Turn Towards God

September 16, 2022 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

“Taste and see that the Lord is good;
blessed is the one who takes refuge in him.”

Psalm 34:8 NIV

“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.”

Psalms 37:3-4 NIV

Don’t go your own way…come near to God. Trust His way and most importantly His timing. The world pushes us to be impatient and to seek immediate gratification…this is the work of evil. Set aside self-serving desires and learn about God’s promises. Turn towards God and put your hope in Him and you will know peace.

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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 NIV

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

Jesus

March 30, 2022 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

“Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.”

1 Peter 5:7 NIV

He is all we need. He is the way to God for us. He took the punishment we deserve. The words He spoke when He was here are written in red in the bible. If you want to learn more about Him, pick up a bible and read the Gospel of John. Believe in Him, He is the Son of God, our Savior and our Lord. No matter what you are going through, no matter where you are and no matter what you have done, turn towards Jesus…He is waiting to hear from you. Amen.

Give Me Jesus by Danny Gokey

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“The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.”

John 1:14 NIV

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

Come Near To God

March 23, 2022 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

“Come near to God and he will come near to you.”

Hebrews 4:8 NIV

“The Lord is near to all who call on him,
to all who call on him in truth.”

Psalm 145:18 NIV

Take time to sit alone with God…pickup His Word and read. Acknowledge Him and give thanks to Him for where you have seen Him…give Him thanks for the blessings He has given you…they are there and you will see them if you look for them. Spend time with your Savior, come near to Him and He will come near to you. Amen.

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“If you say, “The Lord is my refuge,”
    and you make the Most High your dwelling,
¹⁰no harm will overtake you,
    no disaster will come near your tent.
¹¹For he will command his angels concerning you
    to guard you in all your ways;
¹²they will lift you up in their hands,
    so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.
¹³You will tread on the lion and the cobra;
    you will trample the great lion and the serpent.”

Psalm 91:9-13 NIV

(This photo was taken in July of 2019 at a lake near Plymouth, Minnesota)

Living Water

February 26, 2022 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

“The Holy Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” And the person who hears should say, “Come!” Anyone who is thirsty should come. Anyone who wants to take the free gift of the water of life should do so.”

Revelation 22:17 NIRV

The water of life comes only from Jesus Christ. Just like our bodies must be fed and hydrated, we must feed and nourish our faith for it to be strong and to grow. It is so easy to become too busy and to drift away from God with everyday life and events. Our source of strength and hope is the living water that comes from Christ. Amen.

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“Jesus answered, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”

John 4:13-14 NIV

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

The Experience Of Following

February 15, 2022 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

“When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”

John 8:12 NIV

Jesus was very clear about what it takes to follow Him. It does not mean life will be easy and you will not have to face any trouble or suffering…it means we will have trouble because we live in a world that pursues the exact opposite of what Jesus teaches us. It also does not mean your life will be miserable…again it is the opposite, you can have joy and peace and contentment. It all comes down to what do you believe? Your beliefs will drive your values, your perspective and even your attitude. And so, Jesus said…“Follow me” – Matthew 9:9 NIV

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“And calling the crowd to him with his disciples, he said to them, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. ³⁵For whoever would save his life^[^a^] will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel’s will save it. ³⁶For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul?”

Mark 8:34-36 NIV

(This photo was taken in April of 2020 at a lake near Plymouth, Minnesota)

Jesus Calls Us To Him

December 28, 2021 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

“Then, because so many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat, he said to them, “Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.””

Mark 6:31 NIV

The pace of life always seems to be increasing, so we must make a conscious effort to live a balanced and healthy life. This includes more than eating right and physical exercise…we must also spend time nurturing our mind and our spirit. If we are always running at peak energy and activity we will eventually crash and the constant up and down of high’s and low’s is taxing on every part of who we are. We need to strive for balance…make time to go to a quiet place and rest. Jesus knows this is important for us and spoke about it in the Gospels. He calls us to follow His example…make time for rest. Amen.

““Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. ²⁹Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. ³⁰For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.””

Matthew 11:28-30 NIV

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

Turn Towards God

October 1, 2021 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

“Taste and see that the Lord is good;
blessed is the one who takes refuge in him.”

Psalm 34:8 NIV

“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.”

Psalms 37:3-4 NIV

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James 4:7-10 NIV

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

Come As You Are

August 26, 2021 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. ²⁹Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.”

Matthew 11:28-29

Come, Now Is The Time To Worship by Brian Doerksen

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“The Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” And let the one who hears say, “Come!” Let the one who is thirsty come; and let the one who wishes take the free gift of the water of life.”

Revelation 22:17

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