As we worked through “what came next” on a series of different patterns, I noticed how many of the kids worked very differently. ⁣

Some of the kids would try and figure out the color patterns on their own. ⁣

(Sometimes they were right; other times they were very wrong.)⁣

And other kids wanted to wait and see what the answer was before they colored in their pattern. ⁣

(“Wait, what’s the answer? What color should I use?”)⁣

These two approaches are pretty universal, right?⁣

Sometimes we have questions and problems, and we do our best to find a solution. ⁣

Other times, we have questions and problems, and we wait for the answer to come to us before we move forward. ⁣

Guess which approach always leads to the best learning?!

When we do our best to do the work and find an answer, whether it is right or wrong, we learn infinitely more than when we just wait to be told the right answer. ⁣

Abraham’s servant is such a perfect and sweet example of this. ⁣

Tasked with finding a wife for Isaac, the servant came up with a plan and presented it to the Lord. ⁣

“And let it come to pass, that the damsel to whom I shall say, Let down thy pitcher, I pray thee, that I may drink; and she shall say, Drink, and I will give thy camels drink also: let the same be she that thou hast appointed for thy servant Isaac; and thereby shall I know that thou hast shewed kindness unto my master.” (Genesis 24:14) ⁣

The servant came up with a possible solution.

It doesn’t matter so much if it was a “good” plan or the “right” plan as much as the fact that he came up with something.

The Lord can always work with something.

This servant chose to at least come up with the plan, which is where the most learning and growth happens. ⁣

It’s so tempting to want to sit around, waiting to be inspired or told to do the right things. ⁣

Who should I serve? How should I simplify my life? What can I do to teach my family the gospel?⁣

It takes a lot of faith to make plans and move forward.

But moving forward, right or wrong or in between, is where we learn.

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post Preschool patterns  first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

I had my degree, and was totally ready to finally teach professionally full-time and make a full-time salary! ⁣

But transferring my teaching license to a new state, waiting for background check results, and applying for jobs in the middle of a school year were leading me to getting a total of ZERO job offers those first few months. ⁣

I immediately started applying for substitute teaching jobs while I waited, and roadblock after roadblock kept popping up with delayed trainings and orientations and fingerprint cards. ⁣

My plan of supporting my husband and myself financially while he was in school was starting to fail, and our savings account slowly dipped lower and lower. ⁣

This was one time in my life where I really felt the concept that faith = action. ⁣

I knew that God would provide for us and that things would work out, but it was also really difficult sitting there without any income for a while, with many factors outside of my control.⁣

I kept moving forward on every path I could find, and each time I would hit a roadblock, I’d think of another path and go that way. ⁣

And overall, there was this pervasive peace, this faith that I knew everything would work out okay. ⁣

When Abraham led his beloved son Isaac up to the mountain with all the supplies to make a burnt offering, except the lamb itself, Isaac started to wonder. ⁣

Where is the sacrifice? What were they going to do?⁣

His father Abraham so wisely testified: “My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering”. (Genesis 22:8)⁣

Abraham had pure faith that God would provide that offering, no matter what that looked like. ⁣

But I love that Abraham was also teaching Isaac of what was going to come in the future: ⁣

God would eventually provide a sacrificial lamb for all of mankind.⁣

God has always provided for us. ⁣

When we really believe that God will provide, what can that give us the faith to do?⁣

“The Savior is never closer to you than when you are facing or climbing a mountain with faith.” – Russell M. Nelson

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post God will provide  first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

“Keeping the peace” is associated with someone who just wants there to be external peace. ⁣

I can think of many times in my life where there’s been an issue with someone else, but I’ve resorted to just keeping the peace.

I’m still upset or sad or frustrated, but I make everything seem fine and say the right words to keep people happy. ⁣

But being a “peacemaker” is associated with someone who wants to help find internal peace for everyone. ⁣

(Which, side note, often ends up in external peace, too, but might take a bit longer to get there.)⁣

As I’ve matured emotionally and spiritually, I’ve learned that sacrificing my own inner peace to keep situations “happy” is NOT the answer. ⁣

Having sometimes uncomfortable conversations about what is wrong, in calm and level-headed ways, inviting the Spirit, is the real way to bring inner peace. ⁣

Abraham and Lot were having some land issues. ⁣

There just straight up wasn’t enough room for both of them anymore. ⁣

No one was being evil, this was no one’s fault. Life is just messy sometimes. ⁣

Abraham DIDN’T tell his herdsmen to just deal with it and be nice. He didn’t pretend like nothing was wrong. ⁣

He had the conversation with his nephew Lot. Maybe it was awkward at first. Maybe Abraham was dreading the conversation. ⁣

But he led with love, with peace, AND with straightforwardness. ⁣

“Let there be no strife, I pray thee, between me and thee, and between my herdmen and thy herdmen; for we be brethren.” (Genesis 13:8) ⁣

He also came with a solution ready to go, one that would require action on both of their parts. They would both move to different lands of their choosing. ⁣

And it worked!⁣

Abraham sought true inner peace for both himself and his nephew who he cared about. He was kind and Christlike. He had an idea for a solution. And Abraham was blessed greatly. ⁣

“To be a peacemaker is not to be weak but to be strong in a way that the world may not understand.” – Elder Stevenson

How can you do the harder, but more rewarding, work of being a peacemaker today?

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post Peace keeping vs. Peacemaking  first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

The kids were both in the stroller, and I was catching up on finally responding to some emails, texts, and DMs on my phone as I pushed.

It was nice.

And then my daughter wanted to get out of the stroller.

I stopped and she started walking right next to me.

All of a sudden, she wanted to talk about everything.

Every flower she saw. Every number on every house. Every dog or decoration.

I still had my phone in my hand, but I was no longer able to be “productive” on the walk.

So I put my phone away.

She didn’t want to just go on a walk.

She wanted to walk with her mom.

And that meant communication and connection.

It was a fun little walk before she got tired and wanted to get back in the stroller.

I’ve been trying to think about what it means to really walk with the Lord.

And I think my daughter showed me the perfect example.

We need to be doing the things that He is doing.

We need to be talking with Him. Communicating in prayers, both formal and informal.

We need to be finding connection with the Lord. Asking questions, making observations, learning.

“The Lord, before whom I walk, will send his angel with thee, and prosper thy way”. (Genesis 24:40)

So when we make the effort to walk with God, He not only walks with us…

He then also sends angels to accompany us on our walk.

Angels to guide, comfort, communicate, prosper our way.

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post Walk With the Lord first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

As we worked through “what came next” on a series of different patterns, I noticed how many of the kids worked very differently.

Some of the kids would try and figure out the color patterns on their own.

(Sometimes they were right; other times they were very wrong.)

And other kids wanted to wait and see what the answer was before they colored in their pattern.

(“Wait, what’s the answer? What color should I use?”)

These two approaches are pretty universal, right?

Sometimes we have questions and problems, and we do our best to find a solution.

Other times, we have questions and problems, and we wait for the answer to come to us before we move forward.

As an educator, I’m very familiar with where the most learning happens:

When we do our best to do the work and find an answer, whether it is right or wrong, we learn infinitely more than when we just wait to be told the right answer.

Abraham’s servant is such a perfect and sweet example of this.

Tasked with finding a wife for Isaac, the servant came up with a plan and presented it to the Lord.

“And let it come to pass, that the damsel to whom I shall say, Let down thy pitcher, I pray thee, that I may drink; and she shall say, Drink, and I will give thy camels drink also: let the same be she that thou hast appointed for thy servant Isaac; and thereby shall I know that thou hast shewed kindness unto my master.” (Genesis 24:14)

The servant came up with a possible solution!

And the Lord agreed with the plan!

Now, he could have been totally “wrong”, which would have then made it pretty easy for the Lord to tell him how he would actually give the sign of the right wife.

But either way, this servant chose to at least come up with the plan, which is where the most learning and growth happens.

It’s so tempting to want to sit around, waiting to be inspired or told to do the right things.

Who should I serve? How should I simplify my life? What can I do to teach my family the gospel?

It takes a lot of faith, and setting aside “perfectionism”, to take fully formed ideas to the Lord and see what you’ll be taught.

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post Patterns and preschool first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

“That they may always have His spirit to be with them.”

Like, this is my goal in life.

You know those people that you looked up to in your ward growing up, who just exuded kindness and love no matter what?

Those people you meet now who seem so genuine and sincere in all they do?

I think I’ve discovered the secret to what makes these people so awesome.

Really, there is a big connection that I’ve made:

They all attend the temple on a regular basis.

And I say “regular basis” because I have lived both near and far from temples, and these individuals all worship there “regularly”, whatever that means to them.

Try it out— talk to that person that just magnifies the Spirit in all they do, and bring up their thoughts on the temple.

Because I think they real key to always having the Spirit with us is to always be keeping our covenants.

And to keep them, we have to know them and ponder on them regularly.

King Abimelech noticed this quality about Abraham, someone who was very familiar with covenants:

“God is with thee in all that thou doest”. (Genesis 21:22)

The Spirit is with those who draw priesthood power into their lives by keeping powerful and eternal covenants with God.

What have you covenanted to do?

Those actions will keep the Spirit pouring into your life, in all that you do.

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post In all that you do first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

I had my degree, and was totally ready to finally teach professionally full-time and make a full-time salary!

But transferring my teaching license to a new state, waiting for background check results, and applying for jobs in the middle of a school year were leading me to getting a total of ZERO job offers those first few months.

I immediately started applying for substitute teaching jobs while I waited, and roadblock after roadblock kept popping up with delayed trainings and orientations and fingerprint cards.

My plan of supporting my husband and myself financially while he was in school was starting to fail, and our savings account slowly dipped lower and lower.

This was one time in my life where I really felt the concept that faith = action.

