What is it about Time?

October 6, 2013 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

What time does it start? What time does it end? Is it time to go? What time are we meeting them? How long will it last? Do you know what time it is? We are constantly focused on Time…In the beginning God only spoke of two times, day and night and it was good.

When we came into this world as infants we didn’t wait to be born until a certain time…we weren’t regulated by the numbers on a clock for anything in life, as a parent of two I believe I can say no infant cares about the time on the clock. During life the world begins to impose its will of Time on us. “We are trying to get him on a normal sleep schedule”…”He should be walking by now”… as we grow we start to have a ‘schedule’ or ‘routine’ to follow. The human race has been very specific about when everything should happen in your life. Then as we age into the late stages of life the details of Time and the pressure of the schedule begin to fade away slowly until we are on our last few breaths and once again we are not concerned about what Time it is…

So when we are physically closest to God at birth and death we seem to have very little need to be so stressed about Time, then why do we choose to let the world dictate what Time we should be there and when we need to be here? Don’t get me wrong I don’t expect the world to live in chaos, completely unstructured. Take a moment to think about our world though, every new thing created by humans is designed to save you time! Why? What are we saving it for…to fit more stuff into a schedule that is already overflowing with commitments and promises we can barely keep up with now?

When is it time to slow down? When will we choose to be present in life and not focused on what’s next? I always love a huge snowstorm…why? Because the world gets really quite…and several ‘activities’ on the schedule get cancelled. Then you get to sit and just spend time with whomever you are with at the time and the world finally seems peaceful if only for a moment.

The Bible has plenty to say about Time…you can find great information in the Book of Ecclesiastes in the Old Testament. One of my favorite verses in this book is this…

“Remember your Creator in the days of your youth, before the days of trouble come and the years approach when you will say, ‘I find no pleasure in them’…”

Ecclesiastes 12:1

This verse is one of the reasons I want to spend so much time working with the youth in our church…the earlier in life we have a firm foundation of faith the more “Time” we have to live out God’s plan for our life.

Peace.

Faith Is a Journey

October 2, 2013October 2, 2013 / mcalcagno / 2 Comments

Even when we feel like asking like a child “Are we there yet?” …we need to continue on the journey of faith. Just like going on a trip you will have highs and lows, sweet surprises and unfortunate disappointments. You will encounter unexpected events as well as amazing grace. The title of this blog explains my perspective of the journey. Remember to “Take Your Faith With You” wherever you go.

Think about when you are going to take a trip…do you plan and gather resources? Typically you pack a bag, at least one. Sometimes people make a checklist to be sure they have everything and sometimes people just grab a few things and head out. Do you bring a map or I guess now it would be a GPS capable device as a guide? When you are on the trip do you spend time regretting not taking a turn or trying to change something that didn’t go well on the trip? Or do you continue to press on…knowing that things will be ok, looking for ways to improve yourself and your decision making in order to have a better experience for yourself as well as others with you on the trip. Do you find that when you are lost or not sure where to go that the map/GPS is helpful in guiding you to a better situation?

For me every day is another day on the journey to discover more about and engage in faith with life. I start by consulting the guide book or spiritual GPS called the Bible. For any thoughts of worry or concern I offer them up to God in prayer, this helps me remember to keep a positive perspective on the events in my day…it reduces stress, frustration, etc…I also pray to help me see his work in the world and to bless every interaction with others in my day. Just stating such a prayer each morning helps me remember God throughout the day. When others share good news or bad news I praise God either for the blessings of the good news or for wisdom to see what he wants us to learn from the bad news.

Through it all, as a human, I stumble and sometimes I fall down completely…I still get mad, I still feel frustrated and I still feel sadness at times…I am not a robot. We all still have all of our emotions…the difference is how we choose to respond to those feelings and emotions and whether or not we share those feelings and emotions with God. After all, he created us…he knows us better than we could ever imagine. The hard part is learning to trust him more and more and including him in your daily walk for every situation good or bad.

