In other words, don’t be jealous.

Why?

Why would this make the Lord’s Top Ten List for basic commandments that He wanted the children of Israel to follow, and that He still asks us to follow today?

I think I’ve realized that jealousy is one of the biggest signs of where our heart is.

If I’m over here spending all my time jealous of my friend’s beautiful new backyard, or that trip that they just went on, or the bonus I know that they got…

Then I’m not spending my time loving them.

I’m probably a lot less likely to want to serve them.

I probably am not praying for them.

And it also means my heart isn’t showing gratitude.

I’m probably not overwhelmed and grateful with how dependent I am on the Lord.

I might not be as willing to pay tithing.

My heart starts to worry about the wrong things.

This is a tough one in today’s super materialistic world, and it’s not a commandment I’ve conquered yet.

But I think it is worth every effort to try and root out that pride and jealousy.

Because then we make a little bit more room to love.

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post Jealousy and charity  first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

I spent time reviewing previous talks.

I prayed with very specific purposes beforehand.

I did a lot of work so that I wouldn’t have to do that much during the weekend.

And guess what happened when General Conference weekend arrived?!

I felt so immersed in every talk that I heard!

It truly was one of the most spiritual experiences of my life, and I felt like I was hearing the Lord speak, quite literally.

Although I’ve always loved General Conference, there was something powerful about REALLY preparing for a spiritual experience.

The Lord even warned Moses to “Go unto the people, and sanctify them to day and to morrow, and let them wash their clothes, And be ready against the third day: for the third day the Lord will come down in the sight of all the people upon mount Sinai.” (Exodus 19:10-11)

The Lord wanted the Israelites to prepare for the amazing spiritual experience that awaited them.

He didn’t want to just spring it on them.

He gave them three days to prepare.

Preparation takes work. It takes effort to do things ahead of time.

But Bonnie Oscarson put it perfectly when she said:

“Where much is required, much more will be given.”

We choose how much to prepare.

How much to ponder about our covenants BEFORE sacrament meeting starts.

How much to do physically and mentally BEFORE walking through the temple doors.

How much to do BEFORE we open our scriptures to study.

How much to search for intention BEFORE serving or loving someone.

But I have found that the more that I choose to prepare before what I anticipate to be a spiritual experience, the more that the Spirit is poured out upon me.

Preparation is for me.

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post Benefits of preparation  first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

I hear this constantly from my kids.

Sometimes they can do something by themselves and I get to see them grow in their development.

Buuuuut a lot of times they can’t really do it by themselves.

Or it would be so much easier or faster if they let me help.

Don’t we feel that same pressure as adults?

“Oh no, I can do it all by myself.”

Whether or not we actually can.

Or whether or not it would be easier or faster if we let someone help.

We don’t want to bother anyone.

“The thing that thou doest is not good.

“Thou wilt surely wear away, both thou, and this people that is with thee:

“for this thing is too heavy for thee; thou art not able to perform it thyself alone.” (Exodus 18:17-18)

I’ve recently watched my ward family rally around someone in need in truly epic ways.

I think that’s one of the real purposes of small, local congregations.

To see the immediate, too heavy burdens, and to step in and mourn with those who mourn and comfort those who stand in need of comfort.

I’ve had friends, family members, and ward members help to bear my burdens in too many ways for me to number.

There have been some beautiful experiences where the Lord has helped me release my pride and ask for or accept help that others selflessly give.

But even when others fail.

When people don’t help or support in the ways we wish.

The Savior is always there.

Saying, “You will wear away if you keep trying to do this all.

“It’s too heavy for you alone.

“Let me help bear the burden with you.

“Because I’ve already been through it alone.”

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post I can do it all by myself! first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

Guidance, blessings, comfort, opportunities, peace, love…

All good things!

All things that I know He is willing to give and that He loves for me to ask for.

But the gratitude, the worship, the joy aspect has been lacking in my prayers recently.

At the same time, I’ve started to realize that the Lord encourages gratitude toward Him EVERYWHERE.

In the scriptures, in the temple, in covenants…

He always wants to remind His people of everything that He has done for them first.

And then He asks for obedience or commitment from us.

But there is always a big emphasis on the mercy, the blessings, the creations, His love FIRST.

He knows how important it is for us to feel that overwhelming gratitude and devotion toward Him before we ask for or commit to anything else.

