Do You Not Know? Have You Not Heard?

April 27, 2018 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

There are so many different verses in the bible that can become a connection point for us. God’s Word is filled with life application instructions and teachings. I have heard people say I son’t know what to do, or all I can do is pray…the power of scripture and prayer should not be underestimated. If you haven’t seen it or you are unsure if God is present in your life…give this a try. Pick up a bible and find words that may apply to your situation…not sure what part of the book to go to…go out onto the internet and type ‘bible verses about (insert your topic here).’ The world is filled with darkness, evil and suffering…choose to follow the light that has been given to us and see what God has planned for you. May God’s peace be with you.

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“Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom.

He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; 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 40:28-31

(This photo was taken in July of 2016 while driving along Beartooth Pass in Montana)

The Lord Is Knocking At The Door

April 22, 2018 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

As we venture down the road of a life of faith and spiritual growth we will come to decisions and choices in life and as we learn to listen for God in our conscious, the trust part of faith will need to be addressed. Similar to yesterday’s post about prayer…there is saying I believe in God and I believe Jesus Christ is the Son of God who came down from heaven, was crucified, died and was buried. I believe He has risen and He lives in me…and then there is actually living your life with trust in what you believe. Many of us get stuck at this point, myself included, we are searching to open the right door and to invite Jesus into every aspect of our life and yet we still end up going off the track and wonder what the heck happened here…one of the greatest gifts of God is that He loves us so much that He will never leave us nor forsake us. He will continue to be with us every slow learning step of the way…Jesus will continue to knock at the door waiting for us to open it and invite Him in to eat with us. Don’t stop opening new doors, listen closely to God and read the Word of God to know which knock is the Lord. May God’s peace be with you.

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“Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me.”

Revelation 3:20

(This photo was taken in March of 2018 of a Yucca plant near Carlsbad Caverns in southern New Mexico)

Change Happens When You Truly Pray

April 21, 2018 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

How many times have we said, I will pray for you or I am praying for you…and then we never do it. We never sit quietly with God and discuss the specific concern or topic with Him. I know I am guilty of that and I am working really hard on not saying I will pray for you with out doing so the next morning during my daily devotions. I am really working on praying for people in situations in my morning time and telling them afterwords, I have been praying for you when I know it is true. When the words, my thoughts and prayers are with you, become just that a bunch of nice words with no action, we have really disgraced and disrespected the true power of prayer. The recent protests and marches have shown me that we have turned the power and privilege of prayer into a trite saying that causes anger and does not bring peace. True and honest prayer between you and God is powerful and it is one of the strongest weapons we have against evil and darkness…even the people that made the movie “Bruce Almighty” understand that, watch the scene near the end when Bruce is offering his prayer. My last thought for you…every morning just before I hit publish on these posts I pray for you as I pray for anyone who reads my post each day…May God’s love, joy and peace be with you.

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“Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?” And I said, “Here am I. Send me!”

Isaiah 6:8

(This photo was taken in March of 2018 while driving through southern New Mexico)

What Can I Do?

April 15, 2018 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

This is an excellent question. One that we can ask of God anytime and in any situation. Asking questions and seeking the answers from God first are an excellent way to start letting God be in control. When we are willing to ask for help we are admitting we don’t have all the answers or finally admitting we tried to answer the questions of life several times on our own and we are ready to surrender to God’s answers. This is very humbling and yet such a lift of burden all at the same time. I am sure you have heard the phrase…God is good, all the time and all the time, God is good…while it can be used as a mantra or a call and response exercise the truth of what that states is accurate. It is our perspective that needs the adjustment not God’s plan. Be open to questions, ask them to God and be prepared to listen to His answers not only the answer you want. May God’s peace and goodness be with you.

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“Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.”

