Author: mcalcagno

When You Pray…

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“And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. 6 But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. 7 And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. 8 Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.”

Matthew 6:5-8 NIV

Amazing things can happen that only God can do, when you pray.  It is not about the right words or the proper position…it is about what you believe!  Prayer is for all circumstances and is meant to be communication with God…not only speaking but listening and reading His Word so it can be planted in your heart.  Look at Jesus…when the devil tempted Him He responded with Scripture and when He was struggling to follow through on God’s plan He prayed…He prayed so hard that He was sweating blood.  When you do not know what to do, pray…when things are going well, pray…when you need help or to calm down, pray.  God is with you and He is within you…He is also waiting to hear from you.  So pray.

When We Pray by Tauren Wells

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“Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.”

Mark 11:24 NIV

(This photo was taken in April of 2020 at a lake near Plymouth, Minnesota)

God’s Word…Our Path

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“You make known to me the path of life;
    you will fill me with joy in your presence,
    with eternal pleasures at your right hand.”

Psalm 16:11 NIV

The first original navigtion guide is God’s Word.  Which way should I go? What should I do next?  How should I handle this situation?  How do I respond to that?  And so many more questions can be answered by spending time in God’s Word…reading, listening and putting into the action the things He is teaching us.  It is the ultimate guide for your path.  Pick it up and seek Him.  Amen.

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“Your word is a lamp for my feet,
    a light on my path.”

Psalm 119:105 NIV

(This photo was taken in July of 2016 in Theodore Roosevelt National Park in North Dakota)

Time Alone With God

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One of the most important elements of a good and growing relationship is communication.  This includes listenting as much or more than speaking.  An acquaintance is someone you don’t know personally and someone you come in contact with in passing…God is more than that.  He is the Creator…

“For you created my inmost being;
    you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
14 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
    your works are wonderful,
    I know that full well.”

Psalm 139:13-14 NIV

He knows everything about you and yet He still loves you…

“ But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

Romans 5:8 NIV

The best thing you can do in your life is make it a priority to spend time alone with God…start today.  There is no right time or right words…it’s just you and Him…imagine sitting together and He asks, What’s on your mind?

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“So do not fear, for I am with you;
    do not be dismayed, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you and help you;
    I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”

Isaiah 41:10 NIV

(This photo was taken in May of 2014 at a lake in central Minnesota)

Be Still…Trust In The Lord

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“Be still before the Lord
    and wait patiently for him;
do not fret when people succeed in their ways,
    when they carry out their wicked schemes.”

Psalm 37:7 NIV

Don’t focus your time and attention on what others who are doing, comparing yourself to worldly ways.  Focus on God and His Word.  Reflect and remember what He has done.  He says you are valued; you are important, and you are loved…no matter what others think, say or do.  Your worth is not defined by others…it is defined by your Creator and Savior and God says you are so important that He sent Jesus, who suffered and died to reconcile you with Him.  Trust in the Lord, not in the world.  Amen.

Be Still And Know by Amy Grant

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

Proverbs 3:5-6 NIV

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

The Spirit Of The Lord

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“Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.”

2 Corinthians 3:17 NIV

God did not create us to live under the worries and burdens of this fallen world.  If we insist on prioritizing our circumstances over God, we will be discouraged and defeated.  It means we have allowed the devil a foothold in our hearts and minds.  He is the great deceiver and can keep us distracted for as long as we allow…the Spirit of the Lord brings freedom from evil.  Freedom from worldly pursuits and values.  Peace comes from choosing God first and giving all of our worries to Him…it doesn’t mean we sit and do nothing.  We step up and strive to know Him and to make Him known to others.  We speak the truth with kindness and respect. Every part of our lives every day can flow from knowing God and His Word.  Where the Spirit of the Lord is there is freedom.  May God’s peace be with you.  Amen.

There Is Freedom by Josh Baldwin

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“You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh[a]; rather, serve one another humbly in love.”

Galatians 5:13 NIV

(This photo was taken in July of 2021 in Rocky Moutain National Park in Colorado)

Listen

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“My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, 20 because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires.”

James 1:19-20 NIV

Seeking help…it is hard to do for many of us.  First step, admit we need help.  Second step, seek assistance…first from God and then from others that God puts in our lives.  Last step, listen…the first two are hard enough many of us, if we get to the last step we often lose focus…we need to listen.  We often spend our listening time preparing our response instead of truly listening.  We can miss God’s will for us if we fail to listen.  May we all be better listeners in our daily walk.  Amen.

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“Listen to advice and accept discipline, and at the end you will be counted among the wise.  Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails.”

Proverbs 19:20-21 NIV

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

Give Thanks

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“Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth.
2     Worship the Lord with gladness;
    come before him with joyful songs.
3 Know that the Lord is God.
    It is he who made us, and we are his[a];
    we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.“

Psalm 100:1-3 NIV

Take time to reflect on your life and remember what God has done for you.  Think about the storms you have already come through…how He protected you or guided you safely.  Remember that no matter what God loves you…He is with you and within you.  Jesus left the comfort of heaven to come down and live as one of us…He sacrificed Himself to be beaten and crucified and to pay the penalty for our sin so that we could have a relationship with God.  God will do for you that which you can’t do for yourself…put your trust in the Lord and give thanks to Him.

Forever by Michael W Smith

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“Enter his gates with thanksgiving
    and his courts with praise;
    give thanks to him and praise his name.
5 For the Lord is good and his love endures forever;
    his faithfulness continues through all generations.“

Psalm 100:4-5 NIV

(This photo was taken in June of 2013 while traveling in northern Colorado)

Come Near To God

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“The Lord is near to all who call on him,
    to all who call on him in truth.”

Psalm 145:18 NIV

Jesus Christ came down from heaven to live as one of us…throughout the Old Testament there is a back and forth between God and humans as they would come close to Him and then wander off into sin.  God would save them and they would come close again and then wander off again…and on and on it went.  Then God changed everything by sending His one and only Son into the world.  Jesus Christ is our Savior, our Redeemer, He has paid the price for our sins and reconciled us back to God, forever.  Come near to God and stay close to Him…no matter what comes your way.  Amen.

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“Come near to God and he will come near to you.”

James 4:8 NIV

(This photo was taken in May of 2020 at Temperance State Park on Lake Superior)

The Source Of Hope

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“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who[i] have been called according to his purpose.”

Romans 8:28 NIV

“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”

Romans 15:13 NIV

Where does hope come from?  It comes from the Creator of everything and everyone…only God who can take on all our sins and overcome this world.  Only God can defeat death and evil that is so prevalent in this world.  Put your hope in God for He is the only true source of Hope each day.

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“Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we[a] have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we[b] boast in the hope of the glory of God. 3 Not only so, but we[c] also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; 4 perseverance, character; and character, hope. 5 And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.”

Romans 5:1-5 NIV

(This photo was taken in May of 2020 along the North Shore of Lake Superior)

Always With Us…Always

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“The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.”

Deuteronomy 31:8 NIV

God the Creator, the Maker of heaven and earth wants a relationship with you.  Not only that…He has promised to be with you and never leave you.  If God feels distant look around at what you are doing or decisions you have made…it is most likely you that moved away from Him.  God is with you and He is within you…believe and proceed to live life guided by Him.  May the peace of God be with you and flow through you.  Amen.

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“No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons,[a] neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39 neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Romans 8:37-39 NIV

(This photo was taken in June of 2018 while traveling through South Dakota)