His Sacrifice For Our Salvation

March 31, 2026 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

“Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.”

John 15:13 NIV

Father God, thank You for sending Your only Son to save us

Thank You for creating a way for us to know You personally

Becasue of Jesus’ sacrifice, our sins are forgiven!

Please help us never take that for granted

Help us to recognize and glorify You in every area of our lives

In Jesus name, Amen

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“But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

Romans 5:8 NIV

(This photo was taken at a lake near Plymouth, Minnesota)

Don’t Stop Praying

March 26, 2026 / mcalcagno / 2 Comments

Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! ⁵Let your graciousness^[b] be known to everyone. The Lord is near. ⁶Don’t worry about anything, but in everything, through prayer and petition with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. ⁷And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.

Philippians 4:4-7 CSB

Do not give up…

The Lord hears our prayers and His way is better than our ways

We must learn to be patient and persistent

No matter how long you have been praying about something and you haven’t seen a change…don’t quit…keep praying…believe

Many people fall away from God because He does not work on our time lines

Remember He is God and He knows what is best for us even if we can’t see it

Trust Him in everything

Don’t Stop Praying by Matthew West

Haven’t Seen It Yet by Danny Gokey

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“For nothing will be impossible with God.”

Luke 1:37 NIV

(This photo was taken at a lake in Plymouth, Minnesota)

The God Who Stays

March 25, 2026 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

“Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.”

Deuteronomy 31:6 NIV

“So do not fear, for I am with you;
do not be dismayed, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you and help you;
I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”

Isaiah 41:10 NIV

The God Who Stays by Matthew West

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“The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing.
²    He makes me lie down in green pastures,
he leads me beside quiet waters,
³    he refreshes my soul.
He guides me along the right paths
    for his name’s sake.
⁴Even though I walk
    through the darkest valley,^[a]
I will fear no evil,
    for you are with me;
your rod and your staff,
    they comfort me.”

Psalm 23:1-4 NIV

(This photo was taken at Big Sky Resort in Montana)

Give Thanks To The Lord

March 22, 2026 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

“Praise the Lord.^[a]

Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good;
his love endures forever.”

Psalm 106:1 NIV

We are saved by grace

We cannot earn it nor do we deserve it

It is a gift from God

Let us give thanks to the Lord for all He has done for us

He is with us, He loves us and He will never leave us

Forever by Chris Tomlin

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“Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth.
²    Worship the Lord with gladness;
    come before him with joyful songs.
³Know that the Lord is God.
    It is he who made us, and we are his^[a];
    we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.

⁴Enter his gates with thanksgiving
    and his courts with praise;
    give thanks to him and praise his name.
⁵For the Lord is good and his love endures forever;
    his faithfulness continues through all generations.”

Psalm 100:1-5 NIV

(This photo was taken along Beartooth Pass in Montana)

Holy Living

March 19, 2026 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

“As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. ¹⁵But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; ¹⁶for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.”^[a]

1 Peter 1:14-16 NIV

How do we know what God is calling us to do?

For life decisions and direction?

If we use the world’s measuring stick of ‘what we should do’ we risk missing God’s will entirely

To follow our call is to surrender self-serving desires

To be humble and patient and to have a foundation of a faith that is built on our personal relationship with Jesus Christ

Nobody ever said it is going to be easy

We will face trouble and struggles of every kind in life

Yet if we are willing to stand firm on the foundation of faith, we will persevere

Because God is always with us, guiding and protecting us

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“For God did not call us to be impure, but to live a holy life. ⁸Therefore, anyone who rejects this instruction does not reject a human being but God, the very God who gives you his Holy Spirit.“

1 Thessalonians 4:7-8 NIV

(This photo was taken at a lake place in northwestern Wisconsin)

Be Transformed

March 18, 2026 / mcalcagno / 1 Comment

“Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. ²Do not conform to the 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 12:1-2 NIV

Father God, make us more and more like You

We want You to know what is in our hearts, and we want You to change the way we think

Help us draw near to You and Your Word every day

We want every aspect of our lives to reflect Your glory, so please teach us how to pursue choices that lead to life

In Jesus name, Amen

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“Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. ¹⁸And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate^[a] the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.“

2 Corinthians 3:17-18 NIV

(This photo was taken at a lake in northwestern Wisconsin)

His Ways…

March 16, 2026 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

“For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
    neither are your ways my ways,”
declares the Lord.
⁹“As the heavens are higher than the earth,
    so are my ways higher than your ways
    and my thoughts than your thoughts.”

Isaiah 55:8-9 NIV

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart
and lean not on your own understanding;
⁶in all your ways submit to him,
and he will make your paths straight.”^[a]

Proverbs 3:5-6 NIV

It’s not about you

The message in the Bible is clear you should not be at the center of your life

This is not to say that you don’t need to properly care for your mind, body and spirit that is clearly outlined in the Bible as well

However, everything that happens should not be viewed only from the perspective of self

We all have a purpose and a role in God’s story…

If you want to understand what that is, seek Him

Consider a different perspective…an eternal perspective

Trust in the Lord…His ways are higher than our ways

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“Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.”

Colossians 3:2 NIV

(This photo was taken near Dillon, Colorado)

What A Beautiful Name

March 15, 2026 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

“Therefore God exalted him to the highest place
    and gave him the name that is above every name,
¹⁰that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
    in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
¹¹and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord,
    to the glory of God the Father.”

Philippians 2:9-11 NIV

We are all guilty of sin, of doing things we should not do

Jesus is the one who took our punishment…

He was without sin and yet He came down from heaven to sacrifice Himself for us

We didn’t earn it and we don’t deserve it…So why did He do it?

For love…

That is how much He loves you and me and He wants a relationship with each and every one of us

He is the Savior of the world

His name is Jesus

No matter where you are of what you have done, call out to Jesus

He is waiting to hear from you

What A Beautiful Name by Hillsong Worship

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“For to us a child is born,
    to us a son is given,
    and the government will be on his shoulders.
And he will be called
    Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
    Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”