Knowing that there was no way to steer?

Commending yourself entirely to the Lord your God?

What anxiety, doubt, and fear I’m sure flashed through their minds.

But what did they CHOOSE to do?

They sang praises to the Lord.

They thanked the Lord all day long.

And when the night came?

They didn’t cease to praise the Lord.

Thanksgiving always brings a special spirit to me.

I’m not sure why, but I’ve always loved it.

And I think this Thanksgiving gives us a special opportunity to reflect:

Have we lost ourselves in the “list” of things we are thankful for, sometimes wallowing in what isn’t on the list, or jealous of what we think should be on the list?

Or have we used this year to practice our attitude of gratitude?

We don’t have to be grateful for 2020.

We can be. But we don’t have to have it on our list.

President Uchtdorf put it so eloquently:

“This type of gratitude transcends whatever is happening around us. It surpasses disappointment, discouragement, and despair. It blooms just as beautifully in the icy landscape of winter as it does in the pleasant warmth of summer.”

We are grateful to God IN our circumstances.

Whether we are trapped in a tiny, wooden barge, traveling hundreds of miles through the ocean.

Or whether we are dealing with job loss, loss of loved ones, financial insecurity, faith crises, or any other type of despair.

We can develop and show gratitude.

Through prayers, through scripture study, through service, and through singing.

We can always feel gratitude.

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post Singing praises first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

It seems like the winds never stop.

I try to block things out for a bit – but when I resurface with my emotions, the wind is still there.

I keep trying, but I can’t get rid of it.

It can be exhausting.

To want to fix a problem. To want to eliminate the wind and keep the calm sea for just a bit. To feel in control.

But the wind still blows.

And so these two verses jumped out to me:

“The Lord God caused that there should be a furious wind blow upon the face of the waters…” (Ether 6:5)

“The wind did never cease to blow…” (Ether 6:8)

The Jaredites experienced constant and furious winds.

For weeks and months on end, the wind blew and there wasn’t a thing they could do about it.

But guess which part of the scriptures actually jumped out to me?

The second half.

Read those same verses again, now with the endings added:

“The Lord God caused that there should be a furious wind blow upon the face of the waters, towards the promised land.” (Ether 6:5)

“The wind did never cease to blow towards the promised land.” (Ether 6:8)

The winds weren’t blowing just for fun. The Lord didn’t forget about calming the sees of their journey.

The winds were exactly what was driving them towards the Promised Land.

Maybe some Jaredites prayed for the wind to stop or at least slow down.

But that actually would have gone against their prayers for safety on their journey.

The winds WERE the answer. They were what was driving them towards the result they wanted. The result He knew they needed.

And so I received the reminder I so desperately needed.

I don’t think my winds are going anywhere right now.

Because they are actually blowing me towards my destination.

Thanks, furious, never-ending wind.

Artwork: Jonathan Arthur Clarke

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post Where the winds blow first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

“Someone who invites you to their parties, is super fun to hang out with, and responds to your texts!”

But since my high school days of tons of friends, (very G-rated) parties every weekend, and texting all day (as long as I didn’t go over my monthly limit), my experiences with friends have changed.

I’ve had periods of time where I’ve made friends quickly. And I’ve had other periods where I’ve moved to a new place and never felt like I quite fit in.

And I’ve learned to change my definition of “friend”.

Instead of people my age who are super fun and invite me to do things, I’ve learned that I can make friends with anyone, of any age, in any life circumstance.

I’ve learned that while I can’t control who “likes” me, I can control who I reach out to.

Sisters that I’ve ministered to, served with, called, accidentally cried with, reached out to…

Those are the people I consider my friends.

Who were Jared and his brother concerned about, as much as their families?

Their friends.

When Jared asked his brother to pray for the Lord, he requested that the Lord specifically spare their friends, and they all travelled together to the new land.

We don’t get many stories of friendship in the Book of Mormon, so this really stood out to me as I studied.

Jared and the Brother of Jared wanted to be with their friends.

Maybe they hung out together every evening and enjoyed each other’s company.

But I bet that they bore each other’s burdens.

They had sympathy, they jumped up in the middle of the night, they went out of their way to serve…

And when we serve, we grow our love towards that person.

When I want more friends, I know that I can find more people to serve and get to know.

I’m grateful for the amazing friends that I have – the ones who have served my family, and the ones who allow me to serve them.

And I’m grateful that the friendships, not just the family relationships, that I make in this life will continue into the eternities.

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post Making new friends first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.