And so I’ve taken what I’ve learned in my studies and started to apply it to my prayers.

How can I pray with so much complete gratitude and worship and joy, that by the time I think to even ask Him for anything, I’m in a much holier and devoted mindset?

“The Lord is my strength and song”. (Exodus 15:2)

He is BOTH my strength and my song.

He answers questions, gives me blessings, and guides me.

AND He is the one I gladly worship through my internal songs of gratitude and devotion.

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post Strength AND joy first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

It was towards the end of the day and she was crying from the pain.

She’s a super logical kid, so her dad and I comforted her and explained that the best way for sprained ankles to get better is to give it rest.

We told her that when she slept that night, her ankle muscles would start to relax and heal.

She eventually calmed down and she went to sleep pretty soon after.

Well, when she woke up the best morning, she was not too happy to discover that her ankle still hurt!

“I rested it all last night, so it’s supposed to be better now! Why does it still hurt?!”

I realized I needed to better explain that even though it is amazing that our bodies heal themselves, often it takes a lot longer than we want.

Within a few hours, she was running around like normal again and hasn’t mentioned her ankle since.

But how often do we tell the Lord our own timetable for healing?

“Okay, I took a nap, did some service, and prayed about it. Why is my emotional pain still here?”

The Lord taught the Israelites:

“I am the Lord that healeth thee.” (Exodus 15:26)

He has blessed us with beautiful bodies that are, for the most part, able to heal ourselves when we have injury.

He heals the wounds of sin.

He heals emotional hurt.

He heals broken hearts and broken trust.

He heals pride and contention.

He heals quickly and miraculously.

He heals slowly and gradually.

He heals in a completely different way than we thought we needed to be healed.

Elder Christofferson recently taught about how we can heal and receive blessings from the Lord:

“We do our best but must leave to Him the management of blessings, both temporal and spiritual.”

The Lord heals.

But how and when is up to Him.

How has the Lord healed you recently?

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post Healing on the Lord’s timetable first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

I’ve had this experience recently, and I’ve been praying constantly for how to help solve this person’s problems so that they aren’t in so much pain.

But the impression that keeps coming back to my mind is: “This is their trial to deal with. What you can do is support and love and lift.”

And I’ve taken that to heart.

I can’t take away the trial or the pain or the heartache.

But I can love and support and lift this person through little acts of service, communication, heart-to-heart conversations, and lots of prayer.

So often, the story of Moses raising his hands in prayer to help the Israelites win their first battle in the wilderness is interpreted one specific way.

But these words touched my heart as I read Exodus 17:12:

“But Moses’ hands were heavy;

“and they took a stone, and put it under him, and he sat thereon;

“and Aaron and Hur stayed up his hands, the one on the one side, and the other on the other side;

“and his hands were steady until the going down of the sun.”

Two friends.

One of them a brother, in fact.

Staying by Moses’ side until the sun set.

They couldn’t take away the heavy task that had been given to Moses, of staying with his hands raised in prayer.

But they knew that they could be there to love, support, and lift.

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post Lifting the heavy hands first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

As the Israelites escaped from the Egyptians, they, “walked upon dry land in the midst of the sea; and the waters were a wall unto them on their right hand, and on their left.” (Exodus 14:29)

There have been so many times in my life where dangerous and chaotic waters are swirling all around me.

Lost jobs, financial setbacks, or emotional trials have made it seem like everything is piling up.

It has seemed overwhelming. Like I’m just one step from it all crashing down.

And anyone else looking into my life would see how turbulent it is.

But yet…

My feet have stayed on dry ground.

I have felt peace.

I’ve had others join me on the journey so that I feel supported.

I’ve focused on just taking that next step forward.

All because of Jesus Christ.

He is the one who makes it all possible.

The chaos and the swirling waters pile up sometimes.

But they don’t need to mean my destruction when I have faith in Jesus Christ.

When I keep looking forward and taking a step.

Even when that step forward means the waters are getting even higher and higher.

There is peace in Christ.

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post Waters all around  first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

Here are a few notes I wrote down, all from different speakers:

• Is my faith in Jesus Christ central in everything I do?

• How can I change “what do I want” to “what does God want”?

• We can hear the Holy Ghost best when we are being childlike and submissive.

• Am I being “authentic” to Jesus?

