What does this account help me think about or do?

In other words…

What is the “fruit” of following this account?

I seriously think about this all the time!

There have been some accounts I’ve started following because they seem funny…

But then I notice they make me feel more judgmental or rude at the expense of others.

There have been some accounts that I’ve started following because they seem like they have positive messages…

But then I realize they have me focusing on things that don’t matter way too much, or spending more money than I need to.

It’s the fruit!

That’s how I judge “the tree”.

“He also that received seed among the thorns is he that heareth the word; and the care of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and he becometh unfruitful.” (Matthew 13:22)

Those thorns choke the goodness, and cause it to become unfruitful.

And on the flip side, I’ve followed so many amazing accounts that have helped me focus on becoming better, feeling connected, and laughing in uplifting ways!

“But he that received seed into the good ground is he that heareth the word, and understandeth it; which also beareth fruit, and bringeth forth, some an hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.” (Matthew 13:23)

The goodness even compounds!

The fruit is good, and it helps other fruit to grow, too!

I’m not going to lie, it can be really tricky to always clearly discern what is worthy of our time and what is not.

Work. A fun TV show. Working out. Social media. Perfectionism. Hobbies. Hanging out.

An easy measuring stick for me has been:

Does it cause me to become fruitful or unfruitful in the gospel of Jesus Christ?

And then, the answer seems clear.

Ye shall know them by their fruits.

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post Fruits and thorns  first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

Her response was, “I want to be an astronaut and a builder and a farmer and a cowboy.”

She is so excited to become all of those things.

And I will be there cheering her on whether she’s in a spaceship or a tractor!

Kids are so good at seeing their future potential.

They know they don’t know everything yet, and that’s okay!

They will learn!

But as we get older, it gets a little more difficult for some reason.

We have our “fixed mindset” that we are the way we are.

“Oh, I’m just not good at studying the scriptures.”

“I’m not a natural teacher.”

“It’s really hard for me to want to serve others.”

We are locking down our potential when we say or think these things.

Absolutely every skill worth having can be obtained with hard work and practice.

“Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is like to a grain of mustard seed, which a man took, and sowed in his field: Which indeed is the least of all seeds: but when it is grown, it is the greatest among herbs, and becometh a tree, so that the birds of the air come and lodge in the branches thereof.” (Matthew 13:31-32)

This littlest, tiniest seed doesn’t look special.

But someone with foresight can see the endless POTENTIAL in that one seed.

They know that it can become something useful, purposeful, fruitful.

Something that is able to serve and produce.

In what areas of your life are you still staying small?

Maybe it’s figuring out how to access your priesthood power, how to gain an education, or how to be kinder in all your interactions.

With Jesus, we don’t have to stay small.

We can grow into the biggest mustard tree we can be!

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post Staying small first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

I recently heard a beautiful, heartfelt testimony of someone who talked about walking away from his life as an alcoholic to make covenants with God.

I’ve listened to a woman share about how physically difficult but mentally easy it was to give up smoking in order to join the church and be baptized.

But… what about the quieter, less obvious sins we each still struggle with?

“What does it mean to overcome the world? … It means being willing to “give away” even our favorite sins.” -President Russell M. Nelson

I’ve been fascinated by that phrase that President Nelson used:

Favorite sins.

Maybe it’s something you know you shouldn’t do, but do anyway.

Maybe it’s a sin you don’t really realize you are doing because it looks so acceptable, but when you reflect on what you need to change, it always comes to mind.

Maybe it’s something you should be doing to draw closer to the Lord and to keep your covenants, but you think it’s easier to not do it.

Maybe it’s taking serious things too casually.

Because Jesus teaches that becoming a member of the covenant kingdom of God is going to require us to give up certain things.

One parable:

“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto treasure hid in a field; the which when a man hath found, he hideth, and for joy thereof goeth and selleth all that he hath, and buyeth that field.” (Matthew 13:44)

And another parable:

“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a merchant man, seeking goodly pearls: Who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had, and bought it.” (Matthew 13:45-46)

Selling all that we have.

Sacrificing to obtain covenant relationships with God.

But these people willingly do it. They wholeheartedly give up what was holding them back.

Those are the people who understand what’s at stake and what is available to us.

So what do you need to give up?

What can you sell in order to make room in your life for all that God’s kingdom holds?

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post Favorite sins first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

Matthew 13:12 confused me at first when I read it.

Does this seem fair?!

“For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance: but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath”.

Those that have more are given more?

