I read an amazing post or article, or listen to a great talk…

And then I can’t remember who wrote it or where it was from later!

There are so many authors online.

But when we get out and look at the world around us, there is only one author we need to remember.

Jesus.

Under the direction of His Father, He was the Creator of the earth.

Jesus is the author of it all.

And yet, when He came to earth; when He came to the work of His own hands:

“The world was made by him, and the world knew him not.” (John 1:10)

They didn’t know who He was.

They didn’t know what He had done.

The grass, the fish, the flowers, the wind, the warm sunny days, the wheat, the water, the lambs, and the lions.

It was all there because Jesus had created it in the first place.

And yet, Jesus came to the earth and still served and created.

He created healing and peace and love and hope and light.

He created forgiveness and mercy and power.

He changed lives and transformed hearts.

And so I want to hold a little more gratitude in my heart today for the Ultimate Creator.

I want to recognize all of His creations.

And I want to give praise for what He continues to create for me.

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post The creator of all things  first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

No matter how much I may beg, bribe, or cheer…

My kid is the one who has to decide whether or not they will take the bite and chew.

Whether I like it or not…

They have complete agency on whether or not they eat that piece of food!

Christ and Philip both say this simple phrase:

“Come and see.” (John 1:39)

Unfortunately, no one can “come” nor “see” for us. ⁣

We have to be the ones to use our agency to come closer to Christ and to see what He sees.

We have to be proactive.

We invite the Spirit into our lives. We seek out answers. We let our faith grow.

And on the other hand, we can’t force anyone around us, including our own children, to “come and see.”

The Savior performed miracles here on the earth and still needed to invite others to come and see what He had to offer.

He couldn’t force anyone to believe in His divine role, and neither can we.

We can make the plate full of goodness and nutrition and tasty foods…

But we can’t force anyone to take a bite.

So how will we come a little closer to the Savior and see a little more clearly what He has to offer?

And how can we gently extend the same invitation to others?

Come, and see!

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post Come and see!  first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

Not that I haven’t liked it, I just really haven’t ever thought much about it.

Until recently.

My dad made a fantastic point about this title for Jesus that totally changed everything.

How do you communicate who you are?

How do you share your thoughts and desires and emotions and beliefs?

How do you agree to things and ask for things and express love?

You use your words.

Words help to reveal who you really are as a person.

Words help communicate your purposes and your intent.

Words are really how you function and interact with people.

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” (John 1:1)

How does God the Father communicate His purpose?

How does God the Father put His plans into existence?

How does God the Father reveal who He really and truly is?

How does God the Father show His love?

God the Father uses His Word.

His Only Begotten Son.

He is the reason we know God.

He is the way that God communicates His desires for us.

Jesus is the WORD of God.

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post The Word of God first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

For me, it involves a testimony meeting at Young Women’s camp being surrounded by trees and countless stars.

But maybe for you, it was a moment on your mission.

An experience at the temple.

A quiet moment at home.

While those big spiritual moments are eternally powerful, I’ve realized we can’t live our lives drawing from a single experience when we felt the Spirit.

It’s not enough.

It’s a great foundation, but it’s not enough.

Some religions emphasize a one-time experience of being “born again.”

John wrote about this saying,

“Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.” (John 1:13)

But we know we need constant spiritual experiences to stay close to the Lord.

In other words, we must be “born again” almost daily!

In probably a less dramatic way than that “big moment” we have in mind, but still just as real.

So, have you been spiritually born of God yet. . . today? ⁣

In other words, have you felt the Spirit today?

I won’t pretend like this is something that comes easily every single day.

But I’ve started trying to reflect on this each night.

“Have I felt the Spirit today?”

It’s actually made it a little easier for me to recognize when I am feeling the Spirit in the moment.

And if I haven’t yet, I love to reflect on what I can do to invite the Spirit, draw closer to God, or renew my righteous desires that day.

And I am spiritually reborn, refreshed, and renewed.

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post Spiritually born each day first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.