And she was so nervous!

She vented to me that she didn’t enjoy teaching or speaking…

But she had accepted the assignment because she was willing to try.

She wanted to share an important message despite feeling completely inadequate. 

I walked into her lesson ready to cheer her on.

And I was blown away by the power of the Spirit in that room.

She seemed to radiate confidence as she taught, and I could feel the Spirit manifesting the truth of her words to me. 

When Saul suddenly started to prophesy, people noticed something different about him:

“And when they came thither to the hill, behold, a company of prophets met him; and the Spirit of God came upon him, and he prophesied among them.” (1 Samuel 10:10)

Watching someone be filled with the Spirit of God as they fulfill a calling from the Lord is thrilling.

Something special is added to our very imperfect efforts when we agree to teach, minister, serve, or lead as an official call or assignment.

“Callings from the Lord are tailor-made for our growth.” – Patrick Kearon

How can you better invite the Lord’s Spirit to be with you as you step into your callings with confidence? 

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post Filled with the Spirit first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

I love this!⁣

I’m very aware of all my weaknesses and struggles.⁣

And I love working to improve them!⁣

But again… I’m VERY aware of all my weaknesses and struggles. ⁣

And I think this is why I love Enoch so much. ⁣

The Lord called him to preach repentance to those around him. ⁣

Enoch’s first response?⁣

“He bowed himself to the earth, before the Lord, and spake before the Lord, saying: ⁣

“Why is it that I have found favor in thy sight, and am but a lad, and all the people hate me; for I am slow of speech; wherefore am I thy servant?” (Moses 6:31)⁣

Isn’t Enoch all of us?⁣

We get asked to serve. ⁣

Maybe it’s an official calling that’s extended to us. ⁣

But maybe it’s a general calling from the Lord that we feel when someone gives a talk about missionary service, or ministering, or temple service, or family history. ⁣

Or maybe it’s a unique calling you feel the Spirit has told just you. ⁣

It’s easy to immediately go to all of our shortcomings. ⁣

“I’m too young!”⁣

“I’m not that popular.”⁣

“That’s not something I’m good at.”⁣

Do you think God doesn’t already know all this? The loving Creator and Father of our souls?⁣

He’s not looking for servants who think of every reason they can’t serve. ⁣

He’s looking for His children who will get to work. ⁣

Despite their age. Despite their lack of talent. Despite their fears. Despite their limitations and busy schedules. Despite their pride. ⁣

He’s looking for people who aren’t concerned with the HOW.⁣

He’s just looking for people who are ready to serve in their own imperfect way, with God as their guide. 

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post Not good enough to serve first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

This was a few years ago, and I was serving the youth.

Huge fan of Facebook groups for callings, by the way.

But here’s a pattern that I noticed happening over and over again:

Someone new to the group would post that they just received this calling.

They were very overwhelmed.

And they wanted everyone’s best advice and tips.

It was pretty clear that the person asking the question was HOPING for answers like:

“Here’s exactly how to delegate to your counselors and secretary!” or “Here’s the link to the binder I bought that will solve all your problems,” or something similar.

And YET… time and time again,

The thread filled up with similar comments that always warmed my heart:

“I wish someone would have told me not to worry about anything and just love the girls.”

“Get to know the girls and just love them!”

“I wish I hadn’t been so judgmental of these girls at first and just worked on loving them exactly as they are.”

When we serve at church, it is easy to unintentionally “. . . neglect the more weighty matters.” (D&C 117:8)

Susan H. Porter told a story about a man who had left the church for a long time, but then undeniably felt God’s love and just knew that he needed to return.⁣

But when he received his first calling after becoming active again, he said his perspective about callings changed completely:⁣

“Now the question for him became not ‘How can I fulfill this calling?’ but ‘How can I show God’s love through my service?’ ⁣

“With this new approach, he felt joy, meaning, and purpose in all aspects of his calling.”⁣

There are important things for us to do.

There are Ward Councils to attend and activities to organize and plans to execute. ⁣

But at the end of the day, are we unintentionally choosing to: “neglect the more weighty matters?”

Or are we focusing on what matters most— showing God’s love?

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post The more weighty matters first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

My roommates and I moved into our freshman dorms at BYU, and our new bishopric emailed out a “get-to-know-you” survey to everyone.⁣

(I can’t even imagine how overwhelmed that bishopric was with having to meet 180 18-19 year olds all at the same time, and issue callings as quickly as possible.)

Of course, one of the questions on their survey was: ⁣

Do you play the piano?⁣

I stopped when I saw that question.

Because I was afraid.

I was afraid that if I answered truthfully, I would be “stuck” in a musical calling.

And music-related callings are often demanding and/or isolating.

But I also remembered the lessons my parents had taught me about sharing my talents at church. ⁣

I filled out the survey, saying that I did play the piano.⁣

The Lord was talking to many of the men who had traveled to Missouri in D&C 60:2:

“But with some I am not well pleased, for they will not open their mouths, but they hide the talent which I have given unto them, because of the fear of man.”⁣

These men were hiding their talents because of FEAR.

