Come Near To God

November 25, 2019 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

He is with you…He knows everything about you and your life…He knows the struggles, the sorrows, the celebrations, the grief and mourning, the joyful gatherings, He knows the desires of your heart. To draw near to God is to seek Him daily, to turn away from sin and our sinful behaviors and to trust in Him…this is not a slick, quick, fast-food process…it is a journey, a journey filled with questions, doubts, sacrifice, repentance, surrender, peace, joy and love. And if you wonder why…the answer is found in His love. Amen.

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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…”

James 4:7-8

(This photo was taken in June of 2013 at the Corn Palace in Mitchell, South Dakota)

The Power Of Love

October 27, 2019 / mcalcagno / 2 Comments

When you have fear, choose to overcome it with love. When you are struggling, choose to keep going with love. When you don’t know what to do, serve others with acts of love. You may ask, ‘how do I do that?’ Start by reading 1 Corinthians 13…it explains fully what love looks like. Jesus Christ is our greatest example of God’s love for us, if we believe that He is the Son of God and we confess our sins, we will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit and that will help us do our best to show the love of Christ to others. May the peace, love and joy of the Lord be with you. Amen.

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“Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling. Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms.”

1 Peter 4:8-10

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

Amazing Love

October 21, 2019 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

Nothing compares to God’s love. His love overcomes all things. We are saved by the sacrifice Jesus Christ made at the cross. God is love and His love is never-ending. Amen.

You Are My King (Amazing Love) by The Newsboys

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“This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.”

1 John 4:9-10

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

His Love Endures Forever

October 6, 2019 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

Trouble will come…we will experience suffering and loss in this world…yet we do not need to have fear and we do not need to be afraid. We are loved by God with a love that is greater than anything we face. Pursue a personal relationship with Jesus Christ our Savior and our Lord, meet with Him every day…He sacrificed everything to save you because He loves you and His love will endure forever. Amen.

Forever by Michael W Smith

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“Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good. His love endures forever.”

Psalms 136:1

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

God Is Love

September 3, 2019 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

Love is about more than words. Love is about how we treat each other with our actions and our behaviors. We all will make mistakes and need to be able to forgive as well as be forgiven. In what relationship or situation in your life is there a lack of love? Pray about it and ask God to guide you in love. Amen.

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“Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.”

1 John 4:8-10

(This photo was taken in June of 2018 near the border between South Dakota and Minnesota)

Past, Present And Future

August 22, 2019 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

The Lord redeems us from our sinful past, He washes away the guilt and the shame and makes us new again…The Lord walks with us in the present, He encourages us to engage in the current moments and experiences, with every interaction and event in life…The Lord will take care of tomorrow. His ways are greater than our ways and His plans are higher than our plans. Trust in the Lord…He forgives us, He is with us and His plans will take care of us in the future. Amen.

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

1 Peter 5:7

(This photo was taken in July of 2016 while traveling through North Dakota)

Forever

August 9, 2019 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

Give thanks to God for all that is good. When we struggle or get frustrated, we can find hope in His love. We tend to think we know what God’s plan is and we are surprised when things don’t go the way we were heading. Spiritual growth comes from realizing we are not the leaders; we do not know better and if we are willing to listen and seek the will of the Lord, He will lead us to things we never thought possible. Thanks be to God for His everlasting love. Amen.

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“Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good. His love endures forever.”

Psalm 136:1

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

Choose Love

August 2, 2019 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

We live with free will…a gift from God. We have the freedom to choose what we say, what we think and our behaviors. We can choose how we respond to others and what attitude we are going to present in our interactions. There are many influences trying to sway our choices both in this world and in the spiritual world. If we take time to reflect on what we have chosen and less time worrying about what others think, say and do…we give ourselves the opportunity to grow…in our relationships and in our spiritual lives. Our example to follow is Jesus Christ…how He lived and what He said while He was here, as well as what the Holy Spirit is saying to us each day. The message is clear…we should choose love in all things…in our thoughts, in our words and in our behaviors. May the love of God flow through each of us. Amen.

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“Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.”

Colossians 3:12-14

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

Attitudes And Actions Of Love

April 9, 2019 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

Compassion…mercy…grace…forgiveness…humility…kindness…faithfulness…selflessness. Who should we share these with? Everyone…family…friends…neighbors…co-workers…strangers…people we will only pass by once in life today only to never encounter them again…look around at your surroundings throughout the day. What is the source of this amazing love? God, He is the source of perfect love. Seek the Lord and you will find love, joy and peace. Amen.

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“And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them.”

1 John 4:16

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

Amazing Love

March 31, 2019 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

There is no one in life that will be able to show us through their actions the love that God has demonstrated for us in the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the Cross. His love endures through every aspect of our lives. Through the greatest joys and through the deepest of sorrows…God’s love is surrounding each one of us. No matter where you are or what is happening turn towards the Lord and you will find comfort in His love. Amen.

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