And those that have less lose what they have?⁣

It really does not seem fair or kind or loving.

But as I continued studying it, I realized that I think these are natural consequences.

When we “have more” faith,

more of the spirit’s presence in our lives,

more Christlike attributes,

or more gospel study…

We naturally “get more.”

We get more out of our study of parables,

more opportunities to serve,

more spiritual promptings,

and more familiar with the scriptures. ⁣

And the opposite is naturally true too.

If we don’t have faith, don’t make time to study the scriptures, or don’t keep the commandments to have the spirit with us…

Then we naturally lose opportunities to serve, lose spiritual promptings, and lose gospel knowledge. ⁣

These blessings and knowledge aren’t just being given to us or taken away from us by supreme beings who want to reward and punish us for fun.

These blessings and knowledge are naturally given or taken away based on our choices and actions.

I think it actually makes perfect sense!⁣

In fact, Joseph Smith’s translation of this verse reads:

“For whosoever RECEIVETH, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance; but whosoever CONTINUETH NOT TO RECEIVE, from him shall be taken away even that he hath.” (Matthew 13:12, JST)

We decide if we receive or not.

So if we have more, we get more.

What are you trying to “have more” of today?

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post Have more, get more first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

Like… no exaggeration.

Ever since I was young, she would pick out the coolest clothes, the latest trendy toys, or the accessories and books I needed for birthdays or Christmas.

I didn’t realize until I got older that not all grandmas were that spot-on with giving gifts.

But this is a talent that mine is blessed with!

And the thing is, she is that good at giving gifts to EVERYONE.

Everyone thinks she knows them the best, because she knows the best gifts to give.

And she always includes a box of See’s Chocolates, which can make anyone happy.

I’ve learned that giving a good gift requires thoughtfulness, good planning, and solid execution.

It can be a fun way to express your love for someone!

But honestly, it also shows a lot of sacrifice on the part of the gift-giver to make it happen.

I think it is so sweet that Jesus makes this connection between giving good gifts and receiving the Spirit. He teaches:

“If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?” (Luke 11:13)

In other words, “You think you are good at giving gifts? Imagine how much better Heavenly Father is at giving you the Holy Ghost!”

The Holy Ghost is the ultimate gift, fulfilling whatever role we need Him to fulfill at any time.

What an AMAZINGLY perfect gift we have been given.

And God allows this gift to bless us at exactly the right times and in exactly the right ways.

I’m grateful for amazing earthly examples that I have of kind, thoughtful gift-givers.

And I am grateful for my Heavenly Father’s powerful ability to know what I need and to make sure it happens.

The best gift-giver of all, giving the best gift of all.

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post My grandma’s gifts first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

Every few months, I have a crazy work week where I need to use every single spare minute working.

And that includes sacrificing a lot of sleep.

Last week was one of those weeks.

I usually dread them.

But last week, I tried something different.

I tried intentionally inviting Jesus’ “rest” into my life at the same exact time that I was getting very little physical rest.

And it was…

Life-changing.

I got all my work done, as I usually do during that crazy week.

But I felt calm. I found more creative ways than usual to get work done. My kids napped more often. My husband was able to support me even more than usual.

I felt… peace.

The work wasn’t gone.

But I felt this joy and relief that came WHILE I was still working and staying up late.

I knew we would be studying this scripture this week, so I kept focusing on it, each time learning something new:

“Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

“Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.

“For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28-30)

Do you labor?

Are you heavy laden with burdens?

Then learn of Jesus.

Read His teachings. Immerse yourself in the scriptures. Remember Him as constantly as your mortal mind can handle.

Now, a crazy work week is more of a trivial example.

I’ve had many more times in my life where the burdens have felt like too much, and I had no guarantee that they’d be over in a week.

Some are still going on right now.

But my little case study last week has given me greater resolve:

Jesus won’t always take away our burdens.

But He will give us relief. He will give us peace and joy in unexpected ways.

He can give us rest.

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post Finding rest, even with no sleep first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

Questions were flying everywhere!

“Well, does it count if I text them one month, as long as I see them in person the next month?”

“What if my person only wants to talk on the phone?”

“Ugh, I’m so confused on what ‘counts’ as a visit now!”

Isn’t life sometimes easier when someone tells you exactly what to do?

Although the strict rules that the Pharisees followed may seem like a burden…

These rules were likely comforting to them.

They just memorized the rules, checked all the boxes, and that was it!

They were officially good people because they checked all the boxes.

