Clothes, toiletries, chargers… ⁣

They are important to me so I pack them in first!⁣

On the top of my suitcase is where I pack the book that I probably won’t have time to read, the journal I won’t write in, and random trinkets that I find at the last minute that I think might be nice to have. ⁣

(Am I the only one who always seems to pack a book, yet never reads it?!)⁣

The order that we do things tends to show their priority in our life. ⁣

What we do when we first wake up. ⁣

What we make sure happens before we go to bed. ⁣

What we do when we get some free time. ⁣

What we do when we get in the car. ⁣

Order can tell us a lot about our purposes and priorities!⁣

So… why did the Lord create the world in the order that He did?⁣

“The sequential order in which the earth was created gives us a glimpse not only of what is most important to God but also why and for whom He created the earth.” -Vaiangina Sikahema⁣

The light. The atmosphere. The oceans. Plants. The Sun. Animals. ⁣

And then Sons and Daughters of God. ⁣

Everything in the proper order. The only order for it all to work. ⁣⁣

Culminating the Creation with WHO this is actually for. ⁣

Light for us to see. Atmosphere for us to survive. Land and seas for variety and function. Plants for beauty and for nourishment. Stars and the moon for us to be able to tell time and location. Animals to multiply and fill the earth. ⁣

All for us. ⁣

The order teaches us. ⁣

Man and woman were the last physical creations. ⁣

Because that’s the way it needed to be. ⁣

So I think it’s worth taking some time to ponder on the order of things in our life each day. ⁣

What are my priorities? What am I making time for, no matter what? What do I always seem to run out of time for?⁣

The order can teach me what is most important in my heart.

The post Priorities and Order first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

There’s always something I should be doing, right?⁣

I remember, after being in school for years, going straight to BYU, immediately getting a teaching job and teaching for 4 years, and then quitting…⁣

I suddenly had a newborn to care for, and nothing else to do. ⁣

Sometimes, the newborn took a lot of attention. ⁣

But other times, the newborn didn’t need anything while she napped for a long time, and I felt like there wasn’t anything for me to do. ⁣

No homework to finish, no lesson plans to write, no papers to grade… Just, nothing. ⁣

And I felt so guilty just doing nothing. ⁣

Was I supposed to organize my kitchen now? Redo the laundry room? Prep dinners? Scrub a toilet?⁣

I now look back and think: “Oh, I wish I would have enjoyed that more and just relaxed, guilt free!”⁣

But I still struggle with thinking that the only reason I can truly relax is because I don’t have anything on my to-do list. ⁣

But what happened during the Creation?⁣

“And the Gods concluded upon the seventh time, because that on the seventh time they would rest from all their works which they (the Gods) counseled among themselves to form; and sanctified it.” (Abraham 5:3)⁣

The day of rest was PLANNED. ⁣

It wasn’t just “Wow, we totally finished everything ahead of schedule! I guess we can take a day off to do nothing, since there isn’t anything else important to do!”⁣

It was deliberate— a day set aside for the ESSENTIAL purpose of rest. ⁣

What a concept. ⁣

So, if you are like me, and feel that weight of guilt that you always need to be doing something, let’s take a hint from the Lord God’s example: ⁣

Plan for rest.

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post Plan for rest  first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

“And out of the ground made the Lord God to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight”. (Genesis 2:9)⁣

I think of God, and Jesus, and Adam, and possibly others using their priesthood powers of creation to bring plants, trees, oceans, stars, birds, and so much more into existence. ⁣

And we have been given the power to create, too. ⁣

Not just with a canvas and a paintbrush, because honestly, I don’t do great creating there. ⁣

Being “creative” is usually seen as the composer, the drama teacher, the artist, the quilter, the chef…⁣

But we each have so much that we are able to create each day. ⁣

We can create what our attitude is like. ⁣

We can create the family culture in our home. ⁣

We can create love and acceptance where there wasn’t any before. ⁣

We can create strong testimonies by studying areas we wish we knew more about. ⁣

We can create time to make God a priority in our life. ⁣

We can create memories with those we love. ⁣

We can create stronger relationships by choosing to serve others. ⁣

We can create peace even when surrounded by chaos. ⁣

We can create laughter while doing hard work at the same time. ⁣

We can create unity where there was judgment and division. ⁣

Creation is powerful. ⁣

It’s the opposite of being a victim of our circumstances.

