Wherever You Go…God Is With You

July 18, 2026 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

“The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing.
²    He makes me lie down in green pastures,
he leads me beside quiet waters,
³    he refreshes my soul.
He guides me along the right paths
    for his name’s sake.
⁴Even though I walk
    through the darkest valley,^[a]
I will fear no evil,
    for you are with me;
your rod and your staff,
    they comfort me.“

Psalm 23:1-4 NIV

“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

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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 NIV

(This photo was taken at Sapphire Point near Dillon, Colorado)

Our Source Of Hope And Joy

July 12, 2026 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

“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

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“Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we^[a] have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, ²through 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. ³Not only so, but we^[c] also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; ⁴perseverance, character; and character, hope. ⁵And 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 along the North Shore of Lake Superior)

When Doubts Arise…Faith Can Overcome

July 10, 2026 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

“Come,” he said.

Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. ³⁰But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!”

³¹Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?”

Matthew 14:29-31 NIV

“²⁰He replied, “Because you have so little faith. Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.” ^[21] [a]“

Matthew 17:20-21 NIV

(This photo was taken on Lake Superior near the Apostle Islands)

Faith Over Fear

July 3, 2026 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

“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

“For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline.”

2 Timothy 1:7 NIV

We all have a choice in how to respond to events and circumstances in our lives

We can choose to let the world and our flesh lead us down the path of fear and anxiety

Or we can trust in God and His promises

He is the Creator of all things and He is greater than anything we encounter in life

Choose Faith over fear

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

1 Corinthians 16:13-14 NIV

(This photo was taken in Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming)

Be Thankful…Be Content

July 1, 2026 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

“Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. ¹⁶Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts. ¹⁷And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.”

Colossians 3:15-17 NIV

Jesus Christ suffered and died for you and me because He loves us

He has risen

He is alive and wants to help us in this life and prepare us to spend eternity with Him

Give thanks to Jesus

Not only with words but also with how you choose to live your life every day

“But godliness with contentment is great gain. ⁷For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. ⁸But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that.”

1 Timothy 6:6-8 NIV

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

Life With Purpose

June 30, 2026 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

“For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”

Ephesians 2:10 NIV

“Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. ¹⁰Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves. ¹¹Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. ¹²Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. ¹³Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality.”

Romans 12:9-13 NIV

(This photo was taken at the North Entrance of Yellowstone National Park in Montana)

Prayer Is Powerful

June 23, 2026 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

“Is any one of you in trouble? He should pray. Is anyone happy? Let him sing songs of praise. Is anyone one of you sick? He should call the elders of the church to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise them up. If he has sinned, he will be forgiven.“

James 5:13-15 NIV

Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of the righteous one is powerful and effective.”

James 5:16 NIV

(This photo was taken near the border between South Dakota and Minnesota)

Contentment

June 12, 2026 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

“But godliness with contentment is great gain. ⁷For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. ⁸But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. ⁹Those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. ¹⁰For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.”

1 Timothy 6:6-10 NIV

Contentment is found in a relationship with God

We can search for it in the many things the world offers

Yet those seeking it in worldly values have and will continue to find it unattainable in worldly pursuits

Put your hope in God and spend time with Him every day…

This is the path to finding contentment

Trust in the Lord and do good;
dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture.
⁴Take delight in the Lord,
and he will give you the desires of your heart.

Psalm 37:3-4 NIV

(This photo was taken in Rocky Mountain National Park)

The Spirit of Truth

June 11, 2026 / mcalcagno / 2 Comments

“But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come.”

John 16:13 NIV

The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of Truth

Put your trust in the Lord and His will for your life…

His will may not be what you have planned for your life…yet God is the Creator and knows what is best for you

Stay close to the Lord and spend time with Him

Be in His Word and the Spirit of Truth will guide you

“If you love me, you will obey what I command. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever – the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you.”

John 14:15-17 NIV

(This photo was taken at Old Faithful in Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming)