Confidence

January 21, 2020 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

Belief…trust…conviction…reliance…dependence…faith. Don’t wait to seek the Lord as the last resort…if you are curious about faith, pick up a bible and read about God and His Son and the Holy Spirit…evil and darkness of the world has many ways to distract us and keep us away from our faith. We can turn towards Jesus Christ with confidence…He has shown us how much He loves us and He is right here with us every step of the way. Amen.

DSC_0130 publish

“But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord,
    whose confidence is in him.
⁸They will be like a tree planted by the water
    that sends out its roots by the stream.
It does not fear when heat comes;
    its leaves are always green.
It has no worries in a year of drought
    and never fails to bear fruit.”

Jeremiah 17:7-8

(This photo was taken in June of 2016 at a lake near Plymouth, Minnesota)

It Takes Courage…

January 20, 2020 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

To move forward without knowing the outcome…to admit we don’t know the answers…to be patient…to share and be vulnerable with another person. It takes courage to be humble…to surrender your plans for God’s plan…it takes courage to live the life that God has intended for you…and the best part is…a relationship with Jesus Christ will give you the courage to seek His will when you trust in Him. Amen.

DSC_0164 publish

“Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong. ¹⁴Do everything in love.”

1 Corinthians 16:13-14

(This photo was taken in July of 2018 on Lake Superior near the Apostle Islands)

Worry And Anxiety

January 19, 2020 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

The first time I highlighted some verses in my bible it was Matthew 6:25-34…they stood out to me. They told me something nobody else has ever told me about worries, fears and anxiety…those verses told me why I don’t need to worry all the time about everything. God is in control, He knows what we need and He knows what is best for us…now when we get off track and try to live our lives separate from God we end up getting ourselves in some pretty dicey situations…that is not God doing that to us that is all on us. So, if we want to see change in our lives and our situations it is up to us to put God first in our lives and to seek His will. Life will still have trouble but we know with God all things are possible. Amen.

DSC_0012 publish

“Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.”

1 Peter 5:7

(This photo was taken in July of 2019 at a lake near Plymouth, Minnesota)

Rest With Him

January 18, 2020 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

What can we do…where can we go…to get a moment of rest? True rest and refreshment of your mind, body and spirit is found when we take time to rest with God. It can be in prayer, reading God’s Word or even just sitting quietly in a peaceful environment. There are these and many more ways to spend time in your relationship with God…how you do this is between you and Him…if you do this, well that is all up to you. Take time to rest with Him. Amen.

DSC07416 publish

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. ²⁹Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. ³⁰For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

Matthew 11:28-30

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

Trust

January 17, 2020 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

Firm belief…confidence…faith…count on…believe in…truth…certainty…love. The darkness and evil of the world are constantly working to turn us away from God and God is constantly speaking to us. Seek Him, seek His will, believe He has good things planned for you and be patient. Amen.

DSC_0661 publish

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart
and lean not on your own understanding;
⁶in all your ways submit to him,
and he will make your paths straight.”

Proverbs 3:5-6

(This photo was taken in July of 2016 in Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming)

God’s Love

January 16, 2020 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

It is powerful…it has been sent to us in the form of His one and only Son…it can flow through us when we show love to one another…it has stood the test of time and it will endure forever. Amen.

DSC_1283 publish

“This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. ¹⁰This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. ¹¹Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. ¹²No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.”

1 John 4:9-12

(This photo was taken in August of 2016 in Mount Rainier National Park in Washington)

Do Your Best

January 15, 2020 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

The struggle is real…we strive and we press to finish and to see the result…only to find the race is not over…there is more that needs to be done. We were made for community to lift each other up and encourage one another. Each of us has been given different gifts to offer to others, we can’t be everything to everyone and if we try, we will be going off course with God’s plan. Learn what God has planned for you and the blessings and abilities He has given to you for this life. Seek to do your best according to God’s will and you will find peace. Amen.

DSC_1543 publish

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, ²fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. ³Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.”

Hebrews 12:1-3

(This photo was taken in August of 2016 at Sapphire Point near Dillon, Colorado)

Transformation

January 14, 2020 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

Change…modify…reshape…rebuild…renew. This is the work of the Holy Spirit within us. We are not able to do this alone, although we often try. In the Gospel of John, Jesus gives us the answer to the question, ‘how can I change?’ “Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” – John 14:6 If you truly want to seek a change in your life seek your relationship with Jesus Christ first and you will be transformed. Amen.

DSC_0002 publish

“You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; ²³to be made new in the attitude of your minds; ²⁴and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.”

Ephesians 4:22-24

(This photo was taken in June of 2016 ina neighborhood near Plymouth, Minnesota)

Our Call

January 13, 2020 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

How do we know what God is calling us to do? For life decisions and direction? If we use the world’s measuring stick of ‘what we should do’ we risk missing God’s will entirely. To follow our call is to surrender self-serving desires, to be humble and patient and to have a foundation of a faith that is built on our personal relationship with Jesus Christ. That is what I have learned so far…nobody ever said it was going to be easy. We will face trouble and struggles of every kind in life and if we are willing to stand firm on the foundation of faith, we will persevere. Amen.

DSC_0019-1 publish

“For God did not call us to be impure, but to live a holy life.”

1 Thessalonians 4:7

(This photo was taken in July of 2019 at a lake place in northwestern Wisconsin)

Reflect And Give Thanks

January 12, 2020 / mcalcagno / 4 Comments

It is so easy to stay in “go” mode…day in and day out. Moving from one thing to the next with the calendar driving how we spend our time. When we learn to stop and reflect, we get the opportunity to realize and appreciate what blessings and gifts God has given us. No matter where we have been, who we have been with or what we have done or left undone…God has been right there with us every day, every step of the way. Take a moment to reflect on your life and give thanks to God. Amen.

DSC_0559 publish