We realize that we have the power to create real results in our life. ⁣

And it can all be tied back to faith. ⁣

Faith, placed correctly in Jesus Christ, can give us the courage and the strength to create these moments and these feelings each day. ⁣

“A most wonderful thing is that our Heavenly Father extends to us an invitation to participate in His creative work.” – Elder Gerald Causse

The great Creator can even guide us in what to create, and when. ⁣

So, what have you created today?

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

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

But my biggest hang up has been “how”?⁣

How do I know what to keep and what to eliminate?⁣

I’ve heard the fantastic advice about “good, better, and best”.⁣

But even that can feel a little vague at times. ⁣

How do I actually know what things are “good” and which are “better”? 

One word really stood out to me as I read the account of the Creation that has never popped out before:⁣

YIELD⁣

The Lord is constantly talking about what various fruits or vegetation will yield. ⁣

And everything is intended to yield something similar to what it is— trees yielding fruit that will produce new fruit trees; grains yielding seeds that will produce the same plants. ⁣

What a simple way to see what is good and what is not!⁣

What does this action or activity YIELD in my life?⁣

Does it yield a closer relationship to God or not?⁣

Does it yield a better relationship with my husband and kids or not?⁣

Does it yield personal development that uplifts me?⁣

Those are the things I want to keep. ⁣

And, admittedly, sometimes I have to look at the long-term yield. ⁣

Family scripture study with three little kids doesn’t always produce an awesome short-term yield. ⁣

But I know I’m sewing seeds for a much delayed harvest on that one, so I’ll keep it (although we’ll probably play around with what it looks like to make sure it’s working alright).⁣

So I think I’ll focus on weeding out some of the stuff that isn’t yielding what I’d like. ⁣

Or maybe it’s only yielding temporary fruits that are clearly taking way too much of my time and energy to cultivate for such little payoff. ⁣

God only created living creatures and plants that could multiply and yield after the manner that they are. ⁣

I’ve only got a limited amount of time in this life, and I want to make sure my good intentions and my divine potential are yielding results that are just as good and divine as I am. ⁣

What am I yielding?

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post What are you yielding? first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

Life has so much more to offer than usefulness. ⁣

I believe we are meant to truly enjoy it. ⁣

To find beauty in the sunsets (and in Arizona, oh boy do we have the best).⁣

To savor the delicious chocolate cake. ⁣

To dance to the background music.

To literally stop and smell the roses. ⁣

This is hard for me. ⁣

Because I’m a practical person. ⁣

I like things to have a purpose, a meaning. ⁣

But I think I’m getting better at enjoying the beauty of life. Just because. ⁣

To get from point A to point B on a swirly twirly pathway, instead of sprinting. ⁣

Because one way of traveling leaves me refreshed and renewed. And the other way leaves me exhausted. ⁣

In D&C 59:18, the Lord so gently reminds us that things on this earth were made:⁣

“Both to PLEASE the eye and to GLADDEN the heart”.⁣

And in the next verse:⁣

“To strengthen the body and to ENLIVEN the soul.”⁣

The earth was created. ⁣

We aren’t living in a brown and gray abyss that will “work just fine” for living arrangements. ⁣

Instead, our Savior spent time creating beauty and intricacies. ⁣

Why?⁣

He probably enjoyed creating it. He probably enjoyed the challenge and the beauty of the process. ⁣

But of course, He also wanted us to feel this joy. ⁣

To have our souls enlivened and gladdened and pleased. ⁣

Life is tough. There are lessons to be learned and trials to be endured. ⁣

But life is also beautiful and miraculous and delicious and harmonious and transcendent. ⁣

We need practical bread for our body. ⁣

But we also need beautiful light for our soul.

