Humble Yourself

September 14, 2018 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

Admit it when we are wrong…forgive others when they are wrong…be grateful…reflect and confess our sins to God…choose to serve the needs of others. These are just some of the ways to practice humility. The messages we receive all around us are ‘get more’, ‘climb higher even if it means running over others’, ‘me first’, ‘look out for number one’. To guide us at being better at humility we should read the teachings of Jesus. Work at simplifying our lives and living with the hope of eternal life. The past five days for me and my family has included two funerals, difficult times, and yet this morning I am struck by the fact that there are others all around us that are suffering everyday. It is so easy to get swallowed up by our own world of existence…however, God gives us community and fellowship with each other to help guide us. Don’t try and go it alone, be willing to accept that we need each other…all of us do. May goodness and kindness surround you in your daily life.

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“Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.”

Matthew 18:4

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

Living Water

September 13, 2018 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

How are we going to get through this? Now what? I don’t know what to do? Why is this happening? The answers to these and many other questions is Jesus Christ our Savior and Lord. The true source of all that makes life good is your relationship with Jesus. Like any relationship we must invest time in meeting with Him, we must be willing to listen to Him, we should do our best to help support what is important to Him and be willing to introduce Him to others. He supplies the living water of life. The first step to staying connected or re-connecting with Christ is spending time reading the Word of God. May God’s mercy and grace be with you.

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“Jesus answered, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”

John 4:13-14

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

He Knows Me

September 12, 2018 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

The One who created us knows everything about us. Even if we haven’t spent much time with God in our life. Even if we have put Him aside in our daily, weekly routine and have been trying to go it alone or do things our own way. He knows you, He loves you and He wants to have a relationship with you. If you want to seek more about this read Psalm 139. Then pray and invite Jesus into your everyday moments. God has a plan for you and your life and we must be willing to surrender our belief that we are in control and seek His Word. God knows you, He loves you because He created you. May our days be filled with the comfort of God’s presence.

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“Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.”

Psalm 139:23-24

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

He Carries Us Through…

September 11, 2018 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

Struggle…conflict…suffering…darkness…pain…difficulties…uncomfortable. We all encounter these moments in our life. There is no way to avoid them and if we spend our time trying to avoid them we are mostly likely hurting ourselves and others. The one true source of peace, courage, strength and perseverance is Jesus Christ. He is strength in the struggle, He is calm in the conflict, He is peace in the suffering, He is light in the darkness, He is healing for the pain, He is answers to the difficult times and He is our comfort when we are uncomfortable. Nothing is impossible for our God. Seek Him and His Word and you will find rest for your soul. May you see and sense the presence of the Lord in your life.

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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

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

The Word

September 9, 2018 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

The one true guide for all of life, the gift that provides wisdom and brings us back to the Lord is the The Word of God. The bible is full of lessons and instructions. We always seem to want to find answers to our questions in the world and the only thing the prince of this world wants to do is to take us further away from God. The strongest foundation for us to build our life on is The Word of the Lord. Seek Him and seek His Word and trust in Him to guide your life. May we all find time to dwell in the Word of the Lord.

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“Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path.”

Psalm 119:105

(This photo was taken in August of 2016 in Arches National Park in Utah)

A Channel Of Peace

September 8, 2018 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

We are blessed to be a blessing…we receive and so we are to give…let the Word flow through you…shine the the Light of Christ…share the peace of the Lord with others. Jesus Christ gave His everything to save us. He suffered and died on the Cross, before He left He promised that if we believe we will receive the Holy Spirit of God within us. We are to be a channel of God’s peace…it will flow into us and we are to be shaped and molded by His peace and then share it with others whenever we can. May your life be filled with the Light of Christ and with opportunities to share that Light with others.

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“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.”

John 14:27

(This photo was taken in June of 2018 near the South Dakota and Minnesota border)

Peace Of God

September 7, 2018 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

As I have been fully immersed in working through life after my Dad has passed away 7 days ago…there are moments of busyness, so much to take care of and do and there are moments of calm and reflection. Life has slowed down and I am grateful for that pace change. It will not be this way forever, and from the moment my brother called and told me ‘Dad is gone…they couldn’t bring him back,’ life has changed forever. We can either fight it or we can embrace it…live it to the best of our ability…be present right where we are and trust in the Lord. May you find peace with God in your life.

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“They will speak of the glorious splendor of your majesty, and I will meditate on your wonderful works.”

Psalm 145:5

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

Nothing Can Separate Us…

September 6, 2018 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

God is our Creator, He created us out of love. Jesus Christ died to save us from our sins, He did it out of love. The Holy Spirit is with us and guides us, we are guided by God’s love. God has us covered in love, seek Him, trust in Him and know that all good things come from God. When you are suffering, when you are troubled, when it feels like your world is crashing down around you God comes to you with His presence in a variety to ways, and through other people. Be at peace and know that nothing in this life can separate you from the love of God. May you find peace and contentment in God’s love.

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“For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future nor any powers, 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 8:38-39

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

God Of All Comfort

September 5, 2018 / mcalcagno / 2 Comments

Our strength…we are forgiven…He comes near to us…He holds us up…He wraps His loving arms around us. I am so thankful for the Lord our God. His presence is all around all of us. The world does not want you searching for Him or trusting in Him. He is our Rock and our Redeemer and we can have peace because of Him. Look around you and your life and give thanks for the blessings God has given to you. May the peace of the Lord be with you.

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“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God.”

2 Corinthians 1:3-4

(This photo was taken in August of 2016 while traveling through the State of Montana)