Surrender

September 20, 2018 / mcalcagno / 3 Comments

Because a life of faith is a journey and not one event or moment in time we must come back to Jesus Christ and His life, death and resurrection. I am learning that growing and developing or maturing in my spiritual life takes persistence and commitment. If I reserve my time and faith in God for a few moments at church on the weekend and a few memorized prayers before I eat or go to sleep, I feel like I am just going through the motions and not connecting. Coming to Christ daily, reading scripture and praying every morning before I sit down with this laptop and ask the Holy Spirit to guide my fingers to share the good news with you…that is how I am learning about new levels of faith and connecting more deeply with God. We must be willing to give of ourselves, we must be willing to trust in God’s plan and we must be willing to surrender our own plan in order to experience the full glory of God in life. May the peace and joy of the Lord be with you.

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“Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me and for the gospel will save it.”

Mark 8:34-35

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

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)

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)

Choices

August 25, 2018 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

We all have them…we have them for little things…we have them for big things…we have choices to make everyday…even not deciding is a choice. We are bombarded with messages about what we “should” want, what everyone “needs” and the quick and simple things you can do to have it all. Um No. This is evil and the sinful nature constantly at work telling us me, myself and I are the only important things to focus on. Every step we take towards the sinful nature is a step we choose to take away from God. We need to focus on the fruit of the Spirit “…love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.” (Galatians 5:22-23) These are free, they are choices we can make in our everyday interactions. Choose a life based on the foundation of Faith and trust in Jesus Christ with every aspect of your life. May you be blessed with wisdom in the choices you make.

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“Do not conform any longer tot he pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is – his good, pleasing and perfect will.”

Romans 12:2

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

Understanding

July 24, 2018 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

There are a few places in the bible that state…“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom,…” (Psalm 111:10, Proverbs 9:10) There is also…“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge,…” (Proverbs 1:7) I want to take a moment to talk about “The fear of the Lord…” In modern language fear is strictly defined as being afraid of or believing something or someone is dangerous and to avoid. An older definition of fear is to stand in awe of; to have respect for, to revere, reverence. These verses are telling us to have ultimate respect for the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. To stand in awe of the love, the mercy, the grace and the power of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge. May the grace and peace of the Lord be with you.

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“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; all who follow his precepts have good understanding. To him belongs eternal praise.”

Psalm 111:10

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

All That Is Good Comes From God

July 17, 2018 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

Nothing is more refreshing for the mind and spirit than to take some time to sit peacefully, with nothing but the sounds of the world going on around you and to be with God. I hope you have a time like that in your life, no matter if it is in the morning, midday or in the evening. Whatever may work for your life, I can’t emphasize enough the difference it will make in every aspect of your life…it is something you must experience to understand…for me it is the single most important thing I have done to strengthen my faith and to change my life. Our lives are about our experiences and learning and passing on that experience to others to help them. Ask Jesus Christ to come into your heart and mind, again and again and again and let the Holy Spirit be your guide. If you are looking for goodness, kindness and compassion…all that is good comes from God. May the love, joy and peace of the Lord be with you.

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“The Lord is good to all; he has compassion on all he has made.”

Psalm 145:9

(This photo was taken in March of 2013 in the Botanical Garden at the Bellagio in Las Vegas, Neveda)

Walking In The Light

July 10, 2018 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

Getting out of the cycle of pray-commit sin-repent-repeat means changing our behavior and our attitude. It says in many places in the bible the path to peace is to humble your self before God (James 4:10, 1 Peter 5:6) and admit you are a sinner who is unable to improve yourself alone. This is true humility. It is very far cry from what the self-serving world is telling us we should be doing. We must learn to walk in the light of Christ…to me this means not judging others, not holding on to anger, offering to help those in need and spreading the Good News of Jesus Christ and His redeeming grace. To walk in the light is to trust and know that no matter what you encounter, God is good, He loves you and He will guide you if you are willing to follow Him. May the grace and peace of God be with you.

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“But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.”

1 John 1:7

(This photo was taken in June of 2012 at sunset in northwestern Wisconsin)

The Conclusion

July 9, 2018 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

In the Book of Ecclesiastes, the Teacher explores several aspects of life on earth searching for meaning. The word ‘meaningless’ is used repeatedly in this book. The Teacher reviews wisdom, pleasures, time, toil, advancement, riches and often states similar phrases like‘…it is good and proper for a man to eat and drink, and to find satisfaction in his toilsome labor under the sun during the few days of life God has given him – for this is his lot.” (Ecclesiastes 5:18) Finally after thorough discussion is complete in Ecclesiastes 12 a conclusion is reached…this is a lesson that every person can learn from, this is a lesson that keeps the values of eternity in view for all of us. To summarize what the verses below state: Life without God is meaningless. May you find peace and joy in the glory of God this day.

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“Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. For God will bring every deed into judgment, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil.”

Ecclesiastes 12:13-14

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

God’s Word

July 2, 2018 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

Instructions…directions…guidance…wisdom…understanding. It takes a certain attitude to be willing to follow instructions, to accept wisdom from another or to trust the guidance of someone else. We have to be humble, willing to admit we don’t know our way around a situation or place. This is easy when we are using one of our devices of “convenience,” a cell phone, Ipad, computer, etc. It is more difficult when we start involving other people in our need for assistance. We are challenged to learn how to have humility, to accept our level of knowledge for what it is and to seek out wisdom and to learn from others in history. God’s Word is the instruction manual for life we all can use. It provides the Way to make it through this world, it does not say do this and life will be easy and always happy. It is more honest than that and more about providing wisdom and guidance as help from those who already have lived on earth and know the troubles human beings will have in life. Pickup a bible and seek the understanding that God provides. The test for this book is happening all the time in our daily life, how are you answering the multiple choice questions of your life? May God’s mercy and grace be with you.

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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 at Sapphire Point near Dillon, Colorado)

Prayer And Listening

June 30, 2018 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

As we work to grow in our relationship with Jesus, we may begin to focus on offering ourselves up in prayer. To most of us when we think about prayer we thinking of speaking, however, as we can learn from our relationships with others, listening is a vital yet little used characteristic in the world. Every strong relationship involves communication two ways. Speaking and offering up your words and support verbally and then also taking time to sit quietly and listen. I have been doing my reading and devotions in the early morning for several years and I choose that time for me because the world is very still and quiet in my life in the early morning and I have found I can truly meditate on God’s Word and let it soak into to my soul. I start each day speaking and listening with the Lord and it sets my perspective and attitude for good things. Seek the Lord and listen for His voice. May God’s peace be with you.

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