I was reminded that if there’s anything that raising a human for the first six weeks of their life can teach you, it’s a nice, firm reminder that there are so many things outside of your control. ⁣

The word “schedule” is pretty meaningless. ⁣

Infants cry when they want. Sleep when they want. Have messy blowouts when they want. ⁣

It’s a time when you literally have so little control over a lot of details in your life as an adult.

My kids are older than my sister’s little infant, so we are dealing with a different type of chaos as we deal with “end of the school year” busyness.

No matter what phase of life I’m in though, I’ve always taken comfort in what I can control. ⁣

I can choose Jesus. ⁣

“Choose you this day whom ye will serve”. (Joshua 24:15)⁣

I can choose to still pray. ⁣

I can choose to still scroll through some scriptures as I’m falling asleep. ⁣

I can choose to react with love and all the patience I can muster. ⁣

And I can also choose to recognize that the good things I’m doing as a woman, wife, and mother are all huge ways of serving the Lord, too. ⁣

I’m choosing to make personal sacrifices to love those around me even better.

Basically, I’m choosing to serve God each day by embracing the chaos. ⁣

It’s what I can give.

“Choosing the Lord” looks different to everyone in different stages of life. ⁣

But the choice will always be there— in fact, our Savior suffered to endure that the choice would always be there. ⁣

How have you chosen Jesus today?

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post Choose you this day first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

I was at a restaurant with some of my work colleagues a few years ago, and had just been introduced to someone new who had been hired onto our team.

This new colleague had asked me if I wanted him to get me a beer inside.

I told him thanks for the offer but that I didn’t drink alcohol.

He responded:

“Oh! Do you not drink because of your church, or is it a personal choice?”

I only had a split-second to gather my thoughts.

But I was somehow able to respond by saying:

“Well, I am a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, if that’s what you’re getting at, so yes, my religion asks us not to drink alcohol.

“But it is also a personal decision that I’ve made to follow that advice and not drink alcohol.”

He graciously said, “Of course, I get it!”

(For the record, we worked together very well afterward, so he obviously didn’t think I was too crazy for my response.)

Really, I just wanted to let him know that I didn’t abstain from alcohol only because my church told me not to.

I had made a personal decision to follow the counsel and had felt that decision confirmed to me many times.

The Lord gave the new Saints in New York a big, life-altering commandment to move to Ohio.

But the Lord ended this commandment with an interesting note:

“Behold, here is wisdom, and let every man choose for himself.” (D&C 37:4)

The Lord gives commandments.

The church gives guidelines.

Our prophet gives challenges.

Our bishop gives us callings.

And yet, we always get to choose for ourselves.

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post Why don’t you drink?  first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

But guess what the Lord says?

“Mine elect hear my voice and harden not their hearts.” (D&C 29:7)

What if the Lord isn’t just mentioning the characteristics that the already “elect” people have?

What if He is telling us what to do to become “elect”?

That means people are “elect” or “chosen” because they CHOOSE to hear the Lord’s voice and not harden their hearts.

How do we choose to hear the Lord’s voice?

To me, this looks like trying to listen to promptings, studying General Conference messages, and spending time in His holy house.

It means I actively seek more opportunities to hear His voice and learn His will.

And the “elect” children of God then choose to hear God’s word with humility!

To me, this looks like asking, “Lord, is it I?” instead of thinking about how other people should change.

It looks like hearing something I’m not doing great at and softening my heart so I can improve instead of just growing bitter.

God pours out extra blessings and gives bounteous service opportunities to those who hear Him with a soft and willing heart.

“It takes conscious and consistent effort to fill our daily lives with His words, His teachings, His truths.” – President Nelson

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post Are you elect?  first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

Picture birds, hopping from bough to bough on a tree, unsure of which one they will land on.

Spending a little time here, and then a little time there, then back and forth again over and over.

When will the birds just pick a branch and stay there, confident in their choice?

Outward spiritual confidence has been quite a journey for me.

My belief, my faith, and my knowledge of the gospel have all been pretty personal journeys.

I’ve developed them step by step on my own.

But I’m often surprised at how difficult it is sometimes to hold that spiritual confidence when interacting with people who don’t have my same belief system.

That fear of other people judging me, making assumptions about my intentions, thinking I’m naive, and a plethora of other not-so-fun experiences.

These Israelites knew who the real God was. They likely had testimonies of the great God of Israel.

But… they also had a king and a queen who worshipped different gods.

They felt societal pressure to do as their leaders requested.

Adam Clarke, a popular theologian, mused about this issue the Israelites faced in that moment:

“And at this juncture their minds seemed in equipoise, and they were waiting for a favourable opportunity to make their decision.

“Such an opportunity now, through the mercy of God, presented itself.”

I love that idea.

It was a huge MERCY that Elijah asked the Israelites to finally stop trying to hop on each branch.

And to stand still on one.

Choose.

And then find peace and stand still.

It’s God extending His merciful hand when He asks us to choose a side.

He’s not demanding. He’s not selfish.

He wants us to have the peace to stop hopping back and forth depending on who we are with, which commandment we are dealing with, or which day of the week it is.

Pick and have peace.

“How long halt ye between two opinions? if the Lord be God, follow him: but if Baal, then follow him.” (1 Kings 18:21)

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post Hopping back and forth first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

The word “schedule” is pretty meaningless.

Infants cry when they want. Sleep when they want. Have messy blowouts when they want.

I have so little control over a lot of details in my life right now!

It’s fine.

I know it gets better in some ways.

