Growing up, I would hear people giving talks in church and casually throw in references to “Alma and Amulek” or “the city of Enoch”.⁣

I was always so impressed!

Because I always forgot who these people were until I heard a lesson on them. ⁣

I read my scriptures virtually every day starting at age 12…

And I still felt like I didn’t understand them super well. ⁣

So I was determined to serve a mission, because that is where everyone seemed to learn their scriptures so well!

Perfect. Problem solved.

Well guess who didn’t serve a mission?

This girl. ⁣

I still kept reading every day, but I felt like my opportunity to really “know” them was gone. ⁣

Fast forward some more years and I’ve started to realize…

I’ve become someone who knows the scriptures pretty well!

I can remember stories, make connections, refer to names of people casually. ⁣

When did this happen?! How?!

There was no magical mission to force me to learn the scriptures! ⁣

Paul teaches it well here:

“And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.” (2 Timothy 3:15)

I have known the scriptures since I was a child. ⁣

I have been learning them my whole life. ⁣

And oh my goodness I still have a lot to learn.

This will be a lifelong process. ⁣

But I’ve FINALLY read them enough times that I’m starting to put everything together in my mind and truly make sense of the stories.

And even more important than remembering all the “stuff”?

Internalizing the lessons that they teach and accessing the Spirit’s promptings

CONSISTENCY.

That’s the real magic answer. ⁣

Of course we aren’t going to see major results from scripture study after one day. Or one week. Or honestly, one year. ⁣

It’s the repetition.

It’s the ability to grow and mature and then read them again so we can actually learn the lessons we need. ⁣

I’m grateful for the scriptures we have and for the blessing they are to me when I give my best CONSISTENT effort.

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post I wanted to learn the scriptures first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

(Chronologically, watch my Big Picture Monday video if you want to know the deets on the epistles this week!)

Written from jail (for the millionth time).

Right before his martyrdom. ⁣

Paul has learned and grown and served and loved and taught endlessly.

So in honor of his final words, here are the top three lessons I’ve learned from Paul’s life:⁣

1. It doesn’t matter what we’ve done in the past.

We can become better. ⁣

We only need to look forward.

The Pharisee became the apostle.

2. How well or poorly we think our life is going right now has NOTHING to do with our relationship with God. ⁣

Paul was thrown in jail multiple times, shipwrecked, hated, banned, and ultimately killed because he was following the Lord.

Circumstances are no indication of our favor with God.

3. Attitude makes all the difference. ⁣

Paul is one of the happiest preachers I have ever read teachings from.

He was always so positive and kind, corresponding with saints from all over.

Focusing outward instead of hyper focusing inward.

3 little, but actually really big, lessons from a man I’ve never met who lived 2,000 years ago.

What have you learned from Paul?

I invite you to reflect on that today!

I know, we’ve still got some more to study from him in book-order.

But what sticks in your mind from what Paul has taught?

And I’ll end with the very last words we have recorded from this amazing, Christlike man:

“I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith.” (2 Timothy 4:7)

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post Paul’s final words first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

And I had heard about Braxton hicks, or “false labor”.

How would I know the difference?!

I thought it would be so embarrassing to show up at the hospital thinking it was labor when it really was just a false alarm.

The advice I got from other moms?

“Oh, you’ll KNOW when it is real labor.”

But as I neared the end of my pregnancy, I didn’t know!

Every pain, every cramp, every movement had me concerned: Is this real labor?!

And then.. the real contractions started.

And oh boy, did I know that I was really, truly in labor.

We often hear Paul’s famous teaching that, “God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.” (2 Timothy 1:7)

But… fear is such a tricky emotion.

We feel fear and wonder: Is this fear I’m feeling a warning to stop?⁣

Is this fear a prompting?⁣

Does this fear mean I need to go do something?⁣

And sometimes the fears build on each other and become an anxiety, feeding each other and growing until they become too much to bear. ⁣

But I feel like Paul is saying, “Listen, you may be confused about whether or not it’s fear from your own mind or a prompting, but when God gives you a message, you will KNOW that it’s from Him.”

POWER. ⁣LOVE. ⁣A SOUND MIND. ⁣

God can absolutely warn us against dangerous things, He can still tell us to change, He can still tell us to go a different direction. ⁣

But the feeling will be empowering, full of love, and create the result of a sound mind. ⁣

We can get an urgent warning… but have a sound mind about it. ⁣

I know in my life, I always feel confused when I’m filled with fear. I don’t know what to do or where the thoughts are coming from. (Even though I technically know that fear isn’t from God.)⁣

But when I’m having a clear prompting, I feel power, love, and a sound mind. ⁣

No fear. ⁣

I’m grateful for a loving God who motivates and communicates with positive emotions.

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post Is this fear?  first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

Why can’t we just do our own thing and worry about our personal salvation?⁣

I think it’s important to be good examples in order to attract others to the gospel.

We can be the light on the hill.

We can talk about the joy and peace that permeates, even in the tough times.

We want to prove that being a follower of Christ actually changes who we are for the better.

⁣And the biggest lesson I’ve learned as I’ve tried to be a good example, is that it’s important to learn how to be comfortable being different!

Paul taught: “. . . Be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity.” (1 Timothy 4:12)

If we are going to choose to be different in

the words we say,

our topics of conversation,

the way we serve,

the sensitivity of our spirits,

the faith we develop,

and the purity of our minds,

then we are choosing to stick out amongst the rest of the world.

Are we okay being different and peculiar?

Jesus sure was different when He walked on the earth.

He stood out.

He was peculiar and unique in the things He said and the way He acted.

It’s good to get comfortable with being a bit different.

And if we stick out a bit by being a believer of Christ, we are in good company.

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post Be an example of the believers first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.