I’ve learned that anything fear-based is not coming from God. ⁣

If I’m afraid of people judging me

Or I’m afraid of people comparing me

Or if I’m afraid of getting a certain calling

Or if I’m afraid of being asked to volunteer in some way

Or even if I’m afraid of people thinking I’m trying to “show off”…

That doesn’t feel generous and loving to me.⁣

In fact, this makes me think of the Law of Consecration.

ALL of my talents and gifts come from God anyways. ⁣

Anything that I do to increase my talents and gifts, whether it’s a musical gift, or it’s just opening my mouth and talking about the gospel…⁣

Anything that I can do to increase any gift, is showing gratitude to the Lord. ⁣

Gratitude is the key.⁣

When I’m filled with gratitude, then I don’t have any fear. ⁣

It has taken me a while to get to this point, but I want to be so ridiculously generous with my time and all of my talents.

Which means… ⁣

No fear. Only gratitude.

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post “Do you play the piano?” first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

The Lord had called him to be Joseph Smith’s new scribe, writing down all of his revelations.

John happily accepted this assignment!

But then the Lord called John to also take over as the Church historian.

This was going to be different.

Instead of John just writing down what the prophet dictated to him, John was now being asked to come up with his own words.

John told Joseph he didn’t want to take on the role of historian.

But… he also told Joseph to pray about it.

If the Lord told Joseph again that John needed to accept this calling, he would.

Doctrine and Covenants section 47 was the answer that Joseph received as he took it to the Lord again.

And the answer was: “Behold, it is expedient in me that my servant John should write and keep a regular history . . . it shall be given him, inasmuch as he is faithful, by the Comforter, to write these things.” (D&C 47:1, 4)

John accepted the calling and faithfully recorded the Church history.

But he wasn’t alone in this endeavor.

The Comforter, the Spirit, was promised to help John write the history as long as he had faith.

Just like John did, we can cling to the promise that the Lord’s Spirit will be with us as we choose to willingly accept where we are called to serve.

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post I would rather not  first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

“Wow, I can’t believe they would give you that calling right now!”

I’ve got 3 young kids right now, my Come Follow Me Study work takes up a lot of time, I have a lot of additional extracurricular commitments…

And my husband is serving as bishop.

I’ll admit that a similar thought crossed my mind when I was being extended the calling, as well.

Isn’t this asking a little bit too much?

But the Spirit had been subtly preparing me, and I jumped into the calling.

And now that our stake’s Girls Camp ended over a month ago, I can now say:

“Wow, I can’t believe that I got to witness so many miracles, get to know other amazing women, and feel God’s love for the young women and leaders in our stake.”

It doesn’t feel “fair” that I got to experience this tremendous blessing.

Truly.

Now this doesn’t negate all the late nights and endless meetings and difficult problems and so on and so forth that I had to deal with along the way.

It was a ton of work, literally and emotionally.

But when I’ve willingly submitted my heart to a calling I’ve been extended, I’ve always felt more love ALONGSIDE the sacrifice that often accompanies it.

Ammon so beautifully said:

“This is the blessing which hath been bestowed upon us, that we have been made instruments in the hands of God to bring about this great work.” (Alma 26:3)

That’s the BLESSING!

The blessing is being able to serve and love other people.

The blessing is being able to be God’s hands in both formal and informal ways.

It is a privilege to serve.

And it is a sacrifice. And it’s hard. And there’s nuances to different times of your life and various callings… I get it.

But maybe if we start looking at church callings as being given unique opportunities to experience more of God’s love, we might completely change how we talk and think about callings.

“Always hold a calling in the Church. Especially when life is busy, you need to feel the Lord’s love for those you serve and for you as you serve.” -David B. Haight

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post Stake Camp Director first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

I was also freshly postpartum.

And a pandemic had just started, leaving me feeling overwhelmed.

This is when I learned that the excruciating pain I kept experiencing meant I needed to have an immediate, unexpected gallbladder removal surgery.

And on top of that, I didn’t take my phone charger with me to the hospital when my husband dropped me off at the ER.

Suddenly, in one of my busiest seasons of life, I was forced to completely slow down.

(While also asking kind nurses to let me borrow their charger from time to time so I could at least communicate with my husband.)

It was really hard at first.

I ended up spending 3 days virtually alone in the hospital.

But I remember the Spirit whispering to me, “Just slow down for a bit.”

It turned into a really sacred time of reset for me.

Alma had to deal with two jobs–

One as the high priest of the church.

And the other as the chief judge of the land.

He said that he felt sorrowful with everything he had to deal with!

And so Alma, “. . . retained the office of high priest unto himself; but he delivered the judgment-seat unto Nephihah.” (Alma 4:18)

Alma gave up one job and kept the other.

And guess what this meant for Alma?

He was suddenly able to do so much more!

By saying no to one thing, he was able to travel the land and be the best high priest that the people needed.

Sometimes, whether by choice or by a completely unexpected surgery and hospital stay, I am reminded that when I say no to some opportunities, I’m actually able to do more.

