One Year Ago Today…

August 31, 2019 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

I received one of those calls…something has happened with Dad…it is not good…Mom is riding in an ambulance on the way to the hospital…roughly 30 minutes later…a follow-up call…Dad’s gone…

Life can change forever in 30 minutes…I am here to tell you, the only way to walk through the pain and struggles of life is with a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. He truly carries us in the most difficult moments…if we are willing to surrender our ways and our plans for His ways and His plan…we can find peace and comfort that we never knew was possible. Truly I tell you, our God is an awesome God…Amen.

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“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”

Joshua 1:9

(This photo was taken in October of 2018 at a lake near Plymouth, Minnesota)

A Light In The Darkness

August 30, 2019 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

The world is filled with darkness…we all are searching for a light and a way to see more clearly…many of us have been told about The Light and some have even spent time looking towards The Light…yet often we look away and believe we don’t need it or believe that The Light isn’t really there. Believe in Jesus Christ, He is The Light of the world. Only He can shine as Light in this dark world…seek Him and you will see. Amen.

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“For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God’s glory displayed in the face of Christ.”

2 Corinthians 4:6

(This photo was taken in April of 2016 at a lake place in central Minnesota)

Get Back To God

August 29, 2019 / mcalcagno / 1 Comment

When we wander off in the world and go our own way, as opposed to staying connected to God, we eventually will get weary or bored and frustrated. When what we are pursuing in life is not tied to God’s plan or God’s will for us it will become drudgery. A personal relationship with Jesus Christ helps our spiritual awareness, we can learn to know when something is not right for us and we will have the courage to speak honestly about it. Today’s verse below does not say ‘I can do anything I want…’, it is speaking about doing the things that God wants us to do even when we are unsure that we can do them. Get back to God’s plan and His will and you will have peace. Amen.

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“I can do all this through him who gives me strength.”

Philippians 4:13

(This photo was taken in March of 2018 in White Sands National Monument in New Mexico)

The Pace Of Life

August 28, 2019 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

We are made to be able to meet the challenge of stress and tension when it is necessary and then to step away to rest and recovery. The problem is we choose to stay in the stress and tension continuously and leave little time for the rest and recovery. Rest is about more than physical rest, it is about clearing our mind of the clutter, the plans, the worries and the should haves and could haves…focus on the Lord, wait for Him, trust in Him…this will help to put burdens in perspective and give us strength each day. May the peace of the Lord be with you. Amen.

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“This is what the Sovereign Lord, the Holy One of Israel, says: “In repentance and rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is your strength, but you would have none of it.”

Isaiah 30:15

(This photo was taken in July of 2018 on the shore of Lake Superior near Ashland, Wisconsin)

The Solid Rock

August 27, 2019 / mcalcagno / 1 Comment

When trouble comes and we feel run down, overwhelmed, overextended, scattered and the pace of life seems to be spinning too fast…we can find peace and be restored by leaning on Christ our solid rock. Jesus Christ, His birth, His life and teachings, His death and His resurrection are the foundation of our faith. Nothing that we will face in this world can compare to what we have when we believe in Him and we trust in God’s Word. No matter what difficulties and struggles are before you today, stand firm in faith and bring your burdens to Christ. Amen.

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“The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.”

Psalm 18:2

(This photo was taken in July of 2015 at Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Morrison, Colorado)

Reflect And Give Thanks

August 26, 2019 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

When someone asks us, “Where have you seen God in your life?” We often quickly scan the last few days and maybe even the last week in our minds and come up with something…mostly in order to not disappoint those who are asking the question. What if we took more time to reflect? What if we look back 5 years ago or back to our childhood or teen years depending on what season of life we are in? The next time you are alone with God think about it, looking back now…”Where have you seen God in your life?” After all, He has been there all along, even when we were completely oblivious to Him. Thanks be to God for His love, His mercy and His grace. Amen.

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“Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth. Worship the Lord with gladness; come before him with joyful songs. Know that the Lord is God. It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture. Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name. For the Lord is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations.”

Psalm 100

(This photo was taken in September of 2016 at a lake place in central Minnesota)

Tomorrow

August 25, 2019 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

None of us knows how many tomorrows we have…it isn’t up to us and it never was…the gift of life is about today…how you choose to think, what you choose to say and how you choose to treat others, today. Because of Jesus Christ we know there is hope, tomorrow…let’s not waste today worrying about what may come. As they say, we don’t know what tomorrow may hold…but we certainly know who holds us tomorrow. Amen.

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“Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”

Matthew 6:34

(This photo was taken in June of 2013 in Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado)

Be Present

August 24, 2019 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

Each day is a gift. Nobody is guaranteed to wake up to a new day. Keep your thoughts and actions focused on the present people and circumstances…for all areas of life we should pray and seek God’s will for us. God is with us and He is working for good things for all of us. Amen.

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“Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.”

Colossians 3:12-14

(This photo was taken in August of 2016 in Glacier National Park in Montana)

The Past…Redeemed

August 23, 2019 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

What has happened in the past is done and can’t be changed…we can learn from it…we can change today. Don’t let what has happened be chains around you that are dragged with you everywhere you go…Jesus Christ has paid the price for our sins and He is our Redeemer…bring your past, your shame and your guilt to the Lord and He will set you free. Amen.

Redeemed by Big Daddy Weave

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“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.“

John 3:16

(This photo was taken in October of 2018 at a park near Winterset, Iowa)

Past, Present And Future

August 22, 2019 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

The Lord redeems us from our sinful past, He washes away the guilt and the shame and makes us new again…The Lord walks with us in the present, He encourages us to engage in the current moments and experiences, with every interaction and event in life…The Lord will take care of tomorrow. His ways are greater than our ways and His plans are higher than our plans. Trust in the Lord…He forgives us, He is with us and His plans will take care of us in the future. Amen.

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