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post Please, gladden, and enliven first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

The smell of fresh trees is literally one of my favorite smells ever. ⁣

The red-ish brown bark of the trees, the bright green leaves, the sharp gray rocks. ⁣

It was just beautiful and peaceful. ⁣

The breeze and the blue sky.

I couldn’t help but just stare at the trees and think, “This has to be a gift from God.”⁣

There is too much beauty.

Too much design. Too much life. ⁣

It’s the most obvious sign I can think of that a loving Heavenly Father and Savior exist. ⁣

All things denote there is a God. ⁣

So if you’ve been feeling a little disconnected from God lately…

If you’ve been wanting to ask God for a sign that He is there—

Not in the prideful way Korihor did, but in the faith-filled, “I really need a reminder that you are there and you love me” way…

Give nature a try. ⁣

Nature is His sign. ⁣

And maybe that’s why I love the smell of the trees so much. ⁣

Because it reminds me of other times when I’ve been in the forest, away from distractions and obligations, completely surrounded by pure, untouched creations. ⁣

And I’ve felt His Spirit and His love. ⁣

Need a sign? Need some proof?⁣

Head outside.

“All things denote there is a God; yea, even the bearth, and call things that are upon the face of it, yea, and its dmotion, yea, and also all the eplanets which move in their regular form do witness that there is a Supreme Creator.” (Alma 30:44)

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post Escaping the heat  first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

One of the sisters asked me, “What really brings you joy?” ⁣

It took me off-guard more than I expected. ⁣

I couldn’t quite narrow it down to just one answer.

Plus, I wasn’t feeling much joy at the moment.

Paul taught:

“Great is my boldness of speech toward you, great is my glorying of you: I am filled with comfort, I am exceeding joyful in all our tribulation.” (2 Corinthians 7:4)

But I wasn’t finding a lot of joy in my tribulation.

I stumbled out an answer to our missionaries and then one of them shared something that totally changed my perspective.

She basically said:

“I find joy in being creative!

“Yes, I love to paint and draw.

“But I also love creating happiness!

“God is so creative, and I find joy when I create with Him!”

We ended up having a beautiful conversation about the connection between joy and creation.

Something totally clicked in my mind.

I have joy when I create a life for myself where I can feel the Spirit and become more Christlike. ⁣

I have joy in my life when I create a marriage and home where we keep the commandments, show love, and have fun!

I have joy when I create breathtaking music that transcends any emotions words can capture. ⁣

I have joy when I create beautiful, strong friendships. ⁣

And ultimately, I have joy when I am going through difficult trials, and yet I still create moments of happiness and peace with my Savior. ⁣

“We can feel joy regardless of what is happening- or not happening- in our lives. Joy comes from and because of Him.” -Russell M. Nelson

When we create, I believe we find joy because we partner with Heavenly Father to bring goodness into existence.

So, what brings you joy?

What are you able to create?

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

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

There’s always something I should be doing, right?

I remember, after being in school for years, going straight to BYU, immediately getting a teaching job and teaching for 4 years, and then quitting…

I suddenly had a newborn to care for, and nothing else to do.

Sometimes, the newborn took a lot of attention.

But other times, the newborn didn’t need anything while she napped for a long time, and I felt like there wasn’t anything for me to do.

No homework to finish, no lesson plans to write, no papers to grade… Just, nothing.

And I felt so guilty just doing nothing.

Was I supposed to organize my kitchen now? Redo the laundry room? Prep dinners? Scrub a toilet?

I now look back and think: “Oh, I wish I would have enjoyed that more and just relaxed, guilt free!”

But I still struggle with thinking that the only reason I can truly relax is because I don’t have anything on my to-do list.

But what happened during the creation?