And crazier in others.

But even when I’m super tired and a hot mess, I’ve taken comfort in what I can control.

I can choose Jesus.

“Choose you this day whom ye will serve”. (Joshua 24:15)

I can choose to still pray.

I can choose to still scroll through some scriptures as I’m falling asleep.

I can choose to react with love and all the patience I can muster.

And I can also choose to recognize that raising my little baby, responding to her constant needs, is a huge way of serving the Lord, too.

I am choosing to raise this beautiful child of God.

I’m choosing to make personal sacrifices to raise her and give her what she needs.

Basically, I’m choosing to serve God each day by embracing the chaos.

It’s what I’m giving Him right now.

“Choosing the Lord” looks different to everyone in different stages of life.

But the choice will always be there— in fact, our Savior suffered to endure that the choice would always be there.

How have you chosen Jesus today?

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post Choose ye this day first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

I love it when Nephi said: “Awake, my soul!”

This has always resonated with me because it is SO EASY to become apathetic.

To get caught up in the mundane tasks, and the to-do lists, and even the fun stuff.

But is my soul really awake?

Or am I numbing it every chance I get and filling all my time with… stuff?

Time to watch a show, but no time to open my Gospel Library app and ponder on a few verses.

Or even when I am involved in good, fun things, am I engaged?

Is my soul awake?

This is the message the Lord wanted Enoch to take to the people, too!

“Say unto this people: Choose ye this day, to serve the Lord God who made you.” (Moses 6:33)

Wake up!

Make the choice today, and every single day.

Find a way to serve God, and then do it.

It’s such an empowering sentiment, right?

When it’s tempting to complain because of XYZ that happened at church today, or to judge and talk about others, or to be overwhelmed by how much has to get done…

That’s the easy stuff. That’s the path of least resistance.

It takes decision-making, courage, and devotion to actually choose to love the Lord today.

And then to serve Him in some way.

Serve Him by adding more love into your home today.

Serve your spouse in a new way.

Text a friend who is dealing with something rough.

Read a few scriptures and say a prayer of gratitude.

Listen to a talk and resolve to try something new this week as a result.

Create something beautiful.

Learn more about someone who you think is very different from you and feel God’s love for them.

The possibilities are endless, and we can choose new things each day!

Is your soul awake today?

Wake up, choose the Lord, and serve Him by adding more goodness to the world!

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post It’s time to WAKE UP! first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

Like, there were HUGE binders that got passed around.

Binders filled with sheets for taking meals to someone in need, asking for donations for hygeine kits, volunteering to clean the temple, and pretty much anything else I could think of.

And I would watch certain women in my ward who would always sign up for everything.

They’d go through every paper and write their name next to every opportunity they could.

And I remember thinking, “I want to be like that someday”.

Before the world was, when God the Father asked who He should send to create the earth and help fulfill His purpose, there was someone else who volunteered.

Our Savior Jesus Christ said, as recorded in Abraham 3:27: “Here am I, send me.”

He volunteered.

He didn’t have to, and yet He stepped up.

And why?

He volunteered out of love for us.

He loved us so much that He voluntarily agreed to be our Savior.

“This divine love should give us abundant comfort and confidence as we pray to the Father in the name of Christ. Not one of us is a stranger to Them. We need not hesitate to call upon God, even when we feel unworthy.” (D. Todd Christofferson)

We are so loved, and it means that we have this same intimate connection to our Savior that we have with anyone else who has ever chosen to serve us.

I’m sure that Jesus would be the person writing His name on every sheet that gets passed around in a church meeting.

I’ve got some mortal limits to what I’m able to do, and I’ve learned that sometimes me saying “no” to a sign up sheet means I’m actually saying “yes” to more family time.

But anytime that I’m able to say to the Lord: “Here I am! I’m ready to serve! Send me!”

Anytime that I’m able to CHOOSE to do something new out of love, I feel like the Savior’s cheering me on.

And whether the volunteer opportunities come through Relief Society, a community group, work, or through individual prayer, every chance that I get to say “Here am I! Send me!” is a chance to practice using my agency for good.

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post Binders and Relief Society first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

We were at a restaurant, and this new colleague said to me, “Hey I’m gonna head inside and grab a beer. Do you want me to grab you one?”

I told him thanks for the offer, but that I didn’t drink.

He responded, “Oh! Do you not drink because your church tells you not to drink, or is it a personal choice?”

What a question, right?

I only had a split-second to gather my thoughts.

But I was able to respond to him:

“Well, I am a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, if that’s what you’re getting at, so yes, my religion encourages us not to drink alcohol. But it is also a personal decision that I’ve made to follow that advice and not drink alcohol.”

He very graciously said, “Of course, of course, I get it!”

(And for the record, we worked together very well afterwards, so he obviously didn’t think I was too crazy for my response!)

I knew that he really wanted to just know whether or not I was “Mormon” or not. I get it.

But… I really wanted to let him know that I didn’t just not drink alcohol because my church told me not to.

I had also made a personal decision to follow the counsel, and have felt that decision confirmed to me many times.

In Doctrine and Covenants Section 37, the Lord gives the big, life-altering commandment to ask the Saints to move from New York to Ohio!

But the Lord ends this commandment with this interesting note in verse 4:

“Behold, here is wisdom, and let every man choose for himself.”

The Lord gives commandments.

The church gives guidelines.

Our prophet gives challenges.

Our Bishop gives us callings.

And yet, we always get to choose for ourselves.

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post Choose for yourself! first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.