The more I have engaged in this behavior the more I am amazed how he guides me to do more for others and how wonderful you feel when you really stop focusing on how everything affects me or makes me feel. The focus on self alone is the work of evil and will keep you from God…he created each of us for far more than we could know and the only path to discovering that is to walk with him to ask him questions, to speak with him. To take direction from the spiritual GPS…here is a good instruction to start with…

“Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be people of courage; be strong. Do everything in love.”

1 Corinthians 16:13-14

After that start reading everyday…the book of Proverbs is a great place to start in the Old Testament. I pray that each day we all can work on inviting and trusting God to guide us and be with us every step on our journey to the life everlasting. Amen

A Place Where You See God

September 22, 2013 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

If you stop and think about it, where is that place in your life? Is it a physical location or something different? Is it in an act of kindness you have experienced or seen happening to another person or in a story you have heard about other people?

Sometimes it can be hard to find him…when I think about it and realize I haven’t seen him or been aware of him…I have learned not to ask God to show himself in some way but rather give me eyes and ears to see your work in the world. For me, the key is where are we focusing our attention…if we are self-focused we will miss just about every opportunity to see God’s work in the world. As we learn to focus on a relationship with God and others first we begin to acquire a new perspective. This type of change in focus requires a commitment to change your routines and habits in life. If we just try to work it all in to our current schedule and life we will fail…I speak from experience.

For many years I was consumed with my work and the company I worked for and my “position” in the social stratosphere. I would work in “my time” with God on the weekend before getting down to business. This life created several false idols for me, because deep in my heart I had not surrendered and committed myself to Jesus. When I finally stopped pursuing my plans, my ideas for how things should be and truly dedicated daily time in devotion and worship…I finally started to see opportunities to connect with the world through God. Some would argue that I have given up on living my life…my response is…you are correct in that I have given up trying to live my life my way and instead I am trying to live my life the way God has intended for me. Of course, I am human and still make plenty of mistakes and have trouble with temptations but my life has never had more joy, more peace and contentment.

So where is it? Where is the one place in your life right now that you see God? Where is it that God has cracked a door or a window in your life and you just need to open it and step through trusting that no matter what happens God will be at your side and if you commit to meeting with him daily you will begin to experience life in a whole new way?

May God’s peace be with you

A Hymn and a Prayer

September 15, 2013 / mcalcagno / 4 Comments

When I awoke this morning a hymn and a prayer began playing in my mind. This is not the first time this has happened. It comes from my childhood and is another clear indicator to me that even when I was not paying attention to God he was working on and paying attention to me. What an awesome God! I share this particular hymn and prayer with you today:

Make me a channel of your peace.
Where there is hatred let me bring your love.
Where there is injury, your pardon, Lord
And where there’s doubt, true faith in you.

Oh, Master grant that I may never seek
So much to be consoled as to console
To be understood as to understand
To be loved as to love with all my soul.

Make me a channel of your peace
Where there’s despair in life, let me bring hope
Where there is darkness, only light
And where there’s sadness, ever joy.

Make me a channel of your peace
It is in pardoning that we are pardoned
In giving to all men that we receive
And in dying that we’re born to eternal life.

Amen

When You Don’t Know What To Do…

September 8, 2013 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

Pray. When things aren’t going your way…Pray. When you are feeling great and everything seems to be falling into place…Pray. When you are exhausted and worn out…Pray. When you are energized and you feel like you can take on anything…Pray.

I have learned over time that prayer can be so much more than a list of thanks for this or that and please bless him and her…this is not to say that these types of prayers are not important, they are. However, they should not be the only prayers we say. One of the greatest joys of being a believer is the relationship you can develop with God. Like any relationship in life it takes time and effort on our part. Think about your best relationships in life…typically those relationships are with people you see often or people you speak with daily. The same can be true with God. If you make it a priority to spend some amount of time reading the bible and speaking with God every day I promise you will begin to feel a difference in every aspect of your life and when you are unsure about something or someone…talk to God about it he will help you see your way through. As one of my favorite bible verses states…

“Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard you hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

Philippians 4:4-7

So when life has you questioning “What do I do now?”…Pray

Peace.

