Encourage Kindness

September 15, 2014September 15, 2014 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

We see and hear so much negativity, hopelessness and violence in this world every day. Sometimes I think the media forgets about all the good people and positive things that happen each day. I am not saying we should ignore talking about the bad things…we just need some balance in the distribution of information. I have read a quote in a few different places recently that speaks to the attitude of kindness we all need to remember…

“Every person you encounter every day is fighting a battle that you know nothing about.”

I understand that to say, don’t be so quick to judge another person without knowing all the facts and do not trust any form of media to provide all the information necessary to be informed about an event or issue. I have stated in the past the Bible is a great instruction manual for life and here are a few encouraging verses…

“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

“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

John 16:33

May we all find peace and a positive outlook today.

Trust

September 10, 2014September 10, 2014 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

Trust

“Trust in the Lord and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture. Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart.”

Psalm 37:3-4

Friendships

August 16, 2014 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

Being a friend means listening…just listening.

Being a friend means putting the needs of others before your own.

Being a friend means making time to be together.

Friends can share thoughts…thoughts about dreams and goals as well as disappointments and frustrations without judgment.

Being a friend means laughing together…often.

Being a friend means offering your shoulder when someone needs to cry because the pain is too great to be alone.

A friendship is a give and take relationship…if your give and take are not balanced evenly the friendship will suffer.

This give and take in relationships is also necessary in your spiritual life…your friendship with Jesus requires both give and take…

“I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know the master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.”

John 15:15

We all have a friend in Jesus. Begin or continue to listen, to make time, to share your dreams and frustrations, to laugh with your friend Jesus…it is the one friendship that will definitely last forever.

Peace.

Every Step We Take

August 2, 2014 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

There are times in our lives where we may begin to feel lost or distant from God. These occasions are the perfect time to turn towards faith by prayer and by reading the Word of God. In fact, even during good times it is appropriate to look to your faith and praise God for all that he has blessed you with in life. Transforming your thoughts to be more about your relationship with God and how he is working in your life can start in small ways. It can be a gratitude journal, morning and/or evening devotions, writing or reading books, maybe listening to christian radio. Whatever fits who you are and what you like to do…if you are not sure how to transform your thinking then ask God in prayer…invite him to help guide you…after all he made you and he knows what will be your way. The important thing to remember is that everyday in life is a gift and every thing we do…every step we take in life…either leads us closer to or farther away from our relationship with the Lord.

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

Psalm 119:105

Peace to you.

Take It Home – Mission Trip “The Challenge”

July 28, 2014 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

Every year the mission trip provides a great shift in perspective and helps you realign your thinking about what is truly important and it inspires you to want to be different when you get home. The hardest part about the mission trip is when it is over everything else in your life hasn’t changed since you left. The only thing different in your life when you get home will be you. The challenge then becomes to live your life differently and with purpose in your everyday life otherwise your experience and exposure slowly becomes just a memory and the fire and inspiration that began on the trip fades away.

Today was my first day back to “life” and it was hard to adjust. I pray all of us will strive to keep the fire burning is some way. Maybe in small ways at first and bigger ways every now and then. Thankfully we are part of an excellent church community that provides support and opportunities to serve. If you ever get the chance to go on a short term mission experience try it…you will be amazed at what you will learn about yourself and others plus it is the best way to light a fire in your soul that may just give you the boost to…”Take Your Faith With You” after all it was after I returned from a mission trip a few years ago that I was inspired to start this blog you are reading today.

I hope you enjoyed reading about our trip this year and I will post again soon.

May God’s peace be with you today and always.

Soulful

July 26, 2014 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

Well said!

Kindness Blog

Be a Kind Soul

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It Matters – Mission Trip “Serve Wherever You Are”

July 24, 2014 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

It is Thursday of Mission trip week and we are living full throttle for Christ! The message for today can be summed up quite simply…do whatever you can, whenever you can, wherever you are. Your act of service or kindness does matter, even if you don’t have direct interaction with the receiver of your action. We should strive to include acts of service and kindness in our lives daily. If you don’t feel like this is part of your life right now, start small. Change one thing in your routine that is not about you. Start out once a week or whatever you can do.

My service group spent 4 hours today loading a 53′ semi trailer full of medical supplies including beds for transit that will be sent overseas for people with little or no medical facilities so they can get the medical attention they need. The organization that coordinates this effort is run by 20 full-time staff and 15,000 volunteers. The vast majority of the volunteers will never encounter the individuals who benefit from the supplies being available but that doesn’t lessen the impact of their work…it is still necessary. This activity was not on our schedule this week originally but we were asked to do this instead of our planned event after a different group was unable to make it and it turned out to be one of the most rewarding experiences of the week.

Whatever you are able to do for others is important and it does make a difference…believe it and do something whenever you can…wherever you are.

Peace.

Listening -Mission Trip “Be Present”

July 23, 2014 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

One of the most important yet least used character traits tends to be listening. Have you been in one of those conversations where your mind is more on other things and you smile and nod as the person continues with their story? Unfortunately, I think everyone has been in that position at least once in life and if your like me it happens more often than it should. What is truly interesting is that when you do stop day dreaming and mind wandering and just listen to what someone is talking about you may just enjoy the conversation more than you realize.

We spent time today walking the downtown area of the city, we shared an extra bag lunch with a person in need on the street and we talked while we ate. We heard stories about the difficult times our lunch buddy had suffered through and the warmth he felt about his daughter that he hadn’t seen in quite sometime. We were together out on the sidewalk eating and talking for about 30-45 minutes and we learned where he had worked, how long he had been in the city and how long he had been living on the streets. We heard about his broken relationships and the difficult battle with addiction. Really the stories he told were not much different than many other people…yet society has treated him differently than others…why…my guess is society, myself included, has already judged his worth. Don’t misunderstand me, I realize that every person has responsibility for decisions they make and the things they choose to do but I also know that sometimes people may need at least one other person to help them get started on a more positive path.

With free will there always will be bad things happening in the world…we’re human we just can’t help ourselves. However, with free will we all can choose whether or not we are willing to stop…look… and listen to others in the world around us. Every person has value and some people just need a bit more help than others finding their place.

May God’s peace be with you.

The Heart Of It All – Mission Trip “Breaking Down Barriers”

July 22, 2014 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

Everyday we all want to be doing something that is significant to somebody somewhere in the world. Whether it is volunteer work or our everyday job. Many times we come upon a barrier of some sort that slows us down or may even stop us completely. These barriers can be fear, selfishness, anxiety, worries about what if, etc. It often takes great courage to break down these barriers especially in our everyday life.

As this mission trip week continues I am observing our youth breakdown some barriers that have been difficult to handle in the past. These include interacting with people in need and building relationships with kids that may be living in difficult home situations. I am also observing youth breaking down barriers within our group of mission trip people. The mix of kids is very diverse with many groups of friends that in everyday life may hardly spend anytime together at all. As this week continues new friendships are beginning to form and new connections are being made that may never have existed due to the barriers of everyday life at home.

One of the reasons you get so much out of a mission trip is you get to remove so many barriers of life and just be present with a group of youth and adults that are working together to experience life in a different way. I feel blessed to be part of this opportunity and pray my contribution is making a difference in the lives of others.

Peace to you.