“And the Gods concluded upon the seventh time, because that on the seventh time they would rest from all their works which they (the Gods) counseled among themselves to form; and sanctified it.” (Abraham 5:3)

The day of rest was PLANNED.

It wasn’t just “Wow, we totally finished everything ahead of schedule! I guess we can take a day off to do nothing, since there isn’t anything else important to do!”

It was deliberate— a day set aside for the ESSENTIAL purpose of rest.

What a concept.

So, if you are like me, and feel that weight of guilt that you always need to be doing something, let’s take a hint from the Lord God’s example:

Plan for rest.

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post Planning for rest first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

Clothes, toiletries, chargers…

They are important to me so I pack them in first!

On the top of my suitcase is where I pack the book that I probably won’t have time to read, the journal I won’t write in, and random trinkets that I find at the last minute that I think might be nice to have.

(Am I the only one who always seems to pack a book, yet never reads it?!)

The order that we do things tends to show their priority in our life.

What we do when we wake up.

What we make sure happens before we go to bed.

What we do when we get some free time.

What we do when we get in the car.

Order can tell us a lot about our purposes and priorities!

So… why did the Lord create the world in the order that He did?

“The sequential order in which the earth was created gives us a glimpse not only of what is most important to God but also why and for whom He created the earth.” -Vaiangina Sikahema

The light. The atmosphere. The oceans. Plants. The Sun. Animals.

And then Sons and Daughters of God.

Everything in the proper order. The only order for it all to work.

Culminating the creation with WHO this is actually for.

Light for us to see. Atmosphere for us to survive. Land and seas for variety and function. Plants for beauty and for nourishment. Stars and the moon for us to be able to tell time and location. Animals to multiply and fill the earth.

All for us.

The order teaches us.

Order doesn’t have to mean that what comes first is the most important— some people suggest that if you don’t read your scriptures first thing when you wake up, you are choosing the wrong priority, but my mind does not work that way.

Man and woman were the last creations.

Because that’s the way it needed to be.

So I think it’s worth taking some time to ponder on the order of things in our life each day.

What are my priorities? What am I making time for, no matter what? What do I always seem to run out of time for?

The order can teach me what is most important in my heart.

Happy Studying!

-Cail Black

The post Order and priorities first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

It was Halloween time, and my teacher had asked all of us to write a spooky story.

When the time was up, we got into groups of 4 to read our stories to each other. My group read our stories, including one girl who hadn’t finished hers.

Our teacher then asked us to pick the person who wrote the best spooky story who would then read it out loud to the entire class.

It was SO AWKWARD to have to pick the best! No one wanted to say theirs was the best, everyone was beating around the bush, and finally someone suggested the girl who didn’t finish because her story was the spookiest since there wasn’t an ending.

She didn’t want to share hers, but everyone kind of agreed out of pity, the time was up, and we made this girl share her unfinished story out loud with the rest of the class.

Over 20 years later, I still remember how painful that experience was. We all knew we hadn’t picked the “best” story, and we made someone really uncomfortable at the same time.

Group decisions are rough.

There are emotions, different backgrounds, opinions from everywhere, communication style hurdles…

And yet, the Lord’s church functions almost entirely in councils and presidencies.

Groups. Making decisions together. Counseling together.

It even happened during the creation.

“And thus were their decisions at the time that they counseled among themselves to form the heavens and the earth.” (Abraham 5:3)

I don’t think counseling together is meant to produce the most efficient results, but it is meant to give the most well-rounded ones.

When all viewpoints are considered, when everyone feels safe to share what they actually think, when everyone trusts each other to say what they mean, then councils provide beautiful perspectives.

Maybe counseling together to create the world is where the idea came for placing beauty in the dry deserts, or for the placement of the planets, or for the diversification of species.

Counseling together can be tough.

But if it’s a pattern set from the foundation of the earth, it’s probably a skill worth pursuing.

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post Counseling and decisions first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.