A Message from a Parent…

September 4, 2013 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

Children are a gift from God. They come in several different sizes and styles. They come from a genetic make-up, but that does not determine everything about their lives. Having been a child ourselves does not give us everything we need to become a dependable mother or father. We don’t have all the answers…our own experiences can help in many situations but not all the time. As I continue to strive to live a balanced, Christ centered life here are some of things I have learned that may be helpful to other parents or at least good reminders…

Actions are more important than words

Listen as much or more than you speak

Work less sometimes to be with them

Attention should be equally distributed to all

You can be a friend, a guide, a coach or a counselor at times

Show them God working in the world and in their lives

This is by no means an all-encompassing list, however, it does cover many years of their lives. You may have noticed the first letter of each statement when put together spell…ALWAYS.

ALWAYS pray for them

ALWAYS love them

ALWAYS forgive them

ALWAYS be there for them

ALWAYS trust in God for their well being

Lastly, be open to try new things and to have new experiences…often times that is the only way you both can see God.

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!”

2 Corinthians 5:17

Peace to you and yours.

Money…A Means Not an End

August 28, 2013 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

Oh boy…here is a topic that seems to stir up an emotion charged response from so many people. Whether that response is positive or negative the topic of money always comes with extreme human emotion. So where does God stand when it comes to money?

Money is referenced over 140 times throughout the bible, not including references to other currency, and sin, in general, is the only issue that exceeds money in the number of times mentioned. I have two verses that resonate with me:

“No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money.”

Matthew 6:24

“For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many grief’s.”

1 Timothy 6:10

As with everything in our lives, it is a choice…..we can choose to focus all of our attention on where we stand financially or we can work on trying to balance our attention. If we choose to praise God first and trust in him he will provide for us as he knows what we need. The key to this is he is not looking to fulfill your wants but your needs and not on your time table but in time within his plan for your life.

I have tried the shortcut early in my faith journey…I would say to God, “please bless me with this amount of money and I promise I will do good things with it”. God knew my heart at that time and knew I wasn’t ready. In fact, you have heard about lottery winners who have had horrible lives after winning a substantial amount of money in one shot…..that is not God but evil providing those winnings as the evil forces of this world know how easy it is to distract us from looking toward God and will use everything it has to keep us away from God.

If you sit down and really look at your financial situation and look at the needs of your life…shelter, food, water, clothes…and lift it up to God and truly trust in him you will be blessed. If you are blessed with more than you need than begin to share it. You were blessed to be a blessing. If you think you don’t have enough to share start small by buying a coffee or a meal for the car behind you at the drive thru window. If you need more ideas there is a great blog at http://projectlighttolife.wordpress.com/ that I follow and the author Christine has several amazing ideas about how to be a blessing to others.

In closing, don’t let money control your life…don’t let it be the master of your journey. Appreciate what you do have and begin to find ways to share with others. Find ways to put money to work for you and for God by giving and it will come back to you over and over again.

Peace.

Reflect, Restore, Renew

August 24, 2013 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

The following is taken from my Devotional bible and was written by a man named Bob Benson. I share it because it is an excellent summary regarding the presence of God in our lives. Also, because Bob Benson who was one of the Christian world’s leading publishing executives and the author of six books, he succumbed to cancer in March of…..1986. Yet here I am in August of 2013 and his words still provide a blessing to me this day…maybe they will to you to. Well done Bob Benson…Well done.

When life caves in, you do not need reasons, you need comfort. You do not need some answers; you need someone. And Jesus does not come to us with an explanation; he comes to us with his presence.

We are always seeking the reason. We want to know why. Like Job, we finally want God to tell us just what is going on….

But God does not reveal his plan, he reveals himself. He comes to us as warmth when we are cold, fellowship when we are alone, strength when we are weak, peace when we are troubled, courage when we are afraid, songs when we are sad, and bread when we are hungry.

