Bible

Father Of All

/ mcalcagno / Leave a comment

To all the Fathers out there:

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your path straight.”

Proverbs 3:5-6

God the Father, is the Father of all.  None of us will be as good of a Father as God is to us.  We will make mistakes, yet as long as we stay close to the Lord, He will encourage us, strengthen us and help us to do better.  Do your best…and leave the rest up to God.  Amen.

Good Good Father by Chris Tomlin

IMG_5059 publish

“…one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.”

Ephesians 4:6

(This photo was taken in July of 2014 at a lake place in central Minesota)

Comforted

/ mcalcagno / Leave a comment

To restore a sense of well-being…to soothe…console…reassure…to ease the grief or burden.  To pursue your faith and a personal relationship with Jesus Christ is about finding your starting point or ending point to each day.  It is about coming back to the place that most feels like home in your heart.  If you are seeking this comfort, choose a time that works for your situation and every day spend time with God…it will change your life in ways you can’t imagine.  Amen.

DSC_0001 (2) publish

“What, then, shall we say in response to this?  If God is for us, who can be against us?”

Romans 8:31

(This photo was taken in July of 2018 on the shore of Lake Superior near Ashland, Wisconsin)

Angels Watch Over Us

/ mcalcagno / Leave a comment

Like in the story of Daniel in the bible…Daniel was faithful and trusted God and when danger was near God protected Daniel in the lion’s den.  There are many more stories of people who have had near misses in life…how many times have you heard, if it was a few seconds sooner or if it was a few inches more this way it would have been much worse?  I believe that God is working through His angels even today to protect people from danger.  Give thanks to God for the angels that keep us safe.  Amen.

DSC09797 publish

“For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways; they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.”

Psalm 91:11-12

(This photo was taken in September of 2014 on a walk in a neighborhood near Plymouth, Minnesota)

What Do We Learn?

/ mcalcagno / Leave a comment

To be patient…to be courageous and to seek wisdom.  To trust in the Lord and to keep doing good things whenever you can.  We learn that all that is good comes from God and we are blessed to be a blessing to others.  We learn that God the Father is our Creator and Jesus Christ is His one and only Son who sacrificed Himself to save us and that when we believe we will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.  Spend time reading God’s word and praying…learn about the amazing relationship available for each of us with God because of Jesus.  Amen.

DSC_0142 publish (2)

“I am still confident of this:  I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.  Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord.”

Psalm 27:13-14

(This photo was taken in June of 2016 at a lake near Plymouth, Minnesota)

Rest And Restoration

/ mcalcagno / Leave a comment

With all that goes on in the world and in our lives we all need to find rest and to be restored.  It is how we are all made.  Balance is a key element in life.  Eating a balanced diet is best…balance in our speaking and listening time makes us better in relationships…balance in our fun and wild times with our quiet times.  The best recipes have a little bit of this and a little bit of that or a pinch of this and a pinch of that…excess will lead to destruction and definitely a poor tasting meal.  In order to be at our best we need balance in all aspects of our lives…physically, emotionally, mentally and spiritually.  Seek the Lord and you will find rest and be restored. Amen.

DSC_1612 publish

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.”

Matthew 11:28

(This photo was taken in September of 2019 at a lake in central Minnesota)

Believe

/ mcalcagno / Leave a comment

You most likely know the information and the stories written about in the bible.  You know the names of most of the books of the bible and many of the names of the people.  There is one name that is above every other name, there is one who did the unthinkable for the undeserving.  Jesus.  You know about Him…the question is do you believe it?  Believe in the power of God…believe in Jesus Christ His only Son our Lord, who died and was rasied to life and lives in you today…when you believe you can achieve anything.  Amen.

Give Me Jesus by Jeremy Camp

DSC01210 publish

“He replied, “Because you have so little faith.  I tell you the truth, 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.”

Matthew 17:20-21

(This photo was taken in April of 2016 on a lake in central Minnesota)

 

God’s Word

/ mcalcagno / Leave a comment

When we have questions or when we need guidance or when we seek comfort, the Word of God can provide for us in all these situations as well as in every other situation we may encounter.  There is a sense of peace not found in the world that can come over you when you make time to read God’s Word and pray each day.  There is guidance in there that we will not find anywhere else.  May the peace of the Lord be with you on your journey.  Amen.

img_20180730_062020 publish

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

Psalm 119:105

(This photo was taken in July of 2018 on the shore of Lake Superior near Ashland, Wisconsin)

The Presence Of The Lord

/ mcalcagno / Leave a comment

When have you felt like you could sense the Presence of God?  When have you felt like God has come near to you?  Where were you?  What was going on in your life or around you?  How often do you ask or have you been asked where do you see God in this?  All that is good is from God…all that is dark and evil is from the prince of darkness and human nature.  Look to see the Presence of the Lord in your life and you will see that He has been with you every step of the way.  Amen.

Holy Spirit by Francesca Battistelli

DSC_0730 publish

“The Lord replied, “My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.”

Exodus 33:14

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

By Faith…Persevere

/ mcalcagno / Leave a comment

How do we grow in faith?  How can our faith become the cornerstone of who we are?  It depends on your perspective…if your faith is more about religion and performing for the approval and acceptance of others, you will find it a poor foundation that will easily crumble.  Faith is a living part of who we are, we must feed our faith as often as we feed our physical body…faith is fed by reading the Word of God everyday, praying and seeking the will of God for our lives…we build and grow our faith by establishing and building our personal relationship with Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior.  That is the foundation that has stood the test of time and that is the foundation that God promises will sustain us.  Turn towards Jesus and begin building a foundation of faith that will last.  Amen.

DSC01477 publish

“For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands.  For God did not give you a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline.”

2 Timothy 1:6-7

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

Attitude

/ mcalcagno / Leave a comment

A way of thinking…a point of view…outlook…perspective…belief.  How would you define your attitude toward God?  What is His role?  How much time during a typical week are we thinking about God?  The Bible has many of examples of different people and their attitude towards God, it describes their beliefs and actions.  There is a lot for us to learn from those people.  From Genesis to Revelation, we read about those who put God at the center of their lives and those who did not.  The best example of an appropriate attitude towards God is that of Jesus Christ…He took time daily to walk with God and this is what He seeks from us as well.  Spend time with Jesus every day and define your attitude towards God.  Amen.

2012-07-28_06-10-38_909 (2) (640x361)

“He has showed you, O mortal, what is good.  And what does the Lord require of you?  To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.”

Micah 6:8

(This photo was taken in July of 2012 on a walk in northwestern Wisconsin)