God Came Down

December 29, 2018 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

The coming of Jesus Christ, to be born as a baby here on earth was miraculous for many reasons. The most difficult part to comprehend is that God, the Creator of the world, the beginning and the end of all things, loves us so much that He took the form of one of us, to save us from our sinful ways. When we read in the bible about the people of God in the Old Testament, it seems like the people and God go back and forth. The people are suffering, God does something to help them, win a battle, defeat an enemy, free them from slavery and the people are thankful and grow closer to God…and then time goes by and they wander off again. The cycle repeats itself several times…much like many of us in our faith journey. In the New Testament, God changes the cycle and does something that has changed the relationship we have with Him forever. God came down from heaven and became like us in order to reconcile us to Him…think about that for awhile…the Almighty God, Creator of all things came down from heaven to become one of us because He loves us. As we think about the past year and the year to come, I pray we reflect on God’s love and the amazing things He has done for us. Amen.

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“For the Lord is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations.”

Psalm 100:5

(This photo was taken in October of 2018 at a lake near Plymouth, Minnesota)

God Renews Our Strength

December 2, 2018 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

When I read God’s Word different verses and phrases will seem to stick out more than others from time to time. This is our time to listen…God is speaking to us through the same words His Son spoke so long ago. In the devotional bible I have been reading I have either highlighted or marked with little stars some of these verses…I have also taken time to make a list in the front of the book of the verses that speak to me the most or the most often. This morning, on this day of worship, after completing my daily devotional I have read many of those on the list and in doing this I have literally felt peace and comfort washing over me. If you are looking for something that seems to be missing in your life or in your heart, go look for it in the place God has provided…His Word of life. I pray we seek the wisdom of God in His Word to renew our strength. Amen.

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“…but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.”

Isaiah 40:31

(This photo was taken in May of 2014 at a lake place in central Minnesota)

Prayer

November 28, 2018 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

Honest…thoughtful…sincere…heartfelt…engaging…communication in relationship that involves talking and listening. Prayer like this is the kind that nurtures and supports spiritual growth and actual change because its foundation is belief in Jesus Christ as the Son of God. It is important to make time each day and offer up heartfelt, sincere prayers and spend part of that time listening…to clear your mind of the day to day items and see where your thoughts go. A relationship can only grow and get stronger if we are willing to commit and invest time in it. May we all be moved to prayer by our faith in Jesus Christ who gave all He had to reconcile us with God. Amen.

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“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

Philippians 4:6-7

(This photo was taken in October of 2014 on the north shore of the island of Maui, Hawaii)

He Gives Us Strength

November 27, 2018 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

When we feel weak and tired…when frustrations seem overwhelming…when the way forward is difficult or unknown. God the Father, Jesus Christ His one and only Son and the Holy Spirit lift us up and renew us. Everything and anything in life is going to better when God is at the center of our lives. Spending time in devotions and prayer, reading God’s Word these are ways to build your relationship with Jesus. The more our relationship grows the more we begin to sense His presence in our lives which can lead us to courage and strength at times when we need it most. We were never promised a life of faith would be easy…the promise is “…he will never leave you nor forsake you.” –Deuteronomy 31:6 The Lord is good and He is the provider of all we need. I pray we seek the will of the Lord and trust in Him. Amen.

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“I can do all things through him who gives me strength.”

Philippians 4:13

(This photo was taken in August of 2016 in Mount Rainier National Park in Washington)

Be Still

October 18, 2018 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

Take time to build your relationship with the Lord…find a still and quiet place to seek Him…the greatest joy can come from experiencing God’s presence when the Holy Spirit is allowed to flow freely in your heart and soul. God is with you, He hears you and He knows you…make time to be with Him. I pray for all to take time to turn towards the Lord and away from the sinful nature. Amen.

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“Be still, and know that I am God…”

Psalm 46:10

(This photo was taken in August of 2016 in Glacier National Park in Montana)

Trust

October 12, 2018 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

Something that is earned…easily eroded by poor behavior…to be a person of your word…to keep your promises. Trust is an essential element in good relationships, in relationships that have a chance to grow. It makes us vulnerable and when we get burned it takes that much longer for us to trust again. God is the only one who has never broken a promise, He is the only one who is by our side every single day, He is the one who sent His only Son to die in order to save us…yet so many of us want to keep Him in a box with a glass door that says “In case of an emergency break glass.” In order to trust God we need to be willing to be more open to Him, to be more vulnerable in our relationship with Him and to believe that He is working for good things in our life. I pray we all can take steps toward trusting God more in our life everyday. Amen.

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“I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.”

Psalm 91:2

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

Humility

October 8, 2018 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

Where is the focus of our life? What is the center of our existence? When others say kind things about us or something we have done, while this is encouraging, do we remember the One who made it possible for us? We all are so easily distracted and this can be how we are led away from God and His plan for us. The Book of Proverbs is filled with great reminders and statements about holy living. These were spoken by Solomon who had been blessed with incredible wisdom from God…even He succumbed to distractions in his life on earth. Nobody is immune and that is why daily interaction and communication with Jesus Christ is essential to finding humility and staying humble. May God’s mercy and grace wash over us each day. Amen

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“When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom.”

Proverbs 11:2

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

The Word Of Life

September 22, 2018 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

The more I spend time reading the Word of God and in prayer the more I am learning about how God is present in my everyday life. I like many of us stumble very often in life with my words or my actions or my thoughts and as I sit down each morning and read from a Billy Graham devotional book and from the Bible I am learning about the things Jesus was teaching when He was here and what He is still teaching us today. When I think about other things I could pick up and read first thing in the morning, the Bible and time with God are clearly the only things that will renew my spirit, restore my mind and comfort my thoughts. I can physically feel my shoulders loosen up and relax more as I read and pray. The Word of God also sets up my perspective for the day and helps to refresh my attitude to help and serve others wherever I can. The Bible is truly the Word of life and the living water that only comes from Jesus Christ. May we all see and sense the presence of God’s Word in our daily life.

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“But blessed in the man who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him. He will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out it roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.”

Jeremiah 17:7-8

(This photo was taken in August of 2012 while hiking near the north shore of Lake Superior)

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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