He is with us on our journeys. He is there when we are home. He sits with us at our table. He knows about funerals and weddings and commencements and hospitals and jails and unemployment and labor and laughter and rest and tears. He knows because he is with us. He comes to us again and again.

– Bob Benson

Peace to you today.

Patience and Persistence

August 22, 2013 / mcalcagno / 5 Comments

Sometimes we all wish God worked like a drive-thru…quick, cheap and efficient? We could just pull in and get whatever we needed whenever we needed it. Those thoughts come directly from the world we live in. Everything in this world seems focused on the quick, convenient, fast and easy…we want more we want more.

My toughest moments in my faith journey…times when I have felt a letdown or disappointment have occurred because I lacked Patience and Persistence.

Patience – defined as “bearing pain or trials without complaint”; “showing self-control”

Persistence – defined as “to go on resolutely or stubbornly in spite of difficulties”

These are two qualities that are not promoted in our world yet when we focus on them we usually are closer to living God’s plan for our life rather than our own plan. I have always been a better husband, father, son, brother or friend when I practice patience and persistence.

In my spiritual life I define Patience as waiting for the Lord. He is always there and he always working his plan in your life even when you think nothing is happening. Every interaction with another person is an opportunity and a blessing. When we are patient we can smile and make eye contact with the grocery store or convenience store clerk. When passing by someone we know we can say “Hi” with a smile instead of “Hey, How you doing?” as we speed past not waiting for a response because we didn’t really want to know how they were doing at that moment. When we are patient as a friend we really listen to what our friend is saying and not thinking about what we are going to say next in conversation. When we are patient we will be willing to sacrifice some of our own wants and needs to help others.

Persistence can be defined as never giving up of God. Things will not go the way you want or just the way you planned but maybe you ran ahead of God and it wasn’t time for you to get that job or start that adventure. Maybe he knows you have some more trials coming ahead. It is not punishment, that is not how God works. He has a plan for how he wants you to use the gifts he gave you and he knows the events you are going to encounter in life. Your job is to learn from trials and pray about them and listen for God to respond. For example, if you need the courage to ask someone for forgiveness or you need to forgive someone for something…pray about it daily and be watchful for that opportunity to be forgiven or to forgive…it will come. Just be persistent about your prayer.

In closing, one of my favorite Bible verses speaks to these qualities it is this:

“I am confident of this: I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord”

Psalm 27:13-14

Peace.

Look At the People God Uses

August 17, 2013 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

While I was thinking about starting to write this blog, I often thought, “What could I have to offer?” or “Why would God want me to speak about him to others?” This kind of thinking is exactly what the Evil in the world wants us to believe. Then I read about people in the Bible or I read what authors like Max Lucado, Charles Swindoll or Rick Warren and Billy Graham have to say about the people God uses and I begin to realize this is exactly what God wants me to do.

As we learn about faith and God’s love for each and every person in the world through life experiences and through the experiences others have written about, it turns out we all have something to offer the world. We all have our own life. We all have had an experience or heard about someone’s experience that was horrific and then it became extraordinary. It all depends on your perspective.

From the Bible we have the stories of…

Noah

Abraham

Moses

David

Joseph

Plus many more….

All of these people had suffered through some tragedy of sin and had extraordinary things occur afterward because of God’s love and God’s grace. Through some of my own life experiences that I have mentioned in earlier posts I have learned to ask, “What does God want me to learn?” or “How does God want me to use this experience to help others?” Rather than asking “Why is God doing this to me?”

God doesn’t “do” sinful things to us…the human race has created and brought about sin all by ourselves. It was our choice. God knew we aren’t strong enough to overcome sin so he did the one thing he could…he sent us his Son. The human race killed him…so God resurrected him to save us all.

So if you are wondering “What do I have to offer anyone?” try asking God and be patient for his answer….he created you, he knows the gifts he gave you. You could start by reflecting on events in your life and this time when you think about them ask yourself, “What did God want me to learn from that experience?” Remember he is about love, grace, mercy and forgiveness.

Peace.