Trust In The Lord

July 27, 2020 / mcalcagno / 2 Comments

“Trust in the Lord and do good;
dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture.
⁴Take delight in the Lord,
and he will give you the desires of your heart.

⁵Commit your way to the Lord;
trust in him and he will do this:
⁶He will make your righteous reward shine like the dawn,
your vindication like the noonday sun.

⁷Be still before the Lord
and wait patiently for him;
do not fret when people succeed in their ways,
when they carry out their wicked schemes.

⁸Refrain from anger and turn from wrath;
do not fret—it leads only to evil.
⁹For those who are evil will be destroyed,
but those who hope in the Lord will inherit the land.”

Psalm 37:3-9

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“But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. ³⁴Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”

Matthew 6:33-34

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

Patience

July 1, 2020 / mcalcagno / 2 Comments

Originally posted in May of 2018…

When we believe and we trust in God we will be required to develop patience in this world. Circumstances will often look hopeless and many people will despair and be engulfed in sadness and fear, that is the way of evil. We must never give up hope, we must trust in God to continue working for the good for us and for everyone. God does not make bad things happen, He is not tempting you with things that are not good…that is sin in the world and we humans invited that sin into this world. God is at work in all the bad we have created to bring out goodness, kindness and love. Believe in Him who created us, believe in His one and only Son, Jesus Christ and see the good things that can happen in your life in this world. May God’s peace and joy be with you.

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“I am still 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

(This photo was taken in July of 2016 in Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming)

Stay Connected

March 25, 2020 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

Both to God and to others. Yes, the world has changed and things are very different than they were a few weeks ago…most if not all of it was outside of your control…still today how you choose to respond is completely up to you. You can connect to/stay connected to God by reading His Word and praying or you can reject the opportunity to explore your faith and build your relationship with Jesus Christ…you can choose to find simple or creative ways to connect to family and friends or you can focus your time on what was lost with the changes you can’t control. Yes, we are all different and we all deal with change in different ways…and God gives us free will to choose our response…so how will you choose to respond? Choose God (verse above the photo), choose life (verse below the photo). Amen.

“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

John 16:33

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“Though one may be overpowered,
two can defend themselves.
A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.”

Ecclesiastes 4:12

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

Wisdom From Heaven

March 24, 2020March 24, 2020 / mcalcagno / 5 Comments

I pray we all seek the wisdom of God. His message in the bible…the example His Son Jesus Christ set for us…the guidance His Holy Spirit provides us as that small voice in our minds. The current times show how hurtful it is when we are selfish. Because we are human, we all are convicted of selfish behavior at one time or another and when unity is what the world needs the selfishness of human behavior is magnified. There are many people who are doing good things in the world right now to help others and I pray we hear more about those stories and we seek to live that way. Lord, forgive us when we are selfish and teach us how to care for others just as you have cared for us. Amen.

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“But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. ¹⁸Peacemakers who sow in peace reap a harvest of righteousness.”

James 3:17-18

(This photo was taken in August of 2016 while traveling through the state of Washington)

Not Done Yet…

February 9, 2020 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

Your journey continues…keep going…be persistent…act with courage and kindness…pursue what is next with compassion and goodness…ask God to guide you and stay close to Him, because God’s not done with you yet. Amen.

God’s Not Done With You by Tauren Wells

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“In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy ⁵because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, ⁶being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”

Philippians 1:4-6

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

Humility

February 7, 2020 / mcalcagno / 1 Comment

The message in the bible is clear…we need to learn how to be humble. Selfishness and self-serving behaviors are running wild in the world. God knows it is a problem for the human race and He made sure it is talked about often in His Word…

“Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. ¹⁰Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves.”

Romans 12:9-10

“In the same way, you who are younger, submit yourselves to your elders. All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because,

“God opposes the proud
but shows favor to the humble.”^[a]

⁶Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. ⁷Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.”

1 Peter 5:5-7

If you want to know more do an internet search on bible verses about humility. Turn towards Jesus our Savior and the one who set the example of how to be humble by caring for others. Amen.

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“Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, ⁴not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.”

Philippians 2:3-4

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

Together In Christ

February 2, 2020 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

There is a section in Ecclesiastes 4 that speaks about going through life alone versus with others. It provides a few examples of how much more difficult life can be alone. We are made to be in community, to work together to support each other. I am a sports fan and my favorite sport is football, today is a very big day in the football world…over the years I have reflected on the different sports and I have come to realize I often prefer team sports versus individual ones…it is not that individual sports are bad but I prefer a sport where we are more dependent on each other than individual talent alone…a sport that requires community for success. At its basic level, in football it takes all 11 people on the field to find success, individuals willing to sacrifice for the good of the team…community, working together for the good of all. May we all be engaged in community in our daily lives…if you are unsure of your community, turn towards God and seek His guidance. Amen.

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“As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. ²Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. ³Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. ⁴There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; ⁵one Lord, one faith, one baptism; ⁶one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.”

Ephesians 4:1-6

(This photo was taken in June of 2013 in Custer State Park in South Dakota)

Let Go

December 17, 2019 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

The more we fill our lives with fear, shame, guilt, anger, bitterness and all our sins, the less room we have for the Fruits of the Spirit from God. We must learn to let go of the worldly ways and worldly values that are holding us back and telling us lies. In order to receive the goodness of the Lord we must open our hearts and minds to Him…it is a journey we all must take and Jesus Christ is waiting for each one of us to turn towards Him, because He is the only One who knows The Way. Amen.

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“Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. ³²Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.”

Ephesians 4:31-32

(This photo was taken in August of 2012 while hiking along the North Shore of Lake Superior)

Self-Awareness

December 2, 2019 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

This is defined as knowledge of one’s own feelings, motives and desires. If we are able to understand more about ourselves, we can become more confident in our values and purpose. Being more self-aware will also improve our relationships and interactions with others. For example, if our motives and desires center around self-satisfaction we will most likely have difficulty in relationships as we are not accounting for the needs of others. There is a balance between self-care and helping others that we should strive for and we don’t have to do it alone. God is with us and because of Jesus Christ we can ask for guidance in finding this balance. May the Fruit of the Spirit be in you and flow through you. Amen.

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“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, ²³gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.”

Galatians 5:22-23

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

Be Patient

November 18, 2019 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

Why all the rushing around? The hurry up, the plow through, the I have to finish this so I can rush off to that…and on and on it goes. No wonder we are lost…we don’t even take time to acknowledge where we are or what is going on around us. As we approach the holiday season, let’s not get caught up in the hustle and bustle of all the things we are supposed to do…let’s strive to acknowledge the reason for the season and to make time to be present with whoever God has us spending time with this year. May the peace of the Lord be with you. Amen.

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