• To be converted, we have to consciously accept doctrines, and let them change who we are.

• Sometimes we think we know the exact blessings and exact timetable for our “reward” for keeping commandments and covenants.

I can’t even imagine how the children of Israel felt.

They had finally escaped from bondage.

It had been a dramatic, spiritual end to years of oppression.

They were free!

But then… the Egyptians caught up to them.

And cornered them.

Against a giant sea.

This had all gone wrong. Where were the blessings? Where was the Lord with keeping His covenant to Abraham? What had all of these plagues been for?

Because now there was literally no way out.

Egyptians on one side, and uncrossable water on the other.

It honestly would have been better to just stay in bondage instead of die here. At least their oppression was familiar.

“And Moses said unto the people, Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord, which he will shew to you to day: for the Egyptians whom ye have seen to day, ye shall see them again no more for ever.” (Exodus 14:13)

We have been told to expect miracles.

I’m sure the Israelites couldn’t yet fathom what the Lord would do to get them out of this impossible situation.

Just like I’m sure I can’t fathom what the Lord can do for me in the struggles I face.

I can’t see a solution. I keep trying and thinking. I can’t come up with anything. I keep hitting roadblocks.

But instead, I’m going to try expecting a miracle.

To let my will be swallowed up in God’s will so perfectly, that I have sure faith He has a plan that’s better than I could even imagine.

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post My will and God’s will first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

To always be led by the Lord?

To know where He wants you to be and where He wants you to go next?

Okay, okay, I see where this spiritual thought is going.

The Lord didn’t just lead the children of Israel and then tell future generations that we are out of luck from having that same guiding influence.

He may have led them in a more physical sense.

But He undoubtedly still leads us today.

I mean, General Conference is the perfect weekend to reflect on that.

“And the Lord went before them by day in a pillar of a cloud, to lead them the way; and by night in a pillar of fire, to give them light; to go by day and night”. (Exodus 13:21)

Day and night, His light and His guidance are there.

Now, seeing His hand, finding His guidance, listening to the whispers of the Spirit… I think that is part of our challenge now.

The other part is humbling ourselves enough to want to look for the guidance in the first place.

So here’s what I’ve been reflecting on:

1. Am I humble enough to actually seek God’s guidance and will in my life, or am I plowing forward just with what I want?
2. How am I able to listen and hear when I do receive divine guidance?

Those answers change around day by day.

But if I keep the questions in mind, I find that my heart is led a little easier.

Molded a little more thoroughly.

And turned toward God’s guiding cloud and fire, both day and night.

He still leads and guides us. Where have you felt led this weekend?

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post Leading and lighting the way  first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

Kids would ask me a question and I felt like I needed to know every answer.

I needed to be the knowledge authority in my classroom, right?!

But the best and worst part of teaching sixth grade is that the kids would start to (respectfully, for the most part) call me out when I said something incorrect.

It took a few months, but I finally realized how ironically empowering it was to admit that I didn’t know something to my students.

“Mrs. Black, why did you say THAT part of the story is the climax? Wouldn’t it be THIS part instead?”

I figured out that it felt SO much better (and by the way, MUCH more effective for teaching) to say:

“Oh interesting! Why do you think that? I could totally be wrong!”

The discussions that comments like this would spur were AMAZING. And tons of class members would start to chime in with their opinions, too.

Real learning would occur.

I loved it.

And I feel like right around this same time at the beginning of my teaching career was when I started to adopt this humility into my personal life, too.

Instead of thinking I had the right answer in my marriage, or in my church callings, or in other decisions that I had to make, it was so much more empowering to recognize that I COULD be wrong.

Replacing pride with humility one little step at a time has brought nothing but peace to my life.

In a gospel context:

“Humility enables us to have broken hearts when we sin or make mistakes and makes it possible for us to repent.” —Elder Steven E. Snow

I have found that it’s actually so freeing to acknowledge that I’ve been wrong.

I’m not perfect at it at all.

There are some sins that I want to cling to, like an insecure middle school teacher who insists they know the right answer.

“How long wilt thou refuse to humble thyself before me?” (Exodus 10:3)

I hope I don’t take too long, though, to loosen my grip on those favorite sins, those rationales, those prideful tendencies.

Humility is much more freeing than pride.

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post Humility and teaching middle school first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.