Like… I didn’t know what I was supposed to do with this baby!⁣

Wasn’t someone going to make sure she was being fed and tighten up her swaddles when they fell apart?!⁣

Giving birth sure didn’t make me feel qualified to be a mother. ⁣

Talk about a trusting Heavenly Father right?!⁣

My daughter is as much His daughter as I am, and yet I’ve been given the huge blessing of being her mother here on earth. ⁣

I have been given solemn stewardship over this daughter of God for the next little bit. ⁣

She is His, but He is giving me an opportunity to show what kind of a steward I can be. ⁣

Some stewardships, such as parenting, are pretty long-term.⁣

But other stewardships, such as callings we receive or possessions that we own, are much more temporary.⁣

And yet… everything is His. ⁣

The Lord taught in D&C 104:57: “But, verily I say unto you, I have appointed unto you to be stewards over mine house, even stewards indeed.”⁣

We’ve all been appointed a little bit of stewardship over a corner of God’s house. ⁣

Stewardship does not mean ownership, but instead implies a solemn loan in which we get to show our responsibility, maturity, and agency. ⁣

Today, I invite you to reflect on the people and things that you currently have stewardship over.⁣

Am I being a good steward?⁣

Not a perfect steward, but a good one who is trying my best to take care of the things that are His?

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post Am I qualified for this?! first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

It makes it much easier to share thoughts when I have the Spirit.

But as much fun as it is to share spiritual messages with you here, I want to point out that I am not authorized to receive revelation for any of you!

(I mean, unless one of my children or someone in my Sunday School class is reading this…)

I am so grateful that Heavenly Father wants to answer your prayers and comfort you.

And I’m so grateful that He sometimes uses the words that I write to answer those prayers.

But I think it is super important to know who we have stewardship over…

And who we don’t.

I love that the Lord is so organized when it comes to how revelation happens in this Church.

The Lord reminded Joseph and Oliver that “. . . no one shall be appointed to receive commandments and revelations in this church excepting my servant Joseph Smith, Jun., for he receiveth them even as Moses.” (D&C 28:2)

So, the prophet is the only person who can receive revelation for the entire Church.

How I serve or keep the Sabbath holy, or how I prioritize my time, will not look exactly the same as everyone else around me.

And that’s because the prophet has not told us specific details on how to do so.

And so I know that as long as I’m in line with what the prophet is teaching, I can access my own personal revelation to work out all the rest of the details.

“Most of our guidance comes from the Holy Ghost…. Guidance for the Church, as a whole, comes to the President and prophet of the Church.” – Quentin L. Cook

I have found that when I’m really clear on why God gives each of us access to revelation for various ideas or people, then I can better lean into learning the messages from God that are meant for me.

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post Know your stewardship first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

“I have set thee a watchman unto the house of Israel; therefore thou shalt hear the word at my mouth, and warn them from me”. (Ezekiel 33:7)

Prophets have weighty calls.

But… I’m not totally off the hook.

I do have responsibility for teaching some people.

Who do I have stewardship over?

My family members should always be my top priority.

I want to do my absolute best to make sure they know how to make and keep covenants and why I think it’s the best decision that they can make.

But I also have the opportunity to fulfill my calling.

Formal callings like teaching and duties like ministering assignments.

I want to also make sure I speak openly about Jesus and help them to come closer to Him by interacting with me.

And then even in casual settings.

When I speak with friends, when I interact with someone at the store, when I post on social media.

I can find opportunities to bear simple or unspoken testimonies of what I believe and how that affects who I am.

Even though we don’t have the same weight that prophets do…

Even though I don’t have to declare everything I know to the whole world…

I can still do my part to make sure I am sharing God’s words, teachings, and love with everyone I come in contact with!

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post Watchmen for my own people first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

Like… I didn’t know what I was supposed to do with this baby!

Wasn’t someone going to make sure she was being fed and tighten up her swaddles when they fell apart?!

Giving birth sure didn’t make me feel qualified to be a mother.

Talk about a trusting Heavenly Father right?!

My daughter is as much His daughter as I am, and yet I’ve been given the huge blessing of being her mother here on earth.

I have been given solemn stewardship over this daughter of God for the next little bit.

She is His, but He is giving me an opportunity to show what kind of a steward I can be.

Some stewardships, such as parenting, are pretty long-term.

But other stewardships, such as callings we receive or possessions that we own, are much more temporary.

And yet… everything is His.

The Lord taught in D&C 104:57: “But, verily I say unto you, I have appointed unto you to be stewards over mine house, even stewards indeed.”

We’ve all been appointed a little bit of stewardship over a corner of God’s house.

Stewardship does not mean ownership, but instead implies a solemn loan in which we get to show our responsibility, maturity, and agency.

Today, I invite you to reflect on the people and things that you currently have stewardship over.

Am I being a good steward?

Not a perfect steward, but a good one who is trying my best to take care of the things that are His?

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post Am I a good steward? first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

I try to pay attention to little promptings, and I feel proud about every piece of writing that I post on my account.

I also have received countless messages where people have told me that something I wrote has been an answer to their prayers– some even in specific and dramatic ways.

I don’t say this to make myself sound awesome. In fact, I want to make a point about this–

I am not authorized to receive revelation for any of you.

I have not been set apart with priesthood power, nor have I entered into a priesthood covenant that gives me stewardship over any of you (unless my children or members of my Sunday School class are reading this). 

I AM grateful that Heavenly Father wants to answer your prayers and give many of you comfort, and that He sometimes uses the words that I write or speak in order to answer those prayers.

But I think it is super important to know who we have stewardship over– and who we don’t.

I LOVE that the Lord is so organized when it comes to how revelation happens in this church.

The Lord reminded Joseph and Oliver in Section 28:2 that “no one shall be appointed to receive commandments and revelations in this church excepting my servant Joseph Smith, Jun., for he receiveth them even as Moses.”

So the prophet is the only person who can receive revelation for the entire church!

When I’m deciding whether or not an activity is appropriate for the Sabbath day, I can look to the prophet and other general leaders for their counsel.

And if there isn’t anything specifically about my situation, I can use my best judgment and personal revelation to make my decision.

And then I don’t have to worry AT ALL about what my neighbor chooses to do or not do on the Sabbath… because I don’t have any stewardship over them!

But I can help and guide my children on what we do on Sundays, because I do have stewardship over them.

And then I can be inspired with how to teach my Sunday School class about the Sabbath day in a way that might be an answer to their prayers. I have been set apart with priesthood power to teach them.

I think it is so important to know who we have stewardship over, and to help guide and teach those people.

And it’s equally important to know who we don’t have stewardship over, so that we can love and lift them where they are.

God’s house is a house of order.

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post Knowing our stewardship first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.