Psalm 51:10-12

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

Renew Strength

April 12, 2018 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

In order for the journey of faith to be strengthen we need to visit the rest stops in life and spend time reading the Word of God. Devotional time gives us an opportunity to learn more about ourselves and God. No matter what is going on He is still on the throne, His presence is still with us, even at times when He feels distant. The Word of God is truly a light in the darkness of this world and it is a guide for strengthening us for life. Spend time at a rest stop with God. May God’s peace be with you.

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“But blessed is 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 its 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 on the North Shore of Lake Superior)

Spiritual Growth

April 11, 2018 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

Spiritual growth comes when we continue to devote time to our personal relationship with God. Reading God’s word, spending time in prayer and in the quiet of His calming presence. The more we are able to center our lives on trusting God with everything the stronger our foundation of life will be. I have read about this in several different books, the writer explains a turning point, that point where everything starts to look and feel different…it is much different to read about it then to begin to start experiencing it. I began listening to christian music on the radio 20 years ago…I started reading faith based books and my devotional bible everyday 8 years ago…and I started this blog 5 years ago…I am just beginning to sense and understand what it means to trust God with my everything (yes I am a slow learner :). Just like one of my favorite phrases states…it is simple but it is not easy. May God’s love and peace be with you.

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“I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.”

John 15:5

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

The Story Continues Today

April 5, 2018 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

The Bible is not a book that tells a story about past events and is not relevant to today. It is the Word of God and how God made the world out of love. The people of the world both back then and now have chosen to reject God, so the stories of the old testament and the new testament are about God’s pursuit of the people in creation. It is about the things He was and is doing to bring people back to His love. In the old testament it was battles, kings and prophets and in the new testament it is the life, teachings, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ His one and only Son. These stories are about God’s pursuit of humanity and it continues today. Pick up a Bible and see your place in God’s pursuit of you and people all over the world. May God’s peace 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 July of 2016 along Beartooth Pass near the Montana and Wyoming border)

The Love Of Christ

March 29, 2018 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

It is so overwhelming to me to think about all that Jesus suffered to save us. He was different than everybody else and because of that people let fear drive them to the point of His death. When any of us look at the current circumstances in our lives and we put on the perspective of what Jesus faced on earth, it is clear to me that nothing I face in this life will ever match the love that Jesus Christ has for me…nothing. There are terrible pains, suffering and events of deep sadness that exist because of darkness and sin. The love of Christ is more powerful than any of it…not when you are trying to see it without first inviting Jesus into your heart. Invite Him into your life and read the Word of God and you will see His love every day. May God’s love and peace be with you.

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“Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?…No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.”

Romans 8:35,37

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

Perspective

March 24, 2018 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

We all have opportunity every day to choose how we see the world and people in it. Our perspective has many influences, personal experience, things we read, things others tell us, our own emotions and the things we see happening. If we allow our perspective to be formed with out consulting with our Creator are we really putting all we can into our beliefs? Information provided by the human race always seems to have a selfish agenda of the those who distribute the data. The only source of truth I have found is God and His Son Jesus Christ. If you haven’t done so, I invite you to allow the Word of God to be an influence on your perspective…I recommend starting with the Gospel of John. Believe in God the Father, Jesus Christ His one and only Son and the Holy Spirit and you will find the peace and joy of the Lord. May God’s peace be with you.

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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 August of 2016 in Glacier National Park in Montana)

Spiritual Food

March 19, 2018 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

When we read the bible we are feeding our spiritual life so that it can grow. If we only take time to listen to the word of God once a week in worship our spiritual growth is very limited. Just as the body needs food and water daily to stay healthy. We also need to exercise in order to be strong to stand up to evil. For the spiritual food we receive is the verses of the bible, this is the living water that Jesus speaks about in the Gospel of John. We can be nourished by spending time digesting the Word of God. The exercise of our spiritual life is the action we take that shows we are a disciple of Jesus. The actions that bear fruit to the world. Choose to feed your spiritual life, pick up the bible and feed your spiritual body. May God’s peace be with you.

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