Faith Journey

The Spirit Within Us

/ mcalcagno / Leave a comment

How do you tune in to the Holy Spirit?  The faith journey begins by acknowledging Jesus as the Son of God, our Savior and the confession of our sins…it continues with the desire to turn away from sin in our daily lives.  How can our faith grow?  It must be fed… we should feed our minds and our hearts with God’s word, we should seek to do good things, to help those in need and share whatever we have received in abundance.  We are not equipped to do this alone, none of us are.  So how do we know when the Holy Spirit is guiding us…we need to find the best way to tune in…like back in the days when listening to music meant finding just the right spot on a radio dial that brought in a clear signal with no static…strive to find that place and that time where you can tune in and receive guidance from God’s Holy Spirit.  Amen.

DSC_1927 publish

“For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands. 7 For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline.”

2 Timothy 1:6-7

(This photo was taken in July of 2017 at a lake place in northwestern Wisconsin)

Come Near To God

/ 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.

DSC06842 publish

“Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8 Come 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)

A Different Attitude

/ mcalcagno / Leave a comment

A change in perspective…focusing on eternal values rather than worldly values…living with the Fruit of the Spirit in mind at all times…getting rid of pride, selfishness and worldly ambitions and being filled with the Holy Spirit.  Lord, help us to be different, not better than but different from the ways of the world.  Amen.

Different by Micah Tyler

DSC_0105 publish

“Do 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 12:2

(This photo was taken in July of 2018 at a park near Bayfield, Wisconsin)

Why Faith?

/ mcalcagno / Leave a comment

Because, Jesus Christ…His birth, His life, His death and His resurrection embody the love of God for each one of us.  He is with you and He will never leave you.  For all the troubles and suffering we will encounter in this life…they can be overcome, because that is what faith can do.  Amen.

What Faith Can Do by Kutless

DSC_0021-1 publish

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

Proverbs 3:5-6

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

 

Faith

/ mcalcagno / Leave a comment

Trust…belief…confidence.  Faith is not about the quantity of it that you have…it is more focused on do you have it or not?  We sometimes think, ‘if I just had more faith’ or ‘if I just prayed the right way,’ things would have gone the way I wanted them to…as if we are somehow in control of the outcomes in life.  God, our Creator and Father of all, gave us the gift of free will to choose how we will live and what we will believe…He loves us and wants a personal relationship with each one of us.  The facts of faith are in the bible and the birth, life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ are events that happened here on earth…so as you think about your life, your relationships and your circumstances ask yourself…’what do I believe?’  As for me, my response is the words of the Apostles Creed.  May the peace of the Lord be with you.  Amen.

DSC_0015-1 publish

“Jesus replied, “Truly I tell you, if you have faith and do not doubt, not only can you do what was done to the fig tree, but also you can say to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and it will be done.  If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer.”

Matthew 21:21-22

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

Doubt

/ mcalcagno / Leave a comment

Everyone has doubt.  We all experience moments when we question…’where is God in all of this?’ or ‘Why is this happening?’  This has happened to people throughout history.  Even the disciples, who lived during the life of Jesus on earth had doubts.  Having doubt and questions is natural and it is a starting point to explore and learn, so what do you do to find answers to your questions and your doubts?  God wants us to have questions and to ask Him…having doubt and questions is ok…what you do with those doubts and questions is key to your faith journey.  Amen.

DSC_0546 publish

“Lord, if it’s you,” Peter replied, “tell me to come to you on the water.”  “Come,” he said.  Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus.  But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!”  Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?”

Matthew 14:28-31

(This photo was taken in July in 2016 at Theodore Roosevelt National Park in North Dakota)

Humility And Strength

/ mcalcagno / Leave a comment

It’s not about me…it’s not about how everything affects me or makes me feel…I am not the center of everything.  Each of us is one person, created by God and how we choose to live and interact with others on a daily basis is what we can control more than anything.  Our actions and how we choose to respond to the actions of others is up to us.  Put God first, read His word and pray.  Seek the guidance of the Holy Spirit and give thanks to Jesus Christ for His love, His mercy and His grace…if you are wondering how will I ever do this or get through this…know that strength can be found in weakness.  Amen.

DSC_0131 publish

“…For when I am weak, then I am strong.”

2 Corinthians 12:10

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

By Faith…Persevere

/ mcalcagno / Leave a comment

How do we grow in faith?  How can our faith become the cornerstone of who we are?  It depends on your perspective…if your faith is more about religion and performing for the approval and acceptance of others, you will find it a poor foundation that will easily crumble.  Faith is a living part of who we are, we must feed our faith as often as we feed our physical body…faith is fed by reading the Word of God everyday, praying and seeking the will of God for our lives…we build and grow our faith by establishing and building our personal relationship with Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior.  That is the foundation that has stood the test of time and that is the foundation that God promises will sustain us.  Turn towards Jesus and begin building a foundation of faith that will last.  Amen.

DSC01477 publish

“For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands.  For God did not give you a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline.”

2 Timothy 1:6-7

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

Work In Progress…

/ mcalcagno / Leave a comment

We do not have all the answers…we do not know all the reasons why…whatever is happening, whatever is going on, we need to remember God is with us and as long as we are here He is not done with us yet.  God’s Word does not change but there is always more for us to learn from it.  Turn to God in prayer and ask Him to give you eyes to see His will for your life, this day and every day.  Amen.

Diamonds by Hawk Nelson

DSC_1518 publish

“For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”

Ephesians 2:10

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

Persevere

/ mcalcagno / 1 Comment

Purposeful…dedicated…courageous…committed…determined…resolute.  It takes strength to run the race of faith.  The evil in this world will serve us many forms of darkness and struggle, it will work hard, very hard to keep us away from God.  We have to be willing to fight just as hard to stay close to God and trust in the hope that faith gives us…even when…especially when we can’t see it.  Don’t stop believing…(and now the song by Journey is playing in my mind)…keep the faith, when you get knocked back or pushed down trust in God and keep running the race of faith.  Amen.

DSC_0555 publish

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.”

Hebrews 12:1

(This photo was taken in July of 2016 on Beartooth Pass in Montana)