Simplifying where possible helps me magnify the few roles that I have.

And the Spirit can lead me to know the next right step.

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post Forced to slow down first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

This was a few years ago when it was just my husband, our 1-year-old daughter, and me.

It was a meeting with a member of the stake presidency where we knew my husband would be extended a calling.

Gulp.

We had lots of fun speculating what the calling could possibly be.

But while we were speculating, I suddenly had a thought clearly come to my mind:

“This calling will take a lot of time.

“You need to learn to not resent him for leaving you with your daughter more often.” ⁣

It was a very clear thought. ⁣

I think my husband and I are a fantastic team usually.

We’ve always been very clear that we are both equal partners when we are home.

We take turns making dinner, we care for our kids, we do household chores.

Things honestly have felt pretty “fair”. ⁣

But I felt the Spirit preparing me that things might not be “fair” for a while.

And that I needed to be okay with that.

In fact, I needed to find JOY in my counterpart offering of service to his service. ⁣

Paul’s teaching to the Corinthians stopped me in my tracks — because I have lived this.

“Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver.” (2 Corinthians 9:7)

Since that day 4 years ago when my husband was called as a counselor in the bishopric, and then continuing to his call as a bishop, my heart has slowly changed.

I’ve had to take on extra responsibilities and get comfortable doing things by myself.

But am I giving my service grudgingly?

I honestly try not to.

(I mean, it still happens, but then I try to give myself grace and press forward.)

Sometimes, I just try to serve out of “necessity”.

It’s pretty neutral— I’m just doing what needs to get done.

But my goal is to be a cheerful giver!

Not to put on a fake smile and act like everything is okay.

But to truly be cheerful to be able to serve in the way I’m asked to right now.

To find joy in taking on different responsibilities. ⁣

To be happy to develop my weaknesses into strengths. ⁣

It’s been a process.

But it’s been easier and easier to catch when I’m feeling “grudgingly” or resentful and willingly focus on my Savior instead.

And truly, honestly, when I think about Jesus, my heart becomes a lot more willing and joyful.

I’m taking steps to become a more cheerful giver of my time and energy.

And hopefully, someday, my selfish weaknesses can become a strength, all thanks to my Savior.

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post A cheerful giver first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

Here’s what I’ve noticed in that group, though.

Often, someone will post:

“Help! I just got called as Young Women’s President and I’m feeling very overwhelmed with everything on my plate. Can you give me your biggest piece of advice you wish you knew when you started?”

It’s pretty obvious that the person asking the question is looking for answers like: “Here’s exactly how to delegate to your counselors and secretary!” or “Here’s the link to the binder I bought that will solve all your problems” or something.

And yet time and time again, the thread fills up with similar comments that always warm my heart:

“I wish someone would have told me to not worry about anything and just love the girls.”

“Get to know the girls and just love them!”

“I wish I hadn’t been so judgmental of these girls at first and just worked on loving them exactly as they are.”

Amazing, right?!

I was blown away by Susan H. Porter’s talk in this most recent General Conference.

She told a story about a man who had left the church for a long time, but then undeniably felt God’s love and just knew that he needed to return.

But when he received his first calling after becoming active again, he said his perspective about callings changed completely:

“Now the question for him became not ‘How can I fulfill this calling?’ but ‘How can I show God’s love through my service?’

“With this new approach, he felt joy, meaning, and purpose in all aspects of his calling.”

There are important things for us to do. There are Ward Councils to attend and activities to organize and plans to execute.

But at the end of the day, are we unintentionally choosing to: “neglect the more weighty matters?” D&C 117:8

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post Do they feel loved? first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

So many factors to consider, so many strategies to try, so many ways to craft a lesson plan to optimize engagement and learning.

It was fascinating to me.

Especially because growing up in the church, we put everyone in “teaching” callings and call it a day!

But there is so much research behind how to actually be a good teacher, and it blew my mind.

I loved learning it, and I loved putting it into practice.

Here’s the thing about church teaching assignments, though.

You don’t have to know anything about the most up-to-date pedagogy.

In one of the most comforting verses for teachers ever, the Lord reminds us:

“Teach ye diligently and my grace shall attend you”. D&C 88:78

Diligent teachers have the Lord’s grace with them.

Grace that covers gaps in teaching skills, or engagement strategies, or even doctrinal knowledge.

Don’t get me wrong, I still love learning from masterful teachers.

But I’ve had great teachers who focus on entertainment more than bringing the spirit.

And I’ve had humble teachers who probably read too much during the lesson, ask obvious questions, or don’t really engage as well as they could, where the Spirit still speaks powerful words to me because I can tell they are doing their best.

Feel like you aren’t the best teacher, and yet you’ve been asked to teach?

The Lord’s grace will attend you.

I’ve felt this time and time again as I’ve taught, sometimes using my best teaching strategies, and other times being pulled in a totally different direction.

If we as teachers are diligent in our preparation, both of the material and of our hearts, the Lord’s grace will cover any gaps.

And His Spirit will do the real teaching.

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post Grace and teaching first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.