Surrender

November 23, 2020 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

“What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don’t they come from your desires that battle within you? ²You desire but do not have, so you kill. You covet but you cannot get what you want, so you quarrel and fight. You do not have because you do not ask God. ³When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.”

James 4:1-3

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“Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. ⁸Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. ⁹Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom. ¹⁰Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.”

James 4:7-10

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

Everyone Is Carrying A Burden

October 26, 2020 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

Evey person you encounter everyday is fighting a battle you know nothing about…we all have burdens of some kind. We are not here to judge whether one persons burden is greater than another…in love we are to strive to help others carry their burdens as much as we need someone to help us carry our own. We should strive to ask the question…”how can I help?” more often than “why isn’t someone helping me?” Jesus set the example for us and we would do well to follow Him. Amen.

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“Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, ²then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind. ³Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, ⁴not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.”

Philippians 2:1-4

(This photo was taken in March of 2018 at White Sands National Park in New Mexico)

Humility

October 5, 2020 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

“Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. ¹¹The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. ¹²I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.’

¹³“But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’

¹⁴“I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”

Luke 18:10-14

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“Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. ¹⁵Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. ¹⁶Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position.^[a] Do not be conceited.”

Romans 12:14-16

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

A Servant Spirit

August 1, 2020 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

It takes discipline and a willingness to sacrifice self-serving ways. It is not about fame and fortune or ‘likes’ and ‘followers’. There are many in our society that choose a vocation to serve and it shows the goodness that comes from God that can shine through us. It really is a choice for each of us, how we want to live…what attitude we are going to put on each day. If and when you are finding it difficult due to the sinful nature of this world…turn towards God in prayer and put some of God’s Word in your heart to renew and refresh your spirit. I have often used Psalm 51:10-12 to help my spirit. May God’s peace be with you. Amen.

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Philippians 2:1-4

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

Peace And Hope

July 13, 2020 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

Our source of peace, our source of hope…only God can provide peace and hope that can endure all troubles and suffering. The peace of Christ in your heart will hold you up through the most painful moments in your life and the hope from God will guide you on your path as events and circumstances, that you do not control, change in your everyday life. When we are willing to be humble, to confess that we have done wrong and we turn towards God and seek Him…we will find peace we never knew existed and we will have hope we have never seen before. May God’s peace be with you. Amen.

“Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful.”

Colossians 3:15

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“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead…”

1 Peter 1:3

(This photo was taken in May of 2020 at the High Falls in Tettegouche State Park in noerthern Minnesota)

We Must Humble Ourselves

April 25, 2020 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

It’s not about me. There is a significant difference between self-care and self-centered. To be humble takes courage, to admit that we make mistakes and poor choices with an attitude of seeking redemption is a path to peace. Jesus taught us about humility…

¹³“But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’

¹⁴“I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”

Luke 18:10-14

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“…if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.”

2 Chronicles 7:14

(This photo was taken in April of 2016 at a lake in central Minnestoa)

Be Humble

April 6, 2020 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

This is Holy Week…a time to reflect clearly on what Jesus truly did for you, to save you. He entered the city of Jerusalem to cheers and the waving of palms…and days later He left the city, beaten, bloody and dragging the very cross He would die upon…in order to reconcile us with God. It is all written down for us in God’s Word. I am a sinner, thankful for the Lord Jesus Christ…for His sacrifice, for His mercy and for His love. Thanks be to God. Amen.

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¹³“But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’

¹⁴“I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.””

Luke 9:10-14

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

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.

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“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)

Trust In The Lord

January 5, 2020 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

Surrender the will of the self and you will find joy and peace. This is not about happiness; joy goes deeper and has greater understanding than happy. Happy is about you…joy is about your foundation of faith and your personal relationship with Jesus Christ. God knows everything about you and He wants good things for you…trust in Him with all your heart like you never have before and see what God has in store for you. Amen.

I Give You My Heart by Michael W Smith

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“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.

⁵Commit your way to the Lord;
trust in him and he will do this:
⁶He will make your righteous reward shine like the dawn,
your vindication like the noonday sun.

⁷Be 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 37:3-7

(This photo was taken in July of 2016 along Beartooth Pass near the Montana and Wyoming border)

Wisdom

December 27, 2019 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

We have so much to learn…it is easy to think that we have lived our lives long enough to know what is right for us. We have experiences to draw on and we rely on feelings and emotions. Yet God knew all of these things before we were even born. He is our Creator and He loves us so much that He sacrificed His Son to save us…He knows what is best for us. For example, how many people would believe that Saul could become Paul…the greatest enemy of Christians would become one of the greatest disciples? You can read about it in Acts 9…this is the wisdom of God and it is far greater than any human wisdom. Trust in the Lord and seek His will for you and your life. Amen.

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