I knew that God would provide for us and that things would work out, but it was also really difficult sitting there without any income for a while, with many factors outside of my control.

I kept moving forward on every path I could find, and each time I would hit a roadblock, I’d think of another path and go that way.

And overall, there was this pervasive peace, this faith that I knew everything would work out okay.

When Abraham led his beloved son Isaac up to the mountain with all the supplies to make a burnt offering, except the lamb itself, Isaac started to wonder.

Where is the sacrifice? What were they going to do?

His father Abraham so wisely testified: “My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering”. (Genesis 22:8)

Abraham had pure faith that God would provide that offering, no matter what that looked like.

But I love that Abraham was also teaching Isaac of what was going to come in the future:

God would eventually provide a sacrificial lamb for all of mankind.

God has always provided for us.

When we really believe that God will provide, what can that give us the faith to do?

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post God will provide first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

Someone gave me a small bag of trail mix recently, and I picked through to find the M&Ms and ate those instead.

Because, chocolate.

My husband took the bag from me to pick out his favorites, and I saw a couple M&Ms that I had missed at the bottom.

“Wait!” I said, and quickly found the pieces I had missed, doing a final sweep for any other chocolate that was hiding.

I didn’t want to give my trail mix away while leaving any valuable pieces of chocolate behind!

God told Abraham that Sodom and Gomorrah were going to be destroyed.

Abraham, with his kind and compassionate heart, pleaded for the Lord to not destroy them if 50 righteous people were found.

Abraham continued to try and prove how much a righteous soul would be worth to the Lord until he stopped at:

“Peradventure ten shall be found there. And he said, I will not destroy it for ten’s sake.” (Genesis 18:32)

One righteous person can make a huge difference within a home, a school, or a community.

Every effort that you make to turn to the Lord and show love, despite what may or may not be happening around you, matters.

One little light.

Even if you feel like you are the only M&M in the bag, the Lord sees you.

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post The M&Ms worth saving first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

I could write out a whole list.

Some things, you would probably say are very well justified.

Other things probably seem much larger to me than they really are.

Regardless, I’ve found a lot of things that have piled up in my mind.

Getting everything done or handling everything with grace seems… well, impossible to me.

It’s all impossible.

And so this question has not been able to leave my head:

“Is any thing too hard for the Lord?” (Genesis 18:14)

Because it sure seems too hard for me to handle.

But here’s a beautiful connection I’ve recently made:

If my Lord can handle it all,

And if He has promised to take my yoke and bear my burdens,

Then nothing is impossible for me when I partner with the Lord.

Sarah and Abraham both laughed when they heard they were getting a son, when it was biologically impossible.

Impossible.

And yet, it happened.

The Lord can make miracles happen all on His own.

I’ve had a few, tender, sacred moments in my life where I have seen these truly impossible miracles occur.

But more often, I see it more as a partnership.

A very, very, unfair and unequal partnership.

Where my load seems quite impossible. Mentally; physically; emotionally.

But I know that nothing is too hard for Him.

And so I rely on Him even more. I invite Him in. I tell Him the intricacies of what I’m facing.

And the cliche is true— the burdens are still there. The load is still as big as ever.

But I’m able to feel those moments of peace and relief as I endure.

With God, nothing is impossible.

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post It all seems too hard first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

“Keeping the peace” is associated with someone who just wants there to be external peace.

I can think of many times in my life where there’s been an issue with someone else, but I’ve resorted to just keeping the peace.

I’m still upset or sad or frustrated, but I make everything seem fine and say the right words to keep people happy.

But being a “peacemaker” is associated with someone who wants to help find internal peace for everyone.

(Which, side note, often ends up in external peace, too, but might take a bit longer to get there.)

As I’ve matured emotionally and spiritually, I’ve learned that sacrificing my own inner peace to keep situations “happy” is NOT the answer.

Having sometimes uncomfortable conversations about what is wrong, in calm and level-headed ways, inviting the Spirit, is the real way to bring inner peace.

Abraham and Lot were having some land issues.

There just straight up wasn’t enough room for both of them anymore.

No one was being evil, this was no one’s fault. Life is just messy sometimes.

Abraham DIDN’T tell his herdsmen to just deal with it and be nice. He didn’t pretend like nothing was wrong.

He had the conversation with his nephew Lot. Maybe it was awkward at first. Maybe Abraham was dreading the conversation.

But he led with love, with peace, AND with straightforwardness.

“Let there be no strife, I pray thee, between me and thee, and between my herdmen and thy herdmen; for we be brethren.” (Genesis 13:8)

He also came with a solution ready to go, one that would require action on both of their parts. They would both move to different lands of their choosing.

And it worked!

Abraham sought true inner peace for both himself and his nephew who he cared about. He was kind and Christlike. He had an idea for a solution. And Abraham was blessed greatly.

“I ask us to be peacemakers—to love peace, to seek peace, to create peace, to cherish peace.” Elder Jeffrey R. Holland

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post Being a peacemaker first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.