You are surrounded by little people all day, and yet you can feel pretty lonely. ⁣

I have felt this, a lot. ⁣

I’ve also had other solitary moments in my life where I may have looked fine, or been surrounded by friends, but I still felt all alone. ⁣

Have you felt like this before? Or maybe, do you feel it right now?⁣

Attending school, being given certain callings… these things can lead us to feel like we are in a solitary, draining place. ⁣

And honestly, it’s hard to feel like I can give service when I’m feeling drained and alone. ⁣

I don’t feel like getting out there and being proactive and doing things. ⁣

But the Savior is real. ⁣

He can take my solitary place and give it the nutrition that it needs. ⁣

To give it the light that it needs to still grow, even if it’s all alone. ⁣

To recognize that even when I feel completely drained, the Savior makes it possible for me to still give. ⁣

And not just give, but to be overflowing with ABUNDANCE.⁣

“Therefore, will I not make solitary places to bud and to blossom, and to bring forth in abundance? saith the Lord.” (D&C 117:7⁣)

He sees you in your lonely place. ⁣

But he doesn’t want you to stay there. ⁣

He wants to see you blossom and bring forth abundance, even when it seems impossible.⁣

Because honestly, impossible is what Jesus does.

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post Lonely places first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

I had recently moved into the ward. ⁣

My house was still being slowly organized.⁣

I was pretty sick and tired from pregnancy. ⁣

There was just a lot going on. ⁣

So, no thank you. I couldn’t handle my own life at the moment, which meant visiting my assigned sisters was not going to happen. ⁣

And then my new companion cornered me, and I quickly found myself agreeing to dates and times to go minister. ⁣

I picked up some cookies on the day we had planned, and met her at a house. We were invited inside. ⁣

And the conversation and company that flowed for the next unexpected two hours was so refreshing. ⁣

I found connection, I felt sympathy, I laughed, I shed a few tears, I served. ⁣

I’ve realized I’m really good at giving this excuse in a lot of areas in my life:

“Oh no, I can’t handle the simple day-to-day stuff right now, so I can’t take on anything else.”⁣

But time and time again, I’ve learned that when I try to give and serve in times that I lack, it is enough. ⁣

The amazing Kirtland saints didn’t wait until their bank accounts felt a litttttle more comfortable and all their debts were paid off before they donated their money. ⁣

“Out of our poverty we have given of our substance”. (D&C 109:5⁣)

They had nothing. And they still gave. ⁣

And with what they gave, they built the first holy temple to the Lord in this dispensation. ⁣

When I don’t think I have enough time to serve, but I do it anyways, I am always proven wrong. ⁣

Because… I’m always going to lack. ⁣

At least, it seems highly unlikely that at some point in my life I’ll be like, “Yeah, I’m totally comfortable now. I have nothing else to worry about and so NOW I’d like to serve others.”⁣

We are asked to serve from our own lack. ⁣

Of course, paying attention to when the line has crossed into unhealthy service. It’s okay to say no. ⁣

But I’ve come to learn that for the most part, I’m never going to feel like I’m “ready enough” to serve more or sacrifice more. ⁣

And yet, even in my complete and utter lack, the Lord can take what little I’m offering and transform it into a mighty miracle.

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post No ministering lessons please first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

At first, the home seemed perfect.

I felt so abundant and grateful to own a home and live in it!

But then… I wanted the walls painted.

When they got painted, I felt abundant again!

Everything was all good.

But then… we wanted to do our backyard.

When our yard was finished, I felt overwhelmingly abundant and wanted to throw all the parties!

The cycle has continued on and on.

I think we go through similar cycles in almost every area of our lives.

Paul acknowledged this, too:

“But by an equality, that now at this time your abundance may be a supply for their want, that their abundance also may be a supply for your want: that there may be equality.” (2 Corinthians 8:14)

Isn’t that such a cool balance that we’ve been asked to help with?

Whether in our wards,

our neighborhoods,

or the walls of our own homes,

We can help use our abundance to fill others’ wants.

And we can have our wants assisted by other people’s abundance.

We will always have wants.

Sometimes it’s emotional needs like good friendships and authentic connection.

Other times it’s spiritual needs like a testimony or a desire to read the scriptures.

And other times it is literally physical and temporal needs.

We can find a sweet equality when other people have an abundance to share with us.

It works both ways.

What do you feel like you currently are “abundant” with?

How can you find someone with a “want” to share with?

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post Abundance and wants 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.

Mine recently has been this theme of LACK vs ABUNDANCE.

On a personal level, when I think that I don’t have enough time to get something done, I act panicky.

Or when I think I’m running out of time to help my children grow into good people, I am not happy.

Or even simple things, like trying to ration bananas because I think we are going to run out… but then they all grow brown before we eat them all.

But on a spiritual level, LACK shows up everywhere, too.

Feeling like I don’t have enough energy to get the things done that I need to in order to feed my spiritual connection with God.

Feeling like I don’t have enough time to fulfill my calling.

Feeling like I can’t ever find time to go to the temple.

And this week is the perfect week to explore that LACK vs ABUNDANCE tension because so many of these Old Testament prophets used these same exact concepts to show the contrast between people who made and kept covenants with pure intent with God, and those who forgot everything spiritual.

In fact, Ezekiel had a famous vision that dove into this idea more.

Dry bones are one of the best representations of LACK that I can think of.

No water. No life. No beauty. No joy.

And what did the Lord ask Ezekiel to say to these dry bones?

“O ye dry bones, hear the word of the Lord.” (Ezekiel 37:4)

That is where we find abundance.

In the word of the Lord.

The law of the Lord.

The commandments.

The scriptures.

The covenants we make in the temple.

Slowly but surely, as we stick to the word of the Lord, He turns our lack into abundance.

Service becomes a joy that we certainly have time for.

There will always be more great opportunities to teach your children.

Attending the temple becomes a top priority.

The scriptures become your lifeline to heaven.

You feel generous with sharing everything that you have, no matter how small it may seem to the world.

So rise up, dry bones!

It’s time to take life, drink some everlasting water, and hear the word of the Lord to live in true abundance!

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post Dry Bones first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

You are surrounded by little people all day, and yet you can feel pretty lonely.

I have felt this, a lot.

I’ve also had other solitary moments in my life where I may have looked fine, or been surrounded by friends, but I still felt all alone.

Have you felt like this before? Or maybe, do you feel it right now?

Attending school, being given certain callings… these things can lead us to feel like we are in a solitary, draining place.

And honestly, it’s hard to feel like I can give service when I’m feeling drained and alone.

I don’t feel like getting out there and being proactive and doing things.

But the Savior is real.

He can take my solitary place and give it the nutrition that it needs.

To give it the light that it needs to still grow, even if it’s all alone.

To recognize that even when I feel completely drained, the Savior makes it possible for me to still give.

And not just give, but to be overflowing with ABUNDANCE.

“Therefore, will I not make solitary places to bud and to blossom, and to bring forth in abundance? saith the Lord.” D&C 117:7

He sees you in your lonely place.

But he doesn’t want you to stay there.

He wants to see you blossom and bring forth abundance, even when it seems impossible.

Because honestly, impossible is what Jesus does.

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post Abundance from Nothing first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.