But Jesus was trying to teach them a higher and more sincere way of living the gospel.

He shared the same message that my sweet Relief Society president was trying to teach the women in our class that Sunday morning.

The Savior, speaking about the Sabbath day as an example, said:

“Wherefore it is lawful to do well on the sabbath days.” (Matthew 12:12)

My exasperated Relief Society president echoed the same message that morning: “Just do good things! Everything counts! Stop thinking so much about it!”

Just do good things!

Stop stressing about all the rules!

Whether it’s worrying about if an activity is appropriate for the Sabbath day,

Or if something “counts” as service,

Or if that was okay for scripture study for the day,

Turning to the Savior’s simple advice can help us stay focused on what matters most.

Just do good things!

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post Just do good things!  first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

or the planets in the sky

or our delicate and complicated ecosystems that work flawlessly virtually all the time

I am amazed at how much care our Heavenly Father put into the small details of this world. ⁣

And he did it all for us!

The littlest of details matter to Him.

And how much more important are we than the digestive system, Saturn, or the water cycle?!

“The very hairs of your head are all numbered.” (Matthew 10:30)

I like to think that this is literal and not a figure of speech—

—that He really knows how many hairs we have. ⁣

He knows exactly how many hairs fell out of your head after you gave birth.

He knows when bald spots start showing from stress or disease.

He knows when your hair starts turning gray earlier than you hoped.

If you care about your hair, so does He.

He knows about all the details.

Everything that you are so worried about that you think no one else even notices.

The little efforts that you make that you wonder if they even make a difference.

He sees it all.

He sees even more than that.

He notices and counts and loves.

There is nothing too small for the Lord.

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post He counts the hairs first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

I was terrified!

I sat in my classroom that morning.

My door faced the outside hang-out area, so I could hear as the students started arriving and making lots of excited sounds.

And I just sat in my classroom, so scared out of my mind.

I had JUST graduated college.

Did I actually know how to teach?

What if this was all some big giant mistake?!?

I looked at the pictures of my husband, family, and friends that I had taped up behind my desk area.

I said a little prayer.

I realized that EVEN THOUGH I was terrified, I also knew that I was doing the right thing.

I felt that little reassurance in my heart that this is what I loved doing.

That yes, this might be difficult, but I was also going to be able to figure it out.

The bell rang, and I could hear kids starting to line up outside my door, whispering about their “new teacher”.

I closed my eyes, whispered a little prayer, and pushed the door open to invite the kids inside.

One little moment of courage introduced me to an entirely new experience in a job that I loved!

I like to think that the woman who touched Jesus’ hem had this same, although much more serious, moment of courage.

When she heard about a Savior who could heal her, she went to Him.

She had faith.

And in one moment of courage, she touched His hem, confident that this would be the answer.

“When she had heard of Jesus, came in the press behind, and touched his garment.” (Mark 5:27)

What seems scary and intimidating to you right now?

What’s a change you know you need to make, but you know will take a lot of effort?

What opportunity keeps calling to you even though it terrifies you?

One moment of courage is all it takes to change the trajectory of your life completely.

If we want that change to be for the better, then we also need to rely on the Savior.

We can reach out to Him, utter a prayer in His name, and expect His strength.

One moment of courage can change everything.

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post One moment of courage  first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

The blessing promised healing.

The next day, she was asked if she wanted to be administered to again.

She responded:

“No, I have been anointed and administered to. The ordinance has been performed. It is up to me now to claim my blessing through my faith.”

Two blind men approached Jesus and asked for mercy.

He asked them, “Believe ye that I am able to do this?”

And they simply responded, “Yea, Lord”. ⁣

Christ’s response is, “According to your faith be it unto you.”⁣ (Matthew 9:28-29)

They were healed.

They were healed because they had the faith to be healed.

President Kimball taught:

“The need of faith is often underestimated.

“The ill one and the family often seem to DEPEND WHOLLY on the power of the priesthood and the gift of healing that they hope the administering brethren may have, whereas the GREATER responsibility is with him [or her] who is blessed…”

Our own faith is powerful.

Jesus shows that time and time again: it is the faith of the ones He is administering to that allows them to be healed.

Of course, the will of the Father has to be aligned.

Some are tasked with having the faith to not be healed.

But when wills are aligned, we play a huge part in choosing to be healed.

In trusting that we are capable of change.

In believing that God can actually help us change.

We play our part in having the faith to be healed